Favorite Poem Friday (#9)

Good morning Swooners!

Today's poem is one of my absolute favorites! One that i've been obsessed with since I was a little girl because, even at the young age of 13, heartbreak and unrequited love were no strangers to me. 

Poor Girl by Maya Angelou

You've got another love

and I know it

Someone who adores you

just like me

Hanging on your words

like they were gold

Thinking that she understands

your soul

Poor Girl

just like me.

You're breaking another heart

and I know it

And there's nothing

I can do

If I try to tell her

what I know

She'll misunderstand

and make me go

Poor Girl

just like me.

You're going to leave her too

and I know it

She'll never know

what made you go

She'll cry and wonder

what went wrong

Then she'll begin

to sing this song

Poor Girl

just like me.

Favorite Poem Friday (#8)

Good morning swooners!

Today i'm posting a poem that I recently discovered in a book that was given to me over the holidays. It's new to me but it's so beautiful that I know i'll always go back to it when I just need to hear (or read) the words. The book is called Love Her Wild by Atticus and each page is a different poem with no name. So today's poem has no name to it but you can tell me what you think it should be called. I have my theories, tell me yours!

What of the firefly,

the one I love to chase?

The old man smiled

Love her

he said

but leave her wild,

and the old oak tree I love to climb?

Love her, he said, but leave her wild

the bird that sings that song I love?

Love her, he said, but leave her wild

and the wolf that cries to the old joke moon?

Love her, he said, but leave her wild

and the horse that loves to run with storms?

Love her, he said, but leave her wild.

And what of her,

the one I love most?

And the old man smiled.

Yes, he said,

you must love her too

but love her wild

and she'll love you.

Favorite Poem Friday (#7)

Morning Swooners!

So today i'm posting one of my absolute favorite poems of all time. This particular poem speaks to me on so many levels and it gives me such a good feeling whenever I read it. It's one of those poems that I always go back to because no mater what kind of day i'm having, it just works its' magic on me and I instantly feel better (even if it's short lived lol). I hope this one resonates with you as well.

Hope is the Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson 

Hope is the thing with feathers 

That perches in the soul, 

And sings the tune without the words, 

And never stops at all, 

And sweetest in the gale is heard; 

And sore must be the storm 

That could abash the little bird 

That kept so many warm. 

I’ve heard it in the chillest land, 

And on the strangest sea; 

Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Favorite Poem Friday (#5)

Morning Swooners,

I haven't fully recovered from the recent loss of my grandpa so my posts are still going to reflect those feelings that i'm going through. I promise i'll buck up to my old self soon, but today just isn't that day. I hope you enjoy today's poem by Charlotte Brontë. Please don't run away just yet, my poem choices will be bubbly soon enough, I promise!

On the Death of Anne Brontë by Charlotte Brontë

There’s little joy in life for me,

And little terror in the grave;

I’ve lived the parting hour to see

Of one I would have died to save.

Calmly to watch the failing breath,

Wishing each sigh might be the last;

Longing to see the shade of death

O’er those belovèd features cast.

The cloud, the stillness that must part

The darling of my life from me;

And then to thank God from my heart,

To thank Him well and fervently;

Although I knew that we had lost

The hope and glory of our life;

And now, benighted, tempest-tossed,

Must bear alone the weary strife.

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#18)~ Don't Die, My Love by Lurlene McDaniel

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

Don't Die, My Love by Lurlene McDaniel

Release Date: July 1, 1995

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower have always been school sweethearts. Now both are in high school and deeply in love. Luke, a talented football player, is almost certain to receive an athletic scholarship to a top college. And no matter what her parents say, wherever Luke goes, Julie intends to follow. When Luke can’t shake what he thinks is a virus, Julie persuades him to see a doctor. Luke’s test results are alarming, but Julie believes their love is stronger than anything. Can love survive, now and forever?

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

Okay so here's my book version of Flashback Friday. Before there was Nicholas Sparks there was Lurlene McDaniel, the original heartbreak master. I started reading Lurlene's books in junior high school and instantly fell in love with them. There's just something about a book making you want to cry all the time that makes me love it. I consider that the signs of a great writer. Of all of the Lurlene McDaniel books i've read this one is definitely my favorite. Like all of her books, it involves love and heartbreak and sickness. Perfect combination of happiness and sorrow.

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#16)~ The Program (The Program #1) by Suzanne Young

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

The Program (The Program #1) by Suzanne Young

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blanks slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. and The Program is coming for them.

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

This book was such a great story. I think it appealed to me the most because it seems like something that can actually happen. That thought alone is pretty scary. The author did an amazing job writing the characters and scenes.

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#8)~ G-Spot: An Urban Erotic Tale by Noire

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

G-Spot: An Urban Erotic Tale by Noire

Release Date: January 25, 2005

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

Have you ever rolled over in the middle of the night and realized you were doing things you swore you’d never do? Sexing brothers you vowed you’d never touch? Bending backwards and stooping lower than you ever thought you’d stoop? Well if you can feel me even a little bit. Then let me hit you with a story that just might blow your mind….

Nineteen-year-old Juicy Stanfield is the sexy young girlfriend of Granite “G” McKay, owner of Harlem’s notorious G-Spot Social Club. A drug dealer with a lethal streak, he runs Harlem with an iron fist. But even the cash and the bling cant keep Juicy from getting restless, and while G fulfills her every material desire, she's burning up with unrequited sexual energy. To cheat on him would mean a death sentence; so Juicy finds pleasure in the secret ways: fantasizing on crowded subways or allowing her eyes to hungrily take in the male dancers on the club’s ladies night.

But as Juicy’s sexual cravings grow stronger, one thing becomes frighteningly clear: She’s a virtual prisoner in G’s dangerous world. As G begins to suspect her of playin’ him, he pulls the reins he keeps on her even tighter. If she’s ever to escape and get a life of her own she must find a way to start stashing away some of G’s cash/ but doing that under G’s watchful eye is a challenge she might not live up to-especially when her appetite tempts her with the deadliest desire of all: G’s very own son….

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

It was the very first erotica book I ever read. It threw me into a world that I had never experienced before (blushes) ENOUGH SAID! (Lol)

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#6)~ Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered-fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature-and of herself-while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

Okay so this book has been a toss up for me from day one. I completely love this book AND completely hate it! But I guess when it comes down to it, I lean more towards the love side of the spectrum. Without saying too much about the book (for the rare few that haven't read it yet), I really feel like the author did a great job with the emotional aspect of it. I mean seriously, I cried my eyes out for weeks and my book handover was more like a book coma. I was broken to the world and nothing could bring me back. To this day, I can't read a quote from the book without fighting back tears and Pinterest has become my enemy. So for better or worse, that is the making of a great book, something that can take complete control of your emotions and make you feel like you've lost something too. Allegiant did that for me.

Read my review of Allegiant here

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#4)~ Twilight (Twilight #1) by Stephenie Meyer

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

Twilight (Twilight #1) by Stephenie Meyer

Release Date: October 5, 2005

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

About three things I was absolutely positive:

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be – that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

When Bella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.

What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back.

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

So here it is, folks. The one that started a movement. There are so many reasons why I loved this book. First (and most important) is Edward. I mean seriously, Edward, Edward, Edward. That about sums up numero uno. Oh yea, and EDWARD! Haha, but jokes aside, this book took readers to a totally new world. A world that made vampires sexy and lovable, made them human (sort of) and not just monsters. And of course, it made them sparkle (because who doesn't love glitter?!) So yea, it's not your typical "monster" story.

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#3)~ Wheedle on the Needle by Stephen Cosgrove

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

Wheedle on the Needle by Stephen Cosgrove

Release Date: January 1, 1974

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

Sharing life lessons and memorable morals, the Serendipity books are a seasoned favorite with children and parents alike. So, journey to the magical, mystical land of Serendipity with these four cherished editions featuring newly revised text from the author.

All the Wheedle wants is a little peace and quiet, and all the people of Seattle want is a break from the rain. Will they be able to cooperate and find a solution?

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

I'm taking it back this week, like waaaaaaayyyyy back lol. This book was my absolute favorite book to read when I was a kid and it's basically the reason that I love reading so much. It gave me a glimpse into story telling, showing me that you can imagine anything and anything you imagine can be true. It also ignited my creative gene and got me into writing my own little stories. Unfortunately, my story telling skills never took off quite how I wanted them too (I blame high school and boys) but to this day I still love to write poetry and I occasionally still reach for the top of my shelf to grab this book and take a glimpse back into my childhood.

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#2)~ The Well's End (The Well's End #1) by Seth Fishman

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

The Well's End (The Well's End #1) by Seth Fishman

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

Half a world away, the Chinese military has a target list of ten US cities in case of war. Most are obvious (DC, NY, LA) and some a little less so (Atlanta for instance has the CDC)…but one is an absolute mystery: Fenton, Colorado. Unfortunately for her, sixteen-year-old Mia Kish is about to find out what makes Fenton so special when emergency sirens start blaring and ritzy Westbrook Academy is out on lockdown. No students in or out until otherwise notified. For the rich boarders whose homes are safely states away, their concerns are missed vacations and trips home, but for the handful of townies, like Mia and her friends Jo and Rob, there’s no escaping the danger.

The situation becomes dire when students and faculty are stricken with a strange illness that ages them years in a matter of hours, the end result death, seemingly from old age. No one knows what to do, but Mia and her friends are not just going to sit there while their parents might be in mortal danger. They escape the school grounds in search of a cure and answers; answers they hope to find in the sealed off mountain bunker where her father supposedly runs Fenton Tech. but along the way, they discover that the military presence is not what it seems, and that the long buried secret of Fenton is a fabled object of myth and legend that may actually exist deep within the earth below. 

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

It took my totally by surprise! I mean the synopsis (as usual) is pretty far off from the book so I just never imagined that I would like it as much as I did. This book is definitely a top 10 for me...and the author confirmed there will be a second book so i'm really excited about that!

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#1)~ Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

Since she’d been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered.

This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider names Perry. He's wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Arias’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

About the Author:

Veronica Rossi is the author of post-apocalyptic fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, is the first in a trilogy. Released in January 2012, it was deemed one of the Best Books of Year by School Library Journal. The second book In the trilogy, THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT, debuted in January on the NY Times and USA Today Best Sellers Lists. The final book in the series, INTO THE STILL BLUE, debuted #6 on the NY Times Best Sellers series list in January 2014.

Foreign rights to the UNDER THE NEVER SKY trilogy have sold in over twenty-five territories to date and film rights have been optioned by Warner Bros.

She completed undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons. When not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and counting down the minutes until she can get back to making up stories about imaginary people.

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

This book took me into a world that I never dreamed could exist. The characters were so perfectly well written and the world building was amazing! Veronica is truly a gifted writer and her work definitely shows that. Plus, I got not one, but TWO book boyfriends from that series. Perry (Obvi!) and Roar! (If you read the series you'll understand why!)

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)