Tell Me Another Story

This collection explores a variety of topics including loss, youth, love, acceptance, heartbreak, and much more.

Over half a decade ago now, I lost my grandfather to cancer. It was a drawn-out, miserable death where he became a very small shadow of himself before finally leaving us. Like Emmy Marucci's grandfather, he was a musician. He played the mandolin, and that's what I'd wake up to every morning when I slept over and what I'd hear at any family gatherings.

"and if there was any religion
inside those walls at all

it was the music
coming from your horn"

I miss him, and the poems about Marucci's own grandfather really, really got to me. I don't think I've ever cried over poetry before today.

Turns out, I don't like heaven, either.

There are no words to explain how beautiful this book is. I think there's a poem— at least one, but almost certainly more— that each and every one of us can really connect to. Granted there were a few I didn't like— I'm not a fan of hearing about boys crushing fireflies between their fingers or people pinning butterflies and watching them struggle until they die, but I still enjoyed the writing and the meaning behind the words. My heart just can't handle anything suffering.

This one is mainly about grief, as many poetry books are in some way. The loss of a loved one and dealing with it can be manifested in many ways. I sympathize with this one as I can easily relate.

I need to read more of this poet because I loved every word of every poem in this collection. I cannot think of a single fault or anything that doesn’t work. The poems explore somewhat sad subjects that most people will have experienced at some point. I loved the poems about the poet’s grandfather, celebrating his life and mourning his death the most. They were astonishing. The poems are raw, beautiful and intense at times. I also loved the beautiful photographs scattered throughout the collection.

Reading this while going through grief of my own was an emotional experience to say the least. Some of the poems were very heavy hitting for me and I resonated deeply with a lot of what the author talked about.

I feel like most of the poems helped me in a sense to remember it’s normal to grieve and it is a process.

Like a lot of the reviews have said, I really recommend this if you have or are currently going through any type of loss, grief, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book touched my heart. I recently lost my grandpa it was s really hard loss for my family. I loved how this book was a specific time in her life it felt like you were going on this adventure with her.

From the poem, everyone’s dad is dying, to the mentions of Bukowski.. this collection of poems had me smiling one moment and crying the next.

“you are motorcycles
and vintage cameras
and dirt on your hands

you are stopping for
mcdonald’s french fries
on the way to violin class”

Emmy Marucci brings magic to the ordinary and delivers the hard stuff sublimely. I truly did not want this to end.

I loved the first half of this and I would recommend it to anyone who has lost someone as I thought the author discussed grief beautifully. The emotions were raw and real, which I think is often lost. I didn't connect with the second half as much, which brought it down to three stars, but there were still some beautiful poems that I bookmarked! The photos were a beautiful feature and really added to the book.
Cute cover too!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

During this collection of poetry I honestly felt like we were following the author through parts of her life. But, I feel like she was also trying to connect with her readers as well. The atmosphere of her writing was absolutely beautiful and I loved the fact she incorporated pictures of her family and friends. I read this in two sittings and I’d definitely be interested in reading her other works as well.

Split into two section 'me' and 'you', the first half of this poetry collection focuses on experiences close to Emmy while 'you' looks at more disconnected people, like people you might meet in passing or sit near to in a restaurant. Part one, was particularly emotional and focuses mainly on bereavement; as they're dealing with intense and complex emotions these are, as you'd expect quite powerful and as they're based on individual experiences in some you almost feel like you're interfering with a private moment of the writer. My personal favourites both came from the second section of the book,The Roofer & The Palm Reader, The Compassionate Doctor. Scattered throughout are beautiful photographs which I think will really bring the physical version to life.

Tell Me Another Story made me cry immediately. I was so touched by this collection of poems because of how true and close it all felt. From being able to safely acknowledge my own grief over losing my own grandparents not so long ago, to the childhood memories, this collection felt nostalgic.

I am unsure how to explain it other than reading this felt like sitting in bed with your best friend, hand in hand, having those deep heart-to-heart conversations at 2 AM when you sleep over. There is a safety and vulnerability to this collection that is so welcoming and enjoyable.

Emmy's poems of childhood and her descriptions hit close to home as well, it made me incredibly nostalgic for my own life, as well as for her own in an odd way.

This is such a cozy book in the way of it feeling familiar and safe like an old friend. I am so glad I picked this one up!

“We are, as a species, addicted to
story. even when the body goes to sleep,
the mind stays up all night,
telling itself stories.”
Quoted by Jonathan Gottschall

This collection of poetry went by fast, and I found a few poems spoke more to me than others. I can see this collection for anyone, for there is a bit of everything inside: memories, stories, family, loss, and love. This collection is in two parts, the first is more memoir of the poet and the second part is a gathering of stories about life. I enjoyed how the poet’s question, “Will you tell me a story?” was always in the forefront for me. It made it an interesting way to read the poet’s poems.

Disclaimer: I was given an advance reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity.

I'm keeping up with my goal to read at least one poetry book every month, and I'm glad I was approved for an advance copy of this book!

Tell Me Another Story is a work of art and is relatable to a personal level. I can only imagine how brave Emmy Marucci is. It's not really easy to put a part of yourself in the world. But she did, and she did it good. I truly love the first part. I'm a sucker for poetry that revolves around grief and loss.

Please do pick this book up once it's out.

I really like this type of poetry. Not only phrases inside the books, but the author adds some illustrations to illustrate some parts of the book which was really mesmerizing to see. Thank you @Netgalley especially the publisher for providing me an electronic ARC.

A beautifully written book, that at times I found hard to read, due to how real the poems included really were. However I feel like it's real strengths were its comments upon grief. It would have been far more appreciated if it concentrated only on these topics, as I think it stretched itself a bit to far. If I was rating this book purely of the sections of loss it would be a 5* read, however averaging it out it would be more of a 3*.

As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

What to say... what to say... this was gorgeous.

Wow, I love poetry. I know, I say this all the time, but it is what it is. To be honest, I keep bouncing around on what to rate this collection. It was beautiful, personal and well written, but it did have its weak points in terms of coherency and format. Although I love the inclusion of pictures in theory, it felt like it might have stunted the flow of poems in a way--it was almost out of place--and wasn't exactly what the prose needed to elevate itself.

That is probably one of the only criticisms I have towards Tell Me Another Story. Some of it felt out of place and most of this can be attributed to the inclusion of pictures. Which is to say that there isn't a lot to criticize throughout these poems. I found myself jotting down notes and lines and taking everything Emmy Marucci had to say in.

Tell Me Another Story feels like a retrospective of one's life. Marucci has an easy-going tone to her that gets straight to the point of what she is feeling, thinking and/or experiencing. Which, I appreciate. It makes reading these poems all the more intimate, and isn't that what prose is about? Reaching out to the audience in so few words? Letting them hold tiny parts of the life you live, and making those tiny parts feel so much bigger? Tell Me Another Story accomplishes this and more; writing up a life that has been lived, in a way that feels like a friend reaching out to you.

One of the most striking things about Marucci's prose is how she eases us into her heart when it comes to grief. As an audience, we feel her loss and that dull ache that comes with it. I found myself tearing up at the honesty in which she portrays the loss of a loved one. It left me feeling an array of feelings both towards what she had experienced and what I've experienced in my life. She explores it with warmth, sincerity and it let me feeling highly emotional at specific points.

Overall, Marucci is her best when she explores the toughened topics of morality and what it means to grow up. It is, without a doubt, the sort of prose that requires a box of tissues and an open heart. I really enjoyed getting to know Marucci and the words she writes. Tell Me Another Story is a moving collection that will surely be amongst the best in poetry this year.

This collection holds some beautiful and strong poems that paint a wonderful story of love, compassion and kindness, and seeing those through imperfections.

I must admit that sometimes I found it a bit hard to read. Most of the poems are beautiful, but so immensely personal that it felt like I was reading someone's diary. Like I had not the right to read those poems. Those also made it harder for me to read the poems and enjoy them, because, let's be honest, I don't know Marucci's family members. Still, those poems were beautiful in their own right, showing as I said how love in all it's forms shows itself through small things and imperfections.

Such powerful and poignant poems, you can feel the love, admiration, and loss in the words Emmy shares. I'll be looking for more of this poet's work.

This poetry collection is alike the others in the open and honest raw emotional material only this one is better than others at tackling the topic of grief and girlhood or girl culture from babies and elderly deaths, teens and the trials and tribulations of youth.



The collection of poems were easy to read, draw emotion from and relate to set out in easy to read verse format.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

This made me so incredibly emotional and I cried on more than one occasion. Beautiful words and memories.

The poems in the book were very grounded and connective. I kept on reading and reading in such easy fluid motion that I didn't even realize when I made it to the end. The pictures complimented the book well and the topics touched by the poet throughout was really worth reading.

Tell Me Another Story by Emmy Marucci is a poetry book unlike anything I have ever read. Filled with stories written as if they were diary entries, this book has a way of stirring something inside your heart.

What I gathered while reading this book, is that the poet wants you to put what you’re feeling and whatever you have to say, into words. She wants you to know that storytelling is universal and that as humans, we all have a need to hear and tell them.

Although the works inside this book are about loss, they’re beautifully written and I definitely recommend.

Absolutely beautiful poetry. Hard to read because it has so much feeling packed into it, but I enjoyed every page of it. This poet is truly talented and I will check out the next things she creates, because if they're this good, then she will deserve every bit of the popularity that comes her way. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This collection of poetry is divided into two distinct sections. The first focuses on the poet's personal life and the lives of those closest to her. It deals with grief, loss, and childhood memories. The second focuses on the lives of others: strangers she meets, new and old friends, etc. This collection is quite random at times but still beautiful. I connected with the first half much better on a personal level with the author than I did with the second half. Maybe its easier to understand someone when they're expressing emotions and grief that you've experienced yourself than it is to read about a stranger without a personal connection. I found her writing to be lovely throughout though so it was definitely an enjoyable read, just not 100% my cup of tea.

A very raw and emotional collection of poetry from Marucci. Parts of this deeply resonated with me having lost my grandfather recently, an honest depiction of grief is hard to capture on paper and she has definitely managed it here.

Every page of this poetry collection is so raw and full of emotions. I love it! It just affects something in your heart, which you cannot describe!

Emmy's photography and her beautiful writing style makes this book a perfect read for any occasion. Her poems are filled with emotion and the sharpness is enough to break anyone.

I absolutely adore this collection

Beautifully written poetry heart wrenching .The author shares her loss her path of mourning,I read this with tears in my eyes so creative so emotionally involving.#netgalley #anfrewmcneel