“Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination and of the heart.” -Salman Rushdie
Have you ever wanted to start reading poetry but got overwhelmed by the amount of poetry books out there? Or are you a poetry lover and are stumped on what else to read? I have some recommendations for new poetry readers and poetry lovers everywhere.
I have recently started poetry about a year and a half ago and it didn’t take me long to fall in love. These are some of the first books that I read:
Melancholy & Cinnamon: A Journey Through Mental Hell by Gabrielle G.
This collection of poems is a must-read for those who need to feel understood on their journey through mental hell and the perfect book for those supporting someone who struggles with anxiety and depression.
“Gabrielle G. has a magical way of translating the things we all go through and rendering it accessible. Her poetry is thought-provoking and vulnerable. This is a treat to read.” Amazon Canada Review
For anyone who loves the poetry of Michaela Angemeer, Najwa Zebian, Alexandra Vasiliu, Pandora Owl, Nikita Gill, or Rupi Kaur.
“What is the meaning of love
But to become at peace with oneself?“
Finally by Gabrielle G.
Healing Through Words by Rupi Kaur
#1 New York Times bestselling author Rupi Kaur presents guided poetry writing exercises of her own design to help you explore themes of trauma, loss, heartache, love, family, healing, and celebration of the self.
Healing Through Words is a guided tour on the journey back to the self, a cathartic and mindful exploration through writing.
This carefully curated collection of exercises asks only that you be vulnerable and honest, both with yourself and the page.
You don’t need to be a writer to take this walk; you just need to write—that’s all.
You’ll Come Back To Yourself by Michaela Angemeer
Dive into this collection of poetry and prose inspired by modern dating and broken relationships, perfect for fans of Rupi Kaur and Orion Carloto.
You’ll Come Back to Yourself explores themes of lost love, infidelity, depression, body image, and ultimately the power women have in learning to choose themselves. Separated into three sections: Holding On, Ouroboros, and Letting Go, this collection is a cyclical expedition of self discovery.
Peeling Oranges: A Collection Of Poetry by Maria Giesbrecht
Peeling Oranges is a collection of contemporary poetry that peels back the complicated layers of finding one’s identity outside of external sources like religion, relationships, and work. It depicts the challenges of modern-day life and their imperfect antidotes including addiction, heartbreak, and mental health. Peeling Oranges is a candid collection of raw, true stories. No matter where you are at in your life, Peeling Oranges will leave you awakened, open, and excited about the power of a story.
Healing Words: A Poetry Collection For Broken Hearts by Alexandra Vasiliu
Overcome life’s challenges. Discover a new way of self-love. Heal your heart’s wounds. And rise.
Healing Words is an empowering poetry book about love, heartbreak, loss, sadness, loneliness, healing, hope, self-love, inner strength, self-esteem, personal transformation, wisdom, and happiness.
Written for all of you who have wounds in your hearts, this uplifting poetry book is here to help you. To help you learn how to show more love to yourself. To help you mend your heart’s wounds. To help you let go of your past. To help you overcome your insecurities. To help you win over your fears. To help you turn your tears into hope. To help you let your unique light shine out. To help you discover a new way of self-love. To help you appreciate your worth and inner beauty. To empower you to rise again and move on confidently.
Healing Words is a compelling journey that will have a positive impact on your life: you will find wisdom, grow in a wholesome way, and change into the best version of yourself. The book serves as a beautiful reminder that personal transformation is always a choice. And the choice is in your hands. Come, take this journey; healing is the best gift you can give to your precious self.
*The paperback contains beautiful black-and-white drawings.
Hellfire: A Collection Of Poetry by Shai Kara
Hellfire is an inspiring poetry collection about heartbreak, love, trauma, loss, sadness, inner strength, self-love, and healing. This poetry book was written to empower readers of all ages to stand strong in the face of adversity and continue moving forward, as things always get better – even when we are convinced they won’t.
Hellfire is comprised of six chapters that build on one another to tell the story of coming back to life after hitting rock bottom. The poems will take readers on a journey of self-reflection and self-discovery.
This is the perfect book to read when you want to feel comforted and understood, or simply need inspiration to carry on, as many of your own experiences will be reflected in the words you read. Curl up on the couch with this book in your hands and read your heart out.
This is the perfect book for fans of Rupi Kaur, Nikita Gill, r.h. Sin, and Orion Carloto.
Eggplants & Teardrops by Aaron Barry
eggplants & teardrops: a haiku collection takes haiku into the 2020s, radically updating classic haiku conventions from the days of poetry greats like Matsuo Bashō and touching on contemporary subjects never before seen in the form.
With an engaging, comedic style, Barry traces a life of social media, manga, and urban slang, looking at what it means to be broke, search for love in all the wrong places, and exist in a state of constant revision. In their impressive plurality, these poems are an expression of the next generation’s most distressing, beautiful, and vulgar experiences, rendered through an ancient poetic tradition.
Many of the poems in this collection have been featured across English-language haiku’s most respected magazines, and now they’ve been artfully arranged for the first time and accompanied by thirty bold line art illustrations.
*
depending on the time of day
aubergines
or eggplants
single star…
these teardrops
analog
*
“A wonderfully hilarious collection. Barry has mastered the modern comedic form.”
Jay Friedenberg, President, Haiku Society of America
“Witty and playful … abstract and cerebral … at other moments, personal, raw, and poignant. eggplants & teardrops offers us a fresh take on the daily experiences and anxieties of a new generation.”
Jacqueline Pearce, Award-winning Haiku Poet and Editor
Homebody by Rupi Kaur
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of milk and honey and the sun and her flowers comes her greatly anticipated third collection of poetry.
rupi kaur constantly embraces growth, and in home body, she walks readers through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present, and the potential of the self. home body is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself – reminding readers to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family, and embrace change. illustrated by the author, themes of nature and nurture, light and dark, rest here.
i dive into the well of my body
and end up in another world
everything i need
already exists in me
there’s no need
to look anywhere else
—home
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
“Rupi Kaur is the Writer of the Decade.” – The New Republic
#1 New York Times bestseller milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.
The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.
Emerald Companion by Suhaib Rumi
Revised and Expanded Edition
Emerald Companion is a collection of poetry, prose and aphorisms on heartbreak, healing, self-discovery, spirituality, and rising in love. Fragments that were written during the highs and lows of life, flow harmoniously throughout the book as compiled in their own sections. As a relatable, empowering, and inspirational book filled with gems of wisdom, Emerald Companion is a must have for all poetry lovers. And it gets even better with coffee.
Kiss The Earth by Neal Sehgal
KISS THE EARTH is a collection of poetry, prose, and photography about finding peace within one’s self, perseverance through adversity, and reverence for all that surrounds.
All of these books hold a special place in my heart and so I wanted to share in hopes that at least a few of my readers will pick up the same books and get to experience the same feelings I did while reading them. Words really are such a powerful thing, I’m not sure what I would do without the gift of literature.
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”-C.S Lewis
If you are interested in reading about a variety of different subjects such as mental health, inside the minds of disturbed artists, the importance of being an introvert, importance of body language and non-verbal communication, the importance of mental rehearsal and imagery, the power of our minds, mindfulness, metaphysics and the cosmic world and how all the great genius’ of the past have tapped into this power to achieve seeming miracles, addiction, abuse, the effects loneliness and so much more, please check out some of my other posts:
