Question: How is the book?

Continuing the story of Lisbeth Salander which he began in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Swedish author Stieg Larsson creates a fascinating character study of a young woman with a terrible past, a young woman who also suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.  Salander, having worked with Mikael Blomqvist in the preceding novel, in which she used her formidable skills as a computer hacker to help him solve a major mystery, is on her own for most of this one.  For reasons Blomqvist does not understand, she has refused to have anything at all to do with him, though they had had a relationship in the previous novel, and seemed to care greatly for each other.Salander has just recently returned from her travels around the world--using her substantial financial resources.  Her hacking skills have allowed her to acquire an enormous bank account, and only Blomqvist is aware of how she has done it.  She is fearful of the future--as she should be, considering her terrible past--and she is doing whatever she can to live a secret life in a luxury apartment that no one else knows about.  A mistress of disguise, the people in her building have no idea what she really looks like or who she really is.  Gradually, the reader becomes familiar with her background, her family, the reasons for her institutionalization as a young teenager, and the horrifying abuse she faced at the hands of her legal guardian, a lawyer supposed to protect her.  A woman who believes devoutly in an eye for an eye, she has exacted her revenge upon him in ways he does not dare share with anyone else.Blomqvist, in the meantime, has continued with his work running Millenium magazine, which has been working on an article about the sex trade, its connection with the drug trade, and the high-ranking police and political officials who are involved in it.  The two people who have been doing the investigative reporting for Millenium plan to name names in their expose.  They are murdered before they can conclude their work.  Three different investigations into the murders begin, and all center on Salander, whose fingerprints are found on the murder weapon.  She, in self-defense, uses her computer skills, once again, to read e-mails and the contents of Blomqvist's and others' computers to stay ahead of the investigators who are seeking her for murder.Larsson does a terrific job developing sympathy (and even admiration) for Salander, a woman whose violent behavior sometimes makes her hard to distinguish from the sadistic criminals who are pursuing her, and readers who enjoyed the previous novel will enjoy this one, too, as she becomes a more complete character.  The action moves very quickly, despite the book's length, and the author's gradual revelations about Salander's background add to the suspense and make her actions impossible to predict.  Though Salander disappears from the action for significant periods of time, Larsson keeps the tension high by involving the people around her in high drama.  Unfortunately, he relies very heavily on coincidence to resolve the action as the novel heads toward its conclusion, and the final revelations strain credulity to the breaking point.  Still, the book is fun to read, especially for fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. n Mary WhippleThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage)The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest

Answer: the book is fun to read

Continuing the story of Lisbeth Salander which he began in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Swedish author Stieg Larsson creates a fascinating character study of a young woman with a terrible past, a young woman who also suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. Salander, having worked with Mikael Blomqvist in the preceding novel, in which she used her formidable skills as a computer hacker to help him solve a major mystery, is on her own for most of this one. For reasons Blomqvist does not understand, she has refused to have anything at all to do with him, though they had had a relationship in the previous novel, and seemed to care greatly for each other. Salander has just recently returned from her travels around the world--using her substantial financial resources. Her hacking skills have allowed her to acquire an enormous bank account, and only Blomqvist is aware of how she has done it. She is fearful of the future--as she should be, considering her terrible past--and she is doing whatever she can to live a secret life in a luxury apartment that no one else knows about. A mistress of disguise, the people in her building have no idea what she really looks like or who she really is. Gradually, the reader becomes familiar with her background, her family, the reasons for her institutionalization as a young teenager, and the horrifying abuse she faced at the hands of her legal guardian, a lawyer supposed to protect her. A woman who believes devoutly in an eye for an eye, she has exacted her revenge upon him in ways he does not dare share with anyone else. Blomqvist, in the meantime, has continued with his work running Millenium magazine, which has been working on an article about the sex trade, its connection with the drug trade, and the high-ranking police and political officials who are involved in it. The two people who have been doing the investigative reporting for Millenium plan to name names in their expose. They are murdered before they can conclude their work. Three different investigations into the murders begin, and all center on Salander, whose fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. She, in self-defense, uses her computer skills, once again, to read e-mails and the contents of Blomqvist's and others' computers to stay ahead of the investigators who are seeking her for murder. Larsson does a terrific job developing sympathy (and even admiration) for Salander, a woman whose violent behavior sometimes makes her hard to distinguish from the sadistic criminals who are pursuing her, and readers who enjoyed the previous novel will enjoy this one, too, as she becomes a more complete character. The action moves very quickly, despite the book's length, and the author's gradual revelations about Salander's background add to the suspense and make her actions impossible to predict. Though Salander disappears from the action for significant periods of time, Larsson keeps the tension high by involving the people around her in high drama. Unfortunately, he relies very heavily on coincidence to resolve the action as the novel heads toward its conclusion, and the final revelations strain credulity to the breaking point. <hl> Still, the book is fun to read , especially for fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. <hl> n Mary WhippleThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage)The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest

Continuing the story of Lisbeth Salander which he began in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Swedish author Stieg Larsson creates a fascinating character study of a young woman with a terrible past, a young woman who also suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. Salander, having worked with Mikael Blomqvist in the preceding novel, in which she used her formidable skills as a computer hacker to help him solve a major mystery, is on her own for most of this one. For reasons Blomqvist does not understand, she has refused to have anything at all to do with him, though they had had a relationship in the previous novel, and seemed to care greatly for each other.Salander has just recently returned from her travels around the world--using her substantial financial resources. Her hacking skills have allowed her to acquire an enormous bank account, and only Blomqvist is aware of how she has done it. She is fearful of the future--as she should be, considering her terrible past--and she is doing whatever she can to live a secret life in a luxury apartment that no one else knows about. A mistress of disguise, the people in her building have no idea what she really looks like or who she really is. Gradually, the reader becomes familiar with her background, her family, the reasons for her institutionalization as a young teenager, and the horrifying abuse she faced at the hands of her legal guardian, a lawyer supposed to protect her. A woman who believes devoutly in an eye for an eye, she has exacted her revenge upon him in ways he does not dare share with anyone else.Blomqvist, in the meantime, has continued with his work running Millenium magazine, which has been working on an article about the sex trade, its connection with the drug trade, and the high-ranking police and political officials who are involved in it. The two people who have been doing the investigative reporting for Millenium plan to name names in their expose. They are murdered before they can conclude their work. Three different investigations into the murders begin, and all center on Salander, whose fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. She, in self-defense, uses her computer skills, once again, to read e-mails and the contents of Blomqvist's and others' computers to stay ahead of the investigators who are seeking her for murder.Larsson does a terrific job developing sympathy (and even admiration) for Salander, a woman whose violent behavior sometimes makes her hard to distinguish from the sadistic criminals who are pursuing her, and readers who enjoyed the previous novel will enjoy this one, too, as she becomes a more complete character. The action moves very quickly, despite the book's length, and the author's gradual revelations about Salander's background add to the suspense and make her actions impossible to predict. Though Salander disappears from the action for significant periods of time, Larsson keeps the tension high by involving the people around her in high drama. Unfortunately, he relies very heavily on coincidence to resolve the action as the novel heads toward its conclusion, and the final revelations strain credulity to the breaking point. Still, <hl> the book is fun to read <hl>, especially for fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. n Mary WhippleThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage)The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest

Still, <hl> the book is fun to read <hl> , especially for fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.


Question: When the attraction becomes hot?

Caroline has moved into her new apartment. She gets more than she paid for with her next door neighbor. It seems that her neighbor likes to engage in the sexy tango in the bedroom. Caroline can hear it all with the paper thin walls. Caroline finally gets fed up with all the wall banging. She marches over to her neighbor's door. The man who opens the door is a god. Oh and by the way, he is wearing only a bed sheet and he is still "stiff". Also, Caroline is wearing just a pink nightie. Oh Boy.So when I saw the title for this book, it was easy to tell instantly what type of book this was. There would be no surprises as to how the story goes...Girl meets Guy. Guy likes Girl. Girl and Guy have instant attraction and have sex. Well I can tell you that while there was chemistry between Caroline and Simon, they did not have sex. Well not right away. I liked this. There was an actual story line. One that I enjoyed reading.It was a long time before Caroline and Simon actually hooked up but that was ok. I had a lot of fun just reading the banter between Caroline and Simon. All the sexual innuendos kept a smile on my face. Plus the names that Caroline gave Simon's "harem women." There is "Spanks" "Purina" and "Giggles". I don't really have to explain why the women got the nicknames.If you are looking for a sexy book to read with a comedic flair than you need to check out Wallbanger!

Answer: She marches over to her neighbor's door

Caroline has moved into her new apartment. She gets more than she paid for with her next door neighbor. It seems that her neighbor likes to engage in the sexy tango in the bedroom. Caroline can hear it all with the paper thin walls. Caroline finally gets fed up with all the wall banging. <hl> She marches over to her neighbor's door . <hl> The man who opens the door is a god. Oh and by the way, he is wearing only a bed sheet and he is still "stiff". Also, Caroline is wearing just a pink nightie. Oh Boy. So when I saw the title for this book, it was easy to tell instantly what type of book this was. There would be no surprises as to how the story goes... Girl meets Guy. Guy likes Girl. Girl and Guy have instant attraction and have sex. Well I can tell you that while there was chemistry between Caroline and Simon, they did not have sex. Well not right away. I liked this. There was an actual story line. One that I enjoyed reading. It was a long time before Caroline and Simon actually hooked up but that was ok. I had a lot of fun just reading the banter between Caroline and Simon. All the sexual innuendos kept a smile on my face. Plus the names that Caroline gave Simon's "harem women." There is "Spanks" "Purina" and "Giggles". I don't really have to explain why the women got the nicknames. If you are looking for a sexy book to read with a comedic flair than you need to check out Wallbanger!

Caroline has moved into her new apartment. She gets more than she paid for with her next door neighbor. It seems that her neighbor likes to engage in the sexy tango in the bedroom. Caroline can hear it all with the paper thin walls. Caroline finally gets fed up with all the wall banging. <hl> She marches over to her neighbor's door <hl>. The man who opens the door is a god. Oh and by the way, he is wearing only a bed sheet and he is still "stiff". Also, Caroline is wearing just a pink nightie. Oh Boy.So when I saw the title for this book, it was easy to tell instantly what type of book this was. There would be no surprises as to how the story goes...Girl meets Guy. Guy likes Girl. Girl and Guy have instant attraction and have sex. Well I can tell you that while there was chemistry between Caroline and Simon, they did not have sex. Well not right away. I liked this. There was an actual story line. One that I enjoyed reading.It was a long time before Caroline and Simon actually hooked up but that was ok. I had a lot of fun just reading the banter between Caroline and Simon. All the sexual innuendos kept a smile on my face. Plus the names that Caroline gave Simon's "harem women." There is "Spanks" "Purina" and "Giggles". I don't really have to explain why the women got the nicknames.If you are looking for a sexy book to read with a comedic flair than you need to check out Wallbanger!

<hl> She marches over to her neighbor's door <hl> .


Question: How was the book?

A wonderful but heart-wrenching story about orphans and the people who took them in.  Thank goodness that things are different today.  The book was a real reflection on the goodness in some people and the evil in others.

Answer: The book was a real reflection on the goodness in some people and the evil in others

A wonderful but heart-wrenching story about orphans and the people who took them in. Thank goodness that things are different today. <hl> The book was a real reflection on the goodness in some people and the evil in others . <hl>

A wonderful but heart-wrenching story about orphans and the people who took them in. Thank goodness that things are different today. <hl> The book was a real reflection on the goodness in some people and the evil in others <hl>.

<hl> The book was a real reflection on the goodness in some people and the evil in others <hl> .


Question: What do you think of this way of write?

I was so close to giving this book a higher rating. I would rate the first half of the book as 4/5 and the second half as 2/5.1) The WritingThis is one of the book's strongest points. The author's prose is lovely in its creativity of expressing emotions and describing scenery. Luckily, this is well done throughout the book overall, lacking the heavy prose that can come from being too flowery with one's writing. There were only a few of times the creativity of the writing jarred me out of the story, as if the author was stretching it thin, but these were few and far between. The story is also in 3rd POV, which I found to be a smart move, allowing the author to take the narration up to a level that would otherwise be barred down by 1st POV.There are also usages of foreshadowing and symbolism that I thoroughly enjoyed in the book and found their execution spot on.However, this is part of the downfall of the story when paired with the plot, at least in the second part of the book.2) CharactersKarou is a strong character. Although I didn't connect with her right away, I was still able to appreciate how flushed and well rounded she is. She's got good point, but also flaws that even she comes to acknowledge. I also liked her resilience when it came to getting cozy with the love interest from the get-go. It plays more realistically and in a `genre' where I've read a lot of characters dropping everything for their love interest, Karou doesn't forget that her family comes first. Her commendable points are strong ones.My favorite where the chimaera. They didn't have a lot of book time compared to our main girl, yet still were powerful figures with personalities. I adored each of them, especially Brimstone, who, I thought, happened to be the strongest character of them all. That being said, I also found myself liking two minor characters, one of Brimstone's  collectors and the mysterious creature at his back. Even they were fun to read about.The love interest was a bit so-so for me, if only because his hunger for revenge made me feel like yawning. I appreciated learning his history layer by layer and understanding why he became the way he was. However, like Karou, I didn't have an emotional connection to him like I did with the chimaera. I didn't dislike him, but I wasn't swooning either. He gets his own POV chapters as well (still in 3rd person), but overall I think the switch of POV was done well enough. Not the best handled I've read, but not so distracting it caused the story to deteriorate.The only side character I did really like was Zuzana. At times, her dialogue was not cute (where it was meant to be) and made me roll my eyes. At the least, I didn't hate her, but preferred when she wasn't around to spoil the moment with her not-so-cute banter. I do like, however, that she served as an anchor for Karou and did remind the reader that there are humans observing the spectacle that is Karous and Akiva's involvement. Even if I didn't love her, I could still appreciate her purpose in the story.3) The PlotThe opening is a bit slow for me, I admit. However, I do find it was necessary to ease us into Karou's life and the juxtaposition of her other life with the chimaera. It didn't matter too much because the rest of the first half just skyrocketed for me. There was an excellent pace, interspersed with learning about characters, and I was hungry to know what was going on with the handprints. Karou meets Akiva, the love interest, and I was still aching to know what would happen.Then, it fell flat. The last half of the book is extremely heavy. The couple skirt around each other, feeling warm fuzzies and unsure why, and this consists of a good portion of the book. After that, we get the full history between them, and that's it. Whatever expectations of the greater plot are disregarded for now (perhaps to be resumed in the second book).That means the book was left hanging for me, with no resolution. Sure, Karou learns about herself but I could hardly call that a resolution when other "problems" she was facing are all gaping wide to be filled with conclusions. What aggravated the situation is how the past is completely unfolded before our eyes, with chapter upon chapter devoted to their past lives. This made it feel like I was reading two books by the same author in one.This is where a small fault in the writing arises as well. The creative prose I came to enjoy in the first half was utilized to capture every funny feeling the two characters had in their past, and then some, making the second half drag on that much more. Also, and this is more of a personal preference, we learn their love is an insta-one, which was a disappointment. This results in their current love to be lackluster and didn't give me any heart-fluttering moments.However, I will say learning about the chimaera was a plus, though it could have been executed in a manner that didn't involve the way the second half was written.-x-Overall-x-I think many people would enjoy this book, flaws included. I don't regret reading it, even if the second half was a disappointment. The writing is sublime and I could reread the first half again and again. Definitely give it a shot because it's still a gem in the YA category.Readability: Very high (for the first half)

Answer: The WritingThis is one of the book's strongest points

I was so close to giving this book a higher rating. <hl> I would rate the first half of the book as 4/5 and the second half as 2/5.1) The WritingThis is one of the book's strongest points . <hl> The author's prose is lovely in its creativity of expressing emotions and describing scenery. Luckily, this is well done throughout the book overall, lacking the heavy prose that can come from being too flowery with one's writing. There were only a few of times the creativity of the writing jarred me out of the story, as if the author was stretching it thin, but these were few and far between. The story is also in 3rd POV, which I found to be a smart move, allowing the author to take the narration up to a level that would otherwise be barred down by 1st POV.There are also usages of foreshadowing and symbolism that I thoroughly enjoyed in the book and found their execution spot on. However, this is part of the downfall of the story when paired with the plot, at least in the second part of the book.2) CharactersKarou is a strong character. Although I didn't connect with her right away, I was still able to appreciate how flushed and well rounded she is. She's got good point, but also flaws that even she comes to acknowledge. I also liked her resilience when it came to getting cozy with the love interest from the get-go. It plays more realistically and in a `genre' where I've read a lot of characters dropping everything for their love interest, Karou doesn't forget that her family comes first. Her commendable points are strong ones. My favorite where the chimaera. They didn't have a lot of book time compared to our main girl, yet still were powerful figures with personalities. I adored each of them, especially Brimstone, who, I thought, happened to be the strongest character of them all. That being said, I also found myself liking two minor characters, one of Brimstone's collectors and the mysterious creature at his back. Even they were fun to read about. The love interest was a bit so-so for me, if only because his hunger for revenge made me feel like yawning. I appreciated learning his history layer by layer and understanding why he became the way he was. However, like Karou, I didn't have an emotional connection to him like I did with the chimaera. I didn't dislike him, but I wasn't swooning either. He gets his own POV chapters as well (still in 3rd person), but overall I think the switch of POV was done well enough. Not the best handled I've read, but not so distracting it caused the story to deteriorate. The only side character I did really like was Zuzana. At times, her dialogue was not cute (where it was meant to be) and made me roll my eyes. At the least, I didn't hate her, but preferred when she wasn't around to spoil the moment with her not-so-cute banter. I do like, however, that she served as an anchor for Karou and did remind the reader that there are humans observing the spectacle that is Karous and Akiva's involvement. Even if I didn't love her, I could still appreciate her purpose in the story.3) The PlotThe opening is a bit slow for me, I admit. However, I do find it was necessary to ease us into Karou's life and the juxtaposition of her other life with the chimaera. It didn't matter too much because the rest of the first half just skyrocketed for me. There was an excellent pace, interspersed with learning about characters, and I was hungry to know what was going on with the handprints. Karou meets Akiva, the love interest, and I was still aching to know what would happen. Then, it fell flat. The last half of the book is extremely heavy. The couple skirt around each other, feeling warm fuzzies and unsure why, and this consists of a good portion of the book. After that, we get the full history between them, and that's it. Whatever expectations of the greater plot are disregarded for now (perhaps to be resumed in the second book).That means the book was left hanging for me, with no resolution. Sure, Karou learns about herself but I could hardly call that a resolution when other "problems" she was facing are all gaping wide to be filled with conclusions. What aggravated the situation is how the past is completely unfolded before our eyes, with chapter upon chapter devoted to their past lives. This made it feel like I was reading two books by the same author in one. This is where a small fault in the writing arises as well. The creative prose I came to enjoy in the first half was utilized to capture every funny feeling the two characters had in their past, and then some, making the second half drag on that much more. Also, and this is more of a personal preference, we learn their love is an insta-one, which was a disappointment. This results in their current love to be lackluster and didn't give me any heart-fluttering moments. However, I will say learning about the chimaera was a plus, though it could have been executed in a manner that didn't involve the way the second half was written.-x-Overall-x-I think many people would enjoy this book, flaws included. I don't regret reading it, even if the second half was a disappointment. The writing is sublime and I could reread the first half again and again. Definitely give it a shot because it's still a gem in the YA category. Readability: Very high (for the first half)

I was so close to giving this book a higher rating. I would rate the first half of the book as 4/5 and the second half as 2/5.1) <hl> The WritingThis is one of the book's strongest points <hl>. The author's prose is lovely in its creativity of expressing emotions and describing scenery. Luckily, this is well done throughout the book overall, lacking the heavy prose that can come from being too flowery with one's writing. There were only a few of times the creativity of the writing jarred me out of the story, as if the author was stretching it thin, but these were few and far between. The story is also in 3rd POV, which I found to be a smart move, allowing the author to take the narration up to a level that would otherwise be barred down by 1st POV.There are also usages of foreshadowing and symbolism that I thoroughly enjoyed in the book and found their execution spot on.However, this is part of the downfall of the story when paired with the plot, at least in the second part of the book.2) CharactersKarou is a strong character. Although I didn't connect with her right away, I was still able to appreciate how flushed and well rounded she is. She's got good point, but also flaws that even she comes to acknowledge. I also liked her resilience when it came to getting cozy with the love interest from the get-go. It plays more realistically and in a `genre' where I've read a lot of characters dropping everything for their love interest, Karou doesn't forget that her family comes first. Her commendable points are strong ones.My favorite where the chimaera. They didn't have a lot of book time compared to our main girl, yet still were powerful figures with personalities. I adored each of them, especially Brimstone, who, I thought, happened to be the strongest character of them all. That being said, I also found myself liking two minor characters, one of Brimstone's collectors and the mysterious creature at his back. Even they were fun to read about.The love interest was a bit so-so for me, if only because his hunger for revenge made me feel like yawning. I appreciated learning his history layer by layer and understanding why he became the way he was. However, like Karou, I didn't have an emotional connection to him like I did with the chimaera. I didn't dislike him, but I wasn't swooning either. He gets his own POV chapters as well (still in 3rd person), but overall I think the switch of POV was done well enough. Not the best handled I've read, but not so distracting it caused the story to deteriorate.The only side character I did really like was Zuzana. At times, her dialogue was not cute (where it was meant to be) and made me roll my eyes. At the least, I didn't hate her, but preferred when she wasn't around to spoil the moment with her not-so-cute banter. I do like, however, that she served as an anchor for Karou and did remind the reader that there are humans observing the spectacle that is Karous and Akiva's involvement. Even if I didn't love her, I could still appreciate her purpose in the story.3) The PlotThe opening is a bit slow for me, I admit. However, I do find it was necessary to ease us into Karou's life and the juxtaposition of her other life with the chimaera. It didn't matter too much because the rest of the first half just skyrocketed for me. There was an excellent pace, interspersed with learning about characters, and I was hungry to know what was going on with the handprints. Karou meets Akiva, the love interest, and I was still aching to know what would happen.Then, it fell flat. The last half of the book is extremely heavy. The couple skirt around each other, feeling warm fuzzies and unsure why, and this consists of a good portion of the book. After that, we get the full history between them, and that's it. Whatever expectations of the greater plot are disregarded for now (perhaps to be resumed in the second book).That means the book was left hanging for me, with no resolution. Sure, Karou learns about herself but I could hardly call that a resolution when other "problems" she was facing are all gaping wide to be filled with conclusions. What aggravated the situation is how the past is completely unfolded before our eyes, with chapter upon chapter devoted to their past lives. This made it feel like I was reading two books by the same author in one.This is where a small fault in the writing arises as well. The creative prose I came to enjoy in the first half was utilized to capture every funny feeling the two characters had in their past, and then some, making the second half drag on that much more. Also, and this is more of a personal preference, we learn their love is an insta-one, which was a disappointment. This results in their current love to be lackluster and didn't give me any heart-fluttering moments.However, I will say learning about the chimaera was a plus, though it could have been executed in a manner that didn't involve the way the second half was written.-x-Overall-x-I think many people would enjoy this book, flaws included. I don't regret reading it, even if the second half was a disappointment. The writing is sublime and I could reread the first half again and again. Definitely give it a shot because it's still a gem in the YA category.Readability: Very high (for the first half)

I would rate the first half of the book as 4/5 and the second half as 2/5.1) <hl> The WritingThis is one of the book's strongest points <hl> .


Question: How is the series?

After waiting months and months for Entwined With You to come out, especially with the release date being pushed back, I was very worried that it wasn't going to live up to my expectations of what I remembered of Gideon and Eva. I was wrong. I was not disappointed. The passion and chemistry between them was just as intense if not more!I felt like I got to know Gideon a whole lot more in this book than I did in the previous two in the series. Gideon's fears and vulnerability were more prevalent. He was still the all-consuming alpha male that I adore, but I loved being able to see his tenderhearted part a little more.Eva and Cary's relationship took a little more of an interesting edge to it as Eva had to keep secrets from her best friend, whom she used to tell every aspect of her life to. Also, having Eva's father, Victor make another appearance, added a little more drama and background into Eva's life.I didn't like Corrine from the beginning in the first book, and I disliked her even more with her involvement in this one. I actually liked having Brett around again. I think he adds a certain flair for drama and angst that makes it a little more interesting.As always, the sex in the Crossfire books was amazing! The steaminess and intimacy factors were a lot more intense. The connection between Gideon and Eva seemed to have risen to an entirely different level than that of Bared to You and Reflected In You. Some scenes in particular were just mind-blowing and scorching!I am very happy that Entwined With You isn't the end of the road for Gideon and Eva, I think that their story definitely has some more obstacles and twists that can make for very interesting follow ups. I just hope that we don't have to wait quite as long for the next one as we did between Reflected and Entwined.

Answer: I just hope that we don't have to wait quite as long for the next one as we did between Reflected and Entwined

After waiting months and months for Entwined With You to come out, especially with the release date being pushed back, I was very worried that it wasn't going to live up to my expectations of what I remembered of Gideon and Eva. I was wrong. I was not disappointed. The passion and chemistry between them was just as intense if not more!I felt like I got to know Gideon a whole lot more in this book than I did in the previous two in the series. Gideon's fears and vulnerability were more prevalent. He was still the all-consuming alpha male that I adore, but I loved being able to see his tenderhearted part a little more. Eva and Cary's relationship took a little more of an interesting edge to it as Eva had to keep secrets from her best friend, whom she used to tell every aspect of her life to. Also, having Eva's father, Victor make another appearance, added a little more drama and background into Eva's life. I didn't like Corrine from the beginning in the first book, and I disliked her even more with her involvement in this one. I actually liked having Brett around again. I think he adds a certain flair for drama and angst that makes it a little more interesting. As always, the sex in the Crossfire books was amazing! The steaminess and intimacy factors were a lot more intense. The connection between Gideon and Eva seemed to have risen to an entirely different level than that of Bared to You and Reflected In You. Some scenes in particular were just mind-blowing and scorching!I am very happy that Entwined With You isn't the end of the road for Gideon and Eva, I think that their story definitely has some more obstacles and twists that can make for very interesting follow ups. <hl> I just hope that we don't have to wait quite as long for the next one as we did between Reflected and Entwined . <hl>

After waiting months and months for Entwined With You to come out, especially with the release date being pushed back, I was very worried that it wasn't going to live up to my expectations of what I remembered of Gideon and Eva. I was wrong. I was not disappointed. The passion and chemistry between them was just as intense if not more!I felt like I got to know Gideon a whole lot more in this book than I did in the previous two in the series. Gideon's fears and vulnerability were more prevalent. He was still the all-consuming alpha male that I adore, but I loved being able to see his tenderhearted part a little more.Eva and Cary's relationship took a little more of an interesting edge to it as Eva had to keep secrets from her best friend, whom she used to tell every aspect of her life to. Also, having Eva's father, Victor make another appearance, added a little more drama and background into Eva's life.I didn't like Corrine from the beginning in the first book, and I disliked her even more with her involvement in this one. I actually liked having Brett around again. I think he adds a certain flair for drama and angst that makes it a little more interesting.As always, the sex in the Crossfire books was amazing! The steaminess and intimacy factors were a lot more intense. The connection between Gideon and Eva seemed to have risen to an entirely different level than that of Bared to You and Reflected In You. Some scenes in particular were just mind-blowing and scorching!I am very happy that Entwined With You isn't the end of the road for Gideon and Eva, I think that their story definitely has some more obstacles and twists that can make for very interesting follow ups. <hl> I just hope that we don't have to wait quite as long for the next one as we did between Reflected and Entwined <hl>.

<hl> I just hope that we don't have to wait quite as long for the next one as we did between Reflected and Entwined <hl> .


Question: What opinion do you give us about this istory line?

It took me a while to get into this book...about halfway through exactly.  I thought it started off slow, but I do realize that introducing all of the characters takes time.  Once I got into it, the story was great.  I would recommend going forward with the series...the books get better every time.

Answer: the books get better every time

the books get better every time .

It took me a while to get into this book...about halfway through exactly. I thought it started off slow, but I do realize that introducing all of the characters takes time. Once I got into it, the story was great. I would recommend going forward with the series... <hl> the books get better every time . <hl>

It took me a while to get into this book...about halfway through exactly. I thought it started off slow, but I do realize that introducing all of the characters takes time. Once I got into it, the story was great. I would recommend going forward with the series...<hl> the books get better every time <hl>.

<hl> the books get better every time <hl> .


Question: Who was one of the most threatening villains?

As a long time Grisham fan, I had eagerly awaited this book and I was not disappointed.  Each time I think that he has done his best, he outdoes himself on the next one.  This time, I am sure this is his best.  The suspense had me holding my breath from early in the novel and at no tim did I anticipate the resolution.  I am continually amazed at his depiction of the people of his setting.  I do believe that I know some of these folks!  He made the people of this small Mississippi town come alive!  I felt their pain, tasted their food, and shed their tears.  Though I am not from that state, I do believe that I have driven though many towns just like that one with the boarded up businesses and homes, the weed choked fields and the square with its folks waiting for court to start.  I am telling you, he made it come alive.  As the will was read, the suspense in that room caught in my throat and I felt for each of the people and I was hooked.  The book is wonderful and there is such a lesson to be learned for today's families.  This has to be a must read!

Answer: Mississippi

As a long time Grisham fan, I had eagerly awaited this book and I was not disappointed. Each time I think that he has done his best, he outdoes himself on the next one. This time, I am sure this is his best. The suspense had me holding my breath from early in the novel and at no tim did I anticipate the resolution. I am continually amazed at his depiction of the people of his setting. I do believe that I know some of these folks! <hl> He made the people of this small Mississippi town come alive! <hl> I felt their pain, tasted their food, and shed their tears. Though I am not from that state, I do believe that I have driven though many towns just like that one with the boarded up businesses and homes, the weed choked fields and the square with its folks waiting for court to start. I am telling you, he made it come alive. As the will was read, the suspense in that room caught in my throat and I felt for each of the people and I was hooked. The book is wonderful and there is such a lesson to be learned for today's families. This has to be a must read!

As a long time Grisham fan, I had eagerly awaited this book and I was not disappointed. Each time I think that he has done his best, he outdoes himself on the next one. This time, I am sure this is his best. The suspense had me holding my breath from early in the novel and at no tim did I anticipate the resolution. I am continually amazed at his depiction of the people of his setting. I do believe that I know some of these folks! He made the people of this small <hl> Mississippi <hl> town come alive! I felt their pain, tasted their food, and shed their tears. Though I am not from that state, I do believe that I have driven though many towns just like that one with the boarded up businesses and homes, the weed choked fields and the square with its folks waiting for court to start. I am telling you, he made it come alive. As the will was read, the suspense in that room caught in my throat and I felt for each of the people and I was hooked. The book is wonderful and there is such a lesson to be learned for today's families. This has to be a must read!


Question: How is book?

Answer: This story line is amazing. I love the sacrifice. That author did an amazing job building characters and plot. Great read.

<hl> This story line is amazing. I love the sacrifice. That author did an amazing job building characters and plot. Great read. <hl>


Question: Why is the write of this book considered irregular?

this book is just awful,so much so that I am convinced that the good reviews are part of a PR strategy and fake.

Answer: the good reviews are part of a PR strategy and fake

this book is just awful,so much so that I am convinced <hl> that the good reviews are part of a PR strategy and fake . <hl>

this book is just awful,so much so that I am convinced that <hl> the good reviews are part of a PR strategy and fake <hl>.

that <hl> the good reviews are part of a PR strategy and fake <hl> .


Question: How are the dialogues of the novel?

I loved this book.  My ideal book has great dialogue, playful banter, steamy sex without the BDSM, well developed characters....this book has it all.  The only disappointment is that it is not a series.  I didn't want to let these characters go.  Will read again later this year whenI need a laugh.

Answer: My ideal book has great

I loved this book. <hl> My ideal book has great dialogue, playful banter, steamy sex without the BDSM, well developed characters....this book has it all. <hl> The only disappointment is that it is not a series. I didn't want to let these characters go. Will read again later this year whenI need a laugh.

I loved this book. <hl> My ideal book has great <hl> dialogue, playful banter, steamy sex without the BDSM, well developed characters....this book has it all. The only disappointment is that it is not a series. I didn't want to let these characters go. Will read again later this year whenI need a laugh.


Question: Is character development great?

This book is undoubtedly the best I have ever read.It is full of rich detail and description, making the world and characters feel full and alive and above all...real. The characters are as human and vulnerable as I have ever encountered in fantasy literature, and Martin really has you caring about them as if you knew them in real life.Tyrion Lannister is one of the most brilliant characters I have ever read about, and throughout the book you build up a love of Eddard Stark and his family and friends (Like Hodor, a character who makes me laugh every time he speaks).Brilliant, realistic, brutal, emotionally charged and involving. I think even people who don't generally care for fantasy books would love this book.

Answer: making the world and characters feel full and alive and above all

This book is undoubtedly the best I have ever read. <hl> It is full of rich detail and description, making the world and characters feel full and alive and above all ...real. <hl> The characters are as human and vulnerable as I have ever encountered in fantasy literature, and Martin really has you caring about them as if you knew them in real life. Tyrion Lannister is one of the most brilliant characters I have ever read about, and throughout the book you build up a love of Eddard Stark and his family and friends (Like Hodor, a character who makes me laugh every time he speaks).Brilliant, realistic, brutal, emotionally charged and involving. I think even people who don't generally care for fantasy books would love this book.

This book is undoubtedly the best I have ever read.It is full of rich detail and description, <hl> making the world and characters feel full and alive and above all <hl>...real. The characters are as human and vulnerable as I have ever encountered in fantasy literature, and Martin really has you caring about them as if you knew them in real life.Tyrion Lannister is one of the most brilliant characters I have ever read about, and throughout the book you build up a love of Eddard Stark and his family and friends (Like Hodor, a character who makes me laugh every time he speaks).Brilliant, realistic, brutal, emotionally charged and involving. I think even people who don't generally care for fantasy books would love this book.

It is full of rich detail and description, <hl> making the world and characters feel full and alive and above all <hl> ...real.


Question: Does this have a lot of important details?

... I'm not specifically an anti-nuke person, I believe that they were the only way in the cold war of avoiding an unaffordable conventional arms race - but you can't match a totalitarian regime like the soviets were in conventional arms without shifting to a total-war economy, so the first-strike principle made sense. But wow - to read the number of accidents that have happened, and the number of times we've got away by sheer chance from having these weapons detonate on our own territory or on that of friendly nations is frightening. And that's with the resources of a first world country, let alone what would happen in some of the third world places that have them. This stuff is really scary, and the lies and cover ups from our own military are absolutely disgraceful, particularly when it came to civilian-environmental contamination, as well as the way they treated people who helped out in the main Damascus incident. Everyone should be aware of the downsides and dangers of even routine handling of these things, especially the nations that see their possession as ways to get seats at "The big boys table" when it comes to international negotiations. The technical descriptions are well detailed, along with the political and historical decisions taken at different times and why. I heard about this book on NPR and thoroughly enjoyed it. I still think on the balance it's useful to have a few of them around, but under much more careful supervision than our armed forces have displayed in the past.

Answer: read the number of accidents

... I'm not specifically an anti-nuke person, I believe that they were the only way in the cold war of avoiding an unaffordable conventional arms race - but you can't match a totalitarian regime like the soviets were in conventional arms without shifting to a total-war economy, so the first-strike principle made sense. <hl> But wow - to read the number of accidents that have happened, and the number of times we've got away by sheer chance from having these weapons detonate on our own territory or on that of friendly nations is frightening. <hl> And that's with the resources of a first world country, let alone what would happen in some of the third world places that have them. This stuff is really scary, and the lies and cover ups from our own military are absolutely disgraceful, particularly when it came to civilian-environmental contamination, as well as the way they treated people who helped out in the main Damascus incident. Everyone should be aware of the downsides and dangers of even routine handling of these things, especially the nations that see their possession as ways to get seats at "The big boys table" when it comes to international negotiations. The technical descriptions are well detailed, along with the political and historical decisions taken at different times and why. I heard about this book on NPR and thoroughly enjoyed it. I still think on the balance it's useful to have a few of them around, but under much more careful supervision than our armed forces have displayed in the past.

... I'm not specifically an anti-nuke person, I believe that they were the only way in the cold war of avoiding an unaffordable conventional arms race - but you can't match a totalitarian regime like the soviets were in conventional arms without shifting to a total-war economy, so the first-strike principle made sense. But wow - to <hl> read the number of accidents <hl> that have happened, and the number of times we've got away by sheer chance from having these weapons detonate on our own territory or on that of friendly nations is frightening. And that's with the resources of a first world country, let alone what would happen in some of the third world places that have them. This stuff is really scary, and the lies and cover ups from our own military are absolutely disgraceful, particularly when it came to civilian-environmental contamination, as well as the way they treated people who helped out in the main Damascus incident. Everyone should be aware of the downsides and dangers of even routine handling of these things, especially the nations that see their possession as ways to get seats at "The big boys table" when it comes to international negotiations. The technical descriptions are well detailed, along with the political and historical decisions taken at different times and why. I heard about this book on NPR and thoroughly enjoyed it. I still think on the balance it's useful to have a few of them around, but under much more careful supervision than our armed forces have displayed in the past.


Question: Is the book the most thing interesting?

When I bought it, I wasn't aware that it was a book targeted at younger audiences (at least it seems to be).The main characters are 12-18 years old and while the plot is fairly interesting the characters are pretty black and white ... you know who's good and who's bad in the same way as in most Harry Potter books.  The characters are nowhere near as interesting or ambivalent as lets say in Game of Thrones, nor do the plot or the characters take any surprising twists or turns.I'd say it's popcorn fiction. The book does by no means come anywhere near R.R.Martin's books (Game of Thrones) or books written by William Gibson ... neither in complexity/atmosphere nor in their tendency to surprise.  But it is still fairly well written and an easy entertaining read and it has its good moments. Certainly suitable for most teenagers.  Essentially I'm sure, people who are fine with Harry Potter books, will like this one too.Also, if you saw the movie, there's still something for you in the book.  I saw the movie later and found many scenes in the movie which I would not have understood without the book. Naturally a few plot parts were missing from the movie too. So I imagine reading the book after the movie will still have some good moments.If you're still not sure if you should read it, click on the 1-star reviews and sort for most helpful first.  The one by "Alex" sums up the weak part nicely, although personally I think the overall rating is overly critical and harsh.

Answer: Harry Potter

When I bought it, I wasn't aware that it was a book targeted at younger audiences (at least it seems to be).The main characters are 12-18 years old and while the plot is fairly interesting the characters are pretty black and white ... <hl> you know who's good and who's bad in the same way as in most Harry Potter books. <hl> The characters are nowhere near as interesting or ambivalent as lets say in Game of Thrones, nor do the plot or the characters take any surprising twists or turns. I'd say it's popcorn fiction. The book does by no means come anywhere near R.R.Martin's books (Game of Thrones) or books written by William Gibson ... neither in complexity/atmosphere nor in their tendency to surprise. But it is still fairly well written and an easy entertaining read and it has its good moments. Certainly suitable for most teenagers. Essentially I'm sure, people who are fine with Harry Potter books, will like this one too. Also, if you saw the movie, there's still something for you in the book. I saw the movie later and found many scenes in the movie which I would not have understood without the book. Naturally a few plot parts were missing from the movie too. So I imagine reading the book after the movie will still have some good moments. If you're still not sure if you should read it, click on the 1-star reviews and sort for most helpful first. The one by "Alex" sums up the weak part nicely, although personally I think the overall rating is overly critical and harsh.

When I bought it, I wasn't aware that it was a book targeted at younger audiences (at least it seems to be).The main characters are 12-18 years old and while the plot is fairly interesting the characters are pretty black and white ... you know who's good and who's bad in the same way as in most <hl> Harry Potter <hl> books. The characters are nowhere near as interesting or ambivalent as lets say in Game of Thrones, nor do the plot or the characters take any surprising twists or turns.I'd say it's popcorn fiction. The book does by no means come anywhere near R.R.Martin's books (Game of Thrones) or books written by William Gibson ... neither in complexity/atmosphere nor in their tendency to surprise. But it is still fairly well written and an easy entertaining read and it has its good moments. Certainly suitable for most teenagers. Essentially I'm sure, people who are fine with Harry Potter books, will like this one too.Also, if you saw the movie, there's still something for you in the book. I saw the movie later and found many scenes in the movie which I would not have understood without the book. Naturally a few plot parts were missing from the movie too. So I imagine reading the book after the movie will still have some good moments.If you're still not sure if you should read it, click on the 1-star reviews and sort for most helpful first. The one by "Alex" sums up the weak part nicely, although personally I think the overall rating is overly critical and harsh.


Question: What is write?

This book definately had some unexpected twists and turns. The first part seems pretty straight forward, then really unmasks the characters. I enjoyed that aspect of the book. The writing was enjoyable and easy to follow.

Answer: The writing was enjoyable and easy to follow

This book definately had some unexpected twists and turns. The first part seems pretty straight forward, then really unmasks the characters. I enjoyed that aspect of the book. <hl> The writing was enjoyable and easy to follow . <hl>

This book definately had some unexpected twists and turns. The first part seems pretty straight forward, then really unmasks the characters. I enjoyed that aspect of the book. <hl> The writing was enjoyable and easy to follow <hl>.

<hl> The writing was enjoyable and easy to follow <hl> .


Question: How is the quality of style?

*reviewed my MM's (Katie) -Warning: while reading this book you may experience severe reactions to amor deliria nervosa, also known as falling in love, something that's "cured" aka banned in Delirium's society. Side effects may include sleepless nights while reading Delirium, the inability to concentrate on anything else but reading this book, nervousness over what's going to happen to Lena & Alex, having your heart ripped out, sighing, finding yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, kissing your book, running out to pre-order PANDEMONIUM, petting the new beautiful cover, telling all your friends to go pick up this book, and of course falling helplessly in love with the brilliant, and breathtakingly beautiful writing of Lauren Oliver.Can you imagine living in a society where LOVE is a disease?! I seriously loved the way Lauren created a fascinating society that "cures" love. Yes it may seem hilarious, but when you read DELIRIUM it totally makes sense. Lauren's writing is just awesome! It's richly detailed, it's poetic, captivating and I love that she really makes me think. Lauren is truly a gifted writer and I swear she could write a story about the most outlandish thing and make it credible. Here's a taste of Lauren's beautiful prose, which is also one of my favorite quotes from DELIRIUM:Sometimes I feel like if you just watch things, just sit still and let the world exist in front of you- sometimes I swear that just for a second time freezes and the world pauses in it's tilt. Just for a second. And if you somehow found a way to live in that second, then you would live forever. - pg 153This is one of the many reasons why I adored Lena, the story's main protagonist. She's insightful and I admired the way she fights to believe in something she's grown up being taught vs something that's right in front of her face telling her otherwise. I love a character who has a quest for finding the truth, no matter how heartbreaking that truth can be and how much they'll have to sacrifice in order to get it. Alex is a character I immediately loved. He challenges everything that Lena has been taught. I love the way in which he makes her think and helps her open her eyes to the truth around her. I of course loved the way their relationship developed over the course of the book.I'm surprised at how much I loved this book considering there isn't a lot of action, there's no paranormal characters and the characters aren't as in-depth as I usually like them. What a beautiful change of pace this book is for me! This is a book that completely snuck up on me and swept me off my feet with it's beautiful writing style, romantic story line, and it's well developed characters. Oh Lauren Oliver the things you did to my heart in this book..... Luckily my heart won't be ripped out for long as I'm off to drown my broken heart in PANDEMONIUM. Seriously, if you haven't already go PICK UP DELIRIUM! You'll enjoy every moment experiencing the side effects of amor deliria nervosa while reading Lena's story. There is very mild language in this book.** Reviewed by Sophie for Mundie Moms-Love. Stories, poems, films, songs have been created in an attempt to explain the concept. But imagine growing up in the United States where love didn't exist. I saw you blink slowly as you read that last sentence. What if there was a cure for love? I know what you're thinking -- no thanks, I don't want it. But what if the government made you take it when you turned eighteen? There would be less divorce, less violence, less reliance upon pharmaceuticals, less addiction. You get the idea.Lauren creates such a world and introduces us to her protagonist, Lena, who is just a few months from taking the cure. In these last weeks, she thinks a lot about what life will be like for her after the cure. All around her, we see the effects of cured family members and friends. They're happy with their lives and go on with their daily activities with a predicatble rhythm. But is this what Lena wants? As Lena and her best friend, Hana, begin to question some of the government teachings and rules, the reader discovers how far the government has gone to eradicate the concept, feeling and existence of love.I have to admit to sitting back and admiring the absolute plausibility of such a concept. The excerpts of government approved literature at the start of each chapter set the tone for what Lena and Hana have learned all of their lives. As a reader, you can't help feeling sympathetic for them. This level of propoganda is all they know. It is their truth. And then the reality of the horror unfolds as you find out what happens to those who do fall in love and are caught.I'm a huge fan of well-written dystopian stories and Lauren has penned one that rings true and shakes our most sacred belief system. To top it off, her prose is so lyrical, at times, that yes, I paused to text KatieB and even call her to read a few sentences out loud. I am thrilled that this will be a trilogy and that the movie rights have been optioned.If you enjoy a love story where love is truly forbidden, pick up DELIRIUM on February 1st. You will realize that a unifying, maddening and unpredictable concept like love will remain even when threatened. It'll be that loose thread in a tightly woven fabric and the temptation to pull it will be overwhelming. So what would happen if you did fall in love in such a society? I know, I'm still thinking about it.A quick aside for those Mundie Moms who will ask me -- but is there romance? I will confess that there is a multiple-page Kissy Scene that I may have read more than once. And there is...Alex. Mundie Moms, trust me, you will want to meet him.

Answer: reading this book you may experience severe reactions to amor deliria nervosa

<hl> *reviewed my MM's (Katie) -Warning: while reading this book you may experience severe reactions to amor deliria nervosa , also known as falling in love, something that's "cured" aka banned in Delirium's society. <hl> Side effects may include sleepless nights while reading Delirium, the inability to concentrate on anything else but reading this book, nervousness over what's going to happen to Lena & Alex, having your heart ripped out, sighing, finding yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, kissing your book, running out to pre-order PANDEMONIUM, petting the new beautiful cover, telling all your friends to go pick up this book, and of course falling helplessly in love with the brilliant, and breathtakingly beautiful writing of Lauren Oliver. Can you imagine living in a society where LOVE is a disease?! I seriously loved the way Lauren created a fascinating society that "cures" love. Yes it may seem hilarious, but when you read DELIRIUM it totally makes sense. Lauren's writing is just awesome! It's richly detailed, it's poetic, captivating and I love that she really makes me think. Lauren is truly a gifted writer and I swear she could write a story about the most outlandish thing and make it credible. Here's a taste of Lauren's beautiful prose, which is also one of my favorite quotes from DELIRIUM: Sometimes I feel like if you just watch things, just sit still and let the world exist in front of you- sometimes I swear that just for a second time freezes and the world pauses in it's tilt. Just for a second. And if you somehow found a way to live in that second, then you would live forever. - pg 153This is one of the many reasons why I adored Lena, the story's main protagonist. She's insightful and I admired the way she fights to believe in something she's grown up being taught vs something that's right in front of her face telling her otherwise. I love a character who has a quest for finding the truth, no matter how heartbreaking that truth can be and how much they'll have to sacrifice in order to get it. Alex is a character I immediately loved. He challenges everything that Lena has been taught. I love the way in which he makes her think and helps her open her eyes to the truth around her. I of course loved the way their relationship developed over the course of the book. I'm surprised at how much I loved this book considering there isn't a lot of action, there's no paranormal characters and the characters aren't as in-depth as I usually like them. What a beautiful change of pace this book is for me! This is a book that completely snuck up on me and swept me off my feet with it's beautiful writing style, romantic story line, and it's well developed characters. Oh Lauren Oliver the things you did to my heart in this book..... Luckily my heart won't be ripped out for long as I'm off to drown my broken heart in PANDEMONIUM. Seriously, if you haven't already go PICK UP DELIRIUM! You'll enjoy every moment experiencing the side effects of amor deliria nervosa while reading Lena's story. There is very mild language in this book. ** Reviewed by Sophie for Mundie Moms-Love. Stories, poems, films, songs have been created in an attempt to explain the concept. But imagine growing up in the United States where love didn't exist. I saw you blink slowly as you read that last sentence. What if there was a cure for love? I know what you're thinking -- no thanks, I don't want it. But what if the government made you take it when you turned eighteen? There would be less divorce, less violence, less reliance upon pharmaceuticals, less addiction. You get the idea. Lauren creates such a world and introduces us to her protagonist, Lena, who is just a few months from taking the cure. In these last weeks, she thinks a lot about what life will be like for her after the cure. All around her, we see the effects of cured family members and friends. They're happy with their lives and go on with their daily activities with a predicatble rhythm. But is this what Lena wants? As Lena and her best friend, Hana, begin to question some of the government teachings and rules, the reader discovers how far the government has gone to eradicate the concept, feeling and existence of love. I have to admit to sitting back and admiring the absolute plausibility of such a concept. The excerpts of government approved literature at the start of each chapter set the tone for what Lena and Hana have learned all of their lives. As a reader, you can't help feeling sympathetic for them. This level of propoganda is all they know. It is their truth. And then the reality of the horror unfolds as you find out what happens to those who do fall in love and are caught. I'm a huge fan of well-written dystopian stories and Lauren has penned one that rings true and shakes our most sacred belief system. To top it off, her prose is so lyrical, at times, that yes, I paused to text KatieB and even call her to read a few sentences out loud. I am thrilled that this will be a trilogy and that the movie rights have been optioned. If you enjoy a love story where love is truly forbidden, pick up DELIRIUM on February 1st. You will realize that a unifying, maddening and unpredictable concept like love will remain even when threatened. It'll be that loose thread in a tightly woven fabric and the temptation to pull it will be overwhelming. So what would happen if you did fall in love in such a society? I know, I'm still thinking about it. A quick aside for those Mundie Moms who will ask me -- but is there romance? I will confess that there is a multiple-page Kissy Scene that I may have read more than once. And there is...Alex. Mundie Moms, trust me, you will want to meet him.

*reviewed my MM's (Katie) -Warning: while <hl> reading this book you may experience severe reactions to amor deliria nervosa <hl>, also known as falling in love, something that's "cured" aka banned in Delirium's society. Side effects may include sleepless nights while reading Delirium, the inability to concentrate on anything else but reading this book, nervousness over what's going to happen to Lena & Alex, having your heart ripped out, sighing, finding yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, kissing your book, running out to pre-order PANDEMONIUM, petting the new beautiful cover, telling all your friends to go pick up this book, and of course falling helplessly in love with the brilliant, and breathtakingly beautiful writing of Lauren Oliver.Can you imagine living in a society where LOVE is a disease?! I seriously loved the way Lauren created a fascinating society that "cures" love. Yes it may seem hilarious, but when you read DELIRIUM it totally makes sense. Lauren's writing is just awesome! It's richly detailed, it's poetic, captivating and I love that she really makes me think. Lauren is truly a gifted writer and I swear she could write a story about the most outlandish thing and make it credible. Here's a taste of Lauren's beautiful prose, which is also one of my favorite quotes from DELIRIUM:Sometimes I feel like if you just watch things, just sit still and let the world exist in front of you- sometimes I swear that just for a second time freezes and the world pauses in it's tilt. Just for a second. And if you somehow found a way to live in that second, then you would live forever. - pg 153This is one of the many reasons why I adored Lena, the story's main protagonist. She's insightful and I admired the way she fights to believe in something she's grown up being taught vs something that's right in front of her face telling her otherwise. I love a character who has a quest for finding the truth, no matter how heartbreaking that truth can be and how much they'll have to sacrifice in order to get it. Alex is a character I immediately loved. He challenges everything that Lena has been taught. I love the way in which he makes her think and helps her open her eyes to the truth around her. I of course loved the way their relationship developed over the course of the book.I'm surprised at how much I loved this book considering there isn't a lot of action, there's no paranormal characters and the characters aren't as in-depth as I usually like them. What a beautiful change of pace this book is for me! This is a book that completely snuck up on me and swept me off my feet with it's beautiful writing style, romantic story line, and it's well developed characters. Oh Lauren Oliver the things you did to my heart in this book..... Luckily my heart won't be ripped out for long as I'm off to drown my broken heart in PANDEMONIUM. Seriously, if you haven't already go PICK UP DELIRIUM! You'll enjoy every moment experiencing the side effects of amor deliria nervosa while reading Lena's story. There is very mild language in this book.** Reviewed by Sophie for Mundie Moms-Love. Stories, poems, films, songs have been created in an attempt to explain the concept. But imagine growing up in the United States where love didn't exist. I saw you blink slowly as you read that last sentence. What if there was a cure for love? I know what you're thinking -- no thanks, I don't want it. But what if the government made you take it when you turned eighteen? There would be less divorce, less violence, less reliance upon pharmaceuticals, less addiction. You get the idea.Lauren creates such a world and introduces us to her protagonist, Lena, who is just a few months from taking the cure. In these last weeks, she thinks a lot about what life will be like for her after the cure. All around her, we see the effects of cured family members and friends. They're happy with their lives and go on with their daily activities with a predicatble rhythm. But is this what Lena wants? As Lena and her best friend, Hana, begin to question some of the government teachings and rules, the reader discovers how far the government has gone to eradicate the concept, feeling and existence of love.I have to admit to sitting back and admiring the absolute plausibility of such a concept. The excerpts of government approved literature at the start of each chapter set the tone for what Lena and Hana have learned all of their lives. As a reader, you can't help feeling sympathetic for them. This level of propoganda is all they know. It is their truth. And then the reality of the horror unfolds as you find out what happens to those who do fall in love and are caught.I'm a huge fan of well-written dystopian stories and Lauren has penned one that rings true and shakes our most sacred belief system. To top it off, her prose is so lyrical, at times, that yes, I paused to text KatieB and even call her to read a few sentences out loud. I am thrilled that this will be a trilogy and that the movie rights have been optioned.If you enjoy a love story where love is truly forbidden, pick up DELIRIUM on February 1st. You will realize that a unifying, maddening and unpredictable concept like love will remain even when threatened. It'll be that loose thread in a tightly woven fabric and the temptation to pull it will be overwhelming. So what would happen if you did fall in love in such a society? I know, I'm still thinking about it.A quick aside for those Mundie Moms who will ask me -- but is there romance? I will confess that there is a multiple-page Kissy Scene that I may have read more than once. And there is...Alex. Mundie Moms, trust me, you will want to meet him.

*reviewed my MM's (Katie) -Warning: while <hl> reading this book you may experience severe reactions to amor deliria nervosa <hl> , also known as falling in love, something that's "cured" aka banned in Delirium's society.


Question: How is book?

I am going to start my little review with the one aspect of this gem of a book that I disliked: it becomes apparent towards the end that it is "part one" of a series. This might not be a negative for some folks, but I am rather tired of the trend that YA books MUST be serialized. One of these days I would really like a great, thrilling, stand-alone YA story.Okay, enough of that grumpiness.So, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I liked it a lot. It has a stunningly lovely cover. I liked the integration of creepy old photos with the story, and I thought the tale was great fun, spooky and imaginative. The action bogged down a bit in the middle of the book, but there is very welcome and scary jolt around chapter nine that sets the story apace again. Most of the characters are interesting and curious(peculiar!), although the protagonist, Jacob, is not really one of them. The conceit of a hidden time-loop world, extraordinary and ageless children, shape-shifting bird/governesses, and ghastly wights and horrid hallowgasts make for a thrilling adventure. As noted, the story slogs a bit in the middle, but there are enough twists, chases, and creepy revelations towards the end to save it. I will seek out the next installment because I want to find out how the kids and the Bird fare in their quest, but gosh I sure do wish that it had simply been a bigger book with tighter storytelling. That said--I highly recommend Miss Peregrine and her fabulous wards as a great read and even better leaping off point for a day's musings. It's a story that stays with you even after you shut the book.Be sure to check out the author's website---- for some great videos and news about his upcoming photo collection book called Talking Pictures.

Answer: little review with the one aspect of this gem of a book that I disliked

<hl> I am going to start my little review with the one aspect of this gem of a book that I disliked : it becomes apparent towards the end that it is "part one" of a series. <hl> This might not be a negative for some folks, but I am rather tired of the trend that YA books MUST be serialized. One of these days I would really like a great, thrilling, stand-alone YA story. Okay, enough of that grumpiness. So, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I liked it a lot. It has a stunningly lovely cover. I liked the integration of creepy old photos with the story, and I thought the tale was great fun, spooky and imaginative. The action bogged down a bit in the middle of the book, but there is very welcome and scary jolt around chapter nine that sets the story apace again. Most of the characters are interesting and curious(peculiar!), although the protagonist, Jacob, is not really one of them. The conceit of a hidden time-loop world, extraordinary and ageless children, shape-shifting bird/governesses, and ghastly wights and horrid hallowgasts make for a thrilling adventure. As noted, the story slogs a bit in the middle, but there are enough twists, chases, and creepy revelations towards the end to save it. I will seek out the next installment because I want to find out how the kids and the Bird fare in their quest, but gosh I sure do wish that it had simply been a bigger book with tighter storytelling. That said--I highly recommend Miss Peregrine and her fabulous wards as a great read and even better leaping off point for a day's musings. It's a story that stays with you even after you shut the book. Be sure to check out the author's website---- for some great videos and news about his upcoming photo collection book called Talking Pictures.

I am going to start my <hl> little review with the one aspect of this gem of a book that I disliked <hl>: it becomes apparent towards the end that it is "part one" of a series. This might not be a negative for some folks, but I am rather tired of the trend that YA books MUST be serialized. One of these days I would really like a great, thrilling, stand-alone YA story.Okay, enough of that grumpiness.So, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I liked it a lot. It has a stunningly lovely cover. I liked the integration of creepy old photos with the story, and I thought the tale was great fun, spooky and imaginative. The action bogged down a bit in the middle of the book, but there is very welcome and scary jolt around chapter nine that sets the story apace again. Most of the characters are interesting and curious(peculiar!), although the protagonist, Jacob, is not really one of them. The conceit of a hidden time-loop world, extraordinary and ageless children, shape-shifting bird/governesses, and ghastly wights and horrid hallowgasts make for a thrilling adventure. As noted, the story slogs a bit in the middle, but there are enough twists, chases, and creepy revelations towards the end to save it. I will seek out the next installment because I want to find out how the kids and the Bird fare in their quest, but gosh I sure do wish that it had simply been a bigger book with tighter storytelling. That said--I highly recommend Miss Peregrine and her fabulous wards as a great read and even better leaping off point for a day's musings. It's a story that stays with you even after you shut the book.Be sure to check out the author's website---- for some great videos and news about his upcoming photo collection book called Talking Pictures.

I am going to start my <hl> little review with the one aspect of this gem of a book that I disliked <hl> : it becomes apparent towards the end that it is "part one" of a series.


Question: What is your feeling about this book?

In this book, Collins tells the story of Katniss, a young girl competing in "The Hunger Games," a cruel, government-orchestrated fight to the death. The plot is as compelling as it is unsettling.This is a book you can't put down. The writing is excellent and the pacing flawless. The characters in general are nicely wrought. Collins keeps the reader fully engaged, trying to interpret and anticipate the moves of both the gamemakers and the competitors.Despite the wonderful experience of reading this book, I began to feel a sense of unease in the last thirty or so pages, the fear that I was about to be seriously disappointed. I hoped I was wrong. But I wasn't. I hated the ending. It resolved nothing.While I realize this is a series and the action resumes in "Catching Fire" and continues in "Mockingjay," I feel authors of series works owe it to their readers to reward them at the end of each book with some overwhelming emotion, good or bad. In an epic story such as this, there needs to be some sense that the protagonist has come through some major life event that has changed him or her, prompted some sort of growth or... something. The unfeeling, jaded Katniss of Page 1 is pretty much the same girl the reader's left with on the last page. She's likable enough but still self-centered, still terribly immature and self-congratulatory. How much can the reader really care about this character and her relationships with others when, in the end, Katniss herself really doesn't much give a crap? And at the end, the story just... fizzles. I have a strong sense that this book ended at the wrong place. There needs to be some sense of closure, some feeling that the reader has completed a book. And, in the case of a series novel, there needs to be some major driving element that pushes the reader into wanting to read the next book. A bunch of unresolved loose ends, vague questions, and protagonist ambivalence, as we get here, simply is not good enough.The ending here was so BLAH that I was left seriously questioning whether I wanted to invest the necessary time to keep reading the series. I thought Collins and I might have different views as to what constitutes a book ending. What if the difficulty with endings was systemic and I got to the end of "Mockingjay" and was left going, "Whaaaaattt?"No reader wants to be left that way.But I cared about this series. I would love to love it.I decided to check out the reviews for "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" before I went any further with this series. I needed to know whether readers were more satisfied with the endings of "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" than I was with the ending of "The Hunger Games." If they weren't, then I was unlikely to read those books.In fact, I wish I'd checked out those reviews before I started the series.Having completed my review of the reviews, I would suggest that strategy to anyone contemplating reading "The Hunger Games." That way, you'll know what you're getting into before you're where I am now.Eventually, nostalgia may pull me back to the series and I'll pick up Book II. Right now, though, I feel too cheated and disappointed.With just a little more effort on the part of the author and editors, this could have been a phenomenal book.

Answer: This is a book you can't put down

This is a book you can't put down .

In this book, Collins tells the story of Katniss, a young girl competing in "The Hunger Games," a cruel, government-orchestrated fight to the death. The plot is as compelling as it is unsettling. <hl> This is a book you can't put down . <hl> The writing is excellent and the pacing flawless. The characters in general are nicely wrought. Collins keeps the reader fully engaged, trying to interpret and anticipate the moves of both the gamemakers and the competitors. Despite the wonderful experience of reading this book, I began to feel a sense of unease in the last thirty or so pages, the fear that I was about to be seriously disappointed. I hoped I was wrong. But I wasn't. I hated the ending. It resolved nothing. While I realize this is a series and the action resumes in "Catching Fire" and continues in "Mockingjay," I feel authors of series works owe it to their readers to reward them at the end of each book with some overwhelming emotion, good or bad. In an epic story such as this, there needs to be some sense that the protagonist has come through some major life event that has changed him or her, prompted some sort of growth or... something. The unfeeling, jaded Katniss of Page 1 is pretty much the same girl the reader's left with on the last page. She's likable enough but still self-centered, still terribly immature and self-congratulatory. How much can the reader really care about this character and her relationships with others when, in the end, Katniss herself really doesn't much give a crap? And at the end, the story just... fizzles. I have a strong sense that this book ended at the wrong place. There needs to be some sense of closure, some feeling that the reader has completed a book. And, in the case of a series novel, there needs to be some major driving element that pushes the reader into wanting to read the next book. A bunch of unresolved loose ends, vague questions, and protagonist ambivalence, as we get here, simply is not good enough. The ending here was so BLAH that I was left seriously questioning whether I wanted to invest the necessary time to keep reading the series. I thought Collins and I might have different views as to what constitutes a book ending. What if the difficulty with endings was systemic and I got to the end of "Mockingjay" and was left going, "Whaaaaattt?"No reader wants to be left that way. But I cared about this series. I would love to love it. I decided to check out the reviews for "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" before I went any further with this series. I needed to know whether readers were more satisfied with the endings of "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" than I was with the ending of "The Hunger Games." If they weren't, then I was unlikely to read those books. In fact, I wish I'd checked out those reviews before I started the series. Having completed my review of the reviews, I would suggest that strategy to anyone contemplating reading "The Hunger Games." That way, you'll know what you're getting into before you're where I am now. Eventually, nostalgia may pull me back to the series and I'll pick up Book II. Right now, though, I feel too cheated and disappointed. With just a little more effort on the part of the author and editors, this could have been a phenomenal book.

In this book, Collins tells the story of Katniss, a young girl competing in "The Hunger Games," a cruel, government-orchestrated fight to the death. The plot is as compelling as it is unsettling.<hl> This is a book you can't put down <hl>. The writing is excellent and the pacing flawless. The characters in general are nicely wrought. Collins keeps the reader fully engaged, trying to interpret and anticipate the moves of both the gamemakers and the competitors.Despite the wonderful experience of reading this book, I began to feel a sense of unease in the last thirty or so pages, the fear that I was about to be seriously disappointed. I hoped I was wrong. But I wasn't. I hated the ending. It resolved nothing.While I realize this is a series and the action resumes in "Catching Fire" and continues in "Mockingjay," I feel authors of series works owe it to their readers to reward them at the end of each book with some overwhelming emotion, good or bad. In an epic story such as this, there needs to be some sense that the protagonist has come through some major life event that has changed him or her, prompted some sort of growth or... something. The unfeeling, jaded Katniss of Page 1 is pretty much the same girl the reader's left with on the last page. She's likable enough but still self-centered, still terribly immature and self-congratulatory. How much can the reader really care about this character and her relationships with others when, in the end, Katniss herself really doesn't much give a crap? And at the end, the story just... fizzles. I have a strong sense that this book ended at the wrong place. There needs to be some sense of closure, some feeling that the reader has completed a book. And, in the case of a series novel, there needs to be some major driving element that pushes the reader into wanting to read the next book. A bunch of unresolved loose ends, vague questions, and protagonist ambivalence, as we get here, simply is not good enough.The ending here was so BLAH that I was left seriously questioning whether I wanted to invest the necessary time to keep reading the series. I thought Collins and I might have different views as to what constitutes a book ending. What if the difficulty with endings was systemic and I got to the end of "Mockingjay" and was left going, "Whaaaaattt?"No reader wants to be left that way.But I cared about this series. I would love to love it.I decided to check out the reviews for "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" before I went any further with this series. I needed to know whether readers were more satisfied with the endings of "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" than I was with the ending of "The Hunger Games." If they weren't, then I was unlikely to read those books.In fact, I wish I'd checked out those reviews before I started the series.Having completed my review of the reviews, I would suggest that strategy to anyone contemplating reading "The Hunger Games." That way, you'll know what you're getting into before you're where I am now.Eventually, nostalgia may pull me back to the series and I'll pick up Book II. Right now, though, I feel too cheated and disappointed.With just a little more effort on the part of the author and editors, this could have been a phenomenal book.

<hl> This is a book you can't put down <hl> .


Question: What is your favorite book?

Tom hopes the isolated life on the lighthouse island will insulate him from the post-war demons that haunt him. He dedicates himself to his new bride and embraces the keeper's job as a sacred responsibility. But, he finds life is full of the unexpected, the unsummoned challenges that define a life, and carve out consequences. What happens when good people choose expedience over right, when they persuade themselves that an accident of fate is not a chance occurrence but a miracle intended to allay their private sorrow? As the story unfolds with a gripping pace, the reader will confront deeply personal questions. Given similar circumstances in their own lives, what would they choose? Will their moral compass illuminate an integrous path, or will they succumb to the desire of their soul to have that one dream fulfilled? This book will stay with you, not only for its power but also for the lyrical writing.

Answer: What happens when good people choose expedience over right

Tom hopes the isolated life on the lighthouse island will insulate him from the post-war demons that haunt him. He dedicates himself to his new bride and embraces the keeper's job as a sacred responsibility. But, he finds life is full of the unexpected, the unsummoned challenges that define a life, and carve out consequences. <hl> What happens when good people choose expedience over right , when they persuade themselves that an accident of fate is not a chance occurrence but a miracle intended to allay their private sorrow? <hl> As the story unfolds with a gripping pace, the reader will confront deeply personal questions. Given similar circumstances in their own lives, what would they choose? Will their moral compass illuminate an integrous path, or will they succumb to the desire of their soul to have that one dream fulfilled? This book will stay with you, not only for its power but also for the lyrical writing.

Tom hopes the isolated life on the lighthouse island will insulate him from the post-war demons that haunt him. He dedicates himself to his new bride and embraces the keeper's job as a sacred responsibility. But, he finds life is full of the unexpected, the unsummoned challenges that define a life, and carve out consequences. <hl> What happens when good people choose expedience over right <hl>, when they persuade themselves that an accident of fate is not a chance occurrence but a miracle intended to allay their private sorrow? As the story unfolds with a gripping pace, the reader will confront deeply personal questions. Given similar circumstances in their own lives, what would they choose? Will their moral compass illuminate an integrous path, or will they succumb to the desire of their soul to have that one dream fulfilled? This book will stay with you, not only for its power but also for the lyrical writing.

<hl> What happens when good people choose expedience over right <hl> , when they persuade themselves that an accident of fate is not a chance occurrence but a miracle intended to allay their private sorrow?


Question: How is the reader?

MY DAD CAME HOME WITH THE NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK AS A SUPRISE.  I PICKED IT UP TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER AND GOT 300 PAGES INTO IT!  THE FIFTH BOOK IS DARKER AND MORE COMPLEX THAN THE FIRST FOUR.  HARRY IS A TEEN AND IS DEALING WITH SOME COMPLEX ISSUES INCLUDING BEING ATTACKED BY DEMENTORS ON PRIVET DRIVE, A TRIAL TO SEE IF HE SHOULD BE THOWEN OUT OF HOGWARTS, AND THE RETURN OF VOLDEMORT.  JUST IN THE FIRST COUPLE CHAPTERS YOU CAN TELL THAT HARRY HAS GROWEN UP ALOT SINCE HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.  BUT DON'T WORRY... THIS BOOK IS STILL KID FRIENDLY. SO PICK IT UP AND START READING!

Answer: PICKED IT UP TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER AND GOT 300 PAGES INTO IT

MY DAD CAME HOME WITH THE NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK AS A SUPRISE. <hl> I PICKED IT UP TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER AND GOT 300 PAGES INTO IT ! <hl> THE FIFTH BOOK IS DARKER AND MORE COMPLEX THAN THE FIRST FOUR. HARRY IS A TEEN AND IS DEALING WITH SOME COMPLEX ISSUES INCLUDING BEING ATTACKED BY DEMENTORS ON PRIVET DRIVE, A TRIAL TO SEE IF HE SHOULD BE THOWEN OUT OF HOGWARTS, AND THE RETURN OF VOLDEMORT. JUST IN THE FIRST COUPLE CHAPTERS YOU CAN TELL THAT HARRY HAS GROWEN UP ALOT SINCE HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. BUT DON'T WORRY... THIS BOOK IS STILL KID FRIENDLY. SO PICK IT UP AND START READING!

MY DAD CAME HOME WITH THE NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK AS A SUPRISE. I <hl> PICKED IT UP TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER AND GOT 300 PAGES INTO IT <hl>! THE FIFTH BOOK IS DARKER AND MORE COMPLEX THAN THE FIRST FOUR. HARRY IS A TEEN AND IS DEALING WITH SOME COMPLEX ISSUES INCLUDING BEING ATTACKED BY DEMENTORS ON PRIVET DRIVE, A TRIAL TO SEE IF HE SHOULD BE THOWEN OUT OF HOGWARTS, AND THE RETURN OF VOLDEMORT. JUST IN THE FIRST COUPLE CHAPTERS YOU CAN TELL THAT HARRY HAS GROWEN UP ALOT SINCE HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. BUT DON'T WORRY... THIS BOOK IS STILL KID FRIENDLY. SO PICK IT UP AND START READING!

I <hl> PICKED IT UP TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER AND GOT 300 PAGES INTO IT <hl> !


Question: What is the quality of the book?

This book was very disturbing to me. I read it as an Amazon recommendation and after reading good reviews. Not that the book was bad, it just wasn't for me. I like reading about Stolkholm Syndrome but this was just weird. And the ending was what was the weirdest to me. It fit the book, but it had me thinking for a couple of days afterwards. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing...lol. There were also parts of the book that were a bit slow and I found myself trying very hard not to just skim thro the pages.

Answer: This book was very disturbing to me

This book was very disturbing to me .

<hl> This book was very disturbing to me . <hl> I read it as an Amazon recommendation and after reading good reviews. Not that the book was bad, it just wasn't for me. I like reading about Stolkholm Syndrome but this was just weird. And the ending was what was the weirdest to me. It fit the book, but it had me thinking for a couple of days afterwards. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing...lol. There were also parts of the book that were a bit slow and I found myself trying very hard not to just skim thro the pages.

<hl> This book was very disturbing to me <hl>. I read it as an Amazon recommendation and after reading good reviews. Not that the book was bad, it just wasn't for me. I like reading about Stolkholm Syndrome but this was just weird. And the ending was what was the weirdest to me. It fit the book, but it had me thinking for a couple of days afterwards. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing...lol. There were also parts of the book that were a bit slow and I found myself trying very hard not to just skim thro the pages.

<hl> This book was very disturbing to me <hl> .