Talk to Me Tuesday is a brand new weekly meme where we will discuss anything (and everything) literary-related in an open forum of honesty. Questions for the next week will be posted one week prior to the post on the Features page. If you'd like to participate in this weekly feature, simply create your post, link back to me, and add your post to the wonderful Mr. Linky below. Have fun, and have at it!

This week's question: What is your favourite genre to read, and why?

I've actually seen this question floating around the blogosphere a lot recently, and it got me to thinking...why do I read what I read? It's no secret that young adult is my preferred genre, though I read pretty much everything, but that's an all-encompassing category, and if we're going with a true genre, I think my favourite would have to be fantasy or dystopian. There are so many reasons why this is, but when I actually thought about it, the main reason is pretty simple. I read to get lost in a story. I get my heavy dose of reality in every day life, so when I read a book, I want to be involved in a world that's a little different than my own.

Dystopian novels like Life As We Knew It and Delirium presented harrowing tales of a future world where hope is lost, but manage to keep the humanity of the characters and plot alive while showing us, in various shades of gray, the difference between right and wrong. Take, for example, the dystopian world of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's not a happy world, yet it has elements of our own, weaving characters through a world where there's a clear right and wrong, but there's a sense of a gray area that keeps you thinking and feeling for each character.

Then there are fantasy books like Graceling, by Kristin Cashore. It was one of my first ventures into a higher level of YA fantasy beyond my safety zone of Harry Potter (which will always be my absolute favourite). It's a world completely outside of our own, but the human elements let me lose myself in a world that nothing like ours. It has kingdoms, and royalty, and deadly battles. It's every bit as adventures as my wildest dreams, and reading those words is like living someone else's life. That's what I want from a fantasy novel, and that's what I've come to expect.

Here's what some of your fellow bloggers shared as their favourite genres:

A Buckeye Girl Reads says, "Urban Fantasy. (no surprise!) I like it because the heroines are strong and kick butt-there's also just enough romance without it consuming the whole story."

Linda from Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell says, "Fantasy! Because it has magic, new lands, battles, and well, it just is the best ;)"

Hannah from Every Little Thing says, "I like to read paranormal. Everything you read about is practically non-existing, so it's easy to escape into."

Theresa from Fade Into Fantasy says, "Paranormal romance, hands down! There's nothing like escaping to another land with a hot, sexy, dangerous vamp!"

Jen from Makeshift Bookmark says, "I know it's "tired" now, but I love paranormal romance. The way I see it, I'll never fall in love with a fairy prince. Why not get in the head of someone who does?"

So, while I'm doing my best to get into contemporary fiction more, fantasy and dystopian books will always hold that special place in my heart and on my shelf. I just can't replace the feeling I get from reading those stories!

Want to weigh in and do your own Talk to Me Tuesday post for this week? Go ahead and link up!

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway 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 with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.
Taken from GoodReads.

Delirium follows the story of Lena, a teenage girl just months away from being cured of a heinous disease on her 18th birthday. The disease? It's love. Scientists have declared it to be the root of all physical ailments and now mandate that all people upon turning 18 must be cured. Lena has had a rocky past with a family history of sympathizers, pain, and great tragedy, but she trusts society and can't wait to be cured. She never thought that she would encounter something that she thought couldn't happen to her...she falls in love, and she has to decide if love is right or if she's on a path to true happiness.

I'm probably one of the few that didn't finish Before I Fall, simply because I couldn't get into it. That said, I found that I really adored Lauren Oliver's writing style, so I was excited to give Delirium a go. Once again, Lauren Oliver's writing is near-perfect, mastering a difficult tense – first person/present – with ease. She created both a world and an incredible character voice for Lena that makes it impossible for you not to be drawn into the world Lena lives in.

Dystopian is a hit right now, and the key is finding a fresh and original idea. Delirium presents a future society where love is outlawed, and a pseudo-labotomy is performed to keep citizens from suffering. Lena knows firsthand though that an absence of love can create a disconnect, and though she implicitly trusts the law, she has a nagging fear in the back of her mind. She's a completely tangible character with the desire to right her family's wrongs, but love intervenes and she must decide her own path. Complete with a cast of secondary characters including Alex and Hanna, Delirium is a stunning and realistic portrayal of a teenage girl's journey to find herself, despite the futuristic dystopian setting.

I'm not one to go by hype alone, but I'll keep singing Delirium's praises because it is a truly novel (no pun intended) idea with incredible writing and characters to back it. I give it a perfect 5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy dystopian and romance, as well as coming of age tales. This title releases on February 1, 2011.

I received this book free of charge from HarperCollins and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here are the rules: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

It's a little before nine o'clock, and most people are just rushing to get to work on time. An endless blur of normal people doing normal things, eyes straight ahead of them, paying no attention to the short, nondescript girl with a lumpy backpack pushing past them.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

And now, for my Tuesday Teaser...For those of you who don't know, I do my Tuesday Teasers differently (and yes, I add this disclaimer every time). Each week, I feature two sentences (or more) of something I've written, leave it up all day, then remove it around 11 PM. You're welcome to comment on it, love it, hate it, or simply read it at your leisure...if you'd like, of course. This week's teaser is from my current WIP, RACE.

The Tuesday Teaser is down! Check back next week for more :)

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

Delirium - (For Review - Thank you, HarperTeen & NetGalley) - Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway 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.

Here Lies Bridget - (For Review - Thank you, Harlequin Teen & NetGalley) - Heroine, Bridget Duke, rules her high school, but when she crashes her car and ends up in limbo, she must confront the people she has wronged, all of whom want her to go to hell. The outcome of these meetings will decide her final destination..

Branded - (For Review - Thank you, Keary Taylor) - Night after night, Jessica stands trial before a council of vindictive angels for deeds she didn’t commit. Condemnation brings a branding as they dementedly laugh and point but exaltation starts a war over her soul. These are Jessica’s nightmares. Alex is everything Jessica could ever want and she’ll do anything to be with him. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck.

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Leave me a link, and I'll be sure to check it out!