This book is exactly what it promises to be. A collection of poems from a variety of writers relating to and with similar themes to the work of Taylor Swift.

I recommend reading this is bits and pieces, instead of reading it in a straight shot like I did. I enjoyed it, though, reading all these works, and definitely plan to order a copy.

I appreciate at the end there is a section that shows how some of the works related to works Swift puts out, I was thinking as reading I would really enjoy know what pieces or parts of Swift's career inspired each poem.

I thought this would be a fun book, but it was hard to tell which poems corresponded to which Taylor songs. I know I don't always understand poetry, but I have a basic grasp of things. I LOVE Taylor's writing and found the poems in this book lackluster. I think if there was a guide that showed which poem corresponded with which song I would have enjoyed it better. I tried to figure it out, but knew I couldn't even know if I was right.

This Taylor Swift inspirited poetry was so cool to read. I really enjoyed the poems and I really liked trying to figure out what song(s) inspired each of the poems in this. It was a fun collection and with SO many Taylor Swift books that have come out recently this was different and stood out.

I love Taylor Swift & poetry so reading this was a no brainer for me. I enjoyed picking up on some of the songs that inspired the poems and seeing the songs in a new light.

3.75 stars. Some poems I loved. Some I didn’t. Given that I came to this collection more from a love of Taylor Swift, and not of poetry, I would have enjoyed this a bit more knowing which song inspired each poem, although I understand why the editor chose not to do that. Ultimately, I think if you like poetry or love Taylor Swift, you’ll enjoy it!

Thank you to Net Galley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Incredibly fun!! I have rarely read poetry as I have never connected to it much, but this is the perfect way to transition into more of that world. This book is almost a game in the way you don't know which songs the poems are in reference to, and therefore everyone can interpret things in their own way! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC. It inspired me to buy this book for my sister in law for Christmas - perfect for any book loving Swiftie! I look forward to continue rereading the poems and seeing what songs I can connect the words to.

Thank you NetGalley for an E-ARC!

Invisible Strings is a series of poems written by 113 authors embodying the spirit of Taylor Swift and her songs/eras.

Overall this was a speedy read. Some of the poems were beautiful but simple and easy to relate to one of Taylor’s songs whereas others were much more complex and required some thinking. Some of the poems confused me but I’m also not super good at deciphering.

Overall a fun read. 100% recommend for Swifties who enjoy deciphering Taylor’s lyrics and finding Easter Eggs. When looking closely enough there is so much to work out and notice in all of these poems. Also definitely think this would be a fun one to annotate. Especially marking different sections in different colors based on the album they relate to!

For anyone wondering, my fav poem in the book was probably Once by Laura Kasischke. I’m sure I’ll find many more if I took the time to really annotate and decipher!

(Also no rating for this because poetry is subjective in my opinion)

Fascinating exploration of an icon’s lyrics through a lens of poetry. As someone that struggles to care for Swift’s music this helped me find greater respect for the lyricism of her songs.

I was not sure how I was going to feel about this book. A series of poets responding to Taylor Swift songs? The premise seemed promising but I was anxious about the execution. Overall it was exactly what it said it was and I was prompted to think a bit deeper about some of my favorite songs!

Ballantine eARC
Calling all Swifties! Need a last minute Christmas gift for yourself or someone else and like poetry? This would be perfect. I'm not a Swiftie, but I do casually listen to her sometimes. I am a poetry lover, and I'm glad I gave this a try. This was such a fun collection, and I'm sure I missed a lot of Easter eggs, but even the introduction made me think about Taylor Swift in ways I haven't before. It was a beautiful collection and there are a few lines that will stick with me long term.

This book was a sort of hommage to Taylor Swift and her writing.
113 poets wrote poems to answer some of her many many songs.
I really loved the concept, the foreword and the introduction, they made me quite emotional.
However, I fear I'm really not a poetry person. English is not my first language and it's very hard for me to read sometimes. So I really had trouble getting through this book. It took me weeks and that rarely happens to me. I feel like this was a good book, I just wasn't the right audience for it and I shouldn't have read it as an ARC but more as something that I would have got back to from time to time. I really do love the idea behind this project and I'm so glad it exists.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an E-ARC of " Invisible Strings
by Kristie Frederick Daugherty, available now!

I think if you're big into poetry or someone who really is into Taylor Swift and likes to explore deeply her lyrics, you will really enjoy this. I enjoy Taylor's music but I am sure there are a lot of connections and "Easter eggs" the authors of these poems put in that I missed. It was nice to read a collection of poetry relating to her music which strays from what I generally read.

Definitely recommend for poem fans or lover of Taylor Swift!

I think the idea of writing poetry inspired by Taylor Swift’s discography is really clever. The book’s editor in the foreward wrote how enthusiastic she has been towards Swift’s more recent foray into more literary/poetic lyricism. And there were many poems that were clearly odes to certain themes common throughout the different Eras, and it was interesting for me as a reader trying guess which song or album inspired each particular poet. The collection was edited in an interesting way that the themes flowed together seemlessly from one to the next that I barely noticed a transition.

So I would say that overall, the collection was well thought out and excellently edited.

But this wasn’t for me. I’m hit or miss when it comes to poetry because there aren’t any actual rules to the genre. While the content of each work flowed nicely, I felt like I was getting whiplash from each poet’s change in style. There were only a handful of poems I loved, but for the most part, I didn’t enjoy this because I couldn’t get used to the writing; I mean, there’s 113 different poets to acclaimate to!

But that’s on me. I think I should stick to poetry collections written by a single writer instead.

The Swiftie in me wanted to love this, and I truly love the concept. Some of the poems were beautifully written on their own. A couple transported me directly to the song I imagined the poem was written in response to. A lot of them just didn’t resonate with me, and I had not a clue what song could possibly correlate. I do wish there was an appendix at the end where you could “check” which song each poem was a response to. I didn’t have the capacity to read over and ponder many of them.

“In this regard, Taylor Swift is more Dylan than McCartney. She has been writing poetry since she was a teenager. Her inspiration nearly always comes from a verbal idea. She writes out the words then creates the music, often with assistance from a collaborator. The poem, it may be said, precedes the song.”
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“Swifties also recognize the literary devices of poetry weaving through Swift’s rich discography. Swift has taught her fans to read her lyrics carefully, attending to syntax, symbol, and sound, just as poets and writers learn to read literature. Swifties spend countless hours discussing Swift’s songs with one another, on social media, and even in the increasingly common Taylor Swift classes—Stephanie Burt’s Harvard course “Taylor Swift and Her World” is just one example. Swifties have a love language, and I am fluent.”
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This is a very eclectic book of poetry, there were so many different poets asked to participate and each has very distinct and different writing styles. You don’t need to be a Swiftie to appreciate these either. I love her music for the lyrical content, her words resonate with me. But each were inspired by different songs or albums and if you aren’t familiar with her discography you can still appreciate their words.

This was a very interesting read.
A anthology of contemporary poems inspired by Taylor Swift lyrics and the magic encryption that is a language to the Swifties. If you’re not a Swifties, this anthology is just nice. If you’re more versed in the Swifties language, you’ll appreciate this one more.

I don't typically read books like this, but it was about Taylor Swift and how she essentially writes poetry, except from the POV of various other authors who also are poets. It was a unique read, with perspectives from all over the place - supportive, inquisitive, and unique. I loved how each perspective was surrounding one of Taylor Swift's songs, giving each poem its own perspective of how the song specifically impacted their own thinking. I also really enjoyed a majority of the poems, but there were a few that really just didn't relate to the song as I think they hoped it would. Overall, it was a really cool idea and compilation of poetry in one story, a great gift idea for the swiftie in your life. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

As the Eras Tour comes to an end, this is such an invaluable gift for those of us who are not quite ready to let this magical time come to an end. These beautiful poems capture the poetic nature of Swift's songwriting perfectly, particularly in the last few years of her career.

Each poem draws upon inspiration from a specific Taylor Swift song, and not only does that play marvelously to every Swiftie's desire to decode and decipher, my extensive knowledge of her songs and lyrics have finally found its intended use. This book encouraged me to read each poem slowly and more than once, delving deeper into its possible meanings and themes and extricating words and phrases that remind me of a particular song. Poetry has always intimidated me because of its requirement of the reader to slow down and glean significance from its sparse composition, and this provided the perfect entry point and incentive for me to practice honing those skills.

Unsurprisingly, there were quite a few poems that seemed to go right over my head. Poetry is designed for rereading and in-depth analysis, with hidden meanings that are not always revealed immediately. I'm sure I will be revisiting these poems at a later time. I also can't wait to discuss these poems with other Swifties to see what details they picked up on and what their theories are about the song each poem is pointing to.

As a Swiftie, I knew I’d love this book of poems and it did not disappoint! This is a definite must for any Taylor Swift fan!

I was worried this was going to be a cash grab but from the foreward and the curator's note you know this is with real appreciation to Taylor's songwriting. Especially Kristie- certified swiftie don't worry. Never in my LIFE have I wanted a foreward to be longer but I could have learned even more on the analysis of her music and inspirations (not talking about her real life but other art/classics).

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the eARC.