(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Since I'm probably the last person on Earth to read this one, I'll try not to get too wordy with the "plot" description of Dr. Gary Chapman's popular book, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts.  Basically, Chapman—a long-time pastor and marriage counselor—believes that each person receives love most meaningfully through one of five approaches:  Touch; Words of Affirmation; Acts of Service; Receiving Gifts; and Quality Time.  This is his or her Primary Love Language.  The next most appealing one is their Secondary Love Language.  This means that while a wife may enjoy receiving jewelry or hearing how amazing she is, if the things that really melt her heart are her husband's offers to make dinner when she's too tired to do it herself or to fold the laundry so she doesn't have to, her Primary Love Language is probably Acts of Service.  Other "languages" may speak to her, but this is the one that really lets her know she's loved and appreciated.  

Why is knowing your own and other people's love languages so important?  As Chapman explains, this information can literally transform your relationships.  Speaking specifically to married couples, the author urges spouses to discover their own Primary Love Language as well as their partner's so that they can show love to each other more effectively.  Want to really show your husband how much he means to you?  Try doing it in his love language, not your own.  For such a simple concept, it's actually quite revolutionary.  Chapman offers numerous examples of how this knowledge helped couples he worked with create happier, more fulfilling marriages.  He offers suggestions on how to apply the same principles in your own home.  In subsequent books Chapman also discusses how this approach can be used in parenting young children and teenagers; dating; getting along with others in the workplace; and in dealing with a military marriage. 

The 5 Languages is quick, readable and uplifting.  It offers not just practical tips for improving relationships, but also hope that even the rockiest marriages can be saved with the unselfish application of the principles in the book.  Since even the most solid unions need strengthening sometimes, the book's information applies to all of us.  It truly is an easy, inspiring read and one I highly recommend.  

For lots of free, online information about The 5 Love Languages, visit:  http://www.5lovelanguages.com/

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Guess I should read more relationship-y books, eh?)

Grade:

       

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  

for references to sex

To the FTC, with love:  I purchased a copy of The Five Love Languages from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.  

   

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for Pandemonium, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from Delirium.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Lena Haloway is dead.  That weak, clueless girl no longer exists.  After months of struggling to survive in the Wilds, all Lena's soft places have hardened and she can barely recognize the person she used to be.  She's now Lena Jones, a tough, ruthless fighter for the Resistance.  Posing as a twelfth grader at Quincy Edwards High School for Girls in Brooklyn, New York, she gathers intel, giving the information to the people behind the rebellion that's gathering strength in the United States.  

But Lena Jones is not, actually, as steely as she thinks she is.  Her mind won't stay away from thoughts of Alex, from torturing herself with the sure knowledge that she's at least partly responsible for his death.  As much as she wants to purge him from her memory, he's always there.  She just wishes he were here.   

When a political rally goes horribly awry, Lena has to focus on the task at hand:  saving herself and 18-year-old Julian Fineman.  Julian is the face of Deliria-Free America (DFA), the organization headed by his father.  He's also becoming Lena's friend and, maybe, just a little bit more.  The more she gets to know Julian, the more she's sure of one thing:  she can't let him get the Cure.  She'll save him—like she couldn't save Alex—no matter what it takes.

Alternating between "Then" and "Now," Pandemonium, the second book in Lauren Oliver's popular Delirium series, describes Lena's fight to survive after she escapes from the walled-in city of Portland, Maine and her subsequent work with the Resistance.  While it's pretty much non-stop action and emotion, which makes for an exciting read, the story doesn't actually go anywhere new.  It offers up a few plot twists, but nothing I didn't see coming.  So, while the plot kept me engaged, I still ended up feeling a little disappointed with this sequel.  It did make me anxious to see what will happen in the next book, though, and that's always a good thing.    

(Readalikes:  Delirium by Lauren Oliver; this series also reminds me of the Matched series [Matched; Crossed]by Ally Condie; the Uglies series [Uglies; Pretties; Specials; Extras] by Scott Westerfeld; and the Birthmarked [Birthmarked; Prized] series by Caragh M. O'Brien)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for violence and strong language

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Pandemonium from the generous folks at HarperTeen.  Thank you!