Haiku for the Midnight Hour and Square Peg in a Round Hole – Book reviews!

On By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Book Reviews, Poetry

This year life seem to have happened more than once, so reading the books I have lined up has been slow. But today I share two that earned 5-star reviews. Two completely different and wonderful books, except with poetry being the common denominator. I hope you don’t leave empty-handed!

Haiku for the Midnight Hour challenges the traditional poetic art, according to author, Dawn Pisturino. She takes this syllabic form to a creepy level by experimenting with darker images and ideas. Pisturino emphasizes that her book is for those who eagerly anticipate Halloween and who like being alone in the dark. Well, I wouldn’t say that I like being alone in the dark. And ‘frightening’ anything, whether in a book or on the big screen isn’t my genre. However, I became intrigued, so I turned the pages of my paperback from beginning to end and read with mettle on a beautiful morning while welcoming the sunrise. Others might enjoy reading these haiku one evening when the sky has darkened, and the creatures of the night have come alive. I’m a fan of Pisturino’s writing, so I truly enjoyed this fast-moving, creative collection that is divided into seventeen chapters. A few favorites are:

Footsteps

Footsteps creep lightly
on the stairs. Who’s there? Lights out.
Heart freezes in chest.

Echoes

Tapping on the door
echoes through the house, doorknob
slowly…slowly…turns

Cinderella’s Shoe

Cinderella’s shoe
a cheap imitation from
a foreign country

The ‘Family’ section presents a whole new definition of family!

Sweet baby Jeanie
crawls on the floor snacking on
insects as she goes

From being home alone, to dealing with monsters, fairy tales, damsels in distress, angels and demons, and crystal balls, prepare yourself to be entertained! If you’re looking for the perfect book to read for the upcoming ghostly event at the end of October, I invite you to curl up with this riveting poetry collection, light a candle or keep the lights on – whatever makes you comfortable. But don’t let fear prevail – allow yourself to become captivated by Pisturino’s fabulous imagination for the midnight hour. Highly recommended for all poetry enthusiasts!

Square Peg in a Round Hole by Robbie Cheadle and her son, Michael, is a remarkable collection of poetry, art, photography, and micro fiction. The book begins with Robbie’s candid introduction where she voices, “I have always been an outlier, a square peg in a round hole. As a small girl, I was different than my classmates. My life revolved around books and my taste in reading material was always eclectic.” I could relate to some aspects of Robbie’s younger years, which was only the beginning of her drawing me into this amazing work of art.

I appreciate Cheadle’s voice on important issues such as the plight of animals and the distressing state of our planet. Her love for nature, which resonates strongly, is apparent through her expressive language. Whether she writes in freestyle or syllabic poetry, or micro fiction, Cheadle opens up about her experiences, both joyful and challenging. She includes love, illnesses, career, and death. These topics live with all families, so this collection truly hits home. It is difficult to choose a favorite. But I’ll share a few poems and pieces of artwork that stand out.

“The Visitor,” which is written from the perspective of Eleanor, a Hadada bird, is absolutely delightful. “The Watcher” speaks about canned hunting, an appalling concept. As an animal lover, this poem made my heart ache. “To a Lion” is profound. Here is an excerpt:

You’ve seen your peers shot – their heads stuffed and
Mounted
Victims of canned hunting
Perpetrated by fools who do not appreciate your beauty
Or the vital role you play
In the maintenance of the African ecosystems
And all its amazing creatures

Now, you are experiencing the effects of climate change
A situation to which you have not contributed
But you will pay the price, innocent or not
There is no justice
In this man-made world of materialism
Which runs on greed and a hunger for power

Cheadle also paints gorgeous pictures through her elegant words, such as in “White Orchid on Black” –

Fragile as china/delicate petals cluster/around slender throat

Her Micro Poem 6 elicited a memory that will never fade. I feel like this poem is written for my husband and me. 1991 brought us our first child, our daughter, but also took his mom away. A bittersweet year full of heartache and celebration.

Newborn child’s clock starts/elderly person’s clock stops/yet time, marches on

When Cheadle began to share her sketches and paintings, they added breadth to her talent and skill in the art world. They are all gorgeous, but a few favorites are Sky, an oil pastel of an elephant silhouetted in a twilight sky, Sunflowers at Dawn, and a watercolor painting of a male lion. In addition to Cheadle’s stunning drawings, paintings, and photography, she includes her incredible fondant and cake art. Baking has always been part of my life, especially for special events and holidays – my mom’s tradition that I carried on. And yet, Cheadle’s baking raises the bar to an almost unreachable status. She then moves towards a conclusion in her compilation with Ekphrastic poetry inspired by photography of Wayne Barnes. And then the beautiful collection closes with emotional poetry by her son, Michael, who undoubtedly, follows in his mom’s talented footsteps. There is an emotion for everyone to be felt in this collection. Highly recommended for all poetry fans!

I am also helping Maggie Watson out by spreading the word for her new poetry collection that you can pre-order now. The release date is October 7th where the paperback will also be available. Maggie opens up about her experience with domestic abuse and how she made it to the other side. ❤️

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

Fall into gentle poetry by clicking
on the image to purchase your copy. 
Thank you! 🧡

Thanks for dropping in today, and now you have three new
amazing books to add to your library!
So, don’t forget to pick up your copies!
~ Lauren ❤️🍁🎃👻

108 thoughts on “Haiku for the Midnight Hour and Square Peg in a Round Hole – Book reviews!”

      1. I know Lauren
        That is the way a book should be read to appreciate it fully..📚
        I am sure Robbie and Dawn are thrilled to read your reviews and as we know, they do count.
        I hope you are keeping well .
        Big hugs to you 🌹❤️🤗💖

  9. Thanks for the reviews! The baby Jeanie haiku struck a nerve with me. My baby girl was crawling outside on the patio when I saw her put something in her mouth. Imagine my horror when I pulled out a rat’s snout complete with whiskers! (We had an active hunter for a cat at the time.) I rushed her to the doctor, sure she’d come down with bubonic plague. Our doctor had quite the laugh!

    1. Oh my gosh! What a timely post for you to read! I can’t even imagine that! But I’m SO glad that she was okay, and the worst was the doctor getting a good laugh. Wow! Thanks for reading and for sharing your story! 🥰

  11. D.L. Finn, Author's avatar D.L. Finn, Author

    Great reviews, Lauren 🙂 I loved Robbie’s collection and rushed out to buy Haiku for the Midnight hour for the season. Congrats to Maggie for her upcoming release.

  13. Dawn’s book look quite wonderful. Thank you for sharing the poems, Lauren!

    Robbie’s book is excellent. I read it a bit ago, and did a review. I’m on to her book “And The Grave Awaits”… finally.

    I’m a really slow reader, but I’m hoping to get it read and make a post before Halloween. Lol…Hope springs eternal!

    Thanks for these reviews, Lauren!

    How’s Copper?

    ❦🌟🌹💓xo

    1. Hi Resa, thank you for your wonderful support of my writing. dawn’s book is good fun, she has a quirky sense of humour that comes through in her poetry. Maggie’s poetry is very intense and heartfelt.

      1. My pleasure! Your art is pretty great too, getting better every time I see it. I love your animals… the recent multi-coloured irises are magnificent.

    2. Hi Resa, I think Robbie described Dawn’s writing perfectly. Her book is wonderful and so is Robbie’s. They’re both great, but very different. This year has been a slow one for me too for reading. But slow is better than not at all. 🙂 I’ll watch for your post and thanks for reading my reviews. Happy October! 🧡🍁 Copper is doing well, my friend! He sends lots of slobbery kisses! ❤️🤗🥰🐶🐾😍

      1. Yes, slow reading is better than none. I know that well.
        Yes, Happy October (oh my – where did July – go) 🎃🌟🌾🍂🧡🍁🤎
        Copper!!! xoxo 🧽🧽🧽

  18. Hi, Lauren, I did not get on WordPress yesterday because my husband and I had doctor appointments and errands to run, and then I was preparing a PowerPoint for a Zoom presentation this morning. I saw your post on Facebook. I am more than ecstatic over your review. You articulated your thoughts and feelings about my book so elegantly and concisely, I am overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I read and reviewed Robbie’s book, and I agree with every word you wrote. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am preparing to post it on my blog now.

    1. Hi Dawn, no worries at all! I hope you and your hubby are okay. And I’m so happy to hear that you’re over the moon! I always strive to do the book justice. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words, too. They’re greatly appreciated. I love sharing reviews because they do matter, and I’m glad you agree with mine about Robbie’s book. Anyway, you are very welcome! I’m heading over to your blog soon. Congrats on all of your successes this year! 🥰

  19. Pingback: Lauren Scott’s Review of “Haiku for the Midnight Hour” | Dawn Pisturino's Blog

  23. Pingback: Robbie’s Inspiration – Thank you for your support #thankyou #bookreviews #appreciation – Robbie's inspiration

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