Hi there! I’m Kay: an opinionated book blogger enamoured with the world of novels. Reader of Speculative Fiction (the posh word for Sci-Fi/Fantasy) and Young Adult novels. Believer in the many uses of the towel, the science of deduction and other fandom in-jokes.
This blog has been closed since early 2016. To the publishers and writers: thanks for all the support over the years. To my readers and fellow bloggers: keep in touch!
Recent Reviews
Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Delirium by Lauren OliverSeries: Delirium #1
Published by HarperTeen, Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 411
Genres: Dystopian YA, Young Adult
Source: Received for review from publishers
Add to Goodreads
Rating:
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.
Thoughts: I read a number of reviews for Delirium before writing mine, and was surprised by the diverse reaction. There are a ton of glowing reviews out there, a few “I don’t get the fuss” reviews, and a some “this is just a bad book” reviews. And each and every review I’ve read – across the spectrum – I have agreed with. There are some themes are raised by the book that some people hated and others loved – it’s just a matter of taste. You know when you really enjoyed a book when the negative reviews don’t change your mind.
While I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and all of the over-arching themes explored in Delirium – it is Lauren’s writing that makes this book a keeper. Lauren just has such a soft, elegant style to her writing. She molds and shapes her words and sentences with stellar technique. The way she writes reminds me of Maggie Stiefvater: she writes lyrical books that make you want to draw hearts around paragraphs while you’re reading. Lauren understands love – not just romantic love, but family love – and her descriptions of the emotion are simply stunning. This book made me re-examine the relationship I was in at the time, reminding me to appreciate love – and the delirium that accompanies it.
Even though I wasn’t over-the-moon-in-love with all of the characters, I enjoyed their part in the story. I went in expecting to read a straightforward forbidden romance, but what I ended up with was, well, something else altogether. Delirium was romantic, but it was also so much more than that. It was a book about the bonds we share with family, friends and even our pets. Stunning stuff. Not to mention, it has a few pretty fantastic twists that I never saw coming.
Monday Reading (February 28th, 2011)
It’s Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books where we discuss our week of reading!
I am still abroad and have started to miss the book-buying madness of last year. I am actually starting to think that my book buying habits are related to my reading habits – as whenever I am dragged off to a country lacking book stores, I find myself struggling to finish books. That is weird, right?
Currently reading:
- Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow – I am really starting to love Jill Kismet. If you like your heroines tough and screwed up, she’s the gal for you.
- Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I am slowly starting to enjoy this book. Although I find the romance in it rather bland.
- Green-eyed Demon by Jaye Wells – Yet again, I am stunned that I haven’t finished this and completely blame the ebook format.
Finished this week:
- Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage – So, I finally managed to get Firmin off my TBR shelf. Sam Savage is a very talented writer, but his book was not at all what I expected. I thought it would be Ratatouille with books, instead Firmin was – quite frankly – the most depressing creature on the planet.
Featured Posts:
- Shelf Analysis – The Big Red Dresses in the Young Adult section
Up next from the TBR pile:
- Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Something old, something new [BTT]
Booking through Thursday: All other things being equal–do you prefer used books? Or new books? (The physical speciman, that is, not the title.) Does your preference differentiate between a standard kind of used book, and a pristine, leather-bound copy?
I have been having a not-so-secret love affair with used books for years. As a child, my mother would take me to a local used bookstore where I would dig out old hardback classics from the turn of the century. I loved finding letters and postcards, reading dedications on the covers, and – in one memorable classic – discovering exotic flowers artistically pressed between the pages. I love books with tangible history, and that’s something easy to see in used books.
Does that count as the physicality of the book? To me, the marks left behind by previous owners make the book that much more special. I felt a wonderful bond with the former owner of my copy of Chocolat by Joanne Harris when I saw chocolate stains on the corners of the pages. Perhaps not the most hygienic of tells to leave behind, but certainly an appropriate one!
Speaking of hygiene, I have seen used books that I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. “Used” does not have to mean “disgusting”, but sometimes it really does. So, in that respect, I do prefer pristine new books. They have a wonderful, oh-so-distinguishing smell to them – one whiff and I am in love. And there is nothing better than cracking the spine of a new paperback, leaving behind your own mark on a novel.
But above all, what sets used books apart is the search. There’s nothing better than digging through dusty piles of books to find a copy of a book you’d always meant to read. Or discovering a first edition Tolkien on the bottom shelf of a charity store. The process of purchasing new books is rather like internet dating, while buying a used book feels like fate. Sure, you could find your soulmate through either one, but there will always be something special about the book that found you. ♥
Shelf Analysis: The Big Red Dress
So, has anyone else noticed something rather red about YA covers as of late? Big, red and rather poofy?
Yes, I am talking about all the gorgeous red dresses that are gracing YA book covers. While I absolutely love all these covers, I am rather perplexed by the trend. Was there a fashion notice that I missed? Should I be rushing out and buying matching gowns to go with my books?
Dark Angel by Eden Maguire
Supernaturally by Kiersten White (Thank you, Maggie, for pointing this one out!)
Monday Reading (February 21st, 2011)
It’s Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books where we discuss our week of reading!
My reading week has been busy busy busy. I’ve been reading away, but have only managed to finish one book! The trouble is, all the books I am reading right now are fantastic – and I don’t really want to leave any to the side. But I may have to, seeing as how my brain is starting to hurt from all these different characters running through it…
Currently Reading:
- Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow – Was reading this last night and remembered how much I love Lili’s heroines. Really need to buckle down and finish this one!
- Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells – It’s Jaye Wells and set in New Orleans: needless to say I am loving it!
- Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I am kinda weirded out by the relationship in this one, but enjoying the writing. We’ll see…
Finished this week:
- Ghost Town by Rachel Caine – Disappointing. This was the first book (since Glass House at least) from the series that I have not enjoyed. The characters just felt… off. Let’s hope the shark has not been jumped!
Reviews:
- My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent + Interview with the author!
- Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan
Notice how I am not mentioning any up-next-from-the-TBR books – I really need to get through the books I am reading and not focus on the books I want to read!