Review: Voice of the Soul

Author: Shreyans Kanswa.

Genre: Poetry.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

How does it feel to lie just by yourself and delve into the silence? The silence that is a path to deeper self, a self that is unexplored. That same unexplored self can also be regarded as the soul. While the time ticks on the clock, a bond with your soul is timeless. Such metaphors are rendered powerless when a conversation is created with oneself. These poems mean more than just words, they scream soulfulness. It is rather weird that we go looking for answers outside when all that we have to do is seek deeper within ourselves. The poems are experiences that the poet shares with the world and these experiences are nothing fancy- they are all moments that the poet experiences with himself. They are questions risen from inquisitiveness and introspection.

Cover Review:

The cover is beautiful and it was what made me pick up this book. I wish I could have a paperback!

Book Review:

Voice of The Soul is a collection of thought provoking and insightful poems about life. It covers a multitude of topics from life, to success, to growing up, to death. 

The language was mostly easy to understand and yet, the poems resonated deeply within me. Every poem brought a smile or a frown on my face as I understood its meaning, and the whole process of figuring it out was a pleasant experience.

The only thing that annoyed me was the way too frequent use of some words. The words weren't particularly poetic, which added to my irritation.  Eg, "halcyon", "munificence", etc.

I can't pick a favourite poem, because there were so many poems that I adored! Here's a list of my top favourites:

¤ Finding the Blue

¤ Devil

¤ 5 Years Old

¤ The Song of Life

¤ The One You Think

¤ Sand & Stones

All in all, Voice of The Soul was a beautiful collection of poems, and I loved how each one of them gave me a different message. 

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Review: Song of Life

Author: Anuradha Singh.

Genre: Poetry, Mythology. 

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

Mahabharata, India’s legacy, longest written poetry, stories interlinked into each other, with so many characters, events and places. Each character has a role to play, which is vital for the story to go ahead. This Mahakavya, which is written by Krishnadwaipayana Vyasa is imprinted on Indian mind. It has been translated world wide, every region of India has its own narration, interpretation and connection with Mahabharata. In song of life the author has created poetry which can be read and understood easily by young generation who have not read or heard of Mahabharata much. Along with the young even the elders can read and relish the easy flowing poetry of the verve.

Cover Review:

The cover is pretty simple and not too intriguing. I'd have preferred something livelier. 

Book Review:

Song of Life was the story of Mahabharata told in the form of modern verses. I say modern because the writing style did not include any of the words you'd usually expect in an Indian mythology. Simply put, the language was really easy to understand. 

Reading it, I felt as if I was doing a crash course on the Mahabharata. It was a feat, boiling down such a long saga into the few pages, and even those in the form of verses.

Song of Life was a delight to read, and it focused on almost all of the major events of the saga. 

My favourite thing about the book was its simple language. I loved the fact that the English was mostly modern, and though it reflected the richness of the story, it was also new enough to feel refreshing.  

Overall, Song of Life was a quick, enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know the story of Mahabharata but doesn't have the time/resources to read the whole saga.

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Review: Unlocked Silences

Author: Mukhpreet Khurana.

Genre: Poetry, Abstract thoughts.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍬

Unlocked Silences is a collection of abstracts, poems and excerpts written on tissue papers over a couple of years. It is a dive deep into the circles of emotion, empathy, acceptance, healing and insights into a different perspective towards life. In the voice of a budding adolescent, the book cascades into day-to day-shortcomings, carved into poetry and at the same time, embraces you in silence and stillness of thought. The book is an attempt to connect with the reader, to reflect upon them, unbiased and together and embrace a new beginning. With simplified use of grammar and vocabulary, this book seeks nothing but the companionship of all. With this debut book, the author aims to connect to one and to all in the message and purpose of existence, the aid of spirituality and an ode to a beautiful journey called life.

The cover is flat black, and that's it. But I still somehow find it likable. Is it just me?

Unlocked Silences is a collection of poems and random abstracts. While I found some really beautiful poems in this book, there were also poems that didn't connect with me at all. 

The poems were set in an unclear theme, with write-ups popping in randomly. It was hard to follow the poems because the theme kept switching. 

I was also slightly irked by the number of spiritual-ish poems it includes. I wish it'd been mentioned in the blurb that such poem were a part of the book. 

My favourite poems were Budding Aspirations, Often, Shadow, You Still Have Time and Nocturnal Companions. These poems were really uplifting and I found myself connecting with them. 

Other than that, Unlocked Silences was a good enough read. 

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31st July And Why It's Such An Important Day For Me!

Hola Bookworms!

31st July is finally here! And there are so many reasons for me to celebrate this day!

• It's the birthday of the author who first introduced me to the magical world of books, J.K. Rowling!

• It's the birthday of the character who drew me deeper into the Fantasyland, Harry Potter!

• It's the day I got my baby girl, Harry-Chan! (Hence the name 😉)

And the latest...

• Today's the day my very first book releases! That's right, Scattered Constellations is out today!

Genre: Young Adult, Poetry, Fiction.
Blurb:

Words tumble out, with no pause:
From the pen, my anelace,
That I hold so graciously,
(In awe of its majesty, its power)
In my hand.

They form thoughts, hopes, and musings;
Reflect my soul, my entire being,
And spread across the page,
Like scattered constellations
Across the sky.

Scattered Constellations is a collection of 50 YA Free Verse poems.

You can read the book for free through Kindle Unlimited or buy an eBook copy on Amazon.

If you'd like a paperback instead, you can buy it here:

For residents of India.

For US, UK, and other countries.

If you do decide to read the book, I hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Also, if you'd like to stay updated about my coming books (Fantasy and YA anyone?) don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter!


Keep reading, Keep writing!
Ankita.

Review: Coming Of Age

Author: Nicholas Rice. 

Genre: Poetry. 

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

Coming of Age is a book symbolising life in New Zealand from adolescence to adulthood. Achieved through the artistic expression of poetry written by a boy of twelve years to a man of twenty-five.

Read and see the world through another's eyes their experience and fabric that has been woven together. It’s set to entertain while challenging societal beliefs through deep exploration, observation and reflection.

Coming of Age is dedicated to Rachel Wilkinson, my Great Grandma, whom I discovered was an amazingly creative individual who couldn’t pursue her passions because of societal expectations and dis-empowerment.

Cover Review:

The cover is simple, which a white background and just an eye at the bottom. It's simple, but intriguing.

Book Review:

Coming Of Age is a collection of poems through which the author describes his life in New Zealand in the form of poems.

From the air of New Zealand to it's freedom, the author describes everything through bite size poems. 

Some beautiful, some mysterious, these poems created pictures in my mind of what New Zealand must be like. 

I picked this book off Amazon's free books list, because I felt like reading some poetry, and I'm glad I did! 

Coming Of Age was a compact, beautiful and splendid collection of poems. 

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Buy Coming Of Age now:

Amazon India.

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Amazon UK.

Review: A Small Book Of Disturbing Poetry

Author: Tanner Ashe.

Genre: Poetry.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

Acclaimed poet and social commentator Tanner Ashe's adolescent years were full of hardship and pain. This collection of works, written between her 14th and 20th birthdays reflect some of her darkest thoughts.

Unlike the more sophisticated and joyous poetry she is most commonly known for, this collection gives voice to the pain of an abused child as she struggles with the rage and helplessness inherent to her victimization.

Ms. Ashe has been lauded internationally as a beacon of light for rape and abuse victims.

A Small Book of Disturbing Poetry shows the darker side of the artist, the pain, suffering and even fantasies expressed that paved the way for her ultimate healing.

The work, though disturbing and simplistic, offers insight into a truly beautiful mind, and represents the progression from angry literary neophyte to the voice of recovery and love.

This book will disturb, read it with the knowledge that the expressions of rage and pain within its pages made inspiration and healing possible.

Cover Review:

The cover, just like the poems, is dark, sinister and chilling. 

Book Review:

This poetry collection gave me the chills. It has a lot of triggers so many people would not want to read this but I, for one, am in awe. 

This woman, this amazing woman has been through so much in life. She has seen so many horrors, at such a young age. 

Her poems were raw, full of pain and so very real. There was no sugar-coating. No substitutions. Just the cold hard truths. 

The poems were chilling, goosebumps raising and heart wrenching. They made me want to hug the author, or cry along with her. 

To put it in a few words, they were beautiful in a dark, sinister way. 

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Order A Small Book Of Disturbing Poetry now:

Amazon India.

Amazon US.

Amazon UK.

Review: Solitude And Other Obsessions

Authors: Uma, Binod, Trupti, Shruti and Saurin.

Genre: Poetry.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

Cover Review:

The cover is beautiful and artistic, though I couldn't find a connection between it and the title.

Book Review:

All of the poems were beautiful and an awesome read. Though I liked all of them, my favorites were the ones by Trupti Kalamdani, especially, Two to Tango and Wedding Bells. 

Uma Sudhindra's poems were more inclined towards the nature, and soldiers. A Soldier's Message was my most favorite one from her.

Bindo Panda's poems were reflective, short and beautiful, especially A Few More Moments...

As I already said, Trupti Kalamdani is my favourite one from the lot. Her poems range from social issues to love to heartbreak, and her writing is absolutely enchanting.

Dr. Shruti's poems were deep and mesmerizing. My favorite one from her was All That Matters.

Lastly, Saurin Desai's poems were short, meaningful and full of wonder. My favorite, without doubt, was Alcohol On Prescription.

The artistic representations by Shripad Bhalerao only added to the beauty of an already beautiful collection and I loved reading it!

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Amazon India.

Amazon US.

Amazon UK.

Review: The Soul Charmer

Author: Richa Saxena.

Genre: Poetry.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

Remember the first time you uttered those three important words expressing your love or the first time when you said 'goodbye' to your loved one. The first time, you got a jolt in your heart or the first time you held a life in your arms.

Richa Saxena has tried to put forth a compilation of thirty-five surreal poems that would recreate that magic and unleash your deepest thoughts.

Seasons must have passed by, but that feeling still remains in the heart.

Her poems would revive those very thoughts, the ones said and the ones that remained unsaid .

Cover Review:

The cover is simple, and beautiful. I like it. 

Book Review:

The Soul Charmer is a collection of beautiful poems, featuring the various shades of love.

The poems were simple, easy to interpret and beautiful. I read through them in just a few minutes because I just couldn't stop once I started! 

The poems were relatable, sincere and absolutely beautiful. I loved all of them! 

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Buy The Soul Charmer now:

Amazon India.  Amazon US.  Amazon UK.

Review: Serenity In Ink

Author: Mir Abbas Raza.

Genre: Poetry.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

A testament to the beauty of disorder.

This is a journey through the uncanny mind and heart of an eighteen-year-old. The desire to express has brought me to you, from divinity to bloom.

Each chapter is a gift of poetry, a gift of words waiting for you to be unwrapped, to be felt, to be read.

This is my serenity, in ink.

Cover Review: 

The cover is simple, yet beautiful in a toned down kinda way. I love the white 💖

Book Review:

First of all, thanks to the author for sending me a paperback copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. 

Serenity In Ink is a collection of poems portraying a variety of themes from Divinity to Parental Love to Heart Break. 

The poems were beautiful, meaningful and pretty good. The grammar was correct too and I loved that fact because I've met authors who think that grammar doesn't need to be proper in poetry books. I'm glad this wasn't one of those books!

A successful relationship

Is not only when two people are

Madly in love with

Each other

But when their definition

Of love is

The same.

Though there was something that troubled this grammar Nazi brain of mine. There were absolutely no capital letters. Neither in the poems nor in the Acknowledgments or About the Author section. And that's not a good thing. At all. 

But the poems themselves were pretty awesome, the ones in the chapter called Desolation  were especially touching. So I can't say that I didn't enjoy it. 

Serenity In Ink was beautiful, not really lyrical but still poetic enough, and I enjoyed reading it a lot!

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Buy Serenity In Ink now:

Amazon India.  Amazon US.  Amazon UK.

What's your favorite poetry collection? Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Organ's Speech

Author: U.F. Shah

Genre: Poetry

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

In a language spoken by the heart the voice in this book will break you, but only to then love you and empower you. The Organ’s Speech takes you on a journey of being lost, loved and found.

Cover Review:

The cover is an artistic representation of the human heart, and to me, it feels like the perfect cover for this book. Because, in a way, The Organ's Speech is the artistic representation of the Heart. 

Book Review:

The Organ's Speech is a unique and beautiful combination of poetry and prose. The book is divided into three parts, Lost, Loved and Found. 

Though I loved all of it, my favorite was the first part, Lost. The poems and prose in Lost were honest and true. They depicted the harsh realities of our world in the most beautiful way. 

The poems and prose in Love were more positive. They talked about love. All kinds of it. They were sweet and brought a smile to my face. 

The third part, Found, talked about finding. Finding yourself, finding your love and finding the right one. They were filled with hope and joy and were all very beautiful. 

I loved The Organ's Speech immensely and I'm glad I got a chance to read an ARC of this beautiful book! (A big Thank You to Goodreads and the author!)

Review: Life

Author: Faizur Rahman

Genre: Poetry

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

A troubled past and an inquisitive mind brought together the thoughts that formed the poems in Life. This book will blend well with a cup of hot coffee on a cold winter evening. You are invited to relax and read this collection of true stories written in a magical way.
Life has its ups and downs, and the poet has put his heart and soul into every word penned. Through joy and pain, he has lived, loved, and shared his life with all.

The poems will at times uplift your soul and at times awaken the darkness in you. But, through it all, you will feel what he felt as he sat in a corner with a piece of paper and a pen in hand.

Cover Review:

The cover is simple, yet absolutely beautiful. I liked it a lot!

Book Review: 

I finished this poetry collection in about an hour and a half, without interruptions (Thankfully!)

Life is a collection of poems centred around a variety of life related topics but the most recurrent theme was definitely love. 

The poems were all beautiful and I enjoyed reading them all. Some of them though, I liked more than the others. Sanctuary, Mask, Woman, Dream, Night Sky, Childhood, Treats, Bittersweet and Mirror were some of my absolute favorite ones!

I loved the poet's writing style, it was very different from the ones I was used to reading and therefore even more fun! :)