Delirium by Lauren Oliver... A Review

I'm Delirious for Delirium by Lauren Oliver! It's "the dystopian Romeo & Juliet", filled with memorable characters and a wonderfully detailed and believable world. It's about friendship & love and about what makes us truly human.

Imagine a world where the simple act of love is against the law. Love is declared a disease, and at the age of 18 you have "the procedure", the "perfect cure", so that you'll be safe. You'll be happy too, because love is a sickness, it makes you crazy at times, it impairs your reasoning, makes you preoccupied, have periods of euphoria, despair, insomnia and changes in appetite.

"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 isn't love what makes us truly human? The ability to care, to laugh, to feel? Lena understands this from when she was a young girl and her mother use to secretly dance with her, laughing and carrying on. But her mother couldn't be cured... her mother was diseased... at least this is what Lena learned later, after her mother committed suicide. Now Lena tries to be the "good" girl, obedient and trustworthy. Her sister Rachel and she were taken in by her Aunt Carol after their mother dies and she lives her life in perfect harmony with society... That is until the unthinkable happens... she falls in love...

And the love story is wonderful, filled with all the tenderness and discovery you'd expect from first love. Awkward, 17-year-old Lena blossoms as that disease "love" slowly takes hold of her, also opening her eyes to the world around her. Things just don't seem "right". Is it because she's sick or because she's been lied to all her life by the adults around her? There is this internal conflict that Lena is struggling with that makes her have such genuine vulnerability.

The world Lauren Oliver creates in Delirium is so rich with details - sights, sounds & smells - that you feel as if you are walking down the streets and alleyways yourself, feeling the breeze off the water, smelling the salt water. I thought at first that this was going to be similar in tone with the Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, but in my opinion Delirium is better. The story feels bigger. There is the love story, but also the wonderful aspect of the life long friendship between Lena and her BFF Hana, two girls who couldn't be more different, and whose friendship is tested as they each test the boundaries of their freedom. And of course we can't forget the society that serves as the launching pad for the story. At first it seems to be so "perfect" and accepted by all, but then the cracks begin to show. Of course, that's true of most dystopian societies, and Oliver does a great job creating one.

If you consider yourself a romantic, you will love this book! It was everything I could have asked for and Lauren Oliver does a wonderful job with her lyrical prose to put butterflies in the readers stomach too! I would also say, readers who enjoy dystopian novels, such as Uglies, will enjoy this as well. Oliver does a great job of creating a complex, layered society. It is just a wonderful read! I found I could not put it down. And the ending... OMG! There is a twist at the end that left me breathless! It also left me wanting to start reading the next book, because there definitely will be one! Delirium is the first book in a trilogy!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver will be available from your favorite bookstore February 1st! Delirium will also be available for your Kindle! I received a copy of Delirium as an ebook and want to thank HarperCollins for the opportunity to review it!

Memoir Mondays... Lift by Rebecca O'Connor, a Review AND Giveaway!

A Special Love Story ...Between a Girl and a Bird

CONGRATULATIONS TO RUBYNREBA! She won the copy of Lift by Rebecca O'Connor! THANK YOU to everyone who joined in on the fun! And thank you for all the tweets and blogging to get out the word! Have a wonderful Holiday!

The girl is Rebecca O'Connor, a falconer, and the bird is Anakin, a peregrine falcon. Their relationship is a special one and so is the book that chronicles Rebecca & Anakin's first year together: Lift.

Lift by Rebeccan O'Connor is a wonderfully written moving memoir that follows the journey of a little girl who gazed upon the beauty of a peregrine falcon that made a chance stop high above her one day and was captivated. I can relate to the beauty of the flight of these majestic birds, as I watch the magnificence of the red-tailed hawk that lives in the woods behind my house. As he glides thru the sky and I follow him with my binoculars, I imagine how amazing it would be to have a relationship with him. But having this special relationship, being a falconer, takes dedication. The relationship is one of trust. They are hunting partners- human and falcon. Rebecca's job is to flush out the game and to protect her partner from other predators. Anakin learns to trust that Rebecca will do her job well. And Rebecca trusts Anakin will return to her after the hunt. The story of Rebecca and Anakin learning to work together is fascinating. Even though we are experiencing the hunt , the killing, we are gently reminded that this is a predatory bird, a wild bird at heart, and that in order to survive must eat. This is what a peregrine falcon would do in the wild... and at times Rebecca must remind herself as she plays her part in the hunt.

"Falconry is a religion, a way of thinking, a means of experiencing life. True falconers are compassionate, clear-eyed straight shooters. We've touched nature's senseless violence, clung to her stray miracles, and this alters our beliefs."

Sprinked in between the story of Rebecca and Anakin, we learn about Rebecca's life growing up, her abusive stepfather, her complex relationship with her mother, a beloved grandfather, and a boyfriend. All of whom make contributions to the person that Rebecca becomes. We watch as Rebecca blooms into a confident falconer, and woman, in a world dominated by men. It's a wonderfully written, heartfelt story that is just so special. Would you like to find out more about Rebecca and falconry? She has a blog called Operation Delta Duck where there is a Falconry FAQ. There are also some wonderful posts, one of which is called Animal Teachers Past where Rebecca writes,

One of the things that falconers learn to accept is that the animals we love the most are not ours to keep. Some we choose to have in our lives for a short period, lending them a helping hand and sending them on their way. Whether they are foster dogs on their way to a new beginning or injured raptors being prepped for release back into the wild, they still touch our lives in deep ways.

This expresses some of the beauty of Falconry that I learned from reading Lift. Enter the world of falconry... read Lift! Would you like to win a copy of LIFT? Rebecca has decided to generously give one of my lucky readers a SIGNED copy of Lift!

To Enter This Giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only! (No PO Boxes) Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Dec. 19th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email him or her! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Winner will receive a signed copy of Lift directly from Rebecca! Good Luck!

**And Thank You Rebecca for sending me a review copy of Lift! It was a pleasure to read!

Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa... A Review

Be With You

A Haunting Love Story....

"Soon I won't be with you any longer," 29-year-old Mio says to her husband Takumi, "But when the rainy season returns, I will come back to see how the two of you are getting along."

These simple words spoken a week before Mio leaves this world for the world beyond, somehow comforts Takumi, as he struggles to take care of himself and their 5 year old son Yuki... But one year later when the rainy season returns, so does Mio! In a walk thru the woods Takumi & Yuki are stunned to see a confused Mio standing before them. As Takumi calls out to her in disbelief, "Mio?" She asks "Is that my name?" She has no memory.... and Takumi decides then and there that he will lie to her and act as if she's been ill and has lost her memory due to her illness. And of course he's not going to tell her that she is a ghost. Takumi takes Yuki aside in secret and explains to him that they must not let on that she died - so they form a pact to act as normal as possible...

Mio is a bit apprehensive, things just don't seem right somehow... But she wants to know what she's forgotten, so Takumi begins to tell her their story, and in simple prose Takumi weaves a most unusual love story that slowly pulls the reader in and slowly makes Mio fall in love all over again with Takumi. At a steady pace, between the story of the present day, we learn the everyday mundane to the poignant moments that make up this love story. From the time they met at age 15 to the time just before Mio died. But what may appear to be a romantic ghost story is really much more than that. There is a twist to this story ...the present is the future and has a link to the past... On the surface it appears to be a simple story, but looks are deceiving... Just as we are taking the story for granted, we are suddenly found stirred by that surprising twist! And then the story takes on a whole different meaning!

There are also other concepts that Takuji Ichikawa deals with- such as the afterlife. In a beautifully written opening paragraph, our main character Takumi is describing Mio's death to their 5 year old son...

"When Mio died, this was how I thought.

Whoever made our planet must have made

another planet at the same time,

somewhere in the universe.

That would be the planet where people go when they die.

The name of that planet is Archive."

We are never far from the truth of the story because Ichikawa never hides the fact that Mio dies, but with the reappearance of Mio comes renewed hope for a happy ending and the question of what makes us love another person? A simple yet beautiful story....

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti.... A Review

Why is it so impossible to get a relationship between two middle-aged misfits to work? The answer lies in the story of Benny & Shrimp...

An offbeat love story so charming you'll never want it to end!

Benny's a Swedish farmer, a country boy in his 30's with 24 milk cows and followers (followers are the babies...) plus a few sheep. He orders his clothes from a catalog...

Shrimp's a widowed Swedish librarian, in her 30's living in a sterile apartment with a white sofa. She eats vegetarian and dresses in beige...

He wants a farmers wife... She wants someone to go to the opera with...

They meet in a cemetery and fall in love... Benny mourning the loss of his mother; Shrimp mourning her husband. Detesting each other at first because they are forced to share what they feel should be a private moment alone on a bench in the cemetery where their loved ones are buried. Every day they make the same trip... Loneliness hangs off them like the morning dew, but a chance smile between them one day starts to melt their mistrust... Benny & Shrimp is an offbeat, fun, romp in the hay love story! I absolutely loved this book! In alternating chapters Benny and Shrimp each take turns telling their story from their own perspective. And it is a hoot at times...

" Going to the grave is my only breathing space, and even then I never feel I can just sit there thinking. I have to rake and plant and weed before I can let myself sit down. And then she's there..."

" It was a clear, cold autumn day and I took my usual walk to the grave on my lunch break. The Forest Owner was sitting there on the bench; he glowered at me, as if I were trespassing in his own private cemetery. His paws were all soily..."

It's an honest, down-to-earth look at love, sprinkled with humor and a pinch of sadness. It's about how two people who are mad about each other have a hard time putting it all together to make it work... It will touch your heart.

The writing is wonderful! Katarina Mazetti's choice of writing in alternating "character" chapters is a perfect way to tell this story and I think adds to its charm. You will start to look forward to reading how Benny and then Shrimp "sees" the situation. I loved the characters because of their quirkiness. The dairy farm where Benny has his life feels like a throw back to a simpler time and sets the stage for the story (and some differing of opinions) wonderfully. Their lifestyles are so different, but they are both intelligent & caring people. Could Shrimp learn to make meatballs? Could Benny not sleep thru the opera? What makes two people fall in love? With genuine affection between Benny & Shrimp you will be hoping thru each turn of the page that they can work things out. Benny & Shrimp is already an international hit! On July 28th it is going to be released in the U.S. by Penguin Books! Don't miss out reading this one! Their story will delight you!

Would you like to learn more about the book? Take a peak HERE! There's also a great reading guide for book clubs and an author interview HERE!

I want to thank Caitlin of FSB Associates for sending me a review copy so I could share it with my readers! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would definitely recommend this book to my readers! Thanks Caitlin!