Genre: Poetry, Mythology, Fairytales

Gill does it again! She captivates within this collection and retells the tales that have been shared and told for generations with a brand new twist.

Her interpretation of every tale provides an insightful perspective of each fable - a twist previously not conceived. It elevates each story in a unique way.

Although containing new points of view each poem still offers a sense of nostalgia of tales told long ago, which captivated me even more.

The illustrations supplementing the stories within adds a visual identity to each narrative told in a lovely subtle way. Gill is very clever at doing this, which makes her works so unique.

​I would highly recommend this collection to any poetry lovers or fairytale fans - it's an enjoyable and imaginative read, which is why I gave this five out of five stars.

Genre: History

​Jenkins provides a very top-level analysis of The Celts history and links to Britain and British/UK History.

​I had seen this book, and kept seeing this book, online and in bookshops for a little while, and I was very excited to get my hands on it and to delve deep into it. I recently got it from my local library. 

My excitement and anticipation of this book was regarding the clan structures across Britain, the development of the Celtic speaking languages and how this affected everyday/common people.

Disappointingly this book did not live up to my expectations, and I was left feeling deflated, which is very sad indeed.

This book provides a very top-level overview of the histories of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales -  and sometimes involving Cornwall - but it lacked depth, providing insights into aristocracy and politics does not go to show the impact on the people and the societal influences throughout history, and how these are linked together and influence the lives of all across history.

​Also, the author is obviously Irish and I felt, whilst reading this book that there was a strong bias towards the Irish, and this dominated the discourse throughout, which skewed the overarching intention of this book. Predominantly looking at the politics, policies and treaties of the times, rather than the people.

One thing I also noted was that a significant proportion of the book (56%) was allocated for the last 450-550 years of history, which again skewed the intention of this book, by only exploring more modern history in more detail. 

A solution to this is Jenkins could have covered each 'Celtic' country individually as a stand alone book, or if the desired intention was to show comparisons between them then have a book centred on particular periods of history, i.e. medieval, Tudor, modern, etc., either way this would allow the author to delve into much more required detail, which was missing in this book.

I generously gave this book three stars as it has provided a good top-level 'overview' of what history between the British Celtic nationalities and the part they have played in British History, however, I wanted more. I definitely think this is an opportunity lost.

Genre: Poetry

I saw Charlotte at a live spoken word event hosted by OutSpoken London, and I was captivated by her words from the outset of her performance. At the interval, I definitely had to grab myself a copy of her collection, 'Food for the Dead'.

During the interval of the show where I first met Charlotte and experienced her poetry first-hand I spoke to her as she signed my newly purchased copy of her collection and we spoke and discussed Grandmothers and family, which was just lovely.

​What initially intrigued me about this collection and the poet was her relationship and bond with her Grandmother or 'Babusya'. This reminded me of my relationship with my own Grandma, and how integral this was for me growing up, which led me to write my latest collection, 'Roots'.

The link with war, food and childhood memories was very similar to my own, so when reading I was also visualise these memories as well as seeing Charlotte's own recollections being shown.

Throughout the collection the poet does not use punctuation or capital letters, which at first was a little odd and required a little adjusting, but surprisingly this worked very well for every piece, lending a style to the works of this writer - it also did not influence or effect the flow, as I would have imagined it would have.

My rationale for giving this collection five out of five stars is due to the enjoyment factor and the reminiscence and similarity with my own collection and relationship with my Grandmother. I can see why this collection has been shortlisted and won several noteworthy prizes. I cannot wait to see what Charlotte writes next - I will be watching with keen interest.

Genre: Poetry

The legend that is Dr John Cooper Clarke's latest collection 'What' is full of new rhythmic masterpieces, that instantly throw us back in time.

​Clarke's ability to draw a reader in as if they are attending a rock concert, while scanning words on a page is enthralling - his lyrical prowess knows no bounds.

​Every poem within this collection contains stories, memories and personal anecdotes that encompasses the wacky world and life of 'The Good Doctor'. 

Punk exudes from each stanza written in the book, providing an insight into what life in this community feels like. 

The only oddity within this book is that Clarke does not use punctuation, or capital letters, which at first I did do a double-take, but strangely this works for him and his style of poetry.

I gave this book five stars due to the pure enjoyment factor - from page one to the back cover I thoroughly enjoyed every word, every stanza, and every rhythmic verse.

​I was also fortunate enough to see Dr Clarke perform these poems on his book tour of this book at The Stables in Milton Keynes, which was extremely captivating from the opening verbiage. 

Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller

I was nervous starting to read this new novel by Richard Osman, not because I did not have faith in the author, but on my ability to draw an affinity to the characters and protagonists of this novel following the connection to individuals portrayed in the authors previous series, The Thursday Murder Club.

However, I needn’t have worried. The characters created in this story is so far from the original series by Osman that it allowed for me to connect with them in a different way. One thing I will say about Osman and his writing is that he knows how to character build - they are just fantastic.

Osman’s approach with this story was really interesting, usually in Crime Fiction the detective and ‘gunslinging’ character is normally male, and the more thought-provoking and rational characters are female- whereas in We Solve Murders he has chosen to flip it the other way around and it surprisingly works, and I am not sure it would’ve worked the other way around. Kudos!

The bond between Steve and Amy is very endearing, especially as in-laws. It is clear from the outset what they mean to each other and what they would do for one another.

As a stand alone crime novel, forgetting Osman’s previous masterpieces, this one does hold its own, and definitely keeps you guessing right to the end, which made it a ‘can’t put down’ read - I was gripped. This is why I have it five stars, and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series and seeing what Amy and Steve get up to next.

Genre: Poetry, Art, History

Hensbergen walks us through the life of the ingenious and infamous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi in an in-depth and thorough analysis of his work and his personal relationships and influences.

​From his early career and being an apprentice architect, learning from his mentors and lecturers, he threw himself into creativity and sculpting and creating a new vision for Spanish architecture. 

The writer of this biographical analysis provides the readers with an in-depth insight into the impact and influence of relationships Gaudi had on him as a person, as well as his works - from his family, through to his friends and patrons.

It is clearly evident from this book, and from the historical accounts compiled to draw upon these conclusions, that Gaudi was a passionate man, and that he needed to have an element of control over his works, and their construction. 

What is clear to see is Gaudi's need and desire to push boundaries and structured form, in order to breathe life to his creations - this is what makes Antoni Gaudi a genius and a visionary in the architectural world.

I was lucky enough to take a trip to Barcelona in late Spring/early Summer this year, during this trip I was able to see many of Gaudi's masterpieces in real-life. Reading a book is great and you can build up a picture in your head of what each piece will look like, but coming up from the Metro and seeing the Sagrada Familia graciously appear in front of me, quite literally took my breath away!

I gave Hensbergen four stars due to the complexity with the end-notes used, instead of footnotes, which for me personally I found quite cumbersome having to flip to the back of the book to get the insights and anecdotes behind some of his observations.

However, content wise, I could not fault this book, it provided everything I was looking for in giving a deep insight into the man behind the masterpieces. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand Gaudi more.

Genre: Poetry, Psychology, Autobiography

If I'm being honest when I first opened this collection to have a read, I was not entirely sure what to expect - would it be another collection of love poems portraying heartache and betrayal, lacking in originality; but I must say what I got was completely unexpected.

In this collection, Self delves deep into her inner psyche, showing a vulnerability, and portraying deep subconscious manifestations.

The way this book is constructed is extremely clever, as a whole it weaves and tells a pyschological narrative, but individually each section and poems raises and discusses important and thought-provoking topics in a reasoned and expressive way.

One thing I was concerned about is having prose alongside the verse, but actually this added a different dimension to each piece, providing additional narrative, insights and context to what is covered in each verse and poem - the synergy worked in completely harmony with eachother and I surprisingly enjoyed it.

After finishing the collection, and for that manner, any collection of poetry I am reading, I like to stop​ and think about what I have just read and I found this collection very reflective, which in turn made me internalise and reflect on myself and the memories I hold onto and items that would be in as my 'possessions'. 

I gave this four out of five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed reading the verse and the poems contained within this collection, however, one thing I think would have liked to see within this collection is more variety of poetical forms included. I do like the train of thought styled form, and I do think it works extremely well within this collection, but I feel it would have been more impactful when used less - the old adage, less is more. I would most certainly read more from this poet in the future. 

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Fiction

Osman is back with the latest instalment of the shenanigans of The Thursday Murder Club gang. This novel has all that we have come to expect in this series; crime solving, typical British humour, and endearing moments with each of the crew.

The narrative that unfolds during the course of turning these pages had me guessing from start to finish, which is a great sign of any good crime/thriller novel. 

Within are multiple angles and directions that the story that is told, including all the usual characters, and some new and extremely entertaining ones.

Throughout the novel I was entertained and amused with the British witty anecdotes and occurrances included within the many pages - this most certainly put a cheeky grin across my face whilst I was reading. 

I gave this book five stars primarily for the enjoyment and entertainment factor, they are the most comforting reads I have had for a long time, and every time I open the pages to one of Osman's books I feel a sense of familiarity and nostalgia, like I have know these characters for years. Well done sir, and thank you for bring these individuals into my life - Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Chris, Donna - oh, ok, and Ron - just kidding, I love Ron.

I most certainly am looking forward to reading the next episode in this series, which is currently eagerly awaiting me on my to-read bookshelf...

Genre: Poetry, Cookery

This is the first collection of this poet I have come across and read, and I must say I found very inspirational and an enjoyable read.

Food is a tricky subject matter because there is no middle ground people either love what you're writing about, or they hate it. 

However, what Borodale does extremely well within this collection is poke and prod at readers nostalgia, getting them to think about and recollect meals that they have had similar encounters with.

The Poet, within this collection, kept the formality to a digestible and flowing nature, which allowed the reader to fully visualise each creation and dish with vivid clarity.

My rationale for only awarding this collection four stars, instead of five, is quite pedantic, but personally I like order, and within this collection I found this lacking somewhat. predominantly in the ordering of the collection of poems contained within - when I first started reading I expected a logical order, but they were actually arranged more haphazardly, like a collection of memories or recollections that pop-up unexpectedly.

However, saying this, I would recommend this collection to any poetry lover or aspiring writer of verse, and I most certainly will look forward to reading another collection from this writer in due course.

Genre: Poetry, Mythology

Gill explores a fascinating side to Greek Mythology within this collection of poems, it brought an interesting insight and perspective on the Greek gods that I had not encountered previously.

What the poet does very cleverly here, and I'm probably stating the obvious, is showcasing the characters, charisma, and influence of the Greek goddesses, which is such a refreshing take on such a prominent set of stories and myths.

​I have recently started researching, and becoming interested in Greek mythology, and when reading this collection, at first it seemed the order was a bit strange. However, I gradually noticed that instead of being chronologically ordered, these stories were grouped and ordered by the goddesses they were featuring.

What I did really like in this collection was the link between historical and modern, showing how these goddesses and gods would be within today's society - this was fascinating and gave them a whole new outlook and perspective. 

The illustrations within this collection are brilliant and excellently created and designed, they accompanied the poems very well and added a pictorial and visual element to the poem and how the poet envisioned each goddess and god.

I gave this book five stars as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it definitely added to my knowledge of Greek mythology. This is the second collection that I have read from Nikita Gill and I would highly recommend them.