I first came across Reyna Biddy through Tumblr. (Side note: I have to say, Tumblr is a cool place to find some awesome writers.) What caught my attention on her blog was her writing. Her advice on friendships, relationships in general, and self-love was refreshing. It took me by surprise when I found out that she was only 21. Her words speak of someone who is an old soul, and you can tell that she writes from a place of sincerity. So when I heard that Reyna was in the process of writing her first book, I was curious. What was it going to be like? What was she going to write about? Would it be like what I’ve read from her so far?
When her book I Love My Love was published last month, I wasted no time in ordering it. Sure enough, Reyna didn’t disappoint. I Love My Love is about her journey to achieving self-love and acceptance while going through growing pains and the many ups and downs of life. One aspect that I loved about the book was that she started with an intro, which serves as a letter to the reader and herself. She writes: “I hope you feel the truths and experience the growths and appreciate how invested my heart is — in not only my love, but love, in yours too…” The Intro automatically pulled me in. I felt like she was preparing herself to have an intimate conversation with me.
Reyna switches up between rhyming schemes and free verse. I found myself dog-earing multiple pages. Another thing that I appreciated about the book was how she paralleled different perspectives. One example is “My Mother’s Interlude” and “My Father’s Interlude” — which are told from the perspective of her parents. From there, she adds what she has learned from both of them. Another example is “10 Reasons I Could Never Leave” and “10 Reasons I Could Never Stay.”
I Love My Love is no filter, no B.S. It’s vulnerable, raw, and unapologetic. She shows you the messiness of learning to love who you are and that it’s an on-going process that you eventually, with time and patience, get better at.
You can purchase her book on Amazon, where it’s available in paperback and for Kindle. Keep in mind that there’s some mature content.
Also, check out “Insides” on Reyna’s Soundcloud, which is a piece from her book. It’s one of my favorites, and I’m sure it will be one of yours, too.