Striped Ego

Here is another book where I totally did not know what to expect, and I rather enjoyed it, both the collection and the feeling. I didn’t get a chance to do any background research on it, I just sort of picked it up on amazon. I met the author of this collection through Twitter and saw his book on his personal site so I decided to snatch it up and have it shipped out to me. I’m pretty impulsive when I buy stuff, but this was not a bad purchase. I’m happy to have it on my shelf.

Striped Ego is a collection of poetry written by Jo Hill, and it’s one interesting ride. Hill has a to the point style to his work as the collection works out solving personal insecurities that several of us either have or will experience at some point in our lives. It’s relatable in a way, and not something to eat up in one sitting. The poet has a great sense of imagery with each piece and is sure to make each one a memorable read while adding to the theme of the book as a whole. I will say, I have noticed some popular brand names in the authors work, but it does not detach from the work. Something commendable I would say. It’s hard to blend brand names with poetry and even fiction as the name itself stands out so much that it is hard to keep focus on the rest of the work. That’s definitely not a problem here, the poems as a whole blended rather well.

Poetry lovers everywhere will enjoy and relate this collection. It’s one I highly recommend. You can purchase Hill’s book at Amazon and follow him on Twitter!

Pocket Book of Words

First non-poetry related book review. Woot! I really didn’t know what to expect when going into The Little Black Book by R.K. Gold. Seeing this posted on twitter I neglected to do any real research on the author and the book and ended up purchasing a copy on Amazon. The price was very reasonable so I can’t really complain. This is a pretty quick read I will say. I was able to get through this one in just a couple hours, but I did go back and reread some moments before writing this review. I loved this collection, as short as it is, Gold leads us through a heavily engaging experience. He mixes real world troubles with supernatural elements and gives us characters we can actually feel. I’ve always been a little leary of short story collections because it can be a little difficult to grab onto a character in a short time, but that was not a problem here.

I would have liked to see some more depth in the characters relationships with the others in their world. I could tell there was a history with some of the characters, but was not entirely sure on what happened in their past. I also felt that the last two stories could have had slightly better pacing, but they did not suffer entirely. Each story had great twists and unexpected turns that it kept the audience enamoured all the way to the end. Overall this collection was really enjoyable and I’m happy to have made a sporadic purchase when grabbing this one.

I’m planning on watching out for R.K. Gold as I’m interested in seeing what he’ll be doing in the future. You can purchase your copy of The Little Black Book through Amazon as a physical print or as a kindle purchase. If you’re looking for some unique and heavy fiction, this collection is a must!

Gut Punched with Survival Poetry

“It depends on you, no matter how weary and filthy you feel after a week of straggling across the highway of recovery.” --- Meggie Royer, 12 Months of Self-Creation Instead of Self-Destruction (Depression Survival Guide).

I have been following Royer’s work for quite some time, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve featured a couple of her poems in a literary magazine called Degenerates: Voices for Peace. Meggie Royer’s work has always been a pleasure to read and I was thrilled when I received my copy of her second poetry collection “Healing Old Wounds With New Stitches.” The book itself is something I would highly recommend for anyone and everyone going through some rough times. The book itself covers a wide range of topics from Suicide to Depression, there is a poem in here for you.

The collection is split up into two parts. The first one is titled Grief. Reading through each poem, it really plunges you into grief and the process of grief. Royer uses some really great images to get her point across in each poem, and it really forces you to feel. It is immersion at its best! Poetry has a healing factor for people; it can be therapeutic, especially to those who need to be lead through some emotionally stressful times. Grief starts them on the process and slowly leads them to the path of recover, which is the second part of this collection. It’s a part that says it is okay to make mistakes and have scars. It means you are living! The quote up top I feel sums up this whole collection rather nicely. It’s here to help people, to awaken them. I couldn’t think of a better way for a collection of poetry to be read! Royer uses her intense style of writing and pushes the reader to go through one hell of an experience. It is simply something you must read!

To read some of Meggie Royer's work, find her at her Tumblr! You can also order a copy of her book through Where are You Press at their Etsy Shop!