I've actually read Aphrodite Made Me Do It twice now, on account of the fact that I absolutely flew through it the first time, and my brain was too busy processing to fully flesh out any kind of review. The second read definitely helped on that front, and I had the added bonus of getting to reflect on the collection in greater detail.

"They want you to believe love is weak, that you cannot curse and kiss with the same mouth"

I knew almost immediately that I was going to adore Aphrodite Made Me Do It. I think we can all agree that the cover itself is pretty much a giant beacon promising great content. And boy does it deliver on that front.

"Love knows no face. Love knows no gender. Love knows no sexuality. Love knows only love."

This is the kind of book where you start reading and suddenly you find yourself, to your own disappointment, mere pages from the end. From start to finish Trista Mateer gives us a gripping, uplifting and profoundly emotional read. My only possible complaint of this one is that it was finite, because every page spoke to me on such a level that coming to the end felt like such a huge disappointment. Thankfully, you can just flip right back to page one and start all over again. I can personally attest to enjoying it just as much the second time around.

"Nothing that came before matters unless you want it to."

Aphrodite Made Me Do It isn't a traditional read, and I think by essence it appeals to anyone who's ever felt nontraditional. It celebrates differentness, inclusivity and diversity. More than anything else, it promotes love. And my god it does so beautifully! Mateer's mixture of prose and poetry is seamless and works perfectly. I was a little unsure about the swap in narrative between her own life and that of Aphrodite, but the end result is an even more poignant final product. The moment where you may feel unsure as to who you're focused on feel all the more powerful for it. It's a book that is applicable to so many people for so many different reasons, but in turn makes each experience feel deeply emotional for the reader. For many it's probably a hard book. But ultimately leaves you with the understanding that it was a book you needed to read.

"Even a match remembers the moment before it was struck."

Almost every page of my copy is highlighted. Every section delivered me a quote or idea that resonated with me. Every poem, prose or art left me with that urge to print it out and paste it on my wall, to read every morning. I can't think of a single person I like who wouldn't resonate with this book, and I can't think of a single person I don't like who wouldn't benefit from reading it. And on top of all that, its downright aesthetic. The art and photography are exactly to my tastes, and the overall colour palette is so pretty. The art feels very current, a mixture of diary style  illustrations, and stunning photography. Every element feels so thought through, and the result is a really beautiful thing to behold.

"We use labels to help explain ourselves to others. They don't define us, we define them. [...] Language evolves and revolves around you."

Can you tell I've entirely obsessed? If you've been wondering why every paragraph is interspersed with quotes, its because I tried to narrow it down to a couple I loved most and I came up with at least twelve. So naturally I compromised with a healthy six. I'm about five minutes away from buying Trista Mateer's entire bibliography and reading on repeat. I can say without a doubt say that Aphrodite Made Me Do It is a new go-to for me. I'll leave you with this final quote, which is definitely a competitor from my favourite:

"If you were only meant to be beautiful, we wouldn't have put you down here in the dirt."