Stargazing at Noon

by Amanda Torroni

Whether between points of lights in the sky or the freckles on a lover’s skin, Amanda Torroni’s poetry finds the beautiful patterns in the material of life. 

In this collection, Amanda Torroni expands on her previously published chapbook, Stargazing at Noon , adding over seventy poems and brand-new material. Torroni writes about intimacy, distance, the body, self-doubt, nostalgia, and love—both lost and found. Her poems weave disparate source material into beautiful metaphor; readers are as likely to find Plato and neurological terminology as they are moonlit lovers and broken hearts.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Romance

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I was provided with the ARC by netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a beautiful book of poetry with most poems being analogy of space, stars, the moon or the tides. The poems are of love, loss, death and grief and are so well written. Most of the poetry is quiet long but it is a wonderful read.


"Things I learned
from the
moon:
at times you
may feel like
a sliver of
yourself.
There is
beauty
in this
too."

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't want to finish this.

Here's the thing with poetry (and novels too), sometimes the words you're reading really impact you/zero in on feelings you're already currently feeling and that can vastly affect your review of the book. For me, this collection of poetry has a catching cover, a magical structure in moon phases (love it), and at times some really great imagery. However, the only emotion I really felt during my time with this book was nothing. I would put the book down and I had no impulse or desire to ever pick it back up. But it was short, and it had those before mentioned great things and I thought it would win out somehow- that maybe I'm just in a sour funk and that's why none of this poetry was sticking with me (and that might be a tad true regardless) - but, this one just wasn't for me.

Above Rupi Kaur's Tumblr post poetry, but below Nikita Gill or Amanda Lovelace.

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I was provided with the ARC by netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Things I learned from the moon: at times you may feel like a sliver of yourself. There is beauty in this too.

This is a beautiful book of poetry with most poems being analogy of space, stars, the moon or the tides. The poems are of love, loss, death and grief and are so well written. Most of the poetry is quiet long but it is a wonderful read.

[Justine from Novels and Panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda Torroni made me listen to classical music while reading this book. And it was an uplifting experience for me.

Stargazing at Noon was such a lyrical book for me. It had managed to blend the atmospheric and theme; the universe, kismet, fate, science, astrology, art, history, to the closest take of a slice of life. From these tales of life and blending it all together with love, loss, grief, and joy. It’s eloquence shows, nothing forced.

It was wonderfully articulate; which makes it like it is easy to relate with even of an inexperienced area as a reader. That state of feeling of understanding what the piece is conveying and through wonderful subject matters. To sum it simply the metaphors used was on point.

I highlighted a lot from Stargazing at Noon; here is one

GENTLE WAKES, VIOLENT WAVES

I’m going to come inhabit
the space against your chest
& listen to your heartbeat
with stethoscope ears
& hum what I hear
under my breath

“going under, going under.
never coming up”

Gentle wakes. violent waves,
I will love you either way.

Hold you while the fever breaks
Hold you the whole way through.

“mayday mayday mayday”

I said that I will hold you.

And works to note of:

LOVE & LUNACY

THE EINSTEIN-ROSEN BRIDGE

FINE IN THE FIFTIES SENSE

COURAGE & A COMPASS

More Stargazing at Noon • Instagram • Twitter • Ko-Fi

[Kristina Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'll cut the bullshit & stick to what I'm good at --
picking poetry out of my teeth until my gums bleed."

This collection is SO good. I stumbled upon it at the bookstore and decided to give it a shot after flipping to a random page and being sucked in by the first poem I read titled "Violets and Vagueries". I bought the book having never heard of Amanda Torroni, and I devoured it in a day. Her imagery and play with words were unexpected and cut deep. She brought me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, bringing to life memories of first falling in love and the novelty of learning someone new to the sting of grief and the seemingly impossible task of picking yourself up after experiencing the death of someone close. Looking forward to exploring more of Amanda's work.

[Novelle Novels · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars
This is such a beautiful book that has so many amazing poems in it. The odes at the front of each chapter are inspiring In a way you can’t stop reading. Yes there are some poems I loved more than others but it was so gorgeous I will always recommend it.

[Tiffany S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of this poet for a long time! I really love this collection and am so happy to have this copy!

[Jerricka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful work of poetry. Parts made me cry and parts made me think. I

[Coco Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to say if this book wasn't for me, or just not for me right now. I remember flipping through and enjoying some of the poems when I bought this collection on a whim, but as I read it fully, I found myself glazing over and lost. So many of the poems were too juxtaposed and confusing that the main point of the speaker was lost. She'd have me in one stanza and completely lose me the next. I contemplated DNFing this but kept going since it fit a prompt for a reading challenge I am doing. I'm glad I didn't because I did tab 3 poems I loved. That said, I didn't find a poem I enjoyed until page 91 out of 121 so.... not my favorite collection. Since I own this one, I may try some of them again at a different time to see if they hit differently.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading poetry or I wouldn't have requested to read an ARC of this book. Poetry is a very personal medium, and it either resonates with the reader or it doesn't. Unfortunately, I found myself in the latter category with this collection.

Every now and then a phrase would light me up with a "Yes! Wonderfully said!" but for the most part, I found the writing to be uneven and it did not draw me in as I had hoped. My personal opinion, nothing more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Josh Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting quality poetry based off of what I read on Torroni's Instagram page prior to purchasing. She transcends the cellphone screen with captivating diction, historical references, and magnificent storytelling with metaphors and allusions worth their weight in gold. Also, I was impressed with the size and design of the book. White book with a gloss cover=lifetime of chaste wonder. Poet at heart, sticking to thematic chapbook-length poetry...someone I can fully support in their creative endeavors.

[Alissa Kowalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I grow up
I want to build empires
with my bare hands
just to knock them down

curtsy as they crumble
tilt my halo, crooked crown.

[Ajay Sawant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first moment I read a poem from the book online on Google I knew I had to read this book and then I received this wonderful copy from Andrews Mcmeel. I was hardly attracted at the cover of this book initially (idk how many hours I thought why it had such a plain and simple cover) but the moment I received this book I was amazed. To say this book has the best and the most magnificent cover I have ever seen, it almost made my eyes shine and stands out of my entire book pile.

After getting out of this breathe taking cover when I finally entered in to the interior with perfect font initially I was lazy reading long poems but then a realization of wanting striked me to read more and more. I have no words to describe Amanda’s style of writing; it’s totally different from all other poets. All I found in the book was Amanda Torroni , Amanda Torroni and Amanda Torroni . Such unique books are often more pleasure to read. The poems unlike usual instagram poetry or contemporary poetry are a combination of both of them. The length and style depicts the wonderful fusion of these two styles which comes out really very well. Another thing I loved was the creativity that was profound in each poem right from the idea to structural layout of the poems—poems seem to more appealing when they please eyes as well. The book is divided into five sections according to the phases of the moon namely full, gibbous, quarter, crescent and new. Most of the poems are wonderful but to a part I felt I was unable to connect to some percent of the book so much that I almost understood nothing about a few poems otherwise the book is a totally different experience from rest of the poetry books.

Here’s something from the back cover (although I liked the inner content much more)

"Things I learned
from the
moon:
at times you
may feel like
a sliver of
yourself.
There is
beauty
in this
too."

Also to critise a little more I disliked the upper case titles, I wished they were lower cased so that the book would have been a perfection in all ways.

Book cover: 5/5
Content: 4/5
Overall rating: 4/5

[Sincerely Bluejay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is broken up into sections corresponding to the phases of the moon - which I think was a great choice when the moon is full the pieces have a well communicated clarity whereas the new moon phase had a bit more ambiguity and so on. There's a balanced mix of shorter to the point pieces and longer writes with exposition. Lovely lettering appears here and there in place of more traditional art - and it's lovely and authentic. But I think my favorite thing about the structure of the book (before I dive into content and whatnot) is the way the poems utilize line breaks and spacing. Some of them are particularly well formatted :)

As for content. I love the voice and authenticity to this. I love that there are 3ish main stories that slowly but surely get told throughout the collection. And now each piece could absolutely stand alone if need be or desired. However together they flow effortlessly one into the next and keep a lovely pace. There's a storyline about mothers a storyline about fathers and I beleive also a brief story about a fleetingly young relationship be it friend or romantic the interpretation is up to the reader (in my opinion). All the phases of youth, love, loss and an attempt at recovery - which I fully believe is a lifelong process in some ways - are covered and endearing.

Normally, you should adhere to the adage - don't judge a book by its cover - but I'll admit I absolutely did and I'm all the better for it. This is a book Zach and I came across by complete and total happenstance. And I purely read it while bouncing between a series of various coffee shops and diners as we escaped the fleeting ac at home and Las Vegas heatwaves. And I think that added another layer of experience to the book for me. Also there's a poem about NASA I won't spoil it but Zach and I both love the shit out of that one

[Bella Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) I really have a Love Hate relationship with this book. For one I always like to thank the author for sharing your words with me/everyone. I really loved some of these poems. “What can I say about your love on my darkest nights it brings out the stars in me”. WOW what a quote like this made the whole book for me. Because that is the very epitome of love. “What would Tesla think of our spark?” I felt like that sentence was so genius. I found myself bookmarking poems and highlighting sentences. Which is exactly what I was looking for in this book of poems. However I did struggle , I did feel like some of the poems where trying to hard. The overuse of big words took away from the beautiful points of the poem. It made it hard to read. It took me a while to get into this book but when I finally did I really did! I found myself remembering old loves and friendships moments in life. But again I struggled honestly with the flow of this book. Most of the poems did not spark inspiration in me or move me to action. But I will definitely continue to follow her and see where this author goes from here.

[coco's reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not that big on modern poetry, but one of my goals this year is to try and read more widely, so what started as me absently looking at the display section in the bookstore ended with me deciding to take a chance on Stargazing at Noon. Honestly, a good portion of the poems definitely didn't click with me—I get abstract, but some of these were too much so and seemed to make little sense—but there were other truly lovely pieces about grief and falling in love, as well as ones about encouragement. Some of my favorites were "Pop Rocks & Soda Pop," "The Brightest Thing," "Long Days, Meaningless Nights," "Love You Better," "There is Nothing to See Here," "Singularities," "Dear Mom," "Philippians 2:14-15," and "Hiraeth."

"But maybe if we're compassionate,
if we praise more and complain less,
maybe if we're generous,
if we give more and take less,
maybe if we're altruists, virtuous,
if we practice kindness, evolve,
master our own faults, our own flaws...

maybe then,
we can be forgiven.

Maybe then,
we can shine brighter than the rest."

[Jacklynn Pragosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading the first few poems of this book. There was a lot of similes that were used to compare astronomical things to modern every day uses. I never realized how you can see things in a different perspective and turn it into something beautiful. Each poem I read by Amanda, the more inspiration I got for the ones I plan to write myself. Hopefully, ones that are both meaningful and ones where the reader can sense the emotion being captivated on the page. Just like I was when I read these inspiring pieces. I hope to read more of Amanda's work some time soon, and I hope there are other writers out there who are wanting to be known and appreciated for their passion in literature as well.

[Milad Sadegi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to love reading, to appreciate a good writer who can paint images through words. You don't have to love poetry, to appreciate the milk and honey that drips through these pages as you realize Amanda is conveying all the things you've ever felt in your bones - but never knew how to say. This book is an absolute gem of a read, mostly because I feel as though theres something for everyone in it. From love and loss, to joy and pain - Amanda's words will leave you wanting to keep reading on and on as though you've found a never ending comfort in her writing. Cannot wait for her next release!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK! So beautiful and leaving me stunned. This work of art coaxed out daydreams and giggles and emotions that made my heart feel overwhelmed. With philosophies, oceans, stars, planets, warmth, love, heartache, loss and so much more, I couldn't put this book down. I was reading it into the wee hours of the morning. It now sits upstairs beside my bed so I can read it every now and then. Truly gorgeous and left me feeling like I was spinning around on a warm summer night under the stars. I wish it hadn't ended. There was so much of everything.

Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordp...

[Nathalie Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 - Love & Lunacy
11 - Violets & Vagueries
32 - Love You Better
41 - Live Wires
42 - Cerulean
45 - Like Rain on Warm Pavement
51 - Warmer Where You Are
52 - Sleeping Dragon
54 - Strawberry Fields & Faded Forevers
58 - Old Maps
65 - The Topography of Your Body
67 - Paper Dolls
69 - Pamukkale
71 - Northern Lights
75 - Heliotropic
78 - Hold Still
80 - Harbour Towns
81 - The Martian
83 - Losing You in Hues
86 - Singularities
91 - Dear Mom
93 - Hiraeth
95 - Helium
100 - The Wraith
102 - Little Lion, Roaming the Cold Golden
103 - Poblanos
104 - Lucky Numbers
110 - Standing on Sunken Cities
112 - I Am Looking For My Mother
116 - What Is She?
118 - Non-Exhumable

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection was an enigma to me. There were some moments that took my breath away and I want to quote until my last breath. However, it was a bit of a struggle. There were some amazing highs in this book, but that made some of the lows heartbreaking. I felt like some of the poems were forced or trying too hard to make a reference or a witty phrase. Overall, it’s a definite must read, but manage your expectations. 3.5*

I received a copy from netgalley and am providing an honest and unbiased review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

favorite poems
untitled (p. xii), purple avens & prairie smoke, pop rocks & soda pop, how to tell a storm is coming

Lick your fingertip. Hold it to the wind.
Wait for Michelangelo to paint you into existence.
Wait for Adam to find God. Witness frescoes
dry / fade / peel. When you feel
you've waited long enough, wait some more.

singularities, apex predator

[Sara Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book on an impulse, which is something that I should really stop doing. The book is… okay? I guess? It’s not entirely what I was expecting. A lot, and when I say that I mean a lot, of the poems mentioned or talked about sex. It wasn’t bad, it just got really tiring of reading the same things over and over again. It’s an okay book and the cover is very pretty, but other than that it’s just… meh. The writing is a little repetitive and didn’t resonate with me.

[Carly Waldman · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

To be honest one of my favourite parts of this collection was the gorgeous cover, otherwise the writing seemed extremely drawn out and flowery. Lots of reference to stars, the universe, moons and such. Another collection I found that had trouble with holding my attention for long. I think I made it to the 20% mark before the DNF came.

[Shannon Arputharaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stargazing at Noon is like a captured exhale. Like a lullaby. Like an intangible, ungraspable, nostalgic reminder of why I love poetry and why I need Amanda’s. Each poem is creatively written, as she explores using different formats, words, and sounds to describe different oceans, skies, and losses.The chapters are denoted by moon phases, and each one reads more visceral than the last. The whole thing is really beautiful; Amanda writes for people just starting to read poetry and for people who are analyzing every comma. You can go as deep as you allow yourself to and I think that is the coolest part. BUY THIS. READ THIS. LOSE YOURSELF IN THIS.

[Holly Leemaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the newer addition of this book at my local Books A Million and I didn’t realize how much my soul needed this. I bookmarked so many pages. I cried. I felt the seismic activity. I was restless tonight and I devoured this book in one sitting. I felt the emotions. Thank you, Amanda Torroni, for sharing your stories.

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is a collection poems that got me feeling all knds of things. It had me thinking about moments in my life. I like works like this inspire and provoke something in me. It makes me feel like I have a connections to the collective of the universe. 

[Jennifer Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stargazing at Noon is a beautifully written collection of poetry by Amanda Torroni. I may not have been able to relate to everything she discusses, but I don’t even care because her words moved me. I can’t wait to read more by Amanda Torroni in the future.

Read the full review on Bound to Writing at https://www.boundtowriting.com/poetry...

[Amanda Papenfus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put a star on at least 9 poems I really loved and :( on at least 6 that I didn't love only because they're sad but which were moving and underlined lines I liked in several more. I also learned a lot of new words, which isn't that common for me. I enjoyed that the poems are arranged by the moon phases. I will likely read this one again.

[Amber Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very easily one of my favorite books of poetry. Most poems I had to read twice, even three times to hold it all, to feel it all. I had to put it down because it gutted me, put it down because it inspired me, put it down because I didn’t want to reach the end. The way she writes reminds me of my own style, so it wasn’t hard to find pieces of myself scattered throughout.