Get out your dictionary; this book uses some long words! Author Mike Maggio, a poet at heart, tries his hand at a gothic novella, and boy is it a poetic piece. Written from the POV of Lucifer himself, Maggio made a bold move in representing one of the most evil figures in mythology, but he pulls it off remarkably well. Here comes a review! Initially, you have to adapt to his writing style, as it’s undeniably literary. If you’ve just come from a light fiction read, you’ll need

Continuing on my literary journey through Albania, a friend gave me a copy of Broken April  by Ismail Kadare—an iconic Albanian author. Broken April  follows Gjorg, a man caught up in an ancient family blood feud. It’s a book that teaches you about the history and practical “logic” of a blood feud, a cultural anomaly across the country but found more prominently in the north. The second part of the book introduces a newly married couple who find themselves in the thick of blo

My wife, being Albanian, has a keen interest in Albanian stories, most notably non-fiction. With Albania’s fascinating history, encompassing the Enver Hoxha communist years, the pyramid scheme collapse, and the year 1997, it really is a case of fact being stranger than fiction. This takes me to Lea Ypi, the granddaughter of a revolutionary politician at the beginning of the Hoxha era, and her story during the 1990s and beyond. She writes from the perspective of herself as a c

I saw four of the seven (is it seven?) Song of Ice and Fire books in my Dad’s wardrobe and they stopped me in my tracks. I had never...

The power of prologues and epilogues: Is your book looking for a fresh start and end?

I read a lot of writing advice because I want to become a better writer. But from ‘killing your darlings,’ to gorging on junk food when...

Check out this review of Emily St. John Mandel's Station 11

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The Witty Verse Reviews The Trees Grew Because I Bled There. Take a look at our thoughts on this collection of short horror stories.

I recently finished reading two harrowing books back-to-back: Ordinary Men and Man’s Search for Meaning . Both are based on the events...

Reading makes you feel good. It's a fact! Learn more about how you can get that warm fuzzy feeling from reading poetry.

When Cormac McCarthy writes something, it’s considered an instant classic. It’s like his newly released work has been in the fabric of US...

As I wrote my letter this year, it made me laugh, it made me reminisce, and it made me cry.

Check out this review of a children's self-help book that looks at acknowledging and addressing your child's feelings.

Come and see what Witty had to say about John Steinbeck's magnum opus (whatever that is) East of Eden.

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Embrace the simplicity of the Five Gift Rule – a fail-safe strategy for ensuring your fella receives thoughtful and meaningful presents,

Need help writing your poem? Let's dive into six must-have online tools for crafting spellbinding poems!

Having a few books on the go at the same time is a good way of getting through more works simultaneously. You need this method.