It is a book of personal revelations and truths, some raw and shocking that are intimate to the core. It is a book about women contemplating their fate in what still seems to be a man’s world. It is a book about loss of self in a country that was a coloniser of ancestors. It is the feeling of not knowing who you are and where to hide.
A review of Ian Fleming: The Complete Man by Nicholas Shakespeare
It’s not the purpose of this review to repeat much, or any, of Fleming’s life, his various jobs, relationships and in particular his wartime experiences. That’s what the book is for. Whether one ends up liking or disliking Fleming, thinking the (in my opinion mostly rather awful) Bond novels were the result of a midlife crisis or a desire to make money out of real or second-hand experiences, is a toss-up. But certainly Shakespeare has given his readers every chance to decide, on a good deal of evidence.
A review of A Brilliant Life by Rachelle Unreich
Unreich tells her mother’s story with an immediacy that feels close. Though Mira sees some of the worst of what human beings are capable of, she talks about her luck, and the goodness of people. Even in the midst of her worst hunger and bleakest moments, Mira never stops being a beacon of hope for those around her.
A review of See What I Mean by Charles Rammelkamp
What a delicious literary emporium See What I Mean is, with treasures waiting to be unearthed and read. In this age of the hermeneutic and precious, Rammelkamp gets down to the itty-gritty of poetry and existence using the language of real people to help us see the complexities and complicities of our lives.
A review of The Unreal City by Mike Lala
There is a lot of muscular movement in Lala’s poems. The poet’s interest (almost what seems to be an obsession) in labor and work defined through movement can be read in My Receipt, a poem about him being a spectator in a theater: “… his knees, his body at work, / part/ of a sum / (a company): men together — their bodies / in labor together, / for whom the audience puts their hands together”.
A review of Aboard the Time Line by Bastian Gregory
Young readers will be entertained and find the story educational. Bastian Gregory has a creative mind, describing settings in detail as well as all kinds of different creatures. I admired Pete because he represents the virtue of friendship. Even when he is concerned that he can’t solve a problem, he does everything he can to help others and never gives up.
A review of The Lady in The Bottle by Rozanna Lilley
Lilley is a brilliant writer. She creates pictures with words. Each episode is a short gem with sprinkles of captivating humour. Page by page we enter Jeannie’s life, we read about her travelling with the astronaut in a space capsule, a yacht or a car, we read about her trying to constantly please her master, and forever hoping to get married to him.
A review of CUT by Samuel Lucas Allen
CUT is a film that is, quite frankly, unforgettable. As a coming-of-age story, Daniel’s transition is one that well, cuts deeply while allowing the visuals and music to do most of the talking. The production is excellent, and the music, cinematography and consistently top notch acting makes for an emotive and deeply moving film which with wide appeal.
A review of 2 Mini Chapbooks (Cup & Dagger series) by Sword & Kettle Press
I was happy to expand my literary horizons through these samples from a decidedly non-mainstream speculative series. “Good things come in small packages,” goes the old saying, and there’s no shortage of humongous talent here.
A review of Thine by Kate Partridge
Who we are and what will happen in the future is a notion that is always evolving in her work. She explores what it is to be an individual existing among so many people and the vastness and inspiration of nature and art. And Kate Partridge questions everything, especially decisions and actions.