Conversations I Have In My Head by T.L. MacRae

Following on from Tallulah's last book I read and reviewed, I had to continue reading her story she's so bravely but necessarily telling raising awareness of abuse and violence against women, her story I know will speak to many, including me. Poem 25, about the power in speaking up and speaking out, being brave and bold in doing so, is an essential poem about being brave enough to try prevent anyone else being harmed by them too in the future. Poem 45, makes me appreciate the male friends I have who are respectful of women, their girlfriends, wives and daughters in our group, when not all men are kind or dare call others out on their views or speech about women. Poem 49, was a reflective poem that I think many of us can draw relatable points on looking back at our past self, to us now, making us think of dreams chased or abandoned and how we didn't know what life had in store, good or bad, we come to experience. Tallulah speaks so openly of her experience with abuse by people in her life at all stages from growing up, to with her ex husband, which in times now where 1 in 8 women have suffered abuse, is more of an essential read than ever.

Conversation's I'll Never Have by T L MacRae

TW, this collection and review talks of abuse, rape, suicidal thoughts. This was a really deep, unfiltered book about the effects of abuse, rape and the trauma that follos can have on you and how it alters your life forever moving forward. A few poems of this collection really spoke to me: Poem 9, about preferring books to real life for escapism and the way you can create a better world to exist in even if fantasy. Poem 29 and 31, were deep poems about abuse and the effect it has on you and your life in love and trust of others. No. 50, a large poem/story, Hope was a powerful piece about a woman's resilience for her life and her children and really explains the depths of what the author has been through, which is a lot. To still hold onto hope after facing everything discussed in the book, is a wonderful show of resilience to inspire fellow women not to give up or give in and anyone picking up the book able to sadly relate to issues by themselves or friends or family members experiences will surely feel this part deep of the book the most.

Unbroken, Unashamed by Hope Wilder

TW For themes of abuse/rape/sexual assault in this book review. After trauma, this book is a journey to reclaiming yourself after being so badly betrayed, a really honest and raw look into life after trauma, adapting, coping, growing, living beyond what happened and rediscovering yourself. She Forgot Herself, was a poem about feeling lost but growing up reclaiming and rediscovering who you are even more so after trauma and learning how to cope and adapt in normal life continuing on too. A really well written collection that if you know or are a victim of abuse will be equal parts hard to read and awe-inspiring at how well written and open the emotions flow.

Words To Help You Become by Maria T. Anderson

This book is a companion book I feel through life to feel like someone else is there to say, you're doing good, doing whatever you do at whatever pace suits you, you are enough. Many of the poems are around the theme of kinder self talk and encouraging self love and judging ourselves less harshly and more encouragingly. Chapter 8, all about chasing so called perfection and a pause in the self-cruelty. Chapter 10, really spoke to me and echoed sentiments of two of my favourite songs actually by Griff, Mirror Talk and Forgive Myself, choosing to heal, accept, learn and grow through the feelings from that situation too. I like the reflective prompts after each chapter ends to get you thinking and working with the message of each chapter deeper and encouraging us to reflect on the feelings it gives us.

The Sky Between My Hands by A Poet Who Never Stopped Dreaming

This collection of books by this Poet really do get me thinking and appreciating beauty in the everyday things we encounter and take for granted. A really touching one to me was, Compliments, often it's about dress or look which can change, never the person themselves usually or their character which we should certainly focus on more than superficial face value. The small selection of poems as an interlude were each beautiful but especially the last, 'If the heart is a door, I want the kind with windows— so even closed, it still lets in light.' I hope it is ok to include the quote in the review, but I think many of us should live more accepting like this and even if you don't choose to read the book feel inspired to be open and see deeper in everyday life for beauty. The Weather Of Each Other, was a touching look at finding and becoming accepting of each others wants, needs and moods, working and learning together. Plans, being alikened to scaffolding too for they can fail or be built on, strengthened or fail, weaken and fall apart. The Pain Of Grief, taking your body through the wild and seasons of tearfulness or like you'd dried up emotionally, unable to grow and how music can heal with understanding calming melodies or truthful lyrics hitting deep. The book is a beautiful series of observations from life and truly feels like everyday can be magical in what we can notice beyond surface level.

The Book Of You & I by Midnight X Sugar

Set into four parts this collection really explores the thrill of crushing, loving, breaking up and dreaming of the memories left by love. One poem especially stood out to me, Walls, about letting down your defences especially emotionally trusting another which can feel so vulnerable to do. It was a great collection of tender short and longer poems, capturing both the female and male perspectives of the relationship too. Both poets are also on Instagram so go check them out there too!

The Weight Of Quiet Things by A Poet Who Never Stopped Dreaming

This was a very touching and reflective book to get you thinking deep about life in the everyday moments we live through. Personifying the everyday items we encounter to face head on thoughts and feelings especially negative ones, we may face. There was mini poems of daily life and objects existing with us in peace whether furniture or plants the mundane everyday, so exciting in always being present and ready for us to encounter and enjoy. Threads, about ties that move us in life help us travel and purchase, to find new joy and aadventure in life. One particular point of withholding touch, especially with loved ones, to appreciate other senses showing love in other ways of exploring the meaning and sense of showing love. Objects speaking without words was an exquisite look at how much objects speak to us, without us realising they care for their purpose in their silent sure ways. The Night Window was exceptionally touching to me, often after midnight, if I can't sleep, I will browse out the window and look for other signs of life or listen to chat shows overnight feeling like another world has opened up in the darkness, a new community born from seeming dark and quietness. It is a nice flowing read and short compared to many books but still made me reflect more than many others, very impactful and insightful.

I Prefer The Blues by Dr Anjani Anand

From the start of this collection I saw myself, Silence Speaking, a poem of enjoying the solace and truth it brings and Scorpion, for myself being a Scorpio and feeling exactly the same way about wanting to be seen and accepted for me and loving the darkness of hiding away yet craving connection at the same time. It's Not A Phase, too a great poem about finding an area you fit in terms of style, in this case, the dark being welcoming and embracing both culture and the world around you. It captures many dark thoughts and feelings as well as showing life can continue on, you can journey through the rough and find lighter happier moments in time too.

The Truth That Set Her Free by SaDee Hodge

SaDee is a very brave lady sharing her story and experience of abuse and I truly hope the court case has been heard and acted on accordingly especially with such powerful imagery in the poetry shared, I will say trigger warning before reading in case it would be triggering for you to read about very harrowing abuse experiences. Stand out poems to me were, Dig, an especially powerful poem of reclaiming feeling control and desire to escape. Conditioning, too, a powerful poem about connection mistaken for control. The Ghost Of You, about moving on and regaining control too. How Many Times? Was another powerful poem about fighting back and reflecting on the relationship and realising how much you endured and I have to say was the stand out poem to me. I also wish SaDee a much brighter future and her story has been astonishingly brave for her to write and share and a pleasure to read and feel more educated about abuse in relationships from.

the love i never got: what i needed, what i endured, what i give myself now by Grace Anne Calder

This collection of poetry looks at life and the effects of growing up in a home where emotions were seen as something to bury and hide not acceptable to be shown and a lack of parental stability, echoes of which I could see in my own childhood looking back. For me, stand out poems were, When I Started Starving Myself and Survival Looks Like This, both touching on growing up and experiencing anorexia or other eating disorders related to low self worth/esteem really relatable to me as I was hospitalised as a teen for going through a similar time as Grace growing up I found myself relating a lot to her story and echoes of my experience. I Needed You To Know Me, about your safe space and items that bring you grounding and comfort as well, again completely relatable to me feeling sometimes the wounds we feel most deeply can't be seen by eyes and we carry the pain and hurt deeply desiring to be seen and helped yet never getting it until years on. Grace has written an eye-opening, relatable collection of poetry here for anyone who felt lost, alone, hurt or abandoned growing up dealing with tough life situations.

The Dark Side of Love by SaDee Hodge

SaDee tells her story in brave detail of a relationship that seemed perfect at first. Collateral Damage, was a great poem capturing how much love and physical pain/abuse can affect and harm you in a relationship and following it's break down too. Plagiarized Identity Disorder, was a powerful poem to read and reflect on the character the man who hurt SaDee is/was and his behaviour. The end of the book is a reclamation of self, a new version who's faced down the worst situation and still chooses to rise and keep going through life despite the highs and lows it has brought her SaDee raises awareness of violence in relationships and how things can sour rapidly. A very brave but necessary true story to be told.

Still, You Remain by Maria T. Anderson

Maria writes about grief in a comforting and captivating way making her writing so relatable and keeping me hooked to carry on reading because she just understands how grief feels so much. After losing one of my close friends many aspects were so relatable. Day 12, The Song That Slipped Back In especially as me and my friend shared music daily our little messages mean so much as do the songs still reflecting back now especially. Day 34, The Photo You Said Not To Take, about happily finding a photo of a memory caputured unexpectedly showing joy and how real and touching it is to vividly recall a memory. Day 52, The Aisle Where I Stopped Walking, too about one box of cereal being the reminder out in public in a shop that they would've bought their favourite cut me deeply as many times me and my friend would shop and seeing his favourite on shelves still now, can bring me to tears despite being such a simple thing. Day 68, The Birthday That Didn't Break Me, about accepting grief and living with it alongside the memories it raises on their special day, it changes to a day of honouring and reflecting their memory. A stunning book if you are working to accept and live with grief, it will surely be a help and a friendly collection of words.

I Am Still Her by Noah Grey

This was a really powerful story of a girl growing up, going through life and ultimately experiences a traumatic event in her life TW here for themes of SA/rape. Some stand out poems of the collection to me were: Rules For A Girl In This World, how girls are taught to cover up or else they could give guys the wrong impression, from even a young age how all us girl it seems are taught the problem lies with us. Blood On My Silence, about girls surviving rape and judgement after speaking up about the experience, a really heartbreaking but truthful piece. To the World: Don’t You Dare Forget, about women in modern times of social media, rising up in protest against violence against women trying to keep victims lost in the media and striving for change. It was a really powerful collection of poetry telling the realistic story growing up as a girl, I related to basically every point raised and if you know anyone who's experienced, trauma, SA, rape, abuse etc it hits all the more hard.

Move On by Sundus Mirza

This book of poetry is great looking into the way we can lose, discover and accept ourselves before, during and especially after a relationship. Poem 4, The Mirror Doesn't Lie, was a poem which really spoke to me how keeping on trying with the wrong person can drain you and physically you see it in the mirror, losing yourself. Poem 12, Boundaries Are Love Too, about how you show yourself love by saying no to something or someone that doesn't make you happy and how you shouldn't feel regret for doing so and chosing yourself first. Poem 13, The Art Of Being Alone, as someone who grew up an only child I've always been comfortable alone not lonely doing what I want when I want in life pleasing myself and finding it freeing. This quote, 'you’re no longer willing to settle for companionship that costs your peace.' Really is truth that speaks to my heart and soul I've had people cause me nothing but hassle and ultimately I've accepted we're not meant to be in each others lives ultimately and it's nice to find another person writing openly about feeling it's a positive thing too.

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.

The 30-Day Reset For The Burnt Out by Noah Grey

Noah has a way of writing with reassurance that life can get better, no judgement, just guidance, nudging you to see everything in life can improve with time and reflection. 'Burnout is a funeral without a eulogy' Speaks so clearly that you can make yourself feel so run down from life you can't see the good in still just simply being here still breathing alike the old saying working to live, you have to find balance to avoid hitting rock bottom and losing parts of yourself breaking down the person you are as if chipping pieces of you away. With journal prompts to encourage you to work through your feelings and reset tips for you to use in daily life to clear your head and feel more peaceful day to day finding joy in little things daily life brings, it's a friendly reminder that a month can change your life and find joy again.

Aches and Pains by Stacey Nicole Douglas

In this collection the author takes us through her relationship that broke down. For me, a poem about mixed messages, awaiting replies, really hit knowing people can mess you around, keep you hanging but how much you like them makes you remain to you stay and try. I chose you, especially after trying so hard with that person, how you struggle getting over them. One final poem especially that stood out was Letting Go, about how we do so many things for the last time without realising it's the last time and especially in the poem as the author turned thirty writing it and I approach mine next year, it really hits so truthful this whole collection I related too a lot of the poems.