Interview: Mara Dabrishus

Today, I've got an interview for you! It's with the author of the Stay the Distance series, which I read and adored. Here's my review of it, if you haven't read it yet!

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Mara and thank you for being here today! I have a few questions for you about you novel, Stay the Distance, and yourself, so let's get started! Can you explain what your novel is about?

Sure! Stay the Distance is a coming of age story about July Carter, her horse racing family, and a summer full of changes. July’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess: her jockey mom ran off for California years ago and her dad always seems more interested in the horses than in her. Unsure of what she wants to do in her summer after high school, July starts riding horses for her dad on the New York racing circuit, while her best friend wants her to move into the city, go to college, and maybe live a real life for a change.

July isn’t sure that real life isn’t all horses all the time, especially when she can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. When bankruptcy rumors start swirling around the barn, the future is murkier than ever. July can’t stand losing one more thing, and Beck, the barn owner’s son, knows more about the rumors than anyone else. July will get the truth, even if she has to pry it out of him, for Kali’s sake and her own.

 

What inspired you to write this story?

I read a lot of horse books when I was a kid. Of those, I adored the Thoroughbred series and the Black Stallion, which introduced me to horse racing. After I grew up with those books I did the first thing you’d think to do: go searching for more horse books. The pickings were pretty slim, especially for young adults. Part of my aim with Stay the Distance, Whirlaway, and my upcoming Finding Daylight was to write more of the kinds of books I wanted to read, particularly for young adults. People who love horses don’t just stop loving horses when we’re teenagers and pick it back up again when we suddenly like romance and mysteries as adults. We’re horse people, period. That’s what inspires me to write. 



There's also a short story, Whirlaway, related to your novel, which we can download for free on your website. Do you plan on writing more novels in this series?

Yes, I’m working on the outline details for a sequel, and I’m already threading a loose plot for a third book. My goal is to get July to a point where I feel comfortable leaving her, even though contemplating that makes me sad!



How did you choose your stories' titles?

Titles sometimes pop out of nowhere and stay, like Whirlaway. Incidentally, I set the story during the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct, and I liked the name Whirlaway as it applied to July’s mother, who seems tantalizingly within reach yet so far away. For Stay the Distance, horse racing commentators always love asking whether or not a horse can win at a certain distance—whether or not they’re bred for it, even. I chose Stay the Distance because of those racing roots, and because it connects back to July’s struggles throughout the novel in terms of her family, her mom, and what on earth she wants to do with herself. 



When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

This is such a good question. Writing is something that I always played with, but also something I didn’t know how to realistically pursue when I was younger. All through college I wrote while getting a bachelor’s degree in Classics, and I kept writing through grad school to get my master’s in Library Science. I’m a librarian by day, but always I was writing.

Then I wrote Whirlaway and sent it off to the Thoroughbred Times, which they loved and published. That was my wake-up call, that moment where I thought that writing could be more than something I do in my spare time. So now I’m this mixed breed of indie and traditionally published author. Stay the Distance has been out since March, I’m editing my next book, and a very different short story will be appearing in an anthology in April 2016. Most importantly, I’m having a lot of fun!



Your novel is a lot about horses. When and why did you start being around them?

I have absolutely no memory of the why when it comes to horses. I think I just saw them in a field one day as a toddler and a switch flicked somewhere, as I believe happens with most horse people. Since I didn’t have a horse crazy family to grow up in, I begged for and received riding lessons when I could get them, but barns sold and people moved, and eventually I stopped riding until I was in my late twenties and decided out of nowhere that not riding was unacceptable. So I found a dressage barn and learned my little heart out.



What is your favorite equestrian discipline? Why?

So I have two. Bear with me. Horse racing is my first love. It’s thrilling to watch horses in motion like that. Dressage is the first discipline I really felt that rider-horse connection, which is thrilling on a whole other level. I love it for all the tiny details that go into it, and how much of a difference those tiny details make.



Is there a rider that you admire particularly?

This might seem like a cop out, but I want to say every female jockey that has ever lived. The horse world always seems dominated by women, but that is not the case with horse racing. People still second guess a woman’s ability to ride a race horse, so I admire all women who put on silks and do that job.



Describe your dream horse in terms of personality, breed, looks, etc.

I’m a sucker for Thoroughbreds. They’re phenomenal work horses that just try and try, and I know without a doubt that if I ever find myself in possession of a horse it’s going to be an OTTB. I’m also a sucker for bays with white feet, and some white on the face. It gets me every time.



If you could bring any of your characters (including horses) to life, which one would it be and why?

I thought this would be a difficult question at first glance, but after a couple of seconds the answer became obvious: July’s trusty pony, Maggie. She’s a sweetheart and I would definitely keep her in my backyard.



If you could make a movie of your novel, who would you cast as your main characters?

So my confession is this: I based a lot of Beck on Jensen Ackles circa Dark Angel. If time travel is possible in this hypothetical, it would be really difficult for anyone to dissuade me from plucking Jensen out of 2001. As for July, I am going to aim high and say Jennifer Lawrence. My movie is now Oscar worthy!



Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Hopefully I’ll have ten published books to my name. Cross your fingers for me!



If you could give one tip to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Start! I like to say that you have to get the words on the page. Writing is personal, and everyone goes about it differently, but the words have to be on the page before you can revise, rewrite, and ultimately become a better writer.



Are you a fan of social medias? Where can your readers find you?

Absolutely I’m a fan of social media. You can find me in several places, so take your pick:
TWITTER: marawrites
FACEBOOK: maradabrishusauthor
Instagram: maradabrishus
Tumblr: marawrites

You can also find me at my website, www.maradabrishus.com, where you can read the occasional blog post, sign up for my newsletter regarding new books, or just e-mail to say hi.


There's a giveaway of Stay the Distance on my blog, which will be open until September 20th. You can participate here!


Stay the Distance - Mara Dabrishus

Goodreads summary:

July Carter’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess: her jockey mom ran off for California years ago, her dad always seems more interested in the horses than in her, and the horse July wants for herself will never be hers.

Even though the New York racing circuit has taught her not to get attached, July can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. When bankruptcy rumors start swirling around the barn, the future is murkier than ever. July can’t stand losing one more thing, and Beck, the barn owner’s son, knows more about the rumors than anyone else. July will get the truth, even if she has to pry it out of him, for Kali’s sake and her own.


My review:

4.5/5

If you're a horse lover, then you need to pick this book up. You won't regret it.

From the beginning, I was hooked. I loved the descriptions about the horses' personalities, looks and performances, as well as all the actions taking place near horses. As a horse lover, being around horses makes me relax, which is why I was happy and calm while reading this novel. It just made me feel like I was truly around horses, which is always a good feeling.

I didn't know much about this novel before I started reading, except that it's about horses. I wasn't expecting it to be about races, but I'm happy it is, because I learned a lot about them and I've always been interested in horse related things, especially races. It's a whole new universe for me, because there aren't any where I live. I didn't expect it to be so serious and demanding, but it showed me how different it can be when you're on the inside. The only thing I wish had been different is the fact that there are many words I didn't know the meaning to, partly because I don't know much about horse races, partly because all I've heard about them was in French. It would make it harder for a reader that doesn't know much about horses to understand the story, because there aren't definitions or explanations. I understood more or less what the words meant when I continued reading, but the beginning was tiring for me.

Since I was just expecting a horse book, I was surprised to find that it's also a lot about family. July's mother has left them a couple of years ago to be a jockey on the west coat, which her daughters are still not over. July's obsessed with her at the beginning of the novel, but she starts to let go of her, deciding to care about her life instead of her mother's. I was happy to see everything change during the story, because I was angry at her mother, too. Also, I liked how much I got to understand her father's character, because I feel like a lot of the story is based around him, even if he doesn't appear that frequently in the novel.

I liked the romance in this novel, because I think it was necessary to the storyline. Yes, it's adorable and it made me swoon, but it also changed July's thoughs about Lighter, which she couldn't help but dislike, and it made her more courageous and open. I enjoyed seeing her grow like that and I definitely think the story couldn't have been so good without such a good romance. Also, it didn't feel rushed or fake, it just felt natural and romantic. It was perfectly done.

Finally, I think the way it's written made the book perfect. Everything is fluent, well described and perfectly said, which made me enjoy my time reading. The only thing I didn't enjoy as much was how little the races were described, because since I was passionate about them, I would've wanted them to be described from the first second to the last. I understand that they don't take such a long time and that some readers would dislike long descriptions, but I wish they had been at least a bit longer, because then I could've really felt the anxiety and passion.

I highly recommend this to all my horse lover friends. It's a great book and I'm not surprised to see all the high ratings it gets.

(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I did an interview with the author, Mara Dabrishus, which you can find here! Also, check out this post to participate in a giveaway to win this book.

Mustache Blog Tag

 

 

I just got nominated by Reverie of a Glitter Aficionado to do this tag, so thanks for nominating me, and go check out her blog! Each topic requires four answers, so here we go!

 

 

Movies I've watched more than once

 

-Life as We Know It

-Dreamer

-Love, Rosie

-The Fault in Our Stars

 

 

Books I would recommend

 

-Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

-A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

-A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

-Every Last Word

 

 

Places I've visited

 

-Ottawa

-Toronto

-Fort Lauderdake

-Rimouski

 

 

Places I wish I was at right now

 

-Rimouski (just got back from there and it's amazing)

-Greece

-England

-Australia

 

 

TV shows I enjoy

 

-Game of Thrones

-Pretty Little Liars

-New Girl

-Outlander

 

 

Foods I like

 

-Chocolate

-Raspberries

-Sushi

-Mangoes

 

 

People I tag

 

-Courtney from CourtneysReads
-Anyone who wants to do it!

Lire entre les lignes 1.4 Un jeu vers le soleil - Pascale Gingras

5/5

Véronique a 17 ans et cette été, elle a décidé d’être plus qu’audacieuse : elle va en Ontario garder un petit garçon pour parfaire son anglais, gagner de l’argent et voir un bout de pays. À sa grande surprise, elle constate à son arrivée dans sa famille pour l’été que Max, à 4 ans, n’est pas enfant unique. En effet, il a un frère de 19 ans, Thierry, qui intrigue Véronique par ses absences et son « problème » que ses parents ne cessent de mentionner trop évasivement. Il reste cloîtré dans sa chambre, il refuse de sortir ne serait-ce qu’un instant de la maison et de la regarder dans les yeux. Elle décide de se pencher sur son cas et découvre vite qu’il a été victime d’un accident et qu’il en est sorti vivant, mais avec de profondes séquelles. Maintenant désemparé et solitaire, Thierry a besoin de Véronique bien plus qu’il ne pourrait l’imaginer et, à deux, ils entreprennent petit à petit une partie de jeu qui fera des miracles...

Ce roman, assez court, est parfait pour se distraire et se sentir heureux. Il laisse un sentiment fantastique et peut faire sourire pratiquement n’importe qui. Non seulement est-ce une romance idéale, parfaitement balancée et adorable, c’est aussi un livre avec une excellente morale et une grande profondeur. On observe les problèmes de Thierry, ses craintes et ses appréhensions et on le voit évoluer pour finalement sortir de sa coquille et redevenir lui-même. Il est facile d’imaginer ce qu’il peut ressentir et il est touchant de le voir changer suite à sa rencontre avec Véronique. Contrairement à d’autres romances, celle-ci ne change pas les personnages dans leur personnalité ou leur caractère, mais elle fait ressortir le meilleur d’eux-mêmes. La présence du reste de la famille de Thierry dans l’histoire est aussi très rafraîchissante et nous donne le point de vue des proches d’une victime d’un tel drame, ce qui pourrait être difficile à imaginer si l’on ne lisait pas ce qu’ils vivent et comment ils se sentent. Max est un enfant adorable et sa naïveté et son innocence ajoutent de la douceur au roman, qui pourrait être triste par moments autrement. Finalement, cette histoire d’amour est un baume pour le cœur, tant elle est touchante et donne des papillons dans le ventre. Je recommande ce roman à tous!

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Lire entre les lignes 1.3 Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

5/5

Cath et sa sœur jumelle Wren sont des admiratrices de la série Simon Snow, mais ce n’est pas une grande surprise : tout le monde l’est. Seulement, Cath prend cette série bien plus à cœur que la plupart des fans du monde entier : elle a créé une fanfiction des aventures de Simon Snow, écrivant sa propre version de la suite de l’histoire. Évidemment, sa sœur l’aide dans son rôle d’écrivaine de fanfiction, car elles font tout ensemble. Malheureusement, cette complicité ne peut pas durer, du moins du point de vue de Wren, car elle décide qu’elle veut, pour une fois, faire son chemin dans le monde sans sa sœur à l’université. Elle veut sa propre chambre, ses propres amies, sa propre vie. C’est un choc pour Cath, qui éprouve de la difficulté à se faire des amis et à s’intégrer à la vie universitaire. Gênée, ignorant comment faire des rencontres et ne souhaitant pas non plus en faire, elle fonce droit vers l’échec. Malgré tout, elle se rapproche de plus en plus de sa colocataire et de son petit ami un peu trop enthousiaste aux yeux de Cath, jusqu’à trouver ce qu’elle était loin de chercher à son arrivée à l’université : l’amour.

Rainbow Rowell prouve encore une fois à quel point elle est époustouflante. Tout comme « Eleanor & Park », « Fangirl » est incroyablement bien écrit et touchant. J’ai personnellement trouvé la personnalité de Cath très similaire à la mienne, ce qui m’a automatiquement aidée à  la comprendre et à l’aimer encore plus. Ses peurs et ses angoisses sont compréhensibles et j’ai aimé son côté humain et loin d’être parfait qui la différencie des héros vus dans d’autres romans. Elle évolue de façon spectaculaire au cours du roman et on la retrouve changée à la toute fin, forte et sûre d’elle, ce qui est un bon exemple pour chacun de nous et que j’apprécie beaucoup dans un roman. De plus, l’histoire d’amour est touchante, avec des personnages attachants et originaux. Malgré le fait que c’est indéniablement une romance, on retrouve beaucoup d’aspects de la vie familiale et collégiale de Cath, ce qui donne comme résultat un roman juste assez romantique et réaliste, ce qu’on ne pourrait malheureusement pas dire de toutes les romances. Je suis maintenant une fervente admiratrice de Mme Rowell et je recommande chacun de ses livres, car je suis convaincue qu’elle ne peut écrire que d’incroyables histoires.

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Lire entre les lignes 1.2 Anna et le French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

5/5

Anna va bientôt commencer sa dernière année de secondaire et elle a tout ce dont elle pourrait rêver : un travail de rêve, une merveilleuse meilleure amie et un potentiel petit ami. Cependant, l’annonce de ses parents brise tous ses projets : elle va être envoyée dans une école parisienne pour Américains souhaitant apprendre le français. Malgré le plaisir qui s’annonce, Anna ne peut s’empêcher de détester sa nouvelle école, jusqu’à ce qu’elle rencontre Étienne St. Clair, un jeune homme à la fois américain, anglais et français. Il est séduisant, charmant, intelligent et il est tout ce dont Anna rêve... Excluant le fait qu’il est en couple. Anna et Étienne deviennent néanmoins de très bons amis, découvrant ensemble la magnifique ville de l’amour. La romance dans l’air aura-t-elle son mot à dire.

 

Parfois, quand on se sent un peu déprimé, ou qu’on ne souhaite pas lire quelque chose de compliqué, on trouve de ces livres faciles à lire, adorables jusqu’à l’être trop et qu’on dévore en quelques heures. Ce livre fait partie de cette catégorie. Malgré son histoire prévisible et parfois très rose bonbon, on ne peut s’empêcher de sourire en le lisant et de l’adorer du plus profond de notre cœur. Tout d’abord, son décor, la mystérieuse et romantique ville de Paris, ajoute un air de romance particulier, tout en nous faisant découvrir nous aussi cette belle ville à travers le récit. Ensuite, l’histoire d’amour est tout simplement à croquer, avec une complicité sans pareille entre tous les personnages et de l’affection pure. J’ai aimé aussi le fait que dans les autres livres de la série, on revoie les personnages du premier roman, que j’ai adoré. Ils sont attachants, spéciaux et intéressants, alors j’étais heureuse de suivre encore un petit peu leur histoire. En conclusion, ce roman est celui à choisir en tout temps, car il vous remontera le moral ou vous rendra extatique, tout dépendant de votre état initial. Préparez votre cœur à la surcharge d’émotions!

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Lire entre les lignes 1.1 Nos étoiles contraires - John Green

Cette critique, ainsi que les prochaines, seront en français et extraites de mon recueil de critiques, Lire entre les lignes, ce qui explique leur structure différente.

5/5

Hazel Grace Lancaster est une jeune fille de 16 ans qui souffre d’un cancer de la thyroïde en phase terminale. Comme ses parents la trouvent déprimée et souhaitent qu’elle se fasse des amis en vivant comme toute bonne adolescente, ils la forcent à se rendre à un groupe de soutien où elle rencontre ses deux amis : Isaac et Augustus, le premier sur le point de devenir aveugle et le dernier officiellement en rémission. Peu à peu, une merveilleuse histoire d’amour se crée entre Hazel et Augustus, bien qu’Hazel le nie et essaie de l’éviter. L’admiration qu’ils ont tous les deux pour un livre, Une Impériale Affliction, les pousse à chercher à entrer en contact avec son auteur pour obtenir les réponses dont ils ont besoin, non seulement pour comprendre l’histoire davantage, mais aussi pour comprendre leur vie. C’est une histoire d’amour malheureusement touchée par le cancer, comme le dit si bien l’auteur, et non pas une histoire de cancer.
 

Selon moi, tout lecteur gagne à lire quoi que ce soit de John Green tant son style d’écriture est à la fois hilarant, touchant et intelligent. J’ai lu « La face cachée de Margo », « Qui est tu Alaska? », « Flocons d’amour » et « Nos étoiles contraires » et je dois avouer que chaque roman m’a agréablement surprise. Dans ce roman, il a réussi à créer une histoire d’amour romantique, mature et dramatique entre deux adolescents tout simplement malchanceux. Même s’il est loin d’être une jeune adolescente, monsieur Green a réussi à donner à Hazel une voix franche, réaliste et divertissante. Personne ne se douterait que l’auteur a en réalité une trentaine d’années! Malgré le fait que ce soit indéniablement une histoire triste et qui risque de faire pleurer tout lecteur, on y retrouve aussi une beauté qui efface la douleur qu’on éprouve, nous laissant au final beaucoup moins attristé qu’on ne le croirait. Les phrases sont magnifiques, les leçons que tirent les personnages sont d’une grande importance et la façon dont ils réussissent à vivre avec l’angoisse d’une mort prochaine est inspirante. « Nos étoiles contraires » est souvent mentionné comme l’une des meilleures romances de la littérature contemporaine et chaque lecteur peut en attester suite à sa lecture. C’est un livre à lire et à relire.

 

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The Distance Between Us - Kasie West

If you're looking for a cute, short and light read, Kasie West has everything you could ask for.

In The Distance Between Us, money is a huge issue for Caymen. She's poor and she knows it, and for as long as she can remember, her mom has been talking badly about rich people, turning them into one big group of horrible people. But then, Caymen meets Xander, who's impossibly rich and nice. As they get closer, the reminder of their differences gets bigger and bigger, making her self-conscious and doubting.

I have to admit that I absolutely loved Xander's character. He's nice, caring and funny and I loved the way he handled Caymen's character. The chemistry between them is so adorable that I felt as if I was living my own love story, which is a great thing when it comes to romances (and a bad thing when the book ends and I realize that it was all fiction). Their relationship is light and relaxing and the little games they have add much to the story without being a huge part of the book.

There are many other characters in this novel, each one with a unique personality that made the story ever so interesting. Having read this after On The Fence, I was really excited to find out more about Skye's life, which I only discovered briefly but still loved. I also liked how every stereotype was destroyed in this novel, because I'm someone who's incredibly against them and I was happy to see them proved wrong.

Overall, this is a great story, not too light-hearted but still not too heavy. I am now positive that everything Kasie West writes is incredible and I can't wait to read more from her!

 

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15283043-the-distance-between-us

Slammed - Colleen Hoover

4.5/5

Sometimes, life gets in your way. That's what Layken realizes after having to move miles away from her home due to her father's recent death. She meets Will, her new neighbor, who's everything she could ever ask for. Very quickly, they fall for each other, until they discover something that forces them to stay away from each other.

This story is not a light-hearted one. The characters face many difficulties and it was hard for me to picture myself getting through everything they experience. However, their strength is inspiring and it is one of the reasons why I loved this book. The way they looked at difficulties is unbelievable and it made me want to be stronger, too.

I started this novel expecting to find a love story about slam, but I discovered it is much more than that. It is a story about life, about decisions, about difficulties, about future AND about love. Not only the romantic kind of love, but love in general, which is refreshing and reminded me of its importance. Slam is a part of the story, one that I absolutely adored, but it is mostly used as a way to express the character's feelings in a different, unique way. The last part of the novel made me tear up a little bit and I would say it is the reason I gave this book a little extra half star.

The only thing I disliked about this book is that I didn't feel like the emotions were described deeply. I felt, at some point, as if they were told, but not explained, which was weird for a book written in the main character's perspective. It made me disconnect with Lake when it happened, so I can't say this book was perfect for me.

I still really, really, really liked Slammed. This was my first Colleen Hoover novel, that I read because of my TBR jar, and I will definitely check her other books out. I have to admit that I also want to check both slam and The Avett Brothers out, because I learned to love them while reading the book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13372690-slammed

On The Fence - Kasie West

5/5

Everyone loves a good love story. I think I found a new one! The first thing I loved about On The Fence is that Charlie's family (and I include Braden, because he is kind of a part of it) is absolutely incredible. I love my own family, but I would have loved to grow up with such amazing brothers as Nathan, Jerom and Gage. They cracked me up and their love for their sister is so damn adorable! I completely understood why Charlie would feel safer around them than around girls at first. Her dad tou Everyone loves a good love story. I think I found a new one! The first thing I loved about On The Fence is that Charlie's family (and I include Braden, because he is kind of a part of it) is absolutely incredible. I love my own family, but I would have loved to grow up with such amazing brothers as Nathan, Jerom and Gage. They cracked me up and their love for their sister is so damn adorable! I completely understood why Charlie would feel safer around them than around girls at first. Her dad touched me a lot, because as awkward as he actes, he evidently loves her and he wants what's best for her. I really liked Charlie's character in general. She is funny, sassy and, most important of all, genuine (except with one person - you'll know who if you've read the book). She also evolves a lot during the story, which was amazing to see. She isn't one of those light-headed characters who don't have any personality and are exactly the same person they were when the story started, which happens sometimes in romance stories and makes me despise them. Obviously, the romance in this story is one of the main reasons why I loved it, but I just couldn't not like it: it's so cute! I am a sucker for love stories starring best friends, which is one of the reasons that made me pick this book up, and while there is a lot more to the story, the romance is just perfect. The relationship between Charlie and Braden is always honest, from the beginning to the end, and even as a brother, Braden would be amazing. I loved the fence scenes and how they have two lives, the fence one and the real one. Towards the end, Braden said something about it that I had thought myself and it made me love him even more, as if he was a person I know myself. I would recommend this book to everyone and I will definitely look up Kasie West's other books, because her book has now a place in my favourite books! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18298225-on-the-fence

Attachments - Rainbow Rowell

4/5

Are you looking for a super adorable romance that's going to get your expectations of love so high that it'll be impossible for you to have a relationship a tiny bit like that? If so, this is the book you should read. It's a quick, cute read and the love story is so perfect that it might be a little bit too much if you're not expecting a sickly cute book. It's not exactly a bad thing, but I do think that the ending was a bit too much like a "happily ever after" for a non-Disney story. I did love it, but I would have loved it a little bit more if it hadn't been that way. I still think Rainbow Rowell is incredible and that her characters are really interesting, so I want to read more from her!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8909152-attachments

Libraries

As a book lover myself, I've often heard fellow book lovers talk about how much they dislike renting books from the library because of how many other people read them. It's always been a mystery to me why this would be a problem to anyone, but I decided to explain why I love libraries, especially my local one, to death.

First of all, whether you like them or not, you can't help but be excited when you walk into a library if you only slightly like books. There's just so many of them, everywhere, and you feel like there are endless reading possibilities. Your eye might catch a great fantasy book, but then you'll find the most interesting sci-fi novel that want to start right away. Just like bookstores, libraries hold thousands of stories within their walls and you're happy as long as you're surrounded by them.

I personally love wandering between the rows of full and constantly surprising bookshelves, letting my eyes go from one cover to another, one title to another, one author to another. It's all about inspiration, whether it's from a colourful spine, a catchy title or a well-known author. Sometimes, I find myself renting the most unexpected book, simply because something in it caught my attention. I don't even care if the novels I picked out are going to be bad, because I still have to return them in the end, and I like to believe they attracted me for a particular reason. When you're doing some online shopping on eBay, Amazon or any other website, you can never get that amazing feeling of reading the back of a book simply because you were attracted to it. While I do try to find some books I've heard great things about and I'm excited to read, I prefer letting unread books find me.

The next reason might not be a good one for everyone: money. I am a teenager who's still desperately trying to get herself a job, so money is an issue for me. With what little money I get from babysitting once in a while and presents, I have a very limited choice of books to purchase. My worst fear when I'm thinking about buying a book is that I would end up really not liking it and having spent money for nothing. For this particular reason, I only buy books I've already read and loved. I'll still end up with a small collection of amazing books, but I would never expect to have rows and rows of books myself. I also ask for iTunes gift cards as presents to purchase ebooks I've been dying to read for a long time, like new releases or sequels that my library doesn't have yet. I need to be very careful when I'm spending money, so being able to read books for free is an amazing privilege.

The main reason where there's a debate is the fact that someone probably rented a book before you did, just like someone else will after you did. Some people hate not knowing what's going to happen with the book they're reading, afraid the next reader might alter the book's state. Although I do think it's important to take care of books so they stay in a good state, I love the idea of someone else imagining the story while holding the same exact book I held while reading. I think reading is sharing, from recommending a book to your friends to lenting it to others. While the next readers might not be friends of mine, they're readers just like I am, which brings us closer already, and the fact that we shared a book unknowingly is wonderful. It's like having hundreds of friends who don't even need to speak to stay connected with you, and I love it. I hate seeing my brand-new books stand on my bookshelf unread for years because I have no one to share them with, but libraries allow me to believe in the "reading is sharing" motto I've now had for years.

In the end, those facts about libraries, along with some more, are the reason why I would never want libraries to disappear. Go visit your local one, you might find a new favourite place, just like I did!

 

 

Reading is sharing.

Four: A Divergent Story Collection - Veronica Roth

4/5

This book made me understand Tobias so much more than I did before. I decided to read it quite a long time after I finished Allegiant, so I would have time to think about the trilogy and the characters. It was a good choice, and even months later, I felt as if I had just finished the trilogy.

It was hard to read about Tobias's feelings towards his father, because no one should experience such things. I felt insanely sad for him and desperate to help him, even more than I did while reading the trilogy. I can now say that I love Tobias with all my heart, because I now know every motive behind his actions and completely understand them.

The only thing that I disliked was the kind of summary of everything that happened at the beginning of each part, because it really felt repetitive, since I had just read about everything. I know it's because every part is a different story, but I would have liked not to have it in a collection of those stories. I pretty much forgot about it after reading another page, so it was fine.

Overall, I think that everyone who has read the Divergent trilogy should read Four, because I felt like this was a part of the trilogy as well as the other books, not just an extra. I loved it!

 

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Le roman des filles: Fous rires, je t'aime et vive la vie! - Nathalie Somers

4.5/5

Ce roman, finale d'une série que j'ai débuté il y a des années et absolument adorée, clôt parfaitement celle-ci. En effet, chaque petit détail prend enfin son sens et des moments adorables sont présents en grande quantité. Approchant de leur bac, Maëlle, Lily, Chiara et Mélisandre doivent choisir vers quelle direction leur avenir sera orienté. C'est une étape à laquelle je suis actuellement située et j'ai trouvé que leur hésitation et leur nervosité face à la lourdeur de leurs choix étaient parfaitement représentatives de celles que je ressens moi-même. Le point fort de ce roman est sans aucun doute les relations entre les personnages, que ce soit de type amoureuses, amicales ou familiales. J'ai pu observer plusieurs résolutions de conflits et plusieurs changements dans les relations entre les personnages que je connais depuis longtemps et j'ai été parfaitement satisfaite par leur résultat. Plusieurs fois au cours de ma lecture, j'ai été tellement emportée par des moments entre deux amoureux (car oui, je suis une éternelle romantique) que j'ai dû me retenir de sauter et de danser. Le seul point négatif de ce roman, selon moi, est le fait qu'il y ait autant de relations amoureuses. Ce n'est pas que je m'en plaigne, mais c'est seulement que je trouve que c'est une situation un peu irréaliste. Malgré tout, j'ai trouvé que c'était la finale parfaite et je suis heureuse d'avoir suivi les personnages durant toutes ces années!

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Geek Girl - Holly Smale

5/5

Yes, this book is probably aimed for 13 year-olds. No, I am not a 13 year-old, but I did like this book. A lot. A huge lot.

Its characters are amazing. First of all, Harriet is funny, honest and, well, geeky. It made me love her very quickly, even though I didn't approve all of her decisions. Her dad is absolutely hilarious and he made me laugh so hard that my own parents probably think I'm crazy by now. Her stepmother is strong, serious and loving, which is why she's perfect for Harriet's dad. Seriously, they're adorable. Then there's Nick. Oh, Nick. You may be a tad bit younger than I am, I still think you're very, very, very hot. The descriptions worked really well for me, and my imagination took care of EVERYTHING else. Literally. And when he turned out to be amazingly cute at the end, I wanted to dance, cry and sing, all at once. Toby, the creepy stalker/geek, was a better character than I expected him to be, even though I think he enbodices every prejudice against Geeks. My favorite character was probably Wilbur, from the agency, because you juste CAN'T dislike him. He's adorable, hilarious and I just loved the way he talks in general. I want one for myself! I feel like I didn't get to understand Nat's character that much throughout the story, which is sad, because a big part of it is based around her.

I think the storyline is interesting, even though it's a bit cliché. Harriet's evolution is great and I think she's mature for her age, except when she's hiding under tables, obviously. However, I know I would too, if I could find there what she found...

I highly recommend this book, no matter how childish you might think it looks. I know I did, but it proved me wrong and I'm more than pleased! I can't wait to read the second book now...

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Slated - Teri Terry

4.5/5

With "Slated", Teri Terry tells us the amazing story of a young girl who's trying to start living again without her memories, but who ends up getting some of them back, against everything she's been told.

The world in this story is intriguing, complex and very different from ours, right now. Young criminals have their minds erased when they're arrested instead of being killed, which should be a good thing, but might not really be. As Kyla starts getting her memories back, she starts to wonder what horrible things she could have done to deserve being "Slated", which brings her to question the authority. Through her short and confused memories, we start understanding parts of her, but only tiny ones that don't explain much. Her distress felt real, honest and relatable, which I liked, as a teenager.

Kyla meets, while getting some of her memories back, Ben, who she can't help but like. As they get closer, the dangers surrouding them grows, which brings tension and anxiety. I loved Kyla and Ben's relationship and I would love to see more of them together.

This story is very interesting, and although I wasn't sure how everything would be believable at first, everything I discovered while reading got rid of all my doubts. This is a great first novel of a promising series which I will obviously continue!

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Obsidian - Jennifer L. Armentrout

5/5

I LOVED this book! I had heard so many great things about this series that I was dying to start reading it as soon as possible. However, for some reason, I couldn't find it anywhere in Quebec. My library doesn't have a single book from Jennifer L. Armentrout ( even if I requested some) and everywhere I looked, it looked as if this series didn't even exist. After a very long time, I was finally able to start reading it, and even during an incredibly busy week, I read it in three days. I just loved everything about it and all I wanted to do was jump into my bed and read it in one sit.

The main character is very relatable for a book lover like me, because she's reviewing books (just like me) and she has a blog (just like me). We also have the same kind of personality and I was proud of her every time she snapped at Daemon. She really evolved through the book and I liked her even more at the end than at the beginning.

Daemon is basically the definition of sexy. Seriously. I don't need Fifty Shades of Grey, all I need is Daemon in this book. He's a jerk, yes, but there's so much more to his character and I was drooling over the descriptions of him. Can I purchase one somewhere? No? Dammit.

The storyline is really intriguing and it was hard to put the book down when I had to, because I all I wanted was to find out what would happen. I was not expecting any of this to happen, which I loved even more. Surprise me!

I would recommend this book to anyone. It has everything I could ask for, and I'll start the second book right now. Thank God I don't have to wait as long as I had to for the first one, because that would be the end of me. I'm already putting the rest of the series on my Christmas list (pleeeeeeeaaaase, Grandpa!) and I'm hoping it'll be as good as this one.  

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