Love and Wine

by Alex Diaz

"We were just two kids falling in love."

"Love and Wine" tells the story of love at every stage in every form— romantic, friendship, familial and self-love. With each verse, the reader falls in love with love again. Diaz’s quiet voice in modern poetry will take you back to your first love, last love and each one in between. "Love and Wine" tells the magic and the heartbreak of love. A book from the heart for the heart.

Genres: Love, Poetry, Romantic, Romance

316 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2020

About the author

Alex Diaz is a former middle school teacher who began to write full time when he realized he was telling his students to pursue their dreams but wasn’t ultimately following his. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, his love of writing sprung from the most unusual places - writing a story for another student in high school. With no rubric as a guide, Alex’s passion for writing blossomed. Alex graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a bachelor’s degree in English. When not writing, Alex enjoys family time, long walks - inspiration is everywhere, and eating chocolate. His favorite authors range from Joel Osteen to R.L. Stine to Atticus. He found his love of reading at his mother’s side. Since then, the right books have always found him at just the right time. He desires to one day be able to walk into a bookstore and sign physical copies of his books. Alex hopes readers leave his books with joy, words of wisdom, and the "awe" feeling.

In the Books and Love and Wine are his debut collections.

You can contact him via Instagram at @alexdiazpoetry or @believealex

Reviews

[Kristi (taleswithtrix) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me poetry is usually hit or miss! This was a hit. Simplicity in poetry is very much my style, which is what Alex embraces.

This collection of poetry about many kinds of love is beautiful and encompasses all of the feelings of love; the joy as well as the pain and sorrow! The photos throughout the book (one with each poem) really bring the poetry to life in such a natural way that makes the poetry very relatable.

One thing I love about Alex's writing is that he embraces and respects women and their strength. It shines through in many of his poems and you can feel the love he has for the women role models in his life!

My favorite poem from the book reads:
"She didn't dream of an 'I love you' - she dreamt of an 'I love you too.'"

[Alex Filmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very simple straight forward, very inspiring too in a way that makes me feel like I should write a collection of poems and publish them and advertise it all over tik tok.

Not an awful collection by any means, some of these pages gave me thoughtful “hmm’s” but equally some of them made me think damn that’s a bit cringe.

[alexandra]

eh

[Valluvan Thillairajah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love and Wine by Alex Diaz initially caught my eye with its aesthetically pleasing cover, promising a deep dive into the complexities of love and dating. Upon first glance, the book seemed to lean heavily on stock-like images paired with minimalistic text. However, as I spent more time with it, I realized that within its simplicity lay hidden depths that resonated deeply with my own experiences.

The piece that immediately struck a chord with me was 'Prayers for Every Woman I've Dated'. Its heartfelt words, "They are beautiful on the outside breathtaking on the inside. Please surround them with angels. Protect them from harm. Bless them with love. Allow them to pursue their dreams and become everything they want. Bless their souls and the souls of those they care for the most. They are special individuals I can't help but be grateful for," mirrored my own sentiments towards past relationships. It felt like Diaz had articulated the profound respect and gratitude that I often struggled to express.

Other quotes, such as "In love's vineyard, we are both the wine and the cup," and "Heartbeats sync like vines entwined, a dance of fate and chance," beautifully captured the essence of romantic connection and destiny. These lines, though succinct, seemed to encapsulate the enthralling and sometimes chaotic nature of my own romantic journeys.

As I continued through the book, more phrases struck home. "Under the moon's soft glow, we found a love that speaks in silence," reminded me of those intimate moments of unspoken understanding I've shared with others. "In the stillness of the night, our hearts whispered secrets of old," evoked memories of deep, late-night conversations that seemed to transcend time.

The book, while initially underwhelming in its presentation, evolved into a poignant reflection of my own path through love and relationships. Diaz's ability to distil complex emotions into a few words is remarkable. Sentences like "In the echoes of our laughter, the seeds of love were sown," and "Amidst the whirlwind of desire, we find our calm," beautifully illustrated the joy, anticipation, and serenity that have been hallmarks of my romantic experiences.

In summary, Love and Wine by Alex Diaz, despite its seemingly simplistic format, proved to be a resonant and emotive journey through love and dating. It connected with me on a personal level, echoing my own experiences and emotions. While it may not have been the poetic odyssey I anticipated, it offered moments of genuine reflection and insight. I give it three stars for its unexpected depth and for the quotes that profoundly mirrored and articulated my own experiences in love.

[Brooke Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I wore out the word “aw” while reading this! The poems were very cute and I loved all the references to different types of love. The pictures go along with the poems really nicely too.

There were some interesting messages and lines that gave me chills. I will admit, however, that I’m not always a fan of simple poetry like this that feels more generalized. I know the general public tends to flock to it but it reminds me of Atticus (not a fan of his). I do think Alex’s poems are better than what Atticus writes because there’s depth to the poems—and the pictures are an added element that helps hammer that home.

Overall though, I thought Love and Wine was a really cute book!

[Adam King · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry but this book is really horrendous. It’s not poetic, it’s. not creative and neither does it spark any kind of emotion but humor. For every “poem” the page next to it has a picture of that exact 3 lined poem, very cliche and minimum effort. TikTok recommended the book, later I realized it was promoted by the author. Should have researched more

[Elliaanoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hits like a sweet cinnamon latte with a hit of honey on a cold brisk winters morning. The type of morning where the world is half asleep and the sun is hiding behind the curtains in the sky.

I love this book

Thank you for buying it for me Feebs x

[Poetures]

Because it has feelings

[Peyyyreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, I liked about half of the poems in here!

[Joel Garguilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poems and pictures just feel so fitting next to each other. For all situations however your feeling this book will have something to make you smile.

[Musa Kaleem Ullah]

Amazing journey with this book.

[Renz Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its really good to read

[Marissa Twisk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Alexander Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great romantic poetry book, more so about the authors personally expletive with love rather than the general sense but a good connection overall

[Xenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some poems a lot, but also a lot of them were really basic.

[Maja Lund · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Haya Ziedan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it is true and we all have a guardian angel, I would give mine to her to protect the guardian angel protecting her.

[Eliza Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opened my eyes to poetry. So beautiful.

[Hamish Galbraith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Occasionally you come across an interesting one. Occasionally

[Georgia Marders · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly it was really cute. But it lacked descriptive word playing.

[Jade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad, cliche, cringe… fun to read out loud as a joke

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful poetry!
The way Alex Diaz describes love and life is heartwarming. He has an incredible voice and is so different from other poets in the most positive way. Can‘t wait for More of his books. :)