Reeling and feeling after this, a goddess gone off the rails, will def get a tattoo of “honestly just a really good time” • Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC and thank you, Kate for your magic brain 🥳✨

I was looking forward to reading this collection but unfortunately i don't think it's for me. I didn't relate to many of the poems and felt a disconnect.

Thanks to @harperperennial for an advance copy of And Yet by Kate Baer, out November 22nd!

This is the third poetry collection by Baer that I’ve read, so I was already expecting to enjoy it, but then one of the epigraphs was a lyric from The Highwomen and that really clinched it.

Baer writes about womanhood in a way that feels hyperspecific (Sally Rooney references, anyone?) and universal at the same time. She writes in an accessible, conversational way about power and gender and marriage and motherhood and friendship, about what it means to exist as a (cisgender, white) woman in a capitalist, patriarchal society.

You may think that those classifications mean this collection isn’t for you, but I encourage you to pick it up anyway. I’m preaching to the choir when I ask this (94% of my followers on IG are women, and I would imagine the split on Goodreads and StoryGraph is similar) but why is it that still, men writing about the experience of manhood is for everyone, while women writing about the experience of womanhood is for only for women?

Kate Baer has done it again! 3/3 for me. While I didn't enjoy this as much as her other two works, there were still poems that deeply resonated with me. I will definitely be thinking about those more in the days to come.

Compared to her other two books, this one overall felt more disjointed in terms of layout. What Kind of Woman was broken into clear sections on being a woman, wife and mother. And Yet jumped around on a variety of topics. On poem on toxic masculinity changes into a poem on motherhood. While it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment (I read this over a few days), it did throw me for a loop.

Still a wonderful collection of new poems that will make you think and feel and reflect on life. Fabulous! I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

I am a huge fan of Kate Baer and was heavily anticipating this next book of hers. While I did love some of the poems, I think overall I connected with this book much less than her previous two collections. I especially loved I Hope This Finds You Well, and these poems did not pack as much of an emotional punch as those did. I also think that the poems were much more motherhood based and it's not something that I can connect to.
That's not to say these poems aren't great, I just don't think I'm necessarily the intended audience.

Thanks to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit disappointed with this collection. It felt like it was written for a very specific audience, and maybe that was intentional, but that meant it didn't hit for me. It felt very blank to me, like it was trying to say something meaningful about motherhood (most of the time it seemed to be about motherhood) so I thought maybe the issue is I'm a teenager who's never had a mom, but I've read meaningful pieces about motherhood that have spoken to me on that universal level that poetry is capable of. Some of the poems just felt a bit too on the nose, and a few were just so vague it left me confused. This book just really wasn't for me. Also, what was the Sally Rooney name drop? It felt counterproductive because it was supposed to intentionally use it to grab attention but then that was the only memorable part of the poem so I'm just kind of confused?

Kate Baer's poetry is always so good, and I was so excited to hear about this book! I read it in less than 24 hours because I just couldn't put it down. Something about her writing--on motherhood, living in such weird times, womanhood, everything--just speaks so indescribably well to something inside me. I'd recommend this to anyone! Thanks to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

And Yet by Kate Baer was covered in my Fall Book Preview, where I share a curated list of the season’s hottest new titles including the books I’ve most enjoyed, the ones I’m most looking forward to reading, and the ones the industry is most excited about. There were some poems in this collection that truly stopped me cold and are worth re-reading!
Our Fall Book Preview event is exclusively for members of our MMD Book Club community and What Should I Read Next Patreon “Book Lover” supporters. Our communities also received a printable of all the picks with And Yet's publishing info and release date included.

Kate Baer has created another thought provoking and beautiful collection of poems. I really enjoyed reading these poems and spending time with them.

While I've enjoyed all three collections now from Kate Baer, I think this one was the one that I connected with the least. A few poems were fantastic, but overall not quite as good as the previous two collections. I will still absolutely be recommending Kate Baer as a poet to check out!!

Another excellent poetry collection from Kate Baer. Similar in vibes to her first collection, What Kind of Woman.

This one was good, it just wasn’t for me. I’ve read Of What Kind of Women so I was really excited for this one.

I think I wasn’t in the mood for the depressed, angry, and frustrated undertones I can see coming up through the pages.

I would definitely recommend it for young moms that come in looking for women’s poetry.

I adore Kate Baer and have since I found her on Instagram ages ago. Her poems feel familiar and modern, especially to those familiar with her work and who are in a similar headspace. They are all quick and brief poems, perfect for when you are in a certain mood, especially if that mood is exasperated with the state of the world and with the expectations of society.

This collection leans into the topic of motherhood and childrearing a bit more than her others and that's why it's only a four-star read for me. (That's just my issue with it. I wouldn't say that those poems detract from the rest of the body of her work.)

Thanks to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed a few of these poems but the majority of them just were not for me. I did not understand the author’s intent on several of them not the ambiance they provided.

Kate Baer has been on my radar since I first read a piece of her blackout poetry on Instagram a few years back. I really appreciate her voice & message. I am pretty much the *exact* target audience for her work… A forty something woman who is trying—really trying—in all aspects of life. That thread is just really thin most days. So I guess the best compliment I can give this collection of poetry is that it made me feel seen.

For example, “When someone asks for my ambitions I have no answer. I only dream of sleep.” Pretty sure I had that exact thought a few weeks back. The line that haunted me the most was, “Last week I found a list stuffed in a forgotten handbag. We’re all so vain and very sad.” I’m not sure why, but that one really pierced my soul & had me thinking about past versions of myself. I also really loved this delicious line, “I throw a surprise party for my rage.” So good.

I do wish that some of the poems were slightly longer. There are lots of bite size micro poems, & I think I just prefer an idea to develop over multiple lines & stanzas poetry. Having said that, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this collection. Bravo, Kate Baer!

First time reading this post. Overall a good collection of poems. As with all collections I enjoyed some poems more than others.

I was really looking forward to Kate Baer’s latest collection and was not disappointed! Her poems about modern motherhood & her relationships with her husband, friends, and the internet really resonated with me. Some of my favorites were “Influencers,” “Postpartum Questionnaire,” and “Young Mother.”

This is a four star read and not a five star because some of the poems felt a little trite — I wanted them to go deeper than they did. Still a good collection overall, one that I’ve already re-read several times.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Heartbreakingly beautiful poetry. Perfect for self reflection and growth. Absolutely loved this book of poems and can't wait for a physical copy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Moving and relatable. Sad at times but truthful, wise, and bleak. Baer's variety of short poems held my interest throughout the whole book.

Another stunning collection from Kate Baer. Like many others, I was introduced to Baer's work in her debut collection What Kind of Woman. I've mentioned in other reviews for collections of poetry that sometimes it can be hard for me to grasp the meaning or the vision of the poets. That is not so with Baer's poems. For me, there is something so resonate about her work. It captures thoughts and feelings that are so difficult to put into words, especially such small handfuls.