Cover Image: Alexa, what is there to know about love?

Alexa, what is there to know about love?

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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Sweet, funny, witty - I loved ‘Alexa, what is there to know about love?’. One to keep abs reread, and to gift to friends and family. Would recommend.

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I love Brian Bilston’s work, I really enjoyed this collection, easy to read, funny, clever and excellent. A winner from my favourite poet

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I quite like poetry, Mum and I used to read quite a lot of it when I was young, but I rarely sit and read a whole book of poems. I don't know why. Maybe I've spent a lot of time with the older, more traditional verse - understandable but obviously 'proper' poems, written in 'proper' poetical language. I know that any words can become a poem - I was brought up during the heyday of the wonderful Pam Ayres - but, possibly, time spent studying English Literature at University distracted me. I've kept a lot of my Uni texts - I still enjoy dipping into them -but it has, as I say, been a while since I read a whole volume. But I had thoroughly enjoyed Bilston's recent novel (about a slightly hapless poet) so I plunged right in.

These poems are as easy to read as Ms Ayres (in 'Five Clerihews for Doomed Lovers' it doesn't matter if you actually know what a clerihew is) but are frequently clever, subversive and rather sad. Some reference classical works (but again, you only need a vague idea of who Plato or Cleopatra are) or popular culture (the title poem, for example) and others, such as 'Penguins' or '57 Varieties', are takes on current political issues. Many, as so many poems are, are about writing itself (and how difficult it is). I have favourites, of course, including 'ee cummings attempts online banking', 'Serenity Prayer' and 'Three Postcards' - I can heartily recommend you dip in and find yours too.

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I LOVED this collection - I'm definitely going to buy a copy too, so I can keep referring to it and pop it on my bookshelf!

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The poems in this book were delightful! Mostly, they were humorous, and covered a variety of topics.

I loved Codebreaking - a unique take on a love poem very similar to something you would see from Shakespeare.

Another favourite was the ironic Ten Rules for Aspiring poets - this one made me giggle.

And finally, I enjoyed the political poems as well, particularly Hold my hand and let's jump off this cliff edge. It perfectly captured the way many people feel about Brexit.

All in all, a worthwhile way to spend an evening, with a great book of poetry.

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An unexpected delight! Funny and quirky and just the right length (less than 100 pages long). Accurate and occasionally sarcastic takes on love, our everyday life and everything else (Brexit!).

Very much enjoyed!

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This is a great little book to dip in and out of with lots of different poems for different themes. I have not heard of Brian before but totally loved the work.

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Bilston is always funny and this book is one of his best. Whimsical, insightful, and very very clever, this book was a great way to escape the news and relax in the hands of a master craftsman.

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Brian Bilston is one of my fave poets, along with Wendy Cope. His style is wide-ranging from the humorous to the deeply prophetic. His modern take on our society (and thoughts about life in prehistoric times) and excellent delivery is impressive. Ironically during an online Twitter session He admitted he does not own an Alexa, proving he is expressing his own thoughts and feelings rather than those of a dystopian AI.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to read this ahead of publication. Another masterpiece. Brian Bilston does not disappoint.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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I went into this not knowing what to expect. Having read it I don’t think the title was a great choice. I adored some of the poems but felt the whole collection a little disjointed.

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Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this! This was sweet and charming and perfectly nice to read. It made me genuinely happy and it also sounds so nice when read out loud! I'll admit, the start of the last section got a bit much and didn't feel like it gelled in well with the rest of it, but the book made up for up!

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Brian Bilston is the poet for people who don't like poetry. The People's Poet, if you will. He's a master of words and always manages to strike just the right emotional balance in his work.

In this latest collection we see a melding of ancient and modern, for example Plato and Google. The poem which lends the book its title is superb - funny, moving and poignant. There were a few stand outs for me, as follows:

"There's A Supermarket Where Once The Library Stood" is an important piece of social and political commentary.
"Serenity Prayer" is particularly relevant in this first month of 2021.
"57 Varieties" is Brexit in a tin.
The final line in "The White House" is shockingly brilliant.
Homelessness and domestic violence slipped into a poem about "Metrics" is skilful and striking.
"Composition" hit me right in the feels.
"She'd Dance" casts ageing and bereavement in a beautiful light and brought a tear to my eye.

Overall a great collection and a lovely gift for someone special, starting with yourself.

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Absolutely love Brian Bilston and his work, this is a great collection. My only disappointment was the lack of visual play that is usually incorporated. Even so I've ordered myself a hardback signed edition for myself.


Have to say that the Netgalley Shelf was imperative to reading this, it was nigh on impossible on the Kindle.

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This is the first time that I have encountered Brian Bilston and I now wonder where he has been all my life. His word play, his humour is infectious. This collection of poems explores aspects of love, from the caveman to an elderly couple. The poems are in all shapes and sizes, from the opticians chart to a Google search. There is laughter, incisive comment and even, for me at least, a tear. He plays with words and with the reader. You start reading a poem, for example 'In Absentia, and you think that you know exactly what he is going to say, only to find you have been mislead, beautifully. He explores first dates, dates that work, dates that go wrong, marital arguments, romance and loss. He also takes us on a journey around our world, even giving Brexit a mention. If you ask me for my favourite poem in the collection, I'm sorry that I can't give an answer. There are too many that I adore all for different reason and it is impossible to choose between them. I love 'Three Postcards' for its poignancy, I adore the title poem ' Alexa, What is There to Know about Love' for the way it plays with our relationship with technology, 'Bird Watching' for the way it twists the expected, 'Drudge Work' for it's exploration of the word 'Love' and finally, 'She'd Dance' for its beauty. I am so glad that I have finally discovered Brian Bilston.

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Bilston is a genius and his work is always so readable and clever and enjoyable. Another excellent collection from the Twitter Poet Laureate

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I first found Brian Bilston's poetry on Twitter and loved its clever wordplay - this led me on to his first poetry collection, 'You Took The Last Bus Home' and his excellent novel (with poetic interludes) 'Diary of a Somebody'. I was, therefore, thrilled to be granted an ARC of his new poetry collection by NetGalley and the publisher.

The poetry is - as the title suggests - loosely focused on the theme of love and is exactly what readers have come to expect of Bilston's poetry - clever wordplay, interesting perspectives, unexpected twists. It is perhaps a little more serious in places than some of his other poetry (and certainly more serious than the ones that are so popular on Twitter). However, it is an enjoyable read - albeit a quick one as it seemed fairly short.

As a Literature geek, I really enjoyed the poems where Bilston riffed on literature from the past, from Shakespeare's 'Antony and Cleopatra' (in 'Cleopatra') to Wordsworth ('Status Update: a Lonely Cloud') to tragic lovers ('Five clerihews for Doomed Lovers'). However, Bilston is equally comfortable playing around with Mills and Boon novels, Spoonerisms, Brexit and many other incredibly varied ideas.

This is a lively and varied poetry collection that I'd recommend to those who like their poetry humorous. It does have serious messages and will leave you with food for thought, but - above all else - it is entertaining and engaging.

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This is the first of Brian Bilston’s work I have read and after initially being drawn in by the title I’ve got to say the book did not disappoint.
I loved this witty, clever book of poetry, there was a lot to connect with, a lot of “yes, absolutely!” moments of agreement or comparison. I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite piece, there are so many successes throughout this book

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I absolutely loved this book. Brian Bilston is my favourite modern day poet. I laughed out loud reading this book and I was genuinely disappointed when I had finished. I love his way with words. This book would put a smile on the grumpiest persons face.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this amazing book! 5+stars!

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In all honesty, I cannot remember the last time I read poetry. I was instantly drawn to the title of this book thought and OH WOW I am so glad that I was. It is an absolute gem. So much humour and I really enjoyed the word play and everything about this book. I have flown through it. Brian Bilston you are very clever-loved it.

Some of my favourites were...
Three Postcards
Love in the Age of Google
There's a supermarket where once the library stood
Lonely Hearts

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