\n| <\/td>\n | \n One week.<\/span><\/p>\nHome alone.<\/span><\/p>\nGirl genius.<\/span><\/p>\nUnrepentant slacker.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the worst that could happen?<\/span><\/p>\nMona is a smart girl and had everything figured out a long time ago. She had to. She didn\u2019t have a choice. When your parents are uber-celebrities and you graduate from high school at thirteen, finish college at seventeen, and start your PhD program at eighteen, you don\u2019t have time for distractions outside of your foci. Even fun is scheduled.<\/span><\/p>\nWhich is why Abram, her brother\u2019s best friend, is such an irritant.<\/span><\/p>\nAbram is a talented guy, a supremely gifted musician, and has absolutely nothing figured out, nor does he seem to care. He does what he feels, when he feels, and\u2014in Mona\u2019s opinion\u2014he makes her feel entirely too much. <\/span><\/p>\nLaws of Physics is the second trilogy in the Hypothesis series; Laws of Physics parts 1 (MOTION) & 2 (SPACE) end with a cliffhanger.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/resenha.png\") <\/p>\n
\n\n\n| O problema de ler um livro que voc\u00ea esperou por quatro anos, \u00e9 que suas expectativas podem acabar com o livro. Mas a Penny soube lidar muito bem com essas expectativas e j\u00e1 nos entrega uma hist\u00f3ria cativante desde a primeira p\u00e1gina, nos fazendo esquecer qualquer expectativa. Mona para mim \u00e9 a vers\u00e3o mais nova de Jane (de Neandertal Procura Humano). Sem muito filtro no que fala e no que pensa, ela \u00e9 uma deliciosa personagem de se acompanhar, fazendo que seus conflitos internos sobre o que \u00e9 o certo ao fazer sobre sua irm\u00e3, a tornam uma excelente protagonista. Sobre Abram, \u00e9 curioso ler sobre a hist\u00f3ria de um personagem acontecendo antes do que o conhecemos propriamente (em Elements of Chemistry), e acompanhar seu crescimento para v\u00ea-lo chegar no futuro que conhecemos. Acho que eles formam um casal com uma excelente qu\u00edmica e mal posso esperar para ver como Mona sair\u00e1 de toda essa confus\u00e3o. \u00c9 s\u00f3 um m\u00eas de espera, certo?<\/td>\n | How to read a book you have waited so many years for (about 4) without having your huge expectations keeping you from really enjoying the book? It’s really difficult, but Penny knows how to get you from the first page and makes you forget all your expectations. Mona, for me, is a younger version of Jane (from Neanderthal Seeks Human). Without a proper filter, she is always saying crazy things and her thoughts are better yet! Her conflict on what do to, and her loyalty to her sister make her a great character. About Abram, it’s interesting meeting the Abram from before we met him from the first time in the Elements of Chemistry trilogy. I think they can form a really great couple, and it will be interesting to see how Mona will get out of her deception. Only one month to wait, right?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/trecho.png\") <\/p>\n
\n\n\n| My stomach rumbled, long and loud, and I pressed my hand against it. Grunting into the darkness, I tossed off the covers and stood from Lisa\u2019s bed. Food on my mind, I slipped out of the room and down the stairs. The kitchen was dark, but instead of flipping on a light\u2014which might\u2019ve alerted Abram as to my whereabouts . . . which he probably didn\u2019t care about so long as \u201cLisa wasn\u2019t doing anything crazy\u201d\u2014I crept on quiet feet to the fridge and opened it.<\/span><\/p>\n Momentarily dazzled by the bright light within, it took several seconds of squinting and blinking before the scant contents became visible. I frowned. In addition to the pizza box, two suspicious-looking containers of Chinese takeout, and various condiments, I found: shredded cheddar\/jack cheese blend, a zucchini, a half a pint of mushrooms, and hot salsa. Opening the hot salsa, I smelled it, and then I dipped my pinkie inside and tasted it while examining the lid. It looked, smelled, and tasted fine.<\/span><\/p>\nPlacing my finds on the island counter, I shut the fridge. The sudden extinguishing of the bright light meant that the kitchen was now pitch black. Shrugging off my lack of sight, I extended my arms and blindly felt my way over to the pantry until my hands connected with the torso of a person. <\/span><\/p>\nA person.<\/span><\/p>\nA PERSON!<\/span><\/p>\nI jumped back on instinct, my leg hitting one of the stools at the island counter and sending it crashing to the ground. My heart in my throat, I screamed, turned, and darted forward, but my feet tangled with the felled stool and I pitched, bracing myself for a gravitational collision with unseen wooden bars and a granite stool top.<\/span><\/p>\nBut then strong arms caught me, deftly spinning and lifting me into the air. Cold dread rushed through my body, tensing every muscle. I couldn\u2019t think. I didn\u2019t think. Instinctively, my legs and fists pumped, fighting against my captor. Rocks in my throat as I readied another scream, a hand covered my mouth just as I belted it out. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWhoa! Calm down. It\u2019s me.\u201d Abram\u2019s voice at my ear soothed, his bulky arm a tight band around my torso, my back to his front, my feet not touching the ground. \u201cCalm down. Shhh. Calm down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHot breath teased my hair and neck, and I stilled, relief at discovering it was Abram didn\u2019t quite chase away the viral panic still attached to my hemoglobin, coursing through my veins. I shook. I was shaking. And I was gasping through my nose, greedy for air. <\/span><\/p>\nPerhaps he heard or felt my strained breathing because his arm loosened, lowering my feet to the ground, and his hand covering my mouth slid away. \u201cAre you okay? Are you hurt?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I said, not sounding convincing. Truth was, I felt like throwing up. \u201cCan you, uh, let me go?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHis arms immediately fell away and I stupidly rushed forward, once more crashing into the stool.<\/span><\/p>\nI heard Abram mutter a curse under his breath just as he caught me again, lifting me off the ground again, and saving me\u2014again\u2014from another gravitational collision. This time he turned us away from the stool and carried me across the room. <\/span><\/p>\nI didn\u2019t fight him this time. In fact, I relaxed into him. Wired and exhausted, but mostly embarrassed, I allowed myself to be transported without protest. We left the kitchen and I was finally able to see dim outlines of furniture and walls, courtesy of the streetlamp illumination spilling through the windows of the living room. <\/span><\/p>\nAbram carried me to my mother\u2019s favorite piece of furniture in our house, a gold velvet chaise lounge said to have once belonged to Napoleon\u2019s sister, Pauline Bonaparte. Depositing me on the soft surface, Abram crossed to one of the Tiffany lamps and pulled the chain, bathing the room in soft blue and yellow, colored light filtering through the stained glass. <\/span><\/p>\nHe then returned, knelt in front of me, one hand on my leg, the other cupping my cheek. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYes,\u201d I said, cleared my throat, unable to lift my eyes higher than his black T-shirt, and said again, \u201cYes.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nHe blew out a breath, pushing his fingers through my hair. By doing so, he forced my chin up and caught my gaze. That wrinkle of worry appeared between his eyebrows, and his very pretty eyes\u2014which glowed and sparkled like polished amber cabochons\u2014moved between mine. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYou really freaked out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nI stiffened, gritting my teeth and yanking my head back, out of his reach. \u201cI didn\u2019t know you were there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nWatching me with watchful watchfulness, he let his hand drop slowly until it rested on my left leg, next to his other hand which covered my right knee. \u201cI said your name\u2014twice\u2014when I walked in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI didn\u2019t hear you.\u201d I glanced from his eyes to where his palms were hot on my skin. \u201cAnd I couldn\u2019t see. I\u2019d just shut the fridge, my eyes hadn\u2019t adjusted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cDid you think I was a robber?\u201d His left eyebrow lifted as did the side of his mouth, just a hint.<\/span><\/p>\nClearly, he was trying to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, I still felt shaky. And embarrassed. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI- I didn\u2019t think,\u201d I admitted, releasing an unsteady breath. \u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking. Sorry I fell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cNo need to apologize. It wasn\u2019t like you could help it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYeah. Gravity can be such a downer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHe made a light, laughing sound. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cUh, nothing. Whatever.\u201d <\/span>No physics jokes!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nHis frown returned, his fingers flexing slightly on my legs. \u201cAre you sure you\u2019re okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nReaching for his hands, I removed them from my knees, setting them away. \u201cI\u2019m really fine. I just don\u2019t like\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHe glanced at my knees. \u201cBeing touched?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWhen it\u2019s unexpected.\u201d I crossed my arms.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThat makes sense. But your reaction, even after you knew it was me\u2014\u201d He paused and sat back on his heels, as though debating how to continue and finally settling on, \u201cIt was a big reaction.\u201d Abram continued to study me with his big, pretty, knowing brown eyes. \u201cHey, I would never hurt you.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nI winced, just a little, my gaze falling to my knees where his hands had been. I wanted to huff a laugh and roll my eyes, maybe say something like, <\/span>I know, don\u2019t be ridiculous. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\nBut the word \u201cOkay,\u201d small and fragile sounding, slipped out instead. I immediately wished it back, because I didn\u2019t understand it. I didn\u2019t know why I\u2019d said it, and I hated not knowing.<\/span><\/p>\nGet ahold of yourself, Mona. Pull it together. You are fine. Nothing happened.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nMeanwhile, he continued his examination of me, I felt his stare, assessing my downturned face. \u201cOut of curiosity, and no big deal if you don\u2019t want to say, but did something happen to you this last year?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nMy back straightened and I sucked in a slow, deep breath before asking calmly, \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYou\u2019re very . . . different than you were before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cBecause I don\u2019t want you touching me?\u201d I tried to infuse my words with challenge, strength\u2014wanting to shake off any earlier impression of weakness\u2014and mostly succeeded. Peeking at him, I gauged his reaction from behind a hastily built wall of dispassion.<\/span><\/p>\nBut then Abram dropped his chin to his chest, a massive grin lighting his features, and the fragrance of him hit me. My lashes fluttered as though he\u2019d blown dust in my eyes, penetrating my wobbly wall of dispassion and sending it crumbling to the ground. <\/span><\/p>\nGod, he smelled so good, and\u2014unlike visual stimuli\u2014I couldn\u2019t stop whatever cascade of relaxing, soothing, melting awareness smelling his scent set off. Unthinkingly, I leaned forward an inch, chasing and inhaling the smell of him while he cleared his throat, like he was trying not to laugh. <\/span><\/p>\nWhy he was fighting a laugh, I didn\u2019t know, but the apparent genuineness of Abram\u2019s struggle to subdue his grin only served to increase his attractiveness.<\/span><\/p>\nA moment later, he lifted his eyes and they connected with mine. He\u2019d conceded to a shy smile. It was <\/span>quite <\/span><\/i>a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYes,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYes?\u201d I parroted dumbly. <\/span>What were we talking about? And would it be weird if I buried my nose in his neck? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\u201cYes. You not wanting me to touch you means that you are very different now than you were before,\u201d he explained. <\/span><\/p>\nI appreciated the completeness and thoroughness of his sentence.<\/span><\/p>\nMy cheeks were hot. I pressed my hands against them while I examined him with suspicion. What was he doing to me? <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHow so?\u201d I asked, hoping to keep him talking so I could hunt down the splintered pieces of my concentration.<\/span><\/p>\nHis eyebrows pulled together as his shy smile became a smirk. \u201cYou\u2019re telling me you don\u2019t remember?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cTell me your version of events,\u201d I demanded, side-stepping a lie and still holding my cheeks. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cUhh . . .\u201d He scratched the back of his neck, peering at me like I both confused and amused him. <\/span><\/p>\nI was used to confusing people, but not amusing them. My cheeks burned hotter. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cDo <\/span>you <\/span><\/i>even remember?\u201d I pushed, knowing my tone was belligerent.<\/span><\/p>\nHe made a sound like he was choking on a laugh. \u201cYes. It\u2019s hard to forget waking up to a naked girl in my bed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nJaw dropping, my eyes grew to their maximum diameter.<\/span><\/p>\nNaked. Girl. In . . . bed? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\u201cAre you serious?\u201d I whispered, my mind darting in all directions, attempting to form a reasonable hypothesis for Lisa\u2019s behavior and coming up completely empty. Suddenly, I couldn\u2019t catch my breath.<\/span><\/p>\nHe shook his head, giving me an astonished once-over. \u201cYou honestly don\u2019t remember?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nMy mouth opened and closed as I struggled to speak, but it was no use. I was too . . . I was too many things. Shocked. Confused. Incredulous. ANGRY.<\/span><\/p>\nLISA!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nWhat had she been thinking? She\u2019d been eighteen! How would she have liked waking up to find a strange, naked, eighteen-year-old boy in <\/span>her <\/span><\/i>bed? <\/span><\/p>\nI was beyond shocked. I was horrified. I was electrocuted by the reality of my sister\u2019s brazen-slash-creepy quotient, because I couldn\u2019t imagine doing anything in the same sphere of possibility. I was beginning to believe that if my twin and I were represented by a Venn diagram, our only areas of overlap would be physical. A minor sliver of shared corporal characteristics, and that was absolutely it.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cLisa?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nBlinking at Abram, and promptly becoming tangled in his searching gaze, I realized he was still there. And I was still here. And my hands were still pressed against my cheeks as I warred with what I now identified as hot mortification.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat else could I do? I shot to my feet and marched out of the living room, dropping my hands and running up the main staircase.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.twobooksinashelf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/links.png\") <\/p>\n
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