The Friday Five

It's Royal Wedding Day!

I got up at 4 a.m. this morning to see the press coverage of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It was so exciting to me and I was thrilled to be a part of it. I enjoyed sharing it with my children today. I really just loved every second of it.

Royalty is present all over the place in literature. Kings, queens, princes, and princesses are a large part of some of the best and most-loved stories of our time. In honor of the Royal Wedding today AND just because it is Friday, I have made up a little list of a few of my favorite literary kings and queens...

The Friday Five:

Kings and Queens



1. Wrath, Son of Wrath from the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. - Also known as the Blind King, Wrath is the last pureblood vampire of his kind. He is initially hesitant to take his rightful place on the throne, but eventually sees his importance to his race as the Lessers begin to wage war on humans and vampires alike. He is fair and just, and he loves his wife. He is intensely loyal, and the members of the Brotherhood are loyal to him as well. In Dark Lover, Wrath is the first member of the Brotherhood to have his story told.

2. King Iorek Byrnison from the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. - Iorek Byrnison is the armored bear who befriends and protects Lyra Belacqua in The Golden Compass. He is incredibly strong and a very hard worker. He is the rightful heir to the throne in his homeland of Svalbard but is unable to ascend the throne because he is in exile after an altercation with another bear which resulted in the other bear's loss of life. Iorek ends up returning to his homeland and challenging the king. He is restored to his rightful position as The Bear King after a long and difficult battle. (Iorek Byrnison is one of my favorite characters in any book, ever. This is interesting because normally, I do not care for animals that talk and wear clothes. Iorek stole my heart and still holds it. I adore The Bear King.)

3. The King and Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. - I love The Queen of Hearts because she is perpetually grumpy and yells "Off with their heads!" all the time. Her husband, The King of Hearts, spends much of his time pardoning her subjects after they have been sentenced to beheading. He spends his time smoothing over her mood swings. I love the way The Queen of Hearts has been portrayed in the various movies about Alice and her adventures, and I always love the image she is given. She and her king are just fun.

4. Queen Bitterblue of Monsea from Graceling by Kristin Cashore. - Queen Bitterblue of Monsea is initially introduced to us while she is still a princess. Bitterblue runs away, along with her mother (Queen Ashen) in an effort to escape King Leck but Queen Ashen is killed in the escape attempt. Bitterblue is rescued by Katsa and together they make the nearly impossible journey from Monsea to Lienid in an effort to spare Bitterblue's life. When King Leck is killed by Katsa, Bitterblue returns to Monsea and assumes the throne as the Queen. Bitterblue is a very resilient and tough kid, and the fact that she survives thru the harsh terrain of the Monsean mountains only to return to her kingdom right away ready to take her place on the throne makes her a very interesting character. I cannot wait until the third book in the Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, which will be Bitterblue's story.

5. Max, the "king of all wild things" from Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. - This may be my favorite king from any story. Max is a small child who is punished for goofing off and being mischievous by his mother. He is sent to bed without dinner. His imagination gives birth to the land of the Wild Things and he is made their king...until he begins to miss his mother and his home. He returns to his bedroom and ends up being able to eat his dinner after all. I LOVE this story. I LOVE Max. He is an absolute kid, even being depicted as wearing an animal costume throughout the story. I love the way he acts tough in the beginning of the book and by the end, he is homesick for his mother.

My Thoughts On: will grayson, will grayson by John Green & David Levithan

I chose to read this book because I love John Green. I LOVED Paper Towns so much. I have never read anything by David Levithan, and I need to be perfectly honest in saying that I was a little bit put off by John Green co-writing with somebody else. However, I am one of those people who are intensely loyal to authors which means that I will read the book if it is written by someone that I enjoy. And I'm glad I was open-minded about the co-writing thing because this book was great.

The book is about two different guys, each named Will Grayson. According to Wikipedia, each author wrote about a particular Will in alternating chapters. Somewhere at approximately one-third of the way through the book, Will accidentally met Will and their worlds were crossed and mixed and blended. At the center of both of their universes was Tiny Cooper, who is really a wonderful and charming character.

I love the way this story is constructed. I love the use of capitalization, which was also theme in Green's Paper Towns. I love that it is written in a high-school setting because for the few hours that I was reading this story, life was really this simple. I love that in Green's books, the problems his characters face are so huge and complex for them. Because of my age and station in life, I can appreciate the struggle of these young people, and I can appreciate the place where they are in their lives, and it makes it such a nice read.

As with Paper Towns, there are some characters in this story that I do not particularly care for too much. This is probably because my high school experience was just like the experience most people had and, well, kids can just be mean sometimes. But I really, really liked Jane and I thought the Will/Jane story was very charming...and maybe my favorite part of this entire book. I also really, really liked Gideon. A lot.

I hate to keep giving Green more of my time than Levithan, but I repeat that I have not read any of Levithan's previous work before this book. I can imagine that there are some audiences that really identify with the characters in this book, just like with Paper Towns. (I have yet to read the other Green books at this time, but plan to very soon.) I think that Green writes with a voice that is spoken by a lot of the 'youth of the nation' and I wonder if that is why his books are so popular. Well, that and they are just really great. I recommend this book to everyone who reads young adult fiction. It is really great. I can't wait to read more by both of these authors.

*Don't Forget To Be Awesome*

It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpecting directions. With a push from friends new and old-including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire-Will and Will began building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.  -(summary from book cover)

My Thoughts On: Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

Payne, twin sister of  Vishous, is cut from the same dark warrior cloth as her brother. Because she is a fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side...and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.

When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can-and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous secret world. Although he has never before believed in things that go bump in the night-like vampires-he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide...just as a centuries-old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.   -(summary from book cover)

I devoured this book, like every Black Dagger Brotherhood installment before this one. And like each of the previous books, I loved this one. Ms. Ward is consistent and for that I am happy.

Since finishing this book, I have read a few reviews and I have been a little bit saddened by what I saw. Some people are a little disappointed because they feel the story surrounding Payne and Manny falls flat. They go on to say that Vishous sort of steals the show yet again in this book because of his inner struggles and issues. While I agree that the Vishous/Jane and Vishous/Butch storylines are great, I do not agree that the Payne/Manny storyline is uninspiring. I suppose that in every series, people will have favorite books and then some of the books will shine a little less brightly than others. I have my own favorite Brothers, so naturally the stories that surround these characters will tend to be my favorite. Neither Payne nor Manny has been a character in the series from the beginning (from what I can remember) so it is natural that neither Payne nor Manny will be the favorite subject.

I cannot imagine saying that this book is disappointing. I support everyone else and their opinions, because they are just that, but I have read nothing but pure gold from Ms. Ward thus far. This book was not my favorite Brotherhood book, but it will be very important to the series after this. For example, and probably most imporantly, Xcor is introduced here with his "band of bastards." We also are informed of Xcor's intentions in moving to America, and this was not explored with any depth in this book. It will without a doubt be explored further in books to come...and from what I know of the Brotherhood, it will be really exciting.

Would I recommend this book? If you love the Black Dagger Brotherhood, read it immediately! If you are inclined to not care for vampires or any type of paranormal/supernatural subject matter...then this book is definitely not for you. But otherwise, I would say grab it and read it. If you have never read any of this series, you definitely should. It is a fantastic series. It will be a long wait until the next one, for sure.

Library Loot, April 24-30

 Library Loot is a weekly event that is co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. It encourages bloggers to share the books they have checked out from their local libraries.

I have some GREAT books checked out to me this week!

1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Not much to say about this except I love the Mortal Instruments series and I have not read this one or City of Fallen Angels yet. So I was thrilled to see this beauty sitting on the shelf waiting for me.

2. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. I have just recently finished the first book in this Millennium Trilogy by the late Stieg Larsson. Although it was very slow to get going, I was completely entangled in the first book by the end. When I got the phonecall that this library hold had come in for me, I was so excited! Can't wait to read it...

3. Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward. I have loved every second I have spent reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. When this pretty baby was sitting up on that shelf, I squealed. Literally. I just finished it last night and it was delicious.

4. In The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. This has been on my TBR list for quite some time. This will be my first Carrie Ryan book. And I'm excited about it since it is a) the first book of a new-to-me series and b) it is a post-apocalyptic book that is sort of zombie-ish. Can't wait.

5. If I Stay by Gayle Forman. This is the first of two books. Both have pretty covers. I am excited to have it in my possession.

6. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. This is the first book in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy and my first Libba Bray book. The cover is stunning and I was thrilled to check it out. Can't wait to read it.

7. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. I am an adult that loves to read literature for children. This is a Newberry Award winner with a beautiful cover about a young girl in the 1930's. It BEGS to be read.

8. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. Literally every time I go to the library, the first place I go is to the 'John Green' section. I loved Paper Towns that much. This is my second John Green book.

9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I have read a ton about The Iron Fey series lately, so I want to read it. And so it begins.

10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book is not pictured because the hubby is currently reading it. I finished it a few days ago and it was wonderful. Definitely worth all of the hype and its spot on the bestseller list.

"Waiting On" Wednesday

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that gives us a chance to highlight upcoming releases that we are drooling over...

My choice for this week is:

Dead Reckoning

by Charlaine Harris

release date: May 3, 2011

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows...

-book summary from Amazon.com

I love the Sookie Stackhouse books. I love that they are expanding into the eleventh novel. I love that the TrueBlood show doesn't follow the books exactly. I think they are fun, easy, lighthearted reads. I'm excited that it comes on in a few short weeks!



Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in honor of their love for a good list. Every week they suggest a theme and the book blogging world has fun with it. This week is special for two reasons: 1) it is my first Top Ten Tuesday and 2) it is a Top Ten Tuesday Rewind week. Woohoo!

According to The Broke and the Bookish:

"By my count, this Top Ten Tuesday will be the 44th done by this site (what?!). Top Ten Tuesday has come a long way, from Childhood Favorites to Book to Movie wishlists. Across those 44 weeks there most likely have been Tuesdays where you just forgot, didn’t have the time or didn't know it existed and really wished that you could because it was such a cool week. Well, here is your chance to fix it!"

I went through the lists, and here is what I chose...Enjoy!!!

Top Ten Books I'd Want

On A Deserted Island

If somebody wanted to sent me to a deserted island and only let me take ten books, I would not like it one bit! But after I had a chance to pout at my lack of a library to feed my habit, I think I would choose these beauties (in no particular order):

1. The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson - Okay, if you read my blog then you know that I have only read the first book. But I'm working on the rest of the trilogy. And the world is absolutely right about this one...these books are amazing. I know that eventually I will read them again because I know that I have more than likely missed a million details. I can't leave a trilogy hangin', so these are coming with me.

2. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pulman - These books are just amazing. And so entertaining. I'm sure that if I was living on a deserted island, I would eventually want to be somewhere else, and these books definitely took me to another place while I was reading them. So they come with me, for sure.

3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - This book was one of the best pieces of literature that I have ever read in my life. Immediately when I finished it, I wanted to read it again. It stands to reason that it should be with me on the island.

4. The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward - Well, I don't have any snazzy reasons for wanting these books there. If you've read them, you know why. They're delicious.

5. All of John Steinbeck's novels - He is my absolute favorite novelist. His books are pure gold. Or platinum. Or diamonds. Or whatever is precious. I love them. They have to be with me on the island.

6. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller - I love Donald Miller. In this book, he has written essays about lots of spiritual things I have thought about and he has done it really well. He has also written about lots of things I didn't realize that I thought about. This book lends itself to discussion so well, and is so thought provoking. Every time I read it, it hits me a different way. It would do me well to have a little Donald Miller to read every now and then while I'm out there.

7. The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder - No explanation needed here, I'm sure. I read all of these books several times as a child. As an adult, they are even better. As a mother, they are among the best. I will be reading them throughout the rest of my life, so they will go with me to the island.

8. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by A Relentless God by Francis Chan - I've read this book three times now and I'm reading it a fourth time along with some great friends of mine. It never gets old or boring. To keep up with my friends, I gotta bring it with me.

9. The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer - This series has been such a cultural phenomenon over the past few years. I think I'm one of the few of Meyer's readers who has only read each of the books once. But that doesn't mean I would not read them again...I just haven't been able to because my TBR pile is so huge! On an island, I think I would be able to read them again. Load 'em up, and send 'em with me.

10. The Bible. New Living Translation or English Standard Version. Gotta be in there. If it is the best-selling book of all time, surely that says something. If there is one in every hotel room, in most doctor's offices, and in lots of houses, shouldn't there be one on the island with me? I think so. Definitely.

Book Blogger Hop, 4/15-4/18

 

The Book Blogger Hop is a meme hosted by Crazy For Books in which a question is asked and an answer is given! This week's question/topic is:

"Pick a character from a book you are

currently reading or have just finished

and tell us about him/her."

My Answer:  I just finished reading Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen.

Jacob Janowski is the story's protagonist. He is a young man finishing veterinary school at Cornell University when his parents are killed in an automobile accident. Unable to cope with the tragedy and finish the final week of his last semester in school, Jacob hops a train and finds himself traveling with a circus. He is hired as the circus vet and begins caring for the animals. Jacob begins to develop a relationship with the head animal trainer, August, who has terrible and confusing mood swings. Jacob also develops a guarded relationship with August's wife Marlena, with whom he eventually falls in love.

Jacob has to deal with falling in love with a married woman with whom he works closely and at the same time, he has to deal with caring for animals who are severely mistreated by August. All of this is in addition to dealing with the fact that he recently lost his family tragically and then left his entire life behind.

As a reader, I could not help but fall for Jacob's character. His love for animals is pure, as is his love for Marlena. He is loyal to his friends, to the lady that he loves, and to the animals that he serves. He is written into this novel very well and is a fantastic protagonist for this story.

My Thoughts On: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons.

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford. -(book jacket summary)

My Thoughts:


I have a really wonderful friend that picked this book up and read it quickly. She texted me that it is a "must-read!" I knew already that I wanted to read it, but it was one of the ones on my TBR list. I never know when I'll get to those...it's up to the fate of the library. She was so firm in her conviction that my dear friend dropped this book right in the mail and sent it to me!

I take book recommendations seriously because I want other people to take it seriously when I recommend books to them. So I was thrilled to receive Water For Elephants in the mail! (Who doesn't like getting a package with a book inside?) I did not expect, however, for this book to EXCEED my expectations. I knew it would be wonderful, but I didn't realize how wonderful it would be.

I was impressed with the depth of research Ms. Gruen must have completed to have written about a post-Depression era traveling circus. I knew by researching the author herself that she loved animals, and that animals are often her subject matter, so it didn't surprise me that they take up so much space in her book. But I was astounded with how gracefully she melded the subject matter and circus vernacular with each of the different plotlines. Everything fit together with no bumps or cracks. Because I have never read books about circus culture or animals in this way before, I almost feel like I learned a little bit of American history while I was reading this book, which rocked my world! I was not expecting that at all.

The book goes back and forth between the older Jacob Janowski, the resident of the nursing home, and the younger Jacob Janowski, the man who travels with the circus. I found the chapters about the older Jacob to be sad and somewhat depressing. But the chapters about the young Jacob and all of his circus counterparts were very, very exciting throughout the entire story. The more I sit and think about this book and take it all in, I keep telling myself reasons why the author probably included the chapters about "older Jacob" but I think that for myself, I could have done without them. That being said, the ending gives good resolution for "older Jacob" and I did not find myself sad at the end of the book. In reading other reviews, I find that other people had different views and opinions, but I found the ending to be quite charming.

A final thought...I am not an animal person by nature. I do not have a house full of pets and do not care to. But I think that I fell in love with the sweet elephant Rosie as much as one can fall in love with an animal character in a book. Rosie is a very smart, very loyal, very loving creature and Ms. Gruen makes sure that her audience loves these animals as much as she clearly does.

I am sure that anybody who reads this book would love it. Or at least like it. It is brilliantly written and very descriptive. I am excited to see the movie very soon, although I cannot even begin to imagine how the movie can do adequate justice to the book. I am sure it will be a great movie, but this book is amazing. If you have not made plans to read it yet, please add it to your list. You'll thank me later.

My Thoughts On: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

by:  Steig Larsson

"Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist is hired by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of Vanger’s great-niece Harriet. Henrik suspects that someone in his family, the powerful Vanger clan, murdered Harriet over forty years ago.

Starting his investigation, Mikael realizes that Harriet’s disappearance is not a single event, but rather linked to a series of gruesome murders in the past. He now crosses paths with Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker, an asocial punk and most importantly, a young woman driven by her vindictiveness.

Together they form an unlikely couple as they dive deeper into the violent past of the secretive Vanger family."  -(summary from author's website)

I am not exactly sure why I was so bound and determined to read this book. Over the past couple of years since its release, I have read the book summary a million times. Never once did it strike me as something I would have chosen to read. I do not typically like to read crime thrillers. In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever read one before.

Over time, though, more and more people that I know read the trilogy and gave it high recommendations and very positive reviews. And as an added bonus, the cover looked really neat. Eventually I decided to read the first book and see what all the fuss was about. It took forever, but eventually a copy was available at our library system for my use.

Almost immediately I was thrust into a world of financial jargon, Swedish culture, and crime. One crime after another. It took a long time before I was ever introduced to Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the tattoo mentioned in the title. And it felt like forever before the book 'picked up' to the point where I no longer felt like I was trudging through it. But my goodness...once the story took off, it really took off. I ended up staying up too late at night reading more than a couple of times because I just could not put this book down.

What a completely satisfying novel from Mr. Larsson! There were so many details and characters, and the twist at the end was so exciting. I had to keep encouraging myself to stay with it, but I am so glad that I did. Now I would like to encourage everyone else to read this book. If I can hang with it, YOU can hang with it.

My absolute favorite thing about the time I spent reading this book was that whenever I would choose to read the book in a public place, people would approach me and strike up a conversation about it. THAT IS AWESOME to me...to be somewhere and have a great conversation, even a short one, about a good book...particularly with people that I don't even know.

I will certainly read the rest of the series, but not just yet. I don't want to read this series too quickly. I enjoyed the first book far too much once it gained momentum, and I have heard from other people that the next two books start out exciting from the first page. I still need to sit and think about this first installment for awhile, even as I am already reading other books. 

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anybody can play along! Here's how:

• Grab what you are reading...
• Open to a random page.
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title of the book and the author so other readers can add the book to their TBR pile if they like your teasers.

This Week's Teasers:

"No matter how many times she was told that she was loved, there was no recognition that the proof was in the abandonment. Nothing changed the fact that she was a lost, skinny child in another foreign place, with more foreign people."

                                                ~ page 32, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My Thoughts On: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful--too beautiful for words.
Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings. -(summary from author's website)

I found out about this book from a post from the cool people at PageTurnersBlog ... that Wings by Aprilynne Pike would be available for download until around April 18, 2011 for free from a few websites listed. I chose the Amazon site and downloaded the book for free to my Kindle application for my phone. I have always been super strict on myself about reading real books with real pages, but I thought a read-along might be fun so I bent my rules and jumped on the electronic bandwagon. This was my first experience with an eReader of any type.

First of all, the book downloaded without difficulty. Within seconds, I was immersed into Ms. Pike's world of Laurel and David. Laurel is a beautiful high-school age, previously homeschooled girl who has recently moved to a new town with her parents. She is starting a new school...her first school. She is nervous enough about the new school, but it becomes more difficult and awkward when she learns that she isn't quite human. Laurel is a faerie who has been sent to live among humans for the purpose of protecting the gate to Avalon. With this new knowledge comes new responsibility, and there is a lot of excitement as she is thrust into a world of battle between faeries and trolls. To go along with all of the conflict, there is also a choice she has to make between the love of a faerie and the love of a human. (I really liked David's character in the story...)

This is the debut novel for Ms. Pike, and the first in a series about Laurel. The story ends smoothly but leaves the reader wanting to immediately start the next book, Spells. I'm excited about reading the next installment in the series. If you like young adult fiction, and you like the world of faeries, you'll definitely like this book. Download it, read it, and participate in the read-along. It's fun to talk to other people about books!!!

To participate in the read-along discussions, visit PageTurnersBlog and check for discussion posts. Or you can follow them on twitter here: @PageTurnersBlog



My Thoughts On: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare 

 To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and her best friend, Simon, has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling The Mortal Instruments.  -(summary from the author's website)

As I suspected, I devoured this book. And I loved it.

In the previous two books we learned that Clary belongs to a race called Shadowhunters and is able to create her own runes, which makes her very powerful and useful. She has lived among mundanes, or regular humans, for most of her life because her mother wanted to keep her identity a secret from her in order to keep her safe from her father, Valentine. Valentine has a plan to steal the Mortal Instruments in order to gain control over the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders. Clary has had to quickly learn and adapt to her new-found identity to help prevent Valentine's rise to power...all while coming to terms with the fact that guy she loves is also her recently-found brother and that her best friend has just been turned into a Downworlder.

After reading City of Ashes, I immediately started City of Glass and read it quickly. There were some new characters introduced and BOY were they huge developments in the story of the Shadowhunters! I have read here and there where bloggers have said the storyline was a bit predictable, but I do not think this was the case at all. I was surprised several times by what Ms. Clare threw at us. And I really, really liked the ending. I cannot wait to see what City of Fallen Angels has in store for us.

For me, one of the biggest judgments of a book is its use of imagery. I want to see a little mini-movie play in my head while I'm reading. For both City of Ashes and City of Glass, the movies were absolutely there, playing as I read. I had no trouble at all visualizing what was taking place. Ms. Clare was descriptive enough with the characters' appearances, clothing, and weaponry that I could have cast the movie and wardrobed each character. But even more spectacular was that I can probably almost draw the City of Glass after spending so much time in its streets and public buildings in this story...and I think that is marvelous and totally exciting.

Overall, I absolutely loved City of Glass. I was completely lost in it. I've been completely lost in each of The Mortal Instruments books thus far, and I fully expect the same when I get the chance to read City of Fallen Angels. Congratulations, Ms. Cassandra Clare, on City of Fallen Angels, which is releasing today! And Congratulations on a fantastic series! The Mortal Instruments series is wonderful. Everyone go get it and read it!

My Thoughts On: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.  -(summary taken from author's website)

I loved this book! I waited forever to snag this book at the library after devouring the first book in the series, City of Bones. For those of you who know me, you know that I am a sucker for a book with a pretty cover. This book has a beautiful cover! The picture is Clary with her flame-colored hair over her home, Brooklyn. I was stunned by the contrast of the hair over the starkness of the city. Beautiful.

Cassandra Clare has a wonderful way of writing. The storyline in City of Bones was gritty and grungy, and this carried through to City of Ashes. She gives a great view of how tough it must be for a teenage Shadowhunter who falls in love with a guy who also happens to be her brother (and by the way, don't forget her best friend is in love with her). Clary feels awkward, insecure, inappropriate, and unpretty but this is balanced with wit and humor and a great bunch of other characters to keep us engaged as readers.

At the end of this book...with all the fighting and love triangles and such...I actually had in my possession the third book in the series, City of Glass. As a rule, I typically do not read series books back-to-back because I find that sort of boring. However, the Clary-Jace-Simon love triangle was SO exciting that I hesitated for about two seconds before I picked up the third book and started reading.

My overall impression of this book is a great one. Should you read it? Absolutely, particularly if you love Young Adult fiction or paranormal fiction.