The Best Poetry Books to Read This Year
The state of the world in 2021 has inspired many contemporary poets to write about how our nation’s politics affect their lives. However, each of these recent volumes of poetry continues to bring an appreciation of the beauty of the larger world, a quest for self-knowledge, and a desire to show honesty and vulnerability to readers. For more poetic perspective on current events, dive into the best poetry books to read this year.
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1
Add to BookshelfBlack Girl, Call Home
by Jasmine Mans
From spoken word poet Jasmine Mans comes an unforgettable poetry collection about race, feminism, and queer identity.
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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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2
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I Love You, Call Me Back
by Sabrina Benaim
Sabrina Benaim has connected deeply with readers and reached millions of viewers through her poetry, breaking down the stigma around mental illness. In this collection, written over one month in 2020, she dives into challenging and universal territory: grief over a relationship’s end, loneliness in a world under lockdown, and the anxiety of caring for a loved one from afar in the wake of a serious diagnosis.
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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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3
Hardcover
$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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4
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I Had a Brother Once
by Adam Mansbach
A brilliant, genre-defying work—both memoir and epic poem—about the struggle for wisdom, grace, and ritual in the face of unspeakable loss.
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$26.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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5
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The Hill We Climb
by Amanda Gorman
On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe.
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$15.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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6
Paperback
$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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7
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$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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8
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Chlorine Sky
by Mahogany L. Browne
A novel-in-verse about a young girl coming-of-age and stepping out of the shadow of her former best friend.
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$10.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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9
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Angel & Hannah
by Ishle Yi Park
This sweeping, unforgettable reimagining of Romeo and Juliet tells the story of an interracial couple in 1990s New York City who are determined to protect their love against all odds.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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10
Hardcover
$27.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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11
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Home Is Not a Country
by Safia Elhillo
A mesmerizing novel in verse about family, identity, and finding yourself in the most unexpected place.
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$10.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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12
Hardcover
$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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13
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Stones
by Kevin Young
Stones becomes an ode to Kevin Young’s home places and his dear departed, and to what of them–of us–poetry can save.
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$27.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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14
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The Life
by Carrie Fountain
An acclaimed poet deepens her exploration of the domestic in a new collection of playful, wise, and humorous poems.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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15
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Machete
by Tomás Q. Morín
This fresh voice in American poetry wields lyric pleasure and well-honed insight against a cruel century that would kill us with a thousand cuts.
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$27.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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16
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Illumination
by Tyler Knott Gregson
An inspiring and beautiful collection of poems to give you strength, arm you for hardship, and remind you that you’re always growing, from the bestselling author of Chasers of the Light.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
