I Wrote This for You and Only You by Iain S. Thomas

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Iain S. Thomas' I Wrote This For You book and I was eager to check this out and see if it could be better. There are several good prose and poems in this collection, however, I think that the majority of the content is just repetitious. I know that this is a continuation of Thomas' bestseller book, but it didn't stand out from its predecessor; it's nothing but just a mere sequel. In spite of that, I still like it and might recommend this to others who are also into poetry.

Wild Flowers: A Powerful Poetry Collection of Love, Loss, Healing and Depression

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once I received the digital reading copy of this poetry book from the author, I immediately read it before the day ends. The book is divided into five parts: Loss, Pain & Depression; Abandonment; Love; Empowerment; and Healing. Love and Healing parts got the most number of poems with 34 and 36 respectively, while Empowerment has the least with only four.

I consider the last three sections of this anthology the best because of they exude positivity or being optimistic. There are a lot of relatable and remarkable poems in this collection that will be more appreciated notably by the millennials. Some of the poems that I love is Consumed By Her, #MeToo, Stance against Suppression, and Fear is a Curable Disease. Despite that I found some of the included poems to be repetitious because of the theme, especially in the topic of pain and love, I was still able to enjoy reading the rest of the book.

Ivy in Bloom: The Poetry of Spring from Great Poets and Writers from the Past by Vanita Oelschlager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't able to notice that Vanita Oelschlager is the author of this book; that is why I didn't anticipate that the poem is for kids. Nonetheless, I still liked the poem written by Oelschlager and the cute illustrations done by Kristin Blackwood. The bibliography is where I like best because there are poems written related to spring by some of the famous poets such as the likes of Dickens, E.e. Cummings, Walt Whitman and Robin Browning.

Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Indisputably Sea of Strangers is the best book of Lang Leav that has published so far. There are a lot of surprisingly remarkable poems and prose in this collection; some of these that catch my attention are Keys to the Kingdom, Witness, Reclaiming the Sky, The Fisherman, and Take Back Your Power.

If you are a fan of Lang Leav or just enjoys a good poetry book, then you must not miss the chance to check out this wonderful compilation.

The Heart Is Improvisational: An Anthology in Poetic Form by Lorna Crozier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Heart is Improvisational is an anthology of poems that tackles anything about one of the vital human organs: the heart. Carol Lipszyc compiled poems from 53 renowned and influential poets such as Charles Bukowski, Eugenio de Andrade, Donald Justice, Erno Szep, and Rita Dove.

There are several poems in this poetry book that are more clinical in aspect, thus some medical terms are hard to understand, especially those who are not in the healthcare field. Although there are verses that cannot easily comprehend, there are other poems in this compendium that addresses romance and familial in context.

Two of the outstanding poems I considered from this book are Donor by Tamar Yoseloff, and Love Poem for Daughter by Marilyn Bowering.

Still Can't Do My Daughter's Hair by William Evans

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was expecting that this book contains poems about a father and daughter relationship, but I think I was misled because of the title. This poetry book by William Evans recounts his experiences growing up as a Black American, thus racism and oppression is the theme of some of the verses. The poems are a mix of different emotions such as strong indignation and hurt, albeit there are a few poems in the end that tell about his love for his family.

The Last Time I'll Write About You by Dawn Lanuza

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reading the verses in this book reminds me of Lang Leav's poems because of the theme and style of writing of Dawn Lanuza. Those who had recently broke up and still in the phase of trying to move on, they can be able to relate to the poems in this collection.

However, as for someone who isn't experiencing that unfortunate situation, I believe that some of the poems are a bit bland because they lack the emotion that they want to assert.

Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was expecting that the odes of Shakespeare in this book will be much easier to understand as the target audience of this is kids. I appreciate that the publisher, Quarto Publishing Group, put the original of some of the famous poem of Shakespeare just like the well-known quotes, “To be, or not to be, that is the question” and “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

The summary of the life of William Shakespeare was in the Introduction of the book; it is a great way to teach young children about who this marvelous and prominent personality in the world of literature. The book also has the “What William Was Thinking” part that contains the short explanation of each verse. In addition, there are definitions to some of the profound words used, and there are corresponding illustrations in each poem that will delight those who will check out this book. However, I hope that these odes were explained further in this children’s book so that kids could comprehend them better.

As a whole, I found that this book will please more the older readers such as parents and teachers. Kids might not be thrilled with the idea of reading the poems of Shakespeare because they are not in modern English, which makes them quite hard to understand. If only there were thorough explanations available, I’m certain that young readers will love and treasure this book because it will be a huge help, especially in their school homework.

Regular Haunts: New and Previous Poems by Gerald Costanzo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are some poems in this anthology that I like: Memory and Loss;


The Lives They Lead;


Stories; Minnie's Death;


Braille; The Man Who Invented Las Vegas; Bournehurst-on-the-Canal; Report From The Past; and The Meeting. The poems in this collection are not the usual or contemporary ones that you can read from best-selling poets famous that millennials enjoy today. But if only readers could try to be a little more perceptive, they could discern these poems of Gerald Constanzo.

Traveling the Blue Road: Poems of the Sea by Lee Bennett Hopkins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are five poems that were provided by the publisher for the reading copy of this anthology, which was compiled and edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. The illustrations drawn by Bob Hansman and Jovan Hansman are captivating and strikingly represents the poems' message.

The titles of the poems included in the file are Voyage by Paul B. Janeczko; Hunger Ship: 1847 by Georgia Heard; Mediterranean Blue by Naomi Shihab Nye; Men of Waves and Sea by G. Neri; and Seas Seas by Lee Bennett Hopkins.

The poems in the sample copy tackle various issues from different centuries; such as Columbus' Voyage for the fifteenth century, and the Irish potato famine during the nineteenth century. There are poems that addressed present-day matters like the Mediterranean refugee crisis in 2014, and the migration of some Sama Bajau from the Philippines to Malaysia in 2015.

These poems are not only fascinating, but it is informative and an eye-opener on what happened in the past as well as the current happenings. I consider the most remarkable poems in the sample copy are the Mediterranean Blue and Men of Waves and Sea, especially the latter.

Ebb and Flow by Heather Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ebb & Flow's story is splendidly written in the free-verse form that can be easily comprehended even by kids below its target audience. It is about Jett, a 12-year old boy who had a rough year and was sent away from the mainland to his grandmother for a vacation. Problems emerged when Jett befriended Junior, a troubled classmate that acts as a bully; Jett behaved like Junior, but he still tried to think straight instead of always obeying Junior. However, he was still included in the troubles Junior did to Alf, Junior's uncle with down syndrome.

Teachers could make this book a recommendation or as a reading assignment, particularly to middle graders. Students will learn a lot from perusing this wonderful book especially on the topics about growing up, peer pressure, bullying, and treating people with special needs.

The Spiritual Poems of Rumi by Rumi

MY RATING: 4 of 5 stars

I've read a lot of good feedbacks about this, hence I immediately ask for the ARC of this book. Readers will reflect and will have self-realization while reading the verses in this brilliant book. There are a lot of beautiful and remarkable poems that were compiled in this anthology. Reading these classic poems from the world-renown Persian poet Rumi will amaze anyone on how stunning they were written.

If ever I see the actual copy of this in local bookstores here in my country, I would definitely buy one because this kind of poems are timeless, classic and are definitely collector’s item.

Bloom by Beau Taplin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bloom contains 140 interesting poems written by Beau Taplin that people, notably the millennials, can be able to relate to. The contemporary poems and prose in this anthology will make readers reminisce some of the not-so-good memories of the past while reading this. The book sets to motivate readers to move on, to stay strong and be a better person instead; it is a good companion to those who currently handles a lost love.

A Psalm for Us by Reyna Biddy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Psalm for Us is a collection of poems that will capture the attention or much likely is suitable for those who are currently in pain. The prose and poems in this anthology are more like of healing affirmations that will help them cope up with what they are going through. I'm not the target of this poetry book, but I reckon this could be a great help to comfort and motivate those who are in the blue.

Flux by Orion Carloto

MY RATING: 4 of 5 stars

Flux contains relatable sentimental one-liner quotes, poems and prose wrote by Orion Carloto. This collection shows grieving for a lost love and self-pityingly because of it. There are several poems that are I think the best ones, and these are: Delusional, Flesh and Bone, Moonlight, Haiku, Mirror Talk, Healing, Chronology, Wildflowers, Dream On, and Melancholy.


As for one-liner quote, the remarkable one for me is, "You are a dream and I don't want to wake up." Vultures, on the other, is the most outstanding story I'd read in this anthology. Those who experienced recent breakup, lost their one great love or even unrequited love could relate themselves into the theme and content of this book.

Vertigo: Of Love & Letting Go by Analog De Leon

Vertigo: Of Love & Letting Go by Analog De Leon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are poetry books, such as this, that will make readers really contemplate the meaning behind the words. Those who will read the enthralling collection of poems in this book could be able to understand the love lost, the process to self-healing, and loving oneself.

The illustrations are absolutely captivating and dramatic representations to some of the poems that wants to impart. This is just one of those books that you want to read again after some time, because you want to devour again those lovely verses.

Leave This Song Behind: Teen Poetry At Its Best

AUTHOR: John Meyer, Stephenie Meyer, Adam Halwitz, Cindy Spertner
PUBLISHER: HCI
PUBLICATION DATE: April 26, 2016
PAGES: 216
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

It's been 10 years since the last book in the Teen Ink series Written in the Dirt was published. Now, a whole new batch of teen writers has emerged with their own unique voices. Leave This Song Behind features the best poetry submitted by those writers to Teen Ink over the last five years. The pieces in this book were chosen because they were so powerful that they stood out from the rest. Teen Ink editors took a deep look into each poem's strengths then divided Leave This Song Behind into seven sections based on the poetic techniques or qualities that moved them most. Vivid sensory details made some poems shine; others caught their attention with simple, sparse language. Still others were chosen because of their thoughtful use of form; compelling stories; strong figurative language; unexpected connections and wit; and fresh writing about familiar topics.
Dig in and let these brave young voices capture your heart and mind with their passion, their pain, and their amazing poetry!

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MY RATING:Leave This Song Behind is a collection of poems that depicts different life situations teens experiences: such as depression, problems with parents, sexuality and love issues, to name a few. Teen poetry but a young adult, such as I, still can relate to some of the poems in this book. Several of these poems that I associate myself into are: Write What You Know by Mandy Seiner; Charcoal Boat by Callie Zimmerman; A Letter to the Past, Present, and Future Selves by Sofia Wesley; and Chinese Politics (over dim sum) - Eda Tse. There are other poems that are quite remarkable, e.g., Don't Fall In Love by Claire Podges; and The Sistine Closet by Hannah Livernois. The selection of poems in this outstanding book will leave readers ponder whether they have experienced the same situation or currently in that state, which was described in each poem. If you are into poetry, having a copy of this impressive book should not be missed. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy of this.

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Memories by Lang Leav

AUTHOR: Lang Leav

PUBLISHER: Andrews McMeel Publishing

PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2015

PAGES: 256
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: Best-selling poet Lang Leav presents a gorgeous hardcover gift book featuring the best of Lullabies and Love & Misadventure plus thirty-five new poems for fans to discover, along with original color illustrations by the author.

For fans of Lang Leav, this beautiful gift book is a must-have! Beloved pieces from Lullabies and Love & Misadventure are collected together in this illustrated treasury. In addition, 35 new poems that have not been published in any Lang Leav collection offer something new to discover. The author's original art is presented in lovely four-color illustrations.
Lang Leav's evocative poetry in a gorgeous package with ribbon marker and cloth spine is an irresistible gift for any poetry lover!

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MY RATING: I've got to enjoy only 6 out of the 35 new poems/prose in this 3rd book of Lang Leav. I was anticipating that this could be better than her 2nd book, Lullabies. But I was quite disappointed that it didn't meet my expectations. These are the 6 poems/prose that I like in this book: Virtual Love A Writer's Plea Take me someplace where I can feel something—I want to give away my heart. Tell me his name so I can know love when it speaks to me. Give me someone I can write about. Dear Love In Love You’ve not yet had your heart in halves, so little do you know of love— to tell me I will soon forget, there will be others to regret. Now all the years have proved you wrong, my love for him burns bright and strong; you can’t divide the stars from night— from love there can be no respite. Hope The Saddest Thing

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