Tag: self-published book review

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Gramma Darling”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of The Fairview Review:

Gramma Darling by Lissa Schroeder

Gramma Darling

by Lissa Schroeder

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478757900

Synopsis*:

It is truly extraordinary, the difference one woman can make in the life of a child. Beautifully written and stunningly illustrated, this delightful book for children, parents, and grandparents paints a nostalgic picture of unhurried summer days at a dear grandmother’s house. Seen and felt through the eyes of a child, every discovery is full of innocence and wonder; from an attic brimming with treasures to running through the fields at twilight catching fireflies. You will laugh and remember your own childhood and feel as though you are there sharing in all the small adventures of her little world; the baby birds, the gardening, the stormy days, and bedtime baths. And through it all, in the background, is Gramma Darling and her laughter. You sense the atmosphere of nurturing, protection, and worth that she provides; and far more importantly, you get a glimpse into the wisdom of a woman whose genuine genius for simply loving, inspires wholehearted lifetime devotion. It will leave you uplifted and looking for ways to spend quality time with the little ones in your own life.

Critique:

Schroeder’s reminiscences of childhood days spent at her grandmother’s house make a wonderful picture book. Whether it is the memory of playing in the enclosed front porch during a rain storm while Gramma works at her sewing machine, or Gramma tucking kids in at the end of another long summer day, the memories are full of love and warmth. Anyone lucky enough to have a grandmother like Gramma Darling will feel an instant kinship with the remembrance of delicious desserts made with lots of love or the safety of performing a song or skit knowing that she is always there to applaud. The circular nature of the story is a reflection of the “circle of life,” with the book opening on the scene of a grandchild just learning to walk across the rug and into Gramma’s arms, and closing with a similar scene -but this time with a great-grandchild toddling into those arms.

Doron Ben-Ami’s illustrations are so clear and crisp readers may double-check to make sure that they are not really looking at photographs. The happiness on the children’s faces as they explore in Gramma’s yard, the pleasure on her face as she watches them eat her homemade pie, and the love beaming from her smile as she waits for those hesitant steps to carry her grandchild across the room and into her arms are all captured perfectly. This is a book that will become a family tradition among readers. And what’s better than snuggling in a grandmother’s lap for a read-aloud? (Although offering the recipe for Gramma Darling’s Chocolaty Cherry Cake is also very nice.)

[ reviewed by Suzanne Costner at The Fairview Review ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Remember Grandma and how she was a second Momma to you at times. I remember spending so much time with Grandma especially on the weekends. She lived down the street from us. She had such an influence on me and my sister. This book by Ms Schroeder is simply a loving book that will bring back so many good memories of your own Grandma. The story is based on actual memories. It is the author’s way of honoring a wondering, inspiring and influential person in her life. I remember going to Grandma’s on Saturday. First it was the day you went to town and the grocery store. What a thrill it was when Grandma would take you to Kresgee’s Five and Dime Store and you would get a lemonade at the soda fountain. Then after shopping you would go home and the afternoon was for baking. What wonderful pastries, cookies and treats. This book will take you through the author’s wonderful memories of a childhood spent with Grandma. You.as the reader, will relate so much to this wonderful story of times past, but times fondly remembered. You’ll remember how much Grandma loved you and you definitely will feel it as you turn these pages. Along with the story are some lovely illustrations, simply lovely. At the end of the book is the recipe for Gramma Darling’s Chocolaty Cherry Cake. I tried it and it is yummy. This is a wonderful book to add to a child’s bookshelf and a must for adults also.

– Amazon Reviewer gayle pace

Author Lissa Schroeder has written a beautiful book about her beloved grandmother entitled Gramma Darling. She takes us back to the time when she was young and enjoyed many happy visits with her gramma at her house in a little town in Minnesota. The story is lovingly told and will take you back to your youth if you have ever played in trees, caught fireflies, helped your grandma bake pies or snuggled under a warm quilt in your grandma’s old house with a creaky step! If all children in the world could enjoy the kind of visits this author had with her grandma, there is no doubt the world would be a much better place. And while the story is good and will sweep you and your children away to Schroeder’s life as a child, what set this book apart are the illustrations. They are quite simply some of the best I have even seen and they breathe life into the book on every page. If it were up to me this book would be nominated for both the Newberry and Caldecott book awards it’s that impressive. Gramma Darling is a wonderful journey you can take with your children, grandchildren or the kids in your classroom. Not only is it an engaging story but a visual feast for the senses. I can whole heartedly recommend this book for children roughly ages ten and under. Five Stars.

– Amazon Reviewer terrylynn

Book Trailer:

* = courtesy of the book’s Amazon book page.

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Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized

Saturday Book Review: “Checkmate Run”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of BlueInk Review:

allan alexander checkmate run

Checkmate Run

by Allan Alexander

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478765929

Synopsis:

The KGB agents are vicious, and they are closing in… His odds of escaping are bleak… Will he prevail although everything is muddled in a treacherous love triangle? Whom can he trust? The inevitable checkmate could bring him freedom … or death. Checkmate Run is an adrenaline rush of a story about a precocious young man’s deadly struggle to survive the brutal Soviet regime. Alex Loevsky is a medical student and an inspiringly rebellious poet. He becomes enmeshed in a breakneck battle against the rampant cruelty of the totalitarian state, where just the desire to think freely is nearly a crime on par with treason, and being born Jewish is more than a mere hindrance.

Alex aspires to be a physician. Despite his top academic standing, he has to overcome unspoken rule that aim to restrict the number of Jews entering medical school. Before sitting his admission exams, he is unable to locate his name on the list of alphabetically grouped applicants. He soon discovers that a special group has been created and that everyone in it, including him, has Jewish-sounding surnames. Finding this odd, he goes to his friend and confidante–his aunt Anna. They formulate a daring scheme to shift his name to the regular group.

Alex gets the highest score in the admission exams, but to his chagrin, he discovers that everyone in the special group has been flunked. Shortly thereafter, with the help of his literary mentor, Andrey Simyavsky, Alex’s poetry gains recognition, and New Word, a coveted avant-garde literary magazine, starts to publish his work regularly. All of a sudden, Andrey is arrested, convicted in a closed trial, and sentenced to seven years of hard labor after his banned novel, Lyubimov, was covertly published abroad. While searching for the secret transcripts of the trial, the KGB murders Andrey’s wife.

Alex, who is suspected of hiding the transcripts, is hounded, severely beaten, and left to die. He manages to escape and runs into Lara, a fellow medical student, who saves his life. Aunt Anna enlists the help of her friend, who now holds the rank of general in the Interior Ministry Force. They devise a plan to shield Alex from the KGB by keeping him in solitary confinement inside the Internal Ministry prison. Six months later, the general arranges for Alex’s release, but with one caveat–Alex is forever barred from creative writing. While incarcerated, Alex is expelled from medical school. The general applies pressure on the corrupt dean, and, with Lara’s help, Alex is reinstated.

A few years pass, Alex witnesses the murder of a dissident who seeks to expose to the Western world the torturous reality of life in the Soviet Union. The murder leads Alex to the core of the dissident’s underground movement. His life becomes a death-dealing game of chess; he needs to remain one step ahead of his ruthless opponent–the KGB’s Second Chief Directorate–and must win the game in order to survive. Unexpectedly, the KGB attempts to recruit Alex as an informant. Being entrapped, he experiences betrayal at the hands of the woman with whom he has had a long and passionate love affair. As Alex and Lara grow closer, their friendship turns into love. They get married, and a year later, they have a son. Concern for their son’s future fires up their desire to escape the country that turned on them. Having nothing to lose, Alex and Lara navigate through the imminent danger of terrifying twists and turns in their bid to cross the Iron Curtain.

 

Critique:

Allan Alexander’s compelling autobiographical novel follows an increasingly disillusioned and rebellious young man through a decade in Brezhnev’s Soviet Union.

Alex Loevsky is an aspiring doctor, but his heart belongs to poetry. With the encouragement of his intellectual Aunt Anna, Alex begins contributing to the avant-garde journal New Word and mingling in literary circles. But his and his friends’ nonconformist work angers the authorities. In order to continue his studies, Alex must renounce his literary career.

This is only the beginning of the injustices Alex experiences and witnesses. His Jewish heritage, in particular, singles him out for abuse. But institutional anti-Semitism also brings Alex close to Lara Katz, a fellow medical student. Still emotionally tied to a former lover, however, he initially thinks of Lara as only a friend.

Although he has officially given up poetry, Alex continues to mingle in contrarian circles. He helps smuggle the transcript of a dissident writer’s show trial out of the country and carries on a dead man’s crusade to expose the abuse of political prisoners in mental hospitals. Through these adventures, he grows closer to Lara and begins to reconsider his feelings for her. Eventually, Alex and Lara decide to attempt their most dangerous mission: escaping the Soviet Union for a better life.

Checkmate Run occupies a rather uneasy place between the literary fiction and thriller genres. The novel covers so many incidents and experiences that it occasionally feels unfocused. A slightly slower pace and more descriptive passages would allow readers of literary fiction to feel more involved with the characters. On the other hand, although frequently gripping, the narrative lacks the kind of slick, streamlined plot that would appeal to genre thriller readers.

Nonetheless, Alexander’s work offers a fascinating insider’s portrait of Soviet life post-Stalin but pre-glasnost. It’s probably best appreciated by readers especially interested in that time and place, rather than casual fiction readers. That core audience should find Checkmate Run quite rewarding.

[ reviewed by BlueInk Review ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

I grew up during the early “duck and cover” days of the Cold War. There was plenty of red scare propaganda back then, but (obviously), we couldn’t read about someone’s first hand experience in the “USSR,” as it was known at that time. Dr Allan Alexander’s book changed all that for me – what an incredible story…of love, of family, of survival, and of perseverance!

Checkmate Run is well written and the prose is tight. Dr Alexander’s precise word choices for describing people and situations make this book a delight for the reader. The author doesn’t waste your time with any unnecessary drivel; everything is well thought out, fast paced and deeply absorbing. I couldn’t put this book down!

I have recommended this book to many people since reading it. I would especially recommend it to those that grew up in the shadows of the Cold War on this side of the Iron Curtain. If this book doesn’t fill you with gratitude for the freedoms we so often take for granted, then perhaps you missed the Preface and didn’t realize that the author LIVED this story!

If I had to identify one thing that I wanted to find in the book, it would be a complete copy of the poem, “The Salvaged Hope.” Since there are multiple references to it, I found myself wanting to read it. Since Dr Allan Alexander wasn’t able to carry any copies of the magazine bearing the publication of his poems out of his motherland, it is possible they are forever lost to us. This is one of the sad tragedies of censorship – history is forever incomplete.

– Amazon Reviewer Judith

Checkmate Run by Allan Alexander is an intriguing story of Soviet Russia during the Cold War. It is a story about one man’s struggle against powers which tried to quash personal expression and ideas that were different than the status quo. The events take place between 1965-1975 as a young man named Alex learns the harsh and life threatening reality that he faces every day.

The story opens with a prisoner getting ready for trial. A trial that is heavily swung in the government’s favor. He is found guilty and sentenced for hard labor. We then meet Alex, a young man who has recently published a poem in a national magazine. A poem which openly criticizes the government. Alex is of Jewish descent and he must use trickery and subversion in order to achieve his goal of becoming a doctor as the government is discriminatory toward the Jewish citizens. With the help of his aunt and her powerful friends, he is able to get into medical school. When a friend and fellow author, Andrey Simyavsky, has been arrested for treason, a series of events occur that will change Alex’s life forever. He vows to fight in any way he can. He soon becomes on the radar of the KGB, the Russian spy and state-security branch, and he must fight quietly and undermine the growing reaches of the government. Will the KGB finally be able to stop Alex? Will he be able to escape?

I enjoyed this book very much. It’s hard to give a description of the book without giving too much away. Every event in the book is a piece of the puzzle, a calculated chess move in which Alex tries to outsmart the KGB and they are trying to catch Alex in “illegal” activities. I always knew about the harshness of life behind the Iron Curtain but to read about it in such detail, it’s heartbreaking. I have a deeper appreciation for the freedoms we have here in the US. We may not like what people say or do, but we can do the simple things like openly criticize the government without fear of losing our freedom or our lives. I was also intrigued of how the book Doctor Zhivago played at role in the story. I must confess I’ve never read the book or seen the movie but now I will. The last few chapters move at a furious pace as the danger greatly increases for Alex. I highly recommendCheckmate Run.

– Reviewer Jennifer Lara of Observations From a Simple Life

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Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “The Bus Bench”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Books, Reviews, Etc:

the bus bench by wes bundy

The Bus Bench

by Wes Bundy

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478765929

Synopsis:

Terribly naive and unworldly, unwed 17 year old Edna Rollins firmly believes that only married girls have babies. She is devastated, bringing a child into the world as the product of being raped nine months earlier. She rejects him and takes her own life two days after his birth.

The infant is adopted by a childless couple who christen him Gerry and raise him in an idyllic setting in the farmland of central Ohio. Gerry’s childish crush on a TV new woman becomes an overwhelming obsession as he matures. When the network moves her aside for a new face, he is overwhelmed with grief. Her celebrity quickly fades as promotional billboards, placards and posters throughout the city are scrapped except for a solitary and forgotten bus bench which bears her image. Fearful that the bench–which has become his shrine–will be discovered, he maneuvers it to an obscure place, enabling him to meet and communicate with the love of his life.

Learning that she has married a wealthy industrialist and moved to California, he orchestrates a cross country journey to find her. The improbable characters he encounters on his journey ridicule his efforts, serving only to plunge himself deeper into finding her. An unforgettable chain of events ends in a face to face meeting. He finds her terminally ill which he blames on her husband. He formulates a swift and brutal “payback”, then kidnaps her, taking her back home to Ohio and his beloved bus bench.

Critique:

Some 17 year olds are still a child and bringing a child into the world is a child having a child. In the case of Edna Rollins she had always thought only married women have babies. Nine months later she has a child born out of rape. She doesn’t know what to do. She’s not savvy about the world. Unmarried and no where to turn she acts as though she didn’t have a baby. The trauma was too much for Edna to bear, she kills herself. The baby is put up for adoption and is ultimately adopted. Central Ohio was to be the setting where Gerry was to be raised. A perfect setting for raising children, rolling hills and fertile farmland. He had been adopted by a couple who couldn’t have children. They named him Gerry. Gerry grows up with a childhood crush that has become obsessive in nature, on a woman who works for a TV network.

As in most cases, fresh and new faces appear and the old ones are set aside. This was the case with Gerry’s obsession. The only thing left of her in the city is one lonely bus bench. All advertisements around the city have been taken down and replaced with the new faces. Gerry, in his mind, sees something in the bench that he is afraid someone else will see. Her IMAGE. In his mind this has become a shrine, a place where he can go and meet and be with her. The fear of discovery is so great, he moves the bench to a different place where he can go and have private talks with her. Why shouldn’t he? after all, she is and has been the love of his life, or at least in his mind. He is beyond consoling when she marries and moves to California. He decides to try and find her. He is even more determined to find her after person after person make fun of his attempts to find this love of his life who is married and moved on. He eventually finds her although, it’s not the meeting he was expecting. She has a terminal illness. Gerry blames her husband, which in no way is his fault.

Gerry is seeing things in a world he is creating, where everything is as you want it to be. It reminds you of his birth mother. Naive and not in a real world. He takes matters into his own hands and takes revenge out on the husband. If that isn’t enough, he takes Tammy, now dead back to his shrine for her, the bus bench. Did Gerry kill Tammy and her husband? Why is Tammy dead? Did she die naturally or did Gerry kill her? What about Angela? What happened to her? Did Gerry kill her too? Gerry had been brought up with the best of everything. He was spoiled to the point of no end. Gerry lived in a fantasy world where everything went according to what Gerry wanted. What he wanted, he got, or so he thought.

The ending is rather sad and surprising. What happened to Gerry and his beloved bus bench? He was so obsessed with the childhood crush that he thought was love, that he wasn’t himself. I believe Gerry needed professional help in a big way. Love, or what you may think is love, can make a person do unthinkable things. Was bringing Tammy back to the bus bench going to let her always be there for Gerry? Grab a copy of this book and enter into Gerry’s world of romantic suspense. It will keep you on the edge of your chair and the pages will turn quickly. You can”t wait to find out what happens on the next page. I hope Mr. Bundy brings us more novels. It might be hard to surpass this one.

[ reviewed by Gayle Pace on Books, Reviews, Etc ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Wes Bundy has a writing style like another author that I really enjoy, so this book was a nice read for me. It was a change from what I’ve been reading lately and made me realize how much I miss reading this type of book.  It was hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.  A lot of oh my gosh’s as I read the book. If you like a story that will keep you guessing what will happen next and keep you on the edge of your seat while you read, I recommend The Bus Bench.

– Reviewer Marsha Cooper

“It was Rose’s comment that shocked Edna on a Saturday afternoon as she walked out with two small bags of groceries in her arms. Better be careful with those bags Edna, looks like your baby is due any day. Edna hurried away, feeling light-headed at such a comment. Baby? What baby? I’m not even married for crying out loud. Seventeen year old Edna Rollins murmured to herself, I’m not gonna have a baby.”

Four out of five stars!

– Goodreads Reviewer ireadnovels

 

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Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

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Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Somebody Else’s Business”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Romantic Fanatic:

somebody else's business by charlton james

Somebody Else’s Business

by Charlton James

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-0578148199

Synopsis:

This journey of the unexpected begins with the deployment of John Willoughby. He writes a letter expressing his committed love to his fiancee Tiffany Adams, who misplaces the letter within an hour after receiving it. Through happenstance, Kelly; the wife of another relationship finds the letter while walking her dog. Enthralled by the expressive content, she takes the letter home with the intent of using it as a tool to rekindle the spontaneity in her marriage; from there the story unfolds into a series of destructive episodes. The words and expressions intended for one relationship are read and conveyed in another.

As consequence of being involved in Somebody Else’s Business, the trust and fidelity in Kelly’s marriage is compromised. The seeds of assumption are carried yet further by an unwary housekeeper Maria, who promulgates a discovery of baseless assumptions implicating her employer’s husband of infidelity. A confrontation ensues. Guilt leads to the fate of a husband and the destruction of two additional relationships. Overall 15 lives are devastated based on assumptions.

The characters are methodically developed and sequenced to bring home the lesson of “Speculative Disqualification.” From tragedy and fate, a victim emerges as a hero for social consciousness. The story-line transitions ingenuously for a climatic twist. The lesson ends with the consolation of its beginning. Though we watch from the sidelines and are entertained by the characters wit, keep in mind Somebody Else’s Business is everything and anything that doesn’t pertain to you.

Critique:

This author’s writing style was a little hard to follow and I would almost call it rambling at points, [which] just made it a little difficult. However the story was very interesting with characters that were affected by the letter being lost. The author keeps the story interesting with the different characters and the story lines.

[ reviewed by Brave One on Romantic Fanatic ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Somebody Else’s Business by Charlton James is a superb novel of drama, tragedy, and intrigue. Immediately readers’ attention is drawn by the curiosity of the character’s find and the reaction chain it causes. Relationships are on the line of breaking…destructive, emotional, and powerful tale of how someone else’s business gets picked up by another and another until the damage appears, and everything is never the same. Charlton James is a master at suspense and creating a novel that sparks, entertains, fascinates readers. The characters are well-developed and the pages are well-written in a way that will forever entice readers to its plot. Charlton James as a dramatic flare for creating the juiciest drama and trouble readers shall ever find. I fell in love with this talented writer’s words and the scenes that unfolded before me. Somebody Else’s Business is definitely a must read for those who love Pretty Little Liars, Downton Abby, and Manchester. Overall, I highly recommend this stunning story to readers worldwide. I promise once you read this you won’t be disappointed.

– Amazon Reviewer Danielle Urban

I have 3 words to describe this book “Fab U Lous” the storyline leads you down several different paths of suspense and intrigue, there are twists and turns that you never see coming. While reading this book I would immerse myself so deeply that I felt as though I were one of the characters in the story. This is my first read of a Charlton James novel but I can promise you it won’t be my last. Bravo Mr. James you have a new fan, I will definitely recommend your book to my family & friends. I’m looking forward to your next work!

– Amazon Reviewer Roberta R

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Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “A Journey Through My Soul”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Pearl’s Book Journey:

a journey through my soul by lena sousa day

A Journey Through My Soul

by Lena Sousa Day

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478754367

Synopsis:

I want you to get my message … And I want these words to shine a light. A Journey Through My Soul is a collection of one passionate, thoughtful, lyrical young woman’s path from early adolescence to the present day. Many of the poems reflect her teenage years, giving wonderful insight about the wonder and wisdom of emerging maturity, with experiences ranging from the ecstatic thrill of first love and crushes, the deep comfort and bonding of true friendship, and the heartbreak of learning to deal with betrayal and the end of relationships. You will be carried along on an expanding world view that includes the quiet despair of longing for loved ones stationed overseas, the joys and fears of motherhood, and the multifaceted discovery of true and lasting love. These poems reflect experience that is both universal and unique, illuminated by a personal voice and sensitivity that allow the reader both a sense of community, and a glimpse into something beyond the everyday. Moving, inspiring, and honest, A Journey Through My Soul is a perfect companion for every life path.

Critique:

A Journey Through My Soul is a quick and easy collection of beautiful poems. I finished this in one sitting and I’m glad that I was able to experience such thoughtful and sensible verses.

I admire how the author was able to write poems based on her personal experiences. I love reading poems, although I am not an expert of it. I don’t even know how to construct one (I tried years ago and that was when my high school teacher assigned us to write one. lol but it was lame), so reading the series of poems written here kind of dazzled me because wow, they’re created in a very delectable way. I have plenty of favorite poems in this book and one of them is from chapter 1 called Crying Soul which was written to inspire fiction lovers like me. It’s a very heartbreaking story and it ended in tragedy, but the thing that made me like it was the life lesson it instilled.

Another favorite of mine is the poem called Our Anniversary which was dedicated by the author to her husband. The prose simply made me fall in love because of how sweet it sounds.

To give you a glimpse:

“And if you ever wonder
Why I love you so
Just look into my eyes
And then, you’ll really know

I’ve loved you since I can remember
Or at least for a very long time
I’m so glad that we’re together
And that I can call you mine

The day we met was a special day
About that, I have no doubt
Because I met the love of my life
And that’s what life’s all about”

Overall, A Journey Through My Soul is a sweet, inspiring collection of poems. It’s a great read for people who are soul-searching and who just simply love to devour poems.

[ reviewed by Pearl on Pearl’s Book Journey ]

Here’s what another reviewer is saying:

This book is a collection of poems by this author that span from her adolescence to more recent experiences in her life. Wonderful reading and an enhancement to the soul to see the this author’s journey over time, including challenges but also triumphs, along with her burgeoning talent as a writer! Highly recommend this to others and I look forward to seeing more from this author in the future!

– Amazon Reviewer SouthPaw

A hit in the bull’s eye of average

These poems fall right into the category of average, the author shows promise and should be encouraged to continue, but right now there is little to move the reader. Some of them sound like they would be more appropriate if they were in a children’s book. For example, the opening stanza of the poem called “Narrow minds” is:

Prejudice and discrimination
They’re everywhere you go
People claiming to love their neighbor
It’s a put-on, don’t you know

The general structure is a series of four line stanzas where the second and fourth lines rhyme. In many cases the conclusion of a stanza reads as a bit forced, generating a lack of smoothness.
The majority fit on a single page where there is whitespace between the stanzas, making each a delivery system for a basic message. The messages themselves are about life, the good as well as the bad and are easy to discern.

– Goodreads Reviewer Charles

Book Trailer:

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