All the Letters I Should Have Sent

by Rania Naim

To the people we loved and the people who couldn’t love us.

To the ones who broke our hearts and the ones that got away.

To the ones who loved us and the ones who healed us.

To the ones who made us ask important questions and the ones who gave us the answers.

To all the people who once came into our lives and left an impact, left a mark or left a scar.

This book is for you.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Self Help, Contemporary

170 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 8, 2018

About the author

Rania Naim grew up in Cairo, Egypt with more than just a passion for writing, it was her dream. After living some of her most pivotal years stateside, Rania is able to couple her dream while bringing a range of topics to light.

Reviews

[Sandee is Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

There isn’t a lot of things to say about this aside from how much I related to almost all the letters on here. There are letters for past loves, those that you hurt or have hurt you. Some letters were letter of explanations, while some were asking for explanations.

All the letters here were heartfelt. The beauty of this collection is that, I am positive, that one of these letters would be for you. One of the letters would mean something to you whether directly or indirectly. At least one of them would leave you wondering if that specific letter was written for you or by you.

Highly recommended.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You showed me that stars still shine even in the darkest of nights.”

3.5/4
I really liked reading this book (even if it was long at the end), I found some of the letters really relatable but others not so much.
But the idea of this book was really interesting, and I think we all have letters we should have sent too.

“I’m holding on because I can’t figure out how to let go.”

[irene ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letter Twelve, Letter Seventeen, Letter Twenty-seven, Letter Twenty-eight ARE THE REASON WHY I’M GIVING THIS 4 STARS. I know it’s not a good thing reading those letters when I’m still brokenhearted, but I can’t help myself. They felt unexpectedly personal. And I cried A LOT.

I have a six-pages .doc with the quotes I liked the most (even though, that’s not the correct term, because they were just making me remember him and that’s not right). I even made a thread in twitter with the quotes I didn’t add to the doc. Soooo, I’m crazy, I know.



A few of them:

Thank you for loving me.
And thank you for leaving me.
Thank you for giving me a taste of everything delicious and a taste of everything sour.
Thank you for introducing me to euphoria and introducing me to pain.
Thank you for being there to hold my hand and thank you for letting me go.



Because letting go shouldn’t feel like a burden, it shouldn’t be something you regret, it shouldn’t be something that holds you back.
Letting go shouldn’t feel so wrong.



Do you sometimes write a long message to apologize, then delete it?
Was it me? Was it you? Was it timing?
Was I too hard to love? Were you too scared of loving again?



I always believed in comebacks. I always believed in second chances. I always believed in a universe fighting for two people to end up together. Fighting for two people to grow apart so they can realize how badly they need each other.
I always believed in me and you.
But sometimes years pass by and you never show up.



I’m deleting your number because I’m done torturing myself over losing you. I’m done with your maybes. I’m done with your uncertainty. I’m done with your games.
I’m deleting your number because I’m looking for love and that’s something you’re still confused about.
I’m deleting your number because you couldn’t make me the only girl.
I’m deleting your number because it’s time to delete you from my life.



Do you still need time to think about it? Time to figure it out? Time to see the obvious?
That maybe I’m the one and maybe you shouldn’t have let me go.
Do you believe me now?
When I joked one day and told you that you’ll roam the world and you won’t find anything like my love. When I told you that I can’t wait for you forever and maybe one of these days I’ll be gone.
Do you feel it now?
The pain. The agony. The torture of loving someone who’s not even yours. Of wanting someone who doesn’t want you. Of waiting for something that may never happen.
Do you get it now?
How you made me feel all along. How you broke my heart. How hard it was to move on.



This is me accepting that our connection will always be disconnected, our love will always be broken and our bond will always be frail. This is me getting used to being alone. This is me learning how to find my own worth away from you. This is me acknowledging that I’ll always be enough for me even if I wasn’t enough for you.



But if this is the end of our story, then I want you to know that you are my favorite chapter, the chapter I will go back and read when I want to smile and the chapter I will go back and read when the story gets boring and I hope I’m your favorite chapter too.



Eventually, we’ll meet again and this time, you’ll be the best version of you and I’ll be the best version of me and somehow, we’ll magically be the best people for each other.
You had to be you and I had to be me so we could be us.
It’s complicated, I know.

[Martina · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I don't know your favorite book but I know I want to read it. I want to understand what inspires you, what moves you and the words that touch your beautiful soul."

[Carly Guzmán · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️. I highly recommend this book 💖. Definitely, “letter forty one” was my favorite 🥺.

[Lai Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

❝Thân gửi những người từng bước qua đời em và để lại dấu ấn khó phai, dù đó là một nụ hôn hay một vết hằn đau nhói ❞

Thư viết cho người, dịu dàng cho tôi là tập hợp của rất nhiều lá thư mà tác giả đã viết cho những người đã đến và đi qua đời mình. Những lá thư bộc bạch nỗi lòng của người con gái trong tình yêu, có hạnh phúc, biết ơn, cũng có tổn thương, đau đớn. Từng câu, từng chữ là những cảm xúc có lẽ nên được chia sẻ với một nửa còn lại, nhưng lại vì một lý do nào đó mà lời cần trao không đến nơi người nhận, đành ngậm ngùi hoá thành vần thơ, cho thoả nỗi lòng của những phức cảm yêu thương.

Cuốn sách khiến mình nhớ về những ngày cũ, khi còn chơi vơi sau một mối tình đổ vỡ. Có rất nhiều điều muốn nói, muốn hỏi, muốn bộc bạch, nhưng cuối cùng lại chỉ có trang nhật ký trút bỏ mọi nỗi lòng. Như một người bạn tri kỷ, câu chữ có đôi khi là cách duy nhất để người ta nói ra được những điều cần nói.

❝Giá như anh có thể yêu mọi thứ ở em❞

Ai trong chúng ta cũng khao khát hạnh phúc, nhưng không phải ai đến rồi cũng sẽ ở lại, thật lâu. Vậy nên chẳng còn cách nào, chúng ta lặng lẽ chắp vá những tổn thương rồi bình thản sống tiếp. Nhưng cuộc sống vẫn luôn là một ẩn số, ❝vũ trụ đưa những người xưa cũ trở lại câu chuyện để chúng mình có thể bắt đầu lại từ đầu❞.

Câu chuyện sẽ chưa phải là kết thúc khi bạn còn muốn viết tiếp. Sau khi buông rơi tất cả những đè nặng vào câu chữ, bạn sẽ được tự do, và một cuộc đời mới lại chỉ mới bắt đầu.

Đúng như cái tên, 𝓣𝓱𝓾̛ 𝓿𝓲𝓮̂́𝓽 𝓬𝓱𝓸 𝓷𝓰𝓾̛𝓸̛̀𝓲 để hoàn thành những gì còn dang dở, còn lại sau đó là 𝓭𝓲̣𝓾 𝓭𝓪̀𝓷𝓰 𝓬𝓱𝓸 𝓽𝓸̂𝓲 💓

Dù nội dung mang nhiều cảm xúc và tâm trạng nhưng lại đến với mình không đúng thời điểm.

[Anilou · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If needing you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”


The book that triggered all the pain and resentments that I have been ignoring fow awhile now. This book definitely exceeded my expectations. Highly recommended!!

[grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this one! I really love this. <3

[Joanna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i may not be able to relate at most of the letters but i was able to emphatize with the emotions. and as an outsider, reading the letters is a great relief to hear them thoughts than to hear nothing because maybe, just maybe, we will find ourselves in the same shoes as the persona of each letter.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title sounded promising but the contents were so boring. I was hoping to read letters about self worth, independence, growth, grieving... And found teen angsty letters to ex boyfriends. It gets repetitive after like the 5th letter. I regret picking this.

[Barbie✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay look at all the blood that my heart just spilled out for this goddamned book.

[Zaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But more than anything, you taught me that those who truly love me will never stop. Those who truly care don’t just disappear, they don’t just move on and they don’t act like I meant nothing to them"

Just beautiful! I don't know it's Rania's way of expressing feelings or my state of mind which made me connect myself with every word of this book. I usually finish this type of books in a day or two but it took me 10 days to finish this book. I couldn't continue after reading a few letters. I still need time to fully process everything written in the book. I want to read it again, but I'm not sure I'd be able to do so, soon. I think all of us should be honest with our feelings and express them honestly the way Rania did in these letters. Every sentence was heart-touching, indeed.


"This time, it’s all or nothing.
This time it must be definite because I can’t handle another ‘maybe'. "

[Mer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5*

What can I say, this is such a great book. It is written in such an intricate way, and the message it gave is so beautiful. Sure, there are some letters which I can’t relate to, but there are a lot of beautifully-written letters here which gave me so much emotion and feelings it’s almost overwhelming.

[Sophie Yerxa-Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this makes me want to write a book of unsent letter too.

[Mik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó, pero pensé que me iba a gustar más.

[Heidi Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all of it! I follow Rania’s blog and find that her writing is so relatable especially to recent events in my life. She’s prompted me to start writing letters that I should have but won’t - at least for now - send.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But thank you for not fighting for me; you taught me how to fight for myself and that was the greatest lesson I have ever learned."

This book honestly stole my heart!.... I loved the idea of the letters. Beautifully done. I connected with so many of these letters. Usually when you read a book like this you don't always connect with so many pieces but I really did.

Divided up in three parts. ~To the people we love the people who couldn't love us ~To the ones who loved us and the ones who healed us ~To the ones who made us ask important questions and the ones who gave us the answers

While reading this many of these letters triggered emotions in me I have felt before. Some I didn't want to feel again. Her writing was very captivating, very relatable. I will definitely be rereading this one again and again.
Naim has bared it all here. It made me think that we all have letters that we should have sent.
For more of my book content instagram.com/bookalong

[Innah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Just be soft, be gentle and be honest."

Wow. I was not (or never) in every given situation but i think i've felt emotions and feelings intended by these chosen words. All these letters demand to felt by every reader and it should be.

[Bara Bělová · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the first pages you have a feeling like someone must have known you very well and you struggle to believe that you actually had not written those letters by yourself. Even if I do still struggle :). Sensitively written with a lot of love and admiration yet with the universal belief, that all is happening for a reason. If you look for some great worlds about love, go for it!

[Beatrice]

First letter in: Ohhh this is the kind of book I want to write. I don’t think I could express my feelings as clear as the author’s though.

*a couple of letters in*

*first eyeroll drops*

DNF at 10%. This is for not for a pessimist, especially a pessimist at love. Nothing wrong with her writing, and I think people would find her letters relatable. But this is not for me.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great letters

You’ll find one or more that you can relate too and I am sure ones you’ll wish you had sent yourself to that certain someone.

[Elena ( The Queen Reads ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one hits so hard and close to home

[Wendy Villegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly loved this book so much, it said so many of the things I wish I could have said, and put into words so many of the jumbled feelings and thoughts I had.

[maryam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t connect to this at all and it was so dull, so cliché. I’m too tired to even force myself to read it

[Huzaifa Tariq · Rating 1 out of 5]

It feels like some teenage girl wrote this book. So distracted and frustrating, I don't remember the last time I tried that hard to finish the book. I am not going to read any book of this author.

[Bookosaurus (A book a day keeps reality away) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This poetry collection is written by a self confessed 'hopeless romantic', and trust me, it shows. I am not a romantic person, let alone hopeless romantic, so I couldn't relate to much of it. The first few chapters were beautiful, but after that it was pretty much a whine-fest.

Why didn't you love me? Why did you walk away?
I mean, I'm so clingy and needy and insecure, but I still don't get why you had to walk away.
You see, I will whine about all the guys who don't love me and treat me like crap, but I'll brush off all the nice guys who do happen to love me, because... what is life if not an angst-fest?
This poetry book reminds me of Ron Swanson's words from Parks and Recreation:

Don't confuse drama with happiness.

Yes, Rania, these words are meant for you.

Some lines were lovely, some thoughtful, and some downright cringey.

PS: There are a few things that a girl should never leave her house without, self-respect being right on top of that list.

[Psychotic Book Sniffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You softened my heart but you hardened my core.”

“I often wonder if our story would have been different if we removed the weight of feelings, labels and commitment.”

“And that explains why you choose friendship and I choose love.
That explains why you prefer distance and I prefer intimacy.
That explains why you keep me at arm’s length and I prefer holding your hand.
That explains why I don’t want to be your friend and why you don’t want to be my lover.”

“And in that moment, I realized that you’ll always be an ‘almost.’ You’ll always be something in between. You’ll always be somewhere in the middle. You’ll always be someone I can touch but can’t hold. You’ll always be so close yet so far.”

“I’m the one who believes that eventually people get tired of almosts and they look for something more definite”

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe the whole point of life is to teach us that winning or losing won't really matter when it's our time to go; what will really make the difference is how much you loved and how much people loved you and how they'll remember you.

And I want to be remembered as the girl who loved too much, even the ones who didn't deserve it. I want to be remembered as the girl who cared more, even about the ones that never gave a damn, the girl who was generous with her heart, even to those who were stingy with theirs.

So I forgave you. As for the pieces of my heart that you have, you can keep them. I don't want them back.

I still have a lot more pieces to give. I still have a lot more love to spread.

[Ramya · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so that night I saw you.
You slowly approached me and started asking me questions I normally wouldn't answer but somehow, I answered you. Somehow I felt like I could tell you anything.
We talked about work, family, what we're passionate about, and our dreams, traveling, and where we belong. We talked about everything but we didn't talk about love. Maybe we already secretly knew.
And I knew that but I wasn't as strong as you were. I fell. I still fall every time I see you.

I asked for a miracle. I asked for magic. And I saw you. You'll always be my magic

That was freaking good, reminds me of someone, somewhat!

[s. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buying this book when i had a massive broken heart, and now i'm in the state of starting all over again. I somehow didnt find any motivation like how the author wrote here. Because as much as i want to believe, not every problems start with low self esteem or the third part in a relationship (i had been there, but, now it's different).

So i didnt enjoy as much as i expect whilst reading this... But i know, there will be so much people getting helped by this book alone.