Bruised Melodies: A Quotes/ Poetry Collection by Mia Sanchez

A great book of verse poetry, short straight forward speaking poetry you will definitely find something relatable in. Longing and Past were two great poems about wanting someone and being stuck in unrequited love and then remembering the feeling of love and being loved. Truth, another great poem about realising how fragile loving someone is, as you accept they could up and leave at any time. Everywhere, again, about seeing reminders or being reminded about love lost everywhere too Vinyl, really relatable about sharing songs and reminded of love left in lyrics and melodies once shared, a love language of sorts I relate to the most. It was a great little book I found myself nodding along in agreement to many of these poems points raised and really got me thinking and reflecting.

All the Words I Swallowed Brittany Ionescu

I firstly have to start my review by saying I truly hope Brittany and her baby are both doing well, it has been quite a tumultuous journey and definitely takes strength and courage to share it especially for public reading. The Poem, Starting Over Saved My Soul, especially in a romantic relationship, I can completely relate to. A simple verse, a few lines of pure truth, go for safety and clarity, never stay with someone emotionally unavailable to you, ever, I and Brittany I think share that value especially after reading her story. The Intimacy Of Silence and The Static In Silence, again two poems I relate to all too well also, having dealt with a guy being all in and then pulling away, ghosted me for weeks, came back with excuses and this dragged on for months and was never worth it and I would never do it again Brittany is spot on, silence speaks volumes about someone's character, negatively and not positively! The final poem/letter to Brittany's ex and father of her daughter actually took my breath away with how much Brittany has bravely endured and at how coldly a guy could treat a woman he was supposed to care for, shocking and direct I hope he eventually reads it and he regrets his desicion. Brittany sounds like a strong woman to raise her daughter to take no fools and learn how to grow up finding a genuine loving relationship upon reflection when she's old enough to read her mother's brave shared story. A story of courage and strength and love even if unexpected, a precious gift.

UN/CORKED: Poetry on Drinking, Damage, and Finding the Way Back Lacey LeDuc

This poetry book really details how alcoholism or alcohol addiction can take hold of you in your life and keep you hooked in craving more and more. The poems, Coping and Confrontation, all about people understanding the addiction and how it effects the addict and all in their lives. It was a brave collection of poetry about how addiction can be to cope, adapt and grow through or life with and how it can be a life long struggle to manage.

Let It Burn by Jamie Powers

The poems that stood out to me the most fro this collection were, On Hugs and Love, a really good point I've never seen anyone else write about but makes me feel seen as someone who was never hugged much growing up I too find it more awkward than caring. My Actions and Her, two simple poems about being yourself and that being enough to feel loved for being your unique self, a really true point to make that we should all appreciate and embrace each others differences. A great short collection with truth written into each poem.

Internet Best Friend by Loreena Mitzscherling

The opening poem A Kind Heart Gets You Killed was a strong and powerful poem with such a true mesage about people using your kindness which I've sadly found multiple times. Also, One True Enemy, a poem about how our mind can be the worst thing or person given it's own voice, we encounter telling us horrible things about ourselves and we can't control it always, Made up of life observations and documented through the poems in the book from encounters in daily life and love, in family, friends and partners there's something we can find relatable in this collection as the author literally has called the collection an internet best friend, the collection reads as if someone sharing snapshots of their life with us alike friends do.

Finding Melody: A Short Story About Grief by Monique Jones

This book was beautiful, tenderly reflecting on love and the loss of said loved one too. Capturing all the feelings of trying to come to terms with the loss, adapting to your life now without them in it and for me rang so true losing a friend made me feel suddenly lost in a haze and like life was so fragile when it never felt so before. I still pucture my friend everywhere, reflect on memories often and still catch myself going to message them too, alike the book title finding a new melody to life's song takes time to adapt to and if you're dealing with any loss, Monique has written breathtakingly beautifully about loss and the aftermath.

The Rage Behind Her Healing by SaDee Hodge

This was a truly powerful collection of poetry to read, about escaping a relationship which has turned violent/abusive and left the author fearing for her life. There is also poetry about alcoholism and the dangers of it altering a person's personality. Haunted was a stunning poem visualising the house as a person and a prison, becoming a person seeing and trapping them in their pain keeping them stifled and suffering. There is such strength in every sentence of every poem depicting the awful time at the hands of an abuser and really harrowing detail of real life threatening ordeal faced too I will say please be aware of strong abuse and harm mentions before reading.

The Day He Was Still Here Book 1 by Maria T. Anderson

This is a beautiful poetry book telling the story of a bride to be up to her wedding day told in prose poetry the story unfolded beautifully in moments of everyday life up until the big day and kept me hooked reading until finished! It is the first of quite a good long series of nine books so far which I will definitely be reading now I'm hooked and intrigued to read the rest of the story especially as this first one end in a cliffhanger so I'm straight off to read book number two now!

Midnight Musings Of A Fractured Heart by Sigy George

This poetry collection covered multiple subjects about love, loss, grief, longing, hope and feeling tired and inadequate too. Fade Away, reminded me of The Amity Affliction a great poem and great song combo there. Tired Soul, a simple poem idea about just being tired of everything in life not feeling enough and the same with the poem, Existence too, just such relatable human ways of feeling and shared through poetry feels like a friend reaching out saying they get how life can be tiring and trying too.

Between Skies And Soil by Faith Hubble

This was a brilliant poetry book, showing how life after kids and a divorce whilst it can be rough and tough to go through, you can absolutely reclaim time to discover your hobbies and passions or just try something new. Written in short verses it's a read you can enjoy easily in one sitting and reflect on the life changes as they develop through the book.