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Where Hope Comes From is a book of poetry by Nikita Gill. Published in 2021, Gill’s poems reflect on the coronavirus pandemic and how to find strength and hope in a time of loneliness and isolation. Her poems are divided into five sections thematically using the life cycle of a star. The book is illustrated with her watercolors and drawings.
I especially loved the poems “Letter to My Younger Self in Times of Turbulence,” “Notes on Survival,” “The Present,” “In Contemplation,” and “Spring Cleaning.” I was struck by the lines in “The Confrontation” saying, “This is what loneliness does. It acts as a mirror for who you are.” I also loved the opening lines of “Daily Mantra 2” reading, “There is still room for love. Even after being uprooted…” A few more of my favorites were “The Forest,” “Love in the Time of Coronavirus,” and “93 Percent Stardust.”
I found Nikita Gill’s poems to be thoughtful, understanding, and encouraging. Her sweet message on the book's back cover reminds her readers that they are not alone. Her poems have a universal quality, but they are also grounded in the everyday. I look forward to reading more of her writing.
Purchase and read books by Nikita Gill:
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The Birds
The nightly nightmare from my window could rival the du Maurier short story and Hitchcock film.
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Heart-shaped Box
Open the box
And there you’ll find
Treasures from long ago.
Old things you wrote
From then and when.
Old things written to you
From here and there.
A glitter bracelet,
A pretty doll,
A Valentine card,
A bouncy ball.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin
Wildflowers: A Guide to Familiar American Flowers (2002) is a Golden Guide from St. Martin’s Press by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin and illustrated by Rudolf Freund. The book was revised by Jonathan P. Latimer and Karen Stray Nolting with Dr. Robert A. Defilipps.
I enjoyed reading this helpful guide to American wildflowers. It has beautiful illustrations of flowering plants that we often take for granted or overlook. The book is divided into four sections that organize wildflowers by their predominant color: red to pink and magenta, purple to blue, orange to yellow, and cream to white. The top corners of the pages are color-coded in four corresponding shades, so it’s handy to flip through the guide to locate a specific plant by flower color.
I learned a lot of new things about various wildflower species and their geographic ranges. I also came to know many facts that I was unaware of before. For instance, I never knew that clovers were part of the pea family. The authors have some preferences for wildflowers that don’t align with mine. I love Queen Anne’s Lace, and I think orchids are a bit overrated.
Other than those quibbles, the book is a great reference guide for anyone wanting to learn about wildflowers.
Purchase and read books in the Golden Guides series by Herbert S. Zim:
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