What do you think?
Rate this book
Love Looks Pretty on You
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Poetry (2019)The much anticipated new book by international bestselling author Lang Leav. A breathtakingly beautiful collection of contemporary poetry and prose, offering powerful insights into love, heartbreak, relationships, and self-empowerment.
Filled with wisdom and encouragement, every single page is a testament to the power of words, and the impact they can have on the relationships you build with others. And most importantly, the one you have with yourself.
Lang Leav captures the intricacies of emotions like few others can. It's no wonder she has been recognized as a major influencer of the modern poetry movement and her writing has inspired a whole new generation of poets to pick up a pen.
Love Looks Pretty on You is truly the must-have book for poetry lovers all over the world.
Filled with wisdom and encouragement, every single page is a testament to the power of words, and the impact they can have on the relationships you build with others. And most importantly, the one you have with yourself.
Lang Leav captures the intricacies of emotions like few others can. It's no wonder she has been recognized as a major influencer of the modern poetry movement and her writing has inspired a whole new generation of poets to pick up a pen.
Love Looks Pretty on You is truly the must-have book for poetry lovers all over the world.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2019
355 people are currently reading
13681 people want to read
About the author
Lang Leav
19 books11.6k followersNovelist and poet Lang Leav was born in a refugee camp when her family were fleeing the Khmer Rouge Regime. She spent her formative years in Sydney, Australia, in the predominantly migrant town of Cabramatta. Among her many achievements, Lang is the winner of a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award, Churchill Fellowship and Goodreads Reader’s Choice Award.
Lang has been featured on CNN, SBS Australia, Intelligence Squared UK, Radio New Zealand and in various publications, including Vogue, Newsweek, the Straits Times, the Guardian, and the New York Times. She currently lives in New Zealand with her partner and fellow author, Michael Faudet.
Lang has been featured on CNN, SBS Australia, Intelligence Squared UK, Radio New Zealand and in various publications, including Vogue, Newsweek, the Straits Times, the Guardian, and the New York Times. She currently lives in New Zealand with her partner and fellow author, Michael Faudet.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 839 reviews
July 20, 2019
I’m such a huge fan of Lang Leav so when I saw this book, I just had to buy it!
I always love how organized Lang’s collections are. She knows how to come up with with an overarching theme and how to follow it. She never tries too hard to make her poems fit into the theme. That is very true with this collection. It was effortless the way the poems came together to convey her message.
However, for some reason, there was something missing from this collection. I can’t quite place it, but it was lacking something. It could be because some of the pieces didn’t have titles so it felt slightly incomplete.
That being said, I still enjoyed it and had a ton of favorites. Some of them were:
-Someone else (pg. 17)
-Vultures (pg. 29)
-Regrets (pg. 35)
-Idols (pg. 45)
-Your Right to Love (pg. 47)
-Too Young (pg. 61)
-I Had You (pg. 71)
-The Friendship Bond (pg. 75)
-Flowers (pg. 93)
-Saltwater (pg. 107)
-Shut Out (pg. 113)
-Anxiety (pg. 153)
-Obsession (pg. 155)
-Sunday Afternoon (pg. 177)
-Something Else (pg. 181)
-Write for Yourself (pg. 193)
-Springtime (pg. 205)
Overall, this was a wonderful collection of poetry!
Connect with me!
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
I always love how organized Lang’s collections are. She knows how to come up with with an overarching theme and how to follow it. She never tries too hard to make her poems fit into the theme. That is very true with this collection. It was effortless the way the poems came together to convey her message.
However, for some reason, there was something missing from this collection. I can’t quite place it, but it was lacking something. It could be because some of the pieces didn’t have titles so it felt slightly incomplete.
That being said, I still enjoyed it and had a ton of favorites. Some of them were:
-Someone else (pg. 17)
-Vultures (pg. 29)
-Regrets (pg. 35)
-Idols (pg. 45)
-Your Right to Love (pg. 47)
-Too Young (pg. 61)
-I Had You (pg. 71)
-The Friendship Bond (pg. 75)
-Flowers (pg. 93)
-Saltwater (pg. 107)
-Shut Out (pg. 113)
-Anxiety (pg. 153)
-Obsession (pg. 155)
-Sunday Afternoon (pg. 177)
-Something Else (pg. 181)
-Write for Yourself (pg. 193)
-Springtime (pg. 205)
Overall, this was a wonderful collection of poetry!
Connect with me!
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
February 25, 2019
I've already read all the works of
Lang Leav,
from her poetry books to her very first novel. In her last published book,
Sea of Strangers,
I mentioned that it is the best anthology she has written but with this new release, I think it might have surpassed the aforementioned because I think 80% of the content of this book is quite fabulous. I like that there is a lot of the poetry and prose in this collection that empowers readers, especially the women.
Some of the poems and prose about love in the first several published books of the author, notably the ones she released from 2014 to 2016, made me cringe because I found them saccharine and too repetitive. But I reckon that Lang Leav learned a lot over time because she has improved a lot in her writing, which is quite noticeable in this anthology. I will purchase a physical copy of this once it is released because it is definitely a good book to add to my library.
Some of the poems and prose about love in the first several published books of the author, notably the ones she released from 2014 to 2016, made me cringe because I found them saccharine and too repetitive. But I reckon that Lang Leav learned a lot over time because she has improved a lot in her writing, which is quite noticeable in this anthology. I will purchase a physical copy of this once it is released because it is definitely a good book to add to my library.
March 5, 2020
And if ever you find my name slipping from your memory, I can promise you, by the time this year is through, you will never forget it again.
Lang Leav was my first contemporary poetry love, and no matter how many collections she releases, I genuinely don't believe I'll ever stop adoring them. She always seems to know exactly the right things to say, and when I pick up one of her books, always, it feels like coming home.
Our salvation will only come if we stand together.
Love Looks Pretty on You stands apart from her previous collections in its unapologetic, bold feminist theme, and that made it my favorite yet. Lang takes the time to break down what misogyny has done to women, and how it has encouraged us to tear one another down for our sexuality or even our mere, most human mistakes.
When my best friend told me
she was in love
my first thought was,
'I hope he is good to her.'
And it suddenly occurred to me,
what I held in my heart for her
was hope, when it should
have been expectation.
There are endless references circling back to abuse and the things women in m/f relationships have come to not only fear, but to expect, and while it's a tough read at points—or it was for me, as a survivor—it also feels like a tight hug, a fellow warrior saying, "I understand you," and I didn't know how much I needed that right now until reading these poems and Lang's quick flashes of righteous anger and sorrow.
My mother, my safe passage
into this world, fought a war
to show me wars can be won.
Finally, some of the most heartache-inducing moments in the collection are the references to Lang's mother, which made me take a moment to think of how grateful and blessed I am to never have lived through the struggles of being a refugee. In these moments, it's easy to see that Lang Leav got her bravery honestly.
Someone who has your heart is not entitled to your body.
No one lays a finger on you without your permission.
I could easily fill page upon page with quotes and my own gushing over this collection, but I'll stop here and say only that, if you enjoy poignant, powerful, relevant poems from a writer whose work I genuinely believe will go down in history for generations to come, read this.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 10, 2019
”The world is hard
When you’re in between
Your future world
And childhood dreams”
I enjoyed this poetry, it’s about love, abuse, anxiety, falling in love and falling out of it and finding yourself. It’s so honest and this poet has a lovely way with words and some of them actually made me tear up a little?? Some of the poems about youth really got to me.
“Here’s the story of my life. Hoping they would care about me or wishing they wouldn’t care so much.”
When you’re in between
Your future world
And childhood dreams”
I enjoyed this poetry, it’s about love, abuse, anxiety, falling in love and falling out of it and finding yourself. It’s so honest and this poet has a lovely way with words and some of them actually made me tear up a little?? Some of the poems about youth really got to me.
“Here’s the story of my life. Hoping they would care about me or wishing they wouldn’t care so much.”
June 2, 2023
""Anxiety""
-I struggle with things that are as easy to others as breathing...
Like breathing. Like answering the phone. Or sending that email I have been meaning to for weeks.
-I panic when I am asked out to dinner, even if it’s with someone I really want to see.
It’s hard for me to commit to anything, and when I do, I overthink it until my brain tells me I have made a mistake, like a rat caught in a maze, trying to claw its way out.
-I don’t know why I am like this. People ask me why I can’t do anything without jumping through a thousand thoughts, like hoops.
-But sometimes I wonder if my inability to function in the real world is really such a bad thing. I wonder if that’s why I’ve spent so much time sheltered in my imagination.
-And because I can’t live in the real world, I create worlds to belong to. And I wonder if the very thing I’ve always been told is my weakness, has all along, been my strength.
-I struggle with things that are as easy to others as breathing...
Like breathing. Like answering the phone. Or sending that email I have been meaning to for weeks.
-I panic when I am asked out to dinner, even if it’s with someone I really want to see.
It’s hard for me to commit to anything, and when I do, I overthink it until my brain tells me I have made a mistake, like a rat caught in a maze, trying to claw its way out.
-I don’t know why I am like this. People ask me why I can’t do anything without jumping through a thousand thoughts, like hoops.
-But sometimes I wonder if my inability to function in the real world is really such a bad thing. I wonder if that’s why I’ve spent so much time sheltered in my imagination.
-And because I can’t live in the real world, I create worlds to belong to. And I wonder if the very thing I’ve always been told is my weakness, has all along, been my strength.
December 15, 2018
This came to me at an important time in my life.
Everything is a mess, and my mind is so loud that it's hard to breath. Lang's collection matched all my thoughts and emotions. Love and longing, loss and emptiness.
*I thank Lang Leav, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Everything is a mess, and my mind is so loud that it's hard to breath. Lang's collection matched all my thoughts and emotions. Love and longing, loss and emptiness.
A Long Time Ago
Everything feels sentimental these days, every song feels loaded, feels somehow directed at me. Every emotion is heightened tenfold, your fingertips leaving burn marks on my skin.
I think it only feels this way for me when things are beginning or when they're ending.
And my love, we started this a long time ago.
*I thank Lang Leav, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2018
thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an, ahem, honest review
i don't know why i thought leav would've changed. why would she change when the old garbage has worked out so well for her? still, i found myself downloading this book from netgalley just to see.
and folx... it's still awful poetry. i really don't think much of it can even be classified as poetry.
what killed me was the poem where she put a disclaimer: 'written at twelve years of age.' it seemed to me at the same time bragging that she was such a ~deep thinker~ at twelve years old and also a disclaimer that maybe the poem wasn't very good, but hey, she was only twelve.
except... it's the same as the rest of the poems in this book.
she could've told me all of the poems had been written at twelve and i'd believe her.
wait, one more:
oh my god what a fucking REVELATION
i don't know why i thought leav would've changed. why would she change when the old garbage has worked out so well for her? still, i found myself downloading this book from netgalley just to see.
and folx... it's still awful poetry. i really don't think much of it can even be classified as poetry.
what killed me was the poem where she put a disclaimer: 'written at twelve years of age.' it seemed to me at the same time bragging that she was such a ~deep thinker~ at twelve years old and also a disclaimer that maybe the poem wasn't very good, but hey, she was only twelve.
except... it's the same as the rest of the poems in this book.
she could've told me all of the poems had been written at twelve and i'd believe her.
wait, one more:
oh my god what a fucking REVELATION
Read
December 29, 2018Mini review:
DNF
Trigger warning: None up till the point I read.
I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’ve heard about Leav’s poetry collections. Most people rave about them. Having come across a review with some quotes that I really liked I requested it. Unfortunately I didn’t like it.
I hesitate to call this poetry. Some of it read like random thoughts that were penned right away. There were pages where there was only a sentence.
While I did like some quotes, I just found the whole thing bizarre. Can’t say I was a fan of the writing style.
I still recommend.
DNF
Trigger warning: None up till the point I read.
I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’ve heard about Leav’s poetry collections. Most people rave about them. Having come across a review with some quotes that I really liked I requested it. Unfortunately I didn’t like it.
I hesitate to call this poetry. Some of it read like random thoughts that were penned right away. There were pages where there was only a sentence.
While I did like some quotes, I just found the whole thing bizarre. Can’t say I was a fan of the writing style.
I still recommend.
December 24, 2020
The writing seems lazy, repetitive and somewhat monotonous.
I loved her previous books much more than this one. I know it feels inappropriate to comparw but as this book is written on similar lines I felt the need to compare.
Well, the lines are not gripping or not that interesting in this one. Meaning not hard hitting as they set out to be.
The book talks about maturity, abusive relationship, anxiety, love, break ups, being strong as a woman, accepting her own self as we all should.
It would have been better if the lines have been a bit more enthusiastic or deep when they are meant to be.
I could find only a few lines really good otherwise 80% didn't find place in my heart and mind while reading it.
I have been always an ardent fan of her books.
Well, I think it's time to move on.
I loved her previous books much more than this one. I know it feels inappropriate to comparw but as this book is written on similar lines I felt the need to compare.
Well, the lines are not gripping or not that interesting in this one. Meaning not hard hitting as they set out to be.
The book talks about maturity, abusive relationship, anxiety, love, break ups, being strong as a woman, accepting her own self as we all should.
It would have been better if the lines have been a bit more enthusiastic or deep when they are meant to be.
I could find only a few lines really good otherwise 80% didn't find place in my heart and mind while reading it.
I have been always an ardent fan of her books.
Well, I think it's time to move on.
January 3, 2019
ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
It's a decent poetry collection about all kinds of love. It's slightly better than the author's other collection but it lacked an emotional impact. However, there are a few standouts like: Vultures, What You Wish For, Loyalty, First Steps, Idols, and The Friendship Bond.
It's a decent poetry collection about all kinds of love. It's slightly better than the author's other collection but it lacked an emotional impact. However, there are a few standouts like: Vultures, What You Wish For, Loyalty, First Steps, Idols, and The Friendship Bond.
February 20, 2019
Love Looks Pretty on You came to me as a surprise, this is better than her earlier works. I tried her poetry books it’s a tricky relationship but with her novel, phew, that blew my socks off.
What I noticed as a whole is that it felt a bit detached, it lacks the emotion mostly present in her poetry books. Some love pieces that felt monotonous in voice.
However, it brought me to a strong impression of the uplifting and eye-opening encouragement I got from Love Looks Pretty on You. The author shone a light on views as a partner, friend, daughter, and generally as a woman.
Another is the side of taking care of one’s self. It brings awareness to one. I liked pieces particularly: Anxiety, More Than You, Youth, These Years.
Copy provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the author, the author’s work, the publisher, nor any other group of people, nor receive any monetary compensation for doing this review. All quotes may not be exactly as it is in the final release of the book.
What I noticed as a whole is that it felt a bit detached, it lacks the emotion mostly present in her poetry books. Some love pieces that felt monotonous in voice.
However, it brought me to a strong impression of the uplifting and eye-opening encouragement I got from Love Looks Pretty on You. The author shone a light on views as a partner, friend, daughter, and generally as a woman.
“Someone who has your heart is not entitled to your body.
No one lays a finger on you without your permission.”
Another is the side of taking care of one’s self. It brings awareness to one. I liked pieces particularly: Anxiety, More Than You, Youth, These Years.
“Don’t stay where you are needed. Go where you are loved.”
Copy provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the author, the author’s work, the publisher, nor any other group of people, nor receive any monetary compensation for doing this review. All quotes may not be exactly as it is in the final release of the book.
More Love Looks Pretty on You • Instagram • Twitter • Ko-Fi
December 27, 2018
"I have buried myself so deep in my words that sometimes I don't know if I am the person writing or hiding between the lines"
I really enjoyed this collection! I had my eyes on Lang Leav collections for a while, but never picked them up because modern poetry are hit or miss for me.
And I am glad to say I liked this collection by her. I need to check out more of her works.
This collection is all about women empowerment and has lots of feminist themes, mixed with other poems about love and heartbreak.
The collection has a mix of poems and prose which I liked. I tend to enjoy the prose more as modern poetry is not my thing. But if you like modern poetry, I believe you will love this collection.
Some of the poems I liked from the collection are:
Regrets
Letters to the Past
Idols
The Friendship Bond
Slut Shaming
First Steps
Abusive Relationships
Anxiety (This one is my favorite! This touched my soul!)
*Thank you to Andrew McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
March 25, 2020
Some cute poems that I really liked💛 I need to read more poetry books. I haven’t done so in a while!
Four stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Four stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
January 31, 2019
My first Lang Leav, and I must say I'm disappointed. This reads more like diary entries or a collection of personal thoughts. The problem is, they don't evoke any feeling nor rich in imagery. They are not deep, nor they trigger me into some deep contemplation. Most of them are flat and forgettable.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing a review copy.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing a review copy.
February 14, 2019
I think this is the universe's way of telling me that Lang Leav and I need to part ways, it's been great but her work has gone from profound to generic Hallmark card statements. There's better poetry to be read, the end.
May 10, 2019
Read the full review at Elgee Writes
I am sure Lang Leav is no stranger to any of us. And in her sixth book she has brought her magic back. I kept underlining her and highlighting so many of her lines, especially the ones about abuse in relationships and being a strong woman.
When my best friend told me
she was in love
my first thought was,
‘I hope he is good to her.’
And it suddenly occurred to me,
what I held in my heart for her
was hope, when it should
have been expectation.
I love that her prose/poetry has always been easy to read and relate. I have felt in her earlier works she talks a little too much about heartbreak and being in love for my taste, and there is nothing wrong about that and it is just me, not her. But she has proved herself as a matured writer in this one.
Final thought: Though monotonous at times, the author moved past from the heartbreaks to more mature subjects.
Recommended to: If you liked her previous works, this should be on your list as well
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon |
I am sure Lang Leav is no stranger to any of us. And in her sixth book she has brought her magic back. I kept underlining her and highlighting so many of her lines, especially the ones about abuse in relationships and being a strong woman.
When my best friend told me
she was in love
my first thought was,
‘I hope he is good to her.’
And it suddenly occurred to me,
what I held in my heart for her
was hope, when it should
have been expectation.
I love that her prose/poetry has always been easy to read and relate. I have felt in her earlier works she talks a little too much about heartbreak and being in love for my taste, and there is nothing wrong about that and it is just me, not her. But she has proved herself as a matured writer in this one.
Final thought: Though monotonous at times, the author moved past from the heartbreaks to more mature subjects.
Recommended to: If you liked her previous works, this should be on your list as well
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon |
December 8, 2019
MY THOUGHTS
Love Looks Pretty on You is the first Lang Leav's novel that I have read and I must say that I am not disappointed. I really enjoyed reading this book and it is surprising that the mentioned topics could be represented this good way. The book tells a story of a woman fighting against her feelings. At some point, she is loved and she feels pretty. She can freely say that she is happy. That kind of happy that makes her rethink her emotional state. Is she really completely happy? Her heart says she is. Her brain says she's not, but she could be.
Well, what makes her think think that way?
There are two things that ruins her eternal happiness. The first thing is her past. While I was reading this book I got the feeling that the girl loved in her past, but it was not that kind of love that will make you happy and all satisfied with your life. I think that it was one-sided love. Which brings us to the second thing - her self esteem. The girl did not love herself in the past. She was never satisfied with her and her life and unfortunately such things make us lose the people in our lives.
There is our past self among the ruins. She, the girlish one, the foolish one, the one who longs for a place with us here, where she is not welcome.
In this book the author emphasizes the new beginning, our rebirth. We need to understand that we are only human beings and that all of us make mistakes. It is natural thing to make mistakes. We have to accept them and learn from them. Throughout the book, I realized that the girl was really attached to her parent. Seeing her Father abusing her Mother was the source of her anger, she wanted revenge. I love the mentioned girl with all of my heart because despite everything, she remained a good person. She knows how to love and she learns from her loss and her past. She is everything that we all want to be.
Your Right to Love
It is your right to define love on your own terms. Love between two consenting adults is never wrong, no matter how much anyone tries to convince you it is.
Be with the person who makes you happy. Who makes your heart sing.
It is your right to endlessly curate your life. Let her be herself. Or she will be somebody's else's.
Anxiety
I struggle with things that are as easy to others as breathing.
Like breathing. Like answering the phone. Or sending that email I have been meaning to for weeks.
I panic when I am asked out to dinner, even if it's with someone I really want to see.
It's hard for me to commit to anything, and when I do, I overthink it until my brain tells me I have made a mistake, like a rat caught in a maze, trying to claw its way out.
I don't know why I am like this. People ask me why I can't do anything without jumping through a thousand thoughts, like hoops. But sometimes I wonder if my inability to function in the real world is really such a bad thing. I wonder if that's why I've spent so much time sheltered in my imagination.
And because I can't live in the real world, I create worlds to belong to. And I wonder if the very thing I've always been told is my weakness, has all along, been my strength.
To conclude everything, I really enjoyed reading this poetry collection and I would like to read more of the author Lang Leav.
Love Looks Pretty on You is the first Lang Leav's novel that I have read and I must say that I am not disappointed. I really enjoyed reading this book and it is surprising that the mentioned topics could be represented this good way. The book tells a story of a woman fighting against her feelings. At some point, she is loved and she feels pretty. She can freely say that she is happy. That kind of happy that makes her rethink her emotional state. Is she really completely happy? Her heart says she is. Her brain says she's not, but she could be.
Well, what makes her think think that way?
There are two things that ruins her eternal happiness. The first thing is her past. While I was reading this book I got the feeling that the girl loved in her past, but it was not that kind of love that will make you happy and all satisfied with your life. I think that it was one-sided love. Which brings us to the second thing - her self esteem. The girl did not love herself in the past. She was never satisfied with her and her life and unfortunately such things make us lose the people in our lives.
There is our past self among the ruins. She, the girlish one, the foolish one, the one who longs for a place with us here, where she is not welcome.
In this book the author emphasizes the new beginning, our rebirth. We need to understand that we are only human beings and that all of us make mistakes. It is natural thing to make mistakes. We have to accept them and learn from them. Throughout the book, I realized that the girl was really attached to her parent. Seeing her Father abusing her Mother was the source of her anger, she wanted revenge. I love the mentioned girl with all of my heart because despite everything, she remained a good person. She knows how to love and she learns from her loss and her past. She is everything that we all want to be.
Your Right to Love
It is your right to define love on your own terms. Love between two consenting adults is never wrong, no matter how much anyone tries to convince you it is.
Be with the person who makes you happy. Who makes your heart sing.
It is your right to endlessly curate your life. Let her be herself. Or she will be somebody's else's.
Anxiety
I struggle with things that are as easy to others as breathing.
Like breathing. Like answering the phone. Or sending that email I have been meaning to for weeks.
I panic when I am asked out to dinner, even if it's with someone I really want to see.
It's hard for me to commit to anything, and when I do, I overthink it until my brain tells me I have made a mistake, like a rat caught in a maze, trying to claw its way out.
I don't know why I am like this. People ask me why I can't do anything without jumping through a thousand thoughts, like hoops. But sometimes I wonder if my inability to function in the real world is really such a bad thing. I wonder if that's why I've spent so much time sheltered in my imagination.
And because I can't live in the real world, I create worlds to belong to. And I wonder if the very thing I've always been told is my weakness, has all along, been my strength.
To conclude everything, I really enjoyed reading this poetry collection and I would like to read more of the author Lang Leav.
November 4, 2020
love looks pretty on you is a collection of contemporary poetry & prose exploring love, heartbreak, relationships and self-empowerment.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. FINALLY!!!! a LL book that i really enjoyed reading throughout as i find myself being able to relate most of her poetry. i have felt in her earlier works that she talks a little too much about love & heartbreak & being in love. which is nothing wrong at all - its probably just me that couldnt relate. she has proved herself as a matured writer in this one as she writes more mature topics like life, hope & validation.
everybody might have different thoughts about their favourite LL poetry book 🤗 but i guess this would be my most favourite with lullabies being second. ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. FINALLY!!!! a LL book that i really enjoyed reading throughout as i find myself being able to relate most of her poetry. i have felt in her earlier works that she talks a little too much about love & heartbreak & being in love. which is nothing wrong at all - its probably just me that couldnt relate. she has proved herself as a matured writer in this one as she writes more mature topics like life, hope & validation.
everybody might have different thoughts about their favourite LL poetry book 🤗 but i guess this would be my most favourite with lullabies being second. ✨
April 3, 2019
Good lord, Lang Leav has a way with words.
I first fell in love with her work when I read came across some poems on Pinterest that were from her Memories collection. UH-MAZING.
Her poetry is relatable, passionate, stimulating and thought-provoking. It just doesn't disappoint.
Shut Out
I felt it every day, that feeling of exclusion. Like a gradual
drop in temperature. A slow freezing out of a world I once
belonged to. I was nudged ever so slowly toward the exit, I
didn't even see the door. I only realized it was too late when
I found myself standing outside.
--
Thanks a million to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC. Quotes are subject to change upon publication.
I first fell in love with her work when I read came across some poems on Pinterest that were from her Memories collection. UH-MAZING.
Her poetry is relatable, passionate, stimulating and thought-provoking. It just doesn't disappoint.
Shut Out
I felt it every day, that feeling of exclusion. Like a gradual
drop in temperature. A slow freezing out of a world I once
belonged to. I was nudged ever so slowly toward the exit, I
didn't even see the door. I only realized it was too late when
I found myself standing outside.
--
Thanks a million to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC. Quotes are subject to change upon publication.
March 10, 2021
I really liked the poems in this book. The collection and the writing is better in this one than her previous books.
February 20, 2019
It was a lovely read, it's the first book I read from this author but I'll probably read more.
"I don't know why I am like this.
People ask me why I can't do
anything without jumping through
a thousand thoughts, like hoops.
But sometimes I wonder if my
inability to function in the real
world is really such a bad thing. I
wonder if that's why I've spent so
much time sheltered in my
imagination.
And because I can't live in the real
world, I create worlds to belong to.
And I wonder if the very thing I've
always been told is my weakness,
has all along, been my strength."
Probably one of my favourite parts, I could feel so related to this, I tend to question myself everything and I always find myself creating my own worlds where I can picture me as a person that can fit in.
"It's impossible for me to feel just
one emotion at a time. Even in
moments of pure, unadulterated
joy, there is always an intrusion of
something else, a pinprick of guilt
or sorrow shaped by a voice, not
quite my own, telling me I don't
deserve this."
"I don't know why I am like this.
People ask me why I can't do
anything without jumping through
a thousand thoughts, like hoops.
But sometimes I wonder if my
inability to function in the real
world is really such a bad thing. I
wonder if that's why I've spent so
much time sheltered in my
imagination.
And because I can't live in the real
world, I create worlds to belong to.
And I wonder if the very thing I've
always been told is my weakness,
has all along, been my strength."
Probably one of my favourite parts, I could feel so related to this, I tend to question myself everything and I always find myself creating my own worlds where I can picture me as a person that can fit in.
"It's impossible for me to feel just
one emotion at a time. Even in
moments of pure, unadulterated
joy, there is always an intrusion of
something else, a pinprick of guilt
or sorrow shaped by a voice, not
quite my own, telling me I don't
deserve this."
November 18, 2018
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
This was not my first Lang Leav's book, I think I read all her previous poetry collections before this. Every time it's a nice surprise to find some of myself in her works. This book was no exception. There are poems that are empowering and others that are sweet and tender. But there are also poems about lost love.
If you enjoy poetry I highly recommend this collection.
3.5 stars
This was not my first Lang Leav's book, I think I read all her previous poetry collections before this. Every time it's a nice surprise to find some of myself in her works. This book was no exception. There are poems that are empowering and others that are sweet and tender. But there are also poems about lost love.
If you enjoy poetry I highly recommend this collection.
December 3, 2018
"In the wrong hands, your past is a weapon."
---
To be honest, I haven't read much poetry before, but I've heard a lot about Lang Leav, so I wanted to give this work a try. The prose itself was beautiful and her prose and poetry on misogyny was well done, but overall I thought it was a bit shallow and contradictory. Perhaps I'm just not the right audience for this sort of work. I've never had an all encompassing love (sadly) so I couldn't truly relate.
However, I will say that some of Leav's poems really touched me. 'Anxiety' was one of them, I instantly recognized myself in her work at that moment.
Although this wasn't my cup of tea, I can understand why people praise Leav's poetry.
A copy of this book was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2020
I liked the message in this poetry collection and found a lot of the lines quotable. It offered a feminist outlook which was quite relatable. I didn't like the style of writing, which is just my personal preference. If you are a fan of modern poetry, you would not have this issue and I'd recommend this book to you.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review in any way.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review in any way.
November 8, 2019
The collection of poems were more about loss than love. It didn't really match with the title.
March 11, 2020
“It was the mood of the time, the feeling of forever. The sense we could live and die by our word and never regret a thing.”
Blog | Bloglovin’ | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
August 10, 2019
same with every lang leav book lol
I've read every poetry book she wrote and I always end up rating them 3 stars
her poetry is simple and easy to touch the heart but sometimes they're too simple and too repetitive and just not eloquent enough
but still, overall, I enjoyed this book
I've read every poetry book she wrote and I always end up rating them 3 stars
her poetry is simple and easy to touch the heart but sometimes they're too simple and too repetitive and just not eloquent enough
but still, overall, I enjoyed this book
January 21, 2019
Love Looks Pretty on You by Lang Leav
4.75 stars
“She felt a surge of joy that warmed her so unexpectedly, so completely—it was as though it had been waiting for her all this time. Waiting among the flowers.”
“My mother, my safe passage
into this world, fought a war
to show me wars can be won.”
“Chased away the cobwebs that I had let linger for far too long. Told the moon I was sorry, but this is now my time in the sun."
Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.5
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I am obsessed with this cover and the colors. The two colors are just so striking and I love everything about it.
Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
4.75 stars
“She felt a surge of joy that warmed her so unexpectedly, so completely—it was as though it had been waiting for her all this time. Waiting among the flowers.”
Lang Leav is a famous name that is synonymous with modern poetry. Her works have taken the publishing industry by storm and influenced a lot of poets in the process. This is my first time picking up one of her works and this is the most cohesive of the poetry collections I’ve come across. I want to say that I loved this collection. There are poems that I adore, liked, and then there are poems that I hated. So, it is a mixed bag, but my love for the poems outweighed my distaste for a handful of them. I can’t remember a time when I’ve come across a collection that has so severely touched me. Leav tackles feminism, abuse, consent, love, what is to be a woman, and the main theme of this is a love letter to women. A celebration of a woman’s psyche and her desire to be loved and the hurt that sometimes come from being loved. It’s a beautiful collection. I will preface this by saying it is poetry and prose. There are a lot of pages with just a sentence or two and that was a little off-putting to me at first, but as the collection went on, I became so immersed that I cared more about the words themselves than the blank space on the page.
“My mother, my safe passage
into this world, fought a war
to show me wars can be won.”
Let’s tackle the poems I had issues with. There are some poems in here that are aggressive to the point of me feeling uncertain if the poet means ill will toward someone or if they are making a statement. I like statement poetry, I can get behind that. I can’t, however, get behind the niggling against a human being for the actions and decisions that they make. Whether those decisions or actions are right is besides the point, they deserve grace and implying that if they so much as think about you will bring your wrath upon them is dramatic and unnecessary. This collection focuses heavily on consent, but there is one poem that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and slightly under the impression that consent is being thrown into the wind. I don’t believe this is Leav’s intention, but to a young impressionable teen who may not be able to read into the subtext it could potentially encourage a decision that is questionable. I will leave the poem in a spoiler tag in case you are curious about the content:
The one poem I can’t stand though is Obsession. It made me think of Hypodermic Sally from Hotel when she sews herself to that boy and girl because she was so in love with them and then they died on her. Ew. I just can’t get behind the weird obsessive tattoo your name on my face and bind myself to you forever. NOPE. I also wasn’t a fan of Unforgiven, but I don’t want to keep focusing on the things I didn’t like because look at all that I loved.
Poems/Prose I Recommend:
Making History
More or Less
Vultures
Pandora’s Box*
Letter to the Past*
Idols*
Before*
Refugees
Slut Shaming*
First Steps*
Flowers*
One day a moment will come to you.
Saltwater
Woman’s Anthem
Abusive Relationships*
True Love
The Gift of Everything
Rebirth
This Was the Year*
From My Heart
What He’s Lost
Reflection
A Meeting of Selves*
The Present*
Youth
These Years
Elements
House of Straw*
Write for Yourself
Love and Loss
Springtime
A Long Time Ago
I adored this collection. There are some fantastic poems in here. They truly hit me in an unexpected and beautiful way. Poetry is hit or miss with me and it’s usually more miss with me because I prefer spoken word poetry. Here is a poem that I loved:
“When my best friend told me
she was in love
my first thought was,
I hope he is good to her.
And it suddenly occurred to me,
what I held in my heart for her
was hope, when it should
have been expectation.”
Please check out this collection. I’m serious. It’s worth reading. Despite the few poems that I found to be unsatisfying and the good overweighs the bad by far. This collection is eloquent, gripping, and emotional profound. Its an intimate look at women through the lens of a poet celebrating womanhood.
“Chased away the cobwebs that I had let linger for far too long. Told the moon I was sorry, but this is now my time in the sun."
Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.5
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I am obsessed with this cover and the colors. The two colors are just so striking and I love everything about it.
Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2018
3.5 stars
I really liked this poetry collection, it was tender and very touching. I adored the themes in this one, how falling in love was represented here.
It's probably my favorite book from Lang Leav after Love & Misadventures, it restored my faith in the author and her writing.
I really liked this poetry collection, it was tender and very touching. I adored the themes in this one, how falling in love was represented here.
It's probably my favorite book from Lang Leav after Love & Misadventures, it restored my faith in the author and her writing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 839 reviews