Poetry Book Reviews

Candor Candy: Global Poems by Helene Pilibosian

Candor Candy: Global PoemsCandor Candy: Global Poems by Helene Pilibosian is a full-bodied collection exploring the space between humanity and nature, and the sadness and beauty therein, from the Amazon to the Thames to China and back to the US, where the poet resides, an Armenian-American, already by nature an international and globally-aware writer.

The poems strip back to the senses in color and form. They are somewhat reminiscent of Jon Fosse’s more nature-led pieces in form: combinations of natural elements and the senses, somewhat awry with the immediate and raw emotion of the poet in the moment, a cultural reference from modern-day […]

2016-04-28T10:48:00+02:00April 28th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Daydream and Shadow: A Collection of Poetic Images by Nicholas Nossaman

Daydream and Shadow: A Collection of Poetic Images by Nicholas NossamanDaydream and Shadow: A Collection of Poetic Images by Nicholas Nossaman is a collection of poems and photographs about subjects large and small – from appreciating a meal to the scourge of war – using subtle, but evocative imagery.

A bit too often, Nossaman relies on prose being reformatted into verse, rather than a poetic cadence of its own, but the images he conveys still remain expressive. The most powerful element of these poems is finding poetry in small moments (drinking a cup of coffee, smoking a cigarette), which makes the book’s subheading – Poetic Images – all the more […]

2016-04-13T11:04:12+02:00April 12th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: The Empty One (The Fallen Conviction Book 1) by Matthew Stanley

★★★★½ (The Fallen Conviction, #1)

The Empty One by Matthew Stanley is an epic, fantastic tale in a very unique form.

Combining religious philosophy, vivid battle scenes, biblical undertones, political and social commentary, and incredible magical forces, The Empty One is much more than your typical fantasy. The plot base of Matthew Stanley’s story is the tale of two warring superpowers – one dedicated to mystical belief, the other to social order – but this epic story comes with a major twist. The entire text is presented in verse form, making it a highly unique reading experience, supported by a fascinating (albeit convoluted) plot […]

2016-04-07T06:58:03+02:00March 28th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Come Flutter Your Wings by Audrey Thompson

Come Flutter Your Wings by Audrey ThompsonCome Flutter Your Wings by Audrey Thompson is a passionate declaration of faith in the form of devotional poems, scripture, and stories from her life, in which she’s gone down a dark road and come out the other side with intense optimism and hope. It’s brimming with earnestness and sincerity, and should be a comfort for other religious devotees who have had to triumph over adversity.

Thompson’s faith is on profound display throughout the book, but sometimes we are not given a clear indication of just how she persevered in her life. Of course, this is part of the book’s […]

2016-03-05T09:22:38+02:00March 5th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Golden Gloves: rap-novel by G. Petrov & M. Salita

Golden Gloves: rap-novel Golden Gloves: rap-novel is one of the most unique reading experiences you’ll have. Written in rhyming verse, it tells the story of a Jewish immigrant from Odessa who wins a Golden Gloves boxing tournament. The book covers heady issues such as anti-Semitism, immigration, poverty, and the cut-throat world of amateur boxing.

A novel in verse could potentially get tedious, but Golden Gloves flows evenly. Another potential problem is that it could seem childlike, as rhyming verse is most commonly associated with children’s books. Because of the themes present, and the cadence of the prose, neither of these issues is an […]

2015-10-26T08:28:45+02:00October 26th, 2015|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Shards by James Mirarchi ★★★★

ShardsThis nicely measured anthology of “pointy” poems by San Francisco-based writer and filmmaker James Mirarchi juxtapose the earthly, natural seams of life with sharp, irregular, unexpected parts to bring a fresh slant of light into word play.

An urban, city feel smears soily atmosphere onto everyday Bukowski-like scenery, while Mirarchi’s dry wit, no doubt the “shards” of the book title, split hairs in ordinary situations. However, there’s a touch of more spiritual and magical sight here too, with shimmers of beauty and some kind of anchoring to existence disturbing the banal streams of life.

Even the Contents page of this […]

2017-03-24T10:48:55+02:00April 28th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: City Times and Other Poems by Vihang A. Naik

Vihang NaikVihang A. Naik is an Indian poet living in Gujarat, with a prolific career in writing and translating poetry from Gujarati language into English, including his own works.  His collection of poetry here, City Times and Other Poems will be fascinating to poetry lovers interested in words that explore from the inside, as these philosophical pieces capture their environment in a way that can only be crafted by a native inhabitant of an unusual creative mind many readers may not be so familiar with. However, this collection does not necessarily explore India, but more the human condition and the relation […]

2018-07-24T10:50:56+02:00March 12th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Love Poems: Are You The One? by Steve Ryan

Love Poems: Are You The One? by Steve RyanLove Poems: Are You The One? is a collection of heartfelt poetry written by musician -poet Steve Ryan, and the second such themed collection published on Amazon by the author, this time on the subject of love and romance. Also a singer/songwriter, Ryan uses his lyrical talents to create succinct and intriguing pieces on a wide range of emotions and subjects intending to tackle the many dimensions of the searching question of any romance: “Are you The One?”

The book contains forty-nine poems of a contemporary American style with a little of the Georgia vibe of Judson Mitcham or Natasha […]

2014-10-06T10:06:25+02:00September 23rd, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |
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