Pent Up Thoughts by James B. Agape

September 23, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Pent Up Thoughts by James B. Agape
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Poetry, Inspirational, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“Pent Up Thoughts” is a remarkable collection of journaled thoughts, messages, and poems that shine a captivating light on the complex depths of mental health and self-care. This book beckons readers to take a soul-stirring voyage, delving into the complexities of anxiety, depression, self-love and acceptance, relationships, coping mechanisms, healing, and the widespread stigmas surrounding mental health. Divided into six sections, each part sheds light on an indispensable angle of the mental well-being experience, beautifully intertwined with self-care, resilience, and hope topics. This collection seeks to provide solace, inspiration, and a sense of connection to those battling mental health challenges or searching for a deeper understanding of the human experience and themselves.

Hope is essential and can be found in even the hardest circumstances.

I appreciated the time and effort the author put into describing just how exhausting and hopeless life can feel when someone is struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. Even small steps in the right direction can feel as difficult as running a marathon or climbing Mount Everest. This isn’t always something that people who have never struggled with mental illness can easily understand, so I was glad to see it spelled out so clearly. Understanding that headspace is imperative to beginning to heal as well as to figuring out how to help someone who feels trapped by their illness.

The repetition in this book made it difficult for my interest levels to remain high. Certain points were brought up in almost every chapter without clear explanations as to why the author was mentioning them again. This would have been more effective if those sentences were trimmed down or if new information was included in later references to those subjects in my opinion.

The poems were beautiful, and I appreciated their steady cadence and rhyming schemes. Mr. Agape used those rules to explore the wide variety of emotions he experienced before, during, and after his diagnosis became official. There’s beauty to be found everywhere in life, especially in the parts of it that most people would struggle with if it happened to them. He has a real flair for this form of writing and it is my hope that he will be able to publish more of it soon. If or when there’s another poetry collection from him, I’d love to read it!

I should note that I was not aware this was an inspirational title when I requested it. The religious content is an occasional part of the author’s advice and takes up about ten to fifteen percent of the entire book. Still, it was and still is an important part of his life and healing process, so it was interesting to see how his faith affected the choices he made as he struggled with the hardest portions of his mental illness.

Pent Up Thoughts was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Poetry, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape

September 10, 2024 By 34 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Poetry is something I use as an escape from whatever troubles I’m encountering in the real world. There are many different types of it out there, of course, but I tend to enjoy poetry about nature, whimsical interpretations of the world, or humorous topics the most.

Here are some of the many poetry collections I’ve enjoyed over the years.  I was so excited when Long and Short Reviews decided to begin accepting it for review as that was not the case when I first became one of their reviewers. (If any poets read this, please submit more of your books to us!)

Some, but not all, of these collections fit the criteria above. My preferences don’t prevent me from branching out and enjoying  other styles, too.

1. Mirage by Shutao Liao (LASR review)

2. The Assumption of Death by Anthony David Vernon (LASR Review)

3. The Cool and Warmth of Hearts by J.A. Santana (LASR Review)

4. Power by Geraldine Anello (LASR Review)

5. Collector of Things & Other Poems by Riya Aarini (LASR Review)

6. Hearts and Spears by Somto Jefferson Uwazie (LASR Review)

7. Unsaid by Asmita Rajiv (LASR Review)

8. THE COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS by Shutao Liao (LASR Review)

9. Consciousness Detoured by Miladine Etienne (LASR Review)

 

Since I am one response short of ten, I’m going to pick something from my childhood to round it out. It’s hopefully something many of you grew up with, too.

10. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Other than nursery rhymes, of course, he was my first introduction to the poetry genre so far as I can remember. I loved his playful sense of humor.

What sorts of poetry, whether modern or classic, do you like?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

If Not for the Cat – Haiku by Jack Prelutsky and paintings by Ted Rand

June 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment


If Not for the Cat – Haiku by Jack Prelutsky and paintings by Ted Rand
Publisher: Greenwillow Books/Harper Collins
Genre: Childrens (6+ yrs), Contemporary, Poetry, Animals
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Seventeen haiku composed by master poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by renowned artist Ted Rand ask you to think about seventeen favorite residents of the animal kingdom in a new way.

On these glorious and colorful pages you will meet a mouse, a skunk, a beaver, a hummingbird, ants, bald eagles, jellyfish, and many others. Who is who? The answer is right in front of you. But how can you tell? Think and wonder and look and puzzle it out!

A creature whispers:

If not for the cat,
And the scarcity of cheese,
I could be content.

Who is this creature?
What does it like to eat?
Can you solve the riddle?

How would life be if there wasn’t a cat?

This book doesn’t delve deeply on that subject, but what it does is show haiku about animals and makes the reader think. If not for the cat chasing him and the lack of cheese, the mouse would be happy. This book encourages discussion and has some beautiful paintings within.

I picked up this book thinking it might be a humorous book, but it was thought-provoking instead and I liked it. I liked how each haiku discusses the animal pictured and does it in a way that opens up discussion. What does the reader think?

The paintings are fantastic, and this book is good for younger readers or those being read to. It’s great for asking questions and wondering.

If you’re looking for something different, then this is the book for you.

Filed Under: Poetry, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson

May 18, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson
Publisher: Dey Street Books
Genre: Contemporary, Autobiography, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The actress, activist, and once infamous Playboy Playmate reclaims the narrative of her life in a memoir that defies expectation in both content and approach, blending searing prose with snippets of original poetry.

In this honest, layered and unforgettable book that alternates between storytelling and her own poetry, Pamela Anderson breaks the mold of the celebrity memoir while taking back the tale that has been crafted about her.

Her blond bombshell image was ubiquitous in the 1990s. Discovered in the stands of a football game, she was immediately rocket launched into fame, becoming Playboy’s favorite cover girl and an emblem of Hollywood glamour and sexuality. But what happens when you lose grip on your own life—and the image the notoriety machine creates for you is not who you really are?

Growing up on Vancouver Island, the daughter of young, wild, and unprepared parents, Pamela Anderson’s childhood was not easy, but it allowed her to create her own world—surrounded by nature and imaginary friends. When she overcame her deep shyness and grew into herself, she fell into a life on the cover of magazines, the beaches of Malibu, the sets of movies and talk shows, the arms of rockstars, the coveted scene at the Playboy Mansion. And as her star rose, she found herself tabloid fodder, at the height of an era when paparazzi tactics were bent on capturing a celebrity’s most intimate, and sometimes weakest moments. This is when Pamela Anderson lost control of her own narrative, hurt by the media and fearful of the public’s perception of who she was…and who she wasn’t.

Fighting back with a sense of grace, fueled by a love of art and literature, and driven by a devotion to her children and the causes she cares about most, Pamela Anderson has now gone back to the island where she grew up, after a memorable run starring as Roxie in Chicago on Broadway, reclaiming her free spirit but also standing firm as a strong, creative, confident woman.

She’s self-possessed and shy, but man, she’s a force.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to get when I picked up this book. I wasn’t expecting the poetry, which is nice, or the blatant honesty. Anderson doesn’t hold back. Not one bit. She tells it like she saw it and she’s seen a lot.

Pamela Anderson gets dismissed because of being a body or being Mrs. Tommy Lee, but there’s a lot more to her. She’s a staunch advocate for animals, she’s against animal cruelty (I will warn there is a story about kittens that will break anyone who has an affection for animals.), and she’s accomplished. She knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to get it. But she’s also fragile. She’s been through a lot. Being that ‘body’ she’s had to deal with invasiveness and people thinking she owes them. I liked her candor and ability to laugh at herself while being serious.

There aren’t many big revelations in this book, but it’s a solid memoir and worth the read.

If you’re looking for a Hollywood memoir full of heart and passion, then this might be the book for you. Check it out!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Poetry, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Mirage by Shutao Liao

January 25, 2023 By 1 Comment


Mirage by Shutao Liao
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Poetry
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The poet found himself retreating to his own lodge as an observer after long tedious travel, writing down everything across his mind, to reveal a splendor of romantic emotions as well as a profound sense of beauty throughout the words between the lines.

An intimate journey to the kingdom of self salvation.

Change isn’t always easy, but it’s an unavoidable part of being alive.

I enjoyed the repetition of certain themes throughout this collection. For example, the speakers spent a lot of time talking about the circle of life and death and how what might seem to be a catastrophe in one moment can be interpreted very differently if a long term view of the problem is taken instead. Natural disasters were one example of this, and they made me think of how fire can look quite destructive for a prairie or a forest in one particular year but also be critical to the survival of that ecosystem decades or centuries from now. Finding patterns like these made it difficult for me to stop reading. I kept wanting to pick out more examples of what the author was talking about and connect everything together.

There were times when I struggled to understand what the author was trying to say. Poetry can be written in ways that can lead to multiple valid interpretations of the same text, of course, but I did find myself wishing that some of these passages were a little easier to comprehend. The writing style was so detailed that it saddened me to walk away from certain stanzas without fully figuring out what they were trying to share with the audience. If not for my confusion in those moments, I would have happily gone with a higher rating.

The references to the events of 2020 were an interesting surprise. I liked the way Mr. Liao discussed how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s lives to this day, from the tragedy of the countless deaths from this disease to the social isolation that all of us survivors have dealt with while trying to slow the spread of the virus. The poem after this one described the author washing his dusty soul for reasons I’ll leave other readers to discover for themselves, and I thought it was a pleasant way to wrap up a reference to something that is still such a major portion of everyone’s lives.

Mirage made me yearn for spring and the beginning of the next cycle of the seasons.

Filed Under: Poetry, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

THE COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS by Shutao Liao

November 28, 2022 By Leave a Comment



THE COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS by Shutao Liao
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Poetry
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The poet found himself retreating to his own lodge as an observer after long tedious travel, writing down everything across his mind, to reveal a splendor of romantic emotions as well as a profound sense of beauty throughout the words between the lines.

An intimate journey to the kingdom of self salvation.

How does one live a good life? One answer to that question is buried in this book.

Many of these poems explored the differences between outward appearances and what is actually happening in someone’s heart and mind. For example, one poem warned readers not to be distracted by physical beauty because that is no guarantee that a person’s soul is also beautiful. I enjoyed taking note of the various approaches to this topic that were used and how each one illuminated things from another angle. This subject has been covered in poetry many times before, of course, but I thought the author did a good job of explaining why he thought it was crucial to separate what someone looks like from who they are on the inside.

My only piece of constructive criticism for these poems has to do with who the speakers were of them were supposed to be. Some poems had such similar voices that I was almost certain they were written from the perspective of the same character. On the other hand, there were other entries that were so wildly different in their tone and use of language that I couldn’t imagine they were from the same speaker. I’ve enjoyed collections that were written from many different voices as well as ones that were created to sound like the same person or small group of people were talking to the audience throughout them. If I’d known which way I should interpret this book, I would have happily gone with a higher rating.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this collection was how conversational and important it felt. Even though I’ve never met the author and was a brand new reader of his work, I still felt as though we were sitting in a quiet coffee shop somewhere talking about all sorts of meaningful topics. That is not an easy thing to accomplish by any means, but it’s something I enjoy being surprised by in this genre or any other. There is nothing like getting a friendly peek at someone else’s soul which was exactly what happened here.

THE COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS was a thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Poetry, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Assumption of Death by Anthony David Vernon

April 8, 2022 By 1 Comment


The Assumption of Death by Anthony David Vernon
Publisher: Alien Buddha Press
Genre: Non-Fiction, Poetry
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“By turns charming and deeply disturbing, this collection of poems and meditations enthralls and mystifies. This is an engaging and mesmerizing kaleidoscope of ideas about mortality, infinity, and the very essence of being, and it is one of the most captivating hybrid collections I have ever read. I expect that Anthony David Vernon, this exciting new voice in literature, will be thrilling his readers for many years to come.”
– José Sotolongo

Don’t look away from death. Ask it questions instead.

My favorite passages were the ones that used metaphors from nature to explain concepts that could be a little slippery on their own. For example, one poem reminded the audience that “a spider must work with the web that they weave,” and another one made me smile when it said “time to time I come to paths that result in dead ends. But I found that dead ends can lead to clearings.” It was easy for me to imagine those scenes and then play around with them to understand why it’s important to work with the tools you’ve been given or what the advantages are to following a thought to some of its natural conclusions even if it wanders off of the beaten path at first.

The speakers in this collection kept circling around to the idea that death might not happen to everyone. They gave examples from stories about people who either never died or ended their lives in mystical ways. I kept wishing the speakers would go into greater detail about what they meant and how those statements should be woven into some of the other sections that only seemed tangentially related to immortality at first glance.

Some of the most intriguing sections were the ones that teased out the difference between dying and death. There are numerous records of people’s experiences with dying, but death itself cannot be charted in quite the same way. Most books that explore this concept do so from a particular religious perspective, but Mr. Vernon did not do that. His thoughts on the topic could be applied to people from any religion just as easily as they could be applied to people who aren’t interested in that subject at all. Death is a mystery, and the author embraced every aspect of it.

The Assumption of Death had a unique perspective on the topics of death and immortality.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Poetry, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Cool and Warmth of Hearts by J.A. Santana

February 15, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Cool and Warmth of Hearts by J.A. Santana
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Cool and Warmth of Hearts is a poetic compilation of fiery romance, harrowing heartbreak, cosmic union, and the sheer enigmatic nature of it all. Masterfully bridging the gap between Shakespeare-inspired styles and modern romantic poetry, J.A. Santana invites the reader to contemplate love’s euphoric crests and inevitable troughs, and find serenity when that tumultuous oscillation quietens. Whether these poems conjure nostalgia, hope, anguish, or joy, one thing is for certain: they will awaken the parts of the heart that have remained dormant for eons. The poignant words upon these pages will linger in one’s psyche, long after they have been read…

Love has a power that is all of its own and nothing stirs the human heart more than poetry that explores this sensitive emotion and brings it to life in a vibrant and compelling explosion of verse. You will discover a collection of romantic love poems that transcends time and brings every aspect of love to the forefront of your imagination.

And whether you are in love and are drinking in all of its pleasures or are mourning the loss of something you once held dear, The Cool and Warmth of Hearts offers flashes of solace and something for everyone in their moment of need. Dip in and out at your leisure and contemplate the moments that love shares with us in life’s journey, whether they still remain or have been lost forever.

Love illuminates some of the best and worst moments in life.

It was delightful to see how many references the author included to classic love poems, myths, and stories from many different eras and cultures. Some of them were as simple as him mentioning the names of famous lovers, while others took a little more time to piece together since he switched between dancing around those topics and describing his speaker’s own beloved in vivid detail. I enjoyed the layers of meaning all of this brought to his poems, especially when they could be interpreted in multiple ways depending on the reader’s preference.

Speaking from a stylistic perspective, I would have liked to see more predictable rhyming schemes in these poems. Some of them included few to no rhyming words at the end of each line while others rhymed words far more often. I enjoy many different types of poetry and am generally just as comfortable with rhymes as I am without them, but it did feel a little odd to me to leap between multiple styles in the same collection. This was even more true for the poems that seemed to change style midstream.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this collection was how it described every stage of romantic love, from the first warm and gentle twinges of a crush to the fiery heat of a love affair to the ashes that overflow everywhere when a romance ends. The fire metaphor was an excellent one for this topic, and I continued to be surprised by the many parallels the author pointed out between literal and metaphorical flames.

The Cool and Warmth of Hearts was an apt read for Valentine’s Day.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Power by Geraldine Anello

July 5, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Power by Geraldine Anello
Truth Series
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Power is Geraldine Anello’s latest poetry book from her series Truth. Power takes heartbreak and turns it into self-empowerment. The most inspiring poetry told over the course of just one week, this fast-paced collection of deep thought-provoking poems leads the reader on a journey to personal development.

Love has many faces.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this collection was how it focused on the quiet little moments in a romantic relationship. Something as simple as listening to a partner breathe can be romantic if it’s approached with the right frame of mind. It was delightful to slow down and savor these glimpses of love that are beautifully ordinary.

There were multiple times when I wished these poems were more detailed. For example, “Casualty” spoke of a protagonist who had been badly hurt by his or her ex-partner. The anger of the speaker bled through perfectly well, but I couldn’t help but wonder whether the pain they felt was physical or emotional in nature. It could have been interpreted in so many different ways that it sure would have been nice to have a clearer understanding of what was going on. This was a pattern that repeated it so often I felt the need to give a lower rating than I might have done so otherwise.

With that being said, there were times when the minimalistic nature of the author’s writing style worked beautifully. “Moth to a Light” was a good example of this. It was written from the perspective of someone who kept attracting new partners only for them to realize that the speaker wasn’t necessarily the best person for them to spend time with. I enjoyed getting to know this character and seeing the world from their unique perspective.

Power was a thought provoking collection that I’d recommend to anyone who appreciates romantic poetry.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Collector of Things & Other Poems by Riya Aarini

July 2, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Collector of Things & Other Poems by Riya Aarini
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Collector of Things & Other Poems is an illustrated collection of light verse for children. Featuring whimsical characters, like Millionaire Montgomery and the Bigalaboo, this collection of over one hundred humorous poems is sure to inspire bellyfuls of giggles!

Sometimes the smallest things in life turn out to be more important than anyone would have imagined.

One of my favorite themes that was explored here had to do with how we should all respond to people who are different from us in some way. “Country Twang” talked about a farmer who pronounced certain words so similarly that no one could tell which one he meant. What made me smile as I read this was how gentle and accepting the narrator was of his uncommon speech patterns. His accent was one of the unique things about him, and the audience was encouraged to embrace him exactly as he was. This theme continued on with entries like “Long Underwear,” in which Benny Blare insisted on wearing long underwear everywhere he went. That’s the sort of message I love seeing, especially when it’s written for impressionable kids who might be confused by someone who speaks a little differently from others or who dresses out of the norm for whatever reason.

There were some poems that I wasn’t sure many children this age would understand due to their subject matter or the open-ended way their final lines were written. For example, “Sweet Deal” discussed a kid named Lou who agreed to eat all of his meals if candy was the only thing he was expected to eat. The premise was adorable, but the final lines were so vague about why his deal didn’t go through that I’d expect to need to explain them to the little ones in my life. “Conversation,” a poem about gossip, was another example of this. It’s point was once again hinted at but never outright stated. The pattern repeated itself with other poems, too. This technique works well for adult readers, but it’s not something I think is as effective for kids who are still such concrete thinkers.

With that being said, there were moments of pure delight in this book. “Contagious” appeared early on and it made me rethink my understanding of that word in the most lovely way. Without giving away too many hints about that one, diseases aren’t the only things we can catch from each other! “Chocolate Sea” was another winner in my opinion. The title was beautifully descriptive and the sea itself sounded like my version of paradise. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by chocolate, after all? The author was at her best when she took common words or phrases like these and examined them from angles that most people wouldn’t think to use.

Collector of Things & Other Poems was a whimsical collection that I’d recommend to poetry fans of all ages.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,
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