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This past Friday, I was just hopping along the blogsphere reading the answers to the various blog hop questions for that day.And to my dismay, I discovered just how many people haven't read Delirium by Lauren Oliver (yet).
I suppose this really struck me, because I loved Delirium. I can't even tell you how much I loved it, because there's just no way to describe it. Regardless, I'm going to attempt to do this.
I'm going to step out on a limb here and say this: Delirium was by far the best book I read in 2011 (and yes, I did read Divergent by Veronica Roth. No contest, in my humble opinion). I'm also aware that people are going to disagree with me on that, and that there are people who didn't enjoy it as much as I did. That's okay- I actually bought it as a birthday present for a good friend of mine and she did not share my enthusiasm for Delirium.
But for those of you who HAVEN'T read it yet... well, I'm writing this for you. I really want to encourage you to pick it up and give it a try, and then come back and tell me what you thougt of it. Comment on my blog, e-mail me, find me on Twitter... I don't care! I really want to hear how you felt about it. (And for those of you who have read it, I want to hear your thoughts as well! Positive and negative!) Plus, I want all of you to join with me in the agony that is anxiously awaiting Pandemonium's release. I would do ANYTHING, absolutely ANYTHING to time travel to the future just to read it. Seriously. That's how much I adore this series/book.
So, just stick with me here for a minute. And allow me to try and persuade you to read Delirium:
- The very premise of this book terrifies me. A world where love is a disease to be destroyed? Um, that's scary. Really scary. Scarier-than-vampires scary. Because I CAN see how people could view love as a weakness.
- Lauren Oliver's writing is brilliant. If you've read any of her other books, you know this. I've only read Delirium, but believe me, I have plans to read the rest of her works as well.
- I cried after reading Delirium. No, scratch that. I SOBBED. I had to text my boyfriend to make sure he still loved me, I was so heartbroken. Then he asked why I was upset, and I had to explain that I had just finished the most beautiful, most incredible book. He didn't get it, but he supported me anyways <3 (he isn't a reader like I am).
- If Alex wasn't so madly in love with Lena, I'd steal him away. He's just so brave and gentle, all at once, and completely swoonworthy.
- Did I mention the action yet? There are some INTENSE scenes in this book, and I can't wait to see how all the mysteries and secrets unravel in the rest of the trilogy.
- Do you have any idea how badly I want to read Pandemonium? If you've read Delirium, then I bet you do, because you're probably in the same boat as me! March 2012 simply CANNOT come soon enough! There are so many things I'm looking forward to, and although I was wary of the description at first after I read Lauren Oliver's blog post on Pandemonium I felt more relaxed and assured that I'm going to love Pandemonium just as much (if not more) as Delirium. You should absolutely go pre-order this item (or maybe start with Delirium first...) But warning: once you pick up Delirium, you will be hooked. Plus, look at how pretty the cover is:
So, have I convinced you to at least give it a try now? I normally don't go for the whole "Romeo and Juliet" vibe in a book, but this one surprised me. I actually bought it for my Kindle, and then I just ordered the new special edition hardcover just because it's so pretty and I like to have books I love sitting on my shelf so I can lend them out to people. And yes- I do already have a lineup of friends waiting to borrow my copy. So unfortunatley, no, you cannot borrow my copy.
BUT! Never fear! I loved this book so much that I want to share some of the love with YOU. I'm going to giveaway Delirium to some wonderful readers and commenters. But this is going to be a very different giveaway from my usual ones:
- Regular rules apply- check out my contest policy for those.
- It's international (as long as The Book Depository ships to you)
- You don't have to be a follower (but I love new followers too!)
- It isn't random- I'm going to be carefully selecting who wins a copy of Delirium. Your entry is a comment. That's all. Just comment and tell me why you want to read this book, and what you're excited for about this series. Leave me your name/alias and an e-mail so I can contact you. And since it isn't random, you better give me good reasons to impress me ;) CONVINCE ME TO BUY YOU THIS BOOK! Or just talk to me about it :) I enjoy that as well!
- I don't know how many people are going to win copies yet. It might be one, it might be two, it could be three... we'll see once I start reading your comments (and see what my bank account allows!)
- Contest will end at 12:01 a.m. on September 13th when I will announce the winners.
19 comments:
Thank you for this! I've been seeing some really great things about this book and you my friend have convinced me to do all that's in my power to get my hands on this book. I'll be honest I did not know the concept of this book. People would say how much they loved it, but I never really bothered with seeing what it was ACTUALLY about. And let me tell you I'm hooked. Being a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic I can also see why people would find love as a weakness. But it totally scares me too. Just imagine a world like that! People need love :D It makes us happy ( & books but I'm not going to go there)
So yeah I just wanted to say thank you soo soo much for this post. Now I MUST get my hands on a copy :D
Ooops forgot to add that if you ever would like to talk books I'm on twitter @ohlookitswanda
Okay, I'm not entering the contest because I have the book (you're doing good to the YA readers here)I think that Delirium and Divergent are way different. Both dystopias and both start with D and both have an amazing love interest and both are great. I was hooked on BOTH.
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Save me a seat on the boat for Pandemonium; I still can't believe the summary and I'm imagining bad things and I might need days of recuperation after reading it. If Lena breaks OUR hearts... I hope she doesn't.
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About Lauren Oliver's writing: she wrote this short story on this book titled Crush and I was just flipping through the pages and I started reading this story and the writing was so beautiful and I went back and check who wrote it; you guessed it; it was Lauren Oliver and I went, "Of course."
READ DELIRIUM!
- Mary [Anxirium]
I just wrote this long, amazing comment, and then I pushed a button and it disappeared! So I’m rewriting it, and this one won’t be nearly as long or amazing. Probably. Anyway, I checked this book out from the library, so I don’t own it. I loved it! I only wish I had read it before I read Before I Fall. I loved Lauren Oliver’s voice in Before I Fall, and Delirium didn’t have the voice I fell in love with in BIF (BIF! Ha!), so I don’t know. Maybe I would have loved it better if I hadn’t read Miss Oliver’s other book first. But I did thoroughly enjoy Delirium! I loved the romance. I don’t know about you, but I get so tired of the books where the characters meet, fall in love, have sex, repeat last step for rest of book. Oh. My. Gosh. But in Delirium, the characters actually do crazy things like talk, and get to know each other, and it was so incredibly amazing. Sure, there’s attraction, and yes, there’s kissing (I personally really enjoyed the kissing), but there’s a real relationship there, too. It’s not all physical.
My only fault with the book would be the best friend, whose name I can’t remember. Anyway, she started off as this really strong, great character, but her decisions at the end of the book didn’t seem to match her personality or characterization. All along she’s been this great strong female lead, and then right at the end we find out she’s not as strong as we though. Maybe this would have worked better for me if this had been built up better, if we had ever seen her as someone other than strong and brave? I guess I was just shocked by what her character decides to do, because I would expect her to behave differently. I also really, really, really didn’t like the ending. Tell me, who ends a book like that? Except for dystopian others, darn them.
Am I convincing you I should win? I don’t think so. How about this: *bats eyelashes* I am a poor college student, pretty please pick me? *kneels on ground, hands clasped* Please? I would love you forever. *More batting eyelashes. I’m really channeling Scarlett O’Hara, here. I think that deserves credit*
Okay, so maybe it is as long and amazing as my first post. Or long, anyway. You can decide if it’s amazing.
Thanks for spreading the Delirium love! (Ha! Did you see that? Did you see my pun? Or maybe I’m just tired, and not funny. Let’s stick with funny. Or rather, punny. Oh my, I’m going to bed.)
Gabi ~ teddycavygal at yahoo dot com
I adore reading, and I'm always looking for new authors. This is my first introduction to Lauren Oliver and her book, Delirium. It seems like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway!
Elizabeth
etrabelsie[at]gmail[dot]com
Just wanted to say thank you so much for this giveaway. I've been wanting to read this book since the start of the summer, but ever since I moved home from university, I haven't had ANY opportunities to read it. The wait is impossible at the library, and the only affordable bookstore around here (Borders) is closing, and they have absolutely no copies left! But that isn't why I'd like to win this book (I can always Amazon it!).
I'd love to win this book because it's literally been at the TOP of my to-read/to-find/to-own/to-love list since last year, when I first heard about it. I didn't even have to read your reasons to convince me (though I read them anyway because I was curious), I KNEW for nearly a year that this book would thrill, compel, and amaze me. You've probably caught on that I STILL haven't read it yet (which is killing me - imagine waiting for something, having it possibly in your grasp, only to discover it's sold out and buying things from the internet freak you out), but what I do know about it from my friends who have, from blogs like yours, and from the summary of the book itself is beyond intriguing.
What appeals to me most about this book in fact IS the premise, and the way Oliver writes so emotionally. I remember reading Before I Fall when it was first published and it was the raw emotion and the characterization that made that book for me. To throw something like that into a world where love might as well be the plague and a force of nature to be stopped... It sounds terrifying, and frankly, thrilling. It's been a while since I've read a book that has affected me so deeply, so thoroughly that it not only shocks me, but I spend ages thinking about it afterward. Everyone I know who read this book LOVED it, and even more than that, they, like you, sobbed. The thought that words and characters could nearly unanimously make people cry is amazing. I want to feel that strongly about a book. I can't remember the last time I did.
I'll confess that I don't know too much about Alex (though I like to think this is a good thing - I want to fall for him by reading the book, and I'm glad I've managed to go this far without being spoiled terribly), but he sounds like a character I would love, and I'm glad I'm hearing positive things about his and Lena's relationship because I think most YA books these days fail to capture realistic well-developed relationships. Alex and Lena sound fantastic, and I hope to love these characters as themselves and as a couple when I finally do get the opportunity to read DELIRIUM.
Lastly, I'd love to read this book because it sounds like dystopian YA literature at its best. I'm a huge fan of the The Hunger Games, and The Giver was my first dystopian book, so I know that though the trend may be popular, it's difficult to fully create a dystopian world in a way that actually intrigues and engages the reader. Again, I don't know too much about DELIRIUM because I've tried to stay away from spoilers, but the world, though again - TERRIFYING, sounds fantastically constructed, and even though it freaks me out a bit, I can't wait to step into it.
Anyway, thanks again for the giveaway. I absolutely cannot wait to read this!
Munnaza
infalliblyyours[at]gmail[dot]com
I've never heard of this book but the magnificent way that you described it makes me want to read it. I love to read stories that you get so into that you get emotional.
-Temara
Email- temarasheppard@yahoo.com
"Love is a disease to be destroyed"? Sounds like my life right now. Reading this books sounds like it would be a very cathartic experience.
Plus, I'm a Canadian book blogger and it's nice to find a giveaway that is actually open to me!
So, it was December 31st 2010. I woke up, not really caring about being New Year's Eve. I didn't have any plans aside from sitting on my window at midnight, watching the fireworks. But I had 15 hours to kill until that.
What to do?
All of my friends were away on vacation. My sisters too. My parents were still asleep (for some reason, I'm always the first to rise). I guess I could watch TV or go to my computer, but I felt like reading. So I looked over my book shelf. Like many out there, I always have this big pile of books waiting to be read. It's stupid, really. I always reach out to one, and then I see another one that I've already read and loved, and end up reading that one again.
I was going to read The Declaration by Gemma Malley (AGAIN), but next to it was "before i fall". Now, I didn't know much about the book. A friend of mine gave it to me, because he heard it had a "Groundhog Day" vibe to it, and he knew that's one of my favorite movies of all time. I loved the cover, but like I said, I had so many books in my pile, I just didn't jump right into it.
"The time for procrastinating is up" I thought. And this is not even a clever narrating tool, I literally thought that, with those words. Sometimes I just have these really silly worded thoughts.
So I started reading "before i fall". And till this day, it was one of the most amazing things that had ever happened to me. Lauren's writing does things to you. You've read one of her books, you know what I mean. And her characters are so special and real. Like, you can touch them. It's because of characters like those that I always get annoyed when someone says I should not take books so seriously, they're not real. They're as real as anything! They make me FEEL. And Lauren made me feel so much. I remember I finished reading "before i fall" a few minutes before midnight. So I went to my bedroom window, put on my iPod, turned on a song called "The Heart of the Matter" by The Eagles (a song that was mentioned on the book), and I stood there, watching the fireworks, in awe of what had just happened to me. The story I had learned, the characters I met, a new author in my heart. And I admit it, I cried a little. And some may say it was just something of the moment, that my eyes were exhausted after the heavy reading, that I got caught up by the fireworks and the music. But I know (and you may know it too) it was more than that. It was Lauren's writing.
So of course I was super excited for the new book. But I'm just one poor little brazilian college student, spending most of her money with college books and tuition. So I still haven't got the opportunity to buy Delirium. But I really want to win it. Because I know I will love it, and that eventually, it's going to become one of those books I mentioned earlier. The ones that are so good, they stop me from starting the ones I haven't read yet.
That's it, then. Great giveaway, thanks for reading all of this!
Love, Dayse.
----------------------------------
daysedantas@hotmail.com
5 Reasons why you should buy to me Delirium
#1 I REALLY. REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to read this book
#2 I'm a romantic, and since I read the Goodreads review, I fell in love with this book, I'm prepared to be hooked!
#3 I love Dystopian novels
#4 I'm broke
#5 Because I just hypnotize you and you'll buy it to me ;)
Ok, so I've read lots of reviews from this book, and sometimes I can't beleive I haven't read it yet, I'm dying to read it, It'd be interesting to know a new world without our most precious and valuable feeling: Love. How that can it be? I have my fingers crossed so maybe you choose me =) hehe. Anyway, thanks for this chance!
GFC: Liss125
Lissette_125 at hotmail dot com
Okay, I'm not gonna lie. One of the reasons I want to read this book is because of the awesome review you just gave it. I know when I am truly blown away by a book, it's so hard to describe it to someone else because every single thing the characters do amaze you. (I mean that literally, I get excited when my favourite characters drink a cup of coffee) So to see you so in love with Delirium makes me think I've just found a diamond in the rough. And the plot sounds surprisingly different from everything that's been put out there lately. Well, that's my comment, thanks for having this contest by the way. Happy reading, and please keep posting your reviews, they're awesome!
Michelle Soares
twitter: @meeshtneb hotmail: michelle-soares@live.ca
Hello! I'm a relatively new follower and obviously the Delirium giveaway caught my eye because it's been on my wishlist for practically ever! I like lists, so I'll make you one of all the reasons I need this book.
#1: I am a college student and all the money I make goes toward school (or the Borders-going-out-of-business sale, but let's not talk about that). Oh, also, maybe I'm the last one to figure this out, but don't work in retail! Such a bad place for my first summer job: half the money in my paycheck went back to Nordstrom.
#2: I go through books like nobody's business. Books seem to find their way to me like little puppies without a home, but I seem to zip through them just as fast. Another problem? I'm banned from the library. Well, self-imposed ban, I guess, because I refused to pay the $30 in the fines I've accumulated and they refuse to take it away, even though I volunteer there all the time. Being banned from the library is a bad thing for a book lover.
#3: I read Before I Fall. Need I say more? Wow. Just wow. What kind of crack is Lauren Oliver on that she's just churning out books that people just adore?
#4: There's something about dystopian YA fiction that just captures my heart, and it kills me when people out there are raving about fantastic books like Wither, Matched, and, yes, Delirium, that I haven't read.
#5: Yeah, okay, I'm a die-hard romantic. But isn't everybody? But gah, the premise of Delirium just makes me know that it promises an amazing romance.
#6: I'm the last to read everything. Hunger Games? Yup. Across the Universe? You betcha. Before I Fall? Oh yeah. Mortal Instruments? Still haven't read 'em. If I win Delirium, I won't be the last to read it, just the second-to-last.
#7: I love books that make you cry, and as Lauren Oliver has already done just that, I know this one will be no different.
#8: Why else do I want to read it? Because you told me to!
PS- I would recommend Noughts & Crosses if you haven't already read it. I know you said you don't normally like the whole Romeo and Juliet vibe thing, but this novel is quality. I think it's by Marjorie Blackman? Anyway, I SOBBED at the end as well.
Anyway, sorry for the long spiel and thanks for the fantastic giveaway!
Audrey
twigerina[at]hotmail[dot]com
Okay why I should win Delirium....Well I love to read and I am completely hooked on dystopian YA books. I read The Hunger Games Trilogy and LOVED it! I've been reading Incarceron by Catherine Fisher and Divergent is also on my wishlist! I pretty much read anything but maybe you should convince me that Delirium is so awesome that I need to read it. : ) Actually, you've already done that : ) I want to read Delirium because the idea is amazing. What would the world be like if love wasn't allowed (or existed)? What happens to Alex and Lena? I WANT TO KNOW!!! Please consider me for this awesome giveaway :) I am definitely a reader and not a writer (I'm a science teacher) so I like to keep things short and sweet :)
e(dot)baker219(at)gmail(dot)com
Basically I want this book because of several reasons.
1. Love is a disease for me
2. But I can't help myself because it's a human emotion and I am pretty sure I'm human
3. Everyone has told me how freaking amazing it is
4. I just checked Delirium out of the library and just started it and want to steal it from them
5. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get; so I have a 1 out of ?? chance of winning this really good chocolate :)
hmmm I think that's about it. especially since my brain is way to fried at 1:31 am to think of anything else at the moment. I can't wait to say: I OWN DELIRIUM! QUIVER IN MY INFINITE POWER OF LITERATURE AND KNOWLEDGE!!!! FEAR ME AND BASK IN THE GREATNESS!
PS dystopian novels kick butt!!!!!!
gilbertandgomez@gmail.com
@GilbertGomez11
Every time someone mentioned that Book X is the best book they've read, I get an overwhelming urge to find Book X and read it to really, really see if I will come to the same conclusion. Of course, your statement piqued my curiousity and I need to have a copy of that book to find out!
I have also tried reading dystopian novel and have not been able to finish it as I find it too bleak and depressing. It's strange since I can stomach dystopian movies and Japanese animes, but dystopian novels have not managed to capture my attention. So I would like to read this dystopian book that has been receiving glowing praises from so many people and see if I will be able to finish it and eventually become a fan of dystopian novels. (FYI, the dystopian book that I started reading and haven't finished is Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. Some said it's a darker version of The Hunger Games but I don't know since I haven't read that either. Oh, BR also has a Japanese movie adaptation that I've watched)
I hope I'm able to convince you to give me a copy of Delirium. Thanks for holding the giveaway :)
lincalc at gmail dot com
So, why do I want to read this book….well, first of all, the cover caught my attention. The original cover had a sense of mystery to it. The new cover compels you to read it. Seeing Lauren Oliver’s name on the cover just added to my decision to add this book to my “to read list”. I had just finished reading Before I fall by Lauren Oliver so I am familiar with her writing style. Her writing style is detailed and unique to read.
The plot of Delirium is original and shocking. A society where love is dangerous, a DISEASE? This is the type of book that I would like to read because it is about LOOVVEE . You know that someone is going to rebel. WARNING: I’m going to sound cheesy now. Love is something that you can’t buy or ignore. It is magical (I know, I know, I sound cheesy). Ok, I’m done being cheesy. Anyway, a book about a society where love AKA amor deliria nervosa is forbidden will catch anyone’s attention because this novel is also about first love. Everyone, at one time, has experienced first love. For some, it is gradual and expected, other times, it is sudden, “OMG, I think I love him/her.” So, who doesn’t like to read a sweet first love story?
The BIGGEST reason as to why I want to read this is to find out what will happen! Will Lena and Alex break free from the government? Will amor deliria nervosa no longer be deemed dangerous? WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN???????
Reading the summary for Pandemonium kind of spoiled Delirium for me. I know that Alex will not escape and that only Lena broke free. SO what I am excited for about this series is…..WILL ALEX BE COMING BACK IN THE NEXT TWO BOOKS? Will people love again???AND what is this about Lena falling in love with SOMEONE else (quote from goodread: “Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again?” )
At the end of the summary for Pandemonium from goodreads, it mentioned that this series appeals to readers who like Romeo and Juliet and The Hunger Games. Well, that is another reason why I want to read this. It is a mix of TWO of my FAVORITE books of ALL TIME!!!!
If I win (pretty please), I will be eternally grateful. Thank you for reading my long long long reason as to why I would LOVE to read this book and hopefully, win a copy (pretty please, with a happy face -> :D).
Emily
emilymeimei204 AT yahoo DOT com
Ok, wow, this competition is going to be harder than I first thought! Thanks so much for offering it though :)
I loved your review, it gave me shivers up my arms and down my legs and made me google my library to see if they had any in stock I was so desperate to read it!
Ok, so reasons... I love to read. For so many years reading has been my whole heart and soul and then I went through some stuff and I began to struggle. slowly, books like The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson and If I Stay by Gayle Foreman have brought back my love and desire to read and bring me back to myself.When I first saw the cover blurb saying 'from the author of If I fall', i actually thought it was a book by Gayle Forman and so I got extremely excited, but then I got even more excited when I saw it was actually by Lauren Oliver as Before I Fall has been on my Amazon list since 2007 and I keep going to buy it but I don't want to lose the anticipation I have for it:)
And I totally get what you mean by people not loving the same books as much as you do! I recently lent a book to a friend and she hated it and I almost cried because of her review lol. So even if I don't win I will still get this book and I would so love to talk to you about this one and others!
The concept of Delirium kind of terrifies me and excites me, like Lena. I haven't ever been in love before, but I love the description that she's fears the sky will turn gray after the procedure (I don't know how accurate that is, I took it from the amazon review). I love dystopian novels and government control and how crazy it is that her future will just be decided for her. Sometimes (I'm 19) I kind of feel the same, like everythings decided and I can't veer of the chosen track. I can't wait to find out how she deals with this and I am so so excited that there is more then one book! I love when the author creates a series. I also love how it sounds similar to Matched by Allie Condie, which I was so excited for but then was a bit disapointed with. I really hoped that the boys would be awesome and the government would be a huge influence (I'm a total conspiracy theorist) but it wasn't as great as I'd hoped and I didn't really like the characters all that much. Your description of the characters is great and the way you described Alex makes me go a bit melty lol, I love when the boys adore the main character like in the Hunger Games or This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. or all of Sarah Dessen's books actually. Oh and The Sky is Everywhere, haha, sorry for mentioning it twice but it's MY favourate book of 2011 :). ok, i just checked and I don't think you've reviewed it yet but I'll keep watching for if you do and I can eiher gush with you, or pretend not to hear if you hate it :) Delirium sounds like it will be everything and more. haha, sorry, finishing comment now, i got a bit distracted and began the book convo early so please excuse!
Bethanie
bethaniek(at)gmail(dot)com
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