On Loneliness by The School of Life

In this book we meet various people, see their portraits and hear their stories. Many stories come from hardship, trials life has dealt them to deal with and range from isolation due to illness, losing family, friends, coming out, going to prison etc, really hard hitting issues that can turn life as you know it upside down. At the same time though, showing loneliness affects anyone and everyone no matter gender, sexuality, age it doesn't define but instils one very good point, connection can happen in real life or online, daily living a simple smile can start a conversation developing connection and we should all judge each other less.

Velvet Promises by Telby Fae

This book was a guide split in to parts, looking in to how to connect deeply with your partner in building more trust, connection and intimacy too with various detailed ideas to spark conversation, build on the connection and nurture it more deeply too. For me the poem, The First Time You Saw Me Cry, was for me a deep poem to read especially as the first time I cried in front of my boyfriend ever, I hadn't cried in years and it was like a storm crashed down and he was supportive that day I was broken after the loss of our friend and we're still strong together to this day, and I've also not cried since that day everyone who knows me knows when I cry it's deep and he proved to me when I break he has me. The book finished with some really touching and loving affirmations for self and partner shared or individual they offer deep thinking and reflection on connection and is great to both in a couple read as well and share in reading the points and get discussing.

To The Boy Who Used To Love by Ella X

This was a really relatable collection for anyone who has been through or is going through a break up. Two stand out poems to me of this collection were, Goodbye and Afraid, two short verse poems that state true facts about feeling you deserved better and afraid of not moving on even over time to come. A book that perfectly captures how a breakup can be like mourning someone still living and the stages of acceptance, regret, reflection and moving on you experience.

Hope and Humiliation: A Journey of Love by Lucy Barton

The book tells the story of Lucy and John, how deep love can feel and drowning at the same time when not fully met and felt by both people. Split between telling the story in small chapters and poetry combined it was a great read, almost like a novel and so well written only completely true sadly for Lucy what she went through in her late teens/early twenties of this trying relationship. Two Minds, was a poem I relate to so much about wondering why you don't see someone so much who's feelings don't match yours and for me captured exactly how a relationship can feel one sided and unmet emotionally by a guy, the book shows how a relationship can make you feel lesser and inadequate and if you've ever been in a draining, second guessing relationship, you will absolutely relate to this book in many parts.

Static Communication by L.Q. Murphy

This poetry collection shows us the power of words and communication between people, the main theme through the whole book about the power we hold in connecting with each other, showing us how good and bad we can feel through the emotions connections can bring us. A couple of stand out poems to me of this collection were: I Feel The Static, about a relationship stalling in progress. Trust Has Fatigued, about chances taken, feeling broken and lost amid distrust or betrayal. I really enjoyed this collection and the title especially plays well into rounding up the collection's meaning when all you want is to talk to someone and get through to them just to be met with static and how that leaves you feeling.

For The Moments We Shared by Happily Lover

A beautiful collection of verse poetry about finding love and how love unifies and guides through quiet moments of silence, imperfections as shared beauty, hand in hand embracing life together as it's journey unfolds for you. The collection had a gorgeous flow and rhyme to it too, yours in music was my favourite poem/letter in the final section of the book which rounded off the collection beautifully in my opinion.

Collide by Isaac Paredes

This poetry collection was all about the risk and joy in meeting people and allowing them space in your life if they try and make an effort back to show they appreciate you and how we all see each other better than we see or talk to ourselves. Sometimes colliding can result in bravely and honestly opening up to each other exactly as this collection captures all the feelings it brings.

Whispers Of My Soul by Kylie Adams

This was a lovely collection of deep feeling poetry. Some poems that stood out to me most were: Entangle and Love That Stays were two beautiful poems about staying through the bad times and being steady support for each other through the good and bad times. Unattainable, was a great poem summing up unrequited love or one sided limerence. A short collection speaking lots of lovely short verses of truth.

Dining with the Enemy by Winnie Nantongo

This book perfectly captures how self doubt can make you question your self worth and have you feeling low as well as dealing with depression and anxiety as well which can all too often arrive hand in hand an unwelcome trio to wreck havoc on your mind. Regrets, was such a truthful loaded poem I think everyone will find something to relate to in it about feeling the need to change to try to fit in when we shouldn't The Calm After, all about self love and embracing who we are, what we like and don't like unashamedly too really sums up how in trying to people please we can lose part pof our identity too easily too. A really great collection with many points you can relate to easily in daily life experiences.

Echoes Of You by Marius Burger Lourens

Marius has wriiten a beautiful trilogy of poetry about love, loss and grief of a relationship, this being the first book of the series. Some poems which really spoke to me: Heartbeats Between Us, was a beautiful poem about feeling in sync with your love. The Place We Called Home, was a great poem about how the home you shared feels more a haunted building, a shell that is just a house now after your love has left leaving just traces behind and a broken dream of the future that could've been. It was a really touching collection of deep feeling poetry and I'll definitely be reading the next two books as well!