Sad Poetry For The Dejected by M.M. Crusinberry

This was a really deep collection with many relatable points of how sadness can creep in whether in solo living moments to daily battling depression feeling the heavy greyness unmoving in daily life. A particular poem, No 3, about seeing yourself in the mirror and not feeling connected to yourself and the view of yourself. The struggle to connect feeling like an actor trying but struggling through the motions of daily life. It also contained poems about the feeling of family exhile, The Black Sheep, was a poem I really related to about not feeling you fit in whether with your family or friends and the feeling of being easily forgettable or leavable which can be sad or lead you to find new friends who understand you so much better in the future. Everything can work out, I will say the sadness can be consuming, so can depression but in time you can find clarity, hope and life can move on to allow better experiences and moments ahead, this was a great collection to show the struggles sadness can have cause and effect in life.

Letters The Wind Never Carried by A Poet Who Never Stopped Dreaming

This was a wonderful book detailing how unsent letters written but never dispatched can be a way of accepting, processing and finding sometimes closure in clearing your mind and process your emotions. It makes you realise the beauty in writing and letters, the power they hold to connect us in a simple act that can ultimately say so much wether they get sent or not to the person they are inspired by or because of. I hope it's ok to include a quote from the book but feel most of us will heavily relate to this: 'forgive us for learning to measure affection by the speed of a reply.' I think especially in modern times now, how presence shows care more than a quickly typed message the effort of taking action meaning more knowing that person is there for you quite literally. A wonderful book to realise the joy writing can bring to clear out feelings and reach out to others if desired to.

Girl, Isolated by Trista Mateer

This collection of poems are written in the early time of COVID with themes of love, toxic love, longing and loneliness. I'm Sorry For Looking You Up Online, was sadly relatable about ex's and Small Ghost Plays Animal Crossing, too especially because in Covid I did play hours of it and designing the island I made as well! Making Peace, about grief, acceptance of it and moving on with it was deep feeling after any loss. This collection was such a great accumulation of feelings from the pandemic and all we went through separately yet united in grief and loss of people and life as we knew.

I Named The Moon After You by Luke Moon

This was a beautiful poetry book detailing how someone's presence can bring light and a glow into your life. How in the joy of growing closer and falling, your guard drops and little moments of sharing touch or looks can feel magical in being someone's chosen special person in time. Evolving into every day little actions and attention to details, a truly beautiful poetry collection capturing the alluring emotions of love.

Letter To My Ex by JE Roberts

This collection was literally as the title said and speaks directly from the author to her ex and details all the emotions in the aftermath of a break up of a relationship spanning a decade. Some powerful poems of this collection to me were: Happiness You Deserve, is a poem many of us can relate to about an ex moving on. Sitting In This Room, feeling the gap between you and your love building rather than feeling closer together. About Him, the way love can become feeling like acting or speaking toxic from hurt and the way they can leave so easily. Choose, about chosing your kid over an uncommiting man, for the sake of the stability and love your child needs more than a man. A powerful collection about how being alone and putting your children first can be empowering facing someone unwilling to commit and accept all the parts of your life like you did for them.

Bullycide by Rachel Louise Finn

This poetry collection focuses on the subject of bullying and suicide hence the title. The collection tells many devastating stories of lives lost due to suicide and how bullying as a child can affect you for you whole life. I personally felt compelled to read this and related hard to a lot of the poems and emotions felt really hit with me after being bullied growing up, it's tough how it echoes through your life and trusting others still doesn't come easy, I know for me too I had suicidal thoughts and often saw no escape from it, teachers unwilling to help or knowing what to do to stop it. The poems honour the young children who lost their lives in various ways as well as those of us coping with scars years on. A really sad but necessary read that schools should use to educate how bullying can lead to such tragedy.

Dusk: poetry that bites into the human soul By R.D. Eveleigh

This was a darker themed poetry collection ideal reading for around Halloween as it explores every day issues inspired by the darkness and mythical ideas colliding like fantastical poetry about vampires. Some stand out poems to me were: Insomnia, about the restless effort to try get to sleep. Imposter, about being forced to grow up soon alike the vampire frozen in time constantly living with memories. A delicious dark poetry collection mixing life and myth beautifully.

Thought Garden Poetry by Stacey Nicole Douglas

This collection of poetry contained very short verse poems about being so in love with someone even when you split they play on your mind like a song on repeat. How going back wouldn't be right when the feels weren't fully reciprocated enough and shown in caring actions, that walking away will heal you and mourning the loss of a person like they died, yet they left your life not the world, by choice. A particular poem about Ghosting rang very true about the joy of them acknowledging you again but it's too late to feel respected and another how wisdom comes with age versus youth, touching on many truths we come to realise and learn growing up. It was a great book with a mix of fonts, text type and illustrations to keep the flow intriguing as to what you would come across next too.

Texts I'll Never Send by Stacey Nicole Douglas

This book tells how a relationship can sour when effort is only coming from you and not reciprocated by the other person too. Talking of how you can be present, showing up when you get the bare minimum back to you. I love the dear you letters addressed to her ex could be love and the vulnerable side we see sharing this must have been deeply moving to do. I related so bad to this book. How liking a guy a couple years younger, how music can unite you, grow closer and how slowly them pulling away, helps you heal in time with writing your feelings and not sending messages too again, very true and relatable collection.

Heartbreak Royalty by Havilah Mae

This was a poetic look at life as a relationship leaves trauma from a connection being less than loving and adoring instead the reflection looking back over the relationship showing the negatives over the positives and how it can leave you wondering and questioning why. A delicate collection of poetry of the ways control and emotional abuse from a partner can linger.

Fractures: Poems of Breaking by Evelyn Valehart

This poetry collection focussed on trauma, grief/loss and how you can find yourself feeling dealing in the aftermath of life. Some fantastic poems of this collection to me were: A Language Without Sound, about how actions speak more than words can. Between My Ribs and the Rain, a beautiful rhyming poem about where ache remains of pain as it lingers affecting you. The Body Keeps Its Secrets, how when memories in the brain fade, touch can remind you and still trigger you of the past. The Body Remembers Before the Mind, almost descriptive of triggers to trauma your mind can bury to try protect you from feeling. How Silence Cuts, about the pain of losing someone and it being finite. A lot of deeply moving poetry and definitely one of the best I've read relating to trauma and loss.

The Little Book Of Grief by Sadie Green

The book is tiny but mighty the weight of emotions heavy in these short poems showing how grief accompanies you in daily life from items they used daily to one's left in their place awaiting a return never to be, a beautiful collection capturing the way grief lives alongside you after loss.

Define Me Divine Me by Phoebe Garnsworthy

This was a brilliant poetry collection about life in general and all the feelings that make us simply human. Some stand out poems to me were: Boundaries, was a simple poem of how giving is beautiful but when you give always to no return to keep yourself safe with boundaries and respect as a basic to receive. Against, Foolish and Confrontation, were all poems about feeling the relationship and love changing for the worse but falling anyway even if they think you're too much for them. Fencing, about protecting yourself not fighting to feel safe and chosen by another. Fighter, about being you despite people trying to tear you apart and change you. Saviour & Teacher were two poems about feeling broken and realising you are enough as you are. Loneliness, about books being a way to escape from feelings and find comfort and escape when needed. It was a collection that touches deeply on parts of life that can feel heavy from love and loss, to loneliness and never feeling good enough.

The Latter by Maniyah Pulley

This poetry collection focuses on the battle of mental health and feeling like you are trapped in your mind alike a maze, stuck unable to progress or find a way out. The poem, I'm Only Suggesting, I feel any of us with mental or physical health conditions can easily relate to about how others feel they're being helpful when they're not. The epilogue as well served as a powerful conclusion telling of how the mind and thoughts can make you feel and trap you in from the author's perspective and I too related to how depression can cloud your mind and you feel held back from feeling pure joy in things you do like a void is there.

Heartbreak Cocktail by Dominika Stančíková

This poetry collection has many lengthier poems with beautiful rhymes and impactful messages behind each one. A stand out poem to me was, Love Is Kind, a beautiful poem talking how love should be so simple and caring. It was a detailed and honest collection of poetry all about love, honesty, reality in a relationship of it undoing and learning to be ok again in the aftermath of the heartbreak.

Skeleton by Ryan Sam Turner

This poetry collection is so relatable about the struggles of growing up and feeling behind or not enough in life, from pressures to be ok and not feel depressed or finding love and settling down pressures. Pills Pills Pills and Pill Game, were two so well written descriptions how the pills can seemingly have no effect so you take more and more to try feel something at all better despite not feeling they'll make a difference at all. The Heron, about the beauty of their freedom and uncaring at the world around them feeling no pressure like us humans can put on each other. Pure O aka Purely Obsessional, about how your mind can make you feel so low, see yourself so negatively and distorted your mind plays tricks on you. Missed Milestones and Time Only Moves One Way, about feeling life is passing you by without reaching expectations others assume you want to, which can be and also not be the case as everyone has different goals and dreams. So deep into the discussion of mental health, feeling pressure you're not enough in life as your peers seemingly grow up to have kids around you whilst you feel life is on pause for you, the discussion around panic attacks too was utterly relatable as someone who's experienced and lived with them for half my life now, it was great to read someone capture the feeling that seems indescribable when it occurs in such an honest relatable way.

All My Monsters by Honey Holloway

This poetry collection focuses on some dark subjects around how feeling hurt and facing harm from others can effect you and your trust. The Ghost, was a powerful poem of how pain someone causes you can linger even after they've gone. The Thief, about how hands that hurt can make you fear others doing the same. It was quite a short collection easy to read in an evening and sit and reflect or relate to, some beautifully deep poems.

After We Got Disconnected by Devith

This was a beautiful tender collection of poetry how after your beloved moves on you are left reeling in deep emotions and feelings. The poems discuss how the body reacts, how everything feels drained and colourless and you feel broken it was a simple, short collection capturing the affect of a break up effortlessly well.

My Battle With The Enemy by Issa Marie

TW, mentions of sexual assault and Rape. This poetry collection has some deep poems about Issa's life and tough times faced I know many of us will relate to. She Is Breaking, about faking feeling fine when you are inside collapsing. A Mile In Ours, about shared pain how we all cry, we all hurt, we all ache, just in different ways. Daddy's Girl, a poem I found relatabe of feeling the one man supposed to care the most didn't care at all. I love when a book includes a playlist as well to soundtrack the story, wirh the hard topic of rape and sexual assault, the song Grave by Avery Anna for me came to mind as one I'd add to that too. The final part of the book details Issa's story and I'm so glad to hear life has been kinder after such hard and dark times to endure in younger years.

The Weight Of Memory by Ava Winters

This was a tender collection of poetry about the feelings of being left behind and discarded by the one you loved the most. Some stand out poems to me were: Just An Option and The Void They Left, how you can feel broken and doubt everything after they can leave you so easily. Unkept Promises, of being let down by broken promises and chances again and again. Unconscious Betrayal, the ultimate breaking of trust by such a cold act and the repercussions leaving you questioning them as the character in your life story they were. Some really hard hitting poems about betrayal of trust, losing someone you love by them being cruel and cold, how you struggle to cope in the aftermath and how healing in time can still leave doubts. A devastating collection about loss and trust.

The Fall Of Days by Kristin Knight

As autumn has fully arrived now I found this poetry collection and was pulled to read it as the seasons change and embrace it. Life, a beautiful poem about how rainy, stormy weather can mimic our moods as humans and we can't always be bright happy and sunshine. Once Upon A Time, a powerful poem of seeking answers to be insulted by how time changes everything. A beautiful collection of evocative poetry around life changing like seasons.

All The Bridges I Could Not Burn by Autumn Graves

This was a great collection of poetry looking at the breakup of a couple and feelings towards the end of that relationship and the impact it has. Breaking Points, how as good a relationship is it all falls apart and you're left feeling hurt in the aftermath of it all. The Things I Lost Trying To Keep You, from basic yet essential things, like sleep to deeper core values and feelings. The Last Bridge, about being strong enough to leave and not go back, ever. Aftermath, again following a breakup and just surviving the ensuing silence or emptiness around you after it ends. This poetry collection will definitely have some relatable points to you if you're dealing or have dealt with losing someone you love in any way.

All The Ways I Love by Autumn Graves

This collection details all the thoughts and feelings you can experience growing up feeling you're wrong from others judgements being cast onto or directed towards you. A few stand out poems to me were, Middle Ground, detailing how people can try to judge you one way or the other. Trying to label you like in the poem, Coming Out, again, how you have to sometimes have to explain your sexuality multiple times to people over and over again trying to justify why you feel how you do. They Ask For Proof, an open look at how people will question how for sure you are knowing how you identify how you say not seeing that being alive and feeling is actually enough. Choosing Me, Every Time, was a great companion poem to the latter above, showing how every time chosing yourself, is pleasing yourself as people come and go whereas you're stuck with yourself for life. It was a great in depth collection looking fully at the cycle of crushes, loving, learning and accepting who you are despite what others may think.

The Heart's Quiet by Jovienne Rose

This poetry collection focuses on a relationship or friendship formed through the gym as many people in life especially these days meet that way. Some stand out poems to me were: Silent Gravity, about the pull of being in someone's orbit you feel drawn to. Shared Silence and The Strength In Silence, how you can hold space and love for someone and never cross the line and blur friendship into love. It is a collection I feel many of us will relate to heavily, how you can form many bonds in the place of a gym where you all are hoping to make progress in multiple ways of life at the same time, making friends, forming relationships, healing your mental or physical health.

The Unbearable Weight Of Remembering by Soraya

This was a poetic telling of a relationship falling apart through infidelity. A tough subject but all too relatable especially as teens I feel as this book focuses on now in love and also flashes forward to predict how the future could've played out turning a blind eye, yet, as the title says, it is unbearable to ignore, weighing you down. It was a book to make you reflect on life and find inspiration in yourself to look after and discover who you are.

She Drinks In The Morning Now by Autumn Graves

This was a hard hitting collection of poetry which Autumn bravely and very openly discusses growing up in an alcoholic and abusive household where her and her siblings were sadly not treated properly and details how as their parents aged, they forgot the trauma they caused their children as well as how they then had to be cared for by the only child, Autumn, left with that burden solely on her shoulders despite the years she endured, it was a very brave collection of poetry to find the strength to share it is very bold and brave indeed and I know so many others will understand Autumn's emotion story too. A couple of stand out poems to me were: Inventory, a poem about the alcohol seeming more important than the children in a household growing up, to the point the children know what it is too and how mum needs it to cope. Photograph, a poem about seeing beyond the face value of a seemingly happy family portrait, just seeing instead her dad's abuse which led to the siblings around her leaving and her mother's drinking to worsen in time. A bold collection of poetry that will leave you reflecting on your life growing up especially and appreciating what you had or feeling what you lacked when you needed it.

The Moon Doesn't Know You're Gone by Autumn Graves

This book of poetry was great at showing how grief can linger in your life after loss. Some really great and relatable poems I found in this collection were: A Grief Like This, falling apart in quiet normal life moments. When I Dream Of You, trying to still be able to reach them, even if you can't now physically. The Sound Of Your Name, how people can stop reacting to hearing the name of your beloved person after they've gone whereas to you it's still heartbreaking to hear someone say their name. The Grocery Store, how suddenly seeing items they loved and you'd buy can be a sad emotional trigger even in public, tears can come. The Quiet Things, how items around the house of theirs remain like they could walk back in at any moment. The title too, I really love, the moon a witness only to the night-time when we can feel deeply and be seen then by it sometimes immersed in the sadness we feel deeply.

She Was The Storm by Cherie Avritt

This was a wonderful little poetry book written with mainly short verse/stanza format. This collection focuses on appreciating the love you get, the positives from that and knowing when something isn't reciprocal and is just weighing you down to cut lose from to heal and grow with knowledge and experience. The collection encourages you to find your inner strength and realise the beauty you are oblivious to even holding. A great debut collection I hope we get more from the author in future!

The Sun Will Rise and So Will We by Jennae Cecelia

This collection was written during 2020 in the pandemic and is about appreciation for and embracing all life moments, finding the joy in simple daily living and putting yourself first in situations to feel happier and more content. One particular poem about Anxiety, how you can worry on something you said or did ages ago lingers in your mind really resonated with me as I have many times over my life even thought of moments from years gone by and still anxiety can linger.

Kimmy Carson Is Not Scared by C.H. Williams

Kimmy was looking forward to her school's Halloween event, only, upon announcement of a horror maze, she's filled with the dread of being unable to partake due to her heart condition. Used to a life of safety with her over protective mum using guidelines as hard set rules you have to comply by to stay feeling fine, instead, Kimmy starts feeling suffocated and explores painting and skating with friends over her mum's safety hobbies of ballet and chess. This book was all about compromise at the heart of wanting to just explore your own passions fearlessly embracing the opportunities and learning to compromise in trusting each other having good intentions in your best interest.

Whispers of Autumn: Poems of Fall & Halloween by Leah Melcher

As Autumn has arrived it feels like the perfect time to read this collection. Golden Horizon, a poem about the beauty of the sky changing in new days in the seasons as they come ago with rich colours. The part of Ghosts and Hauntings, was a cleverly writren chapter of poetry which I enjoyed all the poems and each stanza poem tells a short story almost to feel immersed in the seasons awakening emotions good and bad, past and present. A fantastic emotive collection of how changing seasons can bring positive and negative emotions to the surface as the world around us adapts changing and grows through the seasons.

Let Me Tell You Why by Carrie-Anne Riding

This was a beautiful collection of poetry about the power of the right relationship feeling easy and falling in love is feeling safe and never guessing how the other feels about you after being hurt or betrayed by lies and cheating the title absolutely fitting the collection as it details the past pain to discovering why the author felt how they did until the right love came along. A tender and truthful collection of poetry.

She Deserves Better by Bryn Tandon

This poetry collection focuses on the healing from a toxic relationship and all the ways you come into yourself again rediscovering what you enjoy, discovering new things you enjoy, reuniting with people left in the aftermath of the relationship becoming and the undoing reuniting you showing with loss of one person can welcome others back in. I also really enjoyed the fact the collection was written by a man and his understanding of the subject cane from listening to the women around him to write this collection so beautifully in my opinion the world needs more men who see from the perspective of women healing from abusive relationships and this is a fantastic collection to recommend.

When Our Hearts Collide by Brandon Deem

This was a beautiful poetry collection looking at relationships of love kept and lost with photographs to annotate the poems discussion points too. A poem that stood out to me the most from this collection was: There's More To Life Than Heartbreak, about finding joy in life even in hard and dark times, learn to appreciate the beauty in every day things you see or do, a poem I think all of us will be able to relate to.

These Are The Apologies We Never Said by Miranda Noel

This is a clever poetry collection, set talking about people in the author's life who owe them apologies for various reasons. Cocktail of a broken heart, a poem about all the ways that the breakup of a relationship can effect you short and long term. The main themes of the collection were parental love, romantic love, which scars, drowns you in tears, not be adoring or improves life when together, it was just an honest recollection of how you can feel after situations.

Spotted by Bekki Diefendorf

Ruthie has grown up surrounded by the 'piles' her mum keeps in the house despite her sister moving out to be with her dad away from their mum's hoarding obsession Ruthis tries to keep to herself to not let anyone know how she's having to grow up. That is until she meets Trey, a boy who notices Ruthie and helps her see, it's about a person's nature, how they treat you and not judge you. I love the title for Ruthie being noticed after trying to just exist by fading into the background unnoticed and then for Ruthie, a circle patch of vitiligo appears playing into the title again too the dual use of the title very clever I also enjoyed the book being written in verse style too it flowed really well and kept me engrossed in the story.

Autumn's Splendor by Julie Kusma

This was a beautiful collection of poems celebrating the joy each season contains and brings with it moving in. Rustle, about the beauty of autumn's falling leaves and Memories, both poems talking of enjoying nature and being united together. Weather Man, was a fun playful poem about the weather and listening to each other. I liked the images between poems too, simply black on white, as if scanned in a photocopier, raw and real, with simple white text quotes placed over them.

Bubblegum Heart by Quazaye Konkel

This poetry collection is set across four parts, Loving, Losing, Letting Go and Learning. Memory Box was a touching poem about remembering your shared times and memories that mean so much or meant so much looking back. Bubblegum Heart, the titular poem of the collection was built on such a simple but much felt concept about when love falls apart and the feelings you endure. The Hardest Goodbye, was a stunning poem summing up how a break up can leave you feeling changed from the person you were before and how it's hard to let a version of you go too that you became foe better or worse. It was a beautiful collection of poetry tellign the story of falling in and out of love the effects and emottions felt and you have to deal with in the aftermath of it falling apart. A deep feeling collection of poetry.

Dear Love by Charles McEnerney & Adam Larson

This book intrigued me by the title and I was kindly allowed to review a copy. It's a simple layout of bold bright backgrounds, rich vibrant red and black for devotion and love on the cover before we even look into the book. The book uses brighter, lighter colours and text, yellow shades flowing through green, purple to red and with a mix of white to black text, to make the flow of text desiring to take on adventures and share moments together. It could easily be used not just as a sweet gift, but a book to use to pick a date night or even by chance or choice together as a fun adaptation of how to use it not just read it straight through as advice or a guide but with intention for couple's too adding a deeper meaningful intention with it.

Healing For No One But Me by Jennae Cecelia

As the title says these poems are reflective on past hurt to process, accept and move onwards in life. There's some great poems about the happy medium of letting people in so far but stopping investing fully after being hurt so bad before. Another touching poem shares a view point I often ponder whether in a shop or passing someone on the street, I think, what is their hidden pain the story weighing them down past or present, the scar they hold forever more, we should all be a little more patient with each other, as the poem suggested never just assume they're a burden to you at that moment. They May Be/They May Seem, another great poem pondering our lives in comparison with others and how we all are just going at our own life's pace and shouldn't compare or feel we have to justify our own pace and way of life to anyone but us.

Rebuilding Scabs by L.Q. Murphy

This poetry collection looked at the impacts of growing up and going through bad times and how it can leave you wounded but you can be resilient and heal by continuing on living and not giving up despite the scars you carry. The collection had some great rhyming verses and rhyming couplets and good common sense thinking poetry about daily life and the poem, My Mistake, about trusting your instincts and embracing life was my favourite of this collection.

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.