What a delight this beautiful collection of poems was. I picked it up here and there and felt instant gratification once reading it. It’s uplifting, thought provoking, and had me so grateful for Mother Nature and this bountiful Earth that we live on. Thanks for the time and dedication that was put into this book. I truly enjoyed it and look forward to purchasing copies as gifts for my fellow gardening friends.

“We all need to put our hands (and shovels and rakes!) into the soil, a dark universe of infinite possibilities if we have but some sun, some water, some care.” - Aimee Nezhukumatahil

Many thanks to Tess Taylor, Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This very special book got me through some very difficult weeks recently. It is delightfully uplifting and positive. The illustrations are an added beautiful extra. I will be buying copies for all of my friends. Highly recommended.

I LOVED it! This is such a beautiful anthology which is perfect for anyone with an affinity or interest in the wonder of the natural world. I loved dipping in and out depending on my mood and really enjoyed the diversity throughout. I felt as if I was moving through the seasons and it helped me to appreciate all those beautifully small but also inextricably linked moments in the growing year. A triumph!

This collection was absolutely beautiful to read through, the way that they're all structured made it easy to read and still enjoy it a whole lot more than some others I've read through
I would definitely recommend this to other people

This collection of poetry and prose, free verse and short essays is thought provoking and meant to be savored a little at a time. I do think this would make a nice gift for the serious poetry lover who also loves digging in the dirt, and raising their own flowers and vegetables. I liked the inclusion of diverse cultures and viewpoints, with some making powerful statements. Four stars, because I think a few of the pieces included were a bit gritty for my taste.

This is lovely book. I really enjoyed the variety of poems and poets, and I found some new favorites. It would make a wonderful gift for a gardener or poetry lover.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book via NetGalley.

The author proudly presents an anthology of poetry, similar to a bouquet of flowers, ranging in topic, color, and meaning. I love the design elements of the book and color scheme. I truly loved the premise of presenting a collection of poems about gardening that could be applied to or that paralleled life. However, I was a little disappointed in that I felt the poems used were almost exclusively related to gardening and not as many pointed out the similarities between the two.

I was a little disappointed with this collection of poems.
I'll start with its positive points first. I loved the way it was organized into several categories: each one had its own specificity (so I was bound to like some of them less depending on my personal taste). I found the idea of inserting recipes very good, even if I didn't have the opportunity to test them they all looked delicious. The art was also cool.
Now the negative points. I had a hard time being moved by the poems. Even though they were all beautiful for the most part, I just wish there was one that stood out and spoke to me much more than the others. I was often bored and that's why my rating is so low.
I am sure that many people will enjoy it though (especially those who like metaphors about nature and the world around us)!

Leaning towards Light, edited by Tess Taylor, was a nice anthology of poems that are centered on gardening. I appreciated that Taylor drew from contemporary and traditional voices (I was very excited to see a poem by Jericho Brown). Including recipes was a fun touch but the real star of the show for me were Melissa Castrillon's illustrations - absolutely stunning. The collection would appeal to readers without green thumbs if they want to understand the peace of working with soil.

Thanks to Tess Taylor, Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book.

This was an incredibly thought out book. I love to garden and I love poetry so this was a wonderful combo for me. Tess has a way about words and I cannot wait to read more by her. HIGHLY recommend.

This is a lovely book of poetry all about plants and the role of gardening in the lives of women.
The different sections are well thought out, and I love that there are recipes at the beginning of the each.

📚 #NetGalley ARC review 📚

Title: Leaning Toward Light
Author: Tess Taylor
Release date: 29/08/23

Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the chance to read this ARC ahead of its release later this year.

My personal quest to read more poetry continues, with this beautiful collection of garden-themed poems...but not just poems, also recipes, anecdotes and gorgeous art!

Though I count myself lucky to have been able to read it ahead of publication, Leaning Toward Light is one of those books that I feel would just be SO much better in hardback. The Kindle edition (or at least, the advance version I had) couldn't render the art, so I ended up reading it using the NetGalley app on my phone...which in no way did it justice.

Considering the poems, as always some of them appealed to me more than others - I'm learning to accept this as a fact now and not be disappointed when I come across something that leaves me feeling a bit 'ehh' 😅 Unfortunately I forgot to note down my favourites, and now my review copy is inaccessible (lesson learned), so I can't share them with you.

The various sections being tied together by Tess's friendly chatter really worked well, and the inclusion of recipes somehow made it feel like you're sat in a warm sunny garden, having tea with a long-term friend or family member. (I won't say gran, as I don't know how old she is and wouldn't want to cause offence!)

Overall, a very cosy experience. I've given it three stars rather than more because although it's lovely, I didn't come away feeling 'wowed'. Maybe if I treat myself to a hardback copy when it's out, this might change... 😄

3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

This was a nice calming book that I would gift to my grandmother. It's a breath of fresh air. While I don't necessarily connect with many of the selections I still think it's enjoyable.

As a plant and poetry lover, I had to read this and I really loved it. This was a must-read in my plant room surrounded by my plants which only added to my experience. If you do read this, you definitely have to do it either surrounded by your plants or out in nature with sunshine. Love that it was split by seasons, so you can experience it despite how it is where you are. There is also so much variety in the poems, so no matter what type of poetry you like there is something for everyone.

Thank you to Tess Taylor (editor), Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC of Leaning Toward the Light. I really enjoyed reading the entirety of this poetry collection. I loved how relatable the metaphors and imagery are of growth, cultivation, blooming, and collaboration in so many of the poems. I especially loved how many poems were shared by BIPOC poets and gave different perspectives on what gardening is symbolic of to them (i.e. Black folks gardening and healing from generational farming trauma, Latin X perspectives on community and gathering to enjoy the harvest, etc.) Overall just a very beautiful book of poetry.

You see a woman of a certain age,/not old, yet seeing every sign /of how the world will change her./More and more, you’ll find her in the garden/but not for onions or potatoes. /She wants blooms, color,/a breaking in the earth’s disorder.”

~Cleopatra Mathis


This is a broad collection of poetry, spanning from Keats to some very contemporary pieces, this is not you grandmother’s garden poetry collection. Here there is love and loss and passion. Poems that invoke the pain of history and a demand to be seen.


This is the work we have always know –/ pulling food and flowers from a pile of earth./The difference, now: my father is not a slave,/not a sharecropper

~Ashley M Jones


While the collection is well balanced and organized by seasons, having this many poets from such a wide variety of backgrounds and times creates a little disharmony that I didn’t expect. Maybe this is the point, to keep the collection from becoming too serene or expected.

This is a beautiful collection of poetry. I particularly enjoyed the poems about garden creatures such as the snail. The poems evoke vivid imagery of the miniature worlds in our gardens. This a collection I will return to time and time again.

I've never finished a book faster! It's something I needed to read, and I'm so happy I stumbled upon this wonderful collection of poetry that sings to nature, plants, and gardening. Tess Taylor has succeeded providing the reader with sensory details through the choice of poetry selected with care for each section. I especially loved the provided food recipes before each section of poetry begins. If you love nature, gardening, and poetry that celebrates these earthly elements, this book is definitely a must read!

I found this poetry collection a tad boring. While I enjoyed the section headings, I found the poetry itself lackluster and not memorable. For me, this would be a great coffee table book. However, sitting down to read this was tedious and somewhat unenjoyable. I found myself wanting to skim past poems and get to the next section. I rated the book three stars because though I wasn't fond of the poetry, I enjoyed the idea of the book and the other sections.

This was a beautiful anthology and I cannot wait to share this with my friends and family who love gardens as much as I do. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for this ARC!