Kate Baer is an eloquent poet that knows exactly how to put the life experiences of a woman to paper. At least life experiences that I can relate to. Baer will always be an instant read after this collection

BEAUTIFUL WORK! I did not know until after completing the book that the writer is a so-called "Instagram Poet" and I am glad I did not have the chance to write Baer's work off because of it. For someone who has had no formal training in poetry, Baer masterfully executes poem after poem reflecting the everyday realities of motherhood and family life. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've been wanting to read more poetry for a while, so given my propensity for writing, talking, and thinking about feminism and the ever-shifting narratives around womanhood, I thought Kate Baer's What Kind of Woman would be a perfect place to start.

Like most books that feature a ton of different shorter works, some poems in here are stronger than others, but when Baer's words hit, they really smack you straight in the psyche. In particular, she had several poems about misogyny, marriage, and parenthood (specifically parenting girls) that were especially hard-hitting and that I'm still sitting with a while later.

Content warning: Sexual assault, misogyny, eating disorders, body image issues, pregnancy difficulties

This is one of my favorite books of poetry that I have read this year. Each poem is powerful and moving. I found myself lingering and rereading poems because I was reluctant to move on.

I am usually intimidated by books of poetry, but I found What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer to be a very approachable collection of poems. The poems cover a range of topics, including body positivity, feminism, love, marriage, and motherhood. Because I am single and childless, some of the poems did not speak to me as they might to others, but I still appreciated many of the author's thoughts and feelings on the topics. My top ten favorite poems of the collection were the following: Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels, Robyn Hood, My Friend Bethany Rages at the News, Female Candidate, Fat Girl, Some Nights, For Advice Cards at Bridal Showers, What Kind of Man, Social Studies, and Back to School Shopping.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Kate Baer for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC, but the formatting was not quite right, so I gladly pre-ordered a copy.

I have waited for this book for so long - since I started writing poetry, the summer I didn’t get anything I wanted, and everything that came after it, that made me forget how just a few simple lines could snare something into focus.

To see that yes, you can be a mother and a writer, can use words to give these feelings weight and heft.

I may not finish Nanowrimo this year, but Kate Baer got me back behind the desk, to remember what it feels like to tap into that. I wanted to sink into this book, in low lighting, beneath a blanket, like I would with any kind of special treat in my old, old apartment.

I didn’t get to read it that way, of course, because it’s the night before I go back to work after leave, and my ankle still needs icing, and a serious matter needed to be discussed, and isn’t that the way it is.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Beautiful and strong poetry.

This book of feminist, no holding back poetry captured the thoughts many of us women have at some point. It was so relatable and well written!

This is a moving collection. While I can’t quite relate to the poems on motherhood, I can see glimpses of my own mother in them, and they made me reflect on her life as I’ve known it and how I treat her on a daily basis. The poems on womanhood, however, will always be relevant. My favorite was “Robyn Hood” (p. 21), but here are some others that also moved me:

“Moon Song” (11)
“Plot Lines for Female Leads” (12)
“Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels” (20)
“For the Advice Cards at Baby Showers” (64)

I especially liked the lines “For now just remember: birds sing, babies cry, / and no matter the weather, every morning is new" from that last one.

As I said, the poems on being a woman in this world touched me the most. Unfortunately, I could relate to pretty much every one. I say “unfortunately” because they were about weight and body image struggles, a woman’s voice, her relationship with (and under) men, and the general struggles that we face every day.

I've turned to Kate Baer's wonderful, accessible collection of poetry over and over again during 2020. Her portrait of contemporary women-- filled with imperfections, rage, self-doubt, and resilaince-- perfectly matches the moment. This is the book to give to female friends this holiday season as we all navigate the limbo of current times and find our attention splintered. These poems are both grounding and powerful.

I connected with some of this, though not all of it. I am hit or miss on poetry and this one wasn't all "hit" for me personally. I struggled to connect with about 50% of it, though I certainly did enjoy her style of writing. The description does justice to who this collection is meant for and women who are wives, mothers, feminists, etc. who love poetry will likely enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Even with objectively well done pieces and personal/close to home subject matter, I was not blown away by this collection. Part II was the only one that I felt drawn to, but only slightly. This simply wasn't for me.

This collection is short but striking. And very sensual. Many thanks to Kate Baer and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
WHAT KIND OF WOMAN will be published on November 10, 2020!

At work we have a whole self of ARCs, and I frequently grab poetry. No one else does! This was my first time reading a digital ARC of poetry, and it was a little weird. All told there were a few poems I really liked (Female candidate, Transfiguration, Interview with self, Stronger that you know), some I thought were interesting but not for me, and a bunch that were meh. I found a lot of the poems started really strong and had tremendous potential, but didn't carry through until the end. Overall nothing was bad, I just wasn't blown away.

Kate Baer’s poetry has changed me. It gives me courage to be a mother, a wife, and to write my own poetry. Her words are like a song I have always known but never been able to sing. Highly, highly recommend.

This beautiful book of poems has three sections: poems to a past self, on being a wife, and motherhood.