The elusive poet Michael Tavon returns with his tenth poetry collection, "Before I Die, I Must Say This". This collection of poems is raw and deeply personal, as Tavon holds nothing back as he discusses themes, such as family trauma, relationship woes, and mental health issues. Tavon uses vivid imagery to paint the hauntingly illustrious picture of life in a toxic enviornment.
For the many readers who love The Fault in Our Stars, this is the story of a girl who is determined to live, love, and to write her own ending before her time is finally up. Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of “normal” life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time runs out. A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year A Booklist Editors’ Choice A Book Sense Children’s Pick A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice A Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults The newly released feature film Now Is Good, starring Dakota Fanning, is based on Jenny Downham's intensely moving novel.
“The ultimate literary bucket list.” —THE WASHINGTON POST Celebrate the pleasure of reading and the thrill of discovering new titles in an extraordinary book that’s as compulsively readable, entertaining, surprising, and enlightening as the 1,000-plus titles it recommends. Covering fiction, poetry, science and science fiction, memoir, travel writing, biography, children’s books, history, and more, 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die ranges across cultures and through time to offer an eclectic collection of works that each deserve to come with the recommendation, You have to read this. But it’s not a proscriptive list of the “great works”—rather, it’s a celebration of the glorious mosaic that is our literary heritage. Flip it open to any page and be transfixed by a fresh take on a very favorite book. Or come across a title you always meant to read and never got around to. Or, like browsing in the best kind of bookshop, stumble on a completely unknown author and work, and feel that tingle of discovery. There are classics, of course, and unexpected treasures, too. Lists to help pick and choose, like Offbeat Escapes, or A Long Climb, but What a View. And its alphabetical arrangement by author assures that surprises await on almost every turn of the page, with Cormac McCarthy and The Road next to Robert McCloskey and Make Way for Ducklings, Alice Walker next to Izaac Walton. There are nuts and bolts, too—best editions to read, other books by the author, “if you like this, you’ll like that” recommendations , and an interesting endnote of adaptations where appropriate. Add it all up, and in fact there are more than six thousand titles by nearly four thousand authors mentioned—a life-changing list for a lifetime of reading. “948 pages later, you still want more!” —THE WASHINGTON POST
Don't Wait Til I Die To Love me and is a book about life. The author takes his readers through a journey of self-discovery. In vivid detail he spills his thoughts and deepest feelings towards love in every dimension.Tavon hopes readers will gain a new outlook life while learning how to appreciate the little things in life. 'Don't Wait Til I Die To Me' is such a simplistic title with a nuanced meaning which can relate to people in many ways. The people who find themselves to be overlooked or undervalued will resonate with pieces like "To The Ones Who Hurt Me " and "For The Misunderstood". Pieces such as "Dying Mother" and "Five Sense" will have the readers feeling remorseful towards humanity and Mother Earth. The purpose of this book is to allow each reader to learn more about themselves and become hopeful on their healing journey. Tavon wants his readers to know they're not alone. He also hopes people will become proactive when it comes to loving themselves, other people, and the environment. This book is a guide for the lost souls with many unanswered questions. This is one of the most complete poetry collections of the modern era.Goodreads review "First of all, thank you to the author for a pdf copy of "Don't Wait Til I Die To Love Me".Reading this book: marking each and every single poem in this collection and realizing that I can't quote EVERY one in my recommendation.I really enjoyed reading the poems. Each one let me feel something different and inspired me, motivated me. I don't like to give stars because I think it's always up to the readers book taste, but if I had to, I'd give 5/5 stars for this poetry collection because I loved each poem. This book is so so good and full of love. First, let us talk about the title: "Don't Wait Til I Die To Love Me". I wanted to read this book the exact moment I've read the title It's perfect "Maybe, I was placedin your lifeto be thereWhen you were falling apart And once you put the piecesback together, You felt strong enoughTo stand on your ownThank you for allowing me in duringYour most difficult timeAnd trusting me to place bandagesOn your broken heartJust knowif you ever need me againI'm one call away"There's just something about this lines.. love it The perfect book for a person who needs to let go of someone or something.I love books that make you question something and make you thoughtful in a good way. Like this lines: "Would a blue jay stop flyingAfter being knockeddown by a few storms?I doubt it.So why are we afraid to loveAfter we get hurt?Pain should make usWant to love harderNot become distant, Or seek vengeance,"Not only this book tries to help you deal with love it also reminds you how you should treat people. And that's so important His poems are full of truth and everyone will find a piece of himself in this book and will enjoy it because in the end we love to talk about ourselves but what we love more is reading about us and the things we can't describe.Sometimes it's heartbreakingly true, other times it's just all you need. "The world ain't fair You deserve more", like reading this poetry book. Do it" - SultanGoodreads review #2 " I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to read this amazing collection before the release date. I loved it obviously I felt so much reading this, I felt the pain in the words, the past struggles, the heartache and heartbreak. But I also felt the love and enjoy and just the raw emotion in every single poem.There was everything in here, poems about love and lose, fighting and losing battles, growing as a person and coming to know and love yourself as well.I could relate to so many of these poems, they made me think about life and the world and also my past.It was great and I am for sure reading more from him in the future, along with picking up his past collections" - Chesney
Most people live the routine of their lives as if they have all the time in the world. Life can easily digress into days filled with regretting the past or fretting about the future, all the while missing the only 'now' moments we have. In "If I Should Die Before I Live", Ken Jones helps readers see life through the lens of seven unique days everyone has to successfully navigate: Someday, Any Day (now), Every Day, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, and A Day of Rest. He helps us discover, in a beautifully written book, how to find purpose and meaning while "living life in the midst of our daze."
"A startling new philosophy and practical guide to getting the most out of your money-and out of life-for those who value memorable experiences as much as their earnings"--
"When grief gets too heavy to carry, poetry is the place you go to feel less alone." Tavon writes in his newest collection, Don't Wait Til I Die to Love Me vol. II, Which is the follow-up to his best-selling poetry collection to date. Tavon dives into the nuances of grief, love, and appreciation. With this collection of poems and prose Tavon hopes his words help readers navigate through the most complicated parts of life."
I Am the Ancestor is a book written by a 46, 47 or 48-year-old woman who is the genesis, the beginning of her family. Known as Symbolie Monique Smith - sometimes - the author undoubtedly believes that she was abducted around the tender age of two and, as a result, has no accurate records of herself. After 15 years of endlessly searching for answers, Smith decided to tell her story before in an attempt to leave behind a true legacy for her four children. I Am the Ancestor is an inspirational account of the life of one living in a world with no links, no attachments and no real existence. Symbolie Monique Smith said, "This book will not only be a way for me to share with my children the life's identity of their mother, it will make them aware of our unidentifiable past while touching the soul of every possible role player!" Author Monique Smith, or so she is called, recently discovered that the woman she has known to be her mother throughout her life is of no relation to her. On her quest to find answers, Monique found no trace of her biological parents or possible siblings and no concrete leads from police officials.
“It’s a good thing that this is only the first book of a trilogy, because after getting to know Tabitha, you won’t want to leave her at the end. . . . Written intimately as if you’re peering into the mind of a close friend, this book is a true testament to the stresses on women today and how great girlfriends (and grandmothers) are often the key to our sanity.” — Good Morning America The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own. With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former "Sexy Lexi," and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother's age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted.
Over the past few years, John Pavlovitz's blog, Stuff That Needs To Be Said, has become a virtual hub for millions of people from all over the world, drawn there by his clear, compelling words on compassion, equity, love, and justice. This expansive, like-hearted community transcends race, orientation, gender, religious tradition, political affiliation, and nation of origin--and finds its affinity in the deeper place of our shared humanity, which is the True North of his writing. This collection lovingly pulls together some of John's most widely-read and most beloved essays on faith, politics, grief, and the elemental parts of being human. It is an encouraging, inspiring, challenging storehouse of "stuff that needs to be said."
