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Spectacles
Peer through 'Spectacles' - a poetry collection that has something for everyone whether you’re currently in love, mending a broken heart, feeling angsty, contemplating, or simply finding yourself. It explores the intricacies of life and love, ranging from love to loss, to empowerment, to mental health issues, and beyond.
'Spectacles' is not only a collection of shared life stories but also an emotional journey that offers insight, hope, and reflection for readers willing to take part in. It's a reminder that we are all part of this shared human experience, each with our own unique lens through which we see the world. It
The spectacles of through it, you will see clearly a second time giving us new perspectives on situations we may have thought we understood completely. We are not only part of the spectacle we wish to perceive but also play a role in shaping it through our acts of perceiving.
Let this poetry collection bring you hope and perhaps even a new way of seeing things.
'Spectacles' is not only a collection of shared life stories but also an emotional journey that offers insight, hope, and reflection for readers willing to take part in. It's a reminder that we are all part of this shared human experience, each with our own unique lens through which we see the world. It
The spectacles of through it, you will see clearly a second time giving us new perspectives on situations we may have thought we understood completely. We are not only part of the spectacle we wish to perceive but also play a role in shaping it through our acts of perceiving.
Let this poetry collection bring you hope and perhaps even a new way of seeing things.
- GenresPoetry
90 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2023
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 20, 2025
Links: Instagram | Blog
There really is something magical about poetry. The way it condenses the biggest emotions into the smallest spaces— few words, short lines, yet they linger far longer than entire chapters of prose ever could. I’ve always had deep admiration for poets. When we find ourselves speechless from grief, from joy, from the kind of love that overwhelms language, poets find the words for us. They write what we wish we could say.
That’s exactly how I felt reading Spectacles by Ann Lorraine “Lala” Lames.
One of the things I loved most was how unforced everything felt. The poems are honest and intimate, but never try too hard to be profound. They don’t shout, but they stay. You read a line, and suddenly you’re thinking about your own memories, your own wounds, your own ways of loving and letting go. That’s the quiet power of Lames’ writing.
The illustrations by Rara Carillo, scattered throughout the collection add another layer. They don’t distract or overwhelm. Instead, they guide you gently into the world of each poem. I often found myself lingering longer on the pages, wondering what Lala saw or felt in the moment she wrote each piece. The visuals make the emotional weight of the poems even more immersive.
What I also find worth mentioning is how this book proves something a lot of people misunderstand about poetry. People think poetry is easy because it’s short. But it takes real care and craft to make someone feel something lasting in just a few words. Lames manages to do this. Each poem on its own is like a snapshot of a specific emotion, but together, Spectacles becomes a mirror. You start seeing yourself in its pages. Your own heartbreaks, your own longings, your own quiet hopes.
This book doesn't just share the experience of pain and growth— it reminds you that healing is possible, and that beauty can still be found in the pieces left behind.
There really is something magical about poetry. The way it condenses the biggest emotions into the smallest spaces— few words, short lines, yet they linger far longer than entire chapters of prose ever could. I’ve always had deep admiration for poets. When we find ourselves speechless from grief, from joy, from the kind of love that overwhelms language, poets find the words for us. They write what we wish we could say.
That’s exactly how I felt reading Spectacles by Ann Lorraine “Lala” Lames.
One of the things I loved most was how unforced everything felt. The poems are honest and intimate, but never try too hard to be profound. They don’t shout, but they stay. You read a line, and suddenly you’re thinking about your own memories, your own wounds, your own ways of loving and letting go. That’s the quiet power of Lames’ writing.
The illustrations by Rara Carillo, scattered throughout the collection add another layer. They don’t distract or overwhelm. Instead, they guide you gently into the world of each poem. I often found myself lingering longer on the pages, wondering what Lala saw or felt in the moment she wrote each piece. The visuals make the emotional weight of the poems even more immersive.
What I also find worth mentioning is how this book proves something a lot of people misunderstand about poetry. People think poetry is easy because it’s short. But it takes real care and craft to make someone feel something lasting in just a few words. Lames manages to do this. Each poem on its own is like a snapshot of a specific emotion, but together, Spectacles becomes a mirror. You start seeing yourself in its pages. Your own heartbreaks, your own longings, your own quiet hopes.
This book doesn't just share the experience of pain and growth— it reminds you that healing is possible, and that beauty can still be found in the pieces left behind.
May 13, 2025
Spectacles is a poetry collection divided into 4 parts: crossroads, oblivion, silent screams, and shed a light - each with their own respective themes of struggle and empowerment.
In writing these, it's highly likely that there was a specific intention to evoke some sort of feeling from the readers. In fact, this is a collection of shared life stories. However, what's nice about poems is that it can have different meanings from person to person.
There is beauty and comfort in reading between the lines and resonating with what impacts you the most. Lala's pieces provoke deep emotions and memories - new or old, that allow you to feel and extract your own takeaways from the writing. It grounds you back to reality, relives experiences you might want to veer away from, but also offers assurance and peace.
One thing that's striking in this collection is the strong faith in a higher power. Regardless of where we are now or what we are going through - there is always One who journeys with us - always there to welcome us in His arms.
In writing these, it's highly likely that there was a specific intention to evoke some sort of feeling from the readers. In fact, this is a collection of shared life stories. However, what's nice about poems is that it can have different meanings from person to person.
There is beauty and comfort in reading between the lines and resonating with what impacts you the most. Lala's pieces provoke deep emotions and memories - new or old, that allow you to feel and extract your own takeaways from the writing. It grounds you back to reality, relives experiences you might want to veer away from, but also offers assurance and peace.
One thing that's striking in this collection is the strong faith in a higher power. Regardless of where we are now or what we are going through - there is always One who journeys with us - always there to welcome us in His arms.
May 18, 2025
Spectacles is a collection of poetry that explores every corner, phase, and aspect of life—name it: love, loss, grief, and hope.
This collection takes you on a journey of healing. It unravels emotions we’ve all encountered—life, love, heartbreak, and the path to finding hope again.
First of all, I’d like to commend Rara Carillo for the beautiful artwork! The illustrations truly brought added beauty and elegance to this book.
Now, on to the book and the writing. Kudos to the thoughtful chronology of the poems. Reading them felt like revisiting old wounds—wounds we thought were healed, but still held pieces of pain inside. Spectacles doesn’t just reopen those wounds—it carefully removes what’s left behind, tends to them gently, and wraps them up with love, hope, and the warmth of life.
While many poems carry a sense of sadness, they also made me realize how necessary those emotions are. They helped me reflect, step out of difficult moments, and find healing through comforting words.
Each piece in this collection holds something unique. I’m sure every reader will find something to connect with, as it speaks to the shared journey we all experience in life.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this collection. It brought me comfort, assurance, empowerment—and most of all, a sense of a brand new start.
This collection takes you on a journey of healing. It unravels emotions we’ve all encountered—life, love, heartbreak, and the path to finding hope again.
First of all, I’d like to commend Rara Carillo for the beautiful artwork! The illustrations truly brought added beauty and elegance to this book.
Now, on to the book and the writing. Kudos to the thoughtful chronology of the poems. Reading them felt like revisiting old wounds—wounds we thought were healed, but still held pieces of pain inside. Spectacles doesn’t just reopen those wounds—it carefully removes what’s left behind, tends to them gently, and wraps them up with love, hope, and the warmth of life.
While many poems carry a sense of sadness, they also made me realize how necessary those emotions are. They helped me reflect, step out of difficult moments, and find healing through comforting words.
Each piece in this collection holds something unique. I’m sure every reader will find something to connect with, as it speaks to the shared journey we all experience in life.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this collection. It brought me comfort, assurance, empowerment—and most of all, a sense of a brand new start.
May 21, 2025
I probably needed more than a hug, and this book gave me not just exactly that but even more than I know I needed. 🫂
I’ll turn twenty in three days, and reading this book felt like a reminder to slow down—that it’s okay to take my time and to not figure everything out right now. It made me feel seen in ways that I didn’t thought I’d want anyone to see, and it made me feel that I wasn’t alone—it held me, and while at it, in every step of the way, pats me on my back to give me hope.
I’ve always loved poetry, as I grew up expressing myself in words because for most, I’ve always been too much. In words, I found a way to where I belong and in thus book, I feel like it held me along that way.
Spectacles is not just a collection of poetries, it was a whole new view of a life we’ve all once lived in and wanted to find. It won’t just give you answers, just like its title, it’s will let you see through an eye that will make you see differently—see what we might have missed along this journey called life. This is an unforgettable read for me, and I think I already found a book that I will never get tired of reading. ❤️🩹
Thank you, The Filipino Shelf, for the opportunity, and most of all, thank you so much, Ms. Lala, for letting us see how you view this cruel yet beautiful world and for giving us hope with your words. Proud akong maging isa sa mga rejects! 🫀
I’ll turn twenty in three days, and reading this book felt like a reminder to slow down—that it’s okay to take my time and to not figure everything out right now. It made me feel seen in ways that I didn’t thought I’d want anyone to see, and it made me feel that I wasn’t alone—it held me, and while at it, in every step of the way, pats me on my back to give me hope.
I’ve always loved poetry, as I grew up expressing myself in words because for most, I’ve always been too much. In words, I found a way to where I belong and in thus book, I feel like it held me along that way.
Spectacles is not just a collection of poetries, it was a whole new view of a life we’ve all once lived in and wanted to find. It won’t just give you answers, just like its title, it’s will let you see through an eye that will make you see differently—see what we might have missed along this journey called life. This is an unforgettable read for me, and I think I already found a book that I will never get tired of reading. ❤️🩹
Thank you, The Filipino Shelf, for the opportunity, and most of all, thank you so much, Ms. Lala, for letting us see how you view this cruel yet beautiful world and for giving us hope with your words. Proud akong maging isa sa mga rejects! 🫀
May 18, 2025
We can't begin to understand life without first looking unto ourselves.
Spectacles, a poetry collection by Ann Lorraine "Lala" Lames, is a great read to challenge a reader's intrapersonal skills. It encourages looking within ourselves, to inspect every crevice, every wound. It emboldens the reader to make a stand for themselves and what they are worth.
After all, wisdom is a product made from our experiences, and without scrutinizing our past, we may never take the necessary steps moving forward.
Reading Spectacles also felt like breathing fresh air. It's the perfect read for a rainy, Sunday morning, the smell of brewed coffee wafting around the room. I'd also recommend reading it on Friday nights, under the blanket, a hot tea ready as lightning and thunder looms on the background.
Lala's poetry is embracing and comforting. Out of it's four chapters, the first, Crossroads, made the most impact to me. The poem Sadness, for instance, is a pat on the shoulder, reminder to keep holding on and fight until a brighter tomorrow finally arrives.
Spectacles is a book I'll definitely reread in the years to come.
Spectacles, a poetry collection by Ann Lorraine "Lala" Lames, is a great read to challenge a reader's intrapersonal skills. It encourages looking within ourselves, to inspect every crevice, every wound. It emboldens the reader to make a stand for themselves and what they are worth.
After all, wisdom is a product made from our experiences, and without scrutinizing our past, we may never take the necessary steps moving forward.
Reading Spectacles also felt like breathing fresh air. It's the perfect read for a rainy, Sunday morning, the smell of brewed coffee wafting around the room. I'd also recommend reading it on Friday nights, under the blanket, a hot tea ready as lightning and thunder looms on the background.
Lala's poetry is embracing and comforting. Out of it's four chapters, the first, Crossroads, made the most impact to me. The poem Sadness, for instance, is a pat on the shoulder, reminder to keep holding on and fight until a brighter tomorrow finally arrives.
Spectacles is a book I'll definitely reread in the years to come.
May 16, 2025
“Teach me to care for you in the ways that I may never know. Teach me to care for you in the ways that you find significant.”
Spectacles is a poetry collection that dove deep in love, healing, and finding myself in-between the pages. The way the words spoke volumes to me despite reading it silently meant the world to me, for I felt so seen and heard. “Teach” is one of my favorites in this collection as it resonated with my relationship with Lance—the one wherein we learn to love each other the exact way we want to be loved.
This collection of poetry felt like the warmest hug. One that I must’ve been longing for and never got, but eventually did in the form of words. There were times I’d be caught off-guard by the realizations that would hit me once I finish a poem in the book. The progress throughout the four chapters stood as a compelling reminder that resilience and vulnerability can coexist.
Spectacles is a poetry collection that dove deep in love, healing, and finding myself in-between the pages. The way the words spoke volumes to me despite reading it silently meant the world to me, for I felt so seen and heard. “Teach” is one of my favorites in this collection as it resonated with my relationship with Lance—the one wherein we learn to love each other the exact way we want to be loved.
This collection of poetry felt like the warmest hug. One that I must’ve been longing for and never got, but eventually did in the form of words. There were times I’d be caught off-guard by the realizations that would hit me once I finish a poem in the book. The progress throughout the four chapters stood as a compelling reminder that resilience and vulnerability can coexist.
December 18, 2023
Spectacles is a collection of poems that gives you "all the feels". I found most of the poems sad but I also feel a sense of camaraderie and solace. The poems talk of solitude and heartache, of building barriers to keep from getting hurt, but also of love and the power of faith.
This, I think, is what makes this collection great - because it reminds us that in spite of all or any pain, there is always hope, healing, and love. Lala's poems are relatable and a comforting reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Through her poems, she managed to build a beautiful bridge between her world to the reader's, and she reminds us that we are resilient and able to weather life's storms; and that our personal experiences aren't only our own, but a part of a bigger, collective human narrative.
Spectacles is not just a poetry collection, it is a shared journey between poet and reader.
This, I think, is what makes this collection great - because it reminds us that in spite of all or any pain, there is always hope, healing, and love. Lala's poems are relatable and a comforting reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Through her poems, she managed to build a beautiful bridge between her world to the reader's, and she reminds us that we are resilient and able to weather life's storms; and that our personal experiences aren't only our own, but a part of a bigger, collective human narrative.
Spectacles is not just a poetry collection, it is a shared journey between poet and reader.
December 18, 2023
Spectacles is a collection of poems that gives you "all the feels". I found most of the poems sad but I also feel a sense of camaraderie and solace. The poems talk of solitude and heartache, of building barriers to keep from getting hurt, but also of love and the power of faith.
This, I think, is what makes this collection great - because it reminds us that in spite of all or any pain, there is always hope, healing, and love. Lala's poems are relatable and a comforting reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Through her poems, she managed to build a beautiful bridge between her world to the reader's, and she reminds us that we are resilient and able to weather life's storms; and that our personal experiences aren't only our own, but a part of a bigger, collective human narrative.
Spectacles is not just a poetry collection, it is a shared journey between poet and reader.
This, I think, is what makes this collection great - because it reminds us that in spite of all or any pain, there is always hope, healing, and love. Lala's poems are relatable and a comforting reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Through her poems, she managed to build a beautiful bridge between her world to the reader's, and she reminds us that we are resilient and able to weather life's storms; and that our personal experiences aren't only our own, but a part of a bigger, collective human narrative.
Spectacles is not just a poetry collection, it is a shared journey between poet and reader.
May 21, 2025
Reading Spectacles felt like an intimate, soul-stirring journey. Its simplicity carries depth, offering more than just words—it opens space for personal reflection. Each poem felt like a quiet conversation with past, present, and future versions of myself , resonating in a deeply personal way.
I find myself reading some piece twice to savored it and to fully absorb their meaning. I appreciated the spiritual touches, especially it talks about God and faith. I love the freedom to annotate, reflect and connect with the poems. As I turned each page, I felt more engaged enjoying every piece, only to reach the end wishing there were more
I find myself reading some piece twice to savored it and to fully absorb their meaning. I appreciated the spiritual touches, especially it talks about God and faith. I love the freedom to annotate, reflect and connect with the poems. As I turned each page, I felt more engaged enjoying every piece, only to reach the end wishing there were more
May 12, 2025
Actual Rating: 3.5
July 23, 2025
Full reviewing will be posted soon!
May 28, 2025
Spectacles is a poetry collection that invites the reader to view the world through different lenses—those shaped by love, loss, healing, hope, and personal growth. Lames writes with a clear intention to connect, to reflect, and to offer comfort to anyone navigating similar emotional terrain. There's a deeply personal undercurrent to many of the pieces, and at times, the collection feels like a diary cracked open—honest, raw, and searching.
What I appreciated most was the heart behind the words. It's clear that the author has poured much of herself into these pages. Some poems stood out to me more than others, offering striking imagery or lines that lingered long after reading. I also liked the recurring theme of “spectacles” as both metaphor and motif—reminding us how much perception shapes our experience.
That said, the reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars is because there were moments where the tone shifted so quickly or the themes felt too broad in succession, which made it harder for me to stay immersed sometimes. But still, I think this book will resonate with many, especially readers drawn to introspective, diary-like poetry.
What I appreciated most was the heart behind the words. It's clear that the author has poured much of herself into these pages. Some poems stood out to me more than others, offering striking imagery or lines that lingered long after reading. I also liked the recurring theme of “spectacles” as both metaphor and motif—reminding us how much perception shapes our experience.
That said, the reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars is because there were moments where the tone shifted so quickly or the themes felt too broad in succession, which made it harder for me to stay immersed sometimes. But still, I think this book will resonate with many, especially readers drawn to introspective, diary-like poetry.
May 21, 2025
An emotional and reflective read. It did not bring me to tears but it definitely moved me with its warmth. A very heartfelt collection where every piece hit a mark on different readers. Definitely something to read during tough times or while recovering from hardships.
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