Most of what you'll see me talking and writing about on this blog is Young Adult fiction. Dreamcatcher's Lair lives and breathes YAs, so don't be surprised. However, that doesn't mean I'm not open to other genres. I love myself a good MG or an adult fiction. I like to keep it versatile, so don't be shy about shooting me an email about your book, I might just be interested :)
Where YAs are concerned, contemporary reads are my favourite of the lot. I like the quirky sort. You know, the kind Jaclyn Moriarty writes?
And there's the heartcrushing, like this,
And the ones that push you over the edge. Like these (sometimes quietly, sometimes in a hurry),
And this one's special. Cos it made me start this blog, just so that I could tell others to read this book, too. For this very reason, I'd read anything Angela Morrison writes. Anything at all.
I love the ones that make me giggle, the ones that crush my heart, the ones that make me think a lot, the ones that just let me have a good time. I adore Courtney Summers, CK Kelly Martin, Tina Ferraro. I have tons of favourites that would need a novella to fit into, but you get the hint. I'm a sucker for contemps.
Apart from the world of realistic fiction, I like books with magic. Might be magic realism or urban fantasy, but, you know, magic. That doesn't mean passing off a paranormal as a 'book with magic', it genuinely NEEDS the magic stuff. Supernaturnal happenings alone do not magic make. Think fairytale retellings.
Now, paranormals/urban fantasies. So, I kinda have a thing for ghosts and witches and the sometimes werewolves, but I'm really tired with most of the paranormal fare I've come across recently. I want to read a book that takes me by surprise, that doesn't make me go 'same old, same old', that beats stereotypes and packs in some punch while doing so. I want a good, new story. This used to be my guilty pleasure genre once. I want to revive that love.
Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic. The Hunger Games is one of my favourite series ever! Second only to Harry Potter. I also loved Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It. So, you know, I adore dystopian fiction. It has this sort of urgency to it that begs to be read. But...I don't want another Hunger Games. As with paranormals, I want a new-ish twist here, too.
With YA I like exploring across all sub-genres -- historical, steampunk, high fantasy, thrillers. Sci-fi though makes me a little dubious, but, you know, send me an email with your book summary - exciting stuff do catch my eye. I think mash-up genres are exciting. Like mixing historical with paranormal, contemporary with a little magic (magic realism) etc.
MGs ~ I'm willing to look at all kinds of middle grade books. They appeal to me a lot, especially when they are of the humorous kind, like the Diary of A Wimpy Kid.
Where adult fiction is concerned, I love romantic comedies, women's fiction and literary fiction.
I don't review poetry, but I have a thing for well-written verse novels :)
I'm open to self-published as well as indie books.
I'm not open to non-fiction.
Policy:
I'm not hard to please as a reader and I always give fair reviews. I mention both the positives and the negatives I take back from a book. I have a thing for character-driven stories and gorgeous writing, but great storytelling can often make up for under-emphasis on those two aspects, sometimes. Be rest assured that I won't thrash a book or bad-mouth an author. I have great respect for authors and do not believe a book can be terrible from every aspect. Books speak differently to different people, so just because something did not appeal to me does not mean I'll discourage other readers from giving it a chance. My foremost purpose as an aspiring writer and a reviewer is to encourage people to read.
Having said that, I reserve the right to review or not review a book. For instance, if a book does not bode well with me AT ALL or if I'm unable to finish a book I will not review it.
I post my reviews on this blog and Goodreads and Amazon.
Please respect my reviews. Irrespective of which way my opinions may swing, do not take my reviews as personal attacks of any sort. If you're sending me a book to review, I would expect you to appreciate my honest opinion on it.
I realise that considering I live in India, shipping books is expensive, but print copies will always find favour over ebooks. I cannot guarantee reviewing every ebook I'm sent. (I don't own a Kindle and reading on the computer tires me out. Really.)
Update: I'm not open to ebooks at the moment, owing to the flood of ebook requests I've had recently. However, if you have a print copy to send me, I'd be willing to take a look at it.
Interviews:
I only interview authors whose books I have read. If you want me to feature you in an interview, click under the 'Contact Me' tab and we can get talking!
Author Guest Posts are open to all - irrespective of whether I've read your book yet or not. However, I will ask you to keep your posts short or moderate. Rambly posts are often a turn off and many readers only skim through them.
Whatever queries or comments you may have, feel free to contact me.
