some 52LOVES reviews


 
'52LOVES: writers from around the world' is a limited edition comprising 29 authors from around the world. Below are some of our Amazon reviews.
Yolanda Christian, project-manager, editor, designer

4 star on Amazon India
A fine mix of expressions coming from talented minds living in different parts of the globe By Bobby Sing on 13 September 2015

A friend recommended to read it and I found the idea of 52 poems/stories for every week (or weekend) of the year a great idea indeed for the lovers of poetry and short stories. Though at times the mix of both forms doesn’t seem to be in sync with the mood of the reader, but as a solution to it, I read the poems and the stories in two different sittings and enjoyed them a lot.

Would really like to recommend trying it since its presents a fine mix of expressions coming from talented minds living in different parts of the globe and here are the ones I loved the most among the chosen 52.

Building by Cherry Smyth
For the Pack by Angelika Rust
Neutral Ground by Cherry Potts (that also reminded me of an Indian maestro Agyeye’s novel with the title “Nadi Ke Dweep” in Hindi)
The Carnival by Tina Rath
Heed by A. A. Aaronson
Ma by Wing-Ho-Lin
Reluctant Spring by Nalini Priyadarshni
and Cinderella, Last Love and Adieu by Parveen Sethi

Cheers!


5 star on Amazon.co.uk
Accomplished 
By Mile Deep on 12 Jun. 2015

'52 Loves' has a number of interesting conceits. Love in all its various shades is explored in a year's worth of short stories and poems provided by writers from around the world. There is a lot of strong material here, offering insights into cultures and habits that are both recognisable and alien. 'Shore Leave' by American authoress Hope Erica Schultz is a canny sci-fi tale of an intergalactic sailor getting reacquainted with his children, freshly defrosted after cryogenic storage. Love finds a way in this futuristic world, the story ending with a marriage proposal suggesting that customs and habits will not be so different in this strange future… Ferron Anderson from Ireland serves up a compelling excerpt from his novel 'The Dangerous Edge Of Things'. As a nephew and uncle chew the fat one evening, they become the passive observers of a sectarian bombing. The horror of the situation is beautifully juxtaposed with their wide-eyed amazement and whimsical memories of naff films they had seen at the burning picture palace… Edited by Yolanda Christian, '52 Loves' is truly international, showcasing talent from all four corners of the globe.
Comment 3 of 3 people found this helpful.


5 star on Amazon.com
5A great idea having each week being a story or poem
By Marcie McGowan on June 8, 2015

I read the first week and instantly wanted to read more! A great idea having each week being a story or poem. The fact that it comes from authors all around the world amazes me. It only proves that Love is universal! I can't wait to buy and read this book!
Comment1 of 1 people found this helpful.

5 star on Amazon.com
A beautiful and powerful collection
By Laura A. R. on May 27, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
What a beautiful and powerful collection. Perhaps some readers will have the self-control to read only one story/poem per week, but I found myself racing through them. These are not simple loves. They can be dark and vexed. Layered. False. These pieces are for lovers but also for fathers and mothers and siblings. There are so many gems here, but I can't resist naming some of my favorites: the elegant and evocative poems of Alex Lindquist; "Another Closed Door" by Gerard Guix -- a strange and wonderful story that reads almost like a parable; "Shore Leave" by Hope Erica Schultz -- a wildly imaginative and satisfying sci-fi romance; Brenda Anderson's fairy tale-esque "Troll Queen," which somehow manages to be both charming and macabre (as do all the best fairy tales). "Love" is such a general topic -- too general, one would think, to lend any kind of coherence to an anthology. And yet, there is so much that resonates across the stories and poems -- how very different we are, and yet, how utterly akin.
Comment 2 of 2 people found this helpful.


4 star on Amazon.co.uk
52:loves
By Fim on 6 Feb. 2015

This love-themed anthology would make a good substitute for the traditional Valentine's Day box of chocolates. In this tempting selection of prose and poetry there is something for every taste: fantasy,history, poems and memoir. I shall continue to dip into it for many weeks to come. So far I have found more to like than not. And not a calorie in sight!
Comment 5 of 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

5 star on Amazon India
By vikas singh on February 1, 2015

To have a story or a poem for each week of the year strikes to me as a very cool idea. This international collection featuring writers from all over the world had such an interesting ring to its title. And I must say that my curiosity has been whetted by what I have read so far. Tina Rath’s Carnival and Nalini Priyadarshni’s Your Name and Blooms of Dawn are short, sensuous poems that I enjoyed immensely. Meet Roderick by David Bentley is an altogether a different flavor. So many different hues of love in one book….a fantastic read for the Valentine month. I don’t think I will wait till December to finish it.
Comment 3 of 3 people found this helpful

4 star on Amazon.co.uk
A handful of diamonds
By Anna L. Smith on 1 Feb. 2015

It's an interesting idea to have a different story or poem for each week of the year, and for all of them to be about love in some way. There are as many different ways to love as there are stars in the sky. Each author explores the concept in their own unique way. I'm not nearly finished with the book, but I've already read several contributions to it. I don't care for all of the entries - they're simply not to my taste. But there are already a handful of diamonds included that I would have regretted missing.

'X-X' by Liam Hogan is the first story, and in truly tugs at your heart-strings. I won't write spoilers, but I couldn't have guessed at the ending. It's both sweet and a little sad, but it's also a wonderful choice to start the anthology with.

I also quite enjoyed Brenda Anderson's "Troll Queen." The fantasy story is well-written and has a role-reversal that I enjoy. Regrettably it's her only contribution to the anthology. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more of her work.

Another sole-contributor who had a lovely story was Hope Erica Schultz with her science fiction piece "Shore Leave." Ms. Schulz has a distinct talent for creating strong characters that a reader connects with very quickly. Your heart goes out to the children, you feel John's urgency and frustration, and your heart bleeds for Maritza and the rules that bind her.

I'll certainly post more of my favorites as I find them, but these three are the ones that, so far, make the book worth the money. :)
Comment 4 of 4 people found this helpful.