Smokes And Whiskey

by Tejaswini Divya Naik

Titled Smokes and Whiskey, the book is a collection of 42 poems on relationships, the ups and downs that come along with it, falling apart like rubble, but then finding oneself, gathering that strength back and building yourself up, back from that same rubble. I hope that this book makes everyone feel what I felt while writing it, and that love is a universal thing, and my story is not unique. And I hope that this makes them see that there is a beyond and that they can come out happy and clean. And, that this makes them braver than they already are, and gives them that little extra push and strength that they probably need

Genres: Poetry, Audiobook

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2019

Reviews

[Elliott Rinehart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly interesting. But a waste of time. Here is a woman defined by the men she has let ruin her life. Don’t let her ruin your life too; don’t read this book. At least it didn’t make me miserable.

[Aadya Dubey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kiddish.
There seriously is better poetry that exists.
Anyway.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I neither enjoyed this, nor thought it was at all well-written. But that's just me. Obviously.

[Pretty Little Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armoured with just 42 poems, this book surprisingly launches a punch at the reader. The poems are written in the contemporary style, made popular by many poets such as Nikita Gill, Rupi Kaur, and Amanda Lovelace etc. Smokes and Whiskey was a quick yet impactful read and I loved going through the poems.

The reader should go in with a trigger warning however – there are mentions of rapes, domestic violence, abuse, mental harassment etc. all of these are so relevant and the way that the poet uses her words makes sure that the end product is raw and poignant, and still relatable. They touch the reader’s heart and makes for an impactful read.

There is a certain rawness in the poet’s words; a certain tinge self-destructiveness that peeks through as the poet writes:
I give hearts out away for free
Maye there’s something wrong in me.

Or maybe the way the poet states this bittersweet statement makes the reader feel so. I personally loved many of the individual poems and marked quite a few of them. I shall definitely be going back to reading these ones soon. They are so sad at times – leaving me utterly despondent, but the poet is successful in showing a ray of hope to the reader and this is perhaps what also makes this collection one worth remembering.

This is definitely one collection I won’t be forgetting anytime soon!

I really enjoyed reading this anthology and I rate it a 4/5 stars.

[Ashwini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smokes and Whiskey, as rightly said is a journal yet it strikes a chord with a lot of us. Each poem tells a story which we have probably lived half or full.

The collection takes you through ups and downs of relationships, trust, love, dreams, heartbreak and strength. It might be a trigger or it can be a beautiful way to begin again. I personally love the way words are placed, photographs are set and the pieces are not titled. I think they don't need a title, the words say it all.

At some point of time probably after 25 poems, I wanted the sun to shine brighter but it happened a little late when the collection comes to an end. Choice of words, expression and the boldness at the end of every poem. Bang on!

If you are a poetry lover like me, you will not be disappointed. For all the accolades, congratulations Tejaswini and I'd love to read more of you. Thanks for the smokes and whiskey! :)

[Peter Longden · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we approach a third of the way through our #thesealeychallenge journey, I chose ‘Smokes and Whiskey’ by Tejaswini Divya Naik which is in itself in the style of a poetic journal following the poets journey through a relationship and finding some understanding of its ups and downs and, ultimately, how to find some closure at its end. It is beautifully written with skilful poetic touches that brings it to life when there might have been a tendency towards the melancholy. Instead the poet tells us of a strengthening individual who fights against disappointment, learning to live and thrive.
Excellent imagery and descriptions in which the poet has taken great care to find the words to best suit the emotions being described. Another collection I have really enjoyed.

[Jamie (Books and Ladders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and more on Books and Ladders!

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. This is all about love, relationships, and who we become when we are consumed by another, but I thought some of the poems were weak in comparison to others and the structure didn't always keep my interest. I think there are better poems and poets that are talking about similar topics than this.

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[Ria Kaushik · Rating 4 out of 5]

•SMOKES AND WHISKEY•
🥃
“To love is the essence of life. And yet sometimes, maybe a lot of times, love is the most painful thing.”
✨
Tejaswini Naik for me, is the new Rupi Kaur! ✨
The way her poems were written, they rattled me a bit and even had me drowning a little, in the feelings I had once felt. But it just made me so glad also, for ever having felt it, so I could relate to what she has written ❤️

[Asha K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful collection of poetries by Ms. Naik.
It almost seems like they were written in one go, transcending into a story of love, loss and healing. The only reason why I won't rate it five stars is because one or two instances it almost feels like the feelings put into the poems is repetitive, but maybe that is just me.
Go ahead, give it a read.

[DeeJay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo to the poetess for putting out such strong feelings into such simple words. I had tears in my eyes while reading part 3.
I don't know I have a feeling that this is not just poetry but something so much more, something that must have been a part of her life that she literally just poured out on blank pieces of paper and gave them life.

[Gauravi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book made me realize that there are ample of people out there in toxic relationship. Some turn to reading and writing habit and others into destructive nature (I believe). I would recommend it to somebody who wants to heal and is interested in reading poetry. Also, the book has amazing graphics and photography!

[Shazia Noor · Rating 3 out of 5]

🍂It's a book which carries a set of 42 poems. Having beautiful illustrations on every turning page makes the reading more enjoyable.

🍂Poems are based on the relationships, its ups and downs, heartbreaks every person must have gone through once in their lifetime.
They are written graciously and are quite relatable.

🍂Tejaswini had put out such strong feeling into such simple words.
It was a quick yet poignant read and I liked reading them.

🍂At times, the poems are very sad. So it won't be a great idea to pick this book up when you're already sad or on the edge to sadness.

🍂And the book cover surely attracts a reader's attention.

[Anusuya Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a beautiful English poetry book consists of 42 poems on relationships and all the roller coaster rides in it. The authors message is very beautiful through this book- “I’ll always be that person for you, who was never there for me.” Such a pure essence of love beautifully written which will make every girl feel and relate to themselves.
Review- ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ronnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judged this book by the cover.
Looks like I wasn't wrong after all. Poems accompanied by illustrations and pictures have been placed along each other so perfectly that they will leave a huge impact on you. Loved the overall quality and the print as well.

[Kakuli Nag · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read a few poems from this collection. It reflects layered thinking on a broad range of subjects - the romantic or the rebel, the cause or the consequence, something or the other will stir you deep and the feeling will remain with you for a long time.

[Sarah Romero · Rating 1 out of 5]

So painfully juvenile that I couldn’t finish it. This collection of poems summed up: “Tell me you’re a 20-year-old woman writing in her private journal without telling me you’re a 20-year-old woman writing in her private journal.”

[Twinkle Bakshii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry that you can relate to. A small piece, a couple of lines that speak directly to you and deliver a story full of emotion that you wouldn't know what to do with. Easy and a quick read.

[Wasif Majeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started the book, I could hardly put it down. I read and reread it, and it still catches my eye.
Really looking forward to read her next book.

[Sahil Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth my time and money. Great job done.

[Ankit Bansal · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a touchy book.
Worth reading.

[Ankit Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read.
Breathtaking, beautiful, refreshing, heartbreaking, poignant, and last but not the least, healing. If you're suffering a heartbreak, then this book is for you!

[उमंग वर्धन · Rating 2 out of 5]

was expecting more!!

[Abhishek Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are definitely gonna find at least one or two poems which would deeply touch you!!

[Shikha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't say these are the best poems I have read but it definitely inspired me to write! I owe it to this book.

[Raj Gulecha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the relativity and reality of this book. All poetries have good metaphors. And yes this book is all about sadness and intuitive. I really love this book.

[Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creative, thoughtful poetry collection about relationships and hard times. I enjoyed it.

[Ashish Rohilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome poetry

[Tyler McCutchen · Rating 1 out of 5]

One phrase- “I can’t breathe” over. And over. Horrible

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Nilakshi Pathak · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a collection of 42 poems. A collection of few good and few not so good poems but that’s alright, I guess. Not to be read when you are sad, it can heighten the sadness.