My New Year's resolution this year is to read and review a book each month from a writer that I've discovered through Twitter. I've received so much inspiration, encouragement, and motivation from the #amwriting community this is my small way of giving back. Support these amazing writers!
I was introduced to the poetry of Joe Woodhouse through his posts of haiku on Twitter. I really enjoyed this collection of haiku, rhyming, and prose poems. The poems are snapshots of modern life; many dealing with the pitfalls of technology such as two of my favorites "The Death of Pillow Talk" and "She, Her Selfie and I". There is a good mix of humor and poignancy in the collection. Poems such as "Bring Me Shells" and "New Direction" strike an emotional chord without being overdone, reverberating long after the poems have been read. I would love to see an entire collection of haiku by this poet!
I came across this book on Twitter and was intrigued by the title. The book is organized into short readings for each week along with a Zen quote. I love the organization of the book and the clarity of the short readings. It's a great tool to introduce mindfulness into your daily life. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for some Zen inspiration.
Blue Sun, Yellow Sky was a fun, easy to read book with an interesting story line. The main character, an artist, goes on a trip around the world with an old friend before she goes blind. The best parts of the book for me were the descriptions of the different places that they visited. The author was able to impart the flavor of each place with visual and sensory details. I also enjoyed the description of the artistic process and the bittersweet storyline. Great beach read!
April Charm Bracelet by Lamar Neal This is a volume of poetry straight from the heart dealing with all aspects of love. However what I enjoyed the most in this collection were the gems that were sprinkled in that dealt with social and political issues such as "Can I Vent for a Second", "Ulta", and "Suburbia". If you're looking for some emotional, heartfelt poetry, this is the book for you!
May Island of Lost Forevers by Megan Cutler I loved this book. It was the perfect mix of fantasy, magic, adventure, and a bit of romance. It was definitely a page turner as I was invested in finding out the mystery of the island. The book also included tarot which is always an added plus for me! And, I learned a new expression "vent his spleen". If you're looking to escape into a magical adventure, give this book a try.
June Parable of Pronouns by Cassondra Windwalker Deeply romantic modern-day fairytale. I loved Cassondra Windwalker's gorgeous descriptive, lyrical writing and quickly became invested in the story of the main characters Harry and Riann. Thoughtful, evocative, unique story. The characters and their story stayed with me long after reading the book.
July Margot by Lisa De Castro I read this book on the beach which was the perfect location! It started out as a tale of a woman's travels and then took some interesting plot turns that I did not expect. Beautifully written, ethereal book perfect for dreaming away a few hours on a summer afternoon. I was definitely surprised by the direction the story went and was sad when I got to the end as I wanted more!