I love being alone: The Ethereal & Introspective by Kiki P

This poetry collection was so relatable about how being alone can provide you clarity never guessing others feelings knowing distance can make or break a connection and how love can remain. There's also some great poems on self love and reflection and how we should be comfortable solo, yet we can still doubt everything about who we are and where we feel we should be compared to others we know in life.

Love In Between by Mercy Jane

I really enjoyed this book, a mixture with short stories and a poetry collection written with classic twists of English poetry language like thou, thee etc which really isn't done a lot any more. A rise that blooms is my favourite poem easily contemplating growing love to a rose blooming and was impactful in it's imagery drawn by the written words.

Hurt By A Love I Can't Call My Own by Tabitha Gachanja

The book is beautiful despite being about heartbreak, it shows the depths love can be felt, despite wanting more, how strong friendship can be to help aid someone in a rough time of heartbreak selflessly, depsite your own longing and most of all the power the heart has to feel so deeply. The Poem, What If, especially I could relate to about wondering if a person will see you the way you see them alike with Unspoken Words, about wanting to speak your true feelings but withholding them for fear of it being too much to say out loud. Really honest and a nice quick read to enjoy in time on a break in one go.

ISN'T IT SAD?: A Collection Of Quiet Hurts (For Him) by Lumi An

This was a great collection of poetic notes of a man reflecting and overthinking situations from and the way each thought can make him doubt himself being ultimately enough in any way, hence the title, in a world where men are taught to be tough and bottle up emotion, this book breaks down the discussion of being a real man, feelings and all, unashamedly.

Whispers of Ash and Skin by T.Euke

This was a beautiful collection of poetry about love and connection and some stand out poems to me were: Collision and Consent, were two poems purely about how once restraint has gone, bodies talk fluidly, a new language discovered almost destined to happen between two people. Echoes, was a fantastic short poem about how touch and sounds can linger and affect you long after the spark has burnt out. Scars Speak, was again a great poem about the mental and physical memories that carve into us and can be triggered to make us remember. The metaphorical use of fire, flame, burning, combustion, the whole cycle of destruction and rebuilding in the aftermath of love and loss made it a powerful collection to tie back to the title of the book too.

Vertebrae Letters: Poetry on Living Through Chronic Illness by Danah Slade

This collection focuses on discussing the pain of chronic illness as well as life living and coping daily with loss, in the way you live in dreams and grieve for the life you crave but can never have through life limiting illness. I found the collection really clever as each poem works at representing each section of our spine alike a book working through the story of a literal body of work in this case.

The Voice Within by Mia Willows

This poetry collection focuses boldly on mental health struggles and vivid recollection of struggles that could be triggering to read about but nonetheless impactful to the right people who have also struggled the same way to feel less alone in their own fight and any girl who's ever been made to feel less or drowning in struggling with feelings will easily relate to multiple poems in this collection. The poem, Make Her A Wife and part three of the collection especially were so beautiful to show the way life can completely change around from your younger years to your older one's being the sanctuary you craved for especially reading the poem Freedom (Where I Used To Be) as a beautiful reflection of how the past doesn't define your future.

Pocket Ghosts by T Everett Sage

I love this little book, so true in the author's note poetry doesn't have to be long to have an impact or feel relatable and this collection is like a quick hit of words to make you feel seen and understood for sure especially how lonely a break up can feel losing the one person you loved most in the world and rediscovering who you are alone without them and trying to process that and carry on.

Midnight Milkshakes by Jack Ray

This was the second collection in the poetry series by this author looking at one sided love when one person pulls away, leaving you questioning and guessing what changed and why when you gave them everything and they destroy your feelings anyway. A deep feeling collection showing all the emotions love and a breakup cause.

The Empty Nest by Jared Walker , Sarah Collins

This book was a tender picture book focused story telling for adults relatable around the subject of the pain of trying to conceive and the pain of a literal empty nest despite hopes to have even one little one. A beautiful book in illustration and tender in handling a painful topic with heartfelt compassion.