I don’t think this was bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

On a positive note, It was a quick read and aesthetically pleasing, I enjoyed the illustrations and formatting.

However, the actual content just didn’t really resonate with me. It was a mix of short poetry and prose, mainly about religion and motherhood, but I didn’t find any poem or short prose that really spoke to me in this collection. If those themes are something that resonate with you I think you would probably enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book is a gorgeous little series of revelations: like an old book of new wisdom, a bit of magic still in the ink. I love it’s beautiful, descriptive, ethereal language that has some stunning moments of language and heart that I want to remember deeply. Reading these poems feels like a wayward journey to seek answers that questions play around. Deeply spiritual in a way I want to be: in the way you can feel the world around us buzzing with the energy of love - do you see it? It embodies a sense of moving, flowing, being open through it all. Musings on undoing, and the beauty of finding. Searching in awe of the magic of what’s next. What is your now, it asks? What is your now.

I have read other works by Tess Guinery, and I think this one is my favorite thus far. She is so subtle in her approach and so gentle with the execution, you don't release what hits you until the meaning of the words lands.

I also love that her verses don't entirely fill a page, makes it a quick read.

A rich, connective poetry collection. The visual aspect of this book allowed me to more deeply engage with the words. I'm left wanting to print and frame some of these pages! As with all poetry collections, there were some poems that didn't complete resonate for me, and others that profoundly touched upon my experiences (especially in motherhood). Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley!

Definitely enjoyed this a lot. Some pieces resonated more than others but what I liked was that in the pieces that were about experiences I couldn't relate to (i.e. motherhood), I still was able to find meaning and depth in her words. I would definitely read more from this poet.

“Let your heart feel risk; keep it wild”

There is a certain tranquility that came from reading these poems. They are soft and sweeping, and full of life.

Even though I personally didn’t have a strong connection to some of these poems, like the religious themes or motherhood qualities, I still found them to be inspiring and fluid nonetheless. On that same note, the other poems about love, womanhood, self, creativity, etc are all SO poignant. She does a great job of keeping her poems short, but also so meaningful! I really enjoyed them and bookmarked many to reference later.

The book itself is also beautiful. The colors and design are lovely. I highly recommend this for those who want a quick read that also resonates within.

Aesthetically, this book is gorgeous. The colors and the doodles could make for a beautiful coffee table book. However, the poems leave more to be desired. They are short and don't use varied sentence structure, which made for a redundant read for me personally. Don't get me wrong, I love short poems, but these poems don't play with language to explore the themes conveyed in this collection. Instead, they read more like epitaphs or Instagram captions. These poems weren't for me, but some may find comfort and connection with Guinery's vulnerability.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have followed the author on social media for a while, drawn in by her words and the aesthetics of her work.

I enjoyed reading this, it felt akin to how I journal. Not always long prose, or fully captured ideas. But a question that just ruminates all day long or snatched sentences when that’s all you have to say. So I felt much at home here in her style of writing and poetry, although I know others have expressed that lots of single line entries felt lacking or pointless. It worked for me.

There were many entries that moved me and I have highlighted those to come back to. Words on risk, waiting, on surrender and motherhood being the most beautiful.
However, I did feel that a number of entries were so heavy in imagery that I couldn’t grasp its meaning. And I love a metaphor!

An enjoyable read with a number of entries highlighted that I will return to. But not one I would recommend friends necessarily buy as much of my favourite content she shares on her Instagram.

Sweet little nuggets of wisdom in well-chosen prose. I resonated more with some than others, but those I resonated with filled me with joy, hope, and creative song. Very uplifting and inspiring book; a great choice to keep on your phone or night table to dip into and savour when you need the sweet juice of an apricot in your day.

The Apricot Memoirs is pretentious and oftentimes confusing. There were many instances where I was baffled by the word choice and metaphors Guinery used. In an effort to paint a beautiful picture with her words, she lost the point along the way. I enjoyed and resonated with a handful of pieces but the vast majority fell short. The format was cute but the content was mediocre.

"Walk in the rythm you have been graced
with, rebel against waves that demands
you- breathe slow."

I chose this collection of poems mostly because because of the cover. I really enjoy the variety of subject that were dealt in it. I felt really connected with some of them. Nonetheless, one thing bothered me: the summary didn't really tell, that it is really christian-driven. This does not prevent me from linking some poems, but I wish I knew before picking it up.
Moreover, unfortunately, some poems are too redondant.

The Apricot Memoirs by Tess Guinery is a poetry collection about finding God and Christianity. This was not at all what I expected it to be.

This collection of poetry really is a "tangible piece of art." Tess Guinery has an incredible way with words to portray a vast range of emotion. There are numerous quotable lines - one liners that harness motivation and empowerment along with longer stanzas that provoke deep thinking and feelings. The book is a beautiful color and the presence of the rainbow offers a sense of hope and renewal. It becomes a beacon of positivity throughout. The words written within is deep, soulful, and inspiring. It reminded me of John Keats, William Wordsworth, and other poets of the Romanticism era. I cannot wait to see this book published in print on April 13th, 2021. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

A collection of beautifully written short prose pieces mixed with longer poems create a unique look into motherhood and creating. I wasn't expecting the underlying spiritual and religious undertones.
They give small moments, snippets of different life experiences. And the small illustrations dotted throughout the collection were a great addition.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was promised art, poetry and prose, but I only got short poems and really short poems and some cute doodles.

With this collection of poems I have the same problems that I do with most; there are so many pages filled with 1 or 2 line poems. There are good messages within these poems, but as it tends to happen, I feel that these disperse lines should’ve formed part of a bigger poem, and I would have liked it better. I don’t think “I’m clumsy; crazy & about you” should be considered a poem on its own, even if I don’t like to claim what is poetry and what isn’t.

Also, it has very religious poems; not a bad thing per se but just not my vibe. The cover and title don’t give religious vibes, if that makes sense.

The edition was gorgeous; I loved the rainbows and the peachy colour of the pages was a very nice touch. It was nice that the colour of the font was easy to read, because when the pages are coloured, it is not always the case. Honestly, the fact that I liked the edition so much is what makes me give it 2 stars, because the content was just not for me.

This is NOT for me. The poems collected in this book are basically redundant statements surprisingly centered around christianity. It wasn’t what I expected at all and I found myself skimming the poems because they felt like pinterest quotes. I can see how some people might enjoy this, but for me the only part that worked was the color palette.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

The gorgeous cover of this book is what pulled me in, though the description provided in NetGalley didn't really provide me with much information beyond indicating that it was a collection of poetry. Unfortunately, I found myself somewhat disappointed by the poems in this collection. Though there were a few I loved, the majority seemed more like brief thoughts Guinery had while washing dishes - 5-10 word-phrases reminding the reader of God's love and the power of forgiveness and prayer. I may just have been the wrong audience for this collection, as I'm not a religious person, but it fell flat for me, with most of the poems seeming to intend more meaning than they actually imparted.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3885162828
This review will also appear on my Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_clumsy_reader/

I really enjoyed this poetry / prose collection that read like a lyrical memoir.
It was warm and cosy and could skillfully evoke a sense of smell and taste which I savoured.

The only aspect I disliked (due to my personal beliefs) was the reference to God.
I also hope that the font colour used for this collection would be another as it was hard to read.

This book was not what I expected it to be. I thought it would be a pretty and sweet poetry book with little doodles, which it did seem to be at first, but it turns out that a majority of the poems are about finding God and Christianity. I’m not a religious person, and so this really wasn’t my cup of tea at all, and even when the poems were touching on other topics such as creative self-discovery and motherhood I still found them to be pretentious and just generally not a style of poetry and prose which I enjoy. I’m sure this book would appeal to some people, but I’m clearly not the target audience, and I did end up feeling a little bit deceived by the blurb since religion isn’t mentioned other than a brief reference to “spirituality” which I feel doesn’t communicate just how religion-focused this book is.

This is a beautiful collection of poetry and prose; thoughts about God and grace and motherhood and life. Some of the pieces are a sentence, some are as long as a page. They’re lovely and calm and evocative.