A Taste of My Current WIP

Right now I am working actively on two different stories. My fantasy novel and a poetry collection that is like a fragment book of memories, thoughts, and emotions that deals with growing up, my family life, dealing with anger and depression, and the struggle of wanting to be someone other then myself.

I want to give you all a taste of that project with the poem I wrote for it today. Something that I would love to hear feedback on!

Untitled

It is the night that inspires me and under its darkness I have said the things that were both my greatest thoughts and harshest twists at my families expense.

Everything is heightened when the world goes down into silence including my anger including my desire including my pain.

How could I allow myself to say the things I have said when my mom’s face grows sour, my tears inconsolable, the pieces of myself being cut away.

I don’t know this midnight monster I see in the mirror with it’s tears on display and it’s teeth sharp ready to speak with a voice tinged in the blood from which it stabbed its own gums.

It is the night where it comes out and I choose to dance or I choose to let it breath and when it breathes it kills and while it hurts those I love it kills me slowly slowly I lose my breath my mind my need to exist.

Yet my savior comes in a small still voice of the little girl who knew the same pain yet tried and tried and tried and so for her I continue on I swallow the breaking pieces of teeth and I let the tears become small specs of salt shining down my face.

I scream I’m sorry forgive me I’m sorry

I’m trying I’m trying I’m trying

I try to accept my deserved untrue “it’s ok, it’s not a big.” deal like a large and burning pill.

Even when I want to fight it the answer my thoughts my actions the reactions… I was the the monster and monsters always get what they deserve.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments.

-Till next time!

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Silence is Golden: A Review

Silence is Golden by Robert Thier

My Rating: How does one rate a book that has taken over their lives? When even  an infinity of stars doesn’t quite seem to encapture the amount of love that lives in the heart for this books. Needless to say, my Goodreads rating is 5 stars!

Series: Book 3 of the Storm and Silence series

Publisher: None/Robert himself?

Published: Chapter by chapter on Wattpad (though a physical copy will be available in the coming weeks if Robert himself is to be believed.)

Recieved: Read this book on wattpad chapter by chapter for 46 weeks… 

Purchase: this title is not available for Pre-Order or purchase at this time, but you can read it for free on wattpad here.

Synopsis: 

Silent. Cold. Chiselled perfection. That is Rikkard Ambrose, the most powerful business mogul in Great Britain.
Free-spirited. Fiery. Definitely NOT attracted to the aforementioned business mogul. That is Lilly Linton, his personal secretary and secret weapon.
The two have been playing a cat and mouse game for months. So far, Lilly has been able to fight down and deny her attraction to Mr Ambrose. But what happens when suddenly, the dark secrets of his past begin to surface and they are forced to go on a perilous journey into the South-American jungle? A journey they can only survive if they band together?

Musings: 

I can’t explain all the internal screaming and exuberant happiness and feelings I have for this book. So much happens and it was all SO AMAZING! 

Every single chapter left me anticipating the next and wanting so much more and the abundance of humor in this book makes my heart soar. Rikkard Ambrose and Lilly Linton are two of my favorite characters to read about for eternity. Seriously, if it was just me and this book series alone for the rest of my life I would be totally content. 

This series is infamous for it’s crawling, inching, S L O W burning romance and not at all is this a bad thing. I LIVE for Rikkard’s and Lilly’s banter and tenuous attraction. I was just so happy to see some heat in this book (is this literal or figurative… or Both… you have to read the book to find out). Robert Thier is a master and keeping you in suspense, but all the while doing it tastefully as in the mean time everything is always entertaining and fun to read. 

I loved the adventure of this book. It felt so awesome that they went to the jungle in search of things to increase Rikkard’s non-straining bank account… (I.e. Lots and lots of gold). The fact that he let Lilly be the one to interpret and translate the map made me so happy. To see them “working” (I say this tentatively) together was all kinds of awesome and I have to say it made my heart full. 

If you haven’t read Storm and Silence READ IT. You can read it for free here or you can purchase a paperback here. If you haven’t read book 2 In The Eye of the Storm you can read it for free here or you can purchase a copy here. You already have the link above to book 3. 

READ THESE BOOKS! I don’t know of any series that I could want to recommend more then these… you will love them!!!! (I Guarantee It!)

Thanks for reading! If I could hypnotize you to start reading Storm and Silence right now I would. 

US Readers: My sister and I have a Giveaway going on on our Candle Buisness Instagram for the Candle depicted below:

Click the link here to enter! Further details are on the Instagram post. 

-Till next time!

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore: A Review

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore 

My Rating: 5 stars!!

Publisher: Dial

Published: May 1st, 2012 [side note: it has been 5 years since she has came out with a new novel 5 years!!! Needless to say, I’m reading Jane, Unlimitied as soon as it comes out!!!]

Recieved: I purchased this book at Barnes &a Nobel… I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful of a copy it is. I feel complete now that I own it and have read it. 

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis: 

Enter the Graceling Realm and let it work its magic . . .
When Queen Bitterblue took the throne of Monsea, she was a child, and her advisers ran the kngdom for her. Now she is beginning to question their decisions, especially how they handle the legacy of her father Leck, who who ruled through his Grace—a special talent for mind-altering—and his taste for darkness and violence. Bitterblue needs to know Monsea’s past to lead it into the future, so she begins exploring the city sreets at night, disguised and alone. As she does, she meets two thieves, who hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart. 
Bitterblue is unforgettable—a gateway to the Graceling Realm that braids together magic, memory, and romance.

Musings: 

Where do I begin with this book??? There are so many things I could say. I feel like most of my 5 star reads of late have taken me a long time to read and this book was no exception. I never wanted to leave the world! 

Now I know where to start! The first thing I want to say is how refreshing it was to read about a female character whose strength was in her intellect. All the math, the cyphers, the way she noticed little things and pieced them together like little puzzles was so cool to read about! Don’t get me wrong I love to read about physically strong badass female characters, but Queen Bitterblue was a nice change of pace for me. 

Also this book is home to the most beautiful passage I have ever read and when I read it I was in tears. It had me floored and I read that passage so many times after that initial readthrough because I couldn’t give enough of it. (I will only tell you the page numbers 511-513) If any piece of writing could ever be seen as perfect in my eyes this passage would be it. I had chills down my arms when I first read it… I still get chills now thinking about it. It sucks not being able to say more about it because it is a huge spoiler, but for those of you who have read it… I hope you feel much the same. 

I also loved how much I felt Bitterblue grew as a person and as well as a Queen from beginning to end. I really felt as though I was watching someone mature and see life and people differently. In my opinion, I think that’s really difficult for a lot of authors to achieve and achieve well in a novel, but Cashore really pulled it off seemingly effortlessly. 

I also loved that this book was radically different from both Graceling and Fire. It felt like a totally different pace and type of action and really an artistic feel to this book that wasn’t present in either of the other two books. I also like that Bitterblue is so human even though she has her own sort of power and such a sharp mind. She isn’t a “monster” like Fire and she isn’t Graced like Katsa, but she definitely holds her own in a totally unique way. 

I loved how layered all the relationships were in this book. Every character breathed life into the world and never once came off as flat. The complexity of some of the terrors in this book and how they affected and corrupted different characters minds was fascinating and their actions made this book come alive. Especially when it comes to Bitterblue’s advisers. The way Cashore chose to write their story’s was absolutely brilliant and made for such a heart wrenching and fascinating story. 

I don’t want to say too much else about this book at the moment, because I don’t want to spoil anything and I feel like I’m going to be shoving this book in people’s faces and making them read it a lot now. 

All I can say now is READ IT! READ IT! READ IT!!!!!

-Till next time! 

Stupid Flowers by Brice Maiurro: A Review

Stupid Flowers by Brice Maiurro 

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Publisher: Punch Drunk Press 

Published: 2017

Recieved: Ecopy from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Poetry. Brice Maiurro is a poet out of Denver, Colorado who performs regularly at events throughout the front range. His poems have previously been featured in various places including the Denver Post, Birdy Magazine and Suspect Press. In his first collection, Brice Maiurro takes us poem by poem through different life experiences ranging from the mundane to the divine, the funny and the dark. 

Musings: 

So much of this poetry book is absolutely gorgeous, but not in any way that could be remotely considered typical. The poems that resonated most with me were the ones I could never possibly expect and there were many of those. 

I will share with you one of my favorites. 

I don’t know why Bird #2 felt so powerful to me. I think that maybe I was thinking of a person taking the time to play a jazz song in the middle of nowhere for a cow and realizing that the song being played was from a bird. I also think it was from thinking how beautiful it must be that birds sing mindlessly everywhere all the time and most definitely at one time or another for a cow. The thought of a cow approciateing the birds song made me smile and made me hope that somewhere out there a cow is mooing to its family about the bird that sang him or her the most beautiful jazz song they’ve ever heard. 

It was so the stuff like this that made me feel like this book was absolutely genius. Poetry is hard sometimes because it really can be a hit or miss and to keep coming up with a line of amazing poetry is difficult, but Brice certainly did his job. 

Then there were poems like Date With a Beautiful Woman (Where I Turn Into a Were wolf) that really made me go wow. This poem in particular felt like a surreleast and Freudian piece that mixed reality and a dreamlike state to create something that shed light into the figurative mind of a man on a date. Which I completely adored! 

I could go on and on discussing specific poems and what meanings they revealed to me, but I genuinely hope for you to check out this book and see for yourselves how you feel about it. I will be the first to say Inloved this book and the poet in me is now itching for me to write. 

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed my review. If your interesting in reading and/or getting into poetry.. I 100% recommend you read Stupid Flowers. It is such a cool short poetry book. 

-Till next time!

The Book Raven Recommends

I wanted to try out a new post today I am calling The Book Raven Recommends to recommend you all a great book to read! 

For this first post of this I’m just going to choose The Giver by Louis Lowry simply because it is my favorite book of all time and even if it isn’t the best book for everyone I just want to see more appreciation out there in the world for it. 



This haunting story centers on Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he’s given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. 

Also, if you haven’t watch the movie! The movie is fantastic and I loved every second of it!

I could go on and on discussing about why I love The Giver so much, but the point of this post is to have you read it and figure out what you feel about it. 

If you’ve read this book or seen the movie let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading. 

-Till next time!

Use the Force: A Review

  
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Publisher: Beacon Publishing Group

Published: July 3rd, 2016

Recieved: I recieved an e-copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Purchase: Amazon

 Ever since Star Wars first appeared on the silver screen, people have fantasized about being able to use the Force. But anyone–not just Jedis–can tap into its capabilities by using the Law of Attraction to harness the incredible power of the universe. Author Joshua P. Warren guides you through the lessons of legendary Jedi Masters to reveal how Jedi science encompasses the Law of Attraction and how you can draw on the universe’s energy to achieve your dreams. Each thought-provoking exercise shows you how to utilize this power to manifest your deepest desires and attract the life you’ve always wanted. You’ll also learn how to train your mind to hone in on your intention; enhance your connection to the universe; and ensure that your actions, words, and thoughts are in harmony with accomplishing your goals.
Do you want to break the negative energies holding you back from success?

Do you want to wake up each day excited and full of energy?

Do you want to use the real Jedi mind trick on others?

Do you want to channel the very power that binds the universe?

Do you want to truly create wealth and peace of mind in your life?

Musings:

I never expected to read a book like Use the Force. When I got to start reading it I was constantly bothering my mom about it telling her that she should read it as well. “It’s like The Secret” she would say, “I read up on that a long time ago, that stuff never works.” To which I would reply, “Not with that kind of attitude it won’t… The universe takes time to give what you wish to recieve, your doubts are your greatest hinderences.”this of course caused my mom to push me away. “That’s complete BS.” She would tell me. “I think it works.” I would insist. “Good for you. Now leave me alone, I’m watching my movie.” My mom’s head would turn away from me, “Fine.” I would say and would leave her alone again. 

I am a firm believer that what energy you put out into the universe is the type of energy that come back to you. When I am in a certain mood I can be almost annoyingly positive and a lot of the time that energy is noticed mostly by my family and funny conversations like the one I had with my mom ensue. I think I enjoyed this book so much because it confirms what I already believe and the types of things that I see within the world. It so hard not to be jaded by life and a lot of the time that fear to take the next step forward is what hurts you the most. We never know what’s just around the corner and so we lock our hearts away for fear of being hurt and while hurt most certainly will happen eventually there is a possibility of some beautiful and amazing things to come your way if only you free yourself from a negative mindet. 

Another thing I loved about this book was the quotes and information about Star Wars. As one of the few in this universe that has yet to see the films it was suprisingly easy to understand the situations the author would reference and I thought the background information of the movie was incredibly interesting. This aspect of the book makes it really accessible to readers and makes the book all the more interesting. 

It took me a long time to read this book, but this is only because I felt like a book like this is best read in sections only so the ideas would better sink into my mind so that they may be used in my daily life. I often like books that are meant to be read in small sittings, in a way that reading style can make the impact of a book all the more powerful. 

If you are looking for a positive change in your life, love Star Wars, and/or are interested in learning more about the law of attraction, I would hope for you to pick up this book. It was entirely engaging and positive, I will definitly be implementing its words to create the future I wish for myself going forward in life.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. 

-Till next time!

Quests of the Kings: A Review

Quests of Kings by Robert Evert

My Rating: 2.75/5 Stars

Publisher: Diversion Books

Release Date: March 14th, 2017

Recieved: Net Galley provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Pre-Order: Amazon

From the author of the Riddle in Stone books comes a thrilling new series for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Kristin Cashore.
Across the realms, the kings’ quests captivate the imaginations of nobles and commoners alike. These dangerous competitions pit the most daring adventurers against each other as they compete for riches and glory for their kingdoms.
Plain and ordinary Natalie, a sixteen-year-old peasant girl, loves listening to stories about famous adventurers, but the thrilling action of the kings’ quests seems far removed from her everyday life of mucking out stables and working every odd job she can find to support her siblings and disabled mother. However, after a violent run-in with Brago, a ruthless adventurer who believes Natalie is a threat to his mission, she is dragged unwillingly into the latest contest.
On the run from Brago, Natalie seeks refuge with a rival adventurer, the legendary Sir Edris, and his squire, Reg. As they toil together to find the object all of the kings desire—an ancient golden harp—Natalie starts to feel safe with the fatherly knight. Yet, despite Edris’s protection, Brago is never far behind. When one of Brago’s cruel plots separates Natalie from her protectors, she must become as strong and cunning as the adventurers of old to save her friends and stay alive.

Musings: 

I really enjoyed reading Quests of Kings, it was an adventure. As much as I enjoyed reading it I wanted more. There was something about the characters and how they were written that makes you want to care, but also separates readers from them. 

This book felt like one big adventure story. It ignites an almost childlike wish to go out into the world and experience all there is to see. To be and do something more. 

I liked Natalie as a main character. However, I felt she was confused and at times acted colder then her thoughts would suggest her to be. I felt like she was a girl that was broken by her circumstances and never gave herself to what she truly wanted in life. I also feel that there wasn’t enough time spent exploring her thoughts as a character and allowing her to act more naturally. It was like hearing snipets of her voice every once in a while, then rushing to the plot in other parts. A lot of times I felt like something would happen and she would cry, but then in the next two seconds it would be over and it was like an important event that happened is no longer important. 

The one part of Natalie’s character that didn’t add up was when she would complain. The girl who does everything she can to feed her family. The girl who cares more about others well-being then her own, doesn’t makes sense with the character that whines about her burdens. Her initial actions do not coincide with what she says and I felt like I was reading about two completely different kinds of characters. It made Natalie fall flat as a result. 

I also wish there was more character development for all the characters in the story. I felt that the secondary characters were often easy to look past, because they were not given enough time to truly speak. The biggest example of this is Arist, he is a secondary main character that I felt like I was starting to get to know, but in the end I felt like I didn’t get to know him as well as I should.

I also felt that the death that occurs in this book wasn’t felt as deeply as it should have because the readers didn’t get enough time to care about that character and afterwards the death would feel skimmed over. It felt very rushed, it happened so let’s move on, type of thing. 

The things that Natalie goes through are horrific. Her sarcasm and strengths would be felt much stronger if more meaningful time was spent on her dealing with the emotions she has. When connections are severed it is severely painful and emotionally crippling for all people. If that was shown more, I feel like I would have connected with Natalie so much more. 

This novel has the potential to be something I could fall in love with. At this point while I enjoyed it, I wanted to care more. 

Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Are you thinking of reading this book? Have you read any other books from this author? If so, what are your thoughts?

-Till next time!

Aftercare Instructions: A Review

Aftercare Instructions  by Bonnie Pipkin

My Rating: 5 thoughtful stars

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Release Date: June 27th, 2017

Recieved: Netgalley provided an earc copy in exchange for an honest review

Pre-Order: Amazon

In the tradition of Rainbow Rowell and Jandy Nelson, a powerful, big-hearted journey of furious friendship, crazy love, and unexpected hope
“Troubled.” That’s seventeen-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds refuge and stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The betrayal causes Gen to question everything.
As Gen pushes herself forward to find her new identity without Peter, she must also confront her most painful memories. Through the lens of an ongoing four act play within the novel, the fantasy of their undying love unravels line by line, scene by scene. Digging deeper into her past while exploring the underground theater world of New York City, she rediscovers a long forgotten dream. But it’s when Gen lets go of her history, the one she thinks she knows, that she’s finally able to embrace the complicated, chaotic true story of her life, and take center stage.
Aftercare Instructions, an electric, format-crushing debut, full of heart and hope, follows Gen on a big-hearted journey from dorm rooms to diners to underground theaters—and ultimately, right into readers’ hearts.

Musings: 

In a single word this book is: bold

Why isn’t this book everywhere? It’s gorgeously written, real, and full of life. It discusses a topic that fills the masses with a charged energy on both sides of a story and is born from the burning embers of a movement that has caused a lot of debate, especially now. I could whisper the word abortion and pretty soon a whole room erupts into discussion and inevidibly arguments. I have no idea why, but the topic of abortion has latched onto me recently (as it may have for many of us) and hasn’t let go. I’ve thought myself to be on all sides of the spectrum pro-life, pro-choice, and somewhere in-between. 

However, this is not only a book that tackles the hardships and choices of abortion (something that it does brilliantly I must say) it is also a story about family, relationships, and simply being human, mistakes and all. I loved that while abortion is a huge theme of this novel it is not the only one, and quite possibly, not even the most important. 

For Genesis, there is a whole lot that occurs in a single week, and family is a huge part of it. Years ago when Gen lost her father, her world broke apart, her mother broke down, and Gen took it upon herself to pick up the pieces, for better or worse. Having to be a stronghold for her mother is a huge part of this novel, a depiction of mental disparity caused by grief that added a depth to this story that continues to tug at my heart. 

Gen’s father, who feels like the guiding voice of this novel, felt like a catalyst for healing and a constant source of strength. Even as he caused his wife’s greatest weakness in his death. Gen’s dad was a curiosity, his traits branded into Genesis’s own. His heart in hers, his hand guiding her towards his past, in a shining light. I felt his voice so much in this because of every flashback and rush toward the future surrounded itself in theatre the thing he loved to do most. 

I love the aspect of theathre in this book. The parts written in acts. The idea of plays woven deep into the rhyrthm of this novel. It added a richness to the story that would never have existed. It’s importance unexpected, but completely right. 

Peter the boy that Gen fell in love with that left her alone at Planned Parenthood. Religious, hurting, and confused Peter, who after all the emotions, I never ended up hating, though I really really wanted to. 

This novel is driven by its characters. Driven by their conflicting desires and shared hopes. All tied up in a thing called aftercare, because you may not be able to be in control of how things happen, but you can work towards becoming healed. 
This book deserves to be read, shared, discussed, and read again. This a novel that society needs. I hope that you consider my words and take them to heart. No matter what you believe, this is a book that can help bridge an understanding amongst us all,  if only you are willing to take the jump, with your eyes wide, and your mind open…

Thank you for reading. Let me know any concerns you have about the topic above. I’m always open to discussion. I want to hear all of your thoughts and if you do decide to give this book a try let me know. 

-Till next time!

The Amsterdam Book Tag

Thank you to Eliza from Dusk Angel Reads for tagging me for this fun tag! Eliza has a lovely entertaining blog with a beautiful purple aesthetic. Check out her most recent post here!

WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY CHEESE STORES IN ONE STREET? — A CHEESY READ.

You either love or hate the selection for the most part, for a lot of people this book is somewhat annoying and a bit cheesy. Personally I enjoy a bit of cheese every now and then.

CANAL PARADE — A BOOK THAT CELEBRATES THE LGBT-COMMUNITY.

This book is one of my most Anticipated reads for 2017 and I love all that it represents. I haven’t read this one yet, but I am looking forward to holding this book in my hands. 

ANNE FRANK HOUSE — A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY.

This book broke my heart, it is one of those books that make you wonder if the author was trying to say there is no hope for something better in life. Yet, I love this book. It is my favorite classic and I will defend it always. 

MUSEUM SQUARE — AN ARTSY BOOK.

Jane Steele has such a gorgeous cover I can’t take it. I bought it recently and I can’t wait to read its pages. Plus, I could never resist a Jane Eyre retelling. 

PIGEONS, PIGEONS EVERYWHERE — AN ANNOYING CHARACTER.

Mr. Jebadiah Holt from the Splintered series gets on my nerves so completely that I just can’t stand him. By now, many of you may know of my love for the Splintered series and how it will never end, but at the same time, I wish Jeb would have never existed, my vendetta still stands strong! (I could never hate pigeons though, they are too cute!)

RED WHITE BLUE — RECREATE THE DUTCH FLAG USING BOOKS.

I Tag: 

Sean @ Kingdom Book Blog

Jolien @ The Fictional Reader

Eva @ Brilliantly Bookish

I hope you all enjoy this tag!

P.s. Before doing this tag I was mesmerized by all the beautiful photographs of Amsterdam I found online. It made me want to instantly transport there and enjoy all the history and culture of a place I didn’t know much about. I am so happy I got to participate if only for the wanderlust this tag provided. 

Thank you all for reading. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! I love conversing with all my fellow bookworms. 

-Till next time!

I Read to be Shaken Up

I feel as though I have been enlightened to a truth about myself that I hadn’t ever thought about, but feels so right. I have thought about why I read before and I thought I had answers, but nothing encompasses my reason why more than the quote above from Jennifer Donnelly’s “A Northern Light” 

What I live for in books is to be shaken up. To see the truth of things. To live in the life of someone different. To understand another’s perspective, but also for the enjoyment and contentment the fantasy and the reality combined. 

The books I carry with the deepest of affections in my heart carry important truths. They have shown me what fractions of the world is like (I say fractions because the world is larger and more maltifaucted then I ever could understand). They have inspired me to think. 

I am only half way through “A Northern Light” and it has shaken me up. These words have reminded me why I love “Tess of the D’Ubervilles” by Thomas Hardy,  a true tragedy I love for how it makes me feel. It shook me. It gave me so much hope and so much dispare and the feelings felt so raw and true. 

“A Northern Light” has made me fall even more in love with books, reading, and writing. I didn’t think that was possible! It has reminded me of why I feel so much joy at reading a book that makes me feel, well, any emotion really. If a book plays me like a fiddle and inspires terror, hope, sadness, joy, wonder, loneliness, sorrow, peace, or even anger, I will probably defend that book to the dear and say how much love I have for it because it shook me and made me feel, because it made me fall in love with the character, the world, and the well-being of those who do not exist and that for me is what is so powerful and amazing about books. 

Books have changed my life. They have opened up my mind and heart to so many different people and ideas and understanding just by not being afraid to be written as they are, full of truths, the worlds truths, the individual persons truths. I read because it reminds me that the person sitting next to me has their own life, and dreams, and sorrow, and hope. Every human being has their own book in life, and everyone deserves to have it written, should they want it, to be understood, if they wish for it. 

I read because it makes me feel connected to others on a visceral level. It has inspired in me more compassion and want to do good than any other thing in my life ever has. Books have helped me see who I am by igniting a fire in me for words, for people, and for humanity. 

I realize now that because of books and authors and being shaken, I can never be as I was before I had books. I wouldn’t regonize a me without books, because I don’t think there is a way that I could have grown as much without them. I wouldn’t care as much as I do, and life would feel grey without it. 

I believe with all my heart that words are a beautiful power. A power that changes those who allow it to touch their hearts and to be understood. 

-Till next time.