Uplifting and moving

A Collection of Rhymes Without Reason

A heartfelt rendition of a soldier's life

A play with some interesting YA perspectives

"Under Sonoran Skies" is an anthology featuring six authors from Tucson, Arizona writing on various themes effecting the human condition. Sections include short essays on spirituality, the Old West, love and loss, the craft of writing, business and culture.

"Final Destination" is an extract from author Ankur Choudhury's life. Having lost his mother all of a sudden in 2008, he succumbed to the darker, lonelier and painful side to reality. This book describes not only his emotions, but the raw truth that many of us feel but are scared to express. It portrays Choudhury's life, and all the struggles he had to go through. This book however is not something that will leave readers with a smile, but rather help them start realizing the truth of life, and also help them appreciate others (when they still have an opportunity to see them) before they're gone. If people are interested in fairy tales, then this book is not for them, but if someone's looking for the real truths about a struggling youth, and all about pain and sorrow, then this is a must read.

"French Fries, Ice Cream, and Cucumber Sandwiches" is a poetry collection named for the treats the author bought for her husband who was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Whenever Nell Dale took her husband for a drive, they would stop for one of the snacks in the book’s title. Sometimes he would forget about the first serving and ask for another. During this time, they would talk, but the conversations were not always rational or complete.

"Words of a Journey" is a book by a teenager for teenagers, but it’s also a book for anyone who wants to take a closer look at life’s meaning and their experiences. Seventeen-year old Kaitlyn Kashman has designed this book to provide thought-stimulation on various issues and feelings that young adults must explore. The book is a potpourri of poetry, with introspective, inspirational questions and observations to stimulate thought in readers so they can come to a clearer understanding of their own feelings and desires and to make necessary choices to move them forward in life.

"Kaleidoscope: An Asian Journey of Colors" by author Sweta Srivastava Vikram delves into the implication and philosophy of colors from a Hindu woman’s point of view, from birth until death. The color she adorns herself with almost depicts the story of her life. Expressed through different poetic and verbal forms, each color in the book has its own tone and is specific to different age groups.

We have all lost a dear one at some point in our lives. Grief, depending on the relationship with the one deceased, affects us differently. I feel my Dada and Mausi’s absence every single day for disparate reasons. But these two losses have taught me that their time had come. And that life is about celebrating those alive and not just mourning those who have moved on. Optimism and faith are the keys to overcoming the roadblocks life puts in our way. "Because All is Not Lost," by author Sweta Srivastava Vikram, tries to state that there is always hope for anyone coping with grief. No one can tell us exactly how; the voyage has to be undertaken by each of us individually.