Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Wellness

5 Self Love Poetry Novels to Treat Yourself this Valentine’s Day

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kent State chapter.

Ah, Valentine’s Day

Depending on who you are, you may think of Valentine’s Day as a day dedicated to loving your partner with romantic dinners, playful gifts and other sorts of meaningful moments. On the other hand, it is a day of spending time with your friends by partying or watching cheesy rom coms late at night. Or having that day designated to throwing up at the thought of love.

I do like the idea of love, but for yourself. I believe self-love is the most important type of love you can have. To help strengthen the love for yourself, here are 5 self-love poetry novels to treat yourself this Valentine’s Day.

1.The Princess Saves Herself in this One by Amanda Lovelace

Before I started reading The Princess Saves Herself, I thought it was going to be some overrated poetry novel. Everyone was talking about it. Let me tell you, I was so wrong. This novel left me in tears. It helped me realize that my scars and flaws are something to truly love about myself. 

Amanda Lovelace divided the novel into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen and you. The first three sections are about Lovelace’s journey through life while the last section is a note to the reader. 

The Princess provides the feeling of inspiration, empowerment and healing. I am sure as you read this, you will relate to a lot of Lovelace’s lessons as well.

2. First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

If you know me, you know I am someone who deals with high amounts of anxiety. I overthink and I deal with an awful lot of emotion. However, First, We Make the Beast Beautiful has taught me how to cope with my anxiety in a lighthearted way.

A Chinese proverb inspired Sarah Wilson to create a key to understanding her own lifelong struggle with anxiety. She intensely focuses on tips that we can do in our everyday lives to help contain our anxiety. Wilson creates an atmosphere to not completely cancel out anxiety, but to embrace it as a part of who we are.

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful allows the reader to laugh and relax while reading a wise yet funny novel that creates a sense of satisfaction being in our own bodies.

3. Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock

In the Fall of 2021, I was going through a moment of change. With all sorts of changes happening, I felt as though I needed a little confidence boost. I wanted to feel empowered to be a young woman. Dear Girl did exactly that.

Aija Mayrock created this poetry novel to inspire young girls in their journey through womanhood. She taps into various topics by exploring truth, silence, wounds, healing and the resilience we all share. 

As she states herself, “It is a love letter to the sisterhood.” Mayrock aided me to feel the strength in being a woman and most importantly, myself.

4. You’ll Come Back to Yourself by Michaela Angemeer 

We all have moments when we have not felt like ourselves. Recently, I felt I lost myself. I became numb to my surroundings and wanted to understand what I was feeling. When I began to read You’ll Come Back to Yourself, I slowly started to understand my journey of self-discovery.

If you like Rupi Kaur, you’ll love this poetry novel by Michaela Angemeer. She dabbles in different serious subjects such as depression, body image and self-respect with you choosing yourself over any other person. 

Angemeer makes it clear that she wants you to love yourself just the way you are.

5. Bloom for Yourself by April Green

Saving best for last, Bloom for Yourself is a masterpiece of self-love. When I was in the bookstore, I needed a sign for my lonely feeling. As soon as I turned my head towards the poetry section, the pink cover stood out like a daisy in a field of roses. I knew Bloom for Yourself would create a sense of happiness within my life.

April Green showed me that I am never truly alone. She created such a delicate approach towards growth and self-love. Once I began reading, I could not stop. Examining the words on the page made me feel complete.

I recommend this book to anyone who needs a helping hand in handling depression, loneliness or feeling unworthy.

COnclusion

Whether you dedicate Valentine’s Day to your partner, to your friends or no one at all, make sure you save some love for yourself. Self-Love is something special that you should cherish. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Danielle Stehle (STAY-lee) is the Wellness Intern at Her Campus. She explores the different areas under the wellness vertical including physical health, mental health, and sex & relationships to create a fun & comfortable atmosphere for those who want to learn more. Currently, she is finishing her undergraduate degree in journalism at Kent State University with a minor in creative writing. She plans to travel to Europe to further her education by continuing through graduate school focusing on publishing. She wants to improve her writing in hopes to inform and inspire others. She works alongside the education abroad team at Kent State to create opportunities for students who want to have a taste of the world around them. Outside of Her Campus, she is always willing to find new parts of herself to embrace. She has fallen in love with Italy so you will always hear a "ding" from Duolingo. If she is not writing, you can find her head in a book, lifting serious weight at the gym, or sharing her feral self on her TikTok.