Not Your Good Girl Anymore by Faith Hubble

Faith has become one of my favourite poets to have found so far, in this collection she touches on so many contradictory truths in love, life and faith and one particular poem, The Wife verse stood out the most for its blatant obviousness in the last two lines especially and My Body Was Never Mine, too again looking at how women can birth the next generation and still not be deemed equal to men in some views. As well as being 'good' by staying quiet in the community of faith and church under the eyes of whoever or whichever God or faith you choose to follow or believe and how it can feel misguiding or controlling instead of embracing of people for who they are firstly this poetry collection will be an eye-opener and get you thinking too about life situations.

Because I Love You by Despoina Kemeridou

A great short and sweet collection of poetry about being in love and all the flourishing feelings and joy it can bring in this collection my favourite poems that stood out were, Safe space and Your Warm Embrace. Really lovely poems especially capturing the power human connection can have from an initial connection to flourishing friendship or love.

Let Me Be Wild Again by Isobel Raine

Isobel has written beautifully about life and her observations documented here are short and impactful in each verse. The mirror doesn't lie was a super relatable poem about change after a relationship along with I was never asking for too much, which can be such a true statement depending on the relationship situation. I completely relate to the message of just be you as well after all faking being someone else to please someone will never work out, relatable truthful poetry and observations.

Unreachable by Jimena Alvarez

A beautiful collection of honest poetry about various life situations you may find yourself. Borrowed Tears was a beautiful opening poem for this collection another poem, Hunger, about desire to progress constantly either in a job etc is relentless and insatiable the language of the poems pouring emotion, living completely up to the book's title.

Dear Self by Patience Tamarra

This was a lovely book about embracing yourself for all your flaws and feelings, positive or negative. Despite any situation, you can learn and live through it, forgive yourself and move forward and these short poems/verses will definitely help instil into your mind, things can get better and you can learn to embrace yourself better.

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.

Daily Glimmers by Bridget McNulty

This book was one I completely believe in and get behind, finding joy in everyday moments that boost your mood and uplift you amidst the busy chaos life can bring and have you live in. From simple acts as enjoying the feeling of rain and embracing the weather, writing or drawing for fun and practical, finding a love of new music genres or coffee flavours. My own example, me and my friend came up with happy socks, we usually wear all black for our work uniform but the socks we even got our work to get behind, sharing fun prints to smile and laugh over together, a bit of light in darkness whether in uniform or daily life, our own little daily glimmer and conversation/connection starter!

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.

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.

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.

For The Eyes That Never Met Mine by Maria T. Anderson

This is a great book set out so you can work and write with it about your own situations and experiences. Talking about remembering your person in various situations in and around the house, your life and coping with accepting they're gone from your life in any sense of them doing so and cherishing memories and moments that could have been or were shared in a format allowing you to reflect and sit with your feelings of what could've been. A great book to sit, read, write and reflect on your thoughts and feelings with, no judgement, just care.

The Way I Bleed by Mirabela Căpîlna

This poetry collection tackles some great subjects in depth, particularly loneliness or feeling alone or not enough, especially the Dedication, opening the collection summed up the book is inclusive for anyone if any age, gender or situation and at author after note, in particular telling her story, utterly heartbreaking but inspirational to get through to be in her position now writing after everything, fantastic! Alone on purpose about being solo doing what you want trying to be strong, you just want peace and being alone provides that, so relatable! Almost Pretty was a fantastic poem about how as teenager you can learn to wear makeup as war paint to face those people who want to belittle you for your flaws especially if you've experienced bullying. If You See Me, was easily the most relatable, in a busy world one person seeing you, stopping to speak beyond pleasentries can change your life I know it's how I met one of my closest friends that way. The Hour That Knows You, about being unable to rest as the dark night looms and thoughts consume your mind, again simple concept and utterly relatable. Battlefield Lullaby, to me is talking about depression, I relate to it about feeling you're drowning in life, especially when you're a teenager. For me the book completely captures life's trials thrown at you to deal with, open, honest and relatable.

The Ghost In My Phone by David Grayson

These poems are so relatable while only being four to five lines, all the poems play a role in telling the story of love and loss. The final poem especially, about moving on, carrying on a tale of resilience in the face of how the relationship plays out reminds us love is great but even if it breaks down there is always the future and yourself to concentrate on to grow from the situation, a great reminder to all us readers.

Words That Speak by Diti Gurung

Such true words written and observations taken from life exactly as the title says. I feel like this collection is almost like a friend in book form to comfort you and make you feel less alone in life. Short and sweet to read during daily life too when all is busy, this little book will give you some calm time to reflect and absorb the life observations documented and think about your observations from daily life too.

Love In Bloom 3 by Cheryl Bradshaw

Cheryl is easily one of my favourite poets I've discovered having reviewed her previous collections too, this third one doesn't disappoint. I Think Therefore I Am, shows the importance of being you and not changing for anyone especially a guy also a nod to Billie Eilish with the title, a great song too. Ribbon Of Time, a beautiful look at how time can show love between people, in caring or earning, directly from one to another. Wedded Bliss, a poem about an elderly couple actually reminded me of an elderly couple I see daily and to me it is such a true poem about lasting love and real life love thriving over years and decades of nurtured love and care, simply beautiful work.

The Anatomy Of Goodbye by Nyra Bloom

These poems show the passion from finding love that has grown and thrived in every moment together they share. Standout poems to me were, Soulmate and A Letter From Him, for the simplicity in their subject but the intricacy of the poems written and The Crossroads is a powerful poem about staying or leaving a relationship as well as Solitude, about finding peace and happiness alone. Each poem is emotionally charged and really relatable.

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Anxiety: Poetry For The Anxious by M. M. Crusinberry

As someone who's struggled with anxiety from fifteen and now about to turn thirty, anything about the subject really fascinates me and I relate easily to it as well in equals parts. When silence builds walls, was a poem I really felt about how anxiety can take you over in how you feel daily and The shrinking room, of feeling closed in by anxiety and like the world is crowding in on me/us. Fading Away was a brutal look at how it can come between two people in their relationship, like an unwanted visitor you can't get rid of. The book really captures how anxiety makes you feel in an endless loop/cycle of repeated highs and lows as anxiety can take hold at any moment.

Imagined In White Poetry Of Hope by Anne Brooke

A collection of poetry through various life situations and describing the weather and the effects on life as the seasons change, the weather claims it's hold on gardens and the wildlife enjoying it. A couple of poems describing work life did make me laugh, especially Obscurity and Open Door, I guarantee we have all encountered someone we've had some similar thoughts towards cheeky and funny and very realistic.

The Lover And Her Human by Winnie Nantongo

These poems are stunningly beautiful at capturing love in all forms good and loving, but also drowning, draining, toxic and harmful. Set into four parts, Fall, Break, Heal and rise summing up stages of a relationship as it progresses. I Have Questions You Will Never Answer is such a truthful poem about laying awake unable to figure why someone left leaving you wondering unable to sleep, so relatable to many of us. It also reminded me of the Camila Cabello song, I Have Questions. Poetry Is My Escape, is a poem I really relate to, writing is a truly good way to cleanse your soul and clear your mind and poetry a great outlet to shed the feelings weighing you down as well as finding others who just get how you can find yourself feeling in any situation.

Time Is Running and Distance Is Shortening by Adriana Rocha

This poetry collection was writeen so captivatingly discussing topics of love and sex especially really making the passion developing in a relationship felt. Stand out poems of this collection to me were: I Am Art, a beautiful poem about the reality of life, living in our unique bodies each beautiful and different to each others. I Want To Be His, a simple yet beautiful poem of yearning to be with their crush admiring and adoring them from afar. So relatable! Music, as well, so relatable about in a relationship trying to find how you two work together, harmoniously, rhythmicalluy or otherwise coming together. The Last Kiss Of Goodbye too, about choisng yourself over someone afraid to commit to anything and remembering to love and put yourself first, it's their loss if they can't commit! Overall, as a young woman I found this collection as if a big sister were explaining sex and relationships and how they can play out good and bad, the passion and the chase and it was a great read.