Aisle Be Yours by S. M. Lucky

This was a really great collection of short stories and meet cute scenarios. The first story was about Jenna and Ben, an hilarious interaction of opposites attract territory much like the rest of the encounters which I guarantee will make you laugh, smile and appreciate all the poetic metathphors included within the completebook. The characters are all so fun and playful so many fun meet cutes and plot lines that are unexpected scenarios showing how food can unite people. There was some fab characters that stood out too, Elena and Marco, him a chef, a meet cute full of puns, Riley a shy comedian, Cal and Asha with a Milk and Honey nod maybe to Rupi Kaur, with the shared title there. Also, the coupon cutie was such a sweet story, as well as a lottery ticket with more than money as the win and a story with cutie Pebbles the guinea pig who sounds fabulous and sassy with a love of kale to make my own rabbit Splodgie jealous and made me laugh some animals are fussy over kale, true fact! A quite fitting twist to reading this book, I actually met an ex boyfriend in a supermarket so felt a pull to read the collection only we bonded over band t-shirts and heavy baskets of shopping! I wish each duo got a longer story but maybe in the future or else we can be left to imagine each duo's future! A fabulous collection I hope you choose to enjoy too, guarantee you'll smile and laugh more than once!

You Said This Was Love by Sophie Eve

This was a great collection showing how love can turn sour and the blissful happy relationship shows the cracks from being so all in to them pulling back or making comments that cut you deeply in the worst way and them making less effort, yet play mind games with you, making you feel less than enough for them and becoming physically, not just verbally, abusive towards you too. It was a fantastic collection of poems to highlight abusive behaviour in relationships and how friendship can be a saviour and a lifeline in dark times and situations too.

Healing From You by Sophie Eve

This was a brilliant poetry book showing how a relationship can wear you down and lead you to reclaiming yourself, changed but stronger in relearning who you are and what you don't want in a relationship in future. The good morning texts, was a poem about even through messages being able to decode their feelings, also how songs shared and clothing you borrowed is tainted them in memory. Long sleeves, was an honest look at physical abuse and the physical impact lingering as a harsh reminder of enduring pain making this collection about survival through an abusive relationship where they play mind games with you making you doubt and lose yourself even more hard hitting in it's impact as there's nothing held back and to me this book, is a reclamation of one's self in finding the strength and courage to walk away and heal, despite it being tough, I hope many others out there read this collection and can find the courage to do so to if they're affected by similar issues in their lives.

Lonely Lines by Freya O’Brien

This poetry collection is set in to four parts, the first being family with some really touching poems about making memories with mum and also the effects of losing mum too and the grief parent loss creates. This collection was deeply moving as the loss of her mum altered life already forever we then hear how her father and stepmother didn't show proper care for her and how you can easily feel detached from life and reality trying to cope not live just survive through life at home. The Birthing Mother, a poem literally as it sounds from the title was such an eye-opener poem about the care that feels like it's the opposite in a most vulnerable time you experience. The T-shirt, was an astonishing poem too about losing your virginity, a vulnerable time and how a guy really can treat you badly and say the wrong thing. There's also a good middle section of the collection touching on signs of toxic and violent relationships so please be aware before reading the collection of that if it's triggering to you. However, it was extremely well articulated and raises very good points around negative relationships. I also want to note the book is annotated throughout with black on white sketch style images showing the raw emotions felt in various moments too.

A Map Made Of Lanterns by A Poem Who Never Stopped Dreaming

This book shows the joy of taking a chance on a new adventure in life. It also shows how kindness is a currency in actions between people of different nationalities and generations who accidentally meet or unite on their own separate paths. The book is a poetic journey of beauty in life how detours and lack of schedule are life's way of saying, enjoy every moment for what it is, what it shows you and where it leads you. The poet always has such a beautiful poetic way of looking at life's most seemingly mundane moments and making them more interesting from other, deeper interpretations, another fabulous book to get lost in of an evening.

Back From The Dead by Dan Biddle & Douglas Thompson

Dan is a brave man sharing his story of the terrible event that changed his life irreparably. For me, growing up when the events of the book happened, I was unaware being a young child, yet, now as an adult, find it so important to understand historical events that affected the country and area's we use. I found the story so breathtaking in the raw honesty and the unbelievable odds Dan faced with his injuries especially after the 7/7 events which is just shocking especially how the memories will always linger on daily life around every corner or avenue of your mind in trauma of the unexpected we never know we're about to face. I do want to say the book obviously speaks very vividly and graphically depicting openly the trauma past and present to now how it effects daily living so please ne aware of that before picking up the book if you may find yourself too triggered in any way about trauma discussion and injury discussion. Overall, this was an incredibly honest account of one man's trauma but the resilience to carry on and educate others of the events is so important to remember and appreciate our daily lives as they are at present, everything we are lucky to have or even take for granted.

I Hope This Finds You by Brandon Deem

I really enjoy Brandon's poetry books complete with photographs to annotate the journey of emotions we go on through each collection bringing it to life even more. For me in this collection, the poem about shedding skin about the life cycle of our bodies replacing cells to become anew and untouched by past love really made me think how amazing the human body is to rejuvenate and revitalise itself so we are in someways becoming a new us as we journey on through life quite literally. Discussion of finding a heart to be a permanent home but temporary people as love comes into and disappears from our lives too was deeply heartfelt and the ending of the collection, the photography and evocative language and imagery used just rounded it off perfectly in my view as if we'd explored a cycle of love found, held and lost.

The Words I Have Yet To Say Out Loud by Ieisha Brown

This collection was a really good deep look as the complexities of life as we journey through it. Showing how you can feel like an outsider and isolated, yet be surrounded by people as you don't fit in by liking the same things they do. How childhood trauma can make you feel fearful of fitting in or never feeling you've found your place and trying to be strong yet, feeling weak inside deep down and how trauma makes you grow up fast having your childhood less happy more sad times. One really deep hitting poem about worth and realising how others treat you initially sets the tone of the relationship from the start and know where to not waste your energy alike a poem about friendships and relationships showing the complex ways friendship breakups can effect you even deeper than a romantic relationship it was really hard hitting because I relate so much to those aspects and think many of us can, it was a truly stunning collection to read.

How To Drown Without Water by Autumn Graves

TW: Self Harm mention. This collection of poetry was a deep dive into all things related to depression, self harm and suicidal feelings and thoughts, the title I feel is a clever nod to how you can feel like you're drowning in your thoughts and the emotions triggered by them to. The Art Of Disappearing, was an easily relatable poem about feeling you are losing yourself and who you are in life and subsequently losing interest in anything at all. Numb, again, a poem similar to the previous one I mentioned, this one in particular stood out for being short, yet to the point of how it feels inside and often we can mask our outside face to deflect there being anything wrong, whereas this poem tells the honest truth how it can feel deep within losing touch with yourself. New Scars, Old Reasons and How To Hide It, about living with self harm as a language only you understand that relieves the loneliness and pain and the places you chose like a magic trick only you can understand, very clever and impactful pieces in the wording and honest too. Unseen Exit, was an honest poem about death and feelings of who would it matter to, to exit life now when you feel so low, especially the people you pass by you don't notice noticing you. The Night I Almost Didn't, tells of the strength of pets and the bond that they can keep you living in the way they love you unconditionally and can be the light and hope you need at dark times. This was one of the best poetry collections I've read in the honesty of talking so openly and transparently about mental health and the dark thoughts we can find ourselves trying to cope with.

Wilted Flowers by Despoina Kemeridou

A great series of acronyms start this collection off before it splits into deeper sections of poetry. The fantasy section of poems felt very much like you could imagine each characters story unfolding after each poem and felt very immersive. The section after about grief, really hits deeply after a close loss how life without them feels altered forever darker. Madness and despair, about relationships with others and yourself, how draining it can be trying and feeling worn down or not enough. There Was A Time, was easily the most relatable poem to me of the collection about growing up. How fun can feel drained as you grow up dealing with hard issues in life as well as general life worries of money and work, relationships etc, reminds us how the joy in life shouldn't fade with age. Another stunning emotional collection once again by Despoina, easily one of my favourite poet's to read a collection from.