“I don’t have any knack for making people cry, Ela,’ he answered softly. His voice was a caress. No, stronger, it was like a hand gripping her hand, holding her, steadying her. ‘Telling the truth makes you cry.”
― Speaker for the Dead
― Speaker for the Dead
“People change, but you can't change people.”
― 11 Paper Hearts
― 11 Paper Hearts
“Be careful what masks you wear, child, lest you lose your true face forever.”
― Queen of Air and Darkness
― Queen of Air and Darkness
“Each person's grief is as unique as their fingerprint. But what everyone has in common is that no matter how they grieve, they share a need for their grief to be witnessed. That doesn't mean needing someone to try to lessen it or reframe it for them. The need is for someone to be fully present to the magnitude of their loss without trying to point out the silver lining.”
― Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief
― Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief
“Grief is personal. It isn't something you can share like a box of chocolates. It's yours and yours alone, a spiked steel ball chained to your ankle, a coat of nails around your shoulders, a crown of thorns. No one else can feely your pain. They cannot walk in your shoes because your shoes are full with broken glass and every time you take a step forward, it rips your soles to bloody shreds. Grief is the worst kind of torture and it never ends. You have dibs on that dungeon for the rest of your life.”
― The Hiding Place
― The Hiding Place
Michael’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Michael’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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