summer reading

It was already the middle of the month when we happened across 31 Poets Recommend 31 Poetry Books to Read Every Day in August, but we like the idea and we like the list, and who says you have to start on the first of the month anyway?

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your basic bookshelf

If you needed a guide to essential books for your poetry library, you might start with Rebecca Hussey’s 50 Must-Read Best Poetry Books, presented in Book Riot. From Sappho to recent books by living poets, the list offers a solid foundation of favorites.

For other recent Book Riot lists, see Sarah Ullery’s 50 Must-Read Poetry Collections of 2019 or Christina Orlando’s 50 of The Best Poetry Books From Authors of Contemporary Works.

read

If you are still uncertain what to read next, have a browse through FIVE BOOKS. The site asks experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and to explain their selection in an interview. At least two new interviews are published each week and more that a thousand interviews and five thousand book recommendations are archived and searchable.

new titles

No sooner have the best-of lists gone away than the must-read lists begin. In case you don’t already have enough on your nightstand, have a look:

• Book Riot – 50 Must-Read Poetry Collections of 2019
• CBC – 20 works of Canadian poetry to check out in spring 2019
• The Millions – Must-Read Poetry: January 2019
• National Council of Teachers of English – 2019 Notable Poetry Books
• NPR – “I Reject Walls”: A 2019 Poetry Preview
• Nicholas Nichols – Lit Forthcoming Poetry Collections 2019

and yes, round five…

Just when you think everyone has weighed in on the best books of 2018…

• The Atlantic – includes two poetry titles in its list of The 19 Best Books of 2018
• Autostraddle – 50 of the Best Feminist Books of 2018 includes six poetry titles
• BuzzFeed News – 10 Poets On Their Favorite Poetry Collections Of 2018
• Dennis Cooper – Mine for yours: My favorite fiction, poetry, non-fiction, film, art, and internet of 2018, includes 16 poetry titles
• The Independent (UK) – 14 best poetry books (published in October to mark National Poetry Day)
• Rob McLennan offers his list of twenty-four Canadian poetry titles worth repeating, at Dusie.

Happy New Year!

round four…

The year’s favorites just keep stacking up:

• The Academy of American Poets – the most popular poem in 2018
• Bustle – 15 Poetry Collections From 2018 You Won’t Want To Miss
• The Irish Times – The best poetry books of 2018
• PBS News Hour – 12 gifts of poetry for everyone on your list
• Vulture – 9 Books of Poems That Prove 2018 Was a Fantastic Year — at Least for Poetry

round three

And yet more year’s-best-poetry lists:

• Chicago Review of Books – The 10 Best Poetry Books of 2018
• Chicago Tribune – Poet Michael Robbins offers picks for best poetry collections of 2018
• Library Journal – Best Books 2018 (presented as a slide show, including 10 poetry titles)
• The National Council of Teachers of English – Children’s Book and Poetry Awards
• The New York Times – The Best Poetry of 2018
• The Spinoff (New Zealand) – Official proclamation: The 20 best poetry books of 2018