Megan Rambles About Let It Snow

From Goodreads: The weather outside is frightful, but these stories are delightful! When a huge blizzard (that doesn't show signs of stopping) hits, Gracetown is completely snowed in. But even though it's cold outside, things are heating up inside, proving that the holiday season is magical when it comes to love. In three wonderfully (and hilariously!) interconnected tales, YA stars John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson create a must-have collection that captures all the spirit of the holiday season.

 I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.  I know I've been reading all of John Green's books recently and been saying that about every single one, but that's because they're all so GOOD. This book made me feel like it was the holidays again, and when I uncurled from my little ball on the couch, I was seriously expecting there to be a ton of snow piled up outside my windows. However, all I found was a windy, too warm for snow but still really cold day. That is how wrapped up I was in this book. I completely forgot that Christmas and the holidays were over a month ago. 


That said, I also loved the characters. Jubilee is awesome, and hysterical. With just a tiny hint of crazy. I wish she was real, because I would love to hang out with her sometime. Stuart. OH MY GOD STUART. He's adorable. I love him so much, and he was the cutest guy ever, but also dorky in a way that only made me love him more. Jeb was also quite possibly the sweetest guy EVER, Tobin was adorably nerdy and I also loved him. Basically, all of the characters in this book were brilliant, and I loved reading what happened to them in this GIANT BLIZZARD. The only character that kind of annoyed me sometimes was Addie, but even she turned out to be alright in the end. 


I also loved the fact that I could tell which author wrote each story, yet they all seemed to go together so well. It was like one person wrote the book, but somehow managed to make each story sound slightly different. (If that even makes sense.) I laughed so hard I cried through half of this book, and the ending was so perfect I loved it! It left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, wishing for the holidays all over again. I mean, who doesn't love a book where people spend Christmas trying to get through a blizzard to a Waffle House to see a bunch of cheerleaders. While carrying Twister. Just saying. You should really read this book. 


And now, I'm off to go start Will Grayson, Will Grayson. *waves*
DFTBA
-Megan

Megan Rambles About Looking For Alaska

From Goodreads:
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green's arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.


OMG YOU GUYS WHY DID I WAIT THIS LONG TO READ THIS BOOK? WHY, WHY WHY? This book was INCREDIBLE. John Green deserves every bit of praise and every award, etc. that he gets for this book! I loved the format, written with a Before and After, with a HUGE event in the middle.

Miles, AKA Pudge, who I loved very much because he was oh so adorable and nerdy, ends up at Culver Creek. It's a boarding school in Alabama, and basically, it is the boarding school from hell. There is almost nothing to do, and so many rules the kids have rules coming out of their EARS. So a lot of them drink and smoke for fun, which is of course, against the rules. They also prank each other A LOT. And no one is better at pranking than Alaska Young, and no one is better at planning the pranks than Chip AKA the Colonel. Even thought there is so much wrong with this place, like a certain swan that lives in the lake and likes to attack people, I still found myself wanting to go there, because I LOVED the characters. They were all so fun, always joking around, playing video games, and yes occasionally drinking. Okay so they drank often. Whatever.

There was so much I loved about this book. The jokes had me dying of laughter on every single page, usually while I shook my head at how screwed up this school was. Like that time when the Colonel proclaims, "I've been doing some calculations, and I have determined that you are full of shit." I died. *cracks up thinking about it* There were so many quotes and things that I loved that I can't possibly remember them all. But there were basketball games, videogames, hanging out, partying, and a prank war that was so hysterical I literally cried. And that was all Before.

After? Well, I'll let you figure that one out on your own. But it's just like the description says, it changes everything. Basically, GO PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW. You don't want to miss it. And I say that more strongly than I usually do, because seriously. This is the best book ever. *sighs* Yes I KNOW I say that a lot. But really, this book deserves it, and you won't regret buying a copy so you can read it over and over and over again. I know I'm going to.

I'm totally going to reread part of it now! *runs off*
Oh wait! You know I have to say it! *smiles* DFTBA. *waves*
-Megan

THANK YOU RACHEL!! YOU'RE AWESOME!!!

P.S. Look guys! I have a J-Scribble!!! 

Rachel Rambles About Everneath

From Goodreads:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

First of all, let's all take a moment to stare at the pretty cover. *gazes lovingly* *strokes* Preeeeeetttty.

Okay, then. Now that that's out of the way, I have a secret to tell you. Are you ready? *whispers* I love this book. Shh! Don't tell.

My heart swells with love for this book. I love the take on Greek Mythology, a subject Megan and I happen to be studying in school right now. It's also, incidentally, a subject that our teacher manages to make us hate. So it was really awesome to read this book and actually be like, "Oh wow. These Greek people are like, interesting and stuff". ("Interesting and stuff" is normal teenage speak, yo.)


Also: COLE and JACK. Oh wow oh wow oh wow. Jack is incredibly swoonworthy and I have a really big crush on him and wow can I just marry him right now? And then there's Cole, who has the whole dark and mysterious and possibly evil and AHEM dead sexy thing going on. Also HE PLAYS THE GUITAR AHHHH.


I'm sorry. I promise the hot guys aren't the only reason I love this book. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO LOVE. The story alternates from the present to the past, which is a really interesting technique. There are so many ways for it to be confusing or for it to backfire completely, but it really works in Everneath. This story was surprisingly fast-paced, and I read this book in about a day because I just couldn't put it down. (Related: I was supposed to do homework and study for a test, but this book was too good to stop reading. OOPS. It was worth it, though.)


Alright, let's talk about the protagonist, Nikki. (By the way, I apologize for the incredibly random string of thoughts in this so-called "review". I just have a lot of feelings that I can't express in any organized way.) Anyway, so Nikki is, um, AWESOME. What I like most about her is that she just seems normal. She's not overly shy or timid, but she's not all SUPER TOUGH BAD ASS either. She's just a normal teenage girl. Which made it really easy for me to relate to her. There was never a time in this book where I was like "ARRGGGH WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!?!?!" because I understood all of her decisions and why she made them. I felt like I was reading about myself or one of my friends. Nikki was a character that I really connected with.


Oh and the ending? WOAH.
THAT IS ALL I AM GOING TO SAY.


So if you haven't read this yet, I definitely recommend it. An awesome main character, two hot guys, Greek Mythology, with an element of mystery thrown in. This is quite possibly the best combination ever.


-Rachel

Megan Rambles About The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Isn't this cover absolutely gorgeous?

From Goodreads:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Let me start off by saying how much I absolutely LOVED this book. I had already heard such great things about it from everyone who had read it, and I couldn't wait to read it myself. So a couple of days ago I stayed home from school because I had a really bad cold and absolutely no voice. While that kind of sucked to say the least, I got to read a really good book instead of sitting in class! IT'S ALL GOOD! 

This is the kind of book you just want to curl up on the couch with, and read the entire thing in one sitting. Which is exactly what I did. In about 6 hours, I DEVOURED this book, and fell in love with the characters. I loved Hadley so much, because she was very real. Even though Oliver is totally hot and adorable and completely swoon worthy, Hadley wasn't all "OH.MY.GOD. HE'S SO HOT I CAN'T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE" the entire time, which I respect. Plus you could really feel for her throughout the entire story. She was just a very real character.

OLIVER. OMG YOU GUYS OLIVER. *HUGS* I love him so much. He's adorable, has his problems, and he ISN'T perfect. Which is why I love him. Oliver was another character that was realistic. The entire relationship between Hadley and Oliver was great, and completely believable. The only question this book left me with is WHY ISN'T THIS BOOK REAL?? Seriously, I've been in air ports hundreds of times, and I've flown to all kinds of places for all different reasons. Why is it that this has never happened to me? I would like to go to an airport one time, and meet an Oliver. 


So I'm off to figure out how to make this happen to me. That's how awesome this book was! It sucked me into the story, and I found myself wandering around London with Hadley, and flying across the ocean with her too. If you haven't read it, well...WHAT ARE YOU DOING? *points* Go pick a copy of this up! You won't be disappointed!

*dashes out of room* OLIVER! WHERE ARE YOU???
-Megan

Megan Rambles About Hollowmen

From Goodreads:
the sequel to Hollowland....

After six months in the quarantine, Remy finds out things are much worse than she feared. Her plans to escape come with a heavy cost, and she realizes that zombies aren't the worst of her problems.

 So I finished this a few days ago, and I didn't really know how to put this review into words. I loved Hollowland, and I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, because spoilers suck. Basically, I liked this book, but I was also disappointed with it. There was a lot of the same things that I loved, like Remy being a complete bad ass and killing a ton of zombies, or Ripley, the super awesome lion that I love. Plus there were the actual zombies, which kept me on edge the entire time I was reading this. 


The new characters were great, as well as the return of some of my favorites from the previous book. This was a good follow up to a great first book, but I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It was an ending, but it was also very open ended. There were so many unanswered questions, and in my mind, a lot of different places the story could go after this. I know there isn't a third book right now, but I really hope that eventually there will be. So even though I was slightly disappointed in the ending, I still loved this book and I highly recommend the series. If you're a fan of zombies, or even if you aren't, check these books out! You won't regret it. 


-Megan

Rachel Rambles About Hate List

From Goodreads:

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.


This is not an easy book to write about. I keep typing things and deleting them because I just have no idea what the hell I am supposed to say.


Basically, this was an amazing book, and I am very glad that I read it. But it was not an easy book to read. I mean, that much is obvious from the summary. This book is not at all light and fluffy. It's dark and heavy and serious. It's a real eye-opener.

The thing about Hate List is that it feels very realistic. Unfortunately, things like school shootings are part of people's lives nowadays. What Jennifer Brown did in this novel was tell the story of a girl named Valerie who was part hero, part villain, and part victim. The lines between these separate types of people get blurred, and even Valerie has a hard time figuring out which one she really is. The tragedy of a school shooting affects so many people for so many reasons, in so many different ways.

But what if your boyfriend was the shooter? What if you loved him? What if you had no idea what he was planning? What if, somehow, you indirectly helped him plan it? What if you didn't mean for anyone to die? What if you didn't know?

These are all questions that Valerie struggles with everyday. She goes back to school, surrounded by classmates who blame her, and she is ostracized. She literally has no one. 

This book explores the effects of a school shooting on different people. The lives of students and teachers and friends and parents and siblings are all changed drastically. If you are a high schooler, or even if you know a high schooler, I strongly recommend this book. While it was very difficult to read at times, it definitely opened my eyes to the things around me.


-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Hallowed

 From Goodreads:
For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 

Let's all just take a moment to stare at the pretty cover. Isn't it just gorgeous? It's even better in real life. I am so obsessed with the covers for Unearthly and Hallowed it is seriously becoming a problem. I keep staring at them and stroking them and whispering sweet nothings to them.


Okay. So I'm exaggerating a little bit. But not that much. (Lies. She is not exaggerating. I have seen it. -Megan)


I read Unearthly a few days ago for the first time, and immediately fell in love with the story. I thought it would be impossible for Hallowed to get any better. And holy crap how wrong I was. Hallowed exceeded my very high expectations, and I liked it even more than Unearthly. Which is saying a lot.


Hallowed has all the things I loved about Unearthly. Basically, it had a lot of Christian and Tucker. OH MY WOW YOU GUYS THESE BOYS ARE SO HOT. I love them both. After reading Unearthly, I was definitely Team Tucker, but now I'm not so sure. I can no longer choose sides. I love them both equally. 

A quick note about love triangles: To be honest, I'm getting really sick of them. But there are definitely certain books that the love triangles are just...perfect in. And Hallowed was definitely one of them. I can completely understand what Clara is going through as she struggles with the choice between Christian and Tucker. It's not like a "two hot guys fight over the girl who really isn't all that special" kind of thing. It's more than that. It's about choices and destiny. The love triangle is done in such a perfect and thorough way that it makes sense. You understand the pain each of the characters is going through, and you have no idea where they will end up.


This book brought so many surprise twists and turns. Just when you think you are finally caught up on everything that is happening... BAM! Another secret is revealed. Then, as you're still trying to recover from that big twist, ANOTHER SHOCKING THING HAPPENS. There were so many things that I could never have seen coming. This book kept me on my toes, in the best possible way.

One thing I wasn't expecting about Hallowed was the PURE EMOTION. I cried while reading this...several times. My heart was breaking along with Clara's throughout this novel, and I don't even know if it will ever be healed. By this point, I have grown so attached to all the characters in this story. So much that I feel like I actually know them. Their pain is my pain and all that.


I love when a book makes me feel such strong emotions. It's a really amazing thing to develop such a deep connection with a PIECE OF FREAKING PAPER. So I definitely give this book five thousand stars or whatever. It was even better than Unearthly, and I am DYING for the last book to come out. 

-Rachel

Megan Rambles About Tornado Warning

From Goodreads: Parents, teens, and survivors are lucky that Elin Stebbins Waldal has the courage to share her own harrowing experience with teen dating violence. At 17 she unwittingly fell in love with an abusive man. Tornado Warning is the true, honest portrait of how he whittled her down with words, hands, and weapons from a confident teen to the shadow of a woman.

But Stebbins Waldal offers more. Interwoven with her real-life journal, she reflects on how this relationship has affected her since, and how she is working to protect her teenagers from succumbing to a similar experience. Provocative and healing, Tornado Warning is a must-read for parents, women, and anyone who has suffered at the hands of a loved one.

This book....I don't really know where to start. Basically, I read this for school, but I decided to review it anyway. It's obviously completely different from what I usually read, non-fiction for starters, as well as being honestly depressing. I think I would've been disappointed if it wasn't depressing though. Considering it's a story about teen dating violence, if it wasn't depressing, I would be disappointed with Elin Stebbins Waldal's writing. I can honestly say that I wasn't disappointed.

I'll also open this by saying that Rachel and I don't really do star ratings here, considering we would be giving five stars to a large amount of the books we read. Mostly this is just because we read books that we LIKE. If you look at this review on Goodreads, you'll see that I gave this book 4 stars, but it's actually more between 3 and 4.

This is the flower before a reflection

Like the description says, it's written partially in journal entries during the almost 3 year period where Elin was dating Derrick, and partially in reflections from the adult Elin. These are clearly broken up by a whole flower, signaling that it is the adult Elin talking, and a shattered flower, signaling that it's a journal entry. The journals are also in italics. I liked this format, and it made what could have been something really confusing.....well.....not.

This is the flower before a journal entry

Basically, this book was really hard to get into, but that might just be because I read it for school. Some of the characters in the journal entries also seemed to appear out of nowhere/disappear into thin air. This is probably because there are journal entries that weren't included in the book, or some of the stuff just wasn't written down by Elin at the time. So I was slightly confused at time as to who some of Elin and Derrick's friends were when they randomly showed up. If you looked past this though, Elin explained herself and all of her feelings really well.

By the end I pretty much liked this book, and it had some great messages that go along with teen violence and healing/ dealing with our experiences. If you have read Sarah Dessen's Dreamland and liked it, you will probably like this book, because the similarities between them are shocking. This book really made me gain a whole new respect for Sarah Dessen, because she really must have done her research before writing Dreamland, because it was spot on with the real life experience given in this book.

Even though I thought this book was just alright, I still think people should read it. If you're a mom, a teenager, or just a woman/girl in general this is definitely a good book to read. It might teach you a thing or two about protecting yourself from teen dating violence and just how bad it is. So if you don't mind some strong language, and of course the violence, which can be kind of graphic, then I definitely recommend picking this book up. It's a good read.

*sighs* okay. The serious is over. I'm going to go finish the project that I read this book for now. And then I'm going to read a less heavy book to perk myself back up.

DFTBA
-Megan

Megan Rambles About Hollowland

From Goodreads: "This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.This book was recommended to me by a friend on my Goodreads list. She said it was free on Kindle, so I read the description, decided it sounded cool, and downloaded it. Because you can't argue with free books. So thank you to Monica Perez for the great recommendation! 

So this was my first zombie book, and I have to be honest I was surprised by how much I liked it. I've had a bit of a zombie obsession lately since my dad started watching The Walking Dead, which is a really cool show on AMC. It's a show all about a group of humans trying to survive after a zombie apocalypse, and you can't help but get emotionally attached to them. I want to know what happens now! If you don't mind some graphic blood and guts, you should check it out. There is definitely some major zombie butt kicking that goes down.

Anywho, as soon as I started reading this book I was hooked. Remy was interesting, and her bravery was evident right away. She would go through hell and back for her little brother Max, which is basically what she's forced to do after he is evacuated from their quarantine during a zombie attack. The other thing that is obvious right away is how much of a complete badass Remy is! She can seriously take down like a whole army of zombies by herself, and she doesn't necessarily need a gun to do it. Something as simple as a match and some alcohol or a zombie leg, stick, or pipe will do. I'm not kidding. She actually does attempt to kill a few zombies with alcohol and matches. Whether it ends well or not...well just read to find out.

Remy wasn't the only badass zombie killer in this book though, there was also Blue, Lazlo, Harlow, and Ripley the lion. Yes I said lion. She is a freaking lion who follows them around and hates zombies. She kind of makes me want a pet lion in case there is like a zombie apocalypse or something. BECAUSE SHE COULD HANDLE IT. Harlow is a sweet girl, and even she does her fair share of zombie killing. Blue can definitely handle himself too. And then there is Lazlo. *sigh* swoony swoony Lazlo. I kind of love him. A lot. He's adorable, and protective, and OMG I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! *composes self* Seriously though. He's kind of hot. Like a lot hot.

This book had a lot of surprises, great characters, and an ending that was almost as deadly as the hoards of zombies that show up around every turn. I've already downloaded the sequel and I plan on reading it soon! *ignores giant pile of books teetering behind self* This book is also still FREE if you download it from amazon HERE. So I recommend down loading it if you have a Kindle. It's worth it. If not, it's still worth getting your hands on a copy. This book won't disappoint.

Happy reading everyone and DFTBA.
-Megan

Rachel Rambles About Unearthly

From Goodreads:
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

WHY DID I NOT READ THIS BOOK SOONER?! Seriously. This book has been sitting on my shelf for about a year now, and I just got around to reading it. I have no idea WHY I didn't read it before. I must be crazy.


So the first thing that caught my eye about this book was the cover. THE COVER IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COVER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. *strokes cover* It's purple and shiny and just so pretty. This totally wins the BEST COVER EVER award, at least in my opinion. I literally haven't shut up about how much I love this cover (just ask Megan). So, yeah. Yay HarperTeen for another amazing cover! *cheers*


I mean, don't judge a book by a cover and all that. Just be sure to take a moment to gaze lovingly at the purple shiny amazingness.


Oh right. The actual book. Um, alright, how do I say this? I LOVE THIS BOOK. I have read a lot about angels and Nephilim and angel-bloods, etc. And to be honest, sometimes I just get really sick of it. But in Unearthly, everything about the angels was incredibly fresh and new and unique. It was truly captivating.

ALSO THERE ARE HOT GUYS! I'm sorry. I'm trying to be professional, I really am. But how can I not freak out about these guys? I love them both, and I think their relationships to the main character, Clara, are both very interesting. But as much as I love Christian, I am totally Team Tucker.


There are several supporting characters in this book that have everything I look for in characters. They are funny, smart, entertaining, and loyal. In this book, Clara isn't obsessed with a boy or anything. She has actual relationships with her mother, her brother, her friends, AND the boys. The world doesn't revolve around a love interest. Clara has several things going on in her life, and she is pretty good at balancing them all.


One of my favorite things about this book was the whole idea of destiny. So many teenagers struggle to discover who they are or what they're supposed to do with their life. But Clara already knows. She knows who she is and what she has to do. This was really refreshing to read about a character like this. It's kind of the opposite of what many YA books are about. 

I still have no idea why I waited so long to read this. I'm an idiot, I guess. Don't make the same mistake I made, people! Read this soon!

Oh. And there's a sequel called Hallowed with an equally beautiful cover that I will be reading immediately. YAY FOR MORE HOT GUYS. *coughs* And, you know, the other stuff. 


-Rachel

P.S. TUCKER AVERY IS MINE.
 

Rachel Rambles About THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

From Goodreads:
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

A brief message: THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS. So don't be afraid to read this ramble if you have not read the book. I will basically just be talking about how much I enjoyed this book, without actually telling you about what the book is like, about and stuff.

So here we go: I LOVE THIS BOOK SO FREAKING MUCH. I thought John Green couldn't possibly get any better than his other books but you guys, HE DID. This book is still super fresh in my mind, so I can't exactly give you an unbiased opinion, but this MIGHT be my favorite book of John's thus far.


First of all, it was written from a sixteen year old girl's point of view. Now, when this is done by a thirty-four year old author, things could potentially go terribly wrong. But John, like, GOT it. Somehow, he made Hazel seem like a real life teenage girl. I was seriously impressed. 


Hazel is smart and witty and interesting to read about. Her life doesn't revolve around her cancer. She does not sit around waiting to die. She is pretty much just a normal teenage girl, except she has an oxygen tank and she goes to Cancer Kid Support Group and she already finished high school so she takes college classes.


And then there's Augustus Waters. I won't say too much about him except for this: seventeen year old boys with one leg can be very, VERY attractive.


This book made me feel like no other book has. It made me feel sad and happy and elated and surprised and excited and confused and ALL OF THE FEELINGS. I laughed and I cried and I laughed and cried at the same time. I plan on reading this book again, like, immediately. 


The Fault in Our Stars... is pretty much impossible to put into words. It's just amazing in a way that nothing else can be amazing. 

Alright then. If you haven't read this book, GO DO IT NOW. I'm serious. *watches you* *waits* I am going to go listen to John read it to me on the audiobook.

Best wishes and DFTBA
-Rachel


P.S. I somehow ended up with three copies of this book, plus the audiobook from DFBTA Records. So now I have a signed copies, and two signed/hanklerfished copies. I AM NOT COMPLAINING.

P.P.S. Remember that time I went to the Tour de Nerdfighting and I met John and Hank? YEAH, THAT TIME WAS FREAKING AWESOME. BESTDAYEVER.

Rachel Rambles About The Girl of Fire and Thorns

From Goodreads:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.


I think I should mention right away that I am generally not a reader of high fantasy. Not because I don't like it or anything. I just...don't read a lot of it. So when I read the summary of this book I was very skeptical. It sounded interesting, but I had no idea if I would actually like it. I mean, princesses and kingdoms and dark magic aren't really my thing, you know?


All of that changed after reading this book. 


I'll admit, the beginning was a bit rough. For someone who reads a lot of contemporaries and paranormal and supernatural books, the world was kind of weird to adjust to. Like, the main character is a sixteen year old girl and she doesn't even have a CELL PHONE. Because cell phones don't exist! WHAT IS HAPPENING? I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

*clears throat* So naturally, being a teenager in today's world, it's definitely strange to read about a world that is Just. So. Different. So, yes. The first few chapters were a bit bumpy.


But soon enough, I found myself getting lost in this world. There's something so unique and beautiful about the setting of this book. Everything about my real life fell away when I was reading this, and it was hard to imagine a life that didn't include arranged marriages and journeys through the desert and bright blue stones with powers you can hardly imagine. Whenever I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about it, wondering what would happen next. This book kind of took over my brain for awhile, and it was hard to focus on mundane things like school and homework while I was reading it.


The main character, Elisa, is definitely one of my favorite protagonists I've read recently. In the beginning of the novel, Elisa feels useless, a feeling a lot of readers can relate to. Throughout the course of the book, Elisa undergoes a huge transformation. She turns into this tough, badass girl who is brave and smart and useful. She becomes a hero.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a combination of fantasy and adventure and romance and heartbreak. And I loved every minute of it.

Even if you've never read a word of high fantasy, I think you should definitely check this book out. It's unique and fascinating, and I am very glad I gave it a chance.

-Rachel

Megan Rambles About An Abundance of Katherines

LOOK WHAT I FINISHED YOU GUYS. AND HOLY CRAP IT WAS FREAKING AMAZING!!! Yes, I know I am VERY far behind. Very, very far. BUT. I am going to read all of John Green's books as quickly as I possibly can. As I write this, Rachel is in New York, meeting John, and Hank, and Katherine, and maybe Maureen Johnson because Twitter says she is going to. *loves Twitter* Ahem. ANYWAY.

From Goodreads: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washedup child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun–but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.




OMFUGGINGG YOU GUYS THIS BOOK WAS SO AWESOME. I mean, I kind of loved Colin, he was adorable in a kind of nerdy way. Even if all of his crazy equations made absolutely no sense to me. Plus, I mean you can't help but feel for the poor guy. Getting dumped 19 TIMES? All by girls named Katherine? That really sucks. And then there is Hassan. I love Hassan. He is kind of amazing. I kind of want him to be my best friend, because he's hysterical. I can't tell you how many times I was practically crying while reading this book....because I was laughing so hard. 


DINGLEBERRIES!!! Okay, come on, you know I had to do it at least once!! No promises I won't randomly do it again. Anyway, so I pretty much loved all of the characters in this book, Lindsey is just awesome. I loved how honest and open she was, and the little quirks that made her seem so realistic. Hassan and Colin too each had their own little quirks that made them not fit in, but at the same time, made them really awesome characters.


Hassan and Colin's friendship is so cool too. How often do you have a best friend who will go along with any schemes and tricks you come up with? Not very. I loved the way the two of them made up different stories to trick people, like the first time they met TOC.(I would explain this in greater detail because its hysterical, but I don't want to spoil anything in case there is someone reading this who hasn't read this book yet) If there is, it's okay. I'm in the same situation as you. Just go pick up John Green's books NOW, and READ THEM ALL, and it will be ALL GOOD. You won't regret it. 


So now Rachel will be happy, because I have read a John Green book. And as soon as she brings my books back signed signed or not they will be awesome, and Rachel is awesome for even trying to get them signed. All together now......THANK YOU RACHEL!!! But it's not like she forced me into reading John Green's books or anything. I love John, and Hank, and they are awesome. I have wanted to read John's books since forever. I just finally made it a priority. So, I'm off to go read again. Since Rachel has the JOHN GREEN BOOKS with her, I shall go read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifeer E. Smith. And you know, do homework at some point. Procrastinating FTW!


I'm so excited I can finally start saying this you guys!
DFTBA.
-Megan

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS COMES OUT TODAY!

AHHHHHH THE FAULT IN OUR STARS COMES OUT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Before we do anything else, let's just take a moment to watch the trailer. I don't know about you, but I have personally watched it about sixty thousand times.

So to pass the time while I wait for the UPS guy to bring my package (HURRY UP I NEED IT YESTERDAY), let's talk DISTRACT OURSELVES BY TALKING about one of my favorite things about John Green: the beginnings and endings of his books.

The idea for this post came to me a few days ago, when I was sitting in English with Megan. She was reading Katherines, and I was reading Paper Towns. I said something about how much I love the beginning of Paper Towns, and I read it out loud. And then Megan read the first sentence of Katherines to me and was like, yeah, John Green's books always have awesome beginnings.

So, I figured, what better way to end John Green week than by talking a little bit about HOW MUCH I LOVE THE BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS OF HIS BOOKS.

John Green starts his books so amazingly and perfectly. In case you haven't read the books, I won't ruin your reading experience by posting the beginnings here. But the first word/sentence/paragraph/page/chapter of John's books is always awesome. His books start off with, well, not exactly a bang, but they're always thoughtful or funny or interesting or intriguing. Like, as soon as I read the beginnings of John's books, I am instantly hooked.

And the endings are as equally perfect. They end on such a brilliant, meaningful note, so that when I finally close the book, I am left sitting there not moving for a long time, just thinking about what I just read. His endings aren't overly happy, but they aren't overly sad either. They have just the right amount of hope for the characters. You know that ahead of them, there will still be troubles they must face. But you also know that somehow, these characters will overcome them.

The beginnings are strong and intriguing and make you continue reading. The endings tie up some loose strings, while leaving others untied, in the perfect combination that leaves you wishing for me, but also being weirdly satisfied.

I admire John Green so much. Whenever I read his books, I always take mental notes about his writing style, which I store away in my brain and look back on later. His books make me want to write my own books. There's something about his writing that inspires me like so few authors do. Just reading his books makes me a better writer. There's just something about the way he writes, the way his words flow, that is just so different to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, because it is very subtle, but I know that it's there.

Which leads us back to the beginnings and endings. I honestly love them all. Whenever I read his books, I think to myself, THAT IS HOW YOU START A BOOK! Or: WOW. THAT ENDING WAS JUST...WOW. It's hard to pick favorites, but if I HAD to choose....

Favorite beginning: Paper Towns. I love the whole first paragraph so much. It's the perfect way to begin the book. It's intriguing and interesting and clever and from that first paragraph, I knew that it would be a good book.

Favorite ending: Looking for Alaska. The last few lines are my favorite quotes...EVER. Like, I'm-going-to-get-this-tattooed-on-my-skin favorite quotes. (For now, I will resort to writing on my arm with Sharpie.)

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW TFIOS ENDS! WILL IT BECOME MY NEW FAVORITE??? WE WILL SOON FIND OUT!

Well. I guess that's it for John Green week. *tears up* This was really fun, and I will miss obsessively posting blog posts every day. But don't worry, I'll still be around for some more The Fault in Our Stars related stuff. Look for a ramble about it in a few days, and I'll probably be posting about the TOUR DE NERDFIGHTING soon.

Yes. I am going to the Tour de Nerdfighting tomorrow in NYC and HOLY CRAP I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED YOU GUYS!!!!!!!

I will most likely be tweeting obsessively the whole time I'm at the event, so be sure to follow me on Twitter at @readwriteramble.

Happy reading everyone! I hope you all enjoy The Fault in Our Stars:)
DFTBA
-Rachel

The Fault in Our Stars- Rachel's Expectations/Excitement

FRENCH THE LLAMA THE FAULT IN OUR STARS COMES OUT TOMORROW!!!!
*flails* *freaks out* *happy dances*
(By the way, I JUST realized the Looking for Alaska reference in January 10th. Wow. How did I not freaking notice that before?)

AHHHHHHH I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK!!!!!

I reorganized my bookshelves the other day and I left a spot for The Fault in Our Stars. All my other books are waiting anxiously for their new friend to arrive.

BECAUSE IT IS COMING SO SOON YOU GUYS I WILL BE ABLE TO READ THIS BOOK SO SOON.

Alright. I think I can calm down enough to write this post.

So, I am obviously excited about this book. I have been waiting for quite awhile and OMG THIS BOOK IS FINALLY ALMOST HERE. I mean, I know I haven't been a nerdfighter for that long, only since this past spring/summer. (Ish? I think? I don't even know. I already feel like I've been a nerdfighter for my whole life.) So anyway, I mean, if you watch the vlogbrothers videos, then you have seen John sign 150,000 copies of this book.

ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND COPIES!?!?!?! Dude. That's a lot. THANK YOU JOHN!

And I don't know about anyone else, but I've just kind of been all "oh cool, he's signing his name over and over for a book that will come out in the faraway future." I never really thought about The Fault in Our Stars as like, a thing that would actually come out soon and I would actually be able to read it.

BUT OMG I WILL BE ABLE TO READ IT SO SOON YOU GUYS I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

When the cover came out, I was running around screaming and showing pictures on my laptop to my whole family. Because you guys. I love the cover so much. One of my favorite covers ever. It's simple, yet striking, and just so pretty and perfect and omg it's so awesome.

Yes. This cover appears twice in this post. That's how much I love it.

I watched and listened to John read Chapters One and Two on Youtube multiple times. (I am listening to them again as I write this). And you guys, I don't want to seem weird or anything, but JOHN HAS THE BEST READING VOICE EVER. I could literally listen to him read ANYTHING. I even bought the audiobook narrated by him, and I NEVER listen to audiobooks.

Anyway. I already love this book. I really like Hazel's character so far, and she is real and funny and honest and I know this book is going to be amazing you guys. And dude. Augustus? FTL! Just... FRENCH THE LLAMA!

I AM JUST SO EXCITED TO READ THIS FREAKING BOOK.

And I'm also kind of scared. Because hey, this book is about kids with cancer. There are a lot of ways for this to become really sad. But at the same time, it's about kids with cancer. I think that's really interesting and something that no one ever writes about.

I've heard that this book has a lot of funny parts, too. Which, based on John's other books and the first two chapters, I totally believe. If anyone can make a book about such a serious topic funny, it is JOHN GREEN.

So I could go on for hours about how excited I am. But I think I'll stop now. I will be back as soon as I read the book with a ramble. And this is not the last day of John Green week! Tomorrow I will have another post that will probably be more gushing about my love for John Green.

Also, guess what? ON WEDNESDAY I AM GOING TO THE TOUR DE NERDFIGHTING IN NYC AND I AM GOING TO MEET JOHN AND HANK OMG!!!!!!?!?!??!?!?!!?!?!?
My life is the best thing ever right now.

So yeah. At about twenty seconds into this video, John has the reaction that I will most likely have when I get TFiOS in the mail.

And before I go, you should definitely watch this AMAZING BOOK TRAILER:

One of the best book trailers I have ever seen. It's so beautiful and I LOVE the song. I may or may not have teared up while watching this.
I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK.

Best wishes and DFTBA
-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Paper Towns

  

From Goodreads:

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life--dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows. After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues--and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.
Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.

I. Love. This. Book. The main character, Q, has been in love with Margo Roth Spiegelman for, um, most of his life. She's adventurous and mysterious and so out of his league. She shows up at his window one night, and soon enough Q and Margo are driving around Florida in a minivan in the middle of the night, on a mission to right some wrongs and wrong some rights.


Q isn't sure what will happen with him and Margo the next day. Will they become friends? Will she ignore him at school? The one thing he doesn't expect is for her to disappear. Q is determined to unravel the mystery of not only where Margo is, but who Margo is, based on clues that she supposedly left him. He's been in love with her, awed by her, for so many years, but does he really know her?


This book has serious and thoughtful moments, but I also had tears streaming down my face because I was laughing so hard. Q is my favorite protagonist from a John Green book. He is normal and nerdy and funny and easy to relate to and you guys, he has THE BEST FRIENDS EVER.


Seriously. They are hysterical. Ben and Radar are just awesome. I want to hang out with them so badly.


I love the mystery of Margo Roth Speigelman. There are so many twists and turns that I could have never seen coming, keeping me in suspense for the entire book. When I read this book, I am alongside Q the whole time, figuring out clues with him. I am never one step ahead of him, because even I, as a reader, can't predict what will happen next.


Another thing I should point out about this book is the way poetry is weaved into it. Walt Whitman's Song of Myself plays a huge role as Q reads it in an attempt to understand Margo. And I love it.  Q struggles to understand the meaning of the poem, and the reader struggles along with him. This book actually makes me have a deeper respect for poetry, and I really like how it plays such a prominent role.


Paper Towns is, above all things, one of the funniest books I have ever read. Yet at the same time, it's serious and thoughtful. I didn't think it was possible to weave such funny moments into serious scenes, but John Green does it perfectly. Overall, this book has a very real feel to me. The characters, the setting, the situation. Everything is believable, and it's easy to picture something similar happening in real life.

Favorite Character: It's hard to choose, because I really loved all the characters in this book, but I guess I would have to say Radar. Because of the black Santas.

Favorite Scene: THE ROAD TRIP. From about page 243 on, I don't think I ever stop laughing. This scene makes me want to skip graduation and travel for a day in a minivan with my best friends who are naked but for graduation robes.

Favorite Quote(s): THERE ARE SO MANY. This is maybe, like, half of them.


"Margo always loved mysteries. And in everything that came afterward, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysterious so much that she became one." -page 8

"'IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT MY PARENTS OWN THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION OF BLACK SANTAS.'" -page 22

"The little girl with her finger in the dam had fun off. Flooding was inevitable." -page 94

"Dude, I don't want to talk about Lacey's prom shoes. And I'll tell you why: I have this thing that makes me really uninterested in prom shoes. It's called a penis." -page 133

"This bears no analogy to any fear I knew before. This is the basest of all possible emotions, the feeling that was with us before we existed, before this building existed, before the earth existed. This is the fear that made fish crawl out onto dry land and evolve lungs, the fear that teaches us to run, the fear that makes us bury our dead." -page 141

"The fundamental mistake I had always made- and that she had, in fairness always led me to make- was this: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." -page 199

"'The human tongue is like wasabi: it's very powerful, and should be used sparingly." -page 213

"'Please stop,' I said. 'You're upsetting the black Santas.'" -page 214

"'I'd like to see how the cop responds to a black man wearing a Confederate T-shirt over a black dress.'" -page 256

"What a treacherous thing it is to believe that a person is more than a person." -page 282

"Imagining isn't perfect. You can't get all the way inside someone else. I could never have imagined Margo's anger at being found, or the story she was writing over. But imagining being someone else, or the world being something else, is the only way in. It is the machine that kills fascists." -page 299

EVERYONE GO READ THIS BOOK NOW BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING.
DFTBA.
-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Will Grayson, Will Grayson

 

From Goodreads:

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them both legions of faithful fans.


TINYCOOPERTINYCOOPERTINYCOOPERTINYCOOPERTINYCOOPERTINYCOOPERTINYCOOPER.

Sorry. Just had to get that out of my system. So, you guys. This book. It's freaking awesome. It's told from alternating points of view: Will Grayson, and will grayson. Two teenage boys. One name. Sounds intriguing, right?

IT SO IS. Will Grayson, John Green's character, has two rules in life: 1. Don't care too much. 2. Shut up.  He thinks he can just float through high school and get out of there as soon as possible. If it were up to Will, he would just blend right in with the hallway, not doing anything to draw intention to himself.

Unfortunately, this is not possible. Why? Well, because he has Tiny Cooper for a best friend. Tiny Cooper is very large, and very gay. He falls in love every hour with a new boy, and he is enthusiastic and glamorous and fabulous in every way. Tiny is always drawing attention to himself, the last thing Will wants. The way Will sees it, he's stuck with Tiny. If he could have picked his best friend, he would have picked anyone but Tiny.

As if he doesn't have enough problems, Will also struggles with his feelings for a girl. Her name is Jane and maybe he likes her, maybe he doesn't, he doesn't really know, but wait she has a boyfriend, but now he thinks he likes her, what should he do? I think Jane is an interesting and unique character, and I really like her.


will grayson, david levithan's character, doesn't capitalize things. this is the first thing i noticed about will's parts of the book. in the beginning, it's a bit strange and kind of distracting, but you eventually get used to it. you realize that it just makes sense. that's how will writes. all lowercase. it fits his personality.

will is a, well, to put in bluntly, he is a pretty screwed-up kid. he's angry and bitter and kind of hates everything/everyone. and the thing is, that's what so many teenagers are like. i think will is a character that readers can all relate to in some way.

also: he is gay. and you know what? i wish there were more books with gay protagonists. because i really liked reading from will's point of view. there's not really all that many gay characters in young adult books, so this was really refreshing. i love david levithan's writing, and i will definitely be reading some of his other books soon.


When will and Will, two people who have absolutely no business being in a porn shop, both end up in the same porn shop at the same time, they form a connection. Maybe it's just because they have the exact same name, or maybe it's something else. Either way, meeting each other changes something about them. Maybe it's small and insignificant, but something definitely changed when they met each other.

The rest of the book has Will and will caught up together in one world, their lives overlapping with each other's. And the glue that holds this story together?

TINY COOPER.

Tiny is funny and loud and passionate and sometimes annoying. He means a lot to both Will Graysons, and both Will Graysons mean a lot to him. And I freaking love Tiny Cooper. He spends the majority of the book working on a musical that is based on his life. He is the writer, star, director, producer, casting director, and about a thousand other jobs. Tiny provides comic relief on pretty much every page, but he also manages to have deep and meaningful scenes that make both the characters and the readers think.

Favorite Character: Tiny Cooper. I mean, duh. I want him to be my best friend. Also, I would pay so much money to see Hold Me Closer.

Favorite Scene: Probably the scene where Will and will actually meet. Previous to that point, their stories had been really good, but separated. I liked it when the finally met and their lives started overlapping.

Favorite Quote(s): There are so many quotes from this book that I freaking love. So I'll just include a few. Okay my "narrowed-down list" still manages to be really long. Sorry, but there are just so many good lines in this book. Some of them made me laugh out loud, and others made me like, think. And stuff.

"I realize this is not, like, boyish. I realize that properly speaking guys should only think about sex and the acquisition of it, and they should run crotch-first toward every girl who likes them and etc. But: The part I enjoy most is not the doing, but the noticing. Noticing the way she smells like oversugared coffee, and the difference between her smile and her photographed smile, and the way she bites her lower lip, and the pale skin of her back. I just want the pleasure of noticing these things at a safe distance- I don't want to have to acknowledge that I am noticing. I don't want to talk about it or do stuff about it." -page 47

"me giving me mom romantic advice is kind of like a goldfish giving a snail advice on how to fly." -page 66

"Dear Jane, Just so you know: e. e. cummings cheated on both of his wives. With prostitutes. Yours, Will Grayson" -page 139

"You may choose your song, but know this: Tiny. Cooper. Hates. Over. The. Rainbow." -page 162

"me: why is it upset? shouldn't it be downset?
gideon: i will file a lawsuit against the dictionaries first thing tomorrow morning. we're going to tear merriam a new asshole and throw webster inside of it." -page 264

"this is why we call people exes, i guess- because the paths that cross in the middle end up separating at the end. it's too easy to see an X as a cross-out. it's not, because there's no way to cross out something like that. the X is a diagram of two paths." -page 277

"I hear in the distance a thunderous roar followed by a horrifying series of splashes, and my first thought is, Tiny has written an elephant into the play, and the elephant has just vomited, but then I realize that Tiny is the elephant." -page 281

"i lose track of how long it takes. then, when it's all over, the applause starts. the loudest applause you've ever heard." -page 310

Random Tidbit: I totally laughed out loud at the first line of Chapter 1. And the first line of Chapter 2. THAT IS HOW YOU START A BOOK!
Also: the whole thing with Schrödinger's cat is so genius and cool and awesome.

I know you're probably sick of hearing this, but OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. If you haven't read it, you should definitely change that soon. This is one of those books that I think everyone will enjoy.

DFTBA
-Rachel

In My Mailbox #1 (Megan)

HELLO PEOPLE OF THE BOOK WORLD! *lowers voice* I'm sorry. Did I deafen you? I'm just REALLY EXCITED. Because if I'm doing this post, that means I got MORE BOOKS. Which is always a good thing. I love books. Books are my best friends. Yes Rachel too. Don't make me state the obvious. But you don't need me to tell you that I love books. Chances are if you are here, you love them too. If not, DO NOT WORRY. WE WILL FIX THAT. So, ON TO THE BOOKS!! I promise I will try to keep my rambling about how excited I am to read them to a minimum.

Look how pretty guys!! :D

Okay, so the pile on the left is the books I ordered using all of the Amazon gift cards that I got for Christmas. (THANK YOU FAMILY) There are also two Kindle books I got with that which are not in the picture for obvious reasons. The pile on the right is the books that I got from www.bn.com using the code Tahereh Mafi tweeted about. (THANK YOU TAHEREH)

1. Let it Snow by  John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Okay, so as Rachel said in her first John Green Week post, I haven't read his books yet. I know. I'm ashamed of me too. But it's okay, because I BOUGHT them all so now I can read them.(except for An Abundance of Katherines, which Rachel gave me. thank you!!) So obviously this is going to be amazing, because it's a book that's all wintery and full of snow and kissing :) Plus, LOOK AT THE NAMES. It has to be good.



2. Looking for Alaska by John Green
John Green's first book is supposed to be amazing, just like all of his other books. I can't wait to read it, because I've heard so many great things of course, and from reading the description it sounds absolutely amazing.


3. Paper Towns by John Green
Another John Green book....I think I might be looking forward to reading this one the most, because I heard it's absolutely hysterical. Basically, I'm going to be saying almost the same thing for all of his books. I know that they are all awesome. I know that John and Hank are both awesome. And I know that Nerdfighters are made of awesome. So basically I will love his books. I know this already.

4. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
I remember when Rachel first started reading this. She came over for no apparent reason whatsoever as she usually does, and her family came too. There was a lot of screaming, and general LOUDNESS in the basement, so we escaped to my room to  discuss books and be nerdy. I read a bit of the beginning of this and found myself cracking up already before I even really started reading it.



5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Another author I absolutely love. I got Lola and the Boy Next Door awhile ago, but haven't managed to read it yet as its buried somewhere under the giant MOUNTAIN of books I need to read. I don't think its ever going to go away at this point. For every book I read I buy like 20 more. But this is the kind of romance that I know I'm going to love reading. Plus, St. Clair seems really swoony already, and I don't need much more than a swoony guy to satisfy me. ;)

6. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
If you saw my Best of 2011 Debut Authors post, you'll notice that I have already read this book. BUT it was a copy I borrowed from Rachel, read on the bus on our the way to our school's DC trip, and then had to give it back. It was hard, because I really wanted to read this book over and over again. Starcrossed is just that good. If you don't have it, or haven't read it...GO PICK IT UP NOW. This is the kind of book that is totally worth actually owning. Plus, Josephine Angelini is an author I would love to meet, so it's nice to have a book she could sign. Dreamless can't come soon enough!!!!

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Another amazing debut author that I've already read, yet NEEDED TO OWN. Veronica Roth is another author I would do anything to meet. There are just some authors that if I found out they were showing up in the nearby area, I would find a way to get there. Even if it meant taking a train, just me and Rachel by ourselves, or trying to WALK all the way there(neither of which seem safe when you think about it). That's just what I would do to meet authors that I really love. Divergent is another amazing book who's sequel I NEED. Insurgent will probably take me like a day because I'll be so excited!

8. Angelfire by Courtney Allison MoltonThis book has been on my TBR list since....actually since before I even had a Goodreads account. So a little over a year? I never got around to buying it, but the synopsis sounds great, and I've heard some pretty good things about it. So I'm excited to read it, and you can definitely expect a ramble when I'm done. If you haven't heard of it or haven't read it, I suggest you look it up!



9. How to Save a Life by Sarah Zarr
Judging by the description, this book is just a bit more sad than some of the others on the list. Still, every time I hear about it, my interest is spiked. Rachel just bought this too, so you'll probably be seeing one of us do a ramble. Most likely whoever gets around to reading it first. I do have to mention though, that when I was searching for this image, a bunch of pictures of the album by the Fray popped up. This amused me, because Rachel starts singing that song anytime you mention the title of this book.


10. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Rachel did a ramble about this book the other day. She literally finished it in about like 3 hours. That's how good it was. OF COURSE  I had to order it then! Plus, the cover is pretty, and the idea of the book is amazing. It seems like the perfect romantic comedy that will make a nice, light read. Plus, it isn't that long, which is great if you happen to be someone who doesn't like really long books. Not that I personally care. The 5th Harry Potter Book is 870 pages long after all. You can check, but that's right. I don't know why I know that. But I do. *is a nerd*

11. Vanish by Sophie Jordan
This is one of the two books I downloaded onto my Kindle. I read Firelight on there over the summer, and I LOVED it. There was something so unique about the story and the world. I'd never read a book about dragons before, so I didn't really know what to expect. What I found was that the draki world is absolutely amazing, the characters are great, and I adore Will. (There are too many swoony guys named Will. It gets confusing.) Plus, the covers on both Firelight and Vanish are GORGEOUS. I can't wait to read this one!

12. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
This is also a Kindle Edition. I remember hearing about this book on Mundie Moms at some point over the summer. It's a dystopia, and it sounded AMAZING. I remember thinking "I need to read this NOW!" So I clicked on over to Goodreads, and added it to my TBR list. Then I happened to notice the publication date, and saw it wasn't out for another couple of months. I was so disappointed that I'd have to wait! I'm glad this book is out now, so I can read it!




And there you have it! That's all of the books that showed up in two giant boxes at my house today. That was a nice "coming home from school after a really annoying day when you're sick and think you might die" present. So thank god for Barnes and Noble and Amazon for getting these books here on time. There are also the MANY, MANY books that I have borrowed kind of accidentally stolen from Rachel that I AM  going to read, and I AM going to give back. I promise. Sorry Rachel!
I'm off to go read some books! Feel free to comment below and tell me if you've gotten any interesting books lately! *dashes off*

-Megan