Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the eARC for an honest review!

I'd read a short story by Cyrus Parker, 'Where the Sea Meets the Sky' in the anthology [Dis]connected Volume 1 in March that I enjoyed, so I was interested to read this collection of poetry. I was pleased to see that this poetry collection had a list of trigger warnings in the beginning of the book, such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, gender dysphoria. I think it's important, especially with poetry, that there are trigger warnings.

I thought that the formatting was interesting, with the white pages being 'coffee mornings' and the black pages being 'whiskey nights'. I thought that the writing was powerful as it was written with complete honesty and we got an insight into Parker's thoughts. It is a very hard hitting book that explores the darker side of being human. By the end of the book I was happy to read more uplifting pieces and could see the growth of the poet as I read through the collection. I definitely related to the 3/4am thoughts and the notion that we eat to fill a void which I have definitely found myself doing.

I didn't expect to read this book so fast as it only took me 30 minutes to read. Even though this is classed as a poetry collection, I found that a lot of the pages were one or two line quotes which felt very generic and that might be found if you were searching for motivational quotes or meaningful quotes etc. I want to read poetry when a book is sold as a poetry collection but I felt like this book just didn't quite hit that criteria. I couldn't find any real poetic techniques used and the fact that every other page is blank made it feel like they were just there to fill out the book a bit. A book that is 176 pages that is barely filled with words was a little underwhelming.

Having said this I respect the topics that where written about and thought the feelings were captured very well. I recommend this to readers that are looking for a very quick read that enjoy the short insta poetry style.

I had to DNF this book because I desperately hate this kind of poetry. (I enjoy some train-of-thought poetry but Rupi Kaur/Instagram poetry is not my thing. That is not to say that it is inherently bad -- it is just to say that I want more from my poems than all-lowercase sentences chopped up.)

I respect the themes of this poetry collection, but it is just not for me.

The duality of this book of poetry puts into perspective how emotions roil and tumble throughout the day and night within one individual’s mind. Balancing the cynicism and the realism, as well as having them cross over periodically, shows how our minds digest conflicting emotions and heal ourselves with time.

I definitely enjoyed this book of poetry much more than I originally thought I would.

Coffee Days Whiskey Nights is a collection of poetry and snippets of prose by the non-binary author [author:Cyrus Parker|16706721]. For every 'coffee day' poem, you get a matching 'whiskey night' poem. This structure is something I really liked; before opening this eARC (thank you Netgalley!) I thought I would have two maybe three sections. Coffee Days. Whiskey Nights. And some sort of conclusion. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when these acts didn't exist.

Coffee Days Whiskey Nights is a piece of art that I have thoroughly enjoyed and will recommend to others.

Cyrus Parker’s poetry never ceases to amaze me. Their crafting of lines, stanzas, and pages of words just draws the reader in. As the content warning at the beginning states the poems in this collection are emotional in many ways, so please take note of you pick this one up.

Thank you to the publisher for sharing this eARC with me!

I received an ARC of Coffee Days Whiskey Nights by Cyrus Parker from Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Coffee Days, Whiskey Nights is a collection of poetry, prose, and aphorisms that juxtaposes the hopefulness a brand new day can bring with the lingering thoughts that keep us up into the late-night hours. This book takes a look at the way a single day can change our outlook on everything from relationships with others, to our relationships with ourselves, and everything in between.

‘living can be a burdensome thing that even the strongest people may struggle to carry. it is when i find myself crumbling underneath the weight of it all and am ready to call it quits that i remind myself that real strength lies in the having courage to ask for a helping hand.’

‘i’m learning to forgive myself in these situations, but more importantly, i’m learning the difference between those who deserve to be let inside, and those who are lucky enough that i answered the door.’

‘the heart is as much a mirror as a window, but if you aren’t willing to accept what is right before your eyes, it is just as easily a wall.’

‘i am not afraid to fly.’

‘just because something is broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. realizing there’s a problem is half the battle but knowing when to hold yourself accountable is the most important part of the equation.’

‘i spend an awful lot of time thinking about writing and not actually doing it. it’s not that i don’t want to— sometimes, i just can’t find the strength. the strength to stand up, to walk to wherever i’ve last stuffed my laptop, to pick it up, to carry it to my desk, to lift open the screen and power it on, to open the word document i’ve been burying my feelings in. sometimes i feel like i don’t write enough to call myself a writer. sometimes i don’t think i’m poetic enough to call myself a poet. sometimes i don’t think i feel enough to call myself human, but i’m here—breathing—so that must count for something.’

‘how much better it must feel to be nothing at all than to be everything i can’t stand.’

‘tear open the night sky, bottle up all the starlight your fingertips can reach and tuck it away deep beneath your ribcage where no one can ever take it away.’

‘i will survive despite you. i will thrive to spite you.’

I love modern poetry. Love it with a passion and with passion. Coffee Days Whiskey Night highlighted some important things that we, as human beings, suffer and go through with.

4/5 Stars!

A perfectly middle of the road poetry book. Most would classify this under the genre of "instagram poetry" and while I despise that label it's what you will expect from it. Unlike others in it's category it falls just barely short of hitting the "wow that made me feel something" factor. The words are beautiful but lack the emotion needed to really paint the imagry we see in many poetry collections.

If you are expecting poetry, look elsewhere. This book is more a mantra/self affirmation text. It is full of reminders to be true to yourself, which is important. That said presented in a unique way which draws the reader along and provides a base for peace and hope.

Firstly, thanks to the publisher for letting me read this.
I finished this and have some thoughts:

I loved the concept and it felt like a beautiful way of depicting a rough mental health moment in a person's life. It wasn't a linear journey and there were equal moments of good and bad days and I loved that.

however

I think it's overall just a mediocre collection. Nothing really stood out to me and I could not tell you a single poem on it. It's a good quick read or palette cleanser but overall it didn't leave an impact on me and just felt average.

I like how there is a trigger warning section in the beginning. I have read some of the authors other works before and enjoyed those. I also really enjoyed this one, I didn't connect to many of them but I still enjoyed them. I gave this a three out of five stars.

I'm not a poetry fan but I did enjoy this collection. I plan to buy a physical copy because the formatting on my arc was awful and didn't do this collection any justice.

This reads like a stream of thoughts of someone struggling with anxiety and depressing and slowing winning that struggle. Its relatable yet motivational and as a reader it made me feel heard while giving me hope.

Highly recommend

A deeply personal and vulnerable collection of poems about the human condition. Parker writes openly and honestly about the things that hurt and things that make us hopeful. These poems resound deeply in those who sometimes struggle with loving themselves and who they are and the world around them. At the end of it all, Parker’s poetry uplifts and reassures. The appeal of this work is in its accessibility and relatability.

As I continue my quest to read more poetry, I really have nothing to go on but my gut. In this case, what better to take a chance on than this kickass cover referencing two of my favorite things? I had not heard of Cyrus Parker before picking up Coffee Days Whiskey Nights, but if I knew he describes himself as a non-binary storyteller and wrestler-turned-poet I would have been all-in from the get-go.

Turns out Parker's poetry really speaks to me. I have no idea what that means as far as style or subgenre. Poetry for me is like the most art-like of literary categories, I have no idea how poetry is subjectively judged, I can't write it, and I just know in my innards when I like it. This is such a collection.

Parker himself bills the collection in the best way, as "a collection of poetry, prose, and aphorisms that juxtaposes the hopefulness a brand new day can bring with the lingering thoughts that often keep us up into the late-night hours. A lot can happen between the first sip of coffee and the last taste of whiskey, and this book takes a look at the way a single day can change our outlook on everything from relationships with others, to our relationships with ourselves, and everything in between. Ultimately, coffee days whiskey nights illustrates that no matter how hopeless we may feel at the end of the day, a new one is only a few hours away."

The pieces speak on a variety of personal subjects--friendship, fitting in, control, eating disorders, gender dysphoria and the like. I enjoyed the clear precision of Parker's prose. I didn't have to guess or struggle to find meaning in his phrasing, it was all right there smacking me in the face. Maybe it's recognition that brings clarity from poetry, I don't know, but it's one of the reasons I love searching for a new collection that resonates. I'm not sure if connecting with this set means I do find hope at the beginning of the day or am used to feeling the lack of it at the end, but I always find hope in words strung together the way Parker lays them down. I highly recommend this collection and to give you a brief taste I've cited to some of my favorite lines below.

i’ve let some into my life, my home, whose words taste of cotton candy in the daylight, but drip like venom under cover of night.

my entire existence is a contradiction of itself. i hate leaving the house but i love to travel. i spend my day counting calories to counteract my need to consume until there’s nothing left. i was born into skin that i want nothing more than to tear off and reshape into something new. i crave companionship but never feel compelled to reach out to those i care about. i am a hopeless romantic but i have an inability to express love in a way that makes people feel loved. i make jokes about dying, when all i want to do is feel alive.

i think about all the parts of me i changed for others and wonder just who it is i’d be if i had just stayed true to myself.

no matter the size of my clothes, no matter how well they fit, my body is the most uncomfortable thing i wear.

i try to make myself as small as possible, to leave a footprint that is faint, to become invisible without actually disappearing. this body has never really felt like it belonged, so i won’t let it take up any more space than it already does.
This is a nifty and thoughtful collection that I highly recommend and I'll no doubt be on the lookout for more of Parker's work. This is one for the expanding poetry portion of the physical shelf.

No soy de leer poesía y me tengo que decir que me costó un poco en inglés, pero voy a intentar decirles que onda:

Este poemario nos reune dos tipos de poemas: los "alegres" en hojas blancas y los "deprimentes" en hoja negras, un formato que me gustó pero, al leerlo en digital me dejó medio mareado. Me gustaron más los positivos porque me dieron reflexiones, no se si necesarias, pero si bellas. Habla mucho sobre la depresión y la ansiedad, éste último tema YO no veo mucho en la literatura (si pueden recomendarme libros que traten éste tema, más que agradecido).

Lo que si, le bajé la puntuación no por el libro, sino por mí. Con éste libro me di cuenta que no soy de entender demasiado la poesía y que no es el género que más me gusta leer. Es más, a veces me siento confundido con lo que leo, pero preferiría leer una novela antes que un poemario. Repito, nada que bajarle al libro.

No sé mucho sobre escritura, pero si se que éstos poemas fueron muy bellos y que si tuviese la oportunidad de leer en físico lo haría.

"We are so much more than a single moment in time"

This was one of my absolute favorite poetry books ever. I have a hard time getting fully into poetry sometimes because it feels so personal. But this one...this one hit close in some ways and I love it so much. There were tons of beautiful lines that would make great quotes. I definitely recommend to anyone that loves poetry or needs a good intro into poetry books!

Passend zum Konzept und zum Titel des Buches sind die Texte abwechselnd auf schwarzen und weißen Seiten gedruckt. In diesem Gedichtband sind sowohl traurige, verzweifelte Gedanken als auch hoffnungsvolle, das Leben wertschätzende Gedanken zu finden. Einige Gedichte handeln von der Überwindung, die es manchmal braucht, um morgens aufzustehen und den Tag zu überstehen. Andere rätseln über den Sinn unserer Existenz und was von uns übrig bleibt, wenn wir dieses Leben verlassen. Es gab einige sehr kurze Gedanken, nicht länger als einen Satz, aber auch längere Texte.

Mir hat sehr gefallen, wie die positiveren Gedichte sich mit den negativen abwechselten und die Stimmung des Buches hierdurch etwas aufgelockert wurde. Auch wenn die angesprochenen Themen insgesamt eher traurig stimmen, spürte man, dass mit dieser Gedichtsammlung Hoffnung vermittelt werden soll und die Motivation, um das Leben zu kämpfen, weil man niemals allein mit seinen Gefühlen ist. Zu einigen Gedichten konnte ich leider keinen Zugang finden, aber der Großteil hat es geschafft, mich zu berühren und für sich einzunehmen. Empfehlenswerte 4 Sterne.


In English:

In keeping with the concept and title of the book, the texts are printed alternately on black and on white pages. In this volume of poetry you can find both sad, desperate thoughts and hopeful thoughts that value life. Some poems are about the overcoming it sometimes takes to get up in the morning and get through the day. Others wonder about the meaning of our existence and what is left of us when we leave this life. There were some very short thoughts, no longer than a sentence, but also longer texts.

I really liked how the more positive poems alternated with the negative ones and the mood of the book was loosened up a bit. Even if the topics addressed are generally rather sad, one felt that this collection of poems is intended to convey hope and motivation to fight for life, because one is never alone with one's feelings. Unfortunately, I could not find access to some of the poems, but most of them managed to touch me and win me over. Recommendable 4 stars.

Coffee Days and Whiskey Nights has an intriguing title and a very appealing cover and that's what first drew me in. The synopsis promises a collection of poetry and prose talking about the hardships of life and how hope will eventually conquer it all. And that theme was evident throughout the book, so I'd give Cyrus Parker points for that.

Apart from that, there was nothing that I remember, of course, yes, the concept of days and night being depicted as white and black pages -that was pretty cool - but honestly, I could never care much about the poems. Yes, some of them were meaningful and I could relate to some extent but apart from that there wasn't anything WOW or super unique about this book, and it was kinda forgetful. Now, I don't want to demean anyone's personal struggles, and I firmly believe that the poems might be likable to a lot of people - but they just weren't for me and I could not take anything away from this book. So, yes a bit disappointed about that!

But kudos to Cyrus for trying visually creative color coding and giving a positive end to the book.

Sometimes books find you when you really need them and that's how this felt to me. I needed these beautiful words. This was such a beautiful, heart felt collection. I lost count of how many times i read it. Such emotion and beauty with such few words is a rare talent but Parker managed to flawlessly.

“If flowers can bloom, and coffee can bloom, then people can bloom, too, only if given the chance to stop and simply be…”

If you prefer your poetry to feel more traditional, with stanzas, verse, rhyme schemes, then Cyrus Parkers’ Coffee Days Whisky Nights, is probably not for you.

That said, Parker’s new book of poetry is filled with beautifully poetic prose. He touches on topics that can be triggering for some people, including alcohol use, disordered eating, depression, toxic relationships and more.

I enjoyed the way the way the poet brings the reader through the book, alternating between day and evening - light and dark.

I’ll say, I’m disappointed, not in the contents of the book, but that the day/night pages did not translate as nicely to the kindle as they are in the print edition.

This was a quick read for me, and an enjoyable one. I found myself rereading sections - even now as I look back on the book. I’ve highlighted so many passages that made my heart sing as I was reading them.

I'd like to start by saying that it is really nice of the poet and publisher to include trigger warnings. I don't find that very often and I admire that a lot.

Coming the poems, they were incredibly beautiful and insightful and I could relate to them very much. But as always is the case with me, some were a miss but that's not a problem for me. I highly recommend the poetry collection for someone looking for modern poetry and fans of amanda lovelace and rupi kaur. The poet is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

I'd like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC. This review is my honest opinion and isn't biased in any way.