Hi everyone! I'm back again with another batch reviews. This time I've decided to feature some poetry books I've read recently. I've always been a fan of poetry since I took many poetry classes in my undergrad and I've dabbled a bit with writing my own poetry too. I also am the poetry editor for Rambutan Literary. I also feel like in the past six months, poetry has really exploded and I love seeing so many debut releases. Let's get started!
Publishing Date: March 27, 2018
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Pages: 128
My Review: I liked learning that the title of the book and the epigraph for the poem by the same name was inspired by a customer review of the Dreampad item; since when I first heard of this book, I was like 'is he talking about the pillow?' haha. When I was reading Latosik's poems, I definitely felt like they inhabited liminal and ephemeral spaces, he touches on the in-between and the thoughts that linger there. Latosik's pieces get into detail and I'm not always a big fan of poetry that does that. I much prefer pieces that tell the story, but allow the reader to locate a connection in a much broader way. That being said, there were some pieces that I really enjoyed. In particular, I enjoyed "The Bright Note" and "Dear Listener."
Available for purchase:
Chapters/Indigo - Kobo - Amazon - Book Depository
Disclaimer: I received a finished copy of this book from Penguin Random House Canada. All opinions are my own.
Publishing Date: March 27, 2018
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Pages: 80
My Review: Howell's collection focuses on many topics such as love, identity, and relationships. There were some poems in particular that I found incredibly timely and easy to relate to: "Talking w/ humans is my only way to learn" and "Life is not about what you learn, really, but what you remember" -- the both stress the significance of human relationships and learning, and the anxieties surrounding it. I also want to highlight "Notes on not being able to have a baby" - which was an incredibly beautiful, tragic, and heart-wrenching poem. Overall, Howell's type of poetry isn't something I would usually gravitate towards, but I was pleasantly surprised with the pieces and I'm keen to check out the first poetry collection Howell has out.
Available for purchase:
Chapters/Indigo - Kobo - Amazon - Book Depository
Disclaimer: I received a finished copy of this book from Penguin Random House Canada. All opinions are my own.
Publishing Date: December 2, 2017
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages: 238
My Review: I have the great pleasure of knowing the author IRL and when he mentioned that he was going to be publishing his poetry collection, I couldn't be happier for him! He started sharing some of his pieces on instagram @GiulianoEnciso and it's so nice to see the collection as a whole. The collection is divided into seven sections and for the most part, the focus is on relationships, falling in love, heartbreak, and putting yourself back together again. There are many sweet pieces in the collection, such as "Kings", "Origami Love", and "Queen of Hearts II" which are incredibly romantic. However, my favorite pieces are the ones that simply linger with you long after you finish reading. The ones that make you ponder for more, but also the ones that Enciso so perfectly encapsulates with words you wish you had yourself. Those ones for me are: "Celestial Envy", "Giants", and "Fear" - these three are definitely the strongest pieces in his collection and you should buy a copy just so you can read those ones. I'm proud of Enciso for his lovely collection and I can't wait to see what else he writes next.
Available for purchase:
Amazon
Publishing Date: March 6, 2018
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Pages: 208
My Review: I'm ashamed to say that I haven't read Lovelace's first book, but I did immediately buy it upon completion of this one (so review for that to come soon)! I loved each and every single poem in this collection, and I really want to highlight the coven rules poems. The book touches on so many topics from abuse, assault, toxic relationships, to independence, identity, and more. I felt so many emotions reading this collection, ranging from all over the spectrum. I even cried at some parts, but it only reminds me of how much work still needs to be done as a woman. Her words are a rallying cry and incredibly timely. This collection is perfect with all the latest #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Lovelace's second book is one of my favorite feminist reads of this year. It burns a fire in me. It reminds me to always stand up for myself. It makes me damn proud to be a woman.
Available for purchase:
Chapters/Indigo - Kobo - Amazon - Book Depository
No comments:
Post a Comment