What an incredibly beautiful and hard book. Hard in the way real things can be hard. Death is hard. And feeling helpless is hard.
SeraTW: Infant loss.
What an incredibly beautiful and hard book. Hard in the way real things can be hard. Death is hard. And feeling helpless is hard.
Serafina is an amazing young girl, as is her dream to become a doctor (view spoiler)[to help poor women with weak and malnourished babies, like her mother and her baby brother who passed (hide spoiler)]. I loved reading about her & truly did not want the book to end. ...more
I have loved other poetry-in-verse books but found this one to be a little too flowery and dramatic for my tastes. Though I love YA/YA romance3 stars
I have loved other poetry-in-verse books but found this one to be a little too flowery and dramatic for my tastes. Though I love YA/YA romance, I think this book's genre and fairytale plot gave the poetry a really overdone reading, and while I can totally see how others would love it, it just wasn't for me.
Story-wise: I did like the story of Hilde, her sisters, and her cloak. I found Richter's character to be well developed (and evil), and I was surprised by Franz's Jewishness and non-binaryness. (This book will be added to my "Surprisingly good Jewish representation" shelf and my "LGBTQ+ characters" shelf.) I was also surprised by the "modernity" of the setting. I'd guess late 19th Century?
(Re: the ending, (view spoiler)[I did like that Hilde left King Ludwig's wings out for him to find, and while I don't understand how she got her wings back, I'm not all that bothered by it. Other than that, I didn't really see Hilde & Franz's romance... When Franz turned into a fox to be with her/live, I was happy this book had a HEA, but I wasn't really moved outside of the thought of "oh, good, a HEA. What I'm trying to say is: I wasn't really moved by them or their story. (hide spoiler)].)...more
Wanted to love this, because, Misha! But, sadly, it was only an OK collection of poetry for me. And as other reviewers wrote, it was vulnerable & reveWanted to love this, because, Misha! But, sadly, it was only an OK collection of poetry for me. And as other reviewers wrote, it was vulnerable & revealing, and (view spoiler)[kinda depressing for me to read about an ending marriage. Didn't realize that was part of the book until I started in. (hide spoiler)].
I thought this was a Covid collection (called "Homebody," get it?!), but was disappointed to read more of the same from Kaur. (ﾉ∀＼*) I like Kaur's poetI thought this was a Covid collection (called "Homebody," get it?!), but was disappointed to read more of the same from Kaur. (ﾉ∀＼*) I like Kaur's poetry, I do(!), this is just the third very similar volume of poetry from her that I've read. And I was looking for something different.
There were a few poems that stuck out to me. And some that I loved, that didn't really feel like poems at all.
Like-
if you could accept that perfection is impossible what would you stop obsessing over (pg. 18)
And-
lift of things to heal your mood:
1) cry it. walk it. scream it. dance it out of your body. 2) if after all that you are still spiraling out of control ask yourself if sinking into the mud is worth it 3) the answer is no 4) the answer is breathe 5) sip tea and feel your nervous system settle 6) you are the hero of your life 7) this feeling doesn't have power over you 8) the universe has prepared you to handle this 9) no matter how dark it gets the light is always on its way 10) you are light 11) walk yourself back to where the love lies (pg. 35)
And-
we can work at our own pace and still be successful (pg. 91)
And-
what a relief to discover that the aches i thought were mine alone are also felt by so many others (pg. 136)
And the ones I disliked, especially didn't feel like poems. More like opinions. (Political, or otherwise.)
I liked Rest and Awake, out of the four sections. ...more
My favorite poems from this collection were from the Before (Woman's Midrashim) section, though I found many from The Shoah's Many Voices to be incredMy favorite poems from this collection were from the Before (Woman's Midrashim) section, though I found many from The Shoah's Many Voices to be incredibly powerful.
My favorites from Before (Woman's Midrashim):
G-D'S CARTON pg. 3 Egg cradle, the shell held in an angel's arms, a singularity waiting to become a world. No Big Bang here, but the gentle opening onto the frying pan of the universe. The only question- will it be a watery Earth, dry Mars, or your basic everyday galactic scramble.
LIGHT pg. 4 A word but not a word, sound, but not sound, a puff of air, hiss of breath, shift of molecules before there are molecules.
A star is born before it has a name. Garden planted with nouns. Green not yet a color and yet surely a color, pushing up through what will one day be called Ground Zero.
Something is born, from the earth, from the star, vaguely man like, woman like, but a surer touch this time. Alike and not alike.
Something flies above their heads. "Bird," the man figure says. "Hawk," the woman figure says. An argument from the beginning.
And all this with a single word.
GIVEN LEAVE pg. 11 The Jews leave Levant, all unleavened,
Bread sent down from God's own heaven.
Old Pharoh's son's death left behind.
Leaving Egypt on each mind.
Left foot, right, they cross the Sea,
A virtual Pyrrhic victory.
When given leave, don't leave behind
A gift of hate for some mankind.
And my favorites from The Shoah's Many Voices: RETURN pg. 51 TALKING AUSCHWITZ pg. 57 THE RIVERS OF BABYLON: IN MEMORIAM pg. 59 ...more
Not what I expected from a story about a kid who is under house arrest! Really enjoyed the "complexity" of the situation & how good of a kid Timothy rNot what I expected from a story about a kid who is under house arrest! Really enjoyed the "complexity" of the situation & how good of a kid Timothy really is. (view spoiler)[His arrest at the end for saving Levi's life (by stealing the car) was *OOF* right in the feels. Poor Timothy! Damned if you do, damned if you don't! But the *very hopeful* Happy Ending with Levi's operation was a great almost ending to the book, even though Timothy wasn't able to be there. (hide spoiler)] Though, I did not like the abrupt cliff-hanger ending with the call from Timothy's dad, I am at least glad to see there is a second book in this series (even though it takes place a bunch of years later) with Levi as a MC....more
The weakest volume of Atticus poetry so far. It has the same sort of-aphorisms like snippets of sentiments as Love Her Wild and The Dark Between StarsThe weakest volume of Atticus poetry so far. It has the same sort of-aphorisms like snippets of sentiments as Love Her Wild and The Dark Between Stars, but even less poetry. Also, can you cut it with the "American Eagle" model type photography included? We get it, you like pretty skinny (naked) people (à la the backside pic of the skinny-dipping woman on pg. 83). Can you actually write some poetry, please?
Here are the "poems" I did like from The Truth About Magic:
She didn't make my demons disappear she made me strong enough to fight them, Pg. 47
Poetry at the wrong time is madness poetry at the right time is magic. Pg. 186
Each beautiful thing we love starts first as the dirt of dust and stars. Pg. 235
And here are the "poems" that I hated enough to mark:
Say what you will but crazy isn't boring. Pg. 82
I don't know the meaning of life, but kissing a girl while drunk in the rain is pretty damn close. Pg.59
Indifference is a powerful tool of desire. Pg. 51 What the F does that even mean?!...more
So happy I stumbled into this series very randomly, as I've enjoyed it so so much!
I did find Knockout to be a little bit slower to get into than HousSo happy I stumbled into this series very randomly, as I've enjoyed it so so much!
I did find Knockout to be a little bit slower to get into than House Arrest, but I ended up falling in love with Levi, just as much as Timothy.
and it's very weird to be the main character of a story that's technically yours but feels more like everyone else's. (16/358)
It was super interesting that Timothy didn't tell Levi why he was a teenage delinquent. Sheltering Levi from the truth only made him feel so disconnected from his family, and infantilized. The book got a lot better after the "slow hump" (IMO) in the beginning. I loved the way the brothers "spoke" via notebook & how eventually they made each other known to the other.
Super mixed review. Just like Love Her Wild. I liked some of these poems, I hated some of these "poems," and I dismissed a lot that were just not poemSuper mixed review. Just like Love Her Wild. I liked some of these poems, I hated some of these "poems," and I dismissed a lot that were just not poems. (The ones that I hate, I hate because they are pretentious and kinda icky. I hate the pictures of beautiful women sprinkled throughout. (+ The one of a woman's backside in a field.) It gives off "bro, I write poetry" vibes.)
The book is broken up into three sections. Stars, Between, and The Dark.
What I liked from Stars:
Some moments like some people are not meant to be fully understood so for now it's best we just call them miracles. pg. 19
Mon coeur my heart you are missing from me as noticeably as if I woke without a leg so far away you beat that I must hobble through my day missing you with missing pieces. pg. 29
I didn't think this one was a "poem" per se, but I did like it too:
Too many die with a brush in their hands a heart full of colors and a lifetime of empty canvases. pg.56
and
Art has the answers to many of the questions we weren't brave enough to ask. pg. 59
These are the "poems" I hated: (view spoiler)[ IT'S ALWAYS SAFE TO DO NOTHING WHEN IT RAINS. pg. 12
There is no safer place I know than tucked in a corner of a café in Paris with a bottle of rosé and an afternoon to spare. pg. 13 (hide spoiler)]
I didn't have much to say about Between. One I really liked:
Twice I would die for a little more once with you. pg. 123
One I hated: (view spoiler)[ "Well," her mother said, "now you've done it you've kissed off more than you can marry." pg. 122 (hide spoiler)]
I did like The Dark, the best. Some poems I liked:
It is so easy to forget we are the same as all the others in thinking that we are different. pg. 157
She had survived his love and with the embers he left behind she lit the mighty flames of her future. pg. 187
She didn't know why she did it, she felt trapped inside her skin, and maybe, she thought, just maybe, the cuts would let the light in. pg. 193
And then there are a bunch of pages I liked that weren't necessarily poems...
LIFE IS THE ART OF FAILING MAGNIFICENTLY. pg. 151
The trick is always to try collect the tries like trophies and you will never lose. pg. 152
Never believe old men or politicians on issues that will make them wealthier while they are alive and the world worse when they are dead. pg. 171
Some days life is a grand adventure, other days it seems an uncomfortable necessity between sleeps. pg. 173
Don't worry if someone doesn't love you sometimes they are struggling first to love themselves. pg. 177
We all wear scars- find someone who makes yours feel beautiful. pg. 207
Thre is not enough time in life to worry about there not being enough time in life. pg. 212
I didn't realize this was a collection of haikus put together from reader submissions. Some were funny, some were true snippets of NYC life, but most I didn't realize this was a collection of haikus put together from reader submissions. Some were funny, some were true snippets of NYC life, but most were just plain meh. :-/
THE FUNNY:
Tourists in New York Three abreast, strolling, chatting: I want to shove you. -Carolyn Lengel
I would take a G And ride in the smelly car, to be close to you -Jeffrey Yurcan
Pizza with a fork? DeBlasi OH MY GOODNES!!!!!! Go to Confession! -Robert D. Diamant
THE SNIPPITS:
Drooling, snoring folk Bobbing heads sway to and fro Those subway sleepers -Carol Davis
There are places in Central Park, where you see no Buildings, only trees. -Laura Seigle
Woman falls on street. Crowd of ambitious strangers Competes to help her. -Alison Klinger
MY FAVORITES:
I lost my headphones but found the subway had music of its own -Scott Percelay
"Still a neighborhood," He smiles -Yiddish memories, Spanish in the air -Chris O'Carroll
If build and destroy Are music notes, our Island Is a symphony. -Laura Seigle
Tall island lady, welcoming all who come here. Oh, New York! Freedom! -Georgia Stapleton...more
I much prefer Angelou's prose, which I actually find to be very poetic. These poems sadly didn't speak to me.
Some I didn't understand. Some I activelyI much prefer Angelou's prose, which I actually find to be very poetic. These poems sadly didn't speak to me.
Some I didn't understand. Some I actively disliked (the rhyming ones, like Pickin Em Up/and Layin Em Down pg. 59 & Bump d'Bump pg.165). Some I found to be powerful and meaningful in their essence but not in their poetry if that makes sense. Like, I liked the essence of When I Think About Myself pg. 29, but don't think it's an amazing poem (for me). Same with The Calling of Names pg. 46, One More Round pg. 151, Equality pg. 226, Our Grandmothers pg. 245 and In My Missouri pg. 255. I found them to be super powerful in meaning, but the poetry itself didn't speak to me. Not sure why.
I did like Phenomenal Woman pg. 126, My Arkansas pg. 139, Still I Rise pg. 159, and Caged Bird pg. 189, but not enough to have enjoyed this entire collection....more
I have super mixed feelings about this collection.
I really liked some of these poems, but found others to be kind of "bro-y", if you know what I meanI have super mixed feelings about this collection.
I really liked some of these poems, but found others to be kind of "bro-y", if you know what I mean? The tone was just a little bro-ish, and the accompanying pictures of beautiful slim white women near the beach didn't help my reading either.
Love Her Wild is half "modern poetry" half kinda-aphorisms (like snippets of sentiments). Some reviewers called this out as being cheesy, and I totally see that... The book has three collected parts which make up the title. 1: Love. 2. Her. 3: Wild. I liked Loved & Wild much more than Her, which is where I found most of the poems & phrases to read cringy/cheesy/bro-y, manic-pixie-dream-girl-esq.
The poems I loved from Love:
When it comes to love we are primates breaking sticks while pointing to our hearts. Pg. 6
My atoms love your atoms, it's chemistry. Pg. 15
I promise to live a life so rich of love that at the end I will not be so shy of death. Pg. 19
True love comes when you lose where you end and they begin and the atoms in your souls forget where they belong and slowly you become pieces of each other too close now to ever be apart. Pg. 34
Does the sun promise to shine? No, but it will- even behind the darkest clouds, and no promise will make it shine longer or brighter for that is its fate, to burn until it can burn no more. To love you is not my promise but my fate- to burn for you until I can burn no more. Pg. 38
And as I sat and looked at her and the rolling hills she sat upon I thought, what amazing luck I have, that the world had created such beautiful things and given me the eyes to see them. Pg. 40
When I saw you first, it took every ounce of me not to kiss you. When I saw you laugh, it took every ounce of me not to love you. And when I saw your soul, it took every ounce of me. Pg. 45
It's not the fear of losing them that scares us, it's that we have given them so many of our pieces that we fear losing ourselves when they are gone. Pg. 51
The "poems" I hated from Love: (view spoiler)[ Love is diving headfirst into someone else's confusion and finding that it all makes sense. Pg. 7
I'll let you into my heart but wipe your feet at the door. Pg. 9
Love could be labeled a poison and we'd drink it anyways. Pg. 23
I just need you and some sunsets. Pg. 25
New love is the best cure for old love gone bad. Pg. 69
A few drinks and the world was hers- she wore her whisky like a loaded gun. Pg. 57 (hide spoiler)]
The "poems" I hated from Her: (view spoiler)[ She wanted to be rich and she looked good on a yacht but I wanted a girl that looked good by a campfire with freckles like sparks to stain the ashy sky. Pg. 88
Brushing a girl's hair behind her ear once a day will solve more problems than all those therapists and drugs. Pg. 110
I loved her most, for all the things she hated about herself, for that is what made her different, and it was the different that I loved. Pg. 111
She was just another broken doll dreaming of a boy with glue. Pg. 114
She sat in her perfect house, with her perfect husband, wishing her perfect life would end. Pg. 115
Angels must be warm to fly- that's why she always slept in socks. Pg. 126
I feel like girls who drink whisky tell good stories. Pg. 140
It was her chaos that made her beautiful. Pg. 142 (hide spoiler)]
The poems I loved from Her:
She had been through hell and though no one could see her demons they could see the face that conquered them. Pg. 134
She wasn't waiting for a knight- she was waiting for a sword. Pg. 136
The poems I loved from Wild:
Our poems were notes left behind to a confused younger self. Pg. 150
We humans are so tortured by not properly guessing what will make us happy. Pg. 174
Art takes time- Monet grew his gardens before he painted them. Pg. 180
One day I will paint the perfect sunset- if I can only find the words. Pg. 185
I think sometimes of the great stories lost to old basements, floods, and fires, it makes me sad until I think also of all the stories not yet made, in young minds, in full pens, and on paper not yet printed. Pg. 186
Poetry is a lifelong war waged against ineffable beauty. Pg. 187
We are made of all those who have built and broken us. Pg. 199
Let my death be a long and magnificent life. Pg. 208
And, lastly, "poems" that I hated from Wild: (view spoiler)[ Drugs to me have always been a pretty girl with a sly smile beckoning me with a finger down a dark path of a fork in the road. Pg. 157
I've always liked boxing, there's nothing like a punch in the face to remind you you don't want to die. Pg. 176 (hide spoiler)] ...more
Cute book of poetry for young children. Each poem is written in a different style -with the name of the style at the bottom of each page. I actually LCute book of poetry for young children. Each poem is written in a different style -with the name of the style at the bottom of each page. I actually LOVED learning the names of the different styles of poems (many styles I knew but didn't know their names!) much more than the actual poetry itself, which was a bit of a bummer. (I really appreciated the Poetic Forms and Literary Devices explanations at the back of the book.)
My favorite poem of the collection was the first one: Giving Thanks by Joseph Bruchac Written in memory of Chief Jake Swamp
Thanksgiving is more than just one day, so a Mohawk elder said to me.
Though it is good that we remember this time with feasting each November.
We need to give thanks every dawn for the gifts of life, for each breath drawn.
For everything that keeps us living, we speak our words of true thanksgiving. ...more
As soon as I saw this was being printed I pre-ordered it on Amazon. It JUST arrived and it’s beautiful. A tiny slim hard copy of the poem that stirredAs soon as I saw this was being printed I pre-ordered it on Amazon. It JUST arrived and it’s beautiful. A tiny slim hard copy of the poem that stirred my soul on Inauguration Day. The cover is a lovely matte yellow & the poem is written in paragraphs across 18 pages.
Sadly, I found this book underwhelming. I've read poetry in verse (narrative poetry) before, but Hurricane Dancers (sadly) read a bit flat to me. I thSadly, I found this book underwhelming. I've read poetry in verse (narrative poetry) before, but Hurricane Dancers (sadly) read a bit flat to me. I think it was because of the alternating narratives between Quebrado, Talavera & Ojeda (and Narido and Cucubu). The book's voice seemed to suffer by changing and switching perspectives every other page. I would have much rather stayed with Quebrado and maybe gotten one or two poems from Talavera & Ojeda at the very end.
I did enjoy reading the Author's Note on history, though. In my copy, it was at the end of the book, but should absolutely be read FIRST. FYI.
This collection was entertaining. It felt too long at times, even though it had too many short pieces. I didn't like the handful of ghost stories (theThis collection was entertaining. It felt too long at times, even though it had too many short pieces. I didn't like the handful of ghost stories (there were a few too many ghost stories for me), & I found each entry to vary wildly in terms of depth of story and telling. Some were thought-provoking and stayed with me, some were really only so-so snippets of an idea.
The whole collection gets about a 3/3.5-star rating from me.
Here's the book, broken down here: The Mapmaker I didn't fully get. I looked up some things online to try and better appreciate its cleverness, but I'm still "eh" about it. A study in emerald was twisty. I love a good Sherlock Holmes story, but this wasn't quite the Sherlock Holmes story I was expecting... A study in emerald is not written by Watson, it's written/bring told by (view spoiler)[S.M. And Watson killed the Prince?? (hide spoiler)]. I kept wondering why the story was interrupted by the Snake Oil advertisements throughout, but maybe that's the "false medicine" we're supposed to swallow here to believe ill of Sherlock & Watson? Not sure. The fairy reel is a fine short poem about age. October in the chair is the first of many ghost stories in this book. (view spoiler)[About a boy who is killed at the end to be free? (hide spoiler)]. Took me a minute to remember October has Halloween in it, so the ghost theme makes sense. The story wasn’t scary, but it is a ghost story with an ambiguous and creepy ending. The hidden chamber is also a creepy tiny ghost story. But not? Like a Poe introduction to a story? Forbidden brides of the faceless slaves in the secret house of the night of dread desire I didn't get at all. The flints of memory lane is not story-shaped but I liked it. A snippet of life. Closing time is also a half story. Going wodwo reads like The fairy reel. Bitter grounds is a runaway-man zombie story. Not scary, but also not impactful. Other people is my favorite story of the compendium. I had read it before & it's why I picked this book up. It's about a demon in hell. It's about a person who dies and goes to hell. It's about you. Or me. It's also a lot shorter than I remember. Wish it were longer. <3 Keepsakes and treasures I really liked but hated how it ended so abruptly. I thought the narrator was good and dark, in a fascinating way. Good boys deserve favors is a cute base (the instrument) story. The facts in the case of the departure of Miss Finch was a good story. There's a circus and an uppity woman who disappears into the "magic" of it. Strange little girls was a confusing bunch of random snippets about women. Harlequin valentine was good. I liked this story. In my notes while I was reading this, I wrote: "Omg it’s a human heart!!! Omg she ate it! She became the Harlequin!!! Now he’s Pete." It was surprising & took a few unexpected twists and turns. Locks was underwhelming. About Goldy. The problem of Susan I liked until the weird murder sex scene. Instructions I liked, but think it would have fit better at the beginning or end of the book. How do you think it feels? is a gargoyle story I sadly did not love. My notes: "Blech cheating husband. Blech seamen gargoyle. Blech no love. " My life is a collection of weird snippets of a crazy person. Eh. Fifteen painted cards from a vampire tarot Eh. Another collection of snippety pieces put together to make "a story", sort of. Feeders and eaters is a story about feeders and eaters; it's a creepy sad story about a monster. Confused by the ending about the lady with a baby in the jar who needed to sell it... Diseasemaker's croup is a little scientific book entry about hypochondria. Eh, OK. In the end Short, and OK? I didn't really care about this either way. Goliath I actually loved. It's a bittersweet Sci-Fi story about a man who is exposed to the aliens behind the curtain, as it were. (I see now it was written as a Matrix story, and that makes sense.) Pages from a journal found in a shoebox left in a Greyhound bus somewhere between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky is an OK mystery/time loop story of searching. How to talk to girls at parties is another alien story! I really liked this one too! I'm starting to think I really like Neil Gaiman's Sci-Fi stuff. I certainly don't love his ghost stuff. The day the saucers came is kind of like a sci-fi poem. OK. Sunbird was a fine short story. Didn't love it, but was kept interested. Inventing Aladdin was super short. Wasn't wowed by his take & didn't think he added to the story here. The monarch of the glen was a fun one for me since I loved American Gods & I LOVE Shadow. Is the Mr. Alice the same Mr. Alice from Keepsakes and treasures? Cool continuity....more
I lovedThe Princess Saves Herself in This One, but after The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One, The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One becomes repetitive, and less meaningful. I also really didn't care for the contributions from other writers at the end of this book. It felt like an add on to fill the pages.
My favorite poem from this collection is:
do you ever find yourself nostalgic for the person you never got to be?
This might be my first book of poetry about dragons and Shabbath (Shabbat/Shabbos) observant Jews, and reading it was just so niche and perfSO SWEET!
This might be my first book of poetry about dragons and Shabbath (Shabbat/Shabbos) observant Jews, and reading it was just so niche and perfect. Representation in books (and all media) is so important, and though I personally didn't get to read this as a little girl, I can't wait to IYH share it with the next generation of little girls (and boys) who will get to see themselves in such a sweet and fantastical book! I especially loved how Mindel is so smart and strong and dedicated & how all the dragons found their purpose together (around Shabbat observance).
The book is covered in illustrations and written in calligraphy. I usually have a problem reading script, but the text is super clear and legible (and beautiful) and the illustrations are fun if you're reading alongside a smaller reader/buddy....more
This book is little vignettes and poems and pieces that are hard to find depth in. I'm really disappointed in this "genre"; trying to sell "social jusThis book is little vignettes and poems and pieces that are hard to find depth in. I'm really disappointed in this "genre"; trying to sell "social justice" and "feminism" (both things I value) in pop-poetry form. I find it cheap. Other readers compared this to Rupi Kaur's work, but I found that this book does not have the breadth and depth of Kaur's work, who's poetry is knowing and illuminating (I got to know her through her words). Jasmin Kaur's poetry reads young and unclear. ...more
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