Reading Rants

I'm a garrulous person, especially so when it comes to books, and it just seems that despite having a blog where basically all I do is talk about books, books, and more books, I still feel the need to share more of my experiences with said books, which is when I usually turn to Twitter, but Twitter has this 140 character limit, which can be an issue at times.

Hence, reading rants, for ramblings on what I'm reading, what I plan to read, and miscellaneous conversations about books--basically anything that doesn't fit into a review.

And on that note, may I just say that Jennifer Donnelly is my hero.

Okay, seriously. I loved A Northern Light. It's one of the best historical feminist-yet-not-really-feminist fiction books based on a real life event that I've ever read. I read it for the first time five years ago and I still think about it a lot and recommend it to random people I meet. It's young adult, but it's a book that transcends young adult/adult specifications. In short, it's an amazing story that is important to nearly everyone that reads it.

So, keeping that in mind, you can imagine my delirious joy at learning that Donnelly's second YA book, Revolution, is coming out in October. I actually jumped up and down when I learned that the lovely Shanyn (of chickloveslit.com) had an ARC. The prospect of there existing a previously unread (by me) novel of Donnelly's within a ten mile radius of my exact location made me a little crazy, and Shanyn, who for some peculiar reason doesn't like historical fiction, let me borrow it.

And, whoa. Whoa. Better than A Northern Light. So, so, so much better. Thank you, Jennifer Donnelly.

So anyway, because Shanyn and I live quite close to each other, we trade a lot of books. This works out because Shanyn likes my books, and I like Shanyn's books, especially since Shanyn went to BEA and I did not. One of the books that Shanyn got at BEA and was so nice as to let me borrow was...Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

My heart about stopped when I heard she had it.

So, because I was in awe of Before I Fall (it had me so transfixed, I didn't even mind that I read it on the computer screen, something I normally try to avoid), I immediately wanted to start Delirium. I am a total dystopian junkie, and the idea of a world where the cure to everyone's problems is curing love is pretty darn intriguing.

So, I won't give anything away or go all review-y on you, but basically Lauren Oliver is a huge meanie because she made me cry. Again. Honestly, I was quite surprised, but then again, considering how much she yanked at my heartstrings in Before I Fall, I guess in retrospect, I should have been expecting it.

(Also, just to clarify, Lauren Oliver really is a very nice person. I met her once, and she signed three copies of her book and posed for many pictures and smiled through it all.)

Speaking of meeting Lauren Oliver, the Borders where her signing was is just fabulous. I was there again this past weekend, where I met J.T. Dutton and Kristina McBride and a bunch of other people and we did a lot of fun stuff, all of which you can read about here.

But...Borders. I love that store. Love, love, love. Amor deliria nervosa. The YA section is big, and it seems that whenever I go there, they have every book I want to buy, which is quite unfortunate for my wallet, but very exciting for me and for Borders. I made a short(ish) list of books I wanted to look up while I was there with my super 40% off coupon and giftcard (it was happy day, let me tell you), and then promptly forgot it at home.

So, I was standing in the YA section talking with Shanyn and Carrie Harris (go to carrieharrisbooks.com, that will explain everything), and I start muttering about my lost list and a book with a really neat cover with a green dress and an author I can't remember and oh yeah, the book is called Faithful, when...amazingly...both of them pull the book I was talking about out of a shelf right next to me!

Love them.

So, Faithful by Janet Fox. I admit, I was initially interested in it because of the cover, which is gorgeous:

But, when I shook myself out of the cover haze and read what it was about, I knew I had to buy it. So, I carried it around the store, and had Jen Dutton and Kristina McBride and Carrie and a random stranger tell me how good it is, so I guess those $9 are justified.

I also grabbed a copy of Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce because both Shanyn and I are dying to read it, and the cover is just too awesome. Seriously, it's super cool online, but you see it in person, and you can't resist it.  I have already finished it, and it was just as awesome as everyone claimed it would be, and I've already sent it off to Shanyn to read (we did our trading thing today--she sent me home with Heist Society and Fixing Delilah, and I got Jennifer Donnelly's The Tea Rose from the library, so it's a good day). I have to admit, I did see the TWIST coming early on, but Pearce's story was just so delightful that I forget about knowing the TWIST until it reared its head, and then I was surprised, but not surprised, but still happy, if you know what I mean.

And lastly, I also bought Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta because I have been waiting to read it for ages (especially when it won that Printz), and every time Sara of The Hiding Spot and I get together for a book signing, she is always shocked I haven't read it, I always feel guilty and really want it, and she makes me promise that I buy it and read it as soon as possible. Well, Sara, fifth time's the charm, I guess.

We left the bookstore quite happily on Saturday, and Shanyn made sure to inform me that I am a danger in a bookstore.

Tell me something I don't already know.