Pretty, Powerful Poetry

So far this summer has consisted of doing all the things that I really truly love, and I ain't sad about it. One of those things is reading poetry, and I've been lucky enough to stumble upon two books that, if you're a poetry reader/writer (and like books such as Milk and Honey), you would adore.

'The Princess Saves Herself in This One' by Amanda Lovelace is a gem of a poetry collection, it really is. I love the personal, storytelling version of poetry, where you witness a progression of the author's life through her words. And well, the title of this book is absolutely fabulous, because we can all be our own heroes. If you loved M&H and need somewhere else to take your poetry cravings, this is a brilliant choice, and it touches upon eating disorders, a topic close to my heart and therefore containing words that resonated with me. Parental relationships, loss, and toxic relationships are all covered within this collection. Real life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and this book is a delicate and truthful expression of that. Crossing my fingers that some of you reach for this!



Another stunning read is 'The Chaos of Longing' by K.Y. Robinson, a book with an extremely gorgeous cover. Just sayin'. This one is along the same style, but more focussed on love and lust and the general theme of relationships. I didn't relate to this one in the same way as I did the first, but that didn't stop the recognition of well written poetry and formulated ideas. I think poetry is a journey of sorts; finding what style and topic focus works for you. I'm not a huge fan of poems that rhyme, but others thrive on that. You do you boo, you know?

I've posted a few of my favourites down below, and if you follow me on any of my social medias, you might recognise a couple of them. They're the kind of poems that give you goosebumps and stick in your mind whilst you're trying to fall asleep. Pretty, powerful poetry. And sometimes, the only words you need to hear.

All The Rage || Courtney Summers

 

Trigger warning: All The Rage by Courtney Summers is a book about rape.

 

This book isn't a light-hearted contemporary that you picture yourself reading on the beach with a cosmo in the other hand. Its a book full of darkness. Its also the first book in a while that left me wanting to string my constellations of thoughts into a tangible review.

 

Courtney Summers is not afraid to tell the truth. A tragic irony, since the whole book is based on the opposite. Each chapter drips confession, even if Romy (the protagonist) avoids the very same thing. This book is about what its like to be a girl that has been raped. Not only that, its about what it's like to be a girl in general. How we pit ourselves against each other, and how we cower in the face of the uncertainty that, if we stand up for what we believe in, we run the risk of being just as unfortunate as those that need our help. How we walk alone at night and cross our fingers that we remain safe, and how we cringe every time a man whistles as we walk past.

 

The pages say horrible things, like people often do. It brings to light what so many ignore; the truth to being a woman, and the hardship of his word against yours. The tight lipped truth that if a man contradicts your story, it suddenly becomes less worthy of a reaction.

 

It touches upon the loneliness of education, and the aftermath of being brave enough to admit something before you are shunned. The words resonated with me not because I related to them (something that the power of literature often enables), but because they spoke so honestly and brutally that I couldn't help but open my eyes. It isn't fluffy, but neither is real life. Rape is such a taboo subject that it takes a brave author to write about it, and a brave reader to turn the last page. I read this in one sitting, and I could feel how important it is.

 

In terms of the writing, the switching from first to third person in the beginning threw me off. In fact, I almost abandoned it. Once you get about fifty pages in and acclimatise to the style of writing, it becomes clear that this is a beautifully raw piece of literature. Authors write what people are afraid to say in everyday life.

 

This is a story about rape. The brutality of it, the affects of it, the way people respond to it. It touches on what it feels like to be part of a community, and what happens when that community turns on you. There is nothing more heart-breaking than watching a confession be rendered meaningless, and I cannot imagine being in Romy's shoes. To go through something so raw and have not one person believe you. The story really begins when a girl goes missing, and suddenly bravery is more than a protagonist trying to save herself. I don't want to give anything away, so this review is spoiler free. Trust me though, this is a book that will make you view the world a little bit differently. One chapter at a time.

 

I cannot ignore fearless writing. Or the anger that it shakes up inside of me. (Believe me, you're supposed to feel that way.)

 

5/5 stars on goodreads.

 

The 100 Book Goal

 

Happy World Book Day!

 

Gone are the years when my Mum and I would sit on the carpet and twist pipe cleaners into my hair so I would look like Pippi Longstocking at school for World Book Day. It doesn't matter how much time passes though, I will always be at my most content flipping through pages, or walking up and down the aisles at Waterstones trying to narrow my choices down because my parents offered to treat me to a new book.

 

This year I've kickstarted my Goodreads page again (here), and with that arrives the chance to set a reading goal. I was probably a bit over-excited, but I've always been a perfectionist so here I am, placed in the middle of a 100 book goal. It's definitely going to be tough, but with a three month University Summer I think I might just be able to do it. Today seemed the perfect day to recommend some books I've raced through lately; I think I've finally found the genres that work best for me, so I rarely pick up a book now and immediately want it to end.

 

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough - I cannot get enough of the mystery/thriller section of the bookstore, and this one had me completely spellbound. Natasha wakes up is hospital, after being temporarily dead for 13 minutes, and although she's suffering from amnesia she begins to suspect that it was her best friends that put her there. If you like Pretty Little Liars/ The Girl on the Train type storylines, then I think this would be right up your alley.

 

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry - I have nothing to compare this to, its such a beautiful read surrounding the different relationships that you encounter throughout your young life, and what efforts you would exercise to protect them.  I adored the writing style, and its a completely unique read for me in that it has a religious aspect to it, and explores the idea of parallel worlds. I'm not even sure what genre this would fit into, it has a little bit of everything and I guarantee that you won't be able to put it down.

 

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover - Colleen Hoover is up there with my favourite authors; I think she handles issues so brilliantly and makes even mundane events seem captivating. I devoured this in a few hours on an afternoon when I should definitely have been essay writing (oops), and I loved the theme of loyalty that ran throughout this. Its a novel about betrayal, and how cheating is not always carried out with malicious intent, like is portrayed so often in other pieces of writing. I fell in love with Sydney's character, so torn apart by wanting to do the right thing and also accepting that sometimes you have to just follow your heart.

 

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall - This was so eye opening for me. Louise paints a vivid image of what its like to suffer from agoraphobia, and I couldn't help but feel my heart break a million times for Norah throughout the book. I've read a couple of storylines similar to this one in the past, but have always felt like the illness wasn't at the forefront of the writing. Here, its so intensely spoken about that the focus is in the right place, and although it has all sorts of other elements to it (a lil bit of romance here and there), its predominantly a book about mental illness, giving a misunderstood topic the recognition it needs.

 

Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino - This is your typical 'one that got away' storyline, but I loved it immensely. As I grow older I relate to characters at different stages of their lives - reading about young adults in University is so identical to my life in many ways that I can visualise the story down to a tee. I like that this spans over a significant proportion of the lifetime; Grace and Matt have such strong character development throughout the years, and its moving to read about. If you're a fan of romance, then I have a feeling that you won't be able to get enough of this book/author.

 

What books are you celebrating this World Book Day?