Top Ten Tuesday: Fall 2013 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books on my fall TBR list.

I will preface this post by saying that some of these books have already been published, others are books that will be published at some point in the next few months. Regardless of if the book has been published or not, I am looking forward to reading all of these in the coming months.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth - There is a strong likelihood that Allegiant is on just about everyone's list and I totally understand why. After everything that went down in Insurgent, I can't wait to see how it will all come together. Plus we get Four's point of view.

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes - I found myself liking Falling Kingdoms last year so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. I've had an ARC of Rebel Spring sitting on my bookshelf for a few months and now that the release date is getting closer, I have the perfect excuse to read it.

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead - Richelle Mead. Adrian Ivashkov. Enough said.

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano - The premise of Perfect Ruin is that it takes place in a utopian world. And it's written by Lauren DeStefano. That's pretty much all I need to know in order to know I will want to read this book.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry - My heart broke a little in Dare You To with what happened to Isaiah so I can't wait to finally read his story in Crash Into You. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, Katie McGarry can do no wrong.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno - I was lucky enough to get an ARC of How to Love while at BEA and I proceeded to read it on the bus ride back from NYC. But it's one of those books that I really, desperately want to reread. So since it's coming out soon, I'll most likely be doing just that.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White - So far I have loved everything I have read by Kiersten WHite. And now she writes a book about mythology? Count me in.

Resist by Sarah Crossan - I loved Breathe. I want to know what happens next (though I may need a refresher between now and then). And that's all that really needs to be said about Resist.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - Vampires and Holly Black. Do I really need to explain this any further?

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - I only just recently read The Raven Boys but the moment I finished, I wanted the sequel. And now I have it. So you can bet I'll be reading The Dream Thieves and Ronan's story quite soon.

What books are on your fall TBR list?

Summer Reading - 2013 Edition (3)

Among my friends, I'm known as the book person. As a result, whenever someone is looking for a book recommendation they come to me. This time of the year, this happens a lot since summer is fast approaching and a lot of my friends are typically seasonal readers--as in they read when they have time to do so and that time is often summer. Like I did last year, I thought I would post these recommendations--by genre--here on the blog as well. Up this week, some fantasy and science fiction recommendations.

- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few weeks, then you've probably heard all about how amazing The 5th Wave is. And I'm here to tell you that it is even better than everyone has been saying it is. Basically, the story takes place after aliens have wiped off most of Earth's population, and the world as we know it is gone. Even if you aren't into aliens, you will like these books. These books are not the kind of aliens you imagine. And the story is awesome and filled with action. Seriously, read this book.

- Breathe by Sarah Crossan - Picture a world where everyone lives in a dome where oxygen is controlled and rationed because there is no longer enough oxygen in the planet's atmosphere. Now add three teenagers being stuck outside the dome, with dwindling supplies of oxygen, trying to make it to a Resistance stronghold. Sarah Crossan's Breathe felt incredibly realistic while I was reading it and for that reason it makes a great dystopian. If you are looking for a book that will make you think about what could happen in our planet's not-too-distant future, than I strongly recommend Breathe.

- Possession trilogy by Elana Johnson - Here's the thing about Elana Johnson's Possession trilogy, I wasn't entirely convinced after reading the first book, Possession. But then I read the second book, Surrender, and I was sold. There is just so much happening in these books and a certain level of complexity that makes you really think while you are reading. Bonus side: the final book, Abandon is going to be out in just over two weeks so you won't even have to wait too long to find out how it all ends.

- Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth - If you haven't been living under a rock you should have heard about Veronica Roth and Divergent at this point. Between the movie being made and the final book, Allegiant, coming out in September, this trilogy is practically everywhere. But this trilogy totally deserves this attention because it is that good. Divergent is a fast-paced and action-packed dystopian story. This is the kind of book you will pick up and not want to put down again until you have read it all. So if a page-turner is what you're looking for, then Divergent is the way to go.

- The Chemical Garden trilogy by Lauren DeStefano - This was on my list of recommendations last year and I still stand behind it a year later. Though I will admit I still have to read the final book, this is a series I have loved so far. Lauren DeStefano's writing is reason enough to read this series. Reading these books will transport you to another world and another place. If nothing else, they will provide you with the perfect escape for a few hours. And on the plus side, the entire trilogy is out so you can read all three books back to back if that's what you want to do.

Like I've said every week, this is not an extensive list by any stretch of the imagination. If you are looking for some more dystopian or post-apocalyptic recommendations, you are free to check out my recommendations from last year. And if this is not the type of book you are looking for, be sure to come back next week for my last batch of summer reading recommendations

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2)

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: February 21, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion but haven't outrun the danger. On the outside, they encounter a landscape as mysterious and threatening as the one they left behind. Despite the perils, the two are determined to get to Manhattan and to relative safety with Rhine's twin brother, Rowan. But in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men to age twenty-five, time is precious. Even worse, they can't seem to elude Rhine's father-in-law Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion…by any means necessary.

In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano's harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price--now that she has more to lose than ever.

I had been waiting for Fever ever since I read the last page of Wither last year. So you can imagine that I had very high expectations going in to the book. And those expectations were beyond surpassed. Fever was possibly even better than Wither.

Having escaped from her polygamous marriage, Rhine is on her way to Manhattan hoping to be able to be reunited with her twin brother. Except it might not be as easy as she originally thought. Now Rhine and Gabriel find themselves prisoners once again, this time of a sick and twisted carnival, trying once more to escape eventual death. But even after they escape the carnival, things aren't easier. With Vaughn hot on their trail, Rhine and Gabriel can only keep hiding for so long. And it seems the further they get from Florida and the mansion, the more Rhine is getting sick. From the looks of things, Rhine may never be able to fully escape the year she spent at the mansion being Linden's bride.

Fever was an incredible read. I'll admit that I may have liked it even more than Wither. With this book, the action starts almost right from page one and it doesn't stop until the last page. Not only that, but the book also took me on and incredible journey, both physically and emotionally. Fever is definitely an emotional roller coaster. One minute I was happy to see there may be hope for Rhine and Gabriel, and the next I would be in a state of total despair. And then if the story wasn't enough, the ending definitely left me hanging. With it, Lauren DeStefano made sure that her readers would be eagerly awaiting the final book in her Chemical Gardens trilogy. 

I was very happy to be back with Rhine and Gabriel, both of whom I had come to love in the first book. I was happy to see they wer still the same people, despite everything they have gone through. Rhine was as determined as ever and still worried more about everyone around her's lives than she did about her own. And Gabriel was still the same boy, though he was definitely hardened by everything he saw and went through in the word outside of the mansion. While I was happy to see Rhine and Gabriel again, I also really liked the addition of all the new characters. My favorites were definitely Maddie and Silas. Despite not talking, Maddie was a great addition to the story. And Silas was more than he appeared to be. I'm hoping to see more of him in the future.

With Fever, Lauren DeStefano delivered an incredible sequel. This is a book that will take you on an emotional roller coaster. And once it's over, you're just going to want even more. 

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: March 22, 2011

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. To keep the population from dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her. She has everything she ever wanted—except freedom. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape before it is too late.

Wither is one of those books that has been getting a lot of hype for quite some time now. I tend to be a little wary of hype, I’m always afraid the book won’t be able to live up to it. Wither most definitely did not disappoint and lived up to all the hype. I can honestly say that it was one of the best books that I’ve read so far this year.

Rhine knows that it happens all the time, she just didn’t think that it would happen to her. But then she finds herself in the back of a car on her way to be married to a man she’s never met, a man who will also be marrying the two other girls in the car with her. Now a prisoner in her husband’s home, Rhine wants nothing more than to escape and go back to her twin brother in Manhattan. But that may not be as easy as she thought. Now that she knows her sister-wives Cecily and Jenna and has gotten close to Gabriel, a servant, Rhine isn’t sure about anything anymore. Even Linden, her husband, is not as bad as she would have thought. Will Rhine be able to escape before she becomes too attached, before it’s too late?

There’s just something about dystopian novels that draws you in, and that was the case with Wither. The world created by Lauren DeStefano was amazing and captivated me from start to finish. I believed every single aspect of it, to the point that I sometimes thought that I was right there with Rhine. From the scary darkness of the basement to all the different gardens and groves, I could see it all and it felt like I was right there. The concept of the story was also very interesting. I’ve read books where marriages are arranged but never any where girls were sold off to be brides. Just that was enough to keep me interested.

I absolutely loved getting to know Rhine and seeing things from her perspective. She had a great voice and I really enjoyed seeing her work her way through everything. What I loved most was seeing her relationship with Gabriel develop and Rhine trying to figure it all out. As for the other two girls, Cecily always had me either smiling or exasperated. Because of her young age, that behavior was normal but sometimes I just forgot that she was that young. It took me longer to warm up to Jenna but once I did, I started to really like her. The one character I really didn’t like was Housemaster Vaughn, he completely creeped me out.

Wither was a stunning story and by far one of the best I have read so far this year. If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t be able to tell that this is Lauren DeStefano’s first book. I can’t wait to read what comes next from her.