Top 10 finished series | Binge away!

Who else loves a good series binge??? One of my favorite things to do is to jump immediately from one book to the next in a series. No waiting, no forgetting who characters are or what happened to them. Just reading. So here are some of my favorite series that you can just BINGE.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys; The Dream Thieves; Blue Lily, Lily Blue; The Raven King

Why I loved it: Great characters, magic, treasure/scavenger hunt, deliciously evil antagonists

Wolf by Wolf duology by Ryan Graudin

Wolf by Wolf; Blood for Blood

Why I loved it: Motorcycle race!, alternate history, STRONG female lead

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Cinder; Scarlet; Cress; Winter

Why I loved it: Strong women in typically “male occupations”, swoony romances, sassy robots, fairytale retellings

Crazy Rich Asians trilogy by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians; China Rich Girlfriend; Rich People Problems

Why I loved it: SO MUCH DRAMA, some really likable characters, the food descriptions, depictions of extremely extravagant lifestyles

Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone; Days of Blood & Starlight; Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Why I loved it: Fascinating magic concept, fantastic world building, star-crossed lovers, beautiful writing, EVIL VILLAIN

Inkworld trilogy Cornelia Funke

Inkheart; Inkspell; Inkdeath

Why I loved it: Super readable, great characters, watching Maggie grow up

Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows; Crooked Kingdom

Why I loved it: Heists!, complicated relationships, great friendships, worldbuilding

Finishing School series by Gail Carriger

Etiquette & Espionage; Curtsies & Conspiracies; Waistcoats & Weaponry; Manners & Mutiny

Why I loved it: Great group of girlfriends, secret floating spy school, Sooties and Picklemen

The Madman’s Daughter trilogy by Megan Shepherd

The Madman’s Daughter; Her Dark Curiosity; A Cold Legacy

Why I loved it: Science-minded female protag, gothic classic retellings

Monsters of Verity duology by Victoria Schwab

This Savage Song; Our Dark Duet

Why I loved it: Monsters, broody violin player, tough-as-nails female protag, not-so-happy ending

What are some of your favorite finished series? Let me know which ones I should binge in the comments!

7 best YA couples of all time (this is completely subjective)

My little brother’s getting married today! Obviously, I’m not writing this on his wedding day, though. Like a good blogger, I have pre-scheduled content for this weekend including yesterday’s review of Bloodwitch. But I’m getting away from myself. In honor of my baby brother’s wedding day, I wanted to post my top 7 (he was born on the 7th) YA couples of all time! (In my opinion). Happy wedding day, B! (He doesn’t read this blog, but whatever).

1) Amy and Roger from Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

This is such an ultimate road trip book and I love it! Roger is super respectful of Amy the entire trip and when they finally get together it’s so satisfying. I love all the different playlists throughout and it’s so fun to watch them get to know each other and fall in love.

eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

2) August and Kate from the Monsters of Verity duology by Victoria Schwab

These two never really get together, but I still love them as a couple. I feel like they’re really well-suited for each other–I have a hard time imagining anyone else being able to understand either of them. They just seem really perfect.

eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

3) Blue and Gansey from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Blue and Gansey spend so much time in this series not actually together and while it can be frustrating at times, it also makes their inevitable relationship that much more satisfying. We know they’re fated to be with each other right from the beginning and I loved watching their relationship grow over the four books.

eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

4) Dario and Khalila from The Great Library series by Rachel Caine

These two! What a pair! Dario is so ridiculous, but he shows an unexpected tender side whenever Khalila is involved. And Khalila, for her part, doesn’t put up with any of Dario’s crap. She loves him, but she’s not going to let him get away with ANYTHING.

eBook | Paperback

5) Eril-Fane and Azareen from the Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor

I almost chose Lazlo and Sarai from this book, but then I remembered Eril-Fane and Azareen. While Lazlo and Sarai have a sweet new love, Eril-Fane and Azareen have a deep and tragic love. Reading about their relationship throughout the two books is so heartbreaking. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I love the way this mature relationship is portrayed in these books.

eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

6) Cress and Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

One of my OTPs. These guys are definitely perfect for each other. They compliment each other so nicely and I love how tender Thorne is with Cress. She needs someone who will be gentle with her, but also acknowledge all the ways in which she is strong–Thorne is able to do that perfectly.

eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

7) Remy and Dexter from This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

You knew there was going to be a Sarah Dessen couple on here, right?!? I wanted to pick Macy and Wes so bad, but in the end I had to go with Remy and Dexter. They are the ultimate example of opposites attracting. I love the way Dexter brings out the less serious side of Remy while Remy does a good job of being an anchor to the relationship.

eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

Any of your guys’ favorite couples make it on my list? Anyone you think I missed?

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyers (Mini-Reviews)

I have quite a few books that I’ve been meaning to review, but simply haven’t gotten to yet. So, I decided to just knock this series out in one go. I’ll spare you the summaries, and just give some brief thoughts (along with my customary content ratings).

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I’ll admit, I was very pleased when we were told that Cinder did not have any tear ducts. I hate when the heroine cries anytime something happens, so the fact that Cinder literally could not cry was something to be celebrated in my book. I liked pretty much all of the secondary characters. Dr. Erland seemed like a good guy and I really enjoyed Cinder’s relationships with Peony and Iko. There were a few things that kept the books from being a five though. First, I just want characters to be honest with each other for once! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK??? Second, the word “chafe” is used three times throughout the book. It’s not that common of a word and wasn’t the best choice in those circumstances. Third, how is Cinder such a good mechanic? Is it because she’s a cyborg? I just feel like this was never explained to us. Last, the final twist was SO OBVIOUS. I don’t mind that the twist was obvious, but it just makes me wish it had come out sooner so more could have happened with it.

Overall: 4 | Language: None | Violence: Moderate | Sexual Content: Mild | Smoke/Drink: Mild

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
I liked Scarlet as a character quite a bit, but there were times when I wondered if she was too similar to Cinder. The voices weren’t necessarily as distinct as I would have liked them to be. Again, though, secondary characters are great. I LOVE Thorne and think he’s a great addition to the cast. He brings in some great moments of comic relief. My one issue with the plot is that I feel like Scarlet forgave Wolf a little too quickly and that makes their relationship feel a little inauthentic. Overall, though, I’m not too bothered by it. Wolf as a character could have more depth, but again, it’s easy for me to look past. This book makes me excited to see how the rest of the story plays out.

Overall: 5 | Language: None | Violence: Heavy | Sexual Content: Mild | Smoke/Drink: Mild

Cress by Marissa Meyer
Hopeless. That’s basically how I felt for 75% of the book. I just could not see how everything was going to work out! At the same time, when the pieces started to come together, it made me really, really excited. I just wanted to cheer out loud! I like Cress especially because she does seem really different from both Cinder and Scarlet. I also like that she brings out another side of Thorne. He was fun in the second book, but it’s nice to see that he has another dimension. Iko is such a great character too and I’m glad that she was able to play a bigger role. Overall, I feel like the story is woven together so seamlessly. All of the characters are different and interesting and I’m excited to read the next book!

Overall: 5 | Language: None | Violence: Moderate | Sexual Content: Mild | Smoke/Drink: Mild

Overall Notes:
Love the cover designs, hate the font choice. Interesting world building.