Review of City of Bones by: Cassandra Clare

Book:  City of Bones
Author:  Cassandra Clare
Published By:  Margaret K. McElderry
Pages:  485

From Goodreads:  When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?  This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....  Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

So this book seemed to get mixed reviews, either people loved it or hated it.  I'm very proud to say that I am one of those people that LOVED it.  I was hooked right away.  I felt like I was on the dangerous, thrilling amusement park ride that I never wanted to end.  It is fast paced, thrilling, enticing and sexy all at once.  Clare's writing is captivating with all the action and the witty dialogue.  Her characters are so interesting and entertaining that you can't help but fall in love with them.  My favorite character is Jace who is cocky, deadly, and emotionally scarred.  He makes the perfect warrior and character in this disturbing take on forbidden love.  I was so enthralled with this novel that I found myself yelling, crying, begging, screaming and cheering (all out-load) throughout this entire novel.

There are just some novels that touch you and become not only a part of your bookshelf but also a part of your heart.  This is definitely one of those novels for me.  I hope you enjoy/enjoyed this book as much as I did.    

Review of Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham

Book:  Home in Time for Christmas
Author:  Heather Graham
Published By:  Mira

Pages:  285

From Goodreads:  Melody Tarleton is driving home for Christmas when a man--clad in Revolutionary War-era costume--appears right in the path of her car. Shaken, she takes the injured stranger in, listening with concern to Jake Mallory's fantastic claim that he's a Patriot soldier, sentenced to death by British authorities. The last thing he remembers is the tug of the noose.Safe at her parents' house, Melody concocts a story to explain the handsome guest with courtly manners, strange clothes and bump on the head. Mark, her close friend who wishes he were more, is skeptical and her family is fascinated--though not half so fascinated as Melody herself. Jake is passionate, charming and unlike anyone she's ever met. Can he really be who he claims? And can a man from the past be the future she longs for?With the aid of enchanted petals, ancient potions and the magic of the season, Melody and Jake embark on an unimaginable Christmas adventure--and discover a love that transcends time. 


This book wasn't exactly like I expected.  I thought it would be a quick, steamy, and romantic read, but I was wrong on the steamy part.  There were no love scenes or even very much kissing.  I've read young adult romances that were steamier than this.  The plot of this book wasn't very believable but I guess the concept behind Christmas isn't very believable to some people.  I found myself siding with Melody that people can't travel through time and that is just a ridiculous notion.  But then I got to thinking I'm sure people think it's crazy that a child was born from a virgin mother too.  This is a Christmas book after all and it did portray common Christmas themes such as belief and faith.  It was a quick read that did get you thinking about all the technology and technological advances the 21st century has.  I guess if we've come this far who knows what is possible in the future.  I think that's the point of this book, maybe not to get people to believe in the plot-line of time travel but to see how far we've come and with a little faith to imagine what we can achieve.     

Review of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Book:  Shade
Author:  Jeri Smith-Ready
Published By:  Simon Pulse
Pages:  309

From Goodreads:  Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.  Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.  Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.  Well, sort of.  Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.  It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.  As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

I had a really hard time getting into this book to start with, but after Logan's death I was hooked.  I'm still not sure about the whole ghost thing but the plot behind this book is unique and thought provoking.  It would be very hard to have to lose someone twice, first as their corporeal body and second as their spirit.  Would you want them to hang out for a while or would you want them to pass on immediately?  The writer took a serious issue such as death and gave the readers a whole new way to look at it.  I often felt this internal struggle while reading this book trying to decide what I would want or do in Aura's position.  So many people dealing with the death of a loved one just want another day with them or a chance to tell them something important.  In this world that Jeri Smith-Ready created they can, but what happens when the spirit is still around after a couple of days?  What happens to their soul with they are in this limbo stage and what happens when the people around them start to move on?  How would you feel if you were that spirit?  All of these questions were going through my mind when I was reading this book (often times through tears) and to tell you the truth, I still don't have any answers...only more questions. 

The writer did an amazing job examining each characters feelings relating to the circumstances surround Logan's death.  I loved the contrasting feelings of those pre-shift (Mickey, Siobhan, the parents, etc.) and those post-shift (Aura, Dylan, and Megan).  I thought that part of the book was amazing and I understood each person's feelings, especially Logan's.  The characters were really well developed and all of the situations and the emotions they experienced dealing with these situations were very realistic.  Once again though, the author leaves you with a cliffhanger in anticipation for the next book Shift.

Nostalgia

I know most people hate to read books assigned to them in school.  I mean either these books are classics where you can't understand half of the words or you're only suppose to read a chapter of that book because you will get quizzed tomorrow only on events in that chapter.  I was never like that.  Don't get me wrong I hated the quizzes and didn't agree with all the symbolism that the teacher thought the author put there to invoke a discussion, but I still loved reading them.  Do you ever find yourself walking through a store and seeing one of those books you were required to read for school and remember how much you loved them...well I do that all the time.  I thought I would share with you two of my favorite books that I had to read for school. 
 

From Goodreads:  The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance. 







From Goodreads:  When Jonas turns 12, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. Now, it’s time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.








If you haven't read either of these books, go pick them up! 

What about you?  Are there any books you remember reading for school that you absolutely loved? 

Review of Forgive My Finns By Tera Lynn Childs

Lily is a mermaid that is living on land where no one knows her identity. She is the princess of her kingdom and need to find a mate before her eighteenth birthday which is 5 short weeks away. She has the perfect mate (Brody) picked out, he's even on the swim team. The only problem is that he doesn't really notice her. Desperate in her attempts to catch Brody's eye she goes along with the plans of her enemy. When things don't go right and she gets unexpectedly kissed by the wrong person and ...more Book:  Forgive My Finns
Author:  Tera Lynn Childs
Published By:  Katherine Tegen Books
Pages:  293

From Goodreads:  Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.  Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.  When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

This was a cute, easy book that I read in one sitting.  Lily was a very likable character that many readers can related to.  I mean who doesn't get a little crush on the cutest boy in school even if he is a jerk.  There were times in this book that I wanted to yell at Lily and tell her that she shouldn't go after Brody, but as you all know the characters from books (or TV and movies) never listen to what you have to say.  As for Quince, he really made the book for me.  I loved his character and would like to have learned more about him.  Overall, the plot was predictable and the characters didn't have much depth as I would have liked. One thing I did love about the book was Lily's fishy expressions like "son of a swordfish." These puns kept the book entertaining and light and definitely kept this reader laughing out-loud.

Thursday's Name Game

Name:  Logan
Gender:  Male
Character From:  Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Meanings and history of the name LOGAN:

• Of Gaelic origin, meaning "Small Hollow".

Personal Experience:

• Logan High School/Logan Middle School

Places name Logan:

• Logan, West Virginia
• Logan Airport, Boston, MA

Famous real-life people named Logan: 

• Logan the Orator a Native American orator and war leader 
• Jimmy Logan, Actor from early 1900s
• Daniel Logan, Actor from Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.
• Ben Logan is an author, he wrote the classic Wisconsin tale, The Land Remembers.

 

Logan in song, story & screen:

• Logan - Wolverine in the X-Men movies
• Logan Bruno - Boyfriend of Mary Anne in the Baby-sitter's Club series
• Logan Jonsen - Werewolf in Kelley Armstrong's 'Women of the Otherworld' series.

List adapted from www.babynamewizard.com

These are just some I know...what about you?

Review of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Book:  The Iron King
Author:  Julie Kagawa
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Pages:  363

From Goodreads:  Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six.  She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.  When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.  But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war.  Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

This was such an enchanted fairy tale with a dark twist.  I was completely enthralled and creeped out at the same time by this novel.  This faery world was a little darker and more complex than I would have liked  especially with all the other creatures, besides the Fay, wandering NeverNever.  I did however love the main characters.  I loved Meghan's fierce loyalty to her little brother and to her friendship with Puck.  Her character was so believable and pulled you right into her life.  At first I though she was a little hasty in some of her decisions but when I thought it over I probably would have done the same thing.  Speaking of those choice, this novel definitely left you hanging and waiting for it's sequel, The Iron Daughter.