Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein
From Goodreads:

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

Not gonna lie, one of the main reasons I'm excited to read this is the cover. Isn't it amazing?! This is the kind of cover that will definitely grab the attention of random people wandering around the bookstore. Plus, the summary sounds really intriguing. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave links to your Waiting on Wednesday posts below!

-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Pushing the Limits

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
From Goodreads:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

What I thought this book was: an awesome romance with lots of sexytimes.

What this book actually was: an awesome romance with lots of sexytimes between two main characters who were going through a really tough time that was also really emotional and intense and had so many different layers and that made me cry a little bit a lot at certain parts but also made me laugh at several parts.

Basically, I thought this book was going to be good, and it turned out to be AMAZING. I was seriously blown away by the pure amazingness of this book.

Pushing the Limits alternates between the perspectives of Noah and Echo, two teenagers at the same school who both have a lot of issues at home. The thing that connects them is the new therapist/guidance counselor/social worker lady at their school, who meets with each of them. Since both Noah and Echo want a peek at their school files, they decide to work together to find out some of the secrets people have been keeping from them.

I freaking love Noah and Echo. They both have so many layers to their personalities, and as the book progresses, the reader gets to know them even better. I've become emotionally invested in both of them, which is an excellent sign. They're both strong and smart and sarcastic, and I find them fascinating to read about.

The relationship between Noah and Echo is brilliant. It's just the kind of thing I've been waiting to read. There's no insta-love or love-conquers-all crap that is so common in YA (not that I don't read and love those kinds of books :P). They just like each other and want to hang out and kiss and other stuff and they eventually develop a relationship that turns into love and it is normal and realistic and sexy and romantic and PERFECT.

I was surprised at the heavy topics this book deals with. Both protagonists come from families and home situations that are far from ideal. They have a lot of skeletons in their closets that they hide from everyone at school. Reading this book was a really emotional experience for me, and it even made me cry at some parts.

Pushing the Limits seriously impressed me. It's extremely character-driven, and Noah and Echo are fantastic narrators. There are happy moments and intense moments and sad moments and funny moments and scary moments, making this book a roller coaster of emotions. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. If you're a fan of contemporary books, you'll love this. If you're not a fan of contemporary books, I'm pretty sure you'll love this anyway.

-Rachel

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

From Goodreads: Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

I am absolutely in love with Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden Trilogy and while I'm SO DEPRESSED that this will be the last book, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS OMG. 

What are you waiting on this week? Feel free to leave some links below and I'll check out the posts :)

-Megan

Rachel's Top Ten Halloween Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Today's topic is Top Ten Books To Get In The Halloween Spirit. I'm generally not a huge fan of horror/gore/creepiness/etc, so this topic was a bit difficult for me. I took the Halloween topic a bit loosely for some of my choices. :)

1. The Diviners by Libba Bray- I just recently read this, and it's such an amazing book! Easily one of my favorite books this year. It's a creepy supernatural murder mystery set in 1920s New York City. It scared the crap out of me, and I cannot recommend it enough! 

2. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake- When I started reading this book, I thought it would be more paranormal romance than scary ghost story. NOPE I WAS WRONG. This book totally terrified me, in the best way possible. (I guess I should have realized it was scary, you know, from the freaking title with the word BLOOD in it!)

3. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin- This book is the creepiest thing ever because the main character may or may not be insane and also there may or may not be supernatural elements but maybe this is all in the protagonists head and is anything actually real and OMG WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON? I was totally paranoid while I was reading this. And let's not even talk about the doll! *shudders* Ugh, why are dolls so creepy?

4. Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan- Are you sick of all the totally cliche vampire love stories that are so popular today? (I think we all are, to be honest.) This is the perfect book for you! Especially around Halloween, when everyone's all OMG VAMPIRES ARE SO TERRIFYING AND EVIL and you can just read this book and laugh. This book isn't scary, but it's hysterical. I laughed out loud so many times while reading it!

5. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins- This might seem like a weird choice, but think about it. LOLA'S COSTUMES. She dresses up in a completely different costume everyday! UM, HALLOWEEN. It's perfect!

6. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson- What happens when Jack the Ripper comes back as a ghost to start killing people? BAD THINGS. VERY BAD THINGS. This book is full of murder and ghosts and humor and awesomeness, with a London boarding school as the setting. Isn't that the perfect combination? You can't go wrong!

7. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White- This book basically just makes fun of all the supernatural and paranormal creatures people think exist. Sexy and intimidating vampires? Not so much. Try "dry-as-bone corpse bodies" who are actually pathetic losers. It's a really fun book to read while everyone is obsessing over the paranormal, because you can just shake your head at your foolish friends who actually think vampires sparkle.

8. Variant by Robison Wells- Never underestimate the power of a creepy boarding school. That is all I'm going to say. (But seriously, I feel like this book doesn't get enough attention. It's so weird and freaky and awesome!)

9. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling- Witches and wizards are totally Halloweenish, obviously.

10. Ten by Gretchen McNeil- Okay, this is totally cheating since I actually just started reading this book, but whatever. It's pretty good so far, and it's about a bunch of teenagers on an island with a killer and everyone starts killing each other. SOUNDS AWESOME, RIGHT?

What do you think of my choices? Any creepy, Halloween-y book recommendations for me? Let me know below!

And be sure to leave links to your Top Ten Tuesday posts so I can check them!

-Rachel

Help Revitalize Books of Wonder (The Best Place Ever)

Once upon a time, Rachel and Megan were two young eighth graders very new to the world of YA books. They had read and loved the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, and were overjoyed to discover that Cassandra Clare would be doing a signing in New York City, just an hour away from their small New Jersey town. They begged Megan's mom to take them to the signing, and since she is the best, she agreed. The bookstore holding the signing was called Books of Wonder, and once these girls walked inside, they were in awe of what a wonderful place it was. That signing with Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, and Lauren DeStefano was one of the best days of their lives.

Our first author signing ever! This was when we introduced the homemade t-shirts. Also, we brought a mango and tomato soup because it's a joke from City of Fallen Angels.

Fast forward to about a year and a half later. Megan and Rachel have attended several events at Books of Wonder, and they've had the opportunity to meet so many great people. They relish the moments when they get to stand in front of the bookshelves at this lovely independent bookstore.

One day, they receive an email that absolutely crushes them. Apparently, Books of Wonder is having financial issues, and they need to raise 100,000 dollars in order to survive. Megan and Rachel are devastated by this news. This store is one of their favorite places in the entire world. They cherish so many memories of being inside of it. It has grown to mean so much to them in the past year or so. It can't close! It's supposed to stay there forever so that they'll always be able to visit it. They've been counting down the days until they're old enough to drive themselves to the store on the weekends so they could pass their time browsing the selection of books and enjoying the friendly atmosphere.

Okay, let's stop the third person storytelling because it's getting annoying. This bookstore? I LOVE IT. I need it to exist. It was opened in 1980, and it's one of the best bookstores in New York City, if not THE ENTIRE WORLD. It's such a great place. I don't want it to not be there anymore.

If you've ever been to this store or if you've heard of this store, maybe you can understand why I'm so sad that it might not survive. If you're interested, you can donate to this cause and help an amazing children's bookstore out. Here's the link for more information on how to donate. I'll definitely be donating.

If you're sitting there reading this saying to yourself, "I really can't spare any money," or "I'm broke I can't afford to send money to a book store," it's okay. We get it. But if you could spare just one dollar, or 5, something small. Even that would be one step closer to the goal. The store has 30 days to raise 100,000 dollars in order to stay open. That's a lot of money and not a lot of time.

Even if you don't donate, or you've never even heard of the store, just tweeting or tumbling or whatevering the link could really help. This store means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to other people. Anyone who's willing to spread the word would be really helpful.

Oh and also, for people who don't live anywhere near New York City, YOU CAN TOTALLY ORDER SIGNED BOOKS AND HAVE THEM SHIPPED TO YOU. Want a signed copy of City of Lost Souls? DONE. Or a signed copy of The Raven Boys? HERE YOU GO.

You have no idea how sad it would make me to see this bookstore close. It's been around for too long for it to just go away.

And now an extremely blurry photo of our friend Katherine, Megan, Rachel's sister Lauren, and Rachel. This was when we went to the Spring into the Future Event and met Anna Carey, Lauren Oliver, Veronica Rossi, and Tahereh Mafi.

I just love this bookstore. So this post was part fangirling (over a bookstore? I am actually fangirling over a store. I love my life. :D) and part PLEASE HELP THEM BECAUSE THEN I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER. Hopefully I got both points across somewhat well.

-Rachel

P.S.  A little side note from Megan: The owner of this store has honestly created the best place ever. There are a ton of first editions of books that are on display and they are so desperate to save this place they are giving them away. I'm having trouble putting into words how sad it would make me if this place closed. Let me promise you this: there would be tears shed! (YES. ACTUAL TEARS.) And you don't want to see my cry right? RIGHT? I will seriously love you forever if you help us Revitalize Books of Wonder.

-Megan

NaNoWriMo 2012

So, this blog is called Read. Write. Ramble.

Reading? I think we've got that covered.

Rambling? Pshhh, we have like 150 blog posts filled with rambling.

Writing? Er...actually, we could use a little more writing in our lives.

 *taps chin* How can we add more writing to our lives?

OH I KNOW MAYBE WE SHOULD DO NANOWRIMO.

 Yes, it's true. Megan and I will be participating in NaNoWriMo this year. :D

For those of you who don't know what NaNoWriMo is...RUN AWAY NOW AND GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN! here's a little explanation: NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Basically, during the month of November, writers all over the world challenge themselves to write a novel (or 50,000 words of a novel) in 30 days. It's a great way to get motivated and actually write something. You can go to the official website for more information.

Last year was our first year participating, and it was fun and crazy and terrible all at the same time. So naturally, we've decided to do it again. We figure, hey, if we hit 50,000 words last year, it can't be that hard. We should totally be able to do it again! Right?

.....Right?

*crickets*

*clears throat* Anyway. So yes. NaNoWriMo is a thing that's happening. What does this mean, you ask? Well, this means a few things:

1) We could always use some more writing buddies! If you're also participating in NaNo this year, you should totally add us as buddies.
Rachel's username: rachelmarie102
Megan's username: mraible18

2) We probably won't be posting on here that much during November. We're working on getting some memes and stuff done now so we can just post them later, but we'll see how that goes.
Also, since all our time will be spent writing, we have like zero time for reading. And if we don't read, we don't have books to ramble about. So this blog might be a bit empty, but don't give up on us! We'll be back and more than ready to start reading and blogging again on December 1st.

3) We will probably go a little bit insane. Don't worry, this is normal. Kind of. If you see any strange blog posts or tweets (if you're not following us on Twitter, you totally should because sometimes we are really clever and amusing and weird), DON'T BE ALARMED. Our brains are just not functioning correctly because we have been up for two days straight scribbling frantically and eating nothing but chocolate. I promise we'll return to normal (well, normal for us) once November is over.

And I guess that's it. Fellow Wrimos: Good luck with your novel-writing. Non-wrimos: Please don't be too scared of what you might see on this blog next month.

-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Onyx

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
From Goodreads:

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

I was genuinely surprised by how great this book was. The first one was amazing, and I guess I just didn't think it could possibly get any better. As soon as I started reading it, I was completely sucked into the story and I couldn't put it down. Which meant that I didn't do any homework and I might possibly be failing algebra, but hey, it was totally worth it.

One of the best things about Obsidian, of course, was the sexytimes between Katy and Daemon. Let me just say that Onyx did not disappoint in that department. Like, at all. So that was lovely. :D 

But seriously, their relationship is pretty great. Katy and Daemon complement each other really well, and I love all their banter. We get to see a much sweeter side of Daemon than we saw in the first book, which was awesome. The scenes with Katy and Daemon always make me swoon or laugh or both and I really adore them as a couple.

Since I'm a book blogger, I have a lot of emotional investment in Katy's book blog. I was worried that as the series continued, her blog would just fade into the background and she'd totally forget about it. But she didn't! A lot of her time in this book was spent blogging and reading and thinking about books, which made me so happy. There was one line in particular: "You want this as badly as you want to go to ALA this winter" and I was like YES EXACTLY. SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS ME. THIS IS PERFECT. All the little references to book blogging make me grin like crazy.

The plot to this book was a crazy insane roller coaster. There are some things that happened at the end of Obsidian that are huge game-changers, and they have a huge affect on the second book. I love all the twists and turns that no one can possibly keep up with, yet they all tie together and make sense by the time the book is over. The last several chapters are packed full of intensity and there are so many things happening and it is AWESOME. There are some really emotional moments too, which were an evil but beautiful surprise.

This book was just...woah. I mean, really. WOAH. It cannot be summed up in any other way. If you thought Obsidian was good, just wait until you read Onyx. This series is completely addicting, and I am so excited to read the next book!

-Rachel

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
From Goodreads: 
In This is What Happy Looks Like, Jennifer E. Smith's new YA novel, perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet—albeit virtually—when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an email about his pet pig, Wilbur. In the tradition of romantic movies like "You've Got Mail" and "Sleepless in Seattle," the two 17-year-olds strike up an email relationship, even though they live on opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names.

Through a series of funny and poignant messages, Graham and Ellie make a true connection, sharing intimate details about their lives, hopes and fears. But they don't tell each other everything; Graham doesn't know the major secret hidden in Ellie's family tree, and Ellie is innocently unaware that Graham is actually a world-famous teen actor living in Los Angeles.

When the location for the shoot of Graham's new film falls through, he sees an opportunity to take their relationship from online to in-person, managing to get the production relocated to picturesque Henley, Maine, where Ellie lives. But can a star as famous as Graham have a real relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie's mom want her to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

I adored The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and this sounds like it will be just as cute and fun and wonderful. "You've Got Mail" and "Sleepless in Seattle" in a YA novel? YES PLEASE.

Just imagine how cute it will look next to The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight on my shelf! :)

What are you waiting on this week? Leave links to your WoW posts below!

-Rachel

Rachel's Top Ten Contemporary Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
 
Today's topic is Top Ten Favorite Authors In X Genre (Ex- Top Ten Favorite Science Fiction Authors, Top Ten Fave Contemporary YA authors)

Here are my Top Ten Contemporary Authors:

1. Sarah Dessen- I discovered her books when I was about twelve, and she kind of changed my life. Her books are what made me fall in love with YA, and they're what made me realize I wanted to be a writer.

2. John Green (aka the Token Male Author)- Because all of his books are amazing and he is one of the most...er...unique...people in the entire world. DFTBA. :D

3. Maureen Johnson- I love how all of her books are wildly different from one another, but they all manage to be so good. She writes some of the funniest main characters that are really easy to relate to.

4. E. Lockhart- Her writing is humorous and dramatic and incredibly entertaining. I especially love the Ruby Oliver books, because they are absolute perfection.

5. Kody Keplinger- Each of her books has fantastic protagonists, hilarious supporting characters, awesome plots, and cute boys. I love how her writing has a very feminist feel to it. There is so much girl power packed into these novels!

6. Laurie Halse Anderson- I've only read two of her books so far (Speak and Wintergirls) but since those are two of the best books I've ever read, I think it's safe to put her on this list. Each of those books has such a distinct and unique voice, and the writing style is so different from anything else I've ever read.

7. Stephanie Perkins- Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door are hilarious and romantic and they have the cutest boys. I adore Stephanie Perkins' writing so much. I'll read anything she decides to write in the future.

8. Gayle Forman- If I Stay and Where She Went are books I find myself wanting to reread almost daily. All of Gayle Forman's words are so beautiful and I just want to swim around in them. (...does that make sense? It does in my head!)

9. Nina LaCour- The Disenchantments and Hold Still are enough to convince me that Nina LaCour is incredibly talented. Hold Still showcases her ability to write dramatic stories, while The Disenchantments is a bit lighter. I'm looking forward to reading more of her writing in the future.

10. Lauren Oliver- I know that Before I Fall is the only contemporary book she's written, but I'm going to put her on this list anyway because I absolutely love her writing. Something about her writing style is poetic and beautiful and moving. My dream is to be able to write like her one day.

Not only do I love reading the above authors' books, but they are all really inspiring to me when it comes to my own writing.

Who are your favorite contemporary authors? Comment below and let me know! :)
And leave links to your Top Ten Tuesday posts so I can check them out!

-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Obsidian

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
From Goodreads:
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

I've been seeing a ton of hype for this book, but it didn't really interest me that much. I didn't get what the big deal was. Still, I was curious, so I decided to read it.

And... Now I understand why everyone's obsessed with this book. It's kind of awesome.

The best thing about this book is the main character. SHE IS A FREAKING BOOK BLOGGER. !!!!! Katy's passion for books is obvious. She's always checking the mail for books and updating her blog and posting Waiting on Wednesdays and filming In My Mailboxes. From the first chapter, when she mentions book blogging for the first time, I was completely sold on this book. Every time Katy mentions anything about blogging, I just started grinning like crazy because MY LIFE. It was really cool to read about someone who had the exact same passion I do. Book-lovers will find it really easy to relate to Katy.

ALIENS ARE AWESOME. There don't seem to be that many aliens in YA, so this is a new and refreshing idea. The aliens are fascinating and everything about their world is very thorough. Also, the plot of this book is fantastic. It's really fast-paced and exciting and there are ton of unexpected twists and turns. Before I read this, I honestly thought it was just about a hot guy and romance and making-out scenes (which there is totally nothing wrong with because that is a list of amazing things right there :P) but this book is so much more than that.

Which brings me to Daemon. He's the super hot guy. People seem to be either swooning over him because they love him so much or hating him for being such a jerkface. He definitely does have his asshole moments. But that's okay with me, only because of how Katy interacts with him. Their relationship is a lot of banter and firing insults at each other. She doesn't take any of his crap. And it's not insta-love or even love at all. Basically, they kind of hate each other but then they realize they're kind of a little bit attracted to each other and oh hey how did that happen whoops now I don't know if I hate you or not omg what is happening this is crazy. And I love it! Their relationship is really entertaining to read about.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There is a lot of humor and suspense and action and sexytimes and I love it very much. I'm super excited to read book two!

-Rachel

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
From Goodreads:
A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

If I Stay and Where She Went are two of my absolute favorite books ever, so of course I'm excited to see what Gayle Forman does next. Everything about this summary sounds amazing. And I'm so happy to hear that this will be another duet! I love the idea of duets as opposed to trilogies, and it worked out really well for If I Stay. Needless to say, I have high hopes for this book!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave links in the comments and I'll check out your posts. :)

-Rachel

Top Ten Book Couples I Ship

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Today's topic is a rewind, where you can do a topic you missed or a topic you want to do again. I chose Top Ten Book Romances That You Think Would Make It In The Real World (outside the book) because I missed it the first time.

Basically, these are all the book couples I ship, in no particular order. :D

1. Clary and Jace (The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare)
This couple has the best banter ever. And after five books of EVERY SINGLE THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG happening, the fact that their relationship still survives is kind of amazing.

2. Noah and Mara (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin)
I can't even form words about how much I love this romance.

3. Macy and Wes (The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen)
Pretty much any couple Sarah Dessen ever writes would make it in the real world because she writes the best couples ever and is a genius.

4. Annabel and Owen (Just Listen by Sarah Dessen)
Again, Sarah Dessen = genius.

5. Hazel and Augustus (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green)
These two are so perfect I can't even handle it. Everything about their relationship is so realistic. They have really good moments and really bad moments, and they go through so much together. There is no doubt in my mind that they'd make it outside the book.

6. Ron and Hermione (Harry Potter series by JK Rowling)
Because obviously.

7. Tris and Four (Divergent series by Veronica Roth)
I think the relationship between these two is one of the best relationships in YA today. They are partners, equals, and I like that neither one is constantly swooning over the other. It's extremely realistic and healthy, while still being incredibly romantic.

8. Cassel and Lila (The Curse Workers series by Holly Black)
After all the crap these two characters have been through in this series, they deserve to be the happiest couple in the entire world.

9. Anna and St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins)
Remember when I said Sarah Dessen is a genius? So is Stephanie Perkins. This is one of my favorite couples ever.

10. Lola and Cricket (Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins)
I just really want to fall in love with a boy next door and have him love me back and be happy forever. IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK?

And I'm going to do 11 instead of 10 because I can't narrow it down.

11. Magnus and Alec (The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare)
I love both of these characters so much and I just think their romance is the most adorable thing ever. The sparkly warlock and the demon hunter. :D

What couples in YA do you ship? Let me know below!

Also, leave links to your Top Ten Tuesday posts in the comments so I can check them out!

-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Breathe

Breathe by Sarah Crossan
From Goodreads:

Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe . . . 

The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

ALINA
has been stealing for a long time. She’s a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she’s never been caught before. If she’s careful, it’ll be easy. If she’s careful.

QUINN
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it’s also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn’t every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

BEA
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they’d planned a trip together, the two of them, and she’d hoped he’d discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

First of all: WHAT A GORGEOUS COVER.

Second: WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK.

Breathe is such a fascinating concept. Basically, the world has run out of oxygen because those stupid humans kept cutting down trees. So the main characters live in a pod, which is a big glass dome where the people in charge can control the amount of oxygen everyone receives. It is one of the most compelling and believable futuristic societies I've ever read.

The story is told from three different perspectives, and each character comes from such a different place. Quinn is a Premium, which means he's rich and is allowed to use more air than everyone else so he can exercise and stuff. Bea comes from a poor family, and she is determined to get a job and become a Premium so she can take care of herself and her parents. Alina is a member of the Resistance, and when another Resistance member disappears, she has to leave the Pod so that they don't come for her next.

I absolutely love the way these characters interact with each other. They are all so different, and they complement each other really well. Throughout the book, you get to know each of the main characters, and by the end I felt like they were my friends. I adore all three of them.

This book kind of terrifies me, to be honest. Everyone has always taken oxygen for granted, as something we don't need to worry about because we'll always have plenty of it. But what if that wasn't true? What if there were no trees to create oxygen?

SCARY, RIGHT?

Breathe has quickly made its way to my favorites shelf (if I had a favorites self because that's not actually how I organize my books but whatever you get the point). I think this book is going to become huge and ALL THE PEOPLE are going to read it and love it and think about it forever and ever because it is awesome. So yeah, you should probably read it.

-Rachel

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
From Goodreads:

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades— the city's secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late.

In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I loved the first book in this series, and I can't wait to find out what happens next! Maureen Johnson is one of my favorite authors, and I will read pretty much anything she ever writes. :D

Also, I love these covers! I'm so glad the series got a new look. 

 -Rachel