review : nick & norah's infinite playlist

only one word can describe this: SQUEEE!!!

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist // Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

YA Contemporary // Random House // 2006 // 183 pages

This short contemporary YA novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan was pretty darn good. It felt so incredibly real - Nick and Norah were real people to me. Like I could fly back to New York right now and if I went to just the right nightclub I would find a dozen Nicks and Norahs. N&NIP is contemporary YA at its best. The writing was funny and lucid (both Rachel's and David's), the characterisation was extremely well done, and although I did see the movie first and loved it, the book is much, much better. For example, after reading the book I had extreme difficulty imagining Michael Cera as Nick. 

I found myself wishing I was friends with Nick and Norah. And have friends like the friends they have. I found myself wanting to be in the same room as them, the same club, or the same diner. Now, even weeks after experiencing this story I still feel like I'm merely two long flights and one taxi ride away from stalking them as they sit in a Ukrainian restaurant in East Village together at stupid o'clock in the morning. 

The musicality lit the story alive for me. Music is a big part of how I identify myself and people in general, and to form relationships over it is a spectacular thing. It's signing yourself up for songs that stick to memories that stick in your head and heart 'til you grow old and die. You can be deaf and play music in your head for eternity. You don't need a brain or even ears to hear it. Only a soul. 

This novel taps into that idea, at least it does for me, and for me it can't get much more beautiful than that. 

new on my bookshelf

New things on my shelf this week! 

1. The Short Novels of John Steinbeck

(Tortilla Flat, The Moon is Down, The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, The Pearl)

I got this from the book depository and it's probably one of my new favourite books! I've only read The Pearl so far (as per recommended by Marcus Mumford of the band Mumford & Sons).

Check out the awesome page edges! 

2. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

borrowed from a friend

3. The Human Stain by Philip Roth

bought from fishpond. 

I need this one for one of my english units this semester. 

4. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

bought from fishpond

I was surprised at how thin this book is - less than 200 pages! 

I don't really like how fishpond ships out their products - unlike the book depo's cardboard box packages, fishpond uses thinly protected envelopes, and I was really bummed to open my parcel this morning and find this book creased/folded/bent. It's a little annoying.

5. Beloved by Toni Morrison

bought from fishpond

I also need this one for an english unit this semester. By the way, uni re-starts next Monday! I'm excited. I get my timetable this arvo.

REVIEW: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares // David Levithan & Rachel Cohn 
YA Contemporary // Allen & Unwin // 2010 // 260 pages

This book was just, so, CUTE!

Dash & Lily is the first book I've read by either David Levithan or Rachel Cohn, so I didn't really know what to expect. But now, I'm excited to get my hands on more of David's books because I absolutely love his writing. Dash was pretty much the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much. 

I really didn't click with Lily in the beginning, at all - which is strange because this rarely happens with me, especially with female protagonists. But she really grew on me toward the end - now I wanna be besties with her and get her to bake me a batch of lebkuchen spice cookies!!

I can't tell you enough how much I love New York as the setting of this book. I totally would not have given it another thought or care if I hadn't actually physically been to NYC before. I have first-hand experienced the magic of Manhattan, the beauty of that amazing city. I haven't read Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist yet but I can tell I'll really like that one too.

Now on to the actual book of dares. That blessed red Moleskine notebook. This was the key element to the unfolding of Dasy & Lily's friendship/relationship. And it was kinda beautiful. It makes you long for something like that to happen in your life. An epistolary connection to a perfect stranger. The mystery and the comfort their collection of words can bring. A dance of words, as Dash would say.

My favourite part was definitely Dash's first encounter with Lily's Great Aunt Ida. She was my favourite character other than Dash, so reading their first meeting was pure gold. The dialogue was perfect. And hilarious. Thank you, David Levithan.