May This Love Find me by Havilah Mae

A beautiful book rich with hope and anticipation of love. Hold My Hand and You Make Everything Better were two great poems about the joy of sharing love in evey day moments that I think many of us will really relate to. Each poem of the collection shows the beauty of love growing in everyday life moments over time together in various settings life presents us.

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.

Echoes of Us: Shared Memories, Love Remembered: A Journey of Love, Loss, and Reflection by Marius Burger Lourens

A great book of poetry about a couple in love and sadly, experience after their break-up too. The Echo Of Your Touch, I found a deeply moving poem about how all aspects of life without your love change from small moments daily shared to bigger moments too. The Space You Left, this one too I really felt seeing the love you had in everything you do and everywhere you go like a ghost haunting you. A Love Unfinished, aliking the end of a relationship to an unfinished book in life is so true and understandable and relatable for anyone who's experienced a loving relationship breakdown and feeling the story came to a sudden abrupt end unwantedly. A really moving collection and the second part of the series of three books currently available too which I'm working my way through reading.

Somewhere In Between Your Heartbeats by Christina Loizou

This collection of poetry centred a lot on self love and growth, falling in and out of love, trauma and finding peace in your self. My Home and I Want You To Be My Forever Bliss, two beautiful poems about falling in love, deep love and how you can be swept up in feeling home in them and desire the future with them. A beautiful little collection about the joy of falling in love and all that can ensue and discovering deeper self love throughout everything too.

Sea Glass Secrets by Julia Reesor

This poetry collection looks at the effects of childhood trauma and grief all while being the youngest, yet the strongest kid having to look after the siblings. How family and a house doesn't make a home that's stable or happy and we see how you can be masking your life and feelings away from the house to try cover up the fact that nothing is ok. The poetry also talks how over time you can come to realise being your own best friend first matters because in life, you will always have yourself despite others, they can come and go and be unreliable. The collection title and plot talking of the beauty in sea glass on the shore, literally and relating to life, being mishapen and shattered over time, a great play in tying the theme and nature's effect. The collection was written in lovely flowing stanza's, easy to read and more impactful to the flow of the serious nature of the poetry telling the story of Julia's experience growing up.

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.

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.

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.

Hello Grief by by Alessandra Olanow

I had to read this book after discovering it after a loss of a beloved friend in my life that came from nowhere. It was completely unexpected and so finding a book to relate to my feelings someone else had felt to some part too felt natural to me. I have to say it was a great book to read with short snappy poetry, illustrations showing how you may be feeling, from regrets and things left unsaid to just learning how to adapt and cope in the new situation without that person you're missing. The drawing that got me most, was the desire to hug the person and now you can't and never will again and regretting being unable to tell them what they meant to you, so badly, it honestly made me tear up thinking of times I've gone to text my friend new songs or funny videos and now can't. An astonishingly relatable book and a companion book to realise your grief is valid for the person you are missing most reach out and give this book a go if you are feeling alone in your grief and be kind to yourself.

Trouble by Non Pratt

Fifteen year old Hannah has gotten herself into a terrible situation. Not only is she underage to legally have sex, she finds herself pregnant and by a boy who should be unobtainable to her. She confides in her gran about the situation who is super supportive even as Hannah's cool crowd abandons her including best mate Katie whom was her main drinking buddy.

Hannah then meets Aaron, the new boy with a dark secret about his past whom is the son of the school's new teacher. She makes a great friend in Aaron who voluntarily offers himself as a stand in father for her unborn baby and supports Hannah through the rubbish she gets at school, as she breaks the news to her family about just whom the real father is and becomes her best friend and maybe more...

This book is great for breaking many barriers about underage pregnancy, sex with the wrong person and death and it's many after effects. This books was very honest about the struggles of friendship issues and fake friendships too with the way that Katie turns against Hannah, joins the popular crowd who then turn against her like she did to Hannah, showing karma gets you in the end as often said!

I really loved this book and it's lived up to it's title about there being trouble!