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Winter of Summers (Volume 4)
Winter of Summers is the fourth book of internationally bestselling poet Michael Faudet, author of Smoke & Mirrors, Bitter Sweet Love, and Dirty Pretty Things—a finalist in the Goodreads Readers Choice awards. His whimsical and sometimes erotic writing has captured the hearts and minds of thousands of people from around the world.
Michael Faudet’s latest book explores the fine line between love and loss, the fragility of relationships, self-empowerment, and social commentary. Every page taking the reader to a world of conflicting emotions, where nothing is what it seems and beautiful dreams come to life. All exquisitely captured in a thought-provoking collection of poetry, prose, and short stories.
Michael Faudet’s latest book explores the fine line between love and loss, the fragility of relationships, self-empowerment, and social commentary. Every page taking the reader to a world of conflicting emotions, where nothing is what it seems and beautiful dreams come to life. All exquisitely captured in a thought-provoking collection of poetry, prose, and short stories.
240 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2018
61 people are currently reading
2296 people want to read
About the author
Michael Faudet
8 books1,614 followersMichael Faudet is the author of the international bestsellers Dirty Pretty Things, Bitter Sweet Love, Smoke & Mirrors, Winter of Summers, Cult of Two, and Playing with Matches. His books have been nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry.
Dirty Pretty Things was also selected by Sylvia Whitman, the owner of the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, as one of her personal favorite books of 2016.
He frequently explores the intricacies of love, loss, relationships, and sex in poetry, prose, and short stories. His lyrical and often sensual writing continues to attract readers from all around the world.
Before turning his hand to writing books, Michael enjoyed a successful career in advertising as an award-winning executive creative director. He managed creative departments and developed advertising campaigns for major brands in many countries.
Michael is represented by the literary agency Writers House, New York. He currently lives in New Zealand in a little house by the sea with partner and author Lang Leav.
Dirty Pretty Things was also selected by Sylvia Whitman, the owner of the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, as one of her personal favorite books of 2016.
He frequently explores the intricacies of love, loss, relationships, and sex in poetry, prose, and short stories. His lyrical and often sensual writing continues to attract readers from all around the world.
Before turning his hand to writing books, Michael enjoyed a successful career in advertising as an award-winning executive creative director. He managed creative departments and developed advertising campaigns for major brands in many countries.
Michael is represented by the literary agency Writers House, New York. He currently lives in New Zealand in a little house by the sea with partner and author Lang Leav.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
December 1, 2018
I’ve read all of Michael Faudet’s poetry books and he continues to be one of my favorite poets.
This is his fourth book of poetry and I love seeing how he has grown and developed as a poet. His first book, Dirty Pretty Things, was strictly romantic. This book, on the other hand, was still focused on romance and love, but he would drop in a poem every now and then that focused on social issues. For example, “Respect” was all about treating women with respect and “Trigger Warning” was about how we value guns more than the lives of people. Those poems were a nice surprise. There was also a touch of self-awareness to that I found very clever.
Out of all of his books, this one had the strongest prose pieces. Typically, I’m a bit indifferent to his prose; they never really leave a big impression on me. However, the ones in this book really impressed me. “The Wedding Present” and “Winter of Summers” were two of my favorites. I hope he writes a novel sometime in the future because I think he cultivated his prose into something special.
Overall, this was another strong collection from Faudet that was both romantic and smart.
For more book reviews, be sure to check out my blog: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/
This is his fourth book of poetry and I love seeing how he has grown and developed as a poet. His first book, Dirty Pretty Things, was strictly romantic. This book, on the other hand, was still focused on romance and love, but he would drop in a poem every now and then that focused on social issues. For example, “Respect” was all about treating women with respect and “Trigger Warning” was about how we value guns more than the lives of people. Those poems were a nice surprise. There was also a touch of self-awareness to that I found very clever.
Out of all of his books, this one had the strongest prose pieces. Typically, I’m a bit indifferent to his prose; they never really leave a big impression on me. However, the ones in this book really impressed me. “The Wedding Present” and “Winter of Summers” were two of my favorites. I hope he writes a novel sometime in the future because I think he cultivated his prose into something special.
Overall, this was another strong collection from Faudet that was both romantic and smart.
For more book reviews, be sure to check out my blog: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/
January 18, 2022
"The Silence"
On a good day, I could hear a pin drop,
the distant humming of a bumblebee,
a soapy bubble popping in a bath.
But somehow, I didn’t hear
the deafening roar of my heart breaking.
Just the silence..
when you were gone.
On a good day, I could hear a pin drop,
the distant humming of a bumblebee,
a soapy bubble popping in a bath.
But somehow, I didn’t hear
the deafening roar of my heart breaking.
Just the silence..
when you were gone.
October 20, 2020
Repetitive.
Monotous.
Not much difference from the other previous three collections.
This collection seems so empty. It looks so forced and desperate just to complete the collection.
Monotous.
Not much difference from the other previous three collections.
This collection seems so empty. It looks so forced and desperate just to complete the collection.
May 7, 2024
When you read, your heart should leap out of your chest and your mind should spin into excitement. This is that book ❤️
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January 26, 2020
I'm losing my mind.
I'm probably going to write a longer post about how I'm losing my mind, but I've read three Faudet poetry books now. I'm going to see it through til the end.
Let me, without any context or judgement, list some things that are in this collection. I'll save my judgement from a post on Truly Booked.
- he eats a woman out and liquid honey runs down his face
- there are a lot of trite poems
- there's a poem calling out the haters
- judgement of social media and how it's not good for us
- hipsters suck
- there's a battered woman who giggles about the rude letter she left her abusive partner, telling him what's what.
- get out of here with your hipster beard! she says
- soon after there's a prose about meeting the love of his life in a club
- her name is Veronique, the most beautiful name in the world.
- but oh no, she has a brain tumour
- there's a whole part about how good his last book was. His recurring sex friend, Sophia, is the one who tells him about how good he is
- they talk about how good his book Cult of Two is
- complaining about what passes for poetry these days and putting other poets down
- a poem called respect about how no means no.
- in the same story where he puts down the other poets, he talks about how we should feel sorry for refugees
- there's a gay marriage story with a dad that says "son" almost every time he addresses him.
- suicide by ice fishing hole
- SUICIDE BY ICE FISHING HOLE
I can't believe he had something where his sexy manic pixie dream girl talks up his poetry and puts down others.
I just can't. Goodreads needs to give a 0 stars option that actually affects the overall score of the book. I feel strongly about this.
I'm probably going to write a longer post about how I'm losing my mind, but I've read three Faudet poetry books now. I'm going to see it through til the end.
Let me, without any context or judgement, list some things that are in this collection. I'll save my judgement from a post on Truly Booked.
- he eats a woman out and liquid honey runs down his face
- there are a lot of trite poems
- there's a poem calling out the haters
- judgement of social media and how it's not good for us
- hipsters suck
- there's a battered woman who giggles about the rude letter she left her abusive partner, telling him what's what.
- get out of here with your hipster beard! she says
- soon after there's a prose about meeting the love of his life in a club
- her name is Veronique, the most beautiful name in the world.
- but oh no, she has a brain tumour
- there's a whole part about how good his last book was. His recurring sex friend, Sophia, is the one who tells him about how good he is
- they talk about how good his book Cult of Two is
- complaining about what passes for poetry these days and putting other poets down
- a poem called respect about how no means no.
- in the same story where he puts down the other poets, he talks about how we should feel sorry for refugees
- there's a gay marriage story with a dad that says "son" almost every time he addresses him.
- suicide by ice fishing hole
- SUICIDE BY ICE FISHING HOLE
I can't believe he had something where his sexy manic pixie dream girl talks up his poetry and puts down others.
I just can't. Goodreads needs to give a 0 stars option that actually affects the overall score of the book. I feel strongly about this.
December 14, 2018
3.25
Reading a poetry book always leaves me with the feeling of peeking into someone’s diary, because of how raw and real the sentences are. This one is no exception. This is my first time reading a poetry book by Michael Faudet, though I’ve read bits and pieces of his previous works, this is the first time I finished a whole book and wow, this is pretty good.
My favorite pieces from this book, isn’t about the love, but the ones about self-discovery and self-love. Although this book focuses on his lovers, he does also write about some really close-to-heart poems like finding yourself and of haters.
I don’t think I can really relate to most of the poems, because of my age (cough) but what I love most about poetry books is that I can imagine what is happening to the author (as I said, it feels like a diary) and what is he going through.
Overall, I love to read poetry once in a blue moon because it is always a pleasure to venture into people’s thoughts and how they express themselves through words since fiction may not always be the case! This one is particularly, is not a memorable one but it definitely should be on your to-read list if you fancy a raw and real poetry book.
Disclaimer : Shoutout to Times Reads for sending me a copy to review, however, the review is entirely my own!
Reading a poetry book always leaves me with the feeling of peeking into someone’s diary, because of how raw and real the sentences are. This one is no exception. This is my first time reading a poetry book by Michael Faudet, though I’ve read bits and pieces of his previous works, this is the first time I finished a whole book and wow, this is pretty good.
My favorite pieces from this book, isn’t about the love, but the ones about self-discovery and self-love. Although this book focuses on his lovers, he does also write about some really close-to-heart poems like finding yourself and of haters.
I don’t think I can really relate to most of the poems, because of my age (cough) but what I love most about poetry books is that I can imagine what is happening to the author (as I said, it feels like a diary) and what is he going through.
Overall, I love to read poetry once in a blue moon because it is always a pleasure to venture into people’s thoughts and how they express themselves through words since fiction may not always be the case! This one is particularly, is not a memorable one but it definitely should be on your to-read list if you fancy a raw and real poetry book.
Disclaimer : Shoutout to Times Reads for sending me a copy to review, however, the review is entirely my own!
March 2, 2023
I feel like Michael has grown a lot with each of his books.
This is the kind of work I would love to se more of from Faudet. The rest of the "beautiful kinkery" is nice, but I think that he has so much more to offer.
Trigger Warning
There is no trigger warning,
when the gunman
pulls the trigger,
no safe space,
when a bullet takes a life,
no sanity,
when insanity is elected,
and no humanity,
when the rifle
is protected –
but not the child
This is the kind of work I would love to se more of from Faudet. The rest of the "beautiful kinkery" is nice, but I think that he has so much more to offer.
Trigger Warning
There is no trigger warning,
when the gunman
pulls the trigger,
no safe space,
when a bullet takes a life,
no sanity,
when insanity is elected,
and no humanity,
when the rifle
is protected –
but not the child
July 7, 2019
Winter of summers - awesome!
January 21, 2021
Faudet continues to be one of my favorite poetry/prose writers. He blends the fantastical and the mundane so beautifully making all moments in life feel important enough to write about. I find many of his pieces to be relatable and realistic as well as seductive and intriguing. Some even bring a tear to my eye. I would love to see continual expansion of depth in his poetry and an increase in his short stories. Can’t wait to read the next collection!
January 30, 2023
“The relationship was going nowhere but that’s what I loved about it. Uncomplicated and predictable. Like riding on a beautiful carousel with a pocketful of coins.” This was one of the few poems that I liked from the book, the other ones were a huge let down. Ngl I’m kind of disappointed because I only heard good things about this poet. Sadly, the book was filled with poems like “When you know you’re in a toxic relationship don’t just walk away. Run.” Like come onnn?!!
January 11, 2019
I own and have read all of Michael's books, and fell madly in love with each one. But theres something different about this one, it struck me in a different way. I connected with every page, every word in such depth within this book. Winter of Summers is one of the most powerful books I've read in a long time. I admire the simple, straightforward and raw short stories and poems. I found myself reading over the lines upon each page several times, grasping the meaning, the images within them.
November 22, 2018
Probably my favorite Michael Faudet book right now. So many pieces hit home for me.
May 7, 2025
⭐️ 2.5 stars ⭐️
December 14, 2018
“Worse still, is the dreadful habit of parking their brains in some dead-end street & simply parroting the opinions of the mob. Selling out their integrity for some mindless clicked likes & dumb-ass smiley faces..”
Michael Faudet’s writing always seems to resonate deep within my soul. I’m not a massive reader of poetry, but I never miss a new Faudet release! It just touches me in all the right places. Oof.
I’ve read his first three books over and over (and over and over) again. This one will be no different!
However, out of the four, this was my least favorite. Only because there seemed to be more short stories than usual and those don’t always hold my attention as much. Along with there being more short stories, there seemed to be more one line poems, which I’m okay with if there are just a few.. but it felt a little disjointed in this collection. Longer short stories and wicked short poems. That’s just my personal taste, so YMMV!
That’s not to say that I didn’t feel this collection deeply. Because I did. Sexy, angry, bitter, heart-wrenching, happy, reflective, provocative, melancholic, gloriously emotional. Goddamn.
“It feels like I have known you all my life and every life I have ever lived.”
These are the kind of poems that you read in bed, heart racing, holding the book with one hand and the other hand is.. otherwise occupied. My kind of poetry! The kind I love to read and the kind I tend to write. Gut-punchy, sensual and erotic.
Favorites: We Sipped, A Perfect World, Isolation, I’ve Tried to Forget You, Books, How it Feels, Bliss, Burnt Letters, My Sunday Muse, Love on Mute and Broken Umbrella.
Michael Faudet’s writing always seems to resonate deep within my soul. I’m not a massive reader of poetry, but I never miss a new Faudet release! It just touches me in all the right places. Oof.
I’ve read his first three books over and over (and over and over) again. This one will be no different!
However, out of the four, this was my least favorite. Only because there seemed to be more short stories than usual and those don’t always hold my attention as much. Along with there being more short stories, there seemed to be more one line poems, which I’m okay with if there are just a few.. but it felt a little disjointed in this collection. Longer short stories and wicked short poems. That’s just my personal taste, so YMMV!
That’s not to say that I didn’t feel this collection deeply. Because I did. Sexy, angry, bitter, heart-wrenching, happy, reflective, provocative, melancholic, gloriously emotional. Goddamn.
“It feels like I have known you all my life and every life I have ever lived.”
These are the kind of poems that you read in bed, heart racing, holding the book with one hand and the other hand is.. otherwise occupied. My kind of poetry! The kind I love to read and the kind I tend to write. Gut-punchy, sensual and erotic.
Favorites: We Sipped, A Perfect World, Isolation, I’ve Tried to Forget You, Books, How it Feels, Bliss, Burnt Letters, My Sunday Muse, Love on Mute and Broken Umbrella.
April 10, 2020
"How can I forget the warmth of your body, the love that burned brightly within our hearts? You were my winter of summers."
3.5 stars. It was okay. But the last prose with the title "Winter of Summer" was a bomb! My favorite part of the book. The story blew me away. No wonder the title of the book is also Winter of Summer.
3.5 stars. It was okay. But the last prose with the title "Winter of Summer" was a bomb! My favorite part of the book. The story blew me away. No wonder the title of the book is also Winter of Summer.
February 15, 2019
To be precise i read it much quickly
i felt to dig deep inside every word the poet speaks and
how it wants to speak about changing love and life perspectives
i am wrong in some way in describing i don't know
i apologize
also the best lines ever written are from
Winter of Summers.....
i felt to dig deep inside every word the poet speaks and
how it wants to speak about changing love and life perspectives
i am wrong in some way in describing i don't know
i apologize
also the best lines ever written are from
Winter of Summers.....
December 5, 2018
The short stories and one liners are everything in this book and i hope he continues that more
September 24, 2019
I get this feeling that I dont want to finish the book just yet because I want to savour each word written on it. I cant wait for the next book though.
November 23, 2019
This collection includes poetry and prose. Quick read though with content that makes one enjoy, no wonder he is popular.
August 2, 2023
favorite poem is probably sunshine girl 💪
January 23, 2019
Baru pertama kali baca buku puisinya Michael Faudet.
Dan... baru tau kalau dia itu adalah pacarnya Lang Leav, hahahahaha...
Ga seperti karya pacarnya, saya suka banget sama puisi2 dan cerita pendeknya Michael.
Sweet, dark, heartwarming & sensual. Dan ga melulu soal soal romance.
Social Mediocrity
Dumb it down,
rip it up,
burn free speech
to the ground.
Don't dare offend,
just pretend,
be a sheep
inside the bubble
content to bleat,
on repeat-
the silly nonsense
idiots say.
Ignore the facts,
do not retract,
hold on tight
to your flawed opinions.
Never disagree,
just appease,
sell your intellect
to the lowest bidder.
Dan... baru tau kalau dia itu adalah pacarnya Lang Leav, hahahahaha...
Ga seperti karya pacarnya, saya suka banget sama puisi2 dan cerita pendeknya Michael.
Sweet, dark, heartwarming & sensual. Dan ga melulu soal soal romance.
Social Mediocrity
Dumb it down,
rip it up,
burn free speech
to the ground.
Don't dare offend,
just pretend,
be a sheep
inside the bubble
content to bleat,
on repeat-
the silly nonsense
idiots say.
Ignore the facts,
do not retract,
hold on tight
to your flawed opinions.
Never disagree,
just appease,
sell your intellect
to the lowest bidder.
February 15, 2020
Good news is I didn't DNF it, but other than that I didn't like it. I felt it was monotonous and boring, to say the least. There were only 2 quotes that I truly liked.
Unfortunately, this is the second collection that I didn't like a lot by Michael Faudet, and most probably than not, I will not be reading another collection by him.
Unfortunately, this is the second collection that I didn't like a lot by Michael Faudet, and most probably than not, I will not be reading another collection by him.
"When you know you’re in a toxic relationship don’t just walk away. Run."
"We are like hot-air balloons. To fly — we first have to cut loose the dead weight that is holding us back."
July 6, 2020
3,5 stars
May 24, 2020
I've spotted few repeated pieces from the previous books. I love these pieces:
1. Trigger Warning
2. The Wedding
3. My Sunday Muse
4. Winter of Summers
5. A New Beginning
6. Truth or Dare?
1. Trigger Warning
2. The Wedding
3. My Sunday Muse
4. Winter of Summers
5. A New Beginning
6. Truth or Dare?
January 21, 2019
I hate to say it, but I was pretty disappointed with this book. My heart aches because I adore every other book Michael Faudet has released. I'm not sure where this one fell short for me, persay, only I felt as though many of the pieces were repetitive and lacked in a unique voice. The only pieces that I enjoyed in 'Winter of Summers' were the short stories. Faudet's short stories and longer pieces of prose are always very raw and gritty, which is why I came to appreciate his work in the first place.
Many who have read this book, have loved it. Perhaps it is simply that I am not in a headspace where I can relate to the themes within this compilation. If I choose to revisit it in the future, my opinion may change. For now, this is my least favorite of Michael's work.
☆ Despite my feelings towards this book, please give Michael Faudet a chance, if you haven't already. His other works have resonated with me in ways that most modern poets have been unable too. He truly does have a talent for writing.
Many who have read this book, have loved it. Perhaps it is simply that I am not in a headspace where I can relate to the themes within this compilation. If I choose to revisit it in the future, my opinion may change. For now, this is my least favorite of Michael's work.
☆ Despite my feelings towards this book, please give Michael Faudet a chance, if you haven't already. His other works have resonated with me in ways that most modern poets have been unable too. He truly does have a talent for writing.
October 1, 2020
..pirmā puse grāmatas mani aizrāva pavisam noteikti, kamēr otro daļu lasīju jau ar "pašsaprotams" sajūtu. bet kaut kāda daļa mīlestības šajā grāmatā ir pavisam noteikti.
October 3, 2019
"How can I forget the warmth of your body, the love that has burned brightly within our hearts? You were my winter of summers."
When I first started reading Winter of Summers, I thought it was weak compared to the three books that came before it. I no longer saw this book that way thought the more pages I got through. The words in this one are more aware of everything in the world without completely forgetting about love. Heart-wrenching in a good way, I definitely recommend it.
December 13, 2018
“I often wonder if it was destiny, or maybe a perfect alignment of the stars, or something even more magical that brought us together,” you said, kissing my hand.
“I believe it was just sheer luck. Being in the right place, at the right time. Of course, how we fell in love was quite a different matter. It was fate. For how could anything this wonderful, this magnificent, be of this earth?”
♥️
“I believe it was just sheer luck. Being in the right place, at the right time. Of course, how we fell in love was quite a different matter. It was fate. For how could anything this wonderful, this magnificent, be of this earth?”
♥️
May 9, 2022
beautiful writing, words chosen carefully
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews