Back of Book: 

He never wanted to be a hero. He only wanted to survive. With his lute in hand he goes to forge his life.In a world where dragons torch villages and knights chase glory, one ragged bard walks the ash-stained road with nothing but a cracked lute and a trembling song. He's not a warrior but a bard, a coward with a broken past and a melody too honest to ignore. But when the dragon stirs with fire and ash, the bard must vanish back into shadow, or sing the truth that could silence the flame.

Rich in lyricism, humility, and power, The Bard's Guide to Surviving a Dragon Attack is a soul-stirring epic about finding courage not in swords, but in stories, scars, and a song only you can sing.

For fans of poetic fantasy, reluctant heroes, and tales where faith and love are stronger than dragons fire. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Poetry | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A novel in verse featuring a brave bard and all the messages he yearns to share with the world before he takes his final breath. 

Being a hero was never his goal. A young bard just didn't want to be sad and alone anymore. Desperate to turn his life around, the bard sets out on a quest to go find the dragon that everyone has been talking about. He fears he won't be strong enough nor brave enough to save the day, but he doesn't want people to talk about him anyway. As the bard travels, he learns just who he truly is and the mission that he wants to pursue in his lifetime. 

For some reason, I thought this one was going to be a funny misadventure, but it is in actuality a serious tale of a bard who sees little purpose in life and works to turn his world around in a life altering journey. I wasn't quite prepared for the serious philosophical nature of this one, but I think it allowed me to enjoy this one even more than I originally anticipated. 

This verse novel is packed with themes about finding courage to do what is right, living a life filled with peace, staying humble even when you achieve the most amazing things, and spreading kindness everywhere you go. Many of the stanzas in this book speak directly about the messages that the bard was learning on his travels, and I think many people in the world could use some time to reflect on many of these sentiments. 

This book would definitely be shelved as an adult book, but it is the kind of story that anyone could enjoy. There isn't anything vulgar, violent, or explicit in this book, so children could most certainly read it, though some may need help with the vocabulary used within. 

I was shocked to find myself tearing up in the end. I just couldn't help it though, because the bard and his wife both lived such wholesome lives sharing joy and goodness with others; it's always hard to see people like that go down, even in fiction. 

The only real gripe I have about this one is formatting. I'm a little confused about why every stanza is on a different page and individually numbered. I feel many of them could have been grouped together to make a more cohesive reading experience. Mamy of them even covered the same themes and topics, so it would have made sense to pair them together. It isn't exactly hard to turn the pages every five seconds though, so this is truly a minor complaint. 

And I thought the illustrations added to the medieval vibe of this story. I can picture a scholar illuminating the story of "The Humble Bard Who Defeated a Dragon and Wanted No Acclaim." I think this added a fun layer to imagining what was happening in this world.

Overall, "A Bard's Guide to Surviving a Dragon Attack" was a really fun read that is packed full of great messages for children and adults alike. It's a really fast read and it impacted me quite a bit, so I could see myself revisiting this one quite a few times throughout my life. I would definitely recommend this one for poetry fans, epic fantasy fans, and for those who enjoy a more philosophical read. 

Back of Book: 

Older, Wiser, Shorter is an intimate collection of 63 poems from Jane Seskin, a working psychotherapist and author. Seskin; authentic, funny, insightful, quirky and heartfelt, acknowledges the disappointments, physical vulnerability and emotional loss taking place in her senior years. She is able to discover within herself a solid sense of power, resilience and new-found joys through her struggles to adjust, accommodate and accept her aging. Seskin's ability to make the very personal universal, will resonate with readers seeing to discover new ways to honor the past, celebrate the present and welcome the future. A Reading Guide to the poems will inspire further reflection and/or discussion for book and women's groups.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Poetry 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A simple poetry collection reflecting on the good, the bad, and the humorous aspects of growing older. 

Personally, this poetry collection didn't blow me away. However, it is filled to the brim with honest, vulnerable poems that speaks to a topic that is relevant to the entire human race: the passage of time and growing older. As an eighteen year old, many aspects of this books weren't super relatable and often filled me with dread for the future. On the other hand, this book reminds me of many of the things that people take for granted that I try to be thankful for on a daily basis. 

Many of Seskin's poems opened a window into her world and showed me a bit about the person she is as an individual. I found some aspects of her life familiar to me (writing thank you cards, showing gratitude for the little things, often reflecting on day to day life and what can be done to improve oneself), which was helpful in establishing trust for her as a poet/writer. 

The thing that I found coolest about this collection, is how much inspiration as a writer it instills in me. There were many instances while reading it that I thought things like, "It would be really fun to rewrite this poem," or "Wouldn't it be neat to write a poem exploring this concept?" I would never have thought of writing about some things that Seskin did, and I think it is neat when reading poetry gives me the itch to write poetry myself. I also appreciate the notes pages and discussion questions at the end; I feel it really invites the reader to scribble all over their physical copy of the book. (I read it digitally, so I obviously couldn't do this, but I still found the urge to write pretty enticing.) 

Overall, "Older, Wiser, Shorter" is an insightful collection of poems focusing on what it means to grow older yet still live ones life to the fullest. It wasn't by any means life altering, but I could see this book bringing comfort to many people in all stages of life. 

Back of Book: 

A poetic outpour by Australian independent singer-songwriter, Ziggy Alberts. sun memos is the second self-published poetry book by Alberts which differentiates from his lyrical work as an introspective look behind the mind of the musician on the road and at home. Featuring his signature environmental metaphors, sun memos, like his debut book, brainwaves, is split into four parts and allows readers to join him on a journey of personal realisations and acts as an invitation to enter a vulnerable relationship between the writer and the reader within the pages of his prose. sun memos was brought to life amongst the relative chaos of Ziggy Alberts' extensive touring of the world.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Poetry 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

"sun memos" is a beautiful collection of poetry divided into four segments that touch on what it truly means to be human featuring eye-opening statements that may work to change your perspective.

I didn't know quite what to expect when I received "sun memos" in the mail, but it is truly a wonderful collection of poems. I love the lyrical nature of the poems (which is to be expected due to the fact the author is a singer and songwriter); the way the words rolled off my lips felt really nice when I read them aloud.

The first section entitled "Buddhist Hotline" talks about time, mortality, and the human condition of always wanting more as fast as possible. I really respect Alberts' perspective on time and how we should cherish it always.

The second portion is called "Honeypot" and focuses on love, women, and healthy romance. This section felt so sweet and personal, yet could be applied to almost any romantic relationship in various ways. His devotion is clear, and it feels magical when this devotion is signaled towards you.

The third segment, "Concerned on behalf of The Universe," is a really deep one. It discusses things such as the passing of time, being present in the moment, and working to make one's life meaningful with memories rather than souvenirs.

The final segment is called "Lightwork" and focuses on observing the natural world around you and the lessons that it has to teach. It shows how humans and nature can coexist in each others presence, and how humanity can use each other as support. This segment also showcases living for oneself and creating valuable memories.

Overall, I really loved my time reading this collection and could see myself revisiting it quite frequently since I own it. I never would have picked this one up for myself, but I am glad that this book made it into my hands. I appreciate down to earth people who are willing to share their perspective on life and the world around them. I enjoyed reading Alberts' work and I will most definitely be checking out his music in the future. If you like poetry for thought, this might be a great collection to check out.