Transition

For me and many of my friends and acquaintances, this year has been a time of major transition. The United States has nominated two presidential candidates, who have been the most controversial and historical to date. As a global society, we have lost some of the greatest musicians, Prince and David Bowie, seen terrorism ruin many lives, and divided ourselves into a Us vs.Them mentality. Personally, I believe the sensationalism of the media and the immediate gratification the Internet brings is caustic, promoting violence through hype while the facts become diluted, and often misrepresented (I’m guilty of it, passing along a quote or something I believed true without the proper research. I vow to do better). 

I want us united as a people, to rise above our differences because it is necessary. Our precious planet is suffering its own transition. The air is harder to breathe. Temperatures are rising. The creatures so dependent upon fragile ecosystems are suffering and becoming extinct, whether we believe it’s a product of human consumption, or like some of the less scientifically minded believe, God’s will. What remains is: our planet is heading toward crisis. Its decimation will continue to increase as the population grows and requires more habitat to provide shelter and food for us humans. This future is dark, and it is a future we all share.

Sign petitions. Protest. Stand up for this world. There are injustices. Change is inevitable. Gandhi said, "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do."* 
I’ve failed at times and I’ve succeeded at other times. I encourage all of us to keep trying to learn, to grow, to direct this transition toward protecting the fragile planet for future generations and for the denizens who depend on us, who don’t have a voice but do have a right to live wild and free. One voice can change the minds of many, but we have to act as a collective to make the required changes to protect our home, planet Earth. I invite you to start small. Transition can happen in baby steps. This month pick one thing you’d like to change, either about yourself or about the world, and take action toward it. 

*Brian Morton, “Falser Words Were Never Spoken,” New York Times, August 26, 2011, accessed August 7, 2016.

Counting Daisies by Nicola Haken is a story all about transition. Cameron and Dylan were childhood best friends, torn apart without getting to say goodbye. Years later, Cameron is a successful chef, who finds Dylan in a dire position. Despite the significant change in his childhood friend, all Cameron can see is the boy he once loved and is compelled to help Dylan rise above the hardships he's endured.
SPOILERS
What I love about Haken is she addressed the issue of addiction in a very believable manner. I've had many people in my life who have struggled with various substance abuse problems. It is something they constantly battle, minute by minute at times, and Dylan conveys how immensely difficult addiction can be. Haken is a admirable storyteller, and while this story isn't for those who want a light fluffy romance, it is a powerful, well-written romance. FIVE STARS

 One Giant Leap by Kay Simone is one of the best thought out romances I've read lately. The format bounced back and forth using press interviews to forward the plot of Curtis and Patrick's evolving relationship. At first I found it distracting, but it grew on me.
Curtis is a bad boy astronaut, who inspired Patrick to work for NASA. When Patrick finds himself tossed in the role of spacecraft communicator, he finally gets to meet his hero. Sort of. Curtis is floating above him in space. During the course of the mission, Patrick is Curtis's tether to life on Earth and through skillful engineering, he's able to talk in near privacy to the single-handed savior of NASA. Curtis has no idea what Patrick looks like, but he recognizes they share an amazing connection and looks don't matter. He'd fallen for the man.
This is a sweet romance and I loved every minute of it. My favorite part was when Curtis and Patrick finally meet. It's so perfect and almost funny. Simone is a gifted writer and I immediately devoured her other books after this one, though this one remains my favorite. FIVE STARS