Poetry is a window to the soul and the soul is a window to the world. This is around the third or fourth poetry collection i have read from Lang Leav and i loved it just as much, if not more.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I first discovered Lang Leav’s poetry on Tumblr when I was younger, similar to how Lili Reinhart did, who wrote the foreword for this book. Since then, I’ve read all of Leav’s poetry books and novels.

September Love didn’t disappoint. Much like her previous collections, this one focused on themes like love, loss, and grief. However, there are also poems now about Leav’s prominence as a public figure as well as critics of her poetry. It made me think of the concept of the “I” in writing. The writer may write about their experiences and themselves — but the “I” in the story isn’t necessarily them or a reflection of themselves.

Leav has a way of putting the emotions I’ve experienced but am unable to explain into poems. She’s able to evoke imagery of other worlds, other places, and other loves with very few words. From this collection, two of my favourites were “The One After” and “The Chase”. I definitely recommend reading it once it’s released!

4.5/5 stars.

I loved this latest poetry collection from Lang Leav! Poetry can be really hit or miss with me, but I enjoyed reading most of the poems.

As other of Lang Leav's novels and poetry collections, this one is brilliant. I enjoy so much all of her books; she never disappoints. This book is extremely well written. There are so many emotions expressed throughout the poems which made me connect with them in a deeper level, as if she's talking directly to me. I honestly recommend this book to everyone. Rating: 4/5 stars.

2.5 stars

Lang Leav’s September Love was a mixed bag for me. While Leav explores a host of poignant themes – love, heartbreak, writing, sadness and self-love, her style fell flat. There is a premise of vulnerability and depth without the delivery.

The poems in this collection varied widely. Leav talks about writing and the vulnerability of creating poetry in Good Enough and Be a Poet, but it was Being An Artist, that explored writer’s block that I liked the most. Some of her poems are whimsical with a touch of dark, such as Locked Boxes, Ten Things, and Facade. Others, Self-Control and A Woman have feminist undertones. The poems The World Is Mine, This World and To Understand talk about depression – coming in and out of it and the fragility of happiness.

Her shorter poems were hard to connect to. Some of them sounded like a sentence or a thought tacked on under a heading – Endless Thirst and To the Guy Who Claims My Poetry Was the Cause of His Break-up – while others sound like unsolicited advice, or worse, preachy: Either Or, The Golden Rule, To Yourself, and Above You.

While I think the messages and themes that underscore Leav’s poetry are important, it was difficult for me see the professed depth and vulnerability in her words. That being said, there were moments in these poems – a line here, a metaphor there – where I felt like Leav dug until she found something solid. Perhaps her other collections would be more suitable for me, but this one was not my cup of tea.

⨳4.5⨳

This is my second Leav book and I’m so glad I gave it a chance!

“I used to think love had no limits—
but I draw the line at myself.”

I'm actually shocked by how much I loved it. It's like you open the box on the kitchen top, thanking your brother internally to be generous enough to leave you a piece of apple pie and it turns out to be a whole chocolate truffle cake!

Coming to this bittersweet treat—I can already say I’m going to read this again sometime. I finished the book and went back to the first poem immediately because it was a masterpiece. I tried to list my favorite pieces but soon realized it’ll be better if I just add the whole book to favorites.

If you’ve read Leav before, expect the usual flow and style here. She addresses several themes like love, heartache and grief, womanhood, self-empowerment, self-love which she has always voiced through her poems. What was new (and my favorite parts) was the way she wrote so beautifully and poignantly about being an artist, her inspirations, and the burden of acceptance or criticism her work carries.

There were so many pieces that had me just stop and take a breath- not because she says something no one has ever said or felt, but because she plucks the most mundane, alluvial thoughts and gives them a home on a paper.

Also, shoutout to Lili Reinhart for that amazing foreword!

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was given access to this collection through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read a Lang Leav collection since I was in high school and I think it’s safe to say that my poetry tastes have changed greatly. Put simply, this work (which I would compare to Rupi Kaur’s work) just doesn’t do it for me. I felt it read more like a collection of motivational quotes rather than poetry - but of course, that is my own opinion! If you like short/casual prose poetry, gentle rhymes, and Rupi Kaur’s work , you should definitely check this one out!

(3 stars = liked it)

I have been hearing about Lang Leav for a long time, and am still to check her other works (which I still want to do after reading this, so that should be a good sign!). I have also heard that her books can be a hit-or-miss and, somehow, for me this was both! For the first third of it, I thought stuff was pretty basic but specially around the middle I found many that I liked and bookmarked.

In September Love, Leav covers heartbreak, grief, abuse, feminism/patriarchy, knowing yourself and being known, self-reflections upon her own writing, other people's reflections upon her writing, and (you guessed it) love. She switches back and forth between those, and there may be one or two other topics that were featured, but these were the main ones. She also switches between verse and prose (I hope I'm getting these terms right), which I thought was interesting. Even more interesting was how you could be reading about love and tenderness and on the next page you would be reading about heartbreak and abandonment. A true rollercoaster.

As I said, this was both a hit, where the words were beautiful and I felt what she put on the page, and a miss, where the poems seemed too simple and didn't elicit any special emotions and I couldn't connect with them. I was considering the possibility that the texts I liked the most were only the ones I was able to relate to, but I've debunked the theory. I found the bits where she talks about her writing to be really interesting, as you get a view of what she has been through as a person and as a writer (but, remember: you still don't know her).

I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

A beautiful book. I'm such a fan of poetry and reading this books right now was so wise as there are many themes that resonate with fall including change and rebirth.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

full review - https://alittleofallblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/september-love/

I was literally jumping when I started reading this book. I am a huge Lang Leav fan and was so so excited for her new book. Reading September Love in September is magical.

the forward written by Lili Reinhart is beautiful, raw and honest.

the poems were sweet, the vibe was nice. some poems like ‘always will’; ‘a life unlived’ really were on point and if I had a paperback I would be highlighting the shit out of them. Leav pours her heart into these poems. it's like you can see and feel her soul in them.most of the poems are about love and heartbreak. then there are poems like ‘crystal ball’; ‘ for a man’; ‘a woman’ that make you think. some poems like ‘if you didn’t’; ‘to past generations’; ‘self-control’ truly got my heart. I had to sit with it for a while. this book is beautiful. it could be such a perfect gift for anyone. leav always has the best books, some poems you read, others you feel and some speak your truth. ‘taking time’ was my favourite poem of the lot. 70 per cent of the poems in here are masterpieces.

the second part of this book is better than the first. the poems focus on you and self-love and they are so pure, it feels like my soul is talking to me. simply brilliant. there are some inspiring. motivating poems that I wanted to copy and put in my room so I can read every day. this book is everything. “this world’ is so apt for 2020. girl, ‘above you’ is so hard. like I think it has changed my way of thinking. a brilliant sweet book.

I got an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, what can I say about this book? This is one of my favorite poetry books I have read in a while. Has some of my favorite poems that resonates with me currently. In fact, there is not a poem in here that would not reverberate to any stage in your life. And not to be a bad feminist <I>pero los poemarios de amor son superior a los de un hombre</I>. El poeta escribe con el intento de enamorar, es cursi; y la poetisa lo escribe con la experiencia de ser mujer; de ser mujer en una sociedad que odia a las mujeres, de aún amar, y del desamor. This book soothes and warms my soul. This book puts into words feelings I could not explainCannot wait for more.

<blockquote>Grief

Grief is like a flower
the way it blooms
and blooms. It is
a heart-shaped wound

that never closes
A mouth, always wanting
More love is found in grief
than in love itself

Like a diamond
that can only be cut
with another diamond
grief is the only thing
that cuts through love
</blockquote>

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available Nov 3rd 2020

Similar to works by Rupi Kaur or Yesika Salgado, Lang Leav's "September Love" builds a rich interior world and focuses on love, loss, and self-forgiveness. In spare, direct language, Leav shares wisdom from all her years. Overall, a solid read.

Arc provided by Author through netgalley✨.

Lang leav never seems to disappoint me with how good of a grasp she has on words. However, it was always hard to me to admire her other poetry collection, untill this one gracefully came.

It was captivating, relatable, kind, and it was true. It felt like home. When poetry is too personal or too vague, you feel unwelcomed, but I felt fully welcomed. I felt like lang opened the book and asked me to read, till I cannot stop.
I always find it hard to love a one sentence poem, but hers showed me that somethings need only a sentence.
I believe this was written about me as every reader will believe. Every poetry reader will feel Nostalgic, warm, and not alone.

Notes:
•What a beautiful start.
•This happened to me.
•Can lang stop writing good books?I suppose not.
I• want to talk about these poems out loud and tell the world yes this is how I feel.
•I can't stop reading but I'm tired.
•I simply love this.

Thank you, Lang leav for always giving me magic✨.

And while there is still a glimmer of hope behind those sad, tired eyes, know he hasn't worn you down. And while there is an ounce of fight in you, know he hasn't won just yet. And while there is a chance in hell you get out of this, you come out swinging.

I'm a long-time fan of Lang Leav's, and it always makes my little heart swell right up when I see that she's releasing a new collection. Lang is quite easily my favorite modern poet — in fact, I'd only rank her second to Poe as my favorite poet of all time — and historically speaking, her words have always cut right to the core of me. While this wasn't my favorite collection of hers, it still held true to that record: something about her words always exposes something in me that leaves me feeling incredibly understood, and it's a beautiful yet sobering feeling.

Whether you come to Lang's work looking for feminist commentary, expressions of love and yearning, or the quiet, endless ache of someone who's been truly heartbroken, she never disappoints. ♥

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Just a fair warning, I don't read much poetry, so I'm probably not the best when it comes to reviewing it.

I associate Lang Leav with people who have really serious, strict tumblr aesthetics.

Her poems are extremely short and varied in terms of style. A few of them rhyme. Some are simply one paragraph. The subjects include love, being an artist, writing, being a woman.

I found some of the poems to be really good, but most of it kind of just blended together. There wasn't enough variation between the poems. I don't mind having a running theme in a collection, but it just ended up feeling redundant as I kept reading.

I would recommend this to anyone who just wants some casual, very light poems to read through. It takes no time at all to read through the collection, and while it wasn't my favorite collection of work, I do think it's worth your time. Who knows, you might find your next tumblr post.

Happy reading, little doves.

I'm not an expert in writing a review for poetry collection, so this review comes from an amateur side.

I love her poems for its simplicity, although sometimes, I can't grasp the hidden messages she's trying to convey. I found myself smiling, laughing, and frowning in between my reading. I marked 13 pages as my favorite. Some of Lang Leav's writings here somehow could provide me with answers I've been asking myself. She not only talks about love but also about life, women, writers, even your existence. Sometimes she describes something through her poem so vividly that the scene is playing in my head.

Definitely would recommend this to my friends who love poetry collection, and I'd come back to this book whenever I need a reminder about why I exist.

Thank you, NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If there’s one thing this world needs some more of right now, it’s poetry.

Poetry is like food for the soul.

It’s healing. It’s soothing. It’s comforting.

It embraces you and reminds you that others have been through similar things that you have.

Lang Leav is a poet that I have loved for many years now, and one that I have turned to many times when I have needed comfort.

Her collections are beautiful, her words cathartic and pacifying, and ultimately a reminder of hope that everything will be okay.

Her newest collection, “September Love” is yet another powerfully, breathtaking collection of poems that burrowed itself into my heart and comforted me at a time of great turmoil and distress.

This collection is bravely vulnerable, poignant, and deeply honest.

It’s about love, feminism, self empowerment, and so much more.

Lang Leav is such an amazing and exquisite writer and I always feel like she reached into my heart and mind and pulled out exactly what I was feeling and thinking and put them into words.

Thank you for easing my anxieties yet again Lang, and helping me to breathe a little bit easier.

Yet another beautiful collection from the exceptionally talented Lang Leav!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

********

The thing about modern poetry is that it’s all starting to sound the same. So much to the point I have to fight to keep my eyes from glazing over.

"Water is wet and that makes me hurt like an ache." Or some such.

*******

I’m not sure if I’m just looking in the wrong places? Or if a majority of the topics modern poetry seems to cover are just severely overdone.

I do think that there are people who will like this collection, namely people who adore Rupi Kaur-esque-poetry, but it’s just not for me.

There are moments in this where I think it had the potential to lead somewhere incredible, however, the end result was always just semi disappointing
Take this line for example:

"I give you up, fingernails dig in dirt, spitting up blood, I give you up."

*****

“I would imagine this isn’t love, but some other beast altogether."

*****

"You’ll get what you want if you’re willing to wait
if not when you want it
then when it’s too late."

*****

Moments like that!
It’s almost reminiscent of Sylvia Plath.
It’s got potential, but I just found myself bored with it.
Like I’ve read the exact same thing before.

I’ll give props to the author though. Putting out a poetry collection for the world to take in as it pleases; especially when writing about topics that are personal to you is, I imagine, potentially nerve wracking.

So I’ll add a star just for the bravery.
I also find her personal story fascinating as well and it’s easy to pick out some of the parts correlating to her life story.

Beautifully written and laid out. Self hope, self love, anxiety and depression mixed with self doubt. I felt like this book was speaking to me and for me. It was so beautifully written and resonated to my core. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

For me, Lang Leav is always a hit or miss. This time around I think it was a miss. I really liked a few of the poems, but overall was not a huge fan. I felt like the poems were scattered, almost like a fragmented mind and I just couldn't fully wrap my head of what she was trying to tell us in this collection. I assumed it was supposed to be about seasons of love, but it just wasn't a fully formed idea in my opinion.