Tag Archives: david levithan

Favourite Quotes: You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour

I’ve been excited about this book for months, as I’m a huge fan of David Levithan, and recently read Nina LaCour’s Everything Leads to You, which has fast become one of my favourite books. I was delighted to find a copy in Waterstones a few days ago, not realising it was already out! I read it in one go, eager to see how two favourite writers of mine had collaborated.

I adored the story. It’s centered around Mark and Kate, who fast become friends after a crazy coincidental encounter at a Pride party, and become involved in each other’s romantic situations. Both of the authors are ridiculously talented at crafting memorable and lovable characters.

The story has its fair share of heartbreak and sad parts, but it’s balanced out with some really heart-warming and lovely moments and scenes. The ending was beautiful! Also – another plus was that there were multiple Tegan and Sara references by Kate. That pleased my fangirl brain.

background

I picked up on a lot of really beautiful sentences in this story (as I have done in both writer’s works) and I wanted to compile a list of my favourite quotes, as little graphics. I hope you enjoyed them!

Have you read You Know Me Well? What did you love about it? 🙂

The Winter TBR pile

3 Replies

The last months of the year are my favourite: Halloween, Christmas, great opportunities to get pretty pictures… And the perfect weather to curl up on the sofa with a blanket, tea, and a book! (:

A couple of weeks ago I sorted out some books I want to get around to reading the soonest, and books I think will be the best to curl up with leading up to Christmas. Some are by favourite authors, and some are books I’ve heard great things about and really want to try out. I’ve picked nine (One is split into three volumes), which may be a little over-ambitious as I have lots of ARCs too, and homework… But I’m very excited about reading them all, if I can manage to!

I’ve owned all of the books I’ve picked for quite a while but haven’t gotten around to them, mainly because the majority are hardbacks or very big books that I can’t carry to school and back. I can’t wait to curl up with these, though! Most of what I’ve picked are fantasies and adventure novels, for the pure escapism. I’m probably the most excited for Fahrenheit 451 at the moment, as it’s a classic I’ve been meaning to read for ages – and my copy is a really gorgeous Folio Society edition.

What do you recommend I read first? What books will you be curling up with over the last weeks of the year? (:

New Books! #52

3 Replies

As I’m writing this, it’s Sunday night – I normally post book hauls on a Saturday, but I completely forgot I’d taken photos for this post earlier in the week… So, oh well, I’ll mess up the usual blog schedule and post this on a Monday! Why not:)

The most recent books I’ve bought and been sent in the post have been really exciting titles – some I’ve been waiting on for what seems like forever! As there are only a couple of weeks left of the summer before school (*shudders*) I’ve made it my top priority to read all of the ARCs on my tbr… Because I’m sure starting year ten is going to be hectic. I’m hoping to read, review, and schedule lots of things over the remainder of the summer so starting school is less busy!

Purchased:

Hollow Pike by James Dawson & The Realm of Possibility, Two boys Kissing & Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by David Levithan: Just before the recent London event with James and David in conversation, I visited Foyles Charing Cross Road and Waterstones Piccadilly’s YA sections to buy the books by them that I didn’t own yet. Between buying it and writing this post, I’ve already read The Realm of Possibility (it was amazing!) and so I’m really hoping to get around to the others very soon. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins: Although I still haven’t read Anna and The French Kiss, (I know, I know… *hangs head*) I fell in love with Lola and the Boy Next Door, so I preordered the last instalment online! Though it came late (As I think everyone’s Amazon orders did…) I dived straight into it as soon as I got it. I admit I wasn’t as blown away as I was with Lola, but it was still brilliant. After I buy and read Anna, I’m hoping to do a post on all three books.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher & The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkowski: I’ve seen a lot about both of these titles around the blogosphere, and decided to cave in and use my saved up Waterstones points. 😉

WINGER by Andrew Smith: I have seen even more around the blogosphere about WINGER! I’ve read so, so many stunning reviews, but it was mainly Lucy @ Queen of Contemporary’s review that completely swayed me to rush out and buy a copy at last. I can’t wait to see first-hand why everybody is raving about it. I also didn’t realise it was by author of Grasshopper Jungle, another book I’be read a lot about. If I enjoy this I think I’ll be buying that next!

Received in Post:

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley: I was interested in this novel right away, just from reading the blurb in an email – and when a copy arrived I was so excited! It’s sounds like it’s going to be a very controversial but poignant and relevant book. Thank you for the copy, MiraINK!

The Memory Keepers by Natasha Ngan & Vivian Versus America by Katie Coyle: If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you might have seen me getting very excited over Natasha Ngan’s début, The Elites, around this time last year. you might have also seen my review of Katie Coyle’s previous book, Vivian Versus the Apocalypse, too (which was a joint-first ever winner of the Hot Key Books Young Writer’s prize). I’ve been really eager to read more from both authors – so a huge thank you, Hot Key Books!

The Hunted by Charlie Higson: I… I can’t even begin to sum up my feelings. This SERIES. Basically…

Yep, that’s pretty much it. I am so nervous and excited and I’ve just started reading it and it honestly was a struggle to put it down to write this post. Review up soon-ish! (Thanks to Ellie at Four Colman Getty, the publicity managers, for the copy)

[Not Pictured] 365 Days of Wonder: Thank you to Random House for this! I’ve already written a blog post on it, which you can view by clicking HERE. (:

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

4 Replies

Published September 2013 by Electric Monkey.

17451795 Goodreads Synopsis: Each morning, A wakes up in a different body. There’s never any warning about who it will be, but A is used to that. Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. And that’s fine – until A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply.

My Review: Upon finishing Every Day, I was in… an emotional mess, to say the least. I know it’s a book I will go back to and read over and over again. In one word, it was beautiful. Levithan’s poetic writing style; his unforgettable characters; the original concept; the wild love story – It was all so beautifully written and captivating. Every Day is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Close contender for the best book I’ve read this year.

I’m not sure why I’d left this on the TBR pile for so many months, since reading the blurb when I bought it when it was first released had me really intrigued: Waking up in a different body every day, having to leave no trace of your true self anywhere, not being able to attach to anybody… The whole concept just sounded like a brilliant premise for a novel.

As I was starting, I got a bit worried I’d just get really confused – having to get used to a whole new character that protagonist A is inhabiting for every different chapter. However, David Levithan just made it work. I kept track of everybody and I was left thinking about all of the characters A inhabits just for a day, long after I put the book down.

A, the protagonist, has no gender, no ethnicity, no true body aside from each one A inhabits every day. A is just simply… A. Despite not being able to picture a face for the A, I found A to be one of the most memorable YA characters I’ve ever read about. A has such a memorable and complex personality that I instantly resonated with. On the other hand, Rhiannon is just an average teenage girl – but I fell in love with her character as much as I did with A, I think! She felt so three dimensional and I loved how she believed in A and went to huge lengths for him. They had such a great chemistry.

I can’t even write about the ending without spoiling it or crying so I’m just going to leave a gif here for David Levithan.

Overall, Every Day was evocative, emotional and beautifully written YA books I’ve ever read… I’m so glad I picked it up on a whim. I devoured the whole story in two sittings, but I really didn’t want to let it go at the end. I think I say that a lot in book reviews, but I really, really mean it – David Levithan had me completely caught up in the wild, devastating, but gorgeous love story he’s crafted, and I was much more attached to the protagonists by the ending than I thought I would be. Every Day really makes you think, about everything. About identity, living in other people’s shoes, and so much more. I know I’ll be rereading this over and over – if you haven’t already read Every Day, I really recommend it be the next book you pick up (:

My Rating:

bibliomaniacheart

I purchased a copy of Every Day at a bookstore.