Tahleen reviews: "Delirium" by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen, Feb. 1, 2011
Where I got it: I received this as an eGalley from NetGalley.

Rating: ★★★★

This book will be released by HarperTeen on February 1, 2011.


Imagine a world where the pain of remembrance and love does not exist. Heartbreak, romance and even simple love does not exist, cannot exist past your eighteenth birthday. At least, not since the cure. This is the world of Lauren Oliver's Delirium, a dystopia where love and hatred are replaced by indifference.

For 17-year-old Lena, this is the only world she has ever known. With a mother who killed herself because of the disease, she is extra careful to watch out for any of the signs of the illness—she is not her mother. But things change when she meets Alex, who seems so different from all the other cureds (or, those who have gone through the procedure to remove the ability to love from the brain). With her friend Hana, Lena begins to see that the government might not be telling them everything about the cure, how they operate, and about love.

Oliver has created a fairly original premise for a novel in Delirium. Love is a disease, and it must be eradicated for the sake of the human race. Yet as we read farther into the novel, we realize that the communities are all fairly closed off from each other. There is never any news from other states, or even other parts of Maine, where the book is set. It's just Portland, and that's all we or the characters know.

What is truly terrifying is how I see why love is considered a disease in this world. Each chapter begins with a quote from a government pamphlet or book, or a common rhyme that explains what the disease is, why it must be destroyed, and just other insights into this culture. Oliver does a wonderful job at listing the symptoms and phases of the disease (preoccupation, difficulty focusing; perspiration, sweaty palms; periods of despair, lethargy; obsessive thoughts and actions; pain in chest, throat and stomach; etc), making it sound as if it is, indeed, something to avoid at all costs, much like pneumonia or something. The worst outcome of the disease is death, as in the case of Lena's mother (suicide). Lena hears horror stories of people who have "contracted the deliria" and throwing themselves off buildings or dying in other horrible ways.

Lena herself is an interesting character to watch through the story. She is at first very careful with her activities, taking no risks, and her more outgoing, engaging friend Hana is much more fun to pay attention to. I kept on wondering what made Oliver choose Lena as her narrator, but after reading it I can see it was a very deliberate choice—we see how this world can be perceived as normal, and have the satisfaction of seeing Lena start to rebel as well.

As far as plot goes, I thought it started off a little slow. It was necessary for the exposition, but it just seemed a little languid for a while, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; it contributed to the tone. Plus, as always, Oliver's prose is something to be savored. Lovely and flowing, it is one of the novel's greatest achievements.

I am looking forward to the sequel, as the ending was a wicked cliffhanger.

2011 Non-Fiction Challenge

If you've read my personal blog post regarding challenges you'll find that I'm all about learning new things this year, finding new interests and building on the interests I've already made. I thought it might be fun to do a non-fiction reading challenge with different categories to really broaden your non-fiction reading.

So, I decided to create a fun Non-Fiction Challenge!

Rules:

- The challenge runs from January 17th to December 31st 2011.
-  Anyone who links a review up is eligible to be entered to win a book of their choice (under $15). How many reviews you link up determines how many entries you get. Additional prizes may be added once I organize this more and depending on how many people sign up. (International readers welcome if Book Depository ships to you).
- Anyone can join. If you don't have a blog, you can link reviews on Goodreads or Amazon or wherever you have your reviews.
- You can join the challenge at any point throughout the year.

Here's the challenge:

Culture: Non-fiction books about different cultures, religions and foreign lands; memoirs & biographies count.

Art: Non-fiction books about anything art related (painters, music, architecture, photography, dance, literature, film, etc.). Memoirs/biographies of any people related to the arts count.

Food: Food memoirs, anything related to food industry, food lifestyles

Medical: anything related to the medical field--industry memoirs, memoirs about illnesses (mental included) /diseases, etc.

Travel: travelogues, industry memoirs, travel guides, etc.

Memoir/Biography: Self explanatory

Money: Anything related to finances, economics, history of money, financial improvement etc.

Science/Nature: Anything related to any scientific field, memoirs count.

History: Anything history related-- events, biographies of historic figures, etc.


Sample Challenge Plan (this is just to give some ideas; you can pick your own titles):

Culture: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi or Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
Art:  Cash: The Autobiography by Johnny Cash or The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
Food: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer or Waiter Rants by Steve Dublanica
Medical: Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science or Madness: A Bipolar Life
Travel:  In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson or Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo
Memoir/Biography: The Color of Water by James MacBride or Washington: A Life
Money: Freakanomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything or The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke by Suze Orman
Science/Nature: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot or Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
History: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson or The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough

Levels:

1-3 books from different categories: Master of Trivial Pursuit
4-6 books from different categories: Apply For Who Wants to Be A Millionaire
7-9 books from different categories: Future Jeopardy Champion

Better explanation of the levels: So let's say you read a book from science, medical and art, you would be on the trivial pursuit level and then if you read from the history one you’d be moved up to the Millionaire category. But if you read another book from science, it wouldn’t count.

Put your link in Mr. Linky if you are wanting to participate. The link should be of a blog post that you did declaring your intent to participate. It doesn't have to be its own blog post--feel free to put it with any challenge post, weekly wrap-up, or meme. Each month I'll make a new post to link up your reviews. Your entry should look like this (Science) Name of Book and should be linked to your review.


AUTHORS/PUBLISHERS: Have a non-fiction book you'd like to donate as a prize for the non-fiction reading challenge? Email me at brokeandbookish (at) gmail (dot) com !

Jamie Wants a New Bookshelf!!

Guys, I'm in the market for a new bookshelf. I need one that will fit in my overly crowded room and that is also affordable.

I've been looking at some local thrift shops but the majority of those seem to be bulky and won't fit in the space I have.


I've found some uber-expensive ones that are really modern looking but I can't afford them. I've also been checking out CSN after seeing some giveaways and product reviews and they have some really awesome bookshelves that are in my budget. Have you heard of CSN? Bought anything from them before?  It seems that they sell just about everything -- bookshelves, really cute leather messenger bags (I need one for BEA in May) or an Eames Lounge Chair (perks of working at a design magazine (Modernism) is that I get to drool over Charles Eames furniture all day long!).  Let me know if you've bought anything from them before and whether or not you were satisfied with the quality of the products!

EDIT: I'm pretty sure I found the one I'm going to get on CSN. If I end up choosing this one, be on the lookout for a review!

Playwrights in an Hour Giveaway Winner Announced

Our winner of the second Plawrights in an Hour giveaway is Lisa at BaffledBooks.  Lisa, please email me your shipping information at LLindsey217@gmail.com and I'll pass that along to my contact.  Congratulations.

There will be another giveaway in a couple of weeks.

Stephany Reads Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Title/Author: Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Publisher/year: March 29th, 2011/St. Martin's Press
How I  got this book: I was on good reads doing those free book entries, and came across this. And I won!!! =-D 
Why I read it: Because I'm a new fan of Kristin Hannah 
Rating: 5 stars




**** THIS IS AN ADVANCED READERS COPY OF THE BOOK. IT DOES NOT GET RELEASED UNTIL MARCH 29TH, 2011!! ****

Description from Goodreads: Jude Farraday is a happily married, stay-at-home mom who puts everyone’s needs above her own. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill enters their lives, no one is more supportive than Jude. A former foster child with a dark past, Lexi quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. But senior year of high school brings unexpected dangers and one night, Jude’s worst fears are confirmed: there is an accident. In an instant, her idyllic life is shattered and her close-knit community is torn apart. People— and Jude —demand justice, and when the finger of blame is pointed, it lands solely on eighteen-year-old Lexi Baill. In a heartbeat, their love for each other will be shattered, the family broken. Lexi gives up everything that matters to her to —the boy she loves, her place in the family, the best friend she ever had— while Jude loses even more. When Lexi returns, older and wiser, she demands a reckoning. Long buried feelings will rise again, and Jude will finally have to face the woman she has become. She must decide whether to remain broken or try to forgive both Lexi …and herself. Night Road is a vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, loss, identity, and forgiveness. It is an exquisite, heartbreaking novel that speaks to women everywhere about the things that matter most.

This book is absolutely amazing!! The story line is so intense and so a part of what can happen in real life that you find yourself questioning whether or not you've done the right things through out your own life. I absolutely loved every single character in the book, even though at times I found myself disgusted by the way they were acting or by the choices they were making. Kristin Hannah brought out the characters in a way that I don't think another author could. They had enough background, detail, and time in the story line, that you felt like you knew them in real life. I felt like I was apart of the Farraday family. 
 
The only complaint I have about the book is that in the very beginning, up until about the middle-ish part of the book, it's kind of jumpy. You'll be reading one part, then it'll have a place where you can stop (which I love that in books), and then you'll read onto the next part and it's something completely different. Which, don't get me wrong, this happens in almost all books. But this jumps to a whole different event, occurance, etc. and the book never goes back to the other stuff that was said. However, that doesn't make the book bad and it doesn't make it hard to follow. I just wish it wouldn't have been so jumpy, or choppy, in the beginning. As I kept reading, that was happening less and less and it was becoming very hard to put the book down. 


I think what I enjoyed most about the book is that it was about younger teenagers, who turned into young adults, and how the story line showed that life can change in a split second. It's scary how that can happen, but it's so true. And this story line was not far fetched, and it didn't make you wonder "Yeah right. This would never happen." I felt like Kristin Hannah was bringing the book to life, as if something like this happened to her, which I don't think it did. 

You'll find yourself getting so engrossed into the book that you won't know how much times has gone by, you'll read 100 pages in an hour, and you'll be rooting for every single character. You'll feel like you're one of the characters or one of their friends. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get excited, and you'll yell at the characters.
 
It was probably the best book I've read from Kristin Hannah thus far. I highly suggest you go out on March 29, 2011 and get this book!! 

R holds forth on The Battle for God

The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong

Knopf, 2000

Where I got this book: The library.

Why I read this book: I've always been fairly interested in the topic.

The Battle for God is a historical overview of fundamentalism in the Abrahamic traditions, with a focus on American Protestant fundamentalism, Israeli/Zionist fundamentalism, and Muslim fundamentalism in Egypt (Sunni) and Iran (Shii). It explores the circumstances through which fundamentalism arose as a uniting force in each of these cases, the conditions that led to the development of these four movements that play such important roles in the international arena today.

To describe this book as merely a factual overview, however, would be to misrepresent it - Armstrong does in fact put forth some of her opinions on the theological, political and social implications of the various veins of fundamentalism.

The main thrusts of Armstrong's argument are as follows:

1. The dawn of religious thought saw the development of two different but mutually reconcilable methods of perception, mythos (myth abstraction, metaphysics, religion and so on) and logos (rational thought, the scientific method, you get the drift), both deemed integral to a holistic existence, but also two distinct realms that were not to encroach upon each other (i.e. mythos was not considered a "blueprint for practical action");
2. The incidence of fundamentalist movements are reactionary in nature, emerging as they do in response to the participants' perception of undesirable or overly rapid modernization;
3. While the stated aims of these movements are often purportedly conservative, to espouse a continuation of or reversion "to the wellsprings", their interpretations of theological principles as well as the manner in which they go about furthering their causes are often modern and in alignment with the contemporary zeitgeist;
4. The modern world has moved away from its previous balance of mythos and logos, and is now almost entirely reliant on logos to the detriment of mythos; and
5. Much of the religious unrest of the modern world is a result of fundamentalists who choose mythos as a means of practical action in response to the overwhelmingly logos-driven world, a plan of action that is incongruent with traditional religious principles.

Now, I can agree with points 2, 3, 4 and the first half of 5. However, I find it difficult to believe that, as Armstrong asserts, the earliest generations of humanity thought of mythos as entirely metaphorical, not at all seeing religion as a literal explanation for things happening in the physical world. Surely such abstract ideas as creation myths were passed down because they were actually believed, not merely because they were known to people as allegorical manifestations of the lack of human understanding. Certainly, whether these ideas are literal, allegorical or indeed totally redundant is always an issue that is hotly debated. But considering the spectrum of opinions today, is it not possible that this spectrum existed even as our main monotheistic religions were taking shape? There really is no solid, documented evidence of whether or not religion had been understood metaphorically by its practitioners all those years ago, hence the fact that Armstrong took such a leap with her main thesis really undermines the book.

That said, the exhaustive chronological landscape drawn by Armstrong is a strong point. I must say that I feel like I learnt a lot about a number of related topics - from the difference between Sunni and Shii Islam (in my ignorance, I used to think it was just some kind of family feud ... well, it kind of was, but there's so much more to it than that) to the dispersion of the Jewish diaspora (which I'd known even less about).

What I appreciated most about the book is its overriding message of religious tolerance. A recurring theme that is brought up in various scenarios is that the use of oppression and force against a religious group tends to have a contrary effect. In her capacity as a former Catholic nun and recipient of the 1999 Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award who teaches at Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism, Armstrong herself is apparently a beacon of interfaith understanding. As one whose natural inclinations tend in this direction, I was as such particularly well-disposed to the book on this count, even in spite of my aforementioned scepticism of its main argument.

It is because of this that I give The Battle for God 4 stars; the readability and meticulousness of its factual overview trumps the lack of veracity of its mythos/logos thesis. Regardless of its flaws, I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in the topic that it covers; ultimately it does a pretty decent job.

Julia Reviews "Phraseology" by Barbara Ann Kipfer

Title/Author: Phraseology:Thousands of Bizarre Origins, Unexpected Connections and Fascinating Facts about English's Best Expressions
Publisher/Year Published:2008 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
How I got this book: eBook for my Nook, then in book form from the library.
Why I read this book: I love learning trivia about language, yet I know little English language trivia
Rating: 3.5 stars

If you recall from the Top Ten Tuesday featuring Books I Hope to Santa Brings I had my pick be Phraseology. Here is what I had to say:

I normally do not like to own books unless I know I am going to read them over and over, but in this case if this book is what I think it is (a font of awesome knowledge of English) I would want it on my shelf. One of my more recent pastimes has been filling myself with Jeopardy like information. This book would not only add to that store, but give me more fun facts about a language that I've spoken my whole life. Because seriously, who the hell doesn't want to know where some of those bizarre phrases came from? I mean I just learned from reading the back that "best man" is an allusion to the best man to help capture you a wife. How interesting.

Well now that I've perused the book, I've come to realize the dictionary-esque reality of the book. This wasn't really what I was expecting. I thought it would be a little less... alphabetical and a little more topic organized. Still it is occasionally the font of some interesting tidbits. For instance, let me just open the book to a random page. Ah! Fell into the I's. We have these following entries:

iceburg lettuce got its name from the fact that California growers started shipping it covered with heaps of crushed ice in the 1920s; it had previously been called crisphead lettuce.

iced tea is the correct form and will probably not change the way iced cream and iced water did.

an idiot card is another name for a cue card

if I were is the correct form when one is referring to a conditional future event

This give you a taste of what you can find approximately 20 per page on 300 pages. It's really interesting trivia, but not something you can sit down and read. Saying as much, I've not actually finished it, but am enjoying reading it in small bites.

I especially like having this on my Nook so I can read this when I don't have too much time to commit to reading; in line at the store, for example. If I get pulled away from what I am reading, it doesn't matter because it's a short sentence of knowledge and I can pick up right where I left off without feeling as if I've left the world I was involved.

In conclusion, a great trivia book filled to the brim with random knowledge. I really think this would make a great coffee table book!