Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

As you might remember, as part of the month's Fictional Fun theme, I posted my reading list for June with the intention of reviewing the books as I went. If you missed the post, you can read it here: http://myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/june-reading-list.html

This is my review of Delirium, by Lauren Oliver

 

The blurb from the back cover

 

There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the Earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.

Then, at last, they found the cure.

Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway 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 then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable…

My thoughts on the book

I'm still reeling from this book! It was fantastic, and I really enjoyed it. Lauren Oliver is a fantastic writer, and she brings the characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you know them.

The book is set in the future where love is believed to be a disease, and science has found the cure. While this sounds a bit far fetched, when you read the book, it doesn't seem that way. I could actually imagine the government trying this one. The cure doesn't just stop you loving. Without love, there is no hate either, just indifference.

Everything is mapped out for you based on the test results you receive. Although this might sounds unthinkable, the book is set in a time when the characters can't remember a time when love wasn't viewed as a disease and their perspectives on this is fantastic.

 

Conclusion and rating

This is a very intelligently written book that will make you think. The characters are very relatable and I truly cared what happened to them, which to me is a sign of a good book. 5/5

 

Have you read this? What did you think?

 

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment :)

My Favourite Outfit

 

I recently left what I thought was a comment on another blog. The blogger was running a series of "my favourite outfit" posts, where guest posters posted their favourite outfit and answered some questions about the outfit.

I thought this was a fab idea, and left a comment to that effect. Unbeknown to me, being the genius I am, I managed to leave this in the section for signing up to the series rather than in the comments section!

Anyway, how could I say it was a good idea and then not do it? Well I couldn't could I!

To read my answers to the questions and find out why this is my favourite outfit, have a look here: http://themummystylist.com/2015/06/21/share-your-wardrobe-my-random-musings/

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment :)

Guest Post: What Being Published Means To Me by Janet Cooper

Today's post is a guest post written by the lovely Janet from Rambles Rants and Writings!

 

What Being Published Means to Me

 

Hi everyone!  My name is Janet and I am honoured to have been offered the opportunity to guest blog here on My Random Musings, so it looks as though you are stuck with me for the duration of this post.  I promise it will not be too painful.  

First of all I will tell you a little about myself.  I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing last year and I am currently studying for an MA in English Studies on a part time basis.  I work as a self-employed tutor and I also lead a team of Copywriters for a publishing house.  I thought it relevant, as a creative writer, to apply as a guest blogger as this month’s theme is #Fictionalfun.  

Although I prefer to write Crime Fiction my published stories are Gothic tales, published in a collection of short stories.  One is a Fairy-tale adaptation, and a school in the North East of England has ordered copies to add to their A Level syllabus to compare with Angela Carter’s works.  

I am also lucky enough to have four articles that are going to be published in a magazine too, I am just waiting for a confirmed date of publication.  Even though I should probably name myself a writer, I struggle with the term and it makes me blush.  I am effectively a published writer (there, I said it)!

Earlier in the month, I also had a short story posted on this blog too, called Innocent Witness.  Usually, I write whodunit crime fiction, but this one had quite a sexual twist to it in order to represent the psychotic state of the killer.  You should certainly have a read, it’s only short: http://myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/innocent-witness-short-story-by-janet.html.

Today, I want to talk about being published and what it means to me.  I am always pleased to hear that my work has been selected for publications.  It’s a bit of a whirl-wind to be honest as one publication happened last year, and the rest are more recent and have happened this year.  

I remember starting my English and Creative Writing degree and the Lecturer drummed it into us all that it’s likely we would never get published as the publishing world is brutal.  I have had several short story works turned down, and it can be hard to get with the niche of what a magazine or publisher is looking for unless you are an avid reader of their work.   

A lot of people self-publish, yet others I know say that it’s a waste of time as you haven’t been chosen. There is nothing better than being ‘The Chosen One’ but I say do what is right for you, whatever you have to.  I have personally read some well written self-published eBooks, yet I have also read some awful pieces. Either way, you get to put your publications on your CV or in your portfolio but a lot of people do look to be published by a publishing house.  The problem is the publishing world seems to be shrinking as people prefer (the price of) eBooks and buy books cheaply online.  Paper books from a bookshop now have a very limited audience and this is sad news for bookworms like me, and for authors, editors and publishers. Blogging and guest blogging are also publications which gives you a chance to get noticed.  I tend  to post  a lot about my life on my blog, whereas I have a website too.

Sometimes I think that being published is overrated.  Why stress yourself out?  Yet all writers strive to be published, it’s what we do!  When we are refused or brushed aside, sure, our pride is damaged but we get back up, dust ourselves off and then we try again.  

I guess what I am trying to say is that there are publishing opportunities out there if you’re a good writer but you have to find the one that’s best for you.  For me writing is a form of expressionism, it’s an outlet for my creativity and I love to write.  I commented earlier that some self-published books I have read have been awful but that doesn’t mean I want to revoke the right of a person to self-publish.  Why shouldn’t they, I don’t HAVE to read it? In fact, I encourage and applaud the person that does so!

So what’s next for someone who has articles and short stories published – well apart from growing my blog and website, I hope to be published further.  There are two areas I would like to explore in the future: a novel, and academic research journals/papers.  I would love to expand my horizons and become published in either of these areas.

 

 

Thanks for reading, Janet ☺

Show Janet some love!

Check out her blog: http://ramblesrantswritings.blogspot.co.uk/
Check out her website: ramblesrantswritings.wix.com/janetcoopercw
Follow her on Twitter: @dementedjan

Feel free to leave her some comments :)

Defiance - A Short Story By EL Whicker

This week's short story comes from the fantastic EL Whicker. If you haven't yet chance to check out her blog or any of her fiction, here is a little more about her:

Born in Dublin Ireland, E.L. Wicker moved to England when she was nine years old. There she attended Coombe Girls School and her love of writing developed as she began to win literary competitions. A graduate of the Social Science's at University of Essex, E.L. Wicker uses her knowledge of human nature to craft interesting characters and emotional relationships. She is a regular contributor to YATopia as a representative of the New Adult genre. Fractured Immortal is her first publication and the first in The Bearwood series. You can download a copy of Fractured Immortal free on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Books and Kobo.

I hope you all enjoy her story!

Defiance by EL Whicker

 

The clinical lights overhead cast a fluorescent hue over everything they touched, the beams reaching out and causing multiple shadows where only one should exist. I breathed in the bubblegum scent of industrial cleaner, pleasant to most, but to me it brought connotations of desperation and, in the end, death.

Humans robed in blue or white shuffled past, deep in thought, sometimes with a stethoscope lying around their neck or a pen hanging from their breast pocket. My long black hair danced in the wake of their movements.

Dr. Johnson sat at the desk, his head in his hand, the bridge of his nose white under the pressure of his pinch. Waves of sadness and helplessness rippled around him. A human angel, of that I had no doubt. Each death hit him with the force of an emotion usually reserved for kin.

The sharp screech of rubber soles hitting linoleum burst through the clinical hum as another nurse entered the pediatric intensive care unit. Nurse Tom Elson stopped at the desk occupied by Dr. Johnson. “Has Tiana made any improvement?” His smooth baritone swirled like velvet through my ears, a stark contrast to the high-pitched punch of the machinery.

Dr. Johnson dropped his hand from his face, his blond hair wisping across his forehead as he shook his head. “We’ve tried everything, Tom. Her internal injuries are just too much for her little body to cope with and her brain is no longer responsive.”

Tom hung his head, his intake of breath stuttering as he took in the gravity of Tiana’s situation. “Have you told her parents yet?”

Standing up, Dr. Johnson flipped through a brown folder. “They’re waiting in the case conference room. First time they’ve stepped away from her bed since she was admitted.”

My footsteps made no sound as I passed them by. Tiana lay on the cusp of death, her parents about to be presented with the most horrifying choice; allow her to lay in a motionless state for the rest of her life or switch off the machinery feeding air to her tiny lungs.

Not on my watch.

My feathers ruffled as I stepped through the automatic door leading to Tiana’s room. My wings had once been white, emitting an ethereal glow. With each bad choice I made, the white had faded, replaced by a dull gray. Soon they would blacken and I’d be forced to wander the earth for eternity. An easy choice, considering the difference I could make.

Tiana lay like a creature of the most heavenly origin, her brown skin already taking on the pallid gray of looming death. Bright hair ties shaped like candy bunched her black hair into neat pigtails. I smoothed my hand over the crisp white sheets. Her tiny body took up not even half of the bed. The rippling light around her dimmed with each passing minute.

I took one quick glance around the room, focusing on the door to make sure no one approached. With a trembling hand, I reached out, and using only my index finger, I touched her cheek. The medical apparatus around her disappeared. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened. Two swirling pools of chocolate stared up at me. Her small nose scrunched as a smile stretched to her eyes, causing a bright twinkle.

“Are you my angel?” Tiana’s small voice asked.

My heart swelled at the melodious breeze of her words as they danced in the air. “Yes, sweetie.”

It would do her no good to tell the truth. Children were virtuous creatures and giving her the reality behind the offer about to breeze from my lips would result in a choice no child should make.

The pillow rustled as Tiana tipped her head. “Are you here to take me away ‘cause I don’ts wanna leave my mama and papa yet. That would make them very sad and I don’ts wanna make them sad.”

I trailed my finger down the silken softness of her cheek. “Wouldn’t it make you sad, too, little light?”

“O’course, buts I more worried ‘bout them.” Her dry, flaking lips pulled into a grin. “Buts you’ll take care o’ them, right?”

My heart stuttered.

This is why I do this.

“Tiana, I’m here to take care of you. Are you ready?”

Tiana studied me for a moment, her eyebrows bowing to touch the top of her button nose. “Watcha gonna do?”

Bending down so our noses touched, I moved my head from side to side. A light rumble worked its way from her chest, then out of her mouth in a musical fit of giggles.

Without waiting for my answer, Tiana closed her eyes and said, “I’m ready.”

Standing upright, I clasped her petite hands in mine. A bolt of power surged from my chest, travelling down the length of my arms and out of the tips of my fingers. My skin tingled as it left my body and entered Tiana’s, spreading out like a silver network of veins beneath her skin. As it waved out, her heart stumbled and her skin flourished, her cheeks glowed a subtle red. The machine to the left of her bed shrieked setting off an alert to the staff to hurry.

Letting her go, I stepped back as the medical apparatus reappeared and Tiana fell silent.

As I turned to walk away, the door swished open, Dr Johnson and Nurse Elson rushing to Tiana’s bedside. Stepping out into the corridor, the agonizing sobs of Tiana’s parents greeted me. I brushed my fingers against their clasped hands; a whisper that they were not alone.

As I approached the exit, a familiar throb began between my shoulder blades, spreading out to touch the edge of my wings.

I tipped my head to the side when Dr. Johnson’s voice swept toward me as he spoke to Tiana’s parents. “I don’t quite know how to put this, but the machines recorded a surge of activity in Tiana’s brain, then her vitals improved to an almost normal level.”

The doors swung shut behind me, blocking out any further conversation. I smiled through the pain gripping my wings as gray morphed to black. As I exited the hospital, thunder boomed in a show of disapproval. Shrugging my shoulders, I spread my little black wings and lifted from the ground.

 

Show EL some love! Download her book (links in the bio at the top), follow her on Twitter, like her page on Facebook, and of course visit her blog for more fab stories!

Blog http://elwicker.com/

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/E.L.Wicker

Twitter https://twitter.com/elwicker

Did you enjoy the story? Why not leave a comment telling EL what you thought?

Anything Goes Linky - Week 2

Welcome to the Anything Goes linky, week 2! This linky is for any type of posts on any subject. Literally Anything Goes! It will run from 12.05am Monday to 11.55pm the following Sunday, so there is plenty time to link up. And if you link up early, feel free to pop back and check out some of the later link ups - you never know when you will find your new favourite blog!

If you are new to linkys, Becky at Cuddle Fairy has written a fantastic guide on how to link your posts, which you can read here: http://www.cuddlefairy.com/the-linky-guide-1/

How it works

 

1. Link up to 3 posts, old or new, per week

2. Please add my badge to any linked up posts - copy and paste the code below into the HTML section of your post.

3 Please read and comment on at least 2 other posts, but feel free to do as many as you want to! The more you share the love, the more love you will get back!

4. To keep up to date with what's happening when, feel free to follow me on Twitter @randommusings29

5. Share your post's URL on Twitter using #AnythingGoes and tag me @randommusings29 and I will retweet (as many times as you want to!).

I look forward to reading all your posts! Everyone welcome :)

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Thought Of The Day - Week 6

Welcome to this week's Thought of the Day round up!

Monday

 

Only five days until the weekend!

 

Tuesday

 

 

Very few things are unbreakable in this world, but likewise, very few things are unfixable too.

 

Wednesday

 

 

When life gives you the middle finger, use it poke your enemies in the eye.

 

Thursday

 

 

If someone calls you behind your back, behind your back is where they belong.

 

Friday

 

 

Happy thoughts make happy people

 

Saturday

 

 

That feeling you get when you reach your goals makes all the blood sweat and tears totally worth it!

 

Sunday

 

 

Laugh like you're 2, imagine like you're 10, party like you're 18, experiment like you're 20 and think like you're 30!

 

 

Which one is your favourite?

 

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment :)

 

 

 

 

 



Genres Of Fiction: Best And Worst

There are so many genres of fiction out there now it can get quite confusing. Especially when you start thinking about sub-genres too!
I try not to worry too much about categorising the books I read. If I like them, I like them, if I don't I don't!
I think a lot of people get stuck in a genre rut when choosing their next book to read. I've done this myself in the past - looked at a book and dismissed it because it's such a such genre and I probably wouldn't like it.
I try not to do that any more and consequently I have found some books I love that are in genres I wouldn't have considered based on my pre-conception of them.
I always thought YA fiction would be a bit too tame and quite childish. Then I accidentally tried it because a friend told me how much how I would love The Hunger Games so I bought it without realising it was classed as YA fiction. This is now one of my favourite genres.
Having said that, if I was forced to categorise, I thought I would share 3 of my most and least favourite genres.

The favourites

 

Crime - I love getting inside the mind of the killers and trying to work out their MIs. I like the fact the books are generally fast paced.

Horror - I like the suspense in horror books, and I particularly like the ones that genuinely send a shiver through me.



YA Fiction - I love the settings that are usually still Earth but not as we know it. I like the way the civilizations are usually forced to have some unfair condition put upon them and try to fight it. I also like that they are usually trilogies so when I find a new one, it keeps me going for longer!

The least favourites

 

Westerns - I don't think I will ever get away with these. I'm not sure exactly why, they just don't appeal to me.

Romance - I can read the odd romance book, and I don't mind a sub plot about a budding romance alongside something else, it's just every one I've ever read seem to fall into one of two categories:

1. The tragic love - You know that one of them is going to die, or be stuck in a loveless marriage with someone else.

2. Girl meets boy. Boy is hot and girl feels hopelessly attracted to him, but he is an arrogant prick. They clash. They have hot sex. They clash a little more. Girl realises that actually she loves him and they all live happily ever after.

Science fiction - There are some fantasy books I can get away with (not many, but a few) but real science fiction I just can't. I have no interest in how the space ship/time machine/any other device actually works.

 

What are your favourite/least favourite genres?

 

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment :)