Delirium [book review]

I have been on a roll with the YA fiction novels, I'm tellin' you. I still need to review the Hunger Games trilogy, and then I'll move on to the Emily Giffin books I've picked up lately as well. I'm 12 books into my 2011 Reading Challenge... only 38 more to go! ;) 

SUMMARY

"Love" is a word that is not allowed to leave the lips of the citizens of the US in Lauren Oliver's Delirium. Love and desire are thought to be a disease, and every person in the country must go through the "procedure" in order to be "cured" from the illness. Girls & boys are separated and not allowed to socialize until they're cured, and schools are even segregated in order to prevent the spread of the disease throughout the community. In a world without heartbreak, without pain, and without worry, nothing could possibly go wrong.

All her life, Lena Holoway has looked forward to being cured. Ever since her mother committed suicide when she was infected with the deliria, she's been terrified that she is somehow genetically imbalanced and more likely to end up with the disease. The disease hits your heart first, and then slowly deteriorates the rest of your body as you fall deeper and deeper into the madness.

Lena is a normal teenage girl who hangs out with her best friend, Hana, and is constantly studying for her evaluations, in which she'll be paired with her future mate. She's counting down the days until her procedure, and then the worst thing possible (in her mind) happens... she falls in love. 

REVIEW 

Ironically, I felt so much love for this book that I'm genuinely distraught by the fact that I have to wait until February for the second book to be released.

This book was everything I wanted it to be - it was definitely young-adult material in terms of content, but it wasn't the whiny, emotional, love triangle/internal struggle type of YA reading, which was well received by me, for sure. 

The concept was unbelievable and Oliver obviously spent about a bajillion hours cultivating ideas to make it seem so real and possible... this world that drills into the minds (figuratively AND literally) of the people to make them afraid of love. They are so scared of catching the "disease" that will cause insanity. There are harsh punishments, including death, for those that stray from the strict rules of this society. Romeo & Juliet is a "cautionary tale" which teaches students a lesson... that to fall in love is to ultimately kill yourself. Any interaction with the opposite sex before you're cured could cause the contraction of the deliria and must be avoided at all costs.

All the characters were extremely well developed, and seemed more mature than the main characters of most YA fiction... Lena especially. Her relationships with the people around her were clear and well laid out - from her irritability with her snobby cousin Jenny, to her envy of her beautiful and seemingly perfect best friend Hana. And from her indifference towards her uncle, with whom she lives, to her undeniable curiosity and affection with Alex, the mysterious boy that she falls in love with.

One of the aspects that I loved about Delirium is the amount of actual activity going on. Of course, you have your beginning where you get all your background information, but most of the necessary filler information was spread throughout the book, which I really appreciated. I hate opening a book and having to struggle through the first few chapters to get a good grasp for the story. This book dove right into the action, and I loved every bit of it. There are a lot of major (and interesting, obviously) events that occur throughout the book, which made it incredibly easy to keep reading, and I found myself really battling to put the book down at night, causing me to stay up way past my bed time numerous evenings. 

Needless to say, I loved this book. It was an incredibly strong read, with exceptional characters and a well developed plot. Oh, and a giant surprise at the end. February 2012 cannot come soon enough!

Matched [book review]

SUMMARY

Cassia lives in a perfect, predestined world... The Society. Everything is figured out for her... what occupation she'll have, who she'll marry, how many kids she's allowed to have, etc. Traditionally, every girl is given a Match ceremony - where the government reveals who they'll spend the rest of their lives with. Luckily for Cassia, the face that appears on the screen is the face of her best friend. It's completely uncommon to be Matched with someone in your area, let alone someone you actually know. 

Cassia goes home to review the micro-card that contains all of her Match's information, although she knows everything there is to know about Xander... they've been best friends all their lives. Much to her surprise, Ky Markham's face pops up on the screen... another boy she knows. The Society claims that there's been a glitch in the system, and that Xander is still her match. She should be relieved, but instead... she's a little curious about Ky. 

Cassia becomes more and more intrigued with Ky Markham, and as they fall in love during the Society's regulated rec time, she's faced with an impossible choice: to love the boy she's known and loved all her life... the one that the government has shown to be her best Match for life, or to take a risk with Ky, the Aberration... the mysterious one with a story that has yet to unfold.

REVIEW

I gave this book 3 stars on Good Reads. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I just liked it. It only took me 6 days to complete it, but I think that was because I was just ready to be finished with it, as opposed to actually being 100% invested in the story.

Don't get me wrong, Ally Condie is a fabulous writer - the book was intriguing and descriptive and everything else that I love in a book. The reason I didn't give it a higher rating was due to the content. I just felt like it was a whole lot of emotions and not enough action going on. I felt that throughout the entire book, I was flipping pages just waiting for something big to happen. 

One thing I did love about this novel were the characters. I became very attached to them, although I did want to slap the shit out of Cassia on numerous occasions. In the beginning, I loved Xander, and I was angry that Cassia was even thinking of ditching him for Ky. But then through Ally's writing, I learned to love Ky as well, and I could definitely understand why it was such a struggle to make that choice. Character development is definitely one of Condie's strong points, that's for sure.

The second book of this series, entitled Crossed, is to be released later this year (Good Reads says November 1st). I'll probably pick it up, because I'm curious to see where the story goes.

I think that YA fiction readers will like this book, while people who are wanting a little more substance and action will probably not enjoy it as much. I'm definitely interested to see what happens in the next book, so I guess that's a plus on Condie's part!

Friday loves

because my affinity for all things (recipes, design, fashion, products, music, etc) changes as quickly as the weather frequently, I've decided to dedicate a post every Friday to some of my favorite things from that week. 

there are a few bloggers out there doing this (like Lauren & Kristal) and although I won't be posting kiddo stuff like them, I still think it's an awesome idea to share what I'm diggin' at this moment. 

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so without further adieu, here's what I've discovered and fallen in love with this week...

Emily Giffin. after reading Something Borrowed and Something Blue, I rushed to Amazon to buy the next in the series (I say "series" loosely, based on the fact that Baby Proof does not include the main characters from the first two novels) and finished it in a matter of days.

Emily has such a casual, yet very intense way with words, and I'm finding myself really getting attached to her characters. also, I really appreciated that little break from the usual young adult books that I've been picking up lately (and incidentally, am reading now, haha).

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this bag:

I actually discovered this a few weeks ago, but I'm reaaaaally tempted to pull the plug on this purchase in the near future. it's the Rose camera bag by Jo Totes in Marigold. yes, it's mustard. and it has houndstooth lining. and it is perfection.

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my new Biofit bra that I talked about purchasing here. it is the perfect combination of comfort and sexy.

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I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I'm going to attempt them in the next few weeks when I have a break from weekend madness.

chocolate chip cookie dough STUFFED INTO CUPCAKES. 

if you tell me your mouth isn't watering right now, I'm calling you a fucking liar. they won't exactly fit into my new "healthy lifestyle" attitude, but I figure I can make a small amount of them and therefore not be forced to eat 98 mini cupcakes in one sitting.

... I'll keep you updated, fo sho.

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Matched by Ally Condie.  

yes, it's another YA, but it's gooooood.

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anything and everything lemon verbena scented by Mrs. Meyers. 

I've been making an effort to buy greener household products and I am SO thankful I tried this brand out.

first of all, the scents are amazing. I was looking to buy products that worked like normal household cleaners, but without the typical cleaner smell. and also? the results? awesome. a little goes a long way when using Mrs. Meyers, and therefore, the product lasts longer. now, I've only tried the hand soap, the dish soap, and the counter spray, but I'm willing to bet the other options work (and smell) just as great.

personally, the lemon verbena scent is my favorite, but I've also tried the lavender, which smells wonderfully. I like the lemon because it's nice and citrusy (yes, that's a word) and summery. uh, and bonus... it's green, so it virtually matches everything in my house.

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this dresser transformation over at Design Sponge.  

I wish I had that kind of talent... and patience. chevron is my go-to pattern these days.

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this swimsuit I came across on Pinterest. 

the linked source claims that the image is from Victoria's Secret. must have been from last year's swimsuit line, because I cannot find it anywhere on the website. super sad face. 

if you know where this suit is from, hit a sister up. I need to own it.

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DISCLAIMER: 

I am not being reimbursed or compensated in any way for the mention and positive reviews of the products listed on this blog. the opinions expressed are solely my own and while I wish I could receive free shit... trust me, I'm not.

HAPPY FRIDAY! 

weekend recap (shopping goods included)

the hubs and I had to drop the Tundra off for 

regular maintenance on Saturday... so instead 

of waiting in the service center for hours 

(yes, hours... it took them FIVE hours to perform 

the scheduled maintenance,  

even though we had an appointment... 

don't even get me started on how pissed I am with them), 

we decided to do a little shopping.

first stop? Buckle, of course! 

to be honest, I wasn't impressed with the majority of the items in the store. 

luckily, on my way out of the store, I realized I had 

missed an entire rack right in the front, 

which held all of the things I ended up purchasing. 

here's what I got:

 

Daytrip Babydoll Dress

I thought this was a top until I tried it on and realized how long it was. it could definitely be worn as a dress (but I'd only feel comfortable doing so with leggings because of my height), so I plan on wearing it as a top. it's really flattering and the chiffon overlay makes it more interesting than just a plain grey top. 

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Daytrip Drop Waist Dress

I was nervous about this one, because it's a basic rayon and spandex blend, which means that it hugs just a little bit, but it's still got that stretch. surprisingly, probably because of the drop waist, it fit well and was actually pretty flattering to my body type. I love the vibrant color too - it can be dressed up nicely with the right jewelry and shoes! 

and bonus... it has pockets. I love pockets on dresses.

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Rusty Peyote Strappy Dress

perfect summer dress. it has a bit of black embroidery at the top, which gives it just a little more detail than the basic black dress. the elastic waist allows for a little give and slack so that it doesn't have to be worn skin tight, which I love. and again, it has pockets, which made it an instant win. 

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the last top I got was impossible to find on the Buckle website, but it looks exactly like this:

super small photo from this ebay listing

yep, it's mustard. surprised?

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I also made a stop at Victoria's Secret, because I desperately needed new bras that actually fit me properly. I bought one of the Bio Fit bras in a black/nude lace, which is amazingly comfortable. I also purchased two cotton push up bras (which were on sale - 2 for $45) - one is navy blue with white polka dots, and the other is a basic heather grey. VS was having a major pantie sale as well, so I picked up 7 pairs of cotton underwear for $25. 

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other than our impromptu shopping trip, we had a pretty low key weekend in the FoFandee household. I did literally a million loads of laundry, went grocery shopping, did a little cleaning and we caught up on some DVR'd shows. did anyone else catch the Shameless finale last night? I'm so hooked on that show - cannot WAIT for next season! I also did a bit of cuddling with the Bear cub yesterday between loads of laundry. 

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oh, and I started reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak last week - I can't really get into it. I'm not sure if it's the format of the writing or if I'm just burned out on fast reads. has anyone read this book? most reviews on GoodReads are raves, but I'm just not feeling it. I'm going to give it another good effort before I decide to put it down... after all, I'm only about 50 pages in, so it could definitely just be a slow start. 

Happy Monday, ya'll!

19 Minutes [book review]

Summary

19 Minutes, written by Jodi Picoult, is a story about a devastating event that occurred in the small town of Sterling, New Hampshire. Sterling is much like most small towns, where everyone know each other and nothing exciting ever happens - until one fateful day when a shooting takes place at the local high school, shattering the lives of virtually the entire town. The shooter is arrested, and the story follows the progress of the trial, but also includes flashbacks to the past when life was simpler for the kids involved. 

The tale is told from the perspective of many different characters - from the judge prosecuting the young man, her daughter, the shooter, the police detective who investigates the incident, and many others. 19 Minutes examines the ins and outs of the trial proceeding as well as the varying emotions involved with such a tragic event. The inner workings of the mind belonging to the shooter (who was the victim of bullying his entire life) are also explored.  

Review

There's a reason for the phrase "you can't judge a book by it's cover." The cover of this book left much to be desired, if I'm being completely honest. I don't even remember how I heard about this book, but I bought it, and it sat on my bookshelf waiting to be read while I devoured fast reads such as The Help, The Hunger Games and Water For Elephants. In fact, I actually put this book down to read the entire Hunger Games trilogy and did not complete it until months after originally opening it.

With that said, I ended up really enjoying this book. At first, because it's told in so many different voices, it was difficult to get into, but as I got further into it, it was harder to put down. The struggle between the two main characters, Peter & Josie, is absolutely intriguing - they were friends at a young age, and due to the pressure to be popular, Josie inherited a new group of friends in high school, leaving Peter behind to suffer the daily torture of his classmates. 

The character interaction developed by Jodi Picoult in this novel pulled on my heartstrings, to say the least. I was immediately drawn to the multiple third person narrative aspect of 19 Minutes. Although I think it was choppy at times, she made it work. You could clearly identify each person's "part" in the book without needing subtitles above their sections.

The shooting happens literally within the first 25 pages of the book, which was a huge relief for me. I hate waiting for something exciting to take place, and the big event being in the beginning was a change of pace compared to books I usually read. The story develops through the chapters, and with each character, your opinions change. Each character had a distinguished personality, and the emotions they felt seeped through the pages. Because the story parallels the Columbine shootings, it was clear that Picoult did her research when channeling the devastation felt by the entire community.

To say this book was thought provoking would be an understatement. The text is raw, heartfelt, and sympathetic to everyone involved, including the family of the shooter. I would recommend it, if only for the fact of how it made me feel and think. The fact that it's something that could happen at any point in time to anyone you know makes it that much more believable.

tidbits, yo

• UGH. slacker blogger. very busy weekend for this girl - beer night Friday, errands Saturday afternoon, birthday celebration Saturday evening, and hanging out with friends/writing a paper Sunday. 

• as you saw in this post, I finally upgraded my phone. I was the proud owner of the LG Dare for almost 2 years. my upgrade day was St. Patrick's Day (luck o' the Irish, say what?), so on Friday, we ventured out to Verizon to get the Droid X. I was torn between that and the Thunderbolt, but I just couldn't justify paying $250 for a cell phone... and the extra memory and the kickstand was just not worth $100 to me. so far I'm really loving my Droid. if you have any recommendations for apps, let a sister know! 

• check out my sweet birthday card I got from Kaycie. does she know me well or what?

• I went out with friends this weekend to celebrate my 25th birthday! we started out with a small group and dinner at a local Japanese Steakhouse, and then moved next door to Cadillac Ranch. I was so happy to have so many people come out to celebrate with me - we had an amazing evening full of laughter, flowing drinks, and memorable conversations. I am a lucky girl. here are some pictures (most were not taken by me, and I'll have more to post once Kaley uploads hers! AHEM!)

• on the other hand, I don't know if I'm ready to turn 25. I know that 25 is not old by a long shot, but I just feel very "adult" saying 25.

• I'm slowly moving through my 2011 Reading Challenge. I've now read 9 books this year - I finished two of Emily Giffin's books within about a week. I loved the first, Something Borrowed... I was really drawn to the narrator, Rachel, and was thrilled with the ending. The second book, Something Blue, was... alright... it's from the perspective of the other main character, Darcy, and I honestly hated her. I ended up liking her a bit more by the end, but overall, I was kind of underwhelmed with the story in comparison to the first. I'll be doing lengthy reviews for both books when I have the time. 

• speaking of reading and writing - I wrote an 800 word essay on the reliability of Nick Carraway as the narrator of The Great Gatsby for my English class yesterday during my lunch break. I started it Sunday and emailed it to myself to finish and send over to my professor from work. went to save the file, and it was corrupted. instead of copying & pasting like an intelligent person would do, I just x'ed out of it. lost the WHOLE thing, minus the measly two paragraphs I had written the night before. talk about pissed... I had to re-write the entire thing last night. 

• Bear is really ridiculously good looking. just sayin. 

• spring is officially here and I am SO excited. that's pretty much all I have to say about that. 

• since I had my last training session in February, I've only been to the gym once, and that was for a spin class. last week. I really need to get back into the swing of things when it comes to working out, but if I'm being honest here, that month off felt amazing. I'm still doing well with my eating habits... still staying away from fatty, greasy, and non-nutritional food. I need to stop making excuses as to why I can't work out, starting with tonight!

Happy Tuesday! 

Pinterest = pink puffy heart

sheesh. talk about a site full of inspiration! being a design addict and constantly looking for home decor ideas, this site is like crack for me. seriously, I've been staying up way too late this week, mostly because I'm too busy pinning different shit to my boards! 

here's a little preview of what I've done so far... 

dining room: 

style:

 

books to read in 2011:

needless to say, I'm loving Pinterest! if you'd like to check out my boards or follow them, see what I've got goin' on right here! I've also got boards for awesome books I've read, entryway & bedroom room ideas, cute hippo things (totally not kidding), etc. 

basically, while I'm browsing the Interwebz (which, let's face it, happens ALL day long), I can just pin things I like to a board on this site and save it for later, instead of having to bookmark every single piece of inspiration I come across. so basically, everything keeps it's source... so if I ever want to post it here on the blog, I know where I found it. 

if you haven't signed up yet, head over to Pinterest now and do it! promise you'll love it... and maybe even consider it your crack. 

Happy Weekend, ya'll!

DISCLAIMER: I am not being compensated to give reviews about the Pinterest website, nor am I being paid to endorse the products posted on this blog. all thoughts and opinions here are my own.