I'll read anything by John Kenney at this point given that I've never been disappointed by his unique and poetic musings on life, love, relationships, parenting and being fully human, ergo fabulously flawed. It's always a treat. Highly recommend!

Loved, loved, lobed. I didn't even think I was a poetry person, but this collection was so relatable and absolutely LOL-worthy. Highly recommend.

This book was way too much fun. I loved the author's voice and sense of humor and I'll be seeking out his other titles.

As someone who is very anxious, I did enjoy this one a lot!!! Very relatable and I will definitely pick up a copy of this to keep on my own book shelf.

Kenney illustrates anxiety really well through his poetry. I was extremely cautious at first when reading, however I found myself laughing throughout the book. This book is all together relatable .However I do wish there more poems/the book was a bit longer. I was left wanting more.

This is a book of funny scenarios of anxiety presented in poems. It helps to have this light-hearted look at anxiety. You will like the author's other poetry books if you are looking for readable poetry. I received a copy of this book for my unbiased review.

I read this because NetGalley was kind enough to provide an arc of it! I generally really loved every story I read, laughed a lot, and related to them way more than I thought I would as someone with anxiety ( the crippling social kind ). I thought this was really good and I wish to see more from this author and the other books he has out! I definitely recommend for anxious people who need a laugh and to feel less alone.

I absolutely loved John Kenney’s book of poems, Love Poems for Married People. There was so much truth in those poems and I laughed several times.

His follow up book of poems, Love Poems for People with Children was also funny, but the Married People book is still my absolute favorite. I have gifted his books of poems multiple times and I am sure I will be gifting this one to friends in the future.

When I saw that this book was coming out, I knew it would be a great read. He writes with such raw realism and during this crazy uncertain time, what could possibly be better than a bit of satire about anxiety?

Summary
In the spirit of his New York Times bestseller Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Children, as well as his wildly popular New Yorker pieces, Thurber Prize-winner John Kenney presents a hilarious new collection of poetry for anxious people.

With the same brilliant wit and hilarious realism that made Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Childrensuch hits, John Kenney is back with a brand new collection of poems, this time taking on one of the most common feelings in our day-and-age: anxiety. Kenney covers it all, from awkward social interactions and insomnia to nervous ticks and writing and rewriting that email.(summary from Goodreads)

Review
I have to admit, this book of poems gave Married People a run for its money as a favorite of mine. I don’t consider myself as someone who suffers from chronic anxiety but there were a number of poems in this book that I could certainly relate to. I especially liked the ones titled “In Conversation with Myself (2:49 am), 3:31 am…..etc”. I have such trouble sleeping and this little poem was one I could relate to, not to mention I laughed so hard a number of times while reading it.

There were so many real life situations that Kenney touched on that always make me uncomfortable—like tipping or making small talk. I think a number of people could relate to these different scenarios. I love how he takes such relatable issues and makes them humorous but at the same time, it’s not as though he is laughing at these issues, he is laughing with these issues and I absolutely love it!

If you are looking for a little something for a friend in your life who suffers from anxiety or simply needs a good laugh then no need to look further. John Kenney writes funny and relatable poetry for all readers and you should definitely check it out! As many of you know I am not a huge poetry person but I love reading John Kenney’s poems!

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition
Published April 21st 2020 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ASIN B082S2XSZN
Free review copy provided by publisher, GP Putnam’s Sons, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 5 stars
Genre: poetry, satire

(All of my reviews are featured in my weekly column at the Parkersburg News and Sentinel.)

A fun bit of humor, especially needed right now in highly anxious times.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Group/Putnam, and author John Kenney for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

As someone who has struggled with anxiety her whole life, this collection really hit home for me. I believe for someone who is so, so blessed and doesn’t struggle with anxiety, this would be an amazing read for them to give them a little window into our brains. It truly shows the struggle of everyday life for someone in this position. It was super relatable, funny at times, and refreshing to see writing on this topic.

Thank you again to those mentioned above for the chance to read and review this ARC!

With a kind-hearted and slightly goofy demeanor, Kennedy gives heartfelt poems on the interior world of Anxiety. Composed of monologue-like anxious musings, the book illustrates how often every day is a challenge for anxious people. Love Poems for Anxious People brings deadpan honesty to anxiety and is bound to get more laughs than anything, which as an anxious person, I very much appreciated.


#NetGalley #LovePoemsforAnxiousPeople
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/187185

I really related to some of these poems. They were laugh out loud funny. However, they didn't feel like poems, but rather stream of consciousness with an anxious person. Maybe it was the formatting, but I never knew whether I was reading a poem (other than the times titles were bold) or if I was reading an intro or the like.

Positives
+ able to relate
+ funny!!
+ collection centered around anxiety

Negatives
- sometimes too stream of conscious
- didn't seem like "poetry"
- very short collection

Definitely interested in picking up Kenney's other collection Love Poems for Married People.

Love Poems for Anxious People by John Kenney is a great little collection that explores topics the anxious and socially awkward among us are sure to relate to. It muses on everything from forgetting someone's name, fighting "monkey mind" during meditation practice, and self-diagnosing on WebMD, as well as complications of working and parenting in the modern age.
While a bit more on the prosaic side than the poetry I typically gravitate to, and not really dealing with themes of love at all, I still found this to be a delightful read.
On second thought, these may not be lyrical verses on romantic love, but Kenney's words show that he intimately understands the struggles of an anxious person; the things that keep you up at night and the intricacies of who you are at your core. I can't remember when I last felt so understood. And perhaps that makes these the best love poems of all, at least for one anxious person.
Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advance copy.

[I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own]

Love Poems for Anxious People was exactly what I needed right now. The short, free verse style made each little sketch very accessible. This is especially nice right now because I'm finding it challenging to sit down and read for extended periods of time.
Overall, the poems were genuine and relatable. This wasn't heavy poetry about the struggles of anxiety, This was a collection of anxiety-related comedy in poetic form that made me go "hahaha, I've done that!" Overall, I think the jokes landed well. The few times they didn't it was because they were standard social anxiety jokes and the punchline was predictable. Overall, though, they were new and very funny.
This was a quick read. You could easily sit down, as I did, and read the whole thing in half an hour. Or, you could set it somewhere in your house and read a poem here and there. I think either choice would be an enjoyable one.
My biggest complaint is that the book was so short. I would gladly have read another 100 pages like these ones.

From the perspective of anxiety: this book is not about the incredibly strenuous side effects of living with a serious anxiety disorder. Most of it is just the silly and embarrassing things most of us do everyday. It is more akin to worry and over thinking and self criticism. Please keep this in mind while practicing self-care.

Everyday poems for everyday people who suffer from anxiety and overthinking. This book of poems will make you laugh and make you realize that your anxiety is lying to you! You’re not the only one who has thought that! I highly enjoyed and highly recommend this offering, especially in a world where anxiety is prevalent and the future seems unsure.

4.5 stars

As someone who has a pretty major amount of anxiety every day, I found this collection of poetry hilarious. I was laughing throughout the collection, and smiling the entire time.

It put a spin on anxiety that was funny and relatable. It took my mind off of the major anxiety going on in my life right now reminded me that it is okay to laugh at yourself every now and then.

I just wish it was longer! I would have read 100 more pages of similar poems. I think there is so much more that could have been done, I would have loved more.

Not quite as good as Love Poems for Married People, but it’d be tough to top that. This has the same tone and humor as Kenney’s previous poetry. I will continue to read what he writes.

It's unfortunate that the library I work for doesn't purchase a lot of modern poetry because it is a type of writing that I enjoy immensely. Kenney beautifully made anxiety something humorous and relatable. I believe that one of the most important realizations one can get from reading this collection is that we all have a little bit of anxiety, and that's ok; everyone needs to know how to make fun of themselves just a little bit.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this collection.