Playing with Matches

by Michael Faudet

Playing with Matches is the ultimate collector’s edition by internationally best-selling poet, Michael Faudet. A beautiful hardcover gift book that has been personally curated by the author featuring a compilation of the best work from his five published books and thirty-five new pieces of poetry and prose for readers to discover. A wonderful addition to any bookshelf.

To complement the exquisite and evocative poetry, prose, and short stories, this gorgeous book also gives readers a private glimpse into the author’s life. Comprising of black and white photographs taken by Michael Faudet that capture the inspiration behind the writing.

Playing with Matches is a must-have for fans of Dirty Pretty Things , Bitter Sweet Love , Smoke & Mirrors , Winter of Summers , and Cult of Two . A poetry lover’s delight with an additional 35 new pieces never before published in any Michael Faudet collection. An intricate exploration of love, heartbreak, seduction, self-empowerment, and sex that will spark your imagination and ignite the flames of passion that burn inside all of us.

Genres: Poetry

296 pages, Hardcover

Published November 23, 2021

About the author

Michael Faudet is the author of the international bestsellers Dirty Pretty Things, Bitter Sweet Love, Smoke & Mirrors, Winter of Summers, Cult of Two, and Playing with Matches. His books have been nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry.

Dirty Pretty Things was also selected by Sylvia Whitman, the owner of the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, as one of her personal favorite books of 2016.

He frequently explores the intricacies of love, loss, relationships, and sex in poetry, prose, and short stories. His lyrical and often sensual writing continues to attract readers from all around the world.

Before turning his hand to writing books, Michael enjoyed a successful career in advertising as an award-winning executive creative director. He managed creative departments and developed advertising campaigns for major brands in many countries.

Michael is represented by the literary agency Writers House, New York. He currently lives in New Zealand in a little house by the sea with partner and author Lang Leav.

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven collection of poems and prose snippets from several of the authors collections. I don't know what this says about me, but I found his lusty pieces far more interesting and engaging than his more loving or heart broken pieces.

At times it veered into vapid:

'In Your Eyes'

In your eyes I see myself. I see the love we never thought
was possible.

But there were some interesting (and slightly hot) poems as well:

'Seduction'

The more buttons you undo, she said the faster I become
undone.

But for every clever stanza:

'Roses'

Roses wear blindfolds,
Violets crack whips,
candle wax dripping,
teeth biting lips.

There was something like this:

'I Hear You'

I know there are times when you think I'm not listening.
Lost in my own little world of self-denials. But believe me, I
do hear your words -and your undying love for me is like
a hand pressed into my back. Pushing me forward. All the
encouragement I will ever need.

An incredibly mixed bag and because there was no clear organization that I could tell, I had a lot of thematic and quality-related whiplash.

**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Eliza Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally just a collection of poems from his other books.. nothing new here 😭

[Piper · Rating 1 out of 5]

i applaud you for getting bitches mr. faudet. but i beg of you, put down the pen and stick with the pussy

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a hot minute since I last read a collection of poetry from Michael Faudet and I think I found new appreciation for his work. With the last couple of his books I got a bit burned out on his style of writing but this time it just worked for me. Everything was beautiful, from the sweet innocent pieces on love,to the hot and steamy poems,to the stunning and haunting prose parts. Faudet truly has a gift of creating a scene with the characters you quickly empathize with in just a short amount of words. If he ever writes an erotic novel I will 100% read it and enjoy it I am sure. If you like a bit of spice in your reading this is a collection for you.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sani ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, I liked some of the poems, especially the book one and the social media one.

[Maryjane Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I liked this more, I really do. I’ve given 4 and 5 stars to all of his books, but I just couldn’t on this one.

This may be the OCD in me, but I have the cover and font used. It’s nothing like his other books and now they won’t all look nice on my bookshelf (that’s not why I gave it three stars).

I just felt like it was kind of all over the place. The new pieces didn’t flow as well as his older pieces.

[Alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael has a special way of creating poetry and prose, it's hard for me to put into words the way he captures relatable moments and feelings with just a few lines.
Through each page it is as if the author himself is telling you stories, which makes you feel more confident, almost as if you know the author more personally.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael tiene una manera especial de crear poesía y prosa, me es dificil poner en palabras la manera en la que capta con pocas líneas momentos y sentimientos con los que te puedes identificar.
A través de cada página es como si el mismo autor estuviera contándote historias, lo que te hace sentir más en confianza, casi como si conocieras al autor de manera más personal.

[Itsnotmichnoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I hoped reading Bukowski would be like.
This book is so honest, both in love and in lust, it made me nostalgic in a very beautiful, tender way, about a life I don't yet know, a lover I haven't yet met and all the emotions I'm yet to feel. This recollection of poems met most of my expectations, the prose was good, the rhythm was dynamic and the impact it had on me is strong enough to leave me aching for more. I must say that at times it became overly sex-crazed and downright explicit, but I still appreciate it's raw nature and dream-like storytelling.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I WILL REREAD THIS BOOK!!! OMG THE WAY THAT THIS BOOK GAVE CLOSURE THROUGH SHORT STORIES IN ALL OF HIS PREVIOUS BOOKS: “Dirty Pretty Things, Bitter Sweet Love, Smoke & Mirrors, Winter of Summers, and Cult of Two.” WE DIDN'T ASK FOR IT, BUT OMG IT’S A CLOSURE I DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED THAT MADE ME WANT TO REREAD ALL OF IT ONCE AGAIN. THE PHOTOGRAPHY? CHEF’S KISS. THE SMUT?! SMUT??!!! BOOMER LMAO!!! I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY OF THIS BOOK!!! ***CRIES WITH BLOOD IN MY FRAGILE EYES!!!

[Aundrea Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Faudet was introduced to me through his partner, Lang Leav. Lang Leav has been my favorite poet for many many years. I like to say if Lang Leav is sugar or honey, Michael is lemon pepper, a little sour and a little heat. This book contained new and previously published poems, I included my favorites. I will warn if you’re looking for a new poetry book, be aware Michael does write many poems that contain explicit sexual content. A wonderful read.

[Hadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading any of Faudet’s pieces, so the fact that this book was an overarching collection of his other books was appealing to me. It had a good variety of themes that beckoned various emotions.

I like the pictures he is able to paint. The stories he told and the pieces about books/reading/writing/words themselves were my favorite. His pieces about sex spoke to me less—probably because it’s a man writing about sex which usually inspires an eye-roll from me.

[Alyna Patricia Calcaño Bermúdez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Michael Faudet is an edgy, angsty, h*rny 16 year old’s idea of what poetry is. He writes a lot but says nothing at all. There is nothing compelling or worthwhile about his writing style in this particular book and, although there are some good poems, they are so far and in between a sea of absolutely terrible ones that it’s hard to truly appreciate them. If you want to buy this book: don’t. The pictures are nice though.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading his work (I’m trying to read more poetry). I will say some of his writing is a little more on the raunchy side…with that in mind, I think the way he conveys human thought, feeling, and emotion was excellently done. I wasn’t blown away by most of what I read, but there were a few poems that really hit home.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting out the month of love with a collection of romantic and erotic poetry and prose.
I enjoyed this collection, I actually prefer the short stories more. I'd love to see Michael publish a collection of erotic short stories or a novella one day, I love his word play balancing elegant prose with crass words. Has a delightful Libra/Scorpio vibe-- mischievous yet amorous.

[Kaitlynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Faudet is one of my favorite poets. I’m so glad I bought this book to add to my collection of his others. This book is just a peek in to what his collection contains and makes me want to reread them all over again

[Yelizaveta Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Knocked it out in two sittings.

I tend to shy away from contemporary poets, as most seem to lack a certain technical component in their writing, making the messages strong but the delivery weak. Faudet, however, writes beautiful poems in a beautiful way. I loved it.

[Shawna Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Faudet is one of my favorite poetry authors and this book was great! I actually didn’t know it was a collection of his older things and some new ones as well, but that’s totally okay. The added touch of his own photos make it more personal as well.

[Sarah Brugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry has certainly cemented Faudet into my list of favorites. His poetry and prose managed to make me laugh, cry, and reflect on my own life. I will definitely look for his name the next time I find myself in a book store.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't judge a book by its cover they say. I bought this - looking for new poetry - based on a striking cover, the design of the book is wonderful. The material on the other hand is not. Sometimes downright cringey in fact. A waste of time and money, sadly. Live and learn.

[Nicole Margarette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 I started reading this expecting it to be all poetry, but there are a lot of short stories as well. I liked some of them, especially Sophia’s, though a few made me zone out while reading. Still, I really enjoy Michael Faudet’s writing—it’s like being touched with words.

[Chloë Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, a sexy adventure with his poems. I love his work so much, they're infectious, found some new favorites 🖤❤

[Dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t make me feel anything. Bought it for the cover and love for poetry but was left very disappointed

[abriana! · Rating 5 out of 5]

possibly my new favorite poetry book. 10/10

[sofia bessette · Rating 5 out of 5]

faudet. that’s it.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“dusty pink nipples” need i say more?

[Utha · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It was always about you. Seldom me. And never us.”

[Rhiley Jade · Rating 1 out of 5]

🤢🤢 men 🤢🤢

[Avery Looney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just a collection of past poems

[Brooklyn A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t love it as much as his other works but still a good read

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I read the line "her breasts slapping against my chest"