What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lithium Chronicles: Volume One
Bestselling Canadian poet Nicole Lyons weaves together beloved pieces from her previous volumes Hush, I Am a World of Uncertainties Disguised as a Girl, and Blossom and Bone with new writing into powerful documentation of her journey as a writer. Her poetry and prose are wholly relatable, taking us deep inside the heart, and the human condition. Unafraid to bare her soul, she shares her struggles skillfully crafted with every line, giving the reader permission to take a glimpse into their own. Her readers are sensitive and smart, and Lyons understands this. JUST YOU WAIT says it all, “Be patient, pretty little tragic one, the real suffering has not yet begun.”“If we ever needed a poet laureate of brave, broken, real people who survive the darkness, Nicole Lyons would get my vote, as she is my queen of hearts. She’s a heart breaker, a heart mender, a best friend, a warrior, a solace, a rage against the dying light and a new element in the natural world that they haven’t yet named. Hell, I’m fairly sure she makes the sun shine and thunder roar. Such is her own, wild, untamed and brilliant voice.”-Candice Louisa Daquin, Pinch the Lock “Nicole Lyons is one of the most exciting, vital poets of our generation. The Lithium Chronicles is her most ambitious and brazen work to date, and she delivers above and beyond. Nicole’s ability to delve deep into the human psyche, unapologetic, is her gift to the world. Penning a full range of raw, honest, rage and brutal emotion in six lines is her mastery and magic.”-Jacqueline Cioffa, The Red Bench“Nicole writes with desire and hunger, and these passionate qualities show through every word she writes. Rainbow Rowell once wrote, “She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” That is how I feel about The Lithium Chronicles. It is art, a collection of writing that makes you feel deeply and also makes you feel understood on a level that is not always there in society or our day-to-day lives.”-Allie Burke, Paper Souls
148 pages, Paperback
Published April 3, 2019
1 person is currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Lyons
7 books235 followersNicole Lyons is a force of nature disguised as a writer, a social activist, a voice for the downtrodden, and a powerful poet with a delicate touch. She is an award-winning poet and bestselling published author.
Her work has been featured on CBC Books as well as numerous online magazines and print anthologies.
Nicole was inducted into The Mental health Writer's Guild in 2015 for her work on The Lithium Chronicles, Psych Central, The Mighty, and the International Bipolar Foundation.
In her free time, Nicole volunteers as a speaker and event coordinator with a Canadian non-profit that focuses on suicide awareness and prevention in children and teens.
She lives a good life in beautiful British Columbia with her brilliant daughters.
From a sunny porch in beautiful British Columbia, Nicole is enjoying a glass of wine and working on her next collection of poetry.
To connect with Nicole on social media, follow her below:
Facebook: @nicolelyonspoetry
Instagram: @nicolelyonspoetry
Twitter: @nicolelyonspoet
Her work has been featured on CBC Books as well as numerous online magazines and print anthologies.
Nicole was inducted into The Mental health Writer's Guild in 2015 for her work on The Lithium Chronicles, Psych Central, The Mighty, and the International Bipolar Foundation.
In her free time, Nicole volunteers as a speaker and event coordinator with a Canadian non-profit that focuses on suicide awareness and prevention in children and teens.
She lives a good life in beautiful British Columbia with her brilliant daughters.
From a sunny porch in beautiful British Columbia, Nicole is enjoying a glass of wine and working on her next collection of poetry.
To connect with Nicole on social media, follow her below:
Facebook: @nicolelyonspoetry
Instagram: @nicolelyonspoetry
Twitter: @nicolelyonspoet
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 24, 2019
The Lithium Chronicles Vol 1.
The thing about Nicole Lyons is …. There are too many things about Nicole Lyons and nothing about her is sufficient to encompass all that she is and will be.
She’s more than words. But she is without doubt the fiery mistress of words. She knows the power within words. She knows the spells behind words. She can inhabit a word and possess it and then give it back to you, with her own unique signature upon it.
How she has that mastery I don’t know, but single-handedly she’s responsible for new genres that she alone OWNS.
So, when her publishers send me an advance copy of The Lithium Chronicles Vol. 1., to review, I get a little light-headed and vacillate between two tactics; Going completely fan-girl overboard and trying to stay professional. I think I’ll go completely fan-girl overboard.
The cover alone has a claim to magnificence. And it’s no wonder, what other modern poets work deserves a gorgeous cover like that?
When Lyons began her blog, The Lithium Chronicles, I doubt even she knew how enormous her online and offline presence as a writer, thinker, philosopher and voice of her generation would become.
For those who know her, maybe her massive success comes as less of a surprise, because they already had insight into why she’s the magnetic compelling creature that she is.
The title gives us a little hint. It’s often said those who are bipolar have that irresistible mercury that we’re all attracted to. When they’re good they’re off the freakin chart.
Sometimes however, it’s worth imagining how hard it must be to be Nicole Lyons? What a price you pay for that degree of creative altitude?
Consider how all those mercury souls who write, have to navigate, survive and endure the intense highs that may bring madness or brilliance, whilst the lows confer almost un-survivable darkness. Maybe that’s why so many true artists do have some kind of mood-disorder, where they are at the mercy of something within them that can produce such excellence. It’s like skating on a knifes edge and avoiding being stabbed by it your entire life.
I could quote Nicole Lyons for hours, and in fact I have quoted her more than any other writer I believe on my own blog. Equally, you could google how many throughout her writing career thus far, have done just that and remain hypnotized to the succinct and desperately clever way she riddles her wordage. However, rather than quoting her this time, I ask you to just go out and buy her and grow her voice even more, although I know she’ll do it without you because that’s who she is, she’s a scrapper. She’s a survivor and she’s a bad ass and she’s also got a golden heart and a fierce mouth that I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of, but one I intensely, eternally respect.
If you spend any time on social media, you’ll see Nicole Lyons work everywhere there is poetry, in fact you’ll see people outright plagiarizing it, she’s one of the most often copied artists and regularly has people pretending her work is theirs. I suppose imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but I also know it’s sickening, cheap and terribly hard on the author.
Personally, I get really tired of reading endless memes online, especially those life affirming quotes. I’ve just had too much of it now. I find a lot of things about social media irritating and insincere. But somehow and despite this, I find myself sharing Nicole Lyons work again and again as if she’s every kind of exception to every kind of rule.
It’s probably because, Nicole Lyons just isn’t and will never be a passing phase, a momentary epiphany or a transient hot writer. She’s here to stay the long haul, and if you label her as simply an author of memes and short, clever phraseology, you’ve missed her depths and she has a velvet goldmine of them. Some of her most profound and moving work is in her longer writings which you may not be as familiar with as they are not shared as often but you will find them in this volume. It may surprise you how versed she is at any length poem, and how moving and intense her longer pieces can be.
Yes. That’s it. Nicole Lyons is an exception to every rule. She’s the author you will become addicted to, even as you vowed never to become addicted to any writer. She’s the straight girl you will crush on whether you’re straight or gay, because of her honesty, and the sheer erotic will of her soul. She’s the poet you’ll most often quote, probably imperfectly, and you’ll finally accept that she’s cast a long spell on you the way all fantastic and immortal writers do and you can’t put that feeling into words.
I won’t quote Nicole Lyons because you probably already know how good she is. The only thing left to say is, if you ever read poetry and feel something, you’ll want to own every last thing Lyons has written and this is absolutely no exception. If we ever needed a poet laureate of brave, broken, real people who survive the darkness, Nicole Lyons would get my vote, as she is my queen of hearts. She’s a heart breaker, a heart mender, a best friend, a warrior, a solace, a rage against the dying light and a new element in the natural world that they haven’t yet named. Hell, I’m fairly sure she makes the sun shine and thunder roar. Such is her own, wild, untamed and brilliant voice.
The thing about Nicole Lyons is …. There are too many things about Nicole Lyons and nothing about her is sufficient to encompass all that she is and will be.
She’s more than words. But she is without doubt the fiery mistress of words. She knows the power within words. She knows the spells behind words. She can inhabit a word and possess it and then give it back to you, with her own unique signature upon it.
How she has that mastery I don’t know, but single-handedly she’s responsible for new genres that she alone OWNS.
So, when her publishers send me an advance copy of The Lithium Chronicles Vol. 1., to review, I get a little light-headed and vacillate between two tactics; Going completely fan-girl overboard and trying to stay professional. I think I’ll go completely fan-girl overboard.
The cover alone has a claim to magnificence. And it’s no wonder, what other modern poets work deserves a gorgeous cover like that?
When Lyons began her blog, The Lithium Chronicles, I doubt even she knew how enormous her online and offline presence as a writer, thinker, philosopher and voice of her generation would become.
For those who know her, maybe her massive success comes as less of a surprise, because they already had insight into why she’s the magnetic compelling creature that she is.
The title gives us a little hint. It’s often said those who are bipolar have that irresistible mercury that we’re all attracted to. When they’re good they’re off the freakin chart.
Sometimes however, it’s worth imagining how hard it must be to be Nicole Lyons? What a price you pay for that degree of creative altitude?
Consider how all those mercury souls who write, have to navigate, survive and endure the intense highs that may bring madness or brilliance, whilst the lows confer almost un-survivable darkness. Maybe that’s why so many true artists do have some kind of mood-disorder, where they are at the mercy of something within them that can produce such excellence. It’s like skating on a knifes edge and avoiding being stabbed by it your entire life.
I could quote Nicole Lyons for hours, and in fact I have quoted her more than any other writer I believe on my own blog. Equally, you could google how many throughout her writing career thus far, have done just that and remain hypnotized to the succinct and desperately clever way she riddles her wordage. However, rather than quoting her this time, I ask you to just go out and buy her and grow her voice even more, although I know she’ll do it without you because that’s who she is, she’s a scrapper. She’s a survivor and she’s a bad ass and she’s also got a golden heart and a fierce mouth that I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of, but one I intensely, eternally respect.
If you spend any time on social media, you’ll see Nicole Lyons work everywhere there is poetry, in fact you’ll see people outright plagiarizing it, she’s one of the most often copied artists and regularly has people pretending her work is theirs. I suppose imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but I also know it’s sickening, cheap and terribly hard on the author.
Personally, I get really tired of reading endless memes online, especially those life affirming quotes. I’ve just had too much of it now. I find a lot of things about social media irritating and insincere. But somehow and despite this, I find myself sharing Nicole Lyons work again and again as if she’s every kind of exception to every kind of rule.
It’s probably because, Nicole Lyons just isn’t and will never be a passing phase, a momentary epiphany or a transient hot writer. She’s here to stay the long haul, and if you label her as simply an author of memes and short, clever phraseology, you’ve missed her depths and she has a velvet goldmine of them. Some of her most profound and moving work is in her longer writings which you may not be as familiar with as they are not shared as often but you will find them in this volume. It may surprise you how versed she is at any length poem, and how moving and intense her longer pieces can be.
Yes. That’s it. Nicole Lyons is an exception to every rule. She’s the author you will become addicted to, even as you vowed never to become addicted to any writer. She’s the straight girl you will crush on whether you’re straight or gay, because of her honesty, and the sheer erotic will of her soul. She’s the poet you’ll most often quote, probably imperfectly, and you’ll finally accept that she’s cast a long spell on you the way all fantastic and immortal writers do and you can’t put that feeling into words.
I won’t quote Nicole Lyons because you probably already know how good she is. The only thing left to say is, if you ever read poetry and feel something, you’ll want to own every last thing Lyons has written and this is absolutely no exception. If we ever needed a poet laureate of brave, broken, real people who survive the darkness, Nicole Lyons would get my vote, as she is my queen of hearts. She’s a heart breaker, a heart mender, a best friend, a warrior, a solace, a rage against the dying light and a new element in the natural world that they haven’t yet named. Hell, I’m fairly sure she makes the sun shine and thunder roar. Such is her own, wild, untamed and brilliant voice.
April 7, 2019
Note: I will unabashedly agree this review is extremely personal, and not in the least bit objective.
“I am a lover of words,
and tragically beautiful things,”
Not Entirely Broken, Never Quite Whole
Nicole Lyons’ new release, The Lithium Chronicles, [coming Spring 2019] is part collected works from previous publications and new pieces that are ripped straight from the center of her being and thrusted into ours.
It is difficult for me to review Nicole’s work, not because I find it lacking in any way, but because it presents such power and vulnerability that I’m left overwhelmed.
With a handful of words Lyons can give you a window into the haunting, often debilitating world of depression (“Depression Sleeps”) and she’ll take you on roller coaster ride that so vividly paints a portrait of mania, you’ll find yourself dizzy afterword (“My Manic Mind”).
When Nicole asked me to read and review an early copy of TLC, I was honored and ecstatic (to put it lightly). I opened it immediately and was met with some of my most beloved pieces written by her, excited to see they were added to the collection. I found new pieces that felt as if she plucked them straight from my own wandering mess of a head (“Eerie Alones And Jams Of Traffic”), which only intensified the connection I already feel to her writing.
While Nicole tackles the depth of inner darkness and the shadows of a past life never far from present, her writing can appeal to anyone who feels, and feels strongly regardless of reason. There is also healing, encouragement, empowerment, and acceptance in her words (“She, Of The Darkest”, “Like New”, “Dragon Soul”) to herself and her readers. If anything, I would sum up TLC as cathartic.
The day she chose to strip herself
of everyone else’s opinions
was the first time she knew strength,
held courage, and felt beauty.
That was the day when she finally
understood what it meant to be free.
That Day, At Dinner
Like all of her works, The Lithium Chronicles can be read and read again. The skillful way Nicole expresses what is in her head and her heart feels like a hug to the soul every time I open one of her books, and TLC is no different. I have already found myself drawn to certain pieces over and over again (“Little Black Dress”, “I Want To Burn”, In Static And Stereo”). The meaning, interpretation, changes depending on mood, on what is ransaking my own mind and heart (or that of the readers). Poetry is a way to feel, to connect, to oneself and to others. It has the magic qualities of making the reader feel less alone with their own emotions.
To the readers who may not tread through the shadows, who may not be able to so deeply relate to the words on the pages, The Lithium Chronicles offers you a view inside the mind of someone who has walked through their own Hell and come out with a burning ferocity of survival.
This life hasn’t been easy on me,
I have learned to breathe fire,
and God help any of you who would
ever try to smother my flames.
Dragon Soul
“I am a lover of words,
and tragically beautiful things,”
Not Entirely Broken, Never Quite Whole
Nicole Lyons’ new release, The Lithium Chronicles, [coming Spring 2019] is part collected works from previous publications and new pieces that are ripped straight from the center of her being and thrusted into ours.
It is difficult for me to review Nicole’s work, not because I find it lacking in any way, but because it presents such power and vulnerability that I’m left overwhelmed.
With a handful of words Lyons can give you a window into the haunting, often debilitating world of depression (“Depression Sleeps”) and she’ll take you on roller coaster ride that so vividly paints a portrait of mania, you’ll find yourself dizzy afterword (“My Manic Mind”).
When Nicole asked me to read and review an early copy of TLC, I was honored and ecstatic (to put it lightly). I opened it immediately and was met with some of my most beloved pieces written by her, excited to see they were added to the collection. I found new pieces that felt as if she plucked them straight from my own wandering mess of a head (“Eerie Alones And Jams Of Traffic”), which only intensified the connection I already feel to her writing.
While Nicole tackles the depth of inner darkness and the shadows of a past life never far from present, her writing can appeal to anyone who feels, and feels strongly regardless of reason. There is also healing, encouragement, empowerment, and acceptance in her words (“She, Of The Darkest”, “Like New”, “Dragon Soul”) to herself and her readers. If anything, I would sum up TLC as cathartic.
The day she chose to strip herself
of everyone else’s opinions
was the first time she knew strength,
held courage, and felt beauty.
That was the day when she finally
understood what it meant to be free.
That Day, At Dinner
Like all of her works, The Lithium Chronicles can be read and read again. The skillful way Nicole expresses what is in her head and her heart feels like a hug to the soul every time I open one of her books, and TLC is no different. I have already found myself drawn to certain pieces over and over again (“Little Black Dress”, “I Want To Burn”, In Static And Stereo”). The meaning, interpretation, changes depending on mood, on what is ransaking my own mind and heart (or that of the readers). Poetry is a way to feel, to connect, to oneself and to others. It has the magic qualities of making the reader feel less alone with their own emotions.
To the readers who may not tread through the shadows, who may not be able to so deeply relate to the words on the pages, The Lithium Chronicles offers you a view inside the mind of someone who has walked through their own Hell and come out with a burning ferocity of survival.
This life hasn’t been easy on me,
I have learned to breathe fire,
and God help any of you who would
ever try to smother my flames.
Dragon Soul
April 18, 2019
Nicole Lyons' latest book, "The Lithium Chronicles Volume One," is another entrancing ride through her mind, soul, darkness, and is a testament to her unique ability to express life experiences in a frisson of gut-punching poetry. Among the 145 poems, Nicole displays her mastery of minimalism offering short poems which reach out and clench your heart before you even realize you've been blown away by her deepest thoughts in only four and five lines. Just one of so many, "Little Black Dress," sends my mind reeling with four short lines...
Oh, how she walks.
Draped in demons,
dripping despair,
she is the prettiest hell.
I cannot possibly name one favorite, but in my top ten is, "The Colour of Us." This syncopated poem tells a story of found love to the extreme in a beautiful rhythm of words...
And that's how it was, he and I,
right from the start: peas and carrots,
sand and surf, heaven and hell.
Swoon.
I dare you NOT to buy this book to find out the end of this brilliantly descriptive love story.
A hidden jewel in "The Lithium Chronicles" is the metaphorical essay, "My Manic Mind." Having my own manic mind, I do not believe I've read a more lucid description of the nonlucid state of mania. This literal roller coaster ride is a mind-blinding homage to the lure and devastation of a manic mind...
There is no end to this fair, this ride, and this hunger; there is only the swift descent into oblivion.
Perhaps coincidentally, I have an ankle tattoo which reads "oblivion." If you are a follower of Nicole Lyons' poetry, this collection will leave you mesmerized, hypnotized, satisfied—and wanting more. I wait in anticipation for "Volume Two."
Oh, how she walks.
Draped in demons,
dripping despair,
she is the prettiest hell.
I cannot possibly name one favorite, but in my top ten is, "The Colour of Us." This syncopated poem tells a story of found love to the extreme in a beautiful rhythm of words...
And that's how it was, he and I,
right from the start: peas and carrots,
sand and surf, heaven and hell.
Swoon.
I dare you NOT to buy this book to find out the end of this brilliantly descriptive love story.
A hidden jewel in "The Lithium Chronicles" is the metaphorical essay, "My Manic Mind." Having my own manic mind, I do not believe I've read a more lucid description of the nonlucid state of mania. This literal roller coaster ride is a mind-blinding homage to the lure and devastation of a manic mind...
There is no end to this fair, this ride, and this hunger; there is only the swift descent into oblivion.
Perhaps coincidentally, I have an ankle tattoo which reads "oblivion." If you are a follower of Nicole Lyons' poetry, this collection will leave you mesmerized, hypnotized, satisfied—and wanting more. I wait in anticipation for "Volume Two."
April 6, 2019
Nicole Lyons is one of the most exciting, vital poets of our generation. THE LITHIUM CHRONICLES is her most ambitious and brazen work to date, and she delivers above and beyond. Nicole’s ability to delve deep into the human psyche, unapologetic, is her gift to the world. Penning a full range of raw, honest, rage and brutal emotion in six lines is her mastery and magic.
MY D A Y S ARE NU M B E R E D paints an almost pretty picture of life colored by mental illness wrapped inside her exquisite prose, “I’m always packing a rainbow wherever I go.”
Nicole Lyons poetry and prose are wholly relatable, taking us deep inside the heart, and the human condition. Unafraid to bare her soul, she shares her struggles skillfully crafted with every line, giving the reader permission to take a glimpse into their own. Her readers are sensitive and smart, and Lyons understands this. JUST YOU WAIT says it all, “Be patient, pretty little tragic one, the real suffering has not yet begun.”
THE LITHIUM CHRONICLES is a triumphant, thrilling, ambitious, painful, and vital work that delves headfirst into mental illness, life, loss, and ultimately the power of love.
MY D A Y S ARE NU M B E R E D paints an almost pretty picture of life colored by mental illness wrapped inside her exquisite prose, “I’m always packing a rainbow wherever I go.”
Nicole Lyons poetry and prose are wholly relatable, taking us deep inside the heart, and the human condition. Unafraid to bare her soul, she shares her struggles skillfully crafted with every line, giving the reader permission to take a glimpse into their own. Her readers are sensitive and smart, and Lyons understands this. JUST YOU WAIT says it all, “Be patient, pretty little tragic one, the real suffering has not yet begun.”
THE LITHIUM CHRONICLES is a triumphant, thrilling, ambitious, painful, and vital work that delves headfirst into mental illness, life, loss, and ultimately the power of love.
May 17, 2019
Volume One is stunning. Lyons' work is flawless, punchy and beautiful.
It was such a pleasure to see many pieces I had read before return in all their glory, as well as bask in the new pieces too.
I've said it before, and I will say it again, Lyons undeniably leads the pack.
She is fierce, wise and wild.
It was such a pleasure to see many pieces I had read before return in all their glory, as well as bask in the new pieces too.
I've said it before, and I will say it again, Lyons undeniably leads the pack.
She is fierce, wise and wild.
October 10, 2019
Nicole Lyons is not only an inspiring poet, but a human being who inspires. She is ever growing, and in her latest collection, The Lithium Chronicles vol. 1, Lyons guides us to places that burn sharper than any other she's allowed us to explore.
Is Nicole Lyons brave for baring herself so unapologetically? The simple answer is yes, but for me, it has nothing to do with bravery and everything to do with the preservation of self. Lyons is a truth teller of all things, consequences be damned. That's not bravery. That's just her way of life. What a fiercely beautiful thing, don't you think?
Is Nicole Lyons brave for baring herself so unapologetically? The simple answer is yes, but for me, it has nothing to do with bravery and everything to do with the preservation of self. Lyons is a truth teller of all things, consequences be damned. That's not bravery. That's just her way of life. What a fiercely beautiful thing, don't you think?
May 4, 2019
Absolute perfection!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews