I honestly believe that Amanda Lovelace writes my soul. I discovered her last year when I did an internet search for "witchy quotes" and found some from her book,The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One. Ok so with such a title how could I not go right out and grab it? So I did just that! She prefaces her collections of poetry with trigger warnings and gently informs you to practice self care before,during and after reading. I'm 38 and never had read such a thing in a book...I actually didn't even like poetry. I didn't know it was a poetry book ...oops. So I started and I read straight through...crying. It was a cathartic experience. I felt like the book healed me in ways I couldn't explain. So I've been grabbing her books and healing myself through her connected words for almost a year now. To Drink Coffee With A Ghost is that same connected,beautiful,cathartic experience. I didn't live the exact moods or themes of this book but I can relate to so much of it and it deeply touches me. Having lost a mother to cancer...there's no way I can describe how these words touch me. The only thing I can really say is thank you for the experience of this book. Thank these books for bringing me to a type of poetry that keeps me interested and invested. Turns out I really do love it.

It's hard to review poetry because it is so personal. If it happens to be a topic that doesn't resonate with you, it can be very difficult to fall into or feel what the author is trying to relate. There were a handful of moments in this one that I thought she nailed it - I completely understood what she was saying, and I felt it viscerally. That is how I have felt with her previous books. But a lot of this one felt flatter to me, with less power behind the words then she usually displays. That may be because I cannot relate to the topic in the same way - or it may be that the topic is by nature so different than that of her previous collections that the resonance isn't at the same amplitude. Regardless, I'm afraid this was the least favorite of her books that I've read, and I've pretty much read them all by now. It just didn't have the same gut-wrenching immediacy that so many of the other pieces have. Still, she has a beautiful way with language and I am immensely impressed by her ability to bare herself for closure and healing and to share those naked thoughts so that others can take strength from them.

I really want to like Amanda Lovelace's poetry. I've always loved her concept -- the title alone of "The Princess Saves Herself in this One" drew me in. But I consistently dislike her poetry.

I'm a fan of free form poetry but Lovelace's books, "to drink coffee with a ghost" included, seem more notes-you-scratch-on-a-napkin and less poetry. It feels like half of the poems in "to drink coffee with a ghost" are just sentences that are rearranged to take up more space.

This book has a beautiful concept but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

3.5 stars

I find that I enjoy Amanda Lovelace's writing more and more I read her works. I'm not usually a big fan of fiction centered around family, but I'm actually rather fond of it in poetry, especially when it has to do with mother-daughter relationships. This series has been a favorite of mine, as I love poetry about love, trauma, doing what's best for you and overall self-improvement and self-love. Highly recommend!

Again I am really please to read a new collection from her. Really nice to see new work in this duology ( from what I saw it is). But I have enjoyed reading the new work. Gets you.

To Drink Coffee with a Ghost is my second read from Amanda Lovelace, and I see her becoming a favorite of mine despite the fact that I’ve never been a poetry reader. I read this volume in one short sitting because I just couldn’t stop. One thing I love about Lovelace’s writing is that it is easy to read while still being emotionally impactful and at times very dark. Lovelace’s poetic style is very approachable and relatable in that she writes about herself and her experiences in a very vulnerable way. This volume deals with Lovelace’s rocky relationship with her mother and her unresolved feelings after her death, but also covers unhealthy self image issues and toxic romantic relationships. Lovelace does so many interesting things with the style of every poem and really mixes up the formatting. The illustrations were truly beautiful and brought the collection to life. I can’t wait to pick up another volume of Lovelace’s work.

I loved this collection! The description of a toxic mother - daughter relationship was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. There were many poems named after specific tarot cards which I thought added a special touch. She talked about her mom buying her first tarot deck, teaching her about crystals, and magick. As a metaphysical aficionado this really spoke to me. *ARC provided by NetGalley for review.

I am not a poetry reader. I was drawn to this book because of the cover and the title. If I had seen this in a bookstore I would have picked it up and probably put it straight down when I realized it was poetry. Not just poetry but that new genre which is sometimes referred to as "instapoetry," because of its prevalence on Instagram. However, because I got this book as a free review copy, I decided to read it. I like how the poems are progressive and tell a story. Some of the poems were good I think. I would rate a poem as good if it makes me reflect or makes me feel something. Many of the poems seemed a bit forced, if that's the right word. You feel a slight something but it is overblown. The words seemed overused and it seems like you've seen this before. I used to write poetry like this on scraps of paper and in between notes while in class a schoolgirl. It seems a weird format to now be taken over by grown women, but such is life. I feel I was a bit tricked by the cover. I was hoping for something Halloween related. Pumpkin Spice poetry. I am not surprised to see this book is part of a monster themed poem series. It wasn't really for me.

I thank NetGalley for a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5

To Drink Coffee with a Ghost is the 2nd book in Things that Haunt by Amanda Lovelace. This poetry collection reveals pain and loss, but also acceptance and love. Mostly, Lovelace writes about a toxic mother-daughter relationship. She discusses the grief of losing a parent and the emotions that come from trying to overcome it.

Personally, I thought this book fell a little short in truly painting a picture. While I do think Lovelace poured her emotions into this collection, but there was something missing that didn't allow me to truly truly connect with her work.

I received a copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although short and intense, an enjoyable as well, this book had too many feelings changing one after the other all of a sudden. When rage was reigning, the author shifted to depression, plain and simple if such a condition could be defined as such.
The grieving process is more complex than the author demonstrates in this book, although the feelings she expresses are as strong and derailed. A dose of reality doesn't come badly from time to time, but I consider that either the poems are not well organized or there were stages that the author omitted when writing.

I Loved this book! Amanda Lovelace has done it again! I can't wait to reccomend this at work. I'm so inspired by the author's courage and capacity for forgiveness.

Review to be posted in September on my blog and Goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just had to request this one after I liked/loved her other books. This time she talks about her deceased mother and the relationship they had. A very tumultuous it seems. Abuse, bad parenting, depression, suicide tries, and more. It was quite shocking to read, but I continued on reading as I want to expand my horizons even further, but wow, that poor woman to have to go through all this. And not just her, but also her sister. :(

We see how the mom eventually gets cancer, and how she died. :( And so the book shifts to mourning and dealing with the loss. But we also see love and her trying to find someone to love and who loves her back.

The poems and verses and others vary from long to just a couple of words. There are also a few illustrations here and there and I did like that they were added.

Sure, I noticed that at times I tuned out a bit. Nothing against the material, I am just not the kind of girl who normally reads poetry/verses, I even tend to avoid those, but I couldn't resist this one due to the topic.

But all in all, this was a good read. I am glad I had the chance to read it. It will definitely haunt me for a while.

"people keep asking me if i love you or hate you. the answer has never been as simple as yes or no. of course i love you, but i hate so much of what you did.

-tug of war."

I have read and loved all of Amanda Lovelace's previous poetry collections. This one by far is the one most relatable for me. So many of these poems hit home and are similar to my relationship with my own mother. Definitely struck a cord for me. The emotion can be felt throughout the book.

I adored the artwork in this book!

I can't wait to buy my own physical copy of the book!


*I received an ARC from Netgalley.

The most important revelation that will come to you in life is the understanding that our parents are human like us. Once you remove them from a pedestal, you might find yourself able to accept the parts of them that let you down. And from there, maybe, just maybe you can heal and find new ways to let love in.

To Drink Coffee with a Ghost perfectly weaves the loss of a parent in with open wounds lingering from childhood trauma. A healing read for anyone carrying guilt after the death of a parent or struggling to put the past behind them.

“I walk the thin line between nostalgia & trauma, never fully knowing the difference.”

I find reviewing poetry more difficult than other novels, because it always feel even more personal than novels. I have absolutely loved Amanda Lovelace's previous works. The Witch Doesn't Burn in this One actually got me back into writing poetry after years of hiatus, and I loved the rest of the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series.

That being said, I didn't enjoy Ghost as much as I thought I would. I will preface this with the massive caveat that Ghost definitely felt focused on Lovelace's relationship with her mother, and with the loss of her mother. This made a significant portion of the book, while still moving, very difficult for me to relate to because I'm lucky enough to have always had a good relationship with my mum. So, I'm hesitant to focus any criticism on the book for this particular 'fault'.

The only thing I'm willing to actually say about this book as a broader criticism is that at points it felt very self-referential to Lovelace's previous works. If I hadn't religiously read all of her previous books, I might not have noticed, but I have, so there were times when it felt like I was reading whole poems that I'd read before.

So, I don't think this is the strongest of Lovelace's books, BUT, I fully believe that everyone should read her previous works, especially Women are Some Kind of Magic because they're a masterpiece, and I'm sure that this poetry collection will be the favourite of someone else who reads it from the perspective of their experiences.

What a great read! I could’ve read this in one sitting but I’ve been busy this week! But I finally finished it and really enjoyed the writing. This isn’t my favorite book I’ve ever read. But it was still good!😀 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars

I think the style just isn't for me. The two-part poems probably could've each been written as one poem with multiple stanzas instead.

Overall, I think the poems did a good job of showing the themes that Lovelace set out to show. I think the format could've been used to better clarify who the "you" was in some of the poems since it doesn't seem to be the same person each time.

A beautiful collection focused on grief. The style is the same as her previous works. I appreciate that Lovelace's poems aren't wordy. Her power lies in the exact words she chooses to use, since there aren't many. As I've I said about Lovelace's previous poetry collection: To witness any form of art which is so obviously part of the creator's healing process is a gift. Any reader will likely find something in any of her books to aide in healing and foster a sense of belonging.

I received an eARC from Netgalley.

I don’t read a lot of poetry - it doesn’t seem to click with me. But there’s something about Amanda Lovelace’s collections that is too beautiful, sad, and honest not to read them. This one was no exception. I didn’t relate to this collection as much as her other ones, but I still loved the message and story behind each poem. And the illustrations are GORGEOUS.

This book was very okay. I imagine it was very hard for the poet to write but I suppose that’s the nature of poetry.