love, and you turns one! and other news

i cannot believe it’s already been a year since my debut poetry collection came out and now it’s a year old! ahh!!! thank you all so much for your love and support throughout my journey. it all started here on this blog, posting poetry and getting tons of support. some of the pieces that are in love, and you were first published in this very blog and wow i can’t believe its come a long way. thank you thank you thank you! without you, the book wouldn’t be where it’s at now. i’m still in shock with how many lives this book has touched. i’ve received the loveliest messages of what this poetry collection has done to people’s soul. in the beginning i didn’t understand why i went through what i did but it all makes sense now.

 

 

as a thank you for the love and support alongside the celebration of turning one;

from now till the 8th of april
love, and you is FREE ON KINDLE WORLDWIDE!!!

here are some links, please check your
countries amazon if i have not listed it:
amazon usa | amazon uk | amazon ca

never heard of my book? it’s fine! here’s the synopsis and you can add it to goodreads here

one day i met a guy
who stole my heart,
we created a world
for ourselves.
and another day
he broke my heart
and shattered
my soul.

i took the tattered
pieces of this
broken soul and
became anew.

– here lies the hurting, the healing, and the learning

(please be advised this book has mature content)

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in other news

i know this was a very long time ago, but remember that poetry blog series i had in 2016 titled people i once knew? guess what?! it’s officially going to be a book with a new title ‘welcome to ghost town’ and it will be released in october of this year! add it to goodreads here.

in case you’re wondering, i did change the name because i thought it was more fitting since it’s about the people who have haunted me and left a mark. if you’ve been around since people i once knew days, remember how i used to title them “people i once knew – part 1” “people i once knew – part 10” etc. ? well i left the parts in but now each part has a name with an additional 3-5 poems. i’m more nervous about this collection than anything because it’s different. there’s no healing pieces, there’s no self-discovery, it’s all about most people who have marked me. i hope you like it!

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it’s national poetry month

it’s national poetry month and amber @ YA Indulgences is dedicating her blog this month to poets. each and everyday there is a different feature. today on my one year anniversary, i wrote a guest post titled “benefits of reading poetry”. i would love if you’d check it out and leave some love. amber is also running a giveaway. click on the photo to be directed to her blog.

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that is all for today! i would love to chat in the comments! i know it’s been a while ❤

instagram: @chicnerdreads
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poetry book haul

hello everyone! i am here today with a poetry book haul. i was gifted a barnes and noble gift-card for christmas and was like ” P O E T R Y  B O O K S !!!” lol so without further ado lets get started!

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Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav

Synopsis: Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav picks up from her previous international bestselling books including Love & Misadventure, Lullabies, and The Universe of Us, and sets sail for a grand new adventure.

This completely original collection of poetry and prose will not only delight her avid fans but is sure to capture the imagination of a whole new audience. With the turn of every page, Sea of Strangers invites you to go beyond love and loss to explore themes of self-discovery and empowerment as you navigate your way around the human heart.

 

 

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the boys i’ve loved & the end of the world by catarine hancock

Synopsis: ‘the boys i’ve loved and the end of the world’ is the long awaited poetry and prose collection by catarine hancock, popularly known by the user “evanescent.love” on instagram. known for writing unique, raw and captivating pieces on everything from love and politics, to abuse and womanhood, catarine knows how to tug at both your heartstrings and your mind.

cover art by mikaela bailey.

 

 

 

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from scars to beauty by nicki naomi

Synopsis: From Scars to Beauty is a poetry collection based on the epiphanies of a woman as she heads down the road to self-discovery during a difficult time in her marriage. She is blind sighted by the events of her traumatic childhood that rushed back to her during the process, although she had been pushing them aside for many years. She begins to write, hoping to organize her thoughts. Instead what she found was: truth, healing, a reborn passion, a voice, forgiveness and most of all, herself.

 

 

 

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soft in the middle by shelby eileen

Synopsis:
“there are so many words I’ve left unsaid
so instead of going another year or five or ten
in brutal, crushing silence
don’t waste this opportunity
don’t be scared when the full weight of my heart
tests the strength of your hands
I’m trusting you with something I barely trust myself with
this knowing
this telling
this momentous uprooting
I’m here
I am
I am right here in these words”

A debut poetry collection about love, heartbreak, body image, how absolutely breathtaking girls are, flower blooms and starlight.

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Lovely Seeds by R.H. Swaney

Synopsis: ‘Lovely Seeds’ is a collection of poetry that touches on the topics of mental health, self-love, and loving others with bite-size pieces that are meant to provoke thought and self-exploration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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and that is all for today! i really cannot wait to read these. i don’t know which one to pick up first lol. i did read a sampler and reviewed shelby’s collection before. however, now that i have the full book in front of me, it’s a must read. all of these poets have instagram that you can check out for more poetry. a kindly reminder to please cross-review on both goodreads and amazon, it helps us indie authors in a great way. that is all for today, thank you!

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instagram: @chicnerdreads
twitter: @chicnerdreads

come out come out wherever you are

oh monsters
oh monsters
come to me
and show me
the secrets that
lurk beneath

oh monsters
oh monsters
in the dark
we sing
about ghost
who haunt
our dreams

oh monsters
oh monsters
come to eat
we have plenty
to share
and the sorrow
you need

oh monsters
oh monsters
i have in me
they scream
and shout
begging to be
f r e e

3 Mini Poetry Reviews

Hey all!!! I am still trying to get into the swing of things with coming back to blogging. Life’s been a little hard and just out of the loop. Having family here from PR amongst other personal things, I feel like stability isn’t quite by my side. Anyways! I’ve read poetry in October and I don’t really have much to say but READ IT lol. All of these are 5 star reviews! So without further ado, let’s get started!

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Title: soft in the middle
Author: Shelby Lafreniere

synopsis: Warning: these poems contain soft subject matter. About love, heartbreak, body image, how absolutely breathtaking girls are, flower blooms and starlight.
This is a small sampling of poems from my larger collection called ‘soft in the middle’, available for free download here.

Review:

Currently, soft in the middle is a small sampling of poems from shelby’s larger collection that is to come. This sample previews 25 poems filled with self-reflection, heartbreak, family, darkness, stardust, and other topics. I cannot wait for the full collection because this sampler was amazing. I felt like Shelby really put her feelings and emotions all on paper. Her poetry reflects different parts of her and I can’t imagine what else she has in store with the full collection. here’s one of the poems (format changed a little because of the blog):

THE LANGUAGE OF STARS

she looks up at the night sky
and often finds that what she sees
is what she feels inside

when the stars float brightly
she thinks
breathing is like swimming
the water holds me so gently
the weight of everything
is easy to hold

when the clouds cloak the world in darkness
she thinks
it’s getting harder
to dream
of possibility

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Title: the sun and her flowers
Author: Rupi Kaur

synopsis: Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. A celebration of love in all its forms.

this is the recipe of life
said my mother
as she held me in her arms as i wept
think of those flowers you plant
in the garden each year
they will teach you
that people too
must wilt
fall
root
rise
in order to bloom

Review:

Trigger Warnings: Rape, Harm

OMG THIS COLLECTION HAD ME A BALL OF TEARS!!!! I loved this one more than Milk and Honey to be completely honest. the sun and her flowers is a poetry collection divided into 5 different sections and each section is dedicated to a certain theme. This book has poems filled with heartbreak, self-love, immigration, family, culture, friendships, growing, learning, and on and on and on. This collection is raw and simple. Her poems go straight to the point. I connected so much to the heartbreak poems, immigration poems, and family poems. As a woman of color myself, the poems where Rupi talks about her family coming here from another country really hit home for me. It made me cry but smile at the same time because to see that a woman of color is talking about these things, our struggles here on a land that doesn’t really want us made me feel like “wow someone other than me gets it”. here’s a poem:

they have no idea what it is like
to lose home at the risk of
never finding home again
to have your entire life
split between two lands and
become the bridge between two countries

– immigrant

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Title: Pillow Thoughts
Author: Courtney Peppernell

synopsis: Make a cup of tea and let yourself feel.

Pillow Thoughts is a collection of poetry and prose about heartbreak, love, and raw emotions. It is divided into sections to read when you feel you need them most.

 

 

Review:

Trigger Warnings: Self-Harm, Suicide Ideation

Another favorite poetry collection added to the list of favorites that keeps piling up. This collection is divided into 10 different sections: if you are dreaming of someone, if you are in love, if you are heartbroken, if you are lonely, if you are sad, if you are missing someone, if you need encouragement, if you are soul-searching, if you need a reason to stay, these are for you. I was moved by so many of these poems, I felt Courtney’s emotions through each section which all flowed beautifully. Her poetry is filled with love, sadness, despair, loneliness, and positivity. To me, her words were simply pure. I cannot wait to read more by this author! here’s a poem:

Of all the important things you must do today, there is none
greater than showing kindness to your heart. For even the
brightest make mistakes and the wisest do not have a thing
to say. Be gentle with yourself, forgive yourself, even on your
darkest day.

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and that is all for the mini poetry reviews! have you read any of these or plan to? i would love to chat in the comments about poetry!!!

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instagram: @chicnerdreads
twitter: @chicnerdreads

venom and fire shouldn’t be paired together

i take a few steps
back to look at the
scenery before me.

i wonder if maybe
i should spew the
words my heart
so much desires.

the scenery looks
like a wildfire filled
with disastrous
complications.

the scenery looks
to be filled with
more problems
than peace.

the scenery looks
like pain and
heartache.

the scenery looks
like a dead end
leading to absolutely
n o w h e r e .

these words will
only add more
fuel to a fire that
can’t be put out.

– my silence has always been the loudest conversation in the room

i don’t know if this makes sense

i have walked these
dreadful feet through
mud filled with agony,
hate, hurt, burden, and
loss. at the end of
the hard walk, i’ve
still found myself
standing in a dark
tunnel of madness.

the best times for me
are always in my
silence wondering
about nothing. yet,
still figuring myself
out all at the same time.

feeling some type of
comfort after a breath
in those times of needing
myself rather than
anybody else.

because i am loner with a soul and a heart of stone

august/september wrap-up, life update, and 6 months of love, and you?

hi hello hola! i am back!! i missed you all and it feels great to be back after a month of me gone. a lot has happened and i’m not sure i’m ready to talk about it. september was a really hectic month with everything i spoke about in my hiatus post, my birthday, and hurricane maria..it’s a lot to deal with at the moment but i’m happy to be back in my element again. it’s been a little over a month and i just wanted to come back so bad *cries for ever*

 

 

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if you are wondering why i mentioned hurricane maria or if you don’t follow me on twitter, then know i am Puerto Rican. although i have my immediate family here in the states. i want to say 98% of my family is in Puerto Rico. ever since the hurricane hit, this has been one of the toughest times. with not knowing about my family for a few days, to then us finding out that yes they are okay and alive but there’s no food and water. being over here and feeling so helpless. it’s a lot to take in. my family also happens to be on the west side which is always forgotten. the town my family is in isn’t even receiving supplies. this whole situation just sucks..let’s not even talk about the president *eye roll* therefore, i wanted to use this platform and let you know that there is a way to help by maybe donating here:

• Unidos Por Puerto Rico (United for Puerto Rico)
• Hispanic Federation

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The Wrap Up’s

i didn’t read much these past two months due to everything that has been going on in my life. i read 3 poetry books and 2 YA novels.

• Stalking Jacking the Ripper (SJTR #1) by Kerri Maniscalco
  A 4 star read for me! This YA Historical Fiction Mystery is definitely a book that I would highly recommend. I loved the story, the setting, the steampunk elements and the mystery. This book was worth every single turned page. I cannot wait to read Hunting Prince Dracula which I am seeing is getting tons of more love. If you click the title of the book, it will lead you to my review =)
• Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu
  A 5 star and all of the above read!!!! This futuristic YA Sci-Fi novel will set you in a technological advanced world where you get to live in a virtual reality and still live in the real world. This book was definitely a favorite read for 2017. I cannot wait to read the next books!! The title of this book will lead you to my rave review.

each of these poetry books were 5 stars
titles will take you to goodread page

• [redacted] by trista mateer
  “This comes in the form of handwritten notes and poetry fragments, iPhone note poetry, tweets, Craigslist ads, and more. This mix of poetry and prose spans a single month and covers topics such as heartbreak, gender, sexuality, and forgiveness.”
  That’s the goodreads synopsis. Are you convinced yet? You should read it.
• Mad Woman by Kat Savage
  “Mad Woman whish is comprised of 40 pieces that capture her stream on conscious, her confessions, and her strange thoughts. In Mad Woman, she bears it all and embraces her madness driven by loneliness and disappointment.”
  I CRIED SO MUCH WHILE READING THIS BOOK. I FELT LIKE SHE WROTE THIS ONE FOR ME. FOR THE BROKEN GIRLS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN’T EXPRESS THEMSELVES. OMG THIS BOOK!!
• The Last Time I’ll Write About You by Dawn Lanuza
  “Should I be
  Thankful
  Or
  Regretful
  That my only idea
  Of love
  Is
  You?”
  A book filled with heartbreak poetry and words of love and loss. I loved reading this. I was nodding my head with a lot of these poems because I understand the author’s words.

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today so happens to be the 6 month anniversary of love, and you…which i can’t quite believe and i wrote a thing for all of you ❤ if you want to check more on my poetry book, click here.

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and that is all for now. sorry i’m a little all over the place lol. it feels great to be back and i cannot wait to blog hop, check what all of you have been up to. i plan on doing a book haul and book tag soon. maybe post a poem later on this week about my island puerto rico. my heart lays heavy. love you all!

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twitter: @chicnerdreads