Long Way Down | Jason Reynolds | Review

Wednesday, 23 September 2020

Long Way Down | Jason Reynolds | Review

Set just a couple of days after his older brother Shawn is shot and killed, Long Way Down tells the story of fifteen-year-old Will as he steps onto an elevator with Shawn’s gun tucked into his waistband, planning to kill the boy responsible for his death. As Will travels from the 7th floor down, he is confronted by the ghosts of people connected to him and his family, each one helping him to work through his feelings and reflect on what he plans to do next.

This book had been on my TBR for quite a while, having heard amazing things about Jason Reynolds’ writing, this award winning book in particular. Written in verse and told mostly over a 60-second elevator ride, the book explores Will’s thoughts and emotions in a unique way and shows just how much can happen in such a short space of time.

I was so captivated by Will’s story that I read the book in one sitting, and then re-read it in one sitting again the following month. Whilst only a short read, Long Way Down is a beautifully written, intense and powerful book that I would highly recommend to everyone. It has a very raw quality to it and you can feel the mixed emotions of Will shine through in Reynolds’ writing as the character struggles with his decision to avenge Shawn’s death.

The fact that the book is written in verse and also cleverly structured using the different floors of the elevator ride to introduce different characters worked brilliantly. Black and white illustrations by Christ Priestley were also a fantastic addition and really contributed to the haunting feel of the story. I’ve found a 5-star read in Long Way Down and can’t wait to read more of Jason Reynolds’ work.

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Break Your Glass Slippers | Amanda Lovelace | Review

Friday, 21 February 2020

Break Your Glass Slippers | Amanda Lovelace | Review

"more forgetting time.
more midnight dances with yourself"

I've said it before and the truth remains: I'm not a huge fan of poetry. I try to get into it every so often, but I can't seem to grasp hold of it like the way some people have. Over the last few years I've discovered that I rather enjoy short-form poetry, the likes of Instagram-famous Atticus.

After forgetting to read full length novels which I was granted access to on Netgalley, I thought I would better use the platform for things that I will actually read in ebook form: graphic novels, and poetry. Enter Break Your Glass Slippers, by Amanda Lovelace.

Break Your Glass Slippers is what you might expect: poems that are at least semi-related to Cinderella, fairy godmothers and princes. But it's unlike what you might expect in the way Lovelace gathers the words together. The book is sectioned by a few characters: a Cinderella-esque girl falling for a boy, struggling with her self worth and who she is; a fairy godmother, who tells her the truth and gives advice, whether is hears it or not; the prince, who isn't what he seems. "Here", says the forward, "we all get to be Cinderella, our own Fairy Godmother, and best of all, our own Prince."

I read this book in one sitting, and it flowed beautifully between poems and themes and highs and lows. There were a few poems that I really loved and paused over for a moment or three, and there were others I wouldn't go back to. But on the whole, Break Your Glass Slippers was a really enjoyable short-form poetry collection, and if you're into authors like Atticus and perhaps Rupi Kaur, then give this book a go when it comes out in March.

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The Truth About Magic | Atticus | Review

Friday, 7 February 2020

The Truth About Magic | Atticus | Review

“All she wanted was that cozy love the kind that felt like hot chocolate, rainstorms or wood fires in small houses. Hard to describe but you know when you got it.”

Once again, Instagram-famous Atticus brings us a stunningly beautiful collection of short poems. In his third collection, The Truth About Magic, Atticus takes on Youth, Love, Adventure, Her, Darkness, Words and Stars, each the title of a new chapter with themed poems.

I'm not really one to read poetry - I usually struggle, get bored, or long for some characters or dragons or something - but Atticus' short snippets of beautiful words always draw me in. Perhaps it's their short length that grabs me, or that so many of the poems hit home or surprise me at their ending. He has a way of taking the ordinary and making it beautiful; taking those feelings and thoughts that we have as humans and describing them in a way that we perhaps haven't thought about before.

Even the dedication is beautiful:

"This book is for
the day dreamers,
the night thinkers,
the summer skinny dippers
for anyone who ever said
'the night is young'
or watched the sunrise
on a beach
far from home -
but mostly it's for you
the quiet ones
at parties
looking out of windows
wondering about the stars."

One of my favourite parts of the book is actually Atticus' final remarks, just before the acknowledgements. I think he captures the book and it's themes remarkably in this wee section.

"The truth is - magic lives in all of us who choose to look for it.
It lives in the morning in the springtime, it's in the smell of the world after the rain, or a stormy afternoon in bed on a Sunday, it's in warm sweaters and a lovers' nook, it's in those days that never end, and the days that end too soon.
It's in every spicy margarita or bathtub with rosé, it's in good books and Spanish beaches, it's in forests where the trees sway or lakes that shine back the moon.
It's in art; it's in music; it's in words. It's in you and it's in me and any of us that choose to find it. For the greatest truth about magic ... is that it's true."

Atticus' two other poem collections are Love Her Wild and The Dark Between Stars, and are, perhaps, even more beautiful than this one.

Check out Ria's poetry post: Falling Back In Love With Poetry.
Also read Blogger's Bookshelf very own poetry using book spines in this fun collaborative post here.

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Love Her Wild | Atticus | Review

Friday, 27 July 2018

Love Her Wild | Atticus | Review

There is nothing
prettier in the
whole wide world
than a girl
in love
with every breath she takes.”

Canadian Instagram sensation, Atticus, has been making people swoon over his words for years now, and lucky for us, it doesn't look like he'll be stopping any time soon. If you're unfamiliar with Atticus, he is an anonymous short-form poet, who shares his stunning words on Instagram (and now also Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest). Check out this interview with him on The Globe and Mail to read more about why he keeps his identity a secret, and why he writes what he does.

"...in Love Her Wild, Atticus captures what is both raw and relatable about the smallest and the grandest moments in life: the first glimpse of a new love in Paris; skinny dipping on a summer’s night; the irrepressible exuberance of the female spirit; or drinking whiskey in the desert watching the rising sun. With honesty, poignancy, and romantic flair, Atticus distils the most exhilarating highs and the heartbreaking lows of life and love into a few perfectly evocative lines, ensuring that his words will become etched in your mind—and will awaken your sense of adventure." - Goodreads

Love Her Wild is his first book, which is a compilation of some of his best words, interspersed with his signature black and white, whimsical photos. The book is cut up into three sections: Love, Her and Wild. Love focuses on first loves, lost loves, heartbreaks and butterflies; Her is about a girl, her soul, her personality, her being; and Wild is more about nature, being in it, seeing it, experiencing it via someone else.

What good are wings without the courage to fly?” 

I've never been a big poetry fan. I enjoy it, but most of the time it's too long and I struggle if there's no Dr. Seuss like rhythm (thanks, parents). What I love most about Atticus' poetry is how in just a few words he captures your attention, makes you think, encourages, and gives hope, and, of course, those warm fuzzies. It's short, it's bittersweet, it's to the point, it's wonderful.

The hardest
step
we all
must take
is to blindly
trust in
who we are."

If you've discovered Atticus on Instagram, then do pick up a copy of his book. While the internet is great for sharing these poems, there's something about holding a collection like this in your hands, and having the chance to go back to the words time and time again.

His second compilation, The Dark Between Stars, comes out in September, and I've pre-ordered a copy. I think I could get into poetry after this, and I'll gladly take suggestions.

Check out Ria's poetry post: Falling Back In Love With Poetry.
Also read Blogger's Bookshelf very own poetry using book spines in this fun collaborative post here.

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The Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest | Demethius Jackson | Review

Monday, 5 October 2015

The Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest | Demethius Jackson | Review

Summary:

Welcome to Realm, a land of magic that has never known peace. The king has just been wounded and there's a massive army at the castle doorsteps. Leoden, the Hero of Legend, must find the Candle of Crest if King Maebus is to have any chance.


Review:

Last year I read and reviewed the prequel to this book and absolutely loved it. I still recommend it to friends. So when I found out that Jackson had written another Realmsic book previously, I started stalking the used book sites for a good copy. I was not disappointed.

Jackson wrote Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest entirely in verse. Four line stanzas with rhymes that go back and forth between true rhymes and some slant rhymes. I got so into this book that I even started thinking in rhymes. He did this because he wanted "to demonstrate the use of rhyme as an art form beyond the scope of music and poetry." As someone who grew up on stories written in verse form, it was very easy for me to get into flow of the story. And for those that worry that writing in verse takes a lot from the story, Jackson also includes chapter summaries at the end.

As for the story, it is in true Realmsic format and reads like a myth or legend from ancient times. You have heroes, villains, wars, magic and more. It is a delightful, quick read that satisfied my need to read something different. If you find yourself a copy, I recommend picking it up.

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Guest Post | Falling Back In Love With Poetry

Wednesday, 4 February 2015

Guest Post | Falling Back In Love With Poetry

 

I don’t know about you but my thoughts on poetry when I first started reading it were pretty bland. Most of my memories consisted of boring English GCSE lessons spend over-analysing each individual line of a poem to the point where I couldn’t even remember what the poem was about in the first place.

Fast forward to 2015 and somehow I’ve fallen back in love with this form of writing again and I believe you can too. For me poetry is very much like art, where you’re drawn to pieces you genuinely find interesting rather than being spoon fed the text in a school setting. Everyone finds their love for something in different ways, so I thought I’d offer some tips on how to fall back in love with poetry again.

1. Get hooked on slam poetry

For me this was the key way I got back into this genre. I, like some people, spotted some of the better known slam poetry about feminism and racial equality on Youtube and got hooked. The topics were captivating, contemporary and more importantly it was p o w e r f u l. It’s an super easy way to work your way back in and requires very little effort to watch and enjoy.

2. Pick up a poetry anthology

Instead of focusing on an author, how about focusing on a theme? If there's a particular topic you're interested in, check if there's an anthology of poem that surrounds it. You're more likely to read it if it's something you would read anyway

3. Read poetry out loud 

There's an ebb and a flow to the words in a poem, and the natural rhythm of this form of writing lends itself to being read aloud. Discover the power behind the words and have a play with reading it in different ways. If you have the chance, attend a poetry reading, like slam poetry it's an easy way to digest the text.

4. Don't reach for the classics just yet! 

I think there's a pressure, like with any art form to reach straight for the likes of Blake or Ginsberg. But just because they're considered 'classic' doesn't mean you will necessarily enjoy them. Delve into the genre and discover what makes you tick. That may be poems by Wordsworth or it may even be writing by up and coming 21st Century poets.

So there’s four easy ways to ease your way back into reading poetry again. 

Have you got any tips?

This post was written by regular reviewer Ria, get to know her here

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