The Broken Heart Poetry by Joanna Kurczak

Really beautiful words in dedication to love, the feeling, emotion of it, raw and honest in love and after breaking up, the longing and loss, something we can all relate to in this collection.

Pieces Of My Heart by Despoina Kemeridou

I was drawn to read this collection for the fact it is themed to be darker from the tagline on the cover and having previously enjoyed Despoina's other moving poetry collections. From the start there is a fantasy edge to the writing with knights and ladies, a hero's theme too, before moving on to haunted house theme too. The poem, Me As I Am, was relatable and so simple the way it was written just stating facts and I love when you can really relate to poetry to get you thinking about life and situations too. Darker but still deeply moving!

Overheard At Wholefoods by Idiocratea

This collection alike the others in this series too, had me laughing from start to finish at the unbelievable and inevitable moments you face hearing in shops. The different brands/types of water promoting various kinds of benefits was one I totally understood, unexpected kale discussion and cash usage in generational divide, dogs in various bizarre laughable situations their owners have thought up from diets to electricity producing and some very odd and random diet chats too. The most hilarious parts of this collection to me, were the parents chats to their kids in the shops, utterly hilarious, from organic foods, learning food symbols and kids random comments unfiltered and unstoppable by their parents. It was a great book to spend an evening reading and thinking about what you do hear people chatting about when out shopping!

Unrequited by Misti S

This was a great collection of poetry which dives in to the title of unrequited love with depth of how it can effect you and your day life/habits. Some stand out poems of the collection to me were: Lost Too Many Homes, about literally moving and too losing so many people you love to not want to feel so vulnerable again. Safe Space, was such a tender poem about wanting to be the person you like so much's person to go to confide in It was a short yet concise collection working well as it is.

When The Petals Fall, I Rise by Isobel Raine

A collection of poetry about embracing life after a break up despite how rough it feels at the start. The lies he told me was a beautiful few words, few lines but still packs a punch about not being or at least feeling like enough and each line of each poem is impactful even in being short verses.

Unhinged by Olena Rose

This poetry collection I really found myself relating to so many poems, Craving, for something real such a good poem of advice being shared. Swimming in fear too, about how easily we can let fear hold us back doing anything we want to as well as Letting Go, especially, is so relatable about losing sleep because of a person or situation you find yourself in trying to deal with. A great collection about love of self, others and growth to embrace situations not shy away from them.

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.

Warning I'm Out Of Estrogen by Faith Hubble

The poems in this collection are so clever and fun whilst being so painfully at times true about growing older as a girl for sure I have elder family members this collection has been relatable to fir them when I've shared the book eith them I love the I wake at 3am poem about sheep running off with sleep such a fun view of the situation and made me smile I can really relate and I live by some real sheep that are characters too a joyful yet realist view of life aging as a woman!

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.

You Are My Sun by Munkh Zaya

This collection of poetry is so fun and playful especially in the first of four sections, I love you, stating simple facts from the author to their love in messages to each other. It is really well thought out and set out in design to read, short and sweet too. I also want to add a note as a British English reader I love that the author has taken the care to translate it for us to also enjoy pure care and dedication and from me as a reader appreciation to get to read this collection!

That What Lingers by Tanyia Naidoo

Anyone who has felt the world against them at times, this collection of poetry feels like a friend saying I see the pain you're in I'm here, I get it. From death to feeling low or worthless trying to just carry on especially as bodies as homes or houses left to ruin trying their best to be fixed or copying others afraid to be yourself and stand out, there is something you can relate to in this collection.

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.

Affirmations For Self-Love by Zanna Keithley

This book is great if you struggle with relaxing and feeling less anxiety or stress from life, a bit of guidance in stripping back to the core values of life, even simply just appreciating being alive and breathing this book really captures the feeling that it is enough and encouraging you to listen to your mind and body and trust in how it's feeling and telling you to react to life situations you face. One particular area of the book focuses on stillness and sitting with yourself, often feeling everything we are trying to process deeply and how reflecting alone we can work through healing the emotions not just cope. Another great point about being less harsh on judging ourselves too I think we can all relate to and appreciate steps we make most of all towards goals. The pages are laid out well with various font sizings and eye catching colours, shades of pink with white and black text to be easier to stand out and read a really nice light colour pallete for the subject matter.

Hold The Cork by Lee Mawdsley

This poetry collection not only has a fun title, but the poetry spilling out covers so many vast areas of life we all encounter and have to adapt, change and cope with. An Empty Letter, about wanting to regain contact after being close before yet struggling to be able to communicate. Rain and Pain and The Darker Hours, were two poems looking at how the weather makes us feel more deeply and relates to our thoughts contrasting or inspiring. Life Lessons and Old Habits, how we can feel like the constant cycle of living means we're always learning whether it's good or bad developments. Support, about all the ways, you can find someone truly caring deeply for you and wanting to help. A great collection about all the good and bad times in a relationship and how it can be testing, ending and ultimately makes you feel deeply.

Out Of The Darkness by J M Edgley

As the title suggests of the collection, this poetry collection focuses on coming out of the darkness and depths of depression and living with PTSD too. Some stand out poems to me were: Into Despair, about the way depression can sneak up again and pull you back under and into it's depths. Trapped By Time, was actually really relatable and so similar to something my mum once said to me I'm too oretty to feel so sad, which I never understood and this poem really hit me deeply and completely. A Date On A Calendar too, about the fragility of life's monumentous moments that can hurt years after loss, again a really relatable poem at this time of year especially when December is seen as a joyous month, in our family, there's so many anniversaries of loss it can be more sad than a glad time of year. The collection also includes poems on child loss and the fragility of life and the open discussion of mental health around such a saddening time especially really struck with me as it doesn't get written about or openly discussed in my opinion and truly, it was a fantastic collection of poems.

When Our Hearts Collide by Brandon Deem

This was a beautiful poetry collection looking at relationships of love kept and lost with photographs to annotate the poems discussion points too. A poem that stood out to me the most from this collection was: There's More To Life Than Heartbreak, about finding joy in life even in hard and dark times, learn to appreciate the beauty in every day things you see or do, a poem I think all of us will be able to relate to.

Spotted by Bekki Diefendorf

Ruthie has grown up surrounded by the 'piles' her mum keeps in the house despite her sister moving out to be with her dad away from their mum's hoarding obsession Ruthis tries to keep to herself to not let anyone know how she's having to grow up. That is until she meets Trey, a boy who notices Ruthie and helps her see, it's about a person's nature, how they treat you and not judge you. I love the title for Ruthie being noticed after trying to just exist by fading into the background unnoticed and then for Ruthie, a circle patch of vitiligo appears playing into the title again too the dual use of the title very clever I also enjoyed the book being written in verse style too it flowed really well and kept me engrossed in the story.

Please Love Me at My Worst by Michaela Angemeer

This collection of poetry was so honest and deeply moving showing how growing up and through childhood craving or desiring the love to be seen and understood gently and cared for deeply it also discusses in multiple poems, how we pick out our imperfections and talk down to ourselves, friendship breakups that can hurt as deep as a love relationship breakup and how desiring love if unrequited can leave you sad and feeling stung as well as poems too discussing growing up wondering and claiming your sexuality as you get to know yourself too. It was a well rounded collection of poems covering most life issues you experience growing up in depth.