I don't do small talks. : 2015

Discovering Wynwood

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Book Recommendations: Poetry Books!

I have totally been a lot busier than usual the past few weeks with a bucketload of submissions and presentations and waaaay too much stress. What are my ways of getting out of stress? Books ofcourse and not just any type of book - poetry books! So in this post I will list down a couple (or maybe a ton!) of poetry books that have tugged on my heartstrings and obliterated any word making functions.

Mouthful of Forevers by Clementine Von Radics

Read | Owned | Life changer, soul toucher | I want (need) you in my life

Mouthful of Forevers is Von Radics' second published book (right after as Often as Miracles) and it is titled after one of my favorite poems in the entire world. I bought this one while I was still in Florida and my only regret was not buying her two other books while I was still there (because amazon shipping to the philippines is murderous!). I cannot even try to string mundane words together to truly and fully describe this fantastic masterpiece. Clementine's words were raw, haunting and astoundingly creative. She talked about love, loss, joy, depression and everything in between with so much honesty that it feels like you are crawling underneath her skin and basking in the same emotions as she is. My only concern would probably be the fact that it was not arranged in any specific order so you don't really have some sort of flow or connection between the previous poem and then the next one but that in itself is totally bearable. I loved this book so much to the point that I let any of my friends borrow it just so they could experience the same profound plethora of emotions that I felt. ~~I just wish local bookstores here would sell her works because they are totally worth every penny.~~ Update! National Bookstore actually sells it u guys holy shit.

Favorite piece from the book:

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Read | Owned | Life changer, soul toucher | I want (need) you in my life

Photo by: emmelinewebb

Absolutely no words as to the amount of love that I have for this book. I just completely devoured it on my trip from San Francisco to Narita, Japan. Something which I shouldnt have done because it left me a crumbling sobbing mess of a blob. There's just so much pain and agony in this book. But more importantly, it teaches you how to deal with the pain and how pain in itself reveals you. But what completely made me fall in love with this book was its love for oneself and complete adoration for women. Milk and Honey just screams feminism and I collapsed and lost myself in it. This is a book that every woman needs to get her hands on and read it in every key moment of her life because Rupi's words don't just stay on the page - they embrace you, they nurture you and they remind you how wonderful it is to be a woman and how that fact in itself should be constantly celebrated.

Favorite piece from the book:

Healing Old Wounds With New Stitches by Meggie Royer
Read | Owned | Life changer, soul toucher | I want (need) you in my life

Photo by: haleyincarnate

Holy crap. I just finished reading this one today and it is such a short read just 41 pages of overflowing emotions written with such phenomenal artistic caliber. This is actually the first book that I have read from Royer and it is absolutely outstanding to say the least. Basically the book is dissected into two parts, the introduction of grief and the road to recovery. I don't know whether it was the rain splattering in the background while I was reading this book that set the entire ambiance or just Meggie's raw and unapologetic words that grip you through a vivid description of her journey. A tale of loss, longing and finding yourself once again without a hint of regret from the past. I loved the honesty in this book and I cannot wait to have my own copy and lose myself in it once again. You will drown in her metaphors and you will love it! Because boy, I sure did. ;)

Favorite piece from the book:

Getting Stitches by Rudy Francisco
Read | Owned | Life changer, soul toucher | I want (need) you in my life

If I would have to choose a poet's words to be incorporated on my wedding day it would most definitely be Rudy Francisco's. I cannot remember for the life of me how I stumbled upon this book or his works in general, I had no clue Rudy does spoken poetry or whatsoever. But all of that changed once I read this book. I cannot stress enough how completely and utterly and insanely do I adore his works!!!! And I am forever bummed out by the fact that I never got this while I was still in the US. Forever wishlist!

Favorite piece from the book:

I Wrote This For You & And I Wrote This For You and Only You
Read | Owned | Life changer, soul toucher | I want (need) you in my life

YES! I am gonna jump in the bandwagon of totally loving this book or both books actually. This has been in my eternal wishlist for so long (waaay too long in fact!) However, I am not gonna buy it for myself. Nope. I have this elaborate delusional scheme involving this book and the man to whom my forever will be shared. Emphasis on delusional. However! Any of you who is reading this post and has not read this book needs to get your priorities straight and go find a copy of it from the library, online (though legally) or in bookstores. It's incredibly stunning and will truly unravel the inner romantic out of anyone. To whomever Iain Thomas wrote this book for - I want your life, you are actual goals.

NO SPECIFIC FAVORITE ON THIS ONE BECAUSE I LOVED EVERY SINGLE PIECE.

The Bones Below by Sierra Demulder
Read | Owned | Life changer, soul toucher | I want (need) you in my life

Shoutout to Scribd and iTunes' one month free subscription for allowing me to read this book! (I'm broke af and this book is not available where I'm currently at) Like all the previous books on this list, The Bones Below is my introduction book to the works of the wonderful Sierra Demulder. She is a champion slam poet and that doesn't come as a surprise to me after reading The Bones Below. She covers absolutely everything - from her exes to abuse to a serial killer's mother and everything in between. Although her kind of poetry might not be for everyone, in fact you might go half way through her book without feeling anything but man oh man, once you stumble upon that poem that connects with you - it will be anything but a light touch. It will sucker punch the words out of you, the mundane thoughts and you will grapple through different adjectives to fathom what you're feeling. And then the comprehension will sink in and you will read it twice, thrice, eight times and you still won't be able to get over it (I pretty much haven't). Demulder has the voice to silence an entire room and her works will reverberate in your bones. I need this book in my life and so do you!

Favorite piece from the book:

(it's even more haunting live, fml)

Salt by Nayyirah Waheed
Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth by Warsan Shire
Read | Owned | Life changer, soul toucher | I want (need) you in my life

Photos by bookanthology & sistersofempire

These two books are a celebration of women from varying colors across the world and how nothing compares to the strength embodied by a woman. These are two of the most powerful poetry books I have ever read and some of the pieces on here are just made up of three sentences but they hit you with staggering emotions worth a lifetime. These are the kinds of book that I want my daughter to read someday so she would be able to fully comprehend the wonder that she is and the utmost bravery that dwells within her. I want her to fall in love with herself while falling in love with this book, over an over. I would like to give a special shoutout to my friend Zainab for actually lending me a copy of these masterpieces.

Expect a lot more poetry book recommendations within the month since I am on my semestral break. Hells yeah. Keep falling in love with poetry ;)

All my love,

Mae.