Darkly Delightful Dystopian

If you read books then you've probably been hearing about these dystopian thingies, right? Yea, that's what I thought. Here are a few that I've read and a few that I intend to read, click on the covers if you want to check them out on Goodreads.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Page turning. Addictive. Unputdownable. 'Nuff said?









The Hunger Games by Susan Collins

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

This book really doesn't need any sort of introduction. Just don't watch the movie before reading the book, 'kay?


Wither by Lauren DeStefano

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems.

Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Haven't read this one yet, but it's next on the MUST BUY list. And I gotta say I love the cover.


Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba’s unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

I have this one, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. It would be next on the TBR list if my boyfriend hadn't grabbed it off the bookshelf first! Also loving this cover, it's very striking.

Another dystopian has just sold to a publisher, and it was the first manuscript I read in my role as an intern! Pretty cool to see the inner workings of publishing.


What are your fave dystopian picks? Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts?

When 'The End' leaves you feeling unsettled ...

Today I finished reading a book. I started it last night, put it down at an hour I'm never quite sure if it should be described as early or late, picked it back up the moment I woke this morning and didn't put it down until I finished it.
The book? The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I reviewed it on Goodreads. I don't usually but I felt like I had to with this one. And even then I didn't know what to say!

I just ... how do you put that feeling into words, when you've just finished a book that was so good, that you were so immersed in, and then it ends? I've just spent several long (or short, depending on how you look at it) hours with these characters, and I'm not ready to let them go yet. I want more time.

Now I'm wandering from room to room, like me cat when she's looking for someone to feed her, and I just can't settle. Everything I do loses its appeal so quickly, because I want back into that world. I think that maybe I should just start another book, to keep that feeling at bay, but then I can't stand the idea of starting another book when I've just read one that was so amazing.

Do you know this feeling? The one you only get after reading a book you really connected with? How do you get past it? Or am I maybe just a bit coocoo?

Recent Reads of Awesome

During the most recent semester of uni, while working full-time, I had almost no time for reading. Reading for pleasure that is. I did a lot of reading lecture notes, text books and assignments. Since the holidays started I've been like an addict let loose. I can't get enough! And let me tell you - it's heaven.

So, let me tell you a little about my most recent faves.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

This book is ... wow. Just WOW. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Loved the characters, loved the world, loved the plot, LOVED IT.

Laini's character development is amazing, and Karou, the MC, was brilliant. Not once did I get pissed at her for being stupid, or so independent that she refused to ask for help when she clearly should have, or so love struck that she kept going for the wrong guy, or so daft that she missed all the clues, or so weak that she had to be saved all the time. All frequent pet peeves of mine when reading YA MCs. What she is though is smart, intelligent, strong (mentally and physically) and self-sufficient. She's not perfect by any means, but who is? I for one, am a fan. Could you tell?


Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Another radtastic book. Melina is better known for her contemporary YA books such as Looking for Alibrandi, but recently she ventured into fantasy with the Chronicles of Lumatere. Froi of the Exiles is the second book in the series, the first being Finnikin of the Rock.

Finnikin of the Rock is a standalone story (and is also very good), and Froi of the Exiles starts off three years later. Melina is a freakishly talented writer (you just need to read her bio listing all the awards she's won to see that) and this book is no exception. I love the different perspectives (we don't lose Finnikin completely) but the majority of the book is told from Froi's perspective. And ... Froi is awesome.

The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that there is no resolution, it literally finishes in the middle of the story. I know I've ranted before about books that end mid story, but this book is so good that I won't be holding a grudge. I'll be getting my pre-order in a few months before the next book is released.


Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

This is Stephanie's second book. Many of you would have read her first, Anna and the French Kiss (which was great). Lola and the Boy Next Door is very similar in the types of issues the MC faces, and just the general feel of the story. Girl has boyfriend, girl meets other hot boy who is awesome, girl has boyfriend issues, you get the idea. Anna even has a role in the book!

Anywho, despite the similarities, I still loved this one. It was a quick read and I had that happy squidgy feeling you get inside when you've just read a too cute love story.


I could go on ... and on and ooon and oooon about the books I've been reading and what I love and what I can't stand, but I'll spare you. I don't want to taint the awesome above with anything less.

So please, share, what freakin amazing books have you read lately? Anything to recommend? Have you read any of these? Agree with me? Disagree? Can't wait to hear. :)

Many days lost to story

I really LOVE books. Seriously love them. I could probably be classified as an addict. I'm a bibliophile. Chances are if you're reading this blog you're kinda nutso about books too.

Curling up in bed or in a sunny spot with a good book makes me happy. It's awesome getting lost in a skillfully crafted world and tagging along with interesting characters while they go on an adventure. I never get tired of this. But, sometimes, I have to ask myself, am I wasting my life in unreality?

I've recently decided to start keeping track of every book I read - I want to remember every one and how they made me feel. I tallied up the books I've read so far this year (I may still be missing some): fifty-three.

Fifty-three books might not be a lot for some people in six months. I've never kept track of how many books I've read before so I don't know what's normal for me, but fifty-three books seems like a lot. Doesn't it? How much time have I spent lost in the pages of a book? What else could I have achieved in that time?

We have a house guest staying with us at present. He recently had knee surgery (cruciate ligament) and is with us for five weeks while he recovers. He's been reading since he can't do a lot else (although there has also been a lot of PS3 going on) and we've talked a little about books (I can't help it - it's one of my favourite topics). He told me he can count the number of books he's read on both hands. Not this year, not last year - in his life. (Not including Goosebumps when he was little.) I was like, 'Whaaaa? Hehe...' Blank look follows. 'You're joking ... right?'

It makes me sad that there are people out there who don't get even half the excitement and enjoyment out of reading that I do. But maybe I need to tone down my addiction, just a little?

What do you think? Are you a bibliophile? How many books have you read this year? Have you read many of the books below? What did you think?


Books I've read YTD:

Wondrous Strange – Lesley Livingston (read Jan 2011) 3*
Georgina Kincaid (books 1-5) – Richelle Mead (read Jan/Feb 2011) 4-5*
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood – Eileen Cook (read Feb 2011) 4*
Across the Universe – Beth Revis (read Feb 2011) 3*
Hex Hall – Rachel Hawkins (read Feb 2011) 4*
The Obernewtyn Chronicles (books 1-3) – Isobelle Carmody (read Feb/March 2011) 3-4*
Mercy Thompson (books 1-6) – Patricia Briggs (read Feb/March 2011) 5*
Paranormalcy – Kiersten White (read March 2011) 5*
Night Huntress (books 1-5) – Jeaniene Frost (read March 2011) 5*
The Mortal Instruments (books 1-4) – Cassandra Clare (read Jan-April 2011) 3-4*
Eon & Eona (books 1-2) – Alison Goodman (Eon read Jan 2011, Eona read April 2011) 3-4*
Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins (read April 2011) 5*
House of Night (books 1-4) – PC Cast & Kristen Cast (read April/May 2011) 1-2*
When Darkness Comes – Alexandra Ivy (read May 2011) 2*
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (books 1-4) – Ann Brashares (read May 2011) 3-5*
Kate Daniels (books 1-5) – Ilona Andrews (read May/June 2011) 5*
Divergent – Veronica Roth (read June 2011) 5*
Crown Duel & Court Duel – Sherwood Smith (read June 2011) 4-5*
White Cat – Holly Black (read June 2011) 4*
Study Series (books 1-3) – Maria V Snyder (read June 2011) 4-5*


Update:
The Ghost's Child – Sonya Hartnett (read April 2011) 3.5*

Review: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
288 Pages (Paperback)
Rating: 4/5

What it's about:

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.
 
What I thought:
 
Confession: I wouldn't have picked this book up if I hadn't seen it recommended on The Gatekeepers blog. I normally read fantasy but I'm trying to expand my horizons.
 
To the review: I loved it. Helen is a funny, intelligent, well developed character with the slight flaw of being bent on revenge. Of course as a reader I was at first rooting for her to carry out said revenge. And she does, in creative and dastardly ways.
 
Along the way Helen makes a new nerdy friend (Brenda) and meets a guy (Christopher), both of whom begin to put a spanner in the works of her revenge plans. I love both of these secondary characters, both well developed with there own little quirks and offering a sort of 'good concsience' to Helen's all encompassing obsession. Helen's grandmother is also fabulous. I'd love to have a grandmother like her.
 
I found Lauren Wood, ex-best friend, to be somewhat cliche but still a girl I loved to hate. It was easy for me to see why Helen would want to take her down. What I couldn't understand was why they were ever best friends in the first place. I was kind of expecting Lauren to be a little less two dimensional, to get some kind of inkling as to why she was best friends with Helen before the betrayal. With the exception of a flashback where Lauren did do something very sweet for Helen, there was nothing else of the sort.
 
One other small nitpicky thing I didn't understand was why Helen had such a good insight into high school popularity. She had never been one of the popular kids, and had been somewhat of a loner in her three years away. I understand that she is quite perceptive but not sure that that would extend to the point of knowing the exact steps to take to be in the 'it crowd'.
 
Inevitably Helen begins to question whether revenge is really worth it and has to make a few hard decisions. While it was easy to see what was coming, the ending wasn't cliche or cheesy and I felt it wrapped things up nicely.
 
Overall I thought Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood was a fun, entertaining read and would definitely recommend checking it out. Also, wouldn't that book just look pretty in your bookshelf?
 
Have you read the book? Love it? Hate it? Want to read it? What else have you been reading lately?