2.5 stars
First things first, the graphic details are lovely, from the cover, to the alternation of black and white pages and to the little drawings near the page numbers, and make me think that the physical copy must be gorgeous.
That said, poetry is always tricky for me: it is a genre I don’t read very often and when I do, I just enjoy little bit and pieces of it. It is difficult to give a low rating to something that I realize is deeply personal, but to which, unfortunately, I didn’t connect to.

First of all it's really hard to rate this book because this seems to be very close to the author's personal experience & it's difficult to rate and review such books. But if i can take the liberty to be objective for a moment, here's how it goes;

The book has some issue with structure, there are no titles to different poems, now if we assume the book is one poem itself, that single poem deals with many ideas itself.

The language is easy and simple, the content is more prose than poetry. The author touches on a lot of subjects but they never take it to the far end.

I breezed through the book, but i didn't enjoy the content much.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

3.5 Stars!

I really enjoyed Coffee Days Whiskey Nights. First off, the formatting and cover are gorgeous. The cover itself is so classic yet striking, I know I would instantly pick this up off the shelf.

I think Parker did a really great job tapping into how overwhelming and consuming anxiety is. They demonstrate how anxiety is a restless thing that doesn't give you a break, and in a sense takes over your life, affects your habits, sleep, confidence and more - and there's hardly ever a reprieve from it. This is something that struck me hard, as I've tackled with my own cases of severe anxiety, where I felt like no one understands how it feels, how I can deal with it, and how I can move forward. Thus, the messages depicted about anxiety were beautiful and rang true.

This poetry book does deal with a lot of hard hitting topics. Addiction, anxiety, gender dysmorphia, finding one's sense of identity, and leaving a mark upon this world. While these topics are all prevalent and can resonate with almost anyone, I did feel like this book tackled too much at times - to a point where I couldn't connect with the poems as much as I wanted to. There were some poems that I found very cliche, or could have been expanded upon to really make the reader think and feel more.

Overall though, I enjoyed my time reading these poems, and loved the overall aesthetic of it too.

I've read a lot of poetry and this was absolutely one of the most beautiful collections i've ever come across. The emotional depth contained in each word was incredible. There were so many poems were i felt the writer was speaking directly to me. I loved it.

This was an okay read, I much prefer Cyrus Parker’s other book, but this was an emotional and honest book and I enjoyed it.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was not aware of Cyrus Parker and their poetry before this collection so let me start by saying I do not know what this books matches up with prior work.

What I can say is that it felt like Parker bore their soul in these poems, talking about body dysmorphia, eating disorders, heartbreak...

The three stars is simply because their poetry style is not one that I particularly enjoy and couldn't connect as much with them, HOWEVER I would still recommend it to anyone who would like to try reading some poetry.

I didn't expect to be blown away. I didn't expect to love it. I expected to read a bunch of lofty poetry that I'd only understand a smidge of. I got it as much as someone who is not Cyrus Parker can get it. It was beautiful. It was sad. It was happy. I related to some of it. I can never understand some of it but I can still appreciate the words and emotions.

This is my first modern poetry book and it will be on my favorites list.

This was great.

I did not like this. I did not like this one bit. I found the writing style to be too simplistic and surface level. The book read like a series of tweets. And this is all really unfortunate because I went into this book really wanting to love it but I just can't.
Things I appreciate: the layout and formatting. Both made the book easy to read and I flew threw it in about half an hour.
I also really appreciate how throughout reading this book I could feel how therapeutic it was for the author to write. The subject matters would not be easy for the author to write about and I do really appreciate he courage it took to put the words on the page. In that aspect, the book is great and I really do commend the author for writing it.
That said, the style was just so simplistic, there was a lot of telling and not much showing. I think the subject matters are really important, I just wish more had been written into the poems. I wish they were explored more and developed further. This book reads as the rushed first draft of what could be a really impactful collection of poems, if they were developed further.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an e-arc of "coffee days and whiskey nights" by: Cyrus Parker in exchange for an honest review.

Cyrus Parker’s “Coffee Days, Whiskey Nights” is like the first sip of coffee in the morning, filled with hope & possibilities in the midst of despair; and the sharp bite of a shot of whiskey sliding down your throat & burning warmly in your stomach, washing all the bad feelings & thoughts away along with it. Their words have a bite. a kick. They are REAL. Relatable. The sliver of light in the midst of a storm. This collection is the perfect read for the hellish year that is 2020. It speaks to your anxiety, your all consuming depression, and reminds you that no matter what, there is still hope & everything will be okay.

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Coffee Days Whiskey Nights is a poetry book set out with white and black pages and text to show a contrasting view of life.

I enjoyed this book well enough for what it was but it was not super memorable. In my opinion, this book felt like much of the other tumblr/instagram poetry that you see regularly these days and did not feel super unique. There were a few poems that did stick out to me (unsure if they're titled or not due to the formatting of the eARC) but many more that were not as wonderful.
I would still recommend picking up this book because the poems that are good are very relatable.

Coffee Days, Whiskey Nights is a beautiful collection of life.
Experience, thought, utterance, and struggle.
Both lived and and not. Pondered and not. Conscious and not.
Day versus night. Friend versus foe.
Win versus loss.
In a war where one is never really sure which side is the right one.
Though there are very somber and sometimes triggering topics discussed among this book's pages.
Their treatment is one of honesty, clarity, ownership, and hope.

This is a book that allows one to see that while we may want to run from the darker aspects of life.
To the light, sound, and noise of distraction.
There is yet something to be said for having the bravery.to explore the pain, uncertainty, even the destruction found in those shadowed places.
In order that one might gather the broken shards of expectation, disappointment, betrayal, and hurt.
Sit with them in the darkness.
And after a time.
Integrating them into one's self and daring to refashion that brokenness into a solid and shining promise of self acceptance and love.
On which one can build a foundation for a better and more stable tomorrow.

Thank you to Netgalley and author, Cyrus Parker for their provision of the review copy of the aforementioned work. Upon which this unbiased critique is based.

I enjoyed a some of this. Some of it was very relatable and a pleasure to read. Saying that a lot left me confused and didn’t seem to fit if that makes sense. I’v been picking up poetry a lot more recently always having atleast 1 poetry book on the go and personally this one just didn’t do it for me.

“Coffee days, whiskey nights” is a poetry collection that deals with difficult issues such as depression, death, anxiety, gender dysphoria, body image, eating disorders or alcohol use. But it’s also hopeful and talks about healing and taking back your life. I love the contrast between the coffee day poems written on white pages and the whiskey night poems on black pages.

TITLE: Coffee Days, Whiskey Nights

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GENRE: Poetry

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SYNOPSIS: Cyrus Parker presents a collection of poetry about contrasts: light and dark, love and depression, coffee and whiskey, appearance and reality. It is a volume about feeling at odds with the world, with your emotions and brain, and with your body. The poems come in pairs, one for the morning and the gathering of strength to face the day, and one for the night and facing the reality of struggling and suffering.

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THOUGHTS: Honestly, this one wasn’t entirely my cup of tea. Or coffee. There were definitely nice aspects about it: I liked the premise of juxtaposing poems with morning and nighttime moods, optimistic and pessimistic. I thought it was a good way to approach the swings in mood and spirit that depression, anxiety, and a feeling of not belonging can cause. I thought Parker executed this balance well. Stylistically, however, the writing was pretty simplistic. I did not get a sense of rhythm or momentum in most of the poems, the language was elementary, and it didn’t really feel like poetry, even considered within the tradition of more modern/“internet” poets like Rupi Kaur, r. h. Sin, and Amanda Lovelace. I thought the idea behind this book was better than its execution. The book was also on the short side (it took me about 20 minutes to read). That said, it still has some valuable subject matter that may speak to many readers, so it’s not without some value.

Poetry, in its true form, is something that finds its place in your heart and stays with you for a while. This is it. This is the truest, rawest form of poetry that I’ve come across in a long time.
Fair warning: the book gets dark. Very dark. And it hits you in the gut. Hard.
The entire book shows two contradictions in one’s life; the morning coffee which brings in a brand new day and positivity and opportunity, and the late night glass of whiskey which makes you ponder over failures and remorse and anxiety. The same is shown through the black and white alternate pages.
The writing style is very flowy and smooth and puts forth a vulnerable front. It shows one’s daily struggles and self-confessions of what we tend to think of ourselves.
The book pokes on some very hefty topics of body image, sexuality, remorse, eating disorders and so much more. Things we all go through but are afraid to talk about out loud. It also shows healing and growth and self-acceptance. It is an entire journey in verse.
And okay, okay, I will accept this. It made me cry. Like, silent tears and then bawling and then the happy ones.
As for the author; it takes a whole lot of courage to pen down the innermost complex emotions, especially ones of the haunting past, and they have done it brilliantly!
I loved this one and I will cherish this book for a long time. And of course, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you for the ARC

I enjoyed this book. The prose was incredibly well written and emotive.

I liked the way the book had light and shade within its writing, and also within the layout too. The book is written in 2nd person, and this made it seem even more personable. This book helps to show that despite being a 'positive person' you can still experience negative thoughts and slight 'blips' throughout the space of one day. I loved the fact that this book stems one day - this is so very original and not something I have seen before within a poetry collection.

Despite the book being so short in length - it really does pack a punch. Some might say that it has trigger warnings for depression and anxiety - but having experienced both depression and anxiety I felt it slightly comforting to see it mixed in with positive and light thoughts too. It helped for me to see that other people experience it too.

Title: coffee days whiskey nights
By: Cyrus Parker
Published: Central Avenue Publishing
Genre: LGBTQIA | Poetry
Pub Date: 08 Sep 2020
Review Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3339646498

Coffee Days Whiskey Nights is a anthology which shows how the mind is both light and dark. It illustrates how within the course of a day how our mind can take us to different thoughts, good, bad and back. Some of the darkest pieces are followed by the most hope filled. Parker's work is based on some of the hardest yet most important topics. Such as depression, addiction, and body dysmorphia.

It is clear by the writing that the poet is expressing their fears, trauma and desires. There is obvious addiction and eating disorders. The poet also writs about body dysmorphiia, lack of self trust and low self esteem. I becomes apparent that the main focus of the work is mental health.

Style changes in one or two pieces and gives the poem a different tone and/or feel. This slowed down the word and made a stronger impact of the words.

I found this book of poems a positive if emotive read. You may wonder how with such a dark content but I felt as if some found the words to express my physiological feelings. Though I do not suffer in the exact same way as Parker, I felt understood or at least not alone in my thinking. When the writer expresses their addiction to food and alcohol I empathise with them and see them as similar to my own compulsions.

In a few short words queued together Parker managed to portray suffering that most fail to adequately portray in a 800 word novel.

Not only did this work affect me as a reader bu also as a writer. I finally feel that there is a poet who's style and themes I connect with. I would not only recommend this anthology but I plan to buy it for myself. In short if this book of poems does not move the reader to emotion I do not know what could.

I truly enjoyed this work of poetry. I enjoyed the subject matter of this work, the way it was written, how it goes from day to night, and how it gives readers hope while being honest. This was a fast, easy read that I truly loved.

A compilation of poems that are divided between the "coffee days" ones and "whiskey nights" ones.
I read this in an hour or two, it was truly addictive and beautiful.
I'm not a poetry-person so I'm not used to read any kind of poetry, but this one gave me peace and a time to reflection.
Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I felt conflicted during this entire collection. I was able to read it in about 20 minutes, found myself zoning in and out and having to reread some poems. The format of the ebook from NetGalley might have had some issues as I found missing words as all the poems were in one long paragraph kind of setting, the only thing separating them was some were in grey ink and alternated with others in black ink. This made the whole experience disjointing. I found a total of 4 poems that I liked, and the rest were either not that impactful, or I was outright indifferent to what was expressed. I did see a lot of potential and plan to pick up more of Parker’s works in the future.