4 ⭐️/ 5 ⭐️
Note: Hi, Readers!
Pardon me as I dust off my almost-30-years-old cobwebs and get back into writing something other than poetry. For the last 5 years now I have spent all of my literary-spoons on the basics – work, adulting, birthday cards, occasional bedtime reading, and my much needed therapeutic poetry – BUT I AM BACK and I am SO EXCITED to (….slowly but surely) get back into strengthening my writing skills and expanding my bookish horizons. Ready? Let’s read!
she followed the moon back to herself
by Amanda Lovelace
Non-Fiction, Poetry
4 ⭐️/ 5 ⭐️
Amanda Lovelace’s tenth and newest poetry compilation, she followed the moon back to herself, is a lovely example of modern free verse poetry. Raw, a hint sassy, and easy (albeit heavy at times on the heart) to read, this ethereally designed book packs a series of digestible punches in the form of genuine- if not relatable – lyrical blips of the femme-human experience.
Lovelace clearly writes from the soul and publishes with her heart and, in a world that seems to be struggling on a daily basis with its own identity, I personally love the journal-esk voice that drives Lovelace’s work and encourages the reader to unapologetically embrace their own journey. That being said, this rather straight-forward free-style form of poetry may not be everyone’s cup of soothing tea. And that’s okay!
This is one of the reasons why I love poetry; it can be a fluid form of words strung together to express as little or as many feelings and thoughts as the writer wills in order to provide catharsis and/or an insight into a specific human experience. *Please hold while I geek out over the beauty of literary self-expression…combining visuals and words to create something new and emotional is just…wow! Anyway…
I admit that, though the artwork is next-level goddess-gorgeous, this is not may favorite book of poems written by Lovelace – I find that her earlier works were a bit more dynamic (i.e Lovelace’s woman are some kind of magic series) – but, even so, as I read a few poems a day throughout my particularly hectic week, I found that my soul was being fed a healthy snack that satisfied the gaps left by the junk-food I was feeding myself (a.k.a negative self-talk and doom scrolling).
So, dear Reader, if you’re looking for a cozy but thoughtful read for Pride 2025, I say she followed the moon back to herself is a lovely, self-empowering edition to your bookshelf. (Note: You can find some of my favorite poems from this collection on my Instagram @salerno_ book2book – click on the picture above for the exact post).
Hey, Reader, wait!!
…📖 Have you read this book? If so, let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you 🥰.
