Some Things I Still Can't Tell You is a collection of poetry from the wonderful Misha Collins. This book is full of beautiful moments, observations and vulnerability. Being a human in a complicated world is full of ups and downs and Misha captures his experience and reminds readers to wake up and be present in their lives.

Special thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued to see what this collection of poetry from Misha Collins would be like. Having been a fan of his as part of the Supernatural cast and having heard him speak eloquently on many different topics, I had high hopes but sadly this fell a little flat for me. There are some poems which are clearly very personal, relating to family and love but overall I didn't feel any great emotional connection, nor did I feel any emotion coming from Collins as a writer. I have no regrets about the time spent reading this collection but I don't see myself wanting to revisit the poems at any future point.

I'm a fan of Misha Collins, and I was very excited to get to read this collection. Some of these poems really resonated in a deep, very human way, and some of them were simple and funny. I liked the mix and I think it was a good picture of what kind of man Misha is, even if I wasn't familiar with him beforehand.

I loved this book. It's amazing and heartfelt, it really brings out a portrait of Misha Collins as a person. The storys told by his poems are heartwarming and sometimes really tearjerking. It also includes some of the most amazing confessions of love, written for his wife.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

As not only a casual fan of poetry, but also a fan of Misha Collins' other works, I have to admit that when I first heard about this project, I found myself not quite sure what to expect. Although some of the poems included in the collection had previously been released on social media or in other publications prior to the announcement, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the overall tone of the book and by the way it transitioned from subject to subject with Collins' characteristic wit sprinkled throughout.

Collins' has divided the collection thematically, often based on people in his life or tied together by emotions. Personally I found this to be incredibly helpful as the emotional depths Collins sometimes dives into can leave you sitting with your head full of introspective thoughts in your hands. The divisions allow the reader to pause, take a breath, and try to emotionally prepare themselves, though sometimes Collins will take you on a journey you weren't quite expecting in the best possible way.

Though Collins does occasionally touch on parts of his life that may be less relatable to the public at large, such as certain aspects of being a well known television actor, the emotions at the core of his experiences are something that I believe are part the much broader human experience. Indeed, I feel like if Collins had not mentioned these aspects of his life in favor of relatability, it would come off as disingenuous. Truly what sets this collection apart is how Collins voice makes one feel as though they've merely sat down for tea with the author as he told us things that pulled our heart in every direction imaginable. It's truly a collection that makes you want to lay down in your bed, go give your mom a hug, and find your soulmate and fall in love. Cannot recommend enough.

This is such a raw and visceral collection. I felt like I was reading little postcards scattered across the years of his life, these vivid snapshots of emotion. I loved his colloquial unflowery style and the brilliant bathos where he picks up on the mundane and ridiculous amongst the beauty, and the hope within sadness (and sadness within hope.) That sense of being unsure and slightly separate even when you want so much to be in the moment is something that's so painfully relatable. I can't wait to read it again, and delve deeper.

Some Things I Still Can't Tell You is a captivating and deeply moving poetry collection that evokes a vast gamut of emotions and encourages you to reflect on the beauty of the world all around you. We often take so much for granted, but this anthology opens your eyes and reminds you to be thankful, to ground yourself and to try to live in the moment as best as you possibly can. Insightful, thoughtful and meaningful as well as sorrowful, joyful and hopeful, you'll find an array of poems to cater to an array of different moods within these pages.

This highly anticipated collection showcases Collins’ skilled use of language, cadence, emotion, beauty and memory. It is a collection of intimate, deeply personal poems flickering with honesty, passion, sincerity and, most importantly, feeling, in which it is replete. Featured throughout this resonant collection are some real pearls of wisdom, and it is a truly tender selection of powerful poetry and prose that can be read from cover to cover or dipped in and out of at leisure.

Few recent poets have so thoughtfully addressed the many-sidedness of who we are and are discovering ourselves to be—and even fewer have found their poetry taken into the hearts of so many new readers so rapidly. This is a rich, captivating and extraordinarily diverse anthology that will elicit and fill you with sadness and optimism, hopefulness and self-reflection. A recommended read for all poetry connoisseurs.

3.5/5

Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Misha Collins (read: parasocially attached), and I don’t know shit about poetry on a technical level. Even though I’ve tried to be as neutral as possible in my reading of this book, I have my biases and, honestly, it’s near impossible for me to separate the art from the artist in any capacity. This can be both a good and a bad thing, and that’s something I want to make clear before I go into this review in earnest. :’)

I honestly don’t know how to review this book, and trying to think of a way to frame my thoughts in a comprehensible and also fair manner since reading the book has aged me a decade. Still, I’m going to try and say things and hope they make sense. Here goes nothing, I guess.

This is Misha Collins’ debut poetry collection, and it documents, in the poet’s own words, the past twenty years of his life, to some extent. The book is divided into six sections, each focusing on one aspect of his life. There’s love poems, sad poems, happy poems, poems about the people in his life, his parents and lastly, his children. Misha is someone I admire a lot because there is a certain earnestness to his person that’s remarkable, and that earnestness definitely does translate onto page. His poems, if nothing, are raw and real. And that was kinda nice.

That being said, I am just so torn over this collection, over all. There are a few poems that I really liked, some I didn’t really feel anything about one way or another, and some that I actually ended up disliking. I feel like I could sit here and psychoanalyze Misha from the way his poetry seemed to change tone in some of the first few sad love poems, but I’m not going to do that in this review because that’s really stupid. Suffice to say that I felt like there was a little something missing in them, but I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what that was. Again, maybe it’s just that the poems were about love and marriage and shit, and I am like. Not the person who would know anything about any of those things. SO I DON’T KNOW! And that’s kind of why I’ve been angsting over this review lol.

The second section of the book with the hopeful poems was my most favourite section. It was still very melancholy - I think a lot of this book was written/rewritten in 2020, so like, it makes sense -, but there was a tinge of classic Misha Collins wisdom in there, and I liked that. I also really like the poems about his kids because kids are cute, and also parents being good parents and loving their kids makes me cry in a good way so there you go. The rest of the sections were a bit of a mixed bag for me, but overall, I thought they were more or less okay.

Misha has talked about being a fan of Mary Oliver’s poetry, and from what little I’ve read of her stuff through random recommendations and tumblr text posts, I can definitely see that her work has had an influence on his perceptions, if not his poems entirely. Personally, I felt like his poetry style veered more towards the Amanda Lovelace/Atticus/Trista Mateer style. I think there’s definitely a lot of people who enjoy this style of writing, but it’s always been a hit or a miss for me. With this book, again, it was a mixed bag. I felt more or less neutral, in the end, even though there were some poems that hit me hard.

I think one of the biggest factors that’s making it difficult to be decisive about my feelings about this book is that I have an admiration for Misha, and that’s coloured my perceptions of who he is and what he does in a very unfair, ridiculously parasocial way. I look up to him, and I want to learn from him, so I found myself easily taking in his hopeful poetry, as opposed to the sad/angsty poetry, you know? But I can see a third party observer enjoying those parts of the collection just as much.

And, like, another thing that I noticed is that this book is a very personal account. It doesn’t feel like a book of poetry that happens to be written by Misha. It feels like a book of poetry about Misha Collins’ life. In that, it felt more autobiographical than, like, just observational poetry. If that makes any sense. (I mean all poetry is a little autobiographical, but I meant like there was some fluff in those poems that was an insight into Misha's life as opposed to, like, just being an observation from his perspective, you know?) And I don’t know, I felt a little disconnected from the book for that very reason. Because, like, I don’t know, I can’t exactly relate to a 47 year old cis white man, you know?

All that being said, I still see value in this book because I can totally see some people thoroughly enjoying this book and being deeply moved. For me, it was kind of a neutral experience, reading it. Maybe when I’m older I’ll appreciate it more, or I’ll reread it and start crying because some books do be like that. At the moment, though, I’m just sort of torn over it because I don’t even know where my judgement of this book is coming from, and feel like I’ll just take everything I said back if I do one scroll through of tumblr analysis posts lmao. So not rating this, not going to talk to anyone about this, not posting this shit on twitter or instagram and inviting scrutiny. If you lovely folks on Goodreads like Misha Collins, then consider reading the book, otherwise, please read other reviews and make a decision because I don’t know what to say to you.

Netgalley, I am annoyed at you for having this on readnow because that’s the only reason I managed to read it and then had stress dreams about reviewing it so thanks for that!

I enjoyed reading this lovely collection of poetry. Most of them were refreshing to read and I was happy to learn about LA through the eyes of the writer. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Misha Collins, known for his role on 'Supernatural,' is no stranger to writing poetry. And while this book is his debut, it's abundantly clear he understands what he writes. 'Some Things I Still Can't Tell You' is a fiercely personal collection of poems, bringing readers through Collins' mind and memories as he reflects on his life and life in general.

I was surprised by the tone of the collection. I wasn't necessarily expecting every single poem to be comedic or happy, etc., but I was struck by the sadness imbued into several of the poems. The sections about love and longing portray just that. But they also carry an intense aching as Collins reminisces on the feeling of being in love and loving/appreciating certain things in life. He emphasizes how a deep and enduring love can stir such feelings of melancholy.

On the flip side, he also offers poems that focus on appreciating the small and unexpected things in life, being grateful for the mundane, stopping to smell the proverbial roses, not taking anything for granted. He brings readers on a vivid journey, taking them through his travels and documenting every sight, sound, and feeling. He speaks of strangers, friends, parents, and children in an inquisitive and also knowledgeable manner. As readers journey through the poems, they will sense that same curiosity, pausing to think about how they might have experienced something comparable.

I'm no poetry buff, and, frankly, I rarely pick up poetry. However, 'Some Things I Still Can't Tell You' was worth the time. Fans who have followed Collins from his time on 'Supernatural' and those who aren't familiar with him but somehow found themselves reading this collection will gain something from these poems. They're raw and honest. Collins invites readers to learn a little more about his inner thoughts in a deeply intimate manner. He somehow manages to capture some of the most ineffable feelings every human experiences. He writes about love, heartache, sadness, doubt, joy -- you name it. Collins captures the beauty and the ugliness of life. He captures it all, and those feelings are so visceral that they'll linger within readers long after they've finished reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNFd, unfortunately, I could not get into it. Love Misha, but can't say the same about his book

I was (and still very much am) addicted to CW’s Supernatural and that’s where I fell head over heels in love with Misha Collins and his character Castiel. I’ve been following Misha for quite some time and know all about his no-strings-attached GISHWHES movement and somehow, I fell in deeper love with the guy. His kids are the cutest little things I have ever seen and I loved their cookbook! When I heard Misha was publishing a collection of poems, I immediately got hold of it and loved every second of it!

I’m not the biggest fan of poems to begin with, but I really appreciated Misha’s writing style. It was deep and heartfelt, but also had his charm and witty sense of humor throughout. Some were laugh out loud funny, some broke my heart, and some were what felt like a key into his soul. Who knew something as mundane as baby pants could make me feel a certain kind of way?

Not overly in-your-feelings and oozing with charisma and honesty, Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You is worth the read!

Many thanks for the advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review! This book is set to be published on October 12th, 2021.

Thank you to the publisher, Andrew McNeels and Netgalley for sending me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you've ever tuned in to Supernatural, you may recognise actor Misha Collin's name. He rose to stardom playing grumpy angel Castiel on the show, dressed in a trenchcoat and tie. That's what caught my eye when I saw it available on Netgalley, as a lapsed Supernatural fan (seasons 8-10). Among many other things, Collins is a poet and Some Things I Still Can't Tell You is his first book.

My favourites included The Negativity Bias about a decades old conversation about his writing, Eugenia and These Days. I read it at a time when I was (am?) still processing the hurt of a break-up with someone I deeply cared for, which may have increased how I connected with his words of longing and distance from his wife.

Devil in the Details captured much of my thinking about my ex - "When I'm far from you / I imagine the / Details of your existence . . . . As if painting in / your waking hours . . . Will make you more real to me / and close the space between us."

The other sections of the book felt uneven to me after that beginning - his musings on everyday life and his mother lacked the impact of that first chapter and sometimes read as if they are just things he found interesting.

However, I totally acknowledge my own bias there - his observations about his relationship with his mother, his city and his children may resonate with other readers that aren't still healing from a break-up. Having said that, I did find myself being pulled back into reading another poem, so I've rounded up to 3 stars.

Ultimately, this is a read for Misha Collins fans that want a bite-sized glimpse into his life or to read his poetry for the first time. As he writes in The Negativity Bias "But the truth is/ I write mostly/ in the mornings/ drinking tea/ and when I write/ I am writing/ mostly just for me."

Trigger warnings - seperation from a partner, fire, strained relationship with mother.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this poetry collection. It was really interesting to get to see some of the private thoughts and musings over the years from someone so heavily in the public eye. However, because these poems are all written at different times and categorized by theme, understanding how they all fit together over time is a bit difficult, so if your brain works like mine and wants to create a timeline based on what you are reading even if it does not have a 'plot' you may struggle a bit with this collection.
This collection is tender and sweet but also shows some of the harder days and bigger struggles in life. I enjoyed the fact that the duality of life was represented here, that the collection was not all about joy or all about pain but instead about all of the collections of little moments that happen in life that Misha Collins decided to write down. The mundane becomes beautiful in his eyes and through his words. It is a gift to be able to see the world through his eyes just for a few moments. I hope that he continues to write and publish poetry because he has such a unique view of life and what matters in life.

I'm generally skeptical about celebrity poetry so I'm always pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be good! But this collection is one I think readers will enjoy.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for offering this advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I love Misha Collins because I was one of those people who watched Supernatural for the last decade or so. So maybe that background made this poetry book a little strange to read -- it felt like I was reading a diary. Though maybe that's what poetry is! But nevertheless, I enjoyed it. It's always admirable to publish intimate snapshots of your life through your own words. And these poems are loaded with life, for sure!

4 stars.

Turning the proverbial page in his career from his long-time stint on Supernatural, Misha Collins is entering a new era of creativity by revisiting old ones in his debut poetry collection Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You. While Collins has published standalone poems and been featured in literary journals such as California Quarterly and Columbia Poetry Review, this compendium marks his first comprehensive collection of poetry.

To lay all my cards on the table, I’m by no means a poetry buff. In fact, while beautiful, the superfluously flowery language that’s typical of some poetry has often left me feeling bereft — not necessarily due to a lack of understanding of the text, but a lack of emotional connectivity. The style that Collins writes in isn’t overly loquacious, and that’s what I like about it. Its beauty lies in its simplicity; it’s direct, yet accessible.

However, don’t mistake this simplicity for banality. Every poem in the collection is so clearly infused with emotion and layered with meaning. The pieces leave fans with the ability to gain insight into Collins’ life while simultaneously seeing themselves and their own experiences plastered on the page. This collection of poems is a cobbled-together tribute to the every day, a candid look into moments in Collins’ life and the lens that he views it through. It’s an organized hodgepodge of the roller coaster of ups and downs one experiences in life.

Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You is an exploration of the mundane, finding beauty, finding meaning, finding emotion in the smallest of moments. It’s an ode to the human experience as seen through Collins’ niche adventures. Snapshots of his life spill out onto the page as Collins allows the reader to see and feel and sense what he experienced in these moments. And even while reading about these specific events and episodes in his life, the reader is able to imbue the work with their own interpretation by conveying themes common to the human experience, therefore allowing readers to find connections and insight into their own lives.

By the time you’ve finished Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You, you’ll have traversed a myriad of points on the spectrum of human emotion. You’ll have laughed, you’ll have cried. You’ll have sighed longingly and felt the acute heartache that Collins paints a picture of and mirrors through his prose. Joy, sadness, grief, yearning. Reverence, loss, emptiness, disquietude. And wonder. An ever-present sense of marvel at the world around you regardless of the circumstances.

This set of poems, burned onto the page with the ink of a pen, woven, bound, and threaded together by an evocative sense of vulnerability, serves as a reminder to simply stop and be present above all else. A love letter to life, it reminds one to be present enough in your life to truly live it. To let the emotions wash over you, to find the extraordinary in the supremely ordinary. To feel the sun on your skin, and the burn in your legs. To let the grief crack your heart open, and to let that space fill with new highs and lows and triumphs and sorrows. To simply live and appreciate the living.

And while it briefly touches on the deeply unsettling questions that plague humanity like “Why am I here?”, “Where am I going?”, and “What do I have to say?”, the questions that push us to always aspire to be more, it never fails to remind us to bask in the tumultuous chaos of existence — emotional complexities, joyous simplicities, and all.

Misha Collins’ debut poetry collection is one that you truly won’t want to put down. Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You releases on October 12. The book is currently available for purchase/pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indie Bound, Books-A-Million, and Bookshop. As always, stay tuned for more updates on Collins’ work.

This is the most emotional poetry book I've read in a long time. I was interested to see what Misha Collins' poetry would be like, and it didn't disappoint. It never feels like Collins is trying too hard to be a certain way. The poems feel honest and real, and relatable at times. They're just pure.

I really, really enjoyed this work. It made me feel lots of feeling throughout, and that's the goal, right? Recommended for anyone who enjoys poetry, feeling feelings while reading, fans of Misha Collins, and people looking for a short read with substance. This will be a great autumn read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an e-ARC.

"As if painting in / Your waking hours / With textures, tastes, / And geographies / Will make you / More real to me / And close the space between us."

First thank you Netgalley and Andrew McMeels Publishing for allowing me access to the ARC of this poetry collection! And thank you Misha Collins for writing these wonderful pieces.

Subtly devastating and harshly honest, I feel like Collins has shared an old wound with me. I cannot wait to get my physical copy so I can highlight, underline and love these poems even more.

An impressive debut collection. In turns vulnerable and nostalgic, joyful and funny, self reflective and slightly concerning, Some Things I Still Can't Tell You captures a well lived life in snapshot poems. The dry wit and humor is exactly what fans of the author's other work will expect, but the stunningly visual prose really stands out. It's surprisingly atmospheric, as a whole, and evokes a strong emotional response throughout. Fans will recognize a few poems that have been previously released on their own, such as June Second, Old Bones and Present. Tense. The structure of the collection breathes new life into these familiar poems though, and provides context that will have even old fans ruminating on lines long since memorized. The author plays with structure, both of individual poems and the collection overall, even occasionally referencing back on itself, which makes multiple read throughs especially satisfying.

I dearly hope that this is merely the first book of poems that Misha Collins puts out, because his talent for writing poetry is undeniable.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel for providing me with an advanced copy to review.