Congrats to M. J. Mallon on her new release of poetry! I personally love poetry, but it has to be a certain way… I’m picky. I’ve read a bit of her work in This is Lockdown so I knew going in that her style of writing is a great match to my poetry appreciation.
MY REVIEW 5 stars: I devoured this quick book of poetry in one sitting. It took me less than an hour and I enjoyed every page. Mallon has a way of capturing your attention, and every poem is relatable. It’s smooth easy reading offers a mix of thoughts, events, and a variety of happenings some of which are silly and some are a lot more edgy and serious.
Thank you so much to Didi Oviatt for being a part of Shalini’s awesome book blitz and for her wonderful 5 star review for my new release, Lockdown Innit.
Imagine a shift to the way you see the world that arises through poetic narration.
Imagine the world, at its base level, is a collection of selves. These selves collide, disperse, intermingle, and share themselves in lines of free verse. Such is the premise of Versions of the Self, poetry that assumes multiple types of selves exist and relate in ways that alter them. Each of the eight chapters looks at a different type of self, including the singular “I” and romantic interactions. These unique 80 poems definitely color themselves outside of the lines.
Book Review:
This is a wonderful collection of personal poetry which gives a fascinating insight into the concept of self and how our selves are affected by and change due to outside factors such as our loves, vulnerability, family, friendships, and relationships.
It doesn’t shy away or hide from difficult themes, the words are there for the reader to see and interpret in free verse which flows like a river.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of poetry. It’s a little different, quite deep and intense in parts and fascinating throughout.
D.G. Kaye is back, and as she reflects on some of her more memorable vacations and travel snags, she finds herself constantly struggling to keep one step ahead of the ever-changing guidelines of the airlines—with her overweight luggage in tow. Her stories alert us to some of the pitfalls of being an obsessive shopper, especially when it comes time for D.G. to bring her treasures home, and remind us of the simpler days when traveling was a breeze. In her quest to keep from tipping the scales, D.G. strives to devise new tricks to fit everything in her suitcases on each trip. Why is she consistently a target for Canada customs on her return journeys? D.G.’s witty tales take us from airports, to travel escapades with best friends, to reflections on how time can change the places we hold dear in our hearts. Her memories will entertain and have you reminiscing about some of your own most treasured journeys—and perhaps make you contemplate revamping your packing strategies.
My review:
I read this as part of #ireadcanadian., @ireadcanadian #nowmorethanever.
This is such a hoot, what a laugh!
Have Bags Will Travel is such an entertaining read which gives you an insight into D G Kaye’s character, her shopping obsession, packing troubles, germaphobia, and brushes with airport security. Enjoy her recollections on the glamour and glitz, her love to travel and a nostalgic aspect to it all.
Her friend Zan shares her shopaholic tendencies too. The two of them together… can you imagine? A red head, blonde explosion of zaniness! I love the part when they end up at Buckingham Palace and chat to a Beefeater, the royal guard and after which… it gets funnier by the moment.
Have Bags Will Travel gives a historical account of how much easier it used to be to take overstuffed baggage through airports in the good old days. Now, it seems that D G Kaye will resort to anything to get her shopping home.
Zan and D G Kaye also travel to Paris and end up shopping for shoes!
There are manmade toboggan rides in Muskoka, Canada.
Trips to Venezuela: Margarita Island and Caracas with cousin Eileen.
Las Vegas, Then and Now – gambling/casinos, fond memories of the author’s love of the desert.
Have Bags Will Travel is just what we need right now, a good giggle! There is also a section at the back of the book with Helpful Travel tips.
A short, entertaining read. Highly recommended, especially for the shopoholics and travel enthusiasts in your life!
Amanda Ross is an average twelve year old Canadian girl. So what is she doing thousands of kilometres from home in the United Arab Emirates? It’s her own fault really, she wished for adventure and travel when she blew out those candles on her last birthday cake. Little did she know that a whole different world awaited her on the other side of the globe, one full of intrigue, mystery and folklore. A world with a beautiful princess, a dangerous desert and wonderful friends. Join Amanda on her first adventure as she discovers the secrets behind The Perfume Flask.
My review
Such a cute middle grade book about Amanda venturing to the United Arab Emirates. It is educational too, various aspects of living in the desert and the culture and customs of the people are explained in an interesting way throughout the book. It is descriptive, fun, and amusing too. I particularly loved the sections with camels and how the author explained different types of camels and how wonderful the camel is especially in a sand storm!
What a great way to educate youngsters about the diversity of cultures in this world.
It transported me away for a while, and made me smile, which I’m grateful for particularly at the moment when we can’t go anywhere.
Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet is a collection of short stories with scattered poetry, reflecting the complexities of life, love and loss.
The stories in the collection dip into the lives of men and women who are faced with an ‘event’ that is challenging and in some cases life changing.
Even something as straightforward as grocery shopping online can be frustrating, and a DNA test produces surprise results, the past reaches out to embrace the present, and a gardening assistant is an unlikely grief counsellor. Romance is not always for the faint-hearted and you are never too old for love. Random acts of kindness have far reaching consequences and some people discover they are on a lucky streak. There are those watching over us who wish us well, and those in our lives who wish us harm.
MyReview
Well, what can I say about Sally Cronin’s latest collection of short stories and poetry?
It is a brilliant mix of bitter and sweet, a fine collection that I’m sure will appeal to everyone. In fact, I had so many favourite short stories and poems that I’d be hard put to try to pick just a few to highlight. Life is Like A Bowl of Cherries is a snapshot of life embracing all its complexities, with humour, joy and kindness.
Here were some of my personal favourites:
Short Stories:The Weekly Shopping (this will make you chuckle! A special one with dieters in mind!) The Date – (so humourous and sweet, think old lady out for a date but she sure does it in style!) The Wedding Day, The Scratch Card, (So lovely – a short excerpt of this particular story is available below in the author interview link,) Long Lost Love, The Night Shift (A lovely tale of a Care home and a cat,) Gaffer Tape (about fortitude and overcoming domestic abuse,) The Gardening Assistant (Loss of a baby – this will touch the heart of many, especially those who have experienced such sadness, or miscarriage (as I have,) but the ending with the help of a furry friend brings light and hope.)
Some of my favourite poems: The Visitor, Garden Birds, Ritual of Mehndi
I featured Sally with an interview and excerpt recently:
What’s a girl to do when she wants to hit boundaries but life throws her beamers?
Saru expected her life to turn for the better when she found love and married. Instead, she kept getting deliberate yorkers from her mother-in-law. She hit a sixer when a baby arrived, but things got worse soon after. Her appeal to the umpire fell on deaf ears. Finally, she walked out of the stadium, and let go of the first love of her life.
Then she flew off to New York for her Masters.
Will Saru get a second chance at love and marriage and get to hit a century? Will her daughter ever form a relationship with her biological father?
Bowled, but Not Out is an entertaining family drama full of heart and thoughtful life lessons and will resonate with anyone fond of cricket.
My review:
An entertaining read pertinent to women in Indian culture and also relevant to those of us who find ourselves at the mercy of the interfering mother-in-law and frustrated by the “mummies boy.”
The strength of the story lies in the characters and familial relationships which are well detailed, with Saru, struggling at first with the overbearing nature of her mother-in-law and her hubby’s weakness and inability to take her side. Saru is all the more admirable as she turns the situation around for herself and her daughter Simrn with the help of her family.
A lovely tale which will appeal to those who like cultural, family, and romance stories.
There are many references to cricket showing Saru’s need to raise her game to overcome her difficult circumstances. I am not a cricket fan, those who are may take away more from the story if they are.
Some of the phraseology was a little unusual which took me out of the narrative a few times but other than that I enjoyed the tale, finding it to be amusing, and charming.
The ending was well played out!
Many thanks to Ruchira Khanna for sending me a copy.
My rating: 4 stars. A recommended, enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the cultural and family references.
Have you read Bowled But Not Out? Please do comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
A girl struggling to cope with the murders of her mother and five-year-old brother. A journalist chasing the ghost of a potential serial killer. A thirteen-year-old girl who slaughtered her parents. And a revenge-driven psychopath who is about to destroy everyone’s life.
After 9 years, a young writer is still coping with the brutal murders of her mother and five-year-old brother, as she moves into a house of horrors, to start a new life with her lover. Will friends and family be able to redeem Ally out of the impending doom in time? Will her infallible love become the key to the destruction of her already fragile world? Will madness prevail over love; true love over revenge?
Deceived is a gripping psychological thriller that mazes through the deepest, darkest emotions of human mind through the story of a vulnerable girl who treads in the mist of deception bred from a long unforgiven betrayal.
Disclaimer – I received a free ebook copy of Deceived. My review of this book has in no way been influenced by this kind offer.
An excellent debut by Heena Rathore Pardesi. Just what you would expect from a book blogger who loves to read and studies the craft of writing extensively.
I have to admit that there were times especially towards the end of the book where I went, ugh, that is so horrible, Heena! So, be prepared for that. Heena is a huge fan of horror and this comes across in her writing. She is not afraid to shock the reader.
In Deceived we read of Elizabeth’s story, a sad tale of sexual abuse perpetrated by her stepfather that led her already fragile, disturbed mind towards a need to commit violent acts herself.
Ally ‘s mum and young brother were murdered making her a vulnerable character longing for stability and love. She has suffered so much and I longed for her to be happier and free from anxiety.
Both Elizabeth and Ally are damaged people. There is a sense that anything can and will happen.
I liked the creepy journal entries which add an insight into a murder’s crazy psyche and these are interspersed with Ally (Allison Stone’s) and Elizabeth Lawson’s story.
There are obvious parallels between Ally and Elizabeth. They are both looking for love. Ally hopes to find happiness with her boyfriend Danny. Elizabeth imagines the love she thinks she deserves. Will either of them find happiness, or will there be more tragedy?
Right from the start it is clear that Ally’s best friend Sam doesn’t trust Danny. I would have liked Sam to be more determined and vocal about Ally escaping from Danny’s clutches. Especially, when it becomes obvious that Allie’s mental health is slipping due to weird discoveries in Danny’s creepy house and the ‘voodoo’ house next door. Also, it would have served as a strong contrast to the ending of the book. But, no spoilers.
Ally’s journalist cousin Steve doesn’t come across as a very trustworthy character at the beginning of the book. And yet Steve doesn’t trust Donny, (who is helping him in his murder investigations,) and is obsessional about Allie. But are Steve’s instincts right? Is Donny strange too?
Ally’s dog Max is such a sweetheart, always wanting to be beside Ally to protect her from harm. But with a killer on the prowl even Max is in danger.
And Elizabeth, what a tale that is!
There are numerous clues throughout the book to keep the reader engaged and turning the pages.
Heena Rathmore uses an unusual technique in some dialogues whilst speaking on the phone – only showing one person’s speech, which I found somewhat unusual until I got used to this style. Perhaps the author did this to maintain the pace of the story, and add an air of mystery.
This novel certainly brings a fair few questions… very cleverly done. My recommendation: Read this! An engaging psychological page turner. The ending will stay with me for a long time… Highly recommended.
Heena Rathore Pardeshi is a published fiction author, manuscript critic and the Editor-In-Chief at a local publishing house. She is also a fiction writing coach and conducts regular webinars, workshops and lectures on Creative Writing and Fiction Writing.
She has a Bachelor Degree in English Literature from University of Pune. She has also studied 3D Animation Film Making from Reliance Big Animation, Modern Masterpieces of World Literature from Harvard University and Introduction To Psychology from Yale University.
She has seven years of extensive knowledge in blogging and content creation and continues to create content for her YouTube Channel. She is also an animal activist and participates in regular Neuter-And-Release and animal foster activities in her city. She loves music and is currently learning Piano from a tutor of Trinity College of Music, London. She is a book aficionado and reads more than a hundred books every year. She loves travelling, but prefers a lifestyle that suits her introvert nature. She lives in Pune with her husband and 6 cats in a house full of love, chuckles and books.
After a near cataclysmic worldwide event shook the foundations of society and unleashed numerous supernatural hazards onto the Earth, twins Quincy and Lilly just want to lead their lives as normally as possible. However, this proves to be quite difficult. The twins are the heirs of legendary horror writer and occultist W.A. Swansong, who has been declared a prophet now that many of his gruesome creations appear to really exist.
When a mysterious inheritance falls into the twins’ hands, a strange and violent secret organization becomes hell-bent on finding them. Quincy and Lilly are forced to flee their hometown of New Orleans, leading them on a wild, supernatural chase throughout the southern United States. With only a handful of allies and a trapped Fire Vampire named Tim, the twins uncover a great mystery tied to their inheritance, the source of ll pandemonium, and even the true origins of mankind.
My review:
Many thanks to the author for an ARC copy. Apologies for taking a while to review.
I loved this. I loved how crazy it is… The characters of Lily and her twin brother Quincy are awesome, as is the Fire Vampire, Tim. I especially liked Tim and his character arc was just brilliant. It’s a very fast-paced read and there are times where you shift from the twins to Sean’s scenes and you kind of go, whoa… hold on there… whose this? And what’s about to happen now? This took a bit of getting used to… But, I guess it’s intentional. It’s the kind of novel that will have you gripping your seat, or howling with laughter.
The strengths of The Swansong Conspiracy lie in the characterisation, (particularly via the dialogue,) the humourous and engaging plot and the well written action scenes. The banter between the twins is spot on. There are also some amazing descriptions in the book and the story is unusual and weird but in a good way.
So, a definite recommend for me especially if you would like to read something a little less ‘normal.’
While reading The Swansong Conspiracy I kept on having this sensation as if an animated reel of all these ghostly, strange, horrific and dangerous characters was going on in my head. I can see The Swansong Conspiracy transferring well to film. Great debut, Mr. Vossen. Highly imaginative. I’m impressed.
My rating: 5 stars
Author Bio:
Nick Vossen was raised on blockbuster films from the 80s and 90s as well as fantasy and sci-fi novels, comics and games. No matter the medium, his love for storytelling grew ever larger. Having always had a fascination with the fantastical and weird, he quickly grew fond of authors such as Terry Pratchett, H.P. Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman and many more. During the winter of 2017 Nick released an anthology of short, weird fiction entitled The Fissures Between Worlds, which delves into the strange places on Earth where time does not flow as it should. It was received quite favourably, and so Nick’s desire to tell more stories grew. He has since been privileged to appear in several other anthologies, magazines and short story compilations and has quite a few projects still in the works. His biggest fascinations and inspirations are old forgotten woodlands, the deepest depths of the oceans and the unsettling, uncanniness of retro futurism.
Nick graduated in Media- and Culture studies at Utrecht University in The Netherlands. He is currently working as a freelance creative writer and author. He also frequently works on projects in the Dutch indie-film industry, putting his talents to use in art-direction, set-dressing and of course screenwriting. His first novel, The Swansong Conspiracy (book 1 of the Eldritch Twins series) is set to be released at the end of 2020 by Parliament House Press. The book will offer a unique blend of coming-of-age comedy, supernatural horror and mystery.
Assassination can be a messy business, especially if you’re having a bad day.
Dan Jones is the ultimate problem solver, the hitman for crime boss Fliss Bauer.
Fliss has a rival, Kalindra Dallin. She runs a particularly unpleasant planet. Dan is told to arrange her demise. It’s just another job; until a random event means that it all goes horribly wrong.
To save his skin, Dan is forced to try again, only this time he has to work with a partner. He doesn’t want to but it’s the only chance he’s going to get; if he wants to put things right.
My review:
I really enjoyed The Hitman and the Thief. This novel has an interesting storyline which gripped me as the chapters sped by. This is a fast paced, easy read. The character of Dan and the thief Lydia are both engaging.
Dan is an ex-serviceman, now turned assassin for Fliss. His latest kill target is Kalindra, his boss’s rival.
But, who is Kalindra? And will Dan bungle it up?
Dan’s relationship with Hesta is under strain due to a certain temptation…
But, who can he trust? The revelations and twists leading up to the awesome ending – are subtle, (read carefully!) – but well done.
All in all, I would highly recommend this for readers who like mysteries, and who might enjoy the Sci fi environment of planets and ships (great world-building,) without it being too Sci fi heavy if you know what I mean.
I’m enjoying Richard Dee’s books more and more. I’d say this is my favourite to date. There is a unique aspect to his writing which I really appreciate. So, deserves the 5 stars.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 