Unveiled: A Poetry Memoir by Ivy Cirillo

This poetry collection focuses on the way feelings as we grow up are as the title says, unveiled, in the way early life impacts us growing into adulthood and the lingering feelings that stay with us. Some stand out poems of this collection to me were: Childhood Anxieties, was a relatable poem how as kids we can grow up quicker and more resilient in the face of hard times and adversity we face. Breaking The Cycle, was a powerful poem of reclamation of self against family norms and proving you are your own person and not what anyone forces you to believe or make yourself be. Things I'll Never Get Used To, was so relatable as someone facing similar situations and constant questions that weigh heavy in your mind. Misfit & Admiration, were two poems that were so relatable how we can love things to enrich our lives but not ourselves and feel can still feel that we never fit in. Constant Comparisons, was a fantastic reflective poem of how different and more positive your view and our perceptions of each other could be, instead of just comparing ourselves to other versions of ourselves we've already been. Unapologetically You, was to me, the ultimate poem of self reflection and self love and appreciation for things we often see first as flaws before seeing them as strength. A collection to make you appreciate simply being you.

I Wish You Never Left: A Collection of Sad Love Poems for Broken Hearts and Healing Souls by Yogesh Chandra

This poetry collection is set a year and six months on after a break up, hence the title and two poems really stood out to me: The Weight Of Silence, how it can feel like a funeral when someone just ghosts you and falls silent. If We Hadn't Met, was such a beautiful nostalgic poem inspired by nature and all about the way life can be beautiful but is enhanced by feelings and emotions. A beautiful reflective collection in the aftermath of break up pain.

12 Steps Of Letting You Go by Stacey Nicole Douglas

This collection reads like poetic essays all about the ways loving someone as much as you do can be painful when not reciprocated despite a great friendship or relationship. 47, Putting On A Show, is extremely relatable at feeling you're playing or have played a tole the other wouldn't equal to you in sadly. The poem written to play on a twelve step plan, in this case creating one for accepting the end and moving on of a relationship was a great use of the twelve step concept in a new way and situation. Another great collection in the Thought Garden series.

A Catch-22 by Lana M Rochel

A short but sweet story about love knowing no boundaries written in poetic form, a joy of a story to read and a true one too which make sit all the more beautiful that love can form no matter the distance and flourish.

Defeating Cancer One Poem A Day by Owen Watson

This was such an inspiring book, for anyone dealing with any illness let alone cancer one of the worst illnesses to face and feel the fear of dealing with 'Always give your best, right now, right here!' A poem a day providing lots of positive thoughts all about embracing the time you have illness or not and doing ehat you want to in the time you have

The Dirty Secret Of A Poet by Sam Solomon

This was a really deep collection of poetry about how love, lust and desire can all collide in quite a connection! Simply titled, Love, was a tender poem questioning what feeling is love questioning is it born from lust or nurtured through trust and respect over time of a relationship growing and developing. Exquisite Taste was a really playful poem about how lust and love ignites into desire to be close, I'll let you imagine or read the book to figure that! I will say it's definitely not a collection for younger readers if not absolutely obvious anyway! However, for us older readers, I found myself totally getting how a relationship can go full circle, from hesitant first attraction, growing closer, forming trust etc, it was a great collection and especially to read a collection from a guy too when often they can bury feelings this was fantastic and really open and articulate, well done Sam!

Milk and Brexit: Poetry of the Public by Idiocratea

This poetry collection will absolutely guaranteed make you laugh with many nods to British culture and people's honest thoughts of waiting for Brexit to possibly happen until it did and then the actions taken to actually happen. There was lots of really good puns related to Brexit, the EU, England and various food jokes too. A short and sweet collection of jokes and poetry, verses which makes me realise how Brexit was seen as a joke by many especially for the time it dragged on in the end too!

Compulsive by M. M. Crusinberry

This collection details the nature of the thoughts beyond the stereotype of being all about cleaning, but the way the thoughts become rituals of routine to complete to feel some kind of peace of mind and feel at ease that nothing bad will happen if you do something enough as your mind tells you. A great short collection talking openly of all the ways the compulsions can claim so much of your life.

In Another Galaxy by Stacey Nicole Douglas

This poetry collection focuses on the pain of limerence and a situationship and unrequited feelings and the way it can leave you feeling. I really appreciated how the collection discussed how music can help heal the ache and feel less alone, very relatable. The final poem of the collection was a clever look at the Disney princesses and their stories having tragedy woven in instead of being simple happy love stories too.

Conversations I Replayed Too Many Times: Poems About Overthinking, Regret, and the Things We Never Said by Unsaid Lines

This poetry collection reads as an almost autopsy poetically on reflection of when and how a relationship changed and ultimately fell apart. From questioning, overthinking conversations, thinking of different versions and ways of the conversation going that could've been it was a fantastic poetry debut showing the resilience of us when experiencing a break up.