High-brow or downright pretentious, good PNR or sparkly vampires, I don't care about the premise so long as it entertains me.
Spoilers avoided where possible.
Also contains links to my charity fundraising page. If you can help out, even if it is to spread the word, that would be awesome.
Real quick, everyone (just gauging interest here):
Would you be interested in talking to me about the general topic of trust online? It's for a paper I'm writing.
(Not right now, I need to get my ethics form approved first, of course.)
Just like this post if it sounds interesting.
As part of my fundraising effort, I'm spotlighting some books that deal with illness on the Lantern. First up is an old fave.
Despite not blogging consistently for over a year (at least) I feel almost obliged to talk to you guys about what I've been up to lately and why I haven't been around. Though, really, I talk about it on the Lantern as well, so this is going to be an abbreviated version:
I'm doing a postgraduate course and preparing for a PhD. I recently submitted my dissertation proposal and waiting to see if the university will give me funding to do it. If successful, I'll be looking at online bullying among adults, and ways of managing it through bystander involvement. (Regardless of all the drama we've seen in the book blogosphere, the rest of the world doesn't seem to have caught up, despite some studies being done on children. Personally, picking a study path is a no-brainer for me, so hopefully the committee will be convinced as well.)
I'm training for a half marathon, and fundraising for charily. I had a major scare in summer, when my depression pushed me into doing some seriously whack stuff with my training (like running 8K in the blistering noon heat) and I sought help from a local charity. They were really helpful, and now that I'm trying to be more mindful about physical exercise, I wanted to give something back to them. You can check out my fundraising page for more deets, or read a wordpress blog I made to document my experiences for fundraising tips and ideas.
I'm recovering from said depression. There's a lot of stuff there that I can't even being to put into words (if you want me to tell you about therapy options and what works best, I'm always available through DM), but the bottom line is: That bitch hijacked my brain, turned it against me, ruined my relationship with cake, ruined who-knows-how-many of my real relationships, destroyed my love of blogging, and pushed my body until it nearly fucking broke. I will be DAMNED if I let her have another second of my life.
So the plan is this: I'm gonna do more stuff for charity, try to be more involved in the community, and kick some serious ass academically. I already have one interview, so guys, keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! (And if you can support my fundraising efforts in any way, be it through reblogs and likes on social media, or if you have a spare quid, that would be amazing.)
Anywho, there's a lot of stuff, but those are the three main points. Cheers, everyone, here's to some awesome reads coming to us this year.
My next deadline is in 2 months and I can breathe again! Yes!
(and just in case you're interested, if I get accepted, I'll be studying cyber-bullying among adults. Everyone, cross your fingers for me.)
Looking forward to some non-academic reading now. Help me choose my next book!
Not gonna lie, I put off reading this for a long, long time. Almost one year, to be precise. And the saddest thing is that I have books that have been on my shelves for a lot longer that I haven't even started on.
I remember when "Pandemonium" came out and how excited everyone got. It was so much better than Delirium! Lauren Oliver living up to the potential of her debut! Everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats for "Requiem" to come out, and for once, it was not just because of the evil cliffie in the middle book.
And then release date came, and it was remarkable... in how little the blogosphere reflected that. The few bloggers that did review it were underwhelmed.
Having finally read the book... well, I can kinda see why. But I also think it deserves a little more credit than it got.
"Requiem" picks up pretty much from where "Pandemonium" left off - Lena and co are on the run, there's tension between Lena, Alex and Julian, but there is also the added POV of Hana, Lena's friend from the first book, who has taken the Cure and is now betrothed to the future mayor of Portland. From these alternating points of view emerges a narrative about change, growing up, and, yes, love.
Full review on the Lantern (spoiler alert!)
The big downside of being a reviewer is that, if you dig too far into a genre, you start judging books for what they could be instead of what they are. And this isn't necessarily a problem - there are books that are such a waste of potential, it's criminal - but for others, it's extremely easy to start nit-picking and before you know it, you're getting hung up over the small stuff and missing a great read.
"Keturah and Lord Death" is a story you need to take as is.
No, really. Stop thinking right now. Go gently - this is a book to be savoured.
Keturah Reeve is 16 years old when she gets lost into the forest. After wandering for three days without finding her way back to the village, she meets her death, and Lord Death is in a gracious mood. After he lets slip that the plague is coming, she strikes a deal with him - if he lets her live for one more day, and she finds and weds her true love in that time, he will let relinquish his claim on her soul. But if Keturah fails, she will come to him willingly and be his bride.
What follows is a beautiful tale of what it means to live and love, accompanied by some of the most gorgeous prose I have had the pleasure of reading in a long, long time.
"We all know Lord Death. Do I see him as you do? No. But it is closeness to him that imbues my stuffs with power. What is a love potion without the breath of him upon it? How can I make a healing drought without sensing from which direction he comes? One day you will understand, Keturah, that he infuses the very air we breathe with magic."
-p 52, Paperback edition
This isn't a very long story. In fact, it's the closest thing to a fairy tale that I have come across that hasn't been written 200 years ago. At only 210 pages (judging from my paperback) it's the kind of story that you can imagine being told around a fire (as the prologue suggests.)
The characters can seem a little flat, what with us meeting so many of them and having quite a few plot threads to wrap up, but there are enough details peppered throughout the narrative that make them just interesting enough - Gretta's pride, and Beatrice's selflessness, the Tailor and the Choirmaster and the young master John, everyone shows character in the scenes they are in, and every last bit of dialogue is meaningful. I'd go as far as saying that more books need to be like this - less faff, more meaning.
And it's not a random stylistic decision, either. Although Keturah manages to extend her extra time for three whole days, she goes about each knowing that it could be her last. The result is her running at a frantic pace, trying to save her village, help her friends and find her one true love, but instead of making the reader feel rushed, the pace just goes to add to the overall feeling of the book. It is literally following someone who knows Death is coming for her and trying to make the most of everything.
That's really the story's main point - it is not the love story (though I find it beautiful) nor is it the action (though there is enough of that) - but rather that we appreciate life most when we understand there is a finite number of days we have. (In the afterword, the author mentions that the book is, in part, a tribute to a loved one, so there is little surprise there.) This doesn't make you cry, but it makes you shiver a little, and afterwards, it is like everything else is a little bit brighter.
Also appears on the Lantern.
Shannon Hale was the first author who taught me about the reality of authors' wages way back in 2010. Since then, she has never disappointed me - I really appreciate it when she tells the truth as is.
EDIT: I just realized this is a HarperCollins title. FML
Remember when you first started writing your first stories and all you cared for was the characters doing the stuff you wished you could do, and you didn't care much for a plot? Just me? Oh, okay then.
Sweet doesn't quite cover what this book is. It's the kind of thing you pick up at a down day, probably with some hot chocolate or a glass of wine to go along, and you watch two people fall in love. Two really nice people. Matt in particular is a sort of dream guy - mature, kind, generous, and respectful. Seriously, if you want a romantic lead whose biggest flaw is a major case of foot-in-the-mouth disease, then this is your book. (Seeing as most romantic leads are alpha dog dominate as a rule these days, it's refreshing.) Amy is pretty cool, too.
In fact, much like its predecessor, "Rushing Amy" is one of those romances that are too perfect for words. Unfortunately, where "Blitzing Emily" had paparazzi and major PR games to keep the tension up, "Rushing Amy" is... well, a little guideless. The conflict is all over the place, with motivations and behaviors fluctuating from scene to scene and clues being dropped that lead nowhere.
Here's an example: There are several instances early in the book where Amy worries about the safety of her shop. There is also a sequence of unfortunate events that looks so bad, it could have been orchestrated, complete with a phone call from an unknown number. Then that's dropped, never to be mentioned again, to be replaced with conflict about Matt trying to help Amy with her business when she doesn't want any help. Which... is fine, except after a while, it gets boring. I found myself finishing the book not because I wanted to find out what happens, but because I wanted to get it finished.
But then, that could just be my mileage.