Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
- Read an installment of a series.
- Share your review/recommendation below.
- Include the title, author and series name.
My Series Sunday pick is The Music Was Just Getting Good, the final poetic mixtape by Alicia Cook. But wait—I wouldn't do this justice if I reviewed the new release only. No, this must be done as a collection so you can truly grasp the exceptionally good recommendation.
Structured like old-school mixtapes, "Side A" are tracks paired with an accompanied song at the end of each poem. Have your bluetooth speaker and music streaming app ready! "Side B" are blacked-out remixes of those same poems. This unique structure give the words within a deeper meaning.
"A finite twenty-six letters create an infinite trail of breadcrumbs that lead to different moments that lead to who I was just a moment before." ~ Track Sixty
In Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately, "Side A" touches on pain, love, grief and growth. Such a great introduction to poet Alicia Cook. The title alone of Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back is so me! I am slow to reply to texts (sometimes days) then pop up like everything is okay. This second mixtape is my favorite of the trilogy. It holds over 90 poems dedicated to mental health and self-help. The sophistication of the poems is evident and oh so relatable.
"No one knows how much she cried last Wednesday because she was quiet about it, and to some, pain is only noticed when it is public, and loud, and obvious." ~ Track Two
Finally in The Music Was Just Getting Good, poet Alicia Cook showcases her talent, love affair with wordplay and empathy. I finished with the feeling of being so understood. Themes of hope and recovery are spread across 184 tracks (92 poems and 92 black-outs). You may read it as a standalone; however, I highly recommend reading the entire collection in order.
"My mind always leaves situations before my body." ~ Track Thirteen
When I say this collection touched my soul, spoke to my spirit, justified my feelings and related to my personal thoughts...whew! I cannot recommend this soothing balm of a poetry trilogy enough.
Happy Early Pub Day, Alicia Cook! The Music Was Just Getting Good will be available January 9, 2024.
Disclaimer: An advance copy of The Music Was Just Getting Good was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie
Author: Alicia Cook
Published: January 2024
Pages: 242
Edition: Galley
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
Author: Alicia Cook
Published: October 2020
Pages: 240
Edition: eBook
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
Author: Alicia Cook
Published: January 2016
Pages: 227
Edition: eBook
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
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