Stephen King said: If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. And I believe that to conduct a blog about YA, I shouldn't be only talking about writing YA, but also reading YA. Ergo, the reading facet of nindogs has been created: the fitzgeraldist, through which I will be posting reviews, promotions, interviews and film adaptation-related content. All such posts will be tagged and titled under the fitzgeraldist (for a comprehensive list of this content, see the fitz-hub). If you want my review policy and promotion information, see further below on this page: policies.
A bit on the fitzgeraldist:
My affair with reading began with my dad, really. I have, since a young age, been a part of two worlds. In one, I galavanted off to Neverland through the second star on the right with Peter; I witnessed the Red Queen's court and the Mad Hatter's tea party; I attended Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts with Harry, Ron and Hermione; I kept Dorian Gray's ghastly secret; I suffered with Paul Baumer and his class on the Western Front; and I marvelled with Doctor Watson of Sherlock Holmes' brilliance on the most dastardly of cases. Most importantly, however, I happened on a book that changed my life and an author who has impacted on me in an inexplicable way: The Great Gatsby, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Gatsby was tragic, and before him, tragedy had only registered on that distant Shakespearean level for me, and it was his aspirations and unwavering dedication toward an unattainable thing: innocence of a time past, and his inability to detect that desire beyond a shallow want - Daisy - that resonated with me. Fitzgerald was masterful, and is the greatest in my opinion, in his tapestries of simplistic, and yet, convoluted plots, with characters that are cruel and brutally similar to ourselves and our friends and family. And he was tragic. There was something about Fitzgerald that was just so tragic to me, from his own Daisy in Zelda Sayre, almost star-crossed, the decade he spent in an alcoholic stupor, and the fact that he was almost victim to the Jazz Age he painted.
I'd like to share an excerpt from a letter to his "Dearest Zelda" from Scott on the 13 December 1940.
...The cardiogram shows that my heart is repairing itself but it will be a gradual process that will take some months. It is odd that the heart is one of the organs that does repair itself...
You mightn't feel anything from that, you mightn't care at all and think that I'm off my rocker. But I could talk about Gatsby for hours, I could talk about Fitzgerald for hours. If you could too, feel free to email me about it or mention it in the comments, and definitely check out this tumblr dedicated to Scott and Zelda. It's filled with letters and photos - it's great!
Anyway, that's what I love about reading. If you find a deeply intimate connection with a book, with an author's works, then it can feel as if you've been handed a paramount piece of your being. Just plain passion for a novel, whether it be the poetic and painfully gorgeous journey of Karou or the twisted and addictive ride of Clary and Jace - Passion is irreplaceable and it is all I crave when I read. YA gives this to its readers all the time, and within this community you can find literary soul mates.
I don't apologise for what I like, and I don't apologise for what I dissect and detest, but YA is YA, and it always has and probably always will engage me.
You should also note that sometimes I do post about non-YA books, but I always have my reasons.
I don't post all of my reviews on this blog, but all are available on my Goodreads page.
a bit on policies:
Review Copies/Requests
Due to my review pile, school schedule and other commitments, I only accept a limited number of books for review. Please note that I also reside in Australia, and so I understand review copies can be difficult to ship here; I also accept e-books (in .epub format) for this reason, though hard copies will always take precedence.
I will be happy to consider the following subgenres of YA books for review:
- Urban Fantasy/Fantasy
- Dystopian
- Science Fiction
- Adventure/Action
- Paranormal
- Thriller/Mystery
- 2012/13 YA debut authors
I am unable to accept books in the following genres:
- Nonfiction
- Memoirs
- Chick lit
- Political/satirical
- Self-help
- Poetry
- Contemporary YA
If you do not see the genre of your book in the lists above, please email me for more details.
In regard to series: I do not read series out of order, and therefore, if you have a review request for a series that I haven't read, I do ask that you also provide me with its antecedents, allowing for a more effective analysis of series trajectory and character maturation.
I will try to respond within 30 days to each personalised review request, permitting it falls within the genres of books as listed above. I cannot, however, guarantee a response for mass emails or books in genres that I do not review. If you would like to send a personalised follow-up email if you've not heard back from me after this 30-day period, that is perfectly fine.
I cannot guarantee that I will be able to finish and/or review every book that I accept for review. The novels which I have requested personally will take precedence, followed by those accepted through a request/pitch, and then those which have my interest.
I try and get my reviews done over weekends, but because of my schooling and other commitments, I do have constraints in regard to time. For ARC copies, I also try and review in the month before its release. If for some reason I feel that I won't be able to finish your book, I will try to email you and pass it on through a review program or to a blogger whom I believe would be a better fit.
My Reviews
I do endeavour to review books, critically analysing and gauging my perception of the books in regard to the current YA industry. My reviews, though analytical, do have a casual air, and can be snarky or absurd.
My acceptance of a book for review does not mean that I will give it a good rating, that I firmly state to uphold my integrity as a reader, a book reviewer and a blogger. I write honest reviews and provide constructive criticisms, and sometimes, defacing comments. My thoughts and feelings about a novel are also a big part of my reviews.
Besides here, I also post my reviews on Goodreads, and, if you request, Amazon. If I'm talking about upcoming releases and books I've looking forward to, or if I'm ever linking books, I try not to link to sites such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Book Depository - I always link to Goodreads.
EMAIL: nnewcombe@hotmail.com
Promotions
I love to do interviews, guest posts and/or giveaways.
For promotion, I prefer to have read your book beforehand or to be included on a ARC list if you are an upcoming debut author.
I do reserve the right to choose who and what I support on this blog, and so I hope you can respect any decision I make should I choose not to participate in something.
Giveaway Policy
This is a general posting for all giveaways hosted on this site.
- You must be 13 years or older to participate in a giveaway, unless it is otherwise stated that you must be older.
- Nindogs is not responsible for items lost in shipping or items shipped from third party sponsors.
- Winners will be chosen randomly by Nindogs using Random.org
- You must be a follower to participate in all giveaways.
- Winners will be contacted via email and there will always be a blog post dedicated to announcing said winners.
- There is no limit to how many different giveaways you may enter on Nindogs, but you may only enter each giveaway once. If there are additional entries to be earned, they will be specifically outlined in the giveaway information.
- Nindogs holds the right to disqualify entrants without notification, so please pay attention to the guidelines of each giveaway.
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