Waiting on Wednesday: Love is Both Wave and Particle - Paul Cody

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on Love is Both Wave and Particle by Paul Cody.

Love is Both Wave and Particle 
Paul Cody

Series: N/A
Release Date: August 1,  2017

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Waited on by: Sam

Goodreads

This achingly beautiful novel considers how to measure love when it has the power to both save and destroy.

Levon Grady and Samantha Vash are both students at an alternative high school for high-achieving but troubled teens. They have been chosen for a year-long project where they write their life stories and collect interviews from people who know them. The only rule is 100% confidentiality—they will share their work only with each other. What happens will transform their lives.

Told from the perspectives of Levon, Sam, and all the people who know them best, this is a love story infused with science and the exploration of identity. Love Is Both Wave and Particle looks at how love behaves in different situations, and how it can shed light on even the darkest heart.

Confession: I saw this title, and the science geek in me got very excited. To see a book title hint to wave-particle duality, one of the Einstein's concepts which marked an early break from classical physics and a major step towards quantum mechanics, made my heart skip a beat. I was intrigued.

I <3 Einstein

I am a lover of contemporary romances, so that coupled with the title would be enough to get me to read the book, but the blurb ratcheted up my interest a little more. High achieving troubled teens. There's a demo we read a lot about, and the story is "infused with science"!!! Count. Me. In.

What are you waiting on?

Let us know in the comments!

Discussion Post: Book Confessions #1

I have seen many posts, where bloggers share some of their odd bookish quirks, and was inspired to write my own posts detailing my own book related idiosyncrasies, because I have plenty to share.

Today's Confession: I prefer ebooks to physical books. 

I know! I am the worst! A real reader would never make such an outrageous statement, but I did. Below are my top ten reasons why I love my eReader.

1. I am old! and I need reading glasses. My Kindle allows me to adjust the font, giving me the opportunity to skip the glasses. I can also change the font to a sans serif, which I prefer. 
2. White space! I love white space. I have not only found that many books are printed in small fonts (and serifs), but they also lack the white space that I desire. I set that white space to the max on my eReader keeping those lines of text as far apart as possible.
3. I mostly read on my commute (90 mins each way), which is a bus to a train to a shuttle. If I have to stand on the bus or on the train or in the rain, I can still read, because I can handle my eReader single handedly. 
4. Depending on the time of year, it may be dark on my morning commute, dark on my evening commute, or sometimes, dark both ways. I have a clip on light, but again, this can be cumbersome when waiting or switching betweens my modes of transport. My Kindle is backlit, so I can easily read in the dark. 
5. I have carpal tunnel and de Quervain's tenosynovitis. What that essentially means is that I have a lot of pain and weakness in my wrist and thumb. I have no problem reading a physical book at home, where I can lay it out on a table, but it's quite difficult for me to hold one for long periods of time. My Kindle though, is much lighter, and I do not have to apply pressure to keep it open. 
6. Sometimes, I finish a book during my commute. Therefore, in order to be prepared, I would have to carry two books at all times. I try to travel light as the trains/bus/shuttle are usually crowded. If I finish a book I am reading on my Kindle? No problem, because I have about 2000 books on there. 
7. Speaking of all those books, I have very, very limited storage space in my home. If my entire library were physical books, I would have to yield the house to my books, and sleep in the yard. With my eReader, I can store lots and lots and LOTS of books, and it occupies less space than a single book. 
8. Notes! It is so easy to take notes when I read an eBook. On Saturday, I read a physical book, and I had to stop to put the stickies on the page, making sure that it is near the part I am interested in, but still sticking out enough so I can find it. With my Kindle, I can highlight, and use the notes function to look at all my highlights. 
9. Speaking of highlights, you can also see what other people highlighted. 
10. I can be really lazy, and look at what my Kindle can do. Sometimes, I lay down to read, an just set it up on my stomach. 

Physical book or eBook?

Let us know in the comments!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus.

This post is for sharing what I read last week, what I am currently reading, and what I plan to read.

What I Read Last Week

I had a feeling Avenged would be my favorite read of the week, because I loved the first book so much. A book I liked a lot more than I thought I would, was The One Memory of Flora Banks. Reviews were mixed, and understandably so. The style takes some getting used to, but once I adjusted to being in Flora's head, I saw this beautiful story unfolding. Another standout, was Aftermath. I struggle sometimes with sad books, but I found this one had a good balance of the sad and hope.

• The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr - ★★★★
• Fireworks by Katie Cotungno - ★★★ 1/2 
• Avenged by Amy Tintera - ★★★★★
• Two Summers by Aimee Friedman - ★★★ 1/2 
• Why I Loathe Sterling Banks by Ingrid Paulson - ★★★
• Aftermath by Clara Kensie - ★★★★ 1/2

What I Am Currently Reading

I am currently listening to Ever After. I have never read anything from Deveraux before, but I am really enjoying my stay in Nantucket. My current read is The Invisible Library, which I have had on hold on Overdrive since November. I waited a long time, I hope it's the adventure I was looking for.

• Ever After by Jude Deveraux
• The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

What I Plan to Read

This week, I am going to work on more of my ARCS. I heard great things about Duels and Deception, and I am super excited for Ramona Blue, as I have LOVED Murphy's other books. I feel as though I am in for a treat. I requested Deacon Locke because it sounded like it could be a lot of fun, and I liked the book I had read by this author. Finally, I am reading Dark Breaks the Dawn. This was one of my WoWs, so when I got approved for this DRC, I was over the moon. Lots of expectations this week, I hope these books deliver.

• Duels and Deception by Cindy Anstey
• Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
• Deacon Locke Went to Prom by Brian Katcher
• Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson

I don't get much in the way of #bookmail, so I am happy to share that, I won another GoodReads giveaway! I received Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle on Friday, and I am really excited for two reasons: 1. This is another book I have a DRC for, so I can do a giveaway like I did with Pirate King, and 2. I loved Fowley-Doyle's first book, and am hoping I strike gold twice with her. 

What are you reading?

Let us know in the comments!

Stuffed Animal Saturday: Aftermath - Clara Kensie

Stuffed Animal Saturday is a meme that we post here at We Live and Breathe Books to showcase the book we're currently reading with one of our favorite stuffed animals and discuss our stuffed animal's opinion (well, it's really our opinion, but that's besides the point). We hope you enjoy our quirky feature as much as we enjoy writing it!

This Saturday, Gwen and I are reading Aftermath by Clara Kensie.

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Charlotte survived four long years as a prisoner in the attic of her kidnapper, sustained only by dreams of her loving family. The chance to escape suddenly arrives, and Charlotte fights her way to freedom. But an answered prayer turns into heartbreak. Losing her has torn her family apart. Her parents have divorced: Dad's a glutton for fame, Mom drinks too much, and Charlotte's twin is a zoned-out druggie. Her father wants Charlotte write a book and go on a lecture tour, and her mom wants to keep her safe, a virtual prisoner in her own home. But Charlotte is obsessed with the other girl who was kidnapped, who never got a second chance at life--the girl who nobody but Charlotte believes really existed. Until she can get justice for that girl, even if she has to do it on her own, whatever the danger, Charlotte will never be free.

So far:

I haven't even really made a dent in this, and already there are tears. The book starts with Charlotte imprisoned, caged like an animal. She had been left for several days, and Kensie really does a great job narrating her situation, from the awful physical conditions to how she arrived there. My heart broke continuously as Charlotte summoned memories of her twin sister and their plans and dreams. But the real tears started to flow when Charlotte was found. This is where the real story begins.

I am experiencing many of the feels I had when I read Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu. The stories are similar, as they both look at life after the victim is freed, but that is where it ends. Digging in my heels for more of this emotional read.

Are you and your stuffed animal 
reading anything interesting? 

Let us know in your own Stuffed Animal Saturday!

Review: Alex, Approximately - Jenn Bennett

Alex, Approximately 
Jenn Bennett
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Reading Challenges: #ContRom2017, #NGEW2017

I am just trying to get a handle on all my emotions. I enjoyed this book so much, I am worried that I won't be able to properly explain my affection for it.

Bailey, aka @Mink, had been fostering an online relationship with @Alex for several months, when the decision was made for her to live with her father, in California, in the same town as Alex.  Alex had been wanting to meet Bailey in real life, however, she was hesitant to reveal that they were now sort of neighbors. So, she gathered up all the clues from their online correspondence, and set out to find Alex, but in her search to find Alex, she found her first love, a best friend, peace with "the incident", and herself.

I love contemporaries, and this is the stuff that great YA contemporaries are made of. Alex, Approximately had it all for me.

• A great heroine: Bailey won my heart immediately, with her "artful dodger" approach to life, her voice, and all her quirks. I felt as though I had found a kindred spirit in her. There were times when I admired how sure of herself she was, like with her throwback fashion sense, but then she still hid parts of herself. She grows so much in this book. She begins to come to terms with the tragic incident, she begins to trust others, and she begins to make attachments. I love seeing character growth, and Bailey grew and changed so much. I found her delightful at the beginning of this story, but at the end, I loved her. 
• A great hero: Bailey referred to it as "damaged charm", but seriously! Porter was fantastic. He was all swag and posturing in the beginning, but he was quick to let us in. Every time I thought I had Porter figured out, Bennett would pull the curtain back further, and show us another part of him. I found him to be the most complex character in the book, and I loved every second of getting to know him. 
• The romance: I was on this ship from page one. The online banter was cute and all, but when these two were physically together -- I just couldn't get enough of them. There were so many times when I thought Bennett captured that feeling of blossoming first love so well. So many honest moments too. Bailey was a young woman, and she was exploring her feelings and her desires, and Bennett showed all those sides. I kind of loved that she put those parts of Bailey's sexuality out there, because I feel like girls are encouraged to stifle their natural desires and to keep them secret. She also had some very open discussions between Porter and Bailey regarding sex, their experience, and being safe. That's something that should be discussed between partners and showing it this way, again, illustrated that it was par for the course, and it's not shameful or something to be avoided. *Applause, applause* for that. 
• This story was so flipping cute! Some reviewers are saying they felt the story was predictable. I don't think it was a secret who Alex was. It was more about being an observer to the journey of the characters, and I loved watching it all play out. I swear, the story was so cute, I may have squealed a few times. 
• Awesome adult characters: Bailey's dad, Wanda, Porter's family, and Pangborn. There were so many adults, who were an important part of this story, and Bennett made them pretty great. Not perfect, but perfect for the role that they served. 
• The movie quotes: The movie quotes selected at the end of each chapter were perfectly curated. They either summed up or gave us a peek and ahead, and I found their incorporation brilliant given the MCs love of film. 

I wish this ARC hadn't mentioned about 10,000 times not to quote the ARC, because this book is so quotable. I swear, I have like 100 highlights on my DRC. I hope to tag them all on GoodReads once the books is published, because there are just too many beautiful words that must be shared. I will share one quote, because it was from a movie, so I can. 

I will be adding this book to my favorites shelf, because it is just a magnificent example of great YA. I experienced so many emotions while reading Alex, Approximately, but most of all, I experience this sort of blissful happiness, that I hope will carry me through this week. 

To sum it up:

**I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book

Are you a cinephile (aka film buff)?

Let us know in the comments!