Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A Bit Much was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and it did not disappoint. I’ve followed Lyndsay Rush on Instagram for a while and love her fun and approachable poetry style. The book was a mixture of poems I’ve seen her share or tease on social media and new ones as well. They’re funny and touching while exploring topics that resonate with so many people. Sectioning it by feeling was an interesting idea and one I thought worked well with the poems within. Overall, this is an easy poetry book to get into whether you’re new to poetry or not.

I have seen this author's work on Instagram, and after being sent a widget, I knew I had to read this. There were so many great thought provoking and fun poems here. I especially liked and/or was moved by We're Not Getting Any Younger, Woman / Reassurances to Save for a Rainy Day / Cracks of Light / Double Duty. The last one hit hard, especially during this week. She captured so many different emotions of being a human here - the good and the bad. This is a collection I will return to over and over and deserves a permanent spot on my shelves.

I follow this author on Instagram and was excited to hear about her book. It didn’t disappoint and it even had a few poems she previously posted. The first section didn’t resonate with me as much as the second and third sections. The last two parts were by far, my favorites with so many poems I would love to frame. I hope there are more books in the future.

*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

5 ✨

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s for my ARC.

“A book of poetry for people who didn’t even know they liked poetry” —> also a book for people who WANT to like poetry but usually struggle to / are tired of pretending to

I loved this! My first foray into modern poetry (see above) and it didn’t disappoint.

I had seen this book recommend by Beach Reads & Bubbly, and Katie had mentioned wanting to frame a few of these. I’m officially in that club! Excited to get my hands on a physical copy and send a copy to a few Best Friends (I’m not just wild with grammar, this is the name of a great poem).

Also, I know we shouldn’t judge books by their covers, but I just really like the cover. There, I said it.

Apparently I’m supposed to already know of this poet from Instagram. I didn’t, but I can see why these charming and accessible poems have built an audience. They are funny and hopeful and very much of the moment. They don’t strike me as “too much”—in fact, the poems that are over-the-top in their eagerness and exuberance are perhaps the strongest in the collection. Other moments do feel a bit too formulaic for my taste. That said, many of the poems are well-observed and hyper-timely in their capacity to evoke the current moment, wield niche pop culture references, and communicate our contemporary attitudes about connection and distance.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy for review.

I loved this book of poetry. I read it through all in one go. It was very relateable and the tone and voice came through very well. I especially loved Frequent Crier / Loving Each Otter / Peace Not Quiet ["I'm here to grate fresh parm over my life" - what a line]. I felt like the target audience - a millenial female - and lots of poems spoke right to me. As an aspiring poet myself I really enjoyed reading this one.

I loved reading this book so much! I paused so many times to share a line, or whole poem, with a loved one. Hilarious and poignant. I feel like this book changed my outlook on life- I want to be a bit much!

I swear it feels like some of these poems came straight out of my own diary. The author has such a way with words that is easy to connect with, and I enjoyed every little bit of it. I think if you are into that sad girl genre trope you will enjoy this book. Thank you for the ARC!

Apparently the author is quite popular on Instagram, but I have never heard of her before this collection. This book of poetry contains a little bit of something for just about everyone, including those who don't generally read poetry. The book is arranged in sections with comical titles. It is a quick read. I enjoyed some of the poems, but the book was hit or miss for me, overall.

Thanks netgalley for this ARC!

Is there anyone who didn't fall a little in love with @rushbomb in the last few years? The title poem from this collection burst onto my feed and i feel like it makes the rounds once a month or so in shares, and never fails to bring me joy. And that exactly how i felt reading this collection- it is funny and lovely and irreverant and occasionally bitter sweet, and reminds me that it doesn't have to be perfect to be good.

I think publishers make good investments in giving me ARCs because i usually go out and buy the books i liked for people immediately after i finish. Ya welcome.

I requested this book entirely on the basis of the author's social media name (@maryoliversdrunkcousin), as Mary Oliver was the first poet that made me love poetry. The style is similar, although these aren't as nature-heavy. Also a great read-alike for On an Ebbing Seafoam Tide! Generally recommended for readers who don't "get" poetry, plus female readers.

eARC from NetGalley; would read this author again!

I was provided both an ebook and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

The author narrates the audiobook, which doesn't always work for novels, but is so perfect when it comes to poetry. I don't think anyone can deliver poetry quite the same way as the poet, so I always appreciate a self narrated poetry collection.

I don't think I've ever connected to a poetry collection the way I did to this one. It is straight forward, witty, and relatable. It deals with body image, weight, aging, relationships, and so many other things you have to deal with as a woman. These poems really spoke to me and I'm grateful to have been able to both listen and read along with them. I really enjoyed the style of poems, they aren't super complex or long. The author gets to the point and they all have clever titles. That won't be everyone's preference when it comes to poetry. For me these were thought provoking without having to think about the meaning of the poem because it was right there on the page.

I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous and clever collection of poems and look forward to reading more from the author in the future. This is a collection I'll be buying because it made me feel seen and and that being "a bit much" might just be the right amount.

This collection is perfect for those looking to dip their toe into poetry! It has writing that is easy to understand and relate to. As someone who has read a bit of poetry now, I found this to be middle of the road. I had lots of poems that I really liked, but a lot that I just ended up skimming. It felt like a really long collection that could have been edited down. It also didn’t really feel like poetry so much as funny/cheesy anecdotes. Still a fun read though that I think will bring more people into the genre!

My favorite poems were:
- in Florida, an invasive snail is helping save an endangered bird
- make like a tree and love
- tonight I’m DoorDashing
- frequent crier
- be st frie nds
- we are not getting any younger, woman
- my boyfriend is from Alabama
- all of the awkward things I missed during the pandemic
- caretaking notes
- mortifying every poet dead, and alive by trying to describe love
- things that taste as good as skinny feels
- I’m giving up for lent
- boo!
- Ordering from the kids menu
- promise ring pop
- she’s a bit much
- hot girl walks
- every little thing she does is magic
- reassurances to save for rainy day

I came into this book already a bit of a Lyndsay Rush super fan. I follow her on instagram, I subscribe to her newsletter, I love her work. I sort of wondered how much new content there would be in this book, but wanted to support her. I was BLOWN away how excellent this book was. Some poems are funny, some are tender, some kind of break your heart. I'm so glad I read it!

This is everything you didnt know you wanted from poetry. Every poem speaks to my millennial soul. Loved this and would have read 100 more pages!

Lyndsay Rush is the creator of one of my favorite Instagram accounts, MaryOliversDrunkCousin. Many of the poems in this collection are featured on her Instagram account, but I still want a print copy of this gem for my forever bookshelf so I have all of these lovely poems in one place and can add tabs galore to mark my favorites. Some of the poems are funny, some are touching, but all show that Lyndsay Rush knows women so well. Her poems resonate with women of all walks of life - mothers, aunts, young adults, and older adults. Her poems span the spectrum of womanhood.

The much anticipated book of poetry from beloved Instagram Poet, @maryoliversdrunkscousin, Lyndsay Rush. Poignant yet hilarious, Lyndsay's ability to capture women's experience, including bodies, food, love, mothering, and friendships, is unmatched.

Thanks to @stmartinspress for an advance copy of A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush, out September 17th!

I’ve long followed Lyndsay Rush at @maryoliversdrunkcousin and could *not* have been more excited to hear that she was coming out with a collection of poetry! Of course, it didn’t disappoint.

Chock full of silliness, pop culture references, trauma, and the beautiful and painful moments that make up a real life lived, this poetry collection feels like a love letter to every woman who’s ever been made to feel too big, too loud, too cringey— and quite frankly, a bit much. 🩵

Great poems for every mood! they were sweet, relatable, and I found myself starring some of them to come back to for when i'm in that kind of mood!

Like any collection of work, some will hit and some will not. The ones that do hit are vulnerable, insightful, heart breaking, and joyful. The ones that do not feel rushed, surface level, and trying just a bit too hard. This will be fun to read and discuss with your girlfriends and sisters. Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy to review.