Please Love Me at My Worst by Michaela Angemeer

This collection of poetry was so honest and deeply moving showing how growing up and through childhood craving or desiring the love to be seen and understood gently and cared for deeply it also discusses in multiple poems, how we pick out our imperfections and talk down to ourselves, friendship breakups that can hurt as deep as a love relationship breakup and how desiring love if unrequited can leave you sad and feeling stung as well as poems too discussing growing up wondering and claiming your sexuality as you get to know yourself too. It was a well rounded collection of poems covering most life issues you experience growing up in depth.

Kisses In The Night by Zak

This collection was a short look at life and love written with multiple languages inside too being English, Arabic and I believe French and Spanish. It was very short collection with only a handful of poems, a couple of short ones and a longer one but feel it could've included more to flow deeper into the subjects and layout the story of the couple better, however, the poetry included was well written and I hope there's more to come in future!

Clouds On The Ground by Autumn Williams

The story of how the book came to be was a fascinating concept as Autumn's struggle with M.E, has inspired the collection after she became bed bound. My aunt has M.E too and I felt drawn to read the collection pondered on how feelings between each warrior fighring to continue life in a some what normal enough way experiences. Using poetry as therapy and for escape, set across the seasons in sections focusing on nature and the renewal of it's life each season as it progresses in it's journey. Spring, the awakening, the hope, growth, all spoke deeply to me about the way we all grow and our journey's move in different ways to each other. It was a great collection and especially being as a collection for escapism was brilliant and immersive in it's emotive poetic flow, fabulous.

In The Absence Of The Sun by Emily Curtis

A beautiful debut collection of poetry capturing many moments of life, tender, true, emotional, at times a bit dark linking nicely to the title of the collection. The title poem of the collection was reality by night, those of us who struggle to sleep at night and lay awake contemplating or writing. Another deep poem, reflecting on life, feeling so much, living through characters in books can feel relieving to close the book and have done with the emotional turmoil and return to life. A poem about strangers and the connection simply sparked by saying hello, so simple, yet impactful with it's truth was one that we can all read and live by I feel. A beautiful book looking at human connection and all that occurs when we let ourselves feel deeply.

The Flower That Went Mad by Yogesh Chandra

This was a poetry collection which in a world of more lows than highs, how writing can provide solace to create and relatability when shared. Some poems I related to were: Quietness, about the joy, peace and tranquility a garden provides. Chronicle of the pills, an open look at medication testing and failing you trying to see if it helps or hinders you. Blueprint of the society, a real look at how people can dismiss depression as sadness, want help yet never get it because of stigma still existing in society which can cause people to feel unable to open up. This is a sad yet beautiful book born from the depths of deep sadness and depression and the delicate dance of trying to find your footing to feel steady and able in life once again, it was honest and open no feelings held back and honesty which is relatable to many people who've dealt with similar feelings too.

Whispers Poems For When You Can't Say It Out Loud by Sk Masiur Rahaman

Looking at love and connection in the digital age especially with social media being so popular, talking about Tiktok, Instagram, dating apps and more. How reaching out to strangers can be easier for a quick connection hit but ghosting can leave you questioning what changed so quickly. How face value photo's and captions hide true real life to paint a fake happy online personality versus how generations who are elder show love in physical actions rather than online in texts, voicenotes or emoji's showing the impact of connection across generations and also anxiety and achievement goals sometimes pushed on us in love but feeling pressured as well as in tough times how faith can be a life line. It was a detailed poetry collection detailing modern generations lives compared to our parents and grandparents etc.

Signs Of Jealousy by Sophie Eve

This was a great poetry collection, literally as the title says about the ways jealousy can seep into and effect friendships and relationships. From finding love, to feeling like you're hiding your feelings, being torn between your good friend who knows you so well and your new love who's openly showing jealousy and envy at such a strong bond, it was a really powerful look at how the friendship and relationships dynamic can test each person involved deeply.

Growing Magic by D E Daly

Amie is sixteen living with her mum who is very spiritual and superstitious. When her mum disappears one day leaving a mysterious note, Amie discovers her mysterious Aunt Heather and also discovers many cousin's in Filbert where her mum was from and sets about discovering her family's history and magical ties as well as finding out about her dad, who she doesn't know, another mystery to she sets about figuring out. A captivating story of family mysteries, discoveries, magic, curses and keeps you hooked in the verse style it's a fast flowing novel with a magical edge.

Conversations With Myself: A collection of poems about survival and hope by T.L. MacRae

A powerful collection once again about life during and the aftermath of an abusive relationship that led to marriage and kids and the fact T L faced victim shaming and going to court to no avail is absolutely shocking but not surprising in other ways unfortunately as often happens we hear about. Some stand out poems that I found really relatable to me were: 7. Don't Touch Me, about feeling safer having no one touch you, friends or family after suffering abuse at the hands of people before making you weary. 50. Almost Taken Out By A Speeding Car, especially in a week where speeding has been talked about on the news being one of the main causes of points on licenses and how dangerous it is and having recently witnessed a car by me drive clean through a red light, is shocking that it resulted in no action being such a close near miss and sounding utterly terrifying. 51. Mittens, about the comfort of a furry companion and how it can leave you with pet loss and the grief from it in your life echoes in many ways especially when they can provide you with comfort for years unquestionably unlike another human could. As someone who's lost a pet and close a friend in a year it stings in multiple ways and until you go through it and feel it affect many areas of your life, you don't realise how hard it can be to just carry on at all. Another wonderful collection in the deep honesty T L writes with and to share so much of her story too I know people can read and relate to many parts separately of their own from grief, abuse, separation and divorce, there'll be something many people can relate to in this collection for sure.

Pumpkin Spice Pact by Arwa Chakkiwala

Calla and Jude begin fake dating as the autumn festival approaches and Calla's family think she has a boyfriend, Jude. Then her ex Miles shows up and lines blur more as Jude plays the role of boyfriend more seriously, charming her family, until he vanishes and suddenly Calla finally faces up to her family. This was a great seasonal short story themed around pumpkin season as Calla carries the weight of her family expectations, trying to run her business solo and the deep theme of her never feeling enough for having a traditional life, in a relationship or married, which her family pressures her over a lot.