Review: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

Goodreads| Author's Website

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.


Excerpt taken from Goodreads.com
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Rating: 4.5 Stars

 



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Characters

Shadowhunters
Clary Fray/ Morgenstern- the main character, a teenager who's just found out she is a Shadowhunter, is an extremelyt good artist, has special powers, attracted to her brother Jace

Jocelyn Fray/ Morgenstern- Clary's mother. Kept secrets from Clary about their past. Was rescued last book and lays in a coma throughout the entire book
Jace/ Jonathon Wayland-/ Morgenstern- a Shadowhunter trained by his father Valentine. Is extremely talented and has special powers, attracted to his sister Clary. Is parabatai with Alec. 
Isabella Lightwood- also a Shadowhunter teen, tall and beautiful
Alec Lightwood- a Shadowhunter teen who is homosexual, in a relationship with Magnus. Is parabatai with Jace.
Brother Jeremiah- A Silent Brother who was once a Shadowhunter named Hodge Starkweather. The Silent Brothers are archivists and medics for the Nephilim. 
Maryse & Robert Lightwood- parents to Isabella, Alec, and Max. Previously had been in the Circle with Valentine, Jocelyn, and Luke. Replacement heads of the NYC Institute. 
Max Lightwood- Younger brother (age 9) to Isabella and Alec
Madeleine Bellefluer- Unknown connections with Jocelyn
 
Valentine Morgenstern- A powerful Shadowhunter thought to have been dead. Has the Mortal Cup and is looking to overthrow the Clave by bringing out demons
The Inquisitor/ Imogen Herondale: The one in charge of the Clave and giving out punishments. She has a vendetta against Valentine and therefore against Jace for being his living son

Downworlders
Luke Garroway/ Lucian Greymark- close family friend to Jocelyn and Clary, almost a father figure to Clary.  Previously a Shadowhunter and close to Valentine, currently head lycanthrope of the local pack in NYC. Privately in love with Jocelyn. Was also previously Valentine's parabatai.
Maia Roberts- in Luke's pack, is a werewolf. 
Magnus Bane- High warlock, flamboyantly gay, in a romantic relationship with Alec
Raphael Santiago- head vampire of the Night Children
Seelie Queen- Queen of the Seelie court and the Fair Folk
Meliorn- the Queen's personal  knight and confidant. Has  unknown affiliation with Lightwoods

Mundane
Simon Lewis- Clary's boy friend, he turns into a vampire  

Demon
Agramon- A Greater Demon, Demon of Fear. Prays on people by showing them their worst fear. Literally scares people to death. Summoned by a young warlock and then controlled by Valentine by the Mortal Cup.  


I think Clary is still annoying, actually more so this book than the last, and her character doesn't really develop much in this book. Yes, her powers develop, but her mentality is immature and lacking for the majority of the book. I guess my feelings for her haven't changed. I really don't know what role she has to play yet, it seems like there is a climax that I am not anticipating but now want and hope is super great. An example of a super bothersome thing she did was ask the name of the blade she was given right before she left to find Luke. Who the hell wastes time when someone is abducted like this? And then she screams the blades name (Nakir) while fighting... Really? This just seems forced to me and completely out of character! If there had been a specific explanation for this, I could understand, but it served no purpose.

Simon's character had by far the biggest character development of all. When I started feeling something was going to happen to him, I predicted he would change into say a werewolf. I was close and I'll leave it at that.  

Alec's character also went through at first a temporary boost of confidence that changed to his true change by the end of the book.  

My Ideas

I think it is interesting that no one in this world realized that the deaths would have to do with Valentine after he just returned. I liked this book much better as a whole than I did the first one. The prologue is interesting because we meet the antagonist immediately doing antagonistic things. I completely forgot about this prologue for a while until later when it made sense. Then we are placed back with revisiting some places from the last book, the Institute and the hospital where Clary and Jace's mother is. The events that get the ball rolling are a series of murders that pins the Downworlder races against each other. For instance, the fey believe that the vampires are to blame because blood was taken. Then a whole group of people is murdered... I won't say which group but I will say that I was very bothered by this (and I can't tell if it's because of the actual event or because I don't like killing off huge groups as a writer lol). 

Jace takes the brunt of a lot of people's anger because he is Valentine's son. Maryse is mad at him as well as the Inquisitor who seems to have a personal vendetta against him. Jace gains powers and apparently Valentine created them to have. Add to that his dad wants him to join sides with him and you have a very confused young man. 

Last book we heard about them, but this book we finally meet the Fare Folk. The Fare Folk seem to be pitted against the Vampires because of these murders and invite our main characters down for an interview. The Seelie Queen tells Jace and Clary that Valentine gave them special powers and played several fickle jokes on them. I mean fickle from a fey's perspective and not from a humans.

We also see Clary gets some really cool powers in this book that we can stemming from how her mother hid the Mortal Cup. Alas, she is not my favorite character so I will move on. 

The Inquisitor is a very good antagonist. I am going to make several Harry Potter references. She reminds me of Dolores Umbridge for her unethical dealings with children. I had said in my notes as I read that I hope that she gets punished for this and it seems that her back story was extremely punishing as well as her fate in this novel. However, I think sh does eventually have a redemption of sorts. 

More Harry Potter connections, it seems like Cassandra went with the Tom Riddle- Harry Potter relationship with Jace and Valentine but just made it a father/son relationship. That is if they are even related. Some of her writing seems a bit obvious to me. 
Also, what would have happened if Harry had an older sibling and he wasn't an orphan?

I think that there was a nice unity of groups at the end during the battle with Valentine. I really feel that Clary should have been more freaked out about kissing her brother, not so it would be to much complaining, but more so that we knew she did not think it was ok. This part felt weak and I think I now why Cassandra didn't make it stronger. 

Overall, I enjoyed this one much better than the last one. The ending was great, enough closure for the events of this book, yet one tiny little hit that this story will continue and that Clary's mother needs to still be helped. I hope the next one is better!

Review: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

Goodreads| Author's Website

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.

Excerpt taken from Goodreads.com

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Rating: 4/5

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I saw that a friend of mine had only put 3 stars up for this and learned that the author used to be a big Harry Potter fan fic writer. In her past she had plagerized other writers by saying she was giving them homage which doesn't sit well with the majority of the public, myself included. 
Other people disliked this book (or series) because of its similar themes to other popular fiction.

Despite these issues, I enjoyed this series. I can see the many themes that I've seen in my favorite series such as the father-son good-evil bit from Star Wars or how about the brother and sister falling in love stint, again from Star Wars. 

Characters

Clary- the main character, a teenager who's life is about to take a flip
Simon- Clary's best friend who clearly has more in mind than friendship
Jocelyn- Clary's mother. Kept secrets from Clary about their past.
Luke (aka Lucian Greymark)- close family friend to Jocelyn and Clary, almost a father figure to Clary.  Head lycanthrope of the local pack. 
Jace Wayland- an orphaned Shadowhunter living with the Lightwoods and Hodge at the Institute
Isabella Lightwood- also a Shadowhunter teen, tall and beautiful
Alec Lightwood- a Shadowhunter teen who is homosexual and jealous of Jace and Clary's relationship
Hodge Starkweather- eccentric tutor at the Institute, trapped there because of a curse the Clave put on him for past events
Hugin- Hodge's raven
Valentine Morgenstern- A powerful Shadowhunter thought to have been dead. He returns and attempts to steal the Mortal Cup from his previous wife, Jocelyn
Brother Jeremiah- A Silent Brother who was once a Shadowhunter named Hodge Starkweather. The Silent Brothers are archivists and medics for the Nephilim. He was called upon when the block on Clary's mind would not come off.
Magnus Bane- High warlock, he is the one who puts a block on Clary's mind ever so often at her mother's behest. Flamboyantly gay, romantically interested in Alec
Raphael- head vampire of the Night Children

I want to say that a few characters really developed pretty well like Jace and Alec. Simon was  annoying by the end of this book. And while Clary changed over the course of the novel, I want to say that she lacks a certain depth to make her annoying. 

Theme

 

Better than you
Downworlder's are creatures such as vampires and werewolves. The Clave is made up of Shadowhunters which are thought to have blood of angels. Valentine is a shadowhunter who thinks that all downworlders are less and therefore need to be eliminated. This theme has been seen throughout history in the Nazi's as well as in Harry Potter with Thomas Riddle and the pure bloods verse the muggle born. 

My Thoughts

 

We start the book as clueless as Clary and are pushed into a world that we learn about as we go with Clary. She has a tendency to annoy me a lot, just like any teen I guess. I have to give her credit, it could have been because her entire life is continually flipped upside down each chapter. Add to this, her mind has been tampered with to keep her from remembering certain things, and you have a very upsetting time for this girl. Clary doesn't act the way I would like her to... I can't tell if it's because she's a teenager or if her character depth is just lacking... I enjoy most of the other characters better. 


Clary has an overprotective mother who has kept many secrets from her. This bites her mother in the butt when she is kidnapped and Clary tries to see what's wrong with her. The book from this point on is thrust into constant action from here and when Clary deals with the thing left in her apartment, she blacks out. When she awakes, she is thrust into a world that she belonged to but that her mother shielded her from. This is where she goes to the Institute and sees where Jace, Alec, and  Isabella live as well as Hodge. Wanting to see if her mother is back at home, her and Jace go back to find more danger and that the tenant Madame Dorothea is more than she appears. I really liked this twist.

A portal takes them to surprisingly Luke's house/bookstore and they meet up with Simon. The last time Clary was with him, he was about to confess his love for her but she ran off to help her mother. I want to say that Simon is annoying for most of this book. Clary finds out a lot about her mother's past here as well as herself. This is where they realize that the antagonist is looking to collect the three mortal instruments and that he believes his wife, Jocelyn, is hiding the Mortal Cup. This gives Clary and Jace a direction to try and thwart Valentine.

Tons of stuff happens from here, they meet several characters including Magnus Bane. Various romances break out. Clary's memory comes back and she realizes where the her mom left the Mortal Cup.

I felt uncomfortable with how the romance with Clary and Jace switched because they are brother and sister. I'd have to say my favorite character is Luke... he's got a Lupin from Harry Potter/ Luke from Gilmore Girls feel. I was so upset about the role that Hugin took because of Hodge... I love birds so I'll leave you wondering what that is to try and avoid too many spoilers. 

Favorite Lines

~ He was the youngest of these three children and had a finely honed sense of familial injustice. p19

~ The night had gotten even hotter, and running home felt like swimming as fast as she could through boiling soup. p46

~ Only people with no purpose are unhappy~ Jace p175 

I do recommend this book despite being annoyed by Clary. I like the world that was created and while there are similarities between this book and other worlds, I do feel it is unique.

Review: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

Goodreads| Author's Website

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is the long-awaited new novel-- a book that sold more than a million copies the first week it went on sale in Japan--from the award-winning, internationally best-selling author Haruki Murakami.

Here he gives us the remarkable story of Tsukuru Tazaki, a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. It is a story of love, friendship, and heartbreak for the ages.







Excerpt taken from Goodreads.com
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Rating: 5/5

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Having lived in Japan, I became extremely interested in learning more about their culture. Part of that is their literature. I have not yet been disappointed with Haruki Murakami and this is my third read of his. The first story I read was The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles and then 1Q84. Each one puts you in a different place! Westerners (aka America's and Europeans) will more than likely either not like it because it has a completely different mentality and style or be appreciative of the differences. I personally am the latter.

Characters

Tsukuru Tazaki- a middle aged man of 36 years old cooping with a traumatic experience that happened back when he was 20. He continually thinks that because his name does not have a color in it that he is a lackluster person.

Sara- Tsukuru's love interest and the trigger for his need to go on the Pilgrimage.

Aka (red), Ao (blue), Shiro (white), Kuro (black)- Tsukuru's close classmates from high school who become  the source of much loss and pain for him.

Haida- a fleeting character that Tsukuru became close with but also had trouble maintaining.

Some Themes

Coming-of-age, loss, loneliness and isolation, alienation, needing closure

Thoughts

This book started out very dark. I really had no idea where this book was leading in the beginning, but as usual, Murakami is a veteran writer and his writing is fluent and extremely pleasant. I believe this book could be read by everyone. We all have probably felt the sting of pain when we inevitably lose a friend which helps the reader relate to Tsukuru.

His journey through coping with the pain (or lack there of for 16 years) is the story we learn about. There are many odd things that happen to him and finding a potential girlfriend who encourages him to confront the people who hurt him is where we really see Tsukuru take on a metamorphosis. I was also able to make connections to this character because I am in my 30's, so I can understand how things feel the same in life while they are in reality so different. I do not want to give anything away, but I was extremely shocked when we find out the reason why the people in his past did what they did to him. I love how Murakami leaves it where there is no real justification because we all get yet another relate able theme, the things that happen in life aren't always explained or justifiable.

I like how there are references to things that I either know or don't know but want to look up. For instance 'Noh'; 'bunraku'; Franz Listz's Le mal du pays'; Aldous Huxley just to name a few. Having read a few other works by him, I noticed that he likes his older characters to drink Cutty Sark. There were two discussions about what sometimes happens to people who had been at the height of their blossoming when they were younger who seemed to have faded when they got older. One didn't handle it well by having a break down of sorts and the other continued to act as if she hadn't diminished which pained friends to watch. This is an interesting analysis and one that I'm sure is true. When you are young, you almost take for granted the youth you wish you maintained forever as you get older. This ties into my last point about this books. It would seems that some people have fears and if they are not careful they will bring upon yourselves the exact things you fear unknowingly to the point of your own 'destruction'.

Favorite Lines:

pg 52~ Jealousy was not a place he was forced into by someone else, but a jail in which the inmate entered voluntarily, locked the door, and threw away the key.

pg 59~ Ideas are like beards. Men don't have them until they grow up.

pg 74~ You shouldn't fear boundaries, but you also should not be afraid of destroying them.

pg 245~ People are in constant motion, never stationary. No one knows what will happen next.

pg 274~ The human heart is like a night bird. Silently waiting for something, and when the time comes, it flies straight toward it.

pg 319~ Unspoken feelings were as heavy and lonely as the ancient glacier that had carved out the deep lake.

pg 384~ Die in reality, or die figuratively- there isn't much difference between the two.



I absolutely recommend this book! It has themes that everyone can relate to and really leaves one thinking. I am an optimistic person and I feel that despite an open ending (you are left to wonder what happens to Tsukuru the next day), I feel that things will work out positively. The book is from the Japanese culture but the themes are absolutely universal.

Just browsing Murakami's website, I found an absolutely amazing resource... he has links to all the music he refers to in his books! That adds so much to the story now that I too can here what he was hearing in his head to aid in his writing of those particular scenes. Click Murakami's Resources to listen to the music. 

Bookish Love Tag

I've been wanting to do book tags I see on YouTube, but because I don't do videos, I haven't yet. So I thought this would be a perfect one to do since Valentine's Day just passed. This was originally made by Novel Noise. I first saw it from The Readables. Here we go.

1. Three book boyfriends/girlfriends.
I honestly don't think I think like this anymore now that I'm married.

Drizzt

Jon Snow

1. My first choice will be Rhodry from Katherine Kerr's Deverry Series. I read this book in high school and fell in love with this series. There is reincarnation and I've found that every one that Rhodry was in I loved him. He is a tragic character but totally a loyal one. I am unsure of how the series ends being there is 16 books in the series and I want to re-read them in order to understand what happens in the last installment. 
2. If I could have had Drizzt from R. A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realm's books as my boyfriend back when I was in high school, I would have! He is kind of an outsider, and I definitely felt like one in HS. He has a mystic to him and is kind (I mean he has a pet panther for crying out loud). Plus he could protect me if need be. 
3. If I had to think of now, who I would want, most of the guys in literature just don't cut it. However, I think Jon Snow from A Song of Ice and Fire by G. R. R. Martin would be the man for me. I totally might be influenced by Kit Harrington here as well. Oh well ;)

2. Three OTP's (One True Pairing)

1. Aang and Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko
2. Samwise and Rosie from Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
3. Becky and Luke from Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series

3. Favorite first kiss
This one is really hard for me. I don't pay attention/remember most of the first kisses written in books. I'd have to say Aang and Katara's first kiss is probably the most memorable because it was a long time in the waiting.

4. What couple had the greatest sexual tension?
I love the sexual tension between Merry Gentry and her Darkness and Frost. This series is a bit graphic and probably my first and only (as of yet) taste of erotica but with a magical fantasy twist. I still have to read the new one that was just released in July 2014... but it's been 4 years since I read the first 8 so I'm not sure what I'm going to need refreshing with.

On Valentine's Day, which couple would...

 

5. ...go to a fancy restaurant?
I feel that Becky and Luke from Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series would go out to a ritzy restaurant, with Luke reeling Becky's spending in of course. This series is one of my guilty pleasure reads and I just got Mini Shopaholic #6 in the series and I have to read #7 and #3.5 as well. The writing was done so well that even though I hated Becky's poor decision making skills, I couldn't put any of the books down because I had to know what happened next.


6. ... have a quiet picnic/walk on the beach?
I believe Jacob and Marlena from Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen would make perfect candidates for the couple to have a romantic picnic together. I loved this book as well as the movie. I am also impressed because this book was written during NaNoWriMo.


7. ... stay at home and watch a movie (Netflix)?
I would say that Todd and Viola from Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series would probably stay in and watch a movie. This is an excellent series that everyone who loves fantasy and sci-fi MUST read this trilogy.


8. ... go dancing?

So I never read this book, but Allie and Noah seem to me to be the type to go out dancing. It's unfortunate that our current society doesn't value dancing as much as it used to be. It is so romantic and brings two people together in a way that texting and typing just can't. One day I will read The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks.








9. What couple do you want to get together?
This was by far the hardest questions I have. I was originally going to say Harry and Hermoine from Harry Potter. But the pairing for Ron and Hermoine makes sense so that Ginny stays in the loop. Very hard decisions must be made by authors.

If I could pair two characters together and have a story it would be Galadriel from LOTR and Drizzt from The Forgotten Realms. I think they would make a kick ass team in the fantasy world. They each have their inner demons and chose the light while being tempted by the dark. Plus they are both elves which is an unintentional bonus.

I do have one more idea for this category though. I really want Cassie and Ben from The Fifth Wave series by Rick Yancey to get together. This is still up in the air being we just got the second book back in September 2014.

10. What couple do you HATE that everyone else LOVES?

This one was could make some people mad... and I don't HATE them, I just dislike them. I just really don't like Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in our Stars by John Green. I think this book was ok, but not as great as everyone hyped it up to be. I felt like this book was a little lack luster and in all honesty a bit like Nicolas Spark's A Walk to Remember. The latter had a much deeper plot development as well as character development and makes it hard for me to like something that to me is less.

Review: Chasing the Prophecy (Beyonders #3) by Brandon Mull

Goodreads| Author Website

Jason and Rachel were not born in Lyrian. They did not grow up in Lyrian. But after all of the battles and losses, the triumphs and adventures, and most of all, the friendships forged in this fantastical world, Lyrian has become home to them in a way they never could have imagined.

And so, armed now with the prophecy of a dying oracle, they have gone on their separate quests—each surrounded by brave and powerful allies—knowing that the chance for success is slim. But Jason and Rachel are ready at last to become the heroes Lyrian needs, no matter the cost.





Excerpt taken from Goodreads.com
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Rating: 5/5

 



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I was totally investing into the world of Lyrian and needed to know how they followed the prophecy that the prophetess gave her life to give them at the end of Seeds of Rebellion. I will warn that this book is rather sad because they were fighting someone who wanted to completely dominate the world... and in order to win many sacrifices were needed on many fronts of the war. The last few chapters were so action packed and leaving me with such anticipation... just the way I imagine the characters feeling. I was extremely happy that my prediction for the other group of beyonders went the way I wanted it to. I was even more shocked with the outcome and what Jason and Rachel had to commit to at the end of the novel. It really left me thinking... Could I have done what Jason did? Or could I have done what Rachel did? Really I debated how they would each feel with their actions for the rest of their lives. Endings are my criteria for if a series is well done or not, and Brandon Mull delivers a great series again. 

You all should read these books!
Especially if you like Rick Riordan. 
Enjoy ;)

Review: Seeds of Rebellion (Beyonders #2) by Brandon Mull

Goodreads| Author Website

After the cliffhanger ending of A World Without Heroes, Jason is back in the world he’s always known—yet for all his efforts to get home, he finds himself itching to return to Lyrian. Jason knows that the shocking truth he learned from Maldor is precious information that all of his friends in Lyrian, including Rachel, need if they have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor.

Meanwhile, Rachel and the others have discovered new enemies—as well as new abilities that could turn the tide of the entire quest. And as soon as Jason succeeds in crossing over to Lyrian, he’s in more danger than ever. Once the group reunites, they strive to convince their most-needed ally to join the war and form a rebellion strong enough to triumph over Maldor. At the center of it all, Jason and Rachel realize what roles they’re meant to play—and the answers are as surprising as they are gripping. 



Excerpt taken from Goodreads.com
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Rating: 5/5

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By the time I got to this book, I was over my hang up with it being so different from Fablehaven. Brandon has a way of writing sequels that blow the previous ones away and this book was no exception. I don't want to give anything away but I love the double meaning that the title has. This book is a huge game changer. Information from the first book takes on a completely new twist and I was pleasantly surprised by directions I hadn't even thought of. 

I am not sure if Brandon did this in Fablehaven, but I noticed that each of his protagonists (more Jason since he is clearly the main protagonist) voices their doubts. This helps them pick the path to what they believe is just and correct. 

I would definitely recommend this book!

NaNoWriMo November 2014

I overestimated my ability to write 50K in a month and keep up with my blog. Therefore a hiatus from writing during the month of December was needed (and apparently January as well). I did focus on my daughter's birthday party and then Christmas shopping and trying to get the best savings for December so I don't feel too bad. I think everyone was burned out by the end of the challenge. While January was used to actually read.

For 2014, as I stated earlier, I was the ML for my region with another woman who was a wonderful partner (Shout out to Tracy). Being our first year as ML's we attempted to host October planning sessions. This only yielded small results in the way of people, but really helped me get my novel planned to the 25% mark. Then in November we hosted write-in's every Saturday each for 7 hours. Our fellow wrimos were awesome! And I also got out on Wednesday's to meet with my friend while my coML hosted two write-in's at her local library (our region is huge). Towards the end of the month I became aware, through one of my writing buddies, about word crawls which are scattered throughout Word Wars Prompts Sprints. These really helped me with my last push towards my word count goal.

I truly wish I had more experience so I knew how to say a pitch for my massive idea of a story. There are so many aspects to my story that when I try to explain it quickly, I just confuse people. Our writing group shared their stories throughout the month which made us able to help each other through some kinks which was nice.

As you may be able to gleam from my winning banner, I did indeed successfully complete the 50K challenge this year. I used the Word Crawls to punch in the last week. I have looked at my work which consists of 27 scenes thus far and realized that I will be needing to tweak three of those scenes before I move on (structural necessity). Overall, I am so proud that I have made 3/8th's of my novel. My original goal for 2014 was to have a completed rough draft of a novel, but 3/8th's is a fine start.

2015 I will be aiming again to have a rough draft of a novel. My coML and I have decided to continue to host a month write-up for those interested as well as to host weekly write-up's for each Camp. That should be enough time for me to reach my goal. That leads me to believe that my next NaNo project will be the second book for this current high fantasy story.

TBR February 2015

This year my goal is to try and lessen my TBR list on my goodreads. I have been adding books I've wanted to read for the past few years but not truly denting the numbers. So I will aim for 60 books this year (with a fall back of 55 books like last year). I have made a plan to do 26 books with a template, 10 of those with my friends. Another way of organizing my books was by genre. I would like to have a few books in genres I do not typically read this year (for instance horror is not usually my thing and I don't usually read humor). Other books will be read based on my goodreads group reading list.

My first selection for this month is by a renown Japanese author, Haruki Murikami. Having lived in Japan, I have acquired the taste for this different type of literature. Japanese literature is refreshing because of the completely new type of thinking it presents to Westerners. I have read Murikami's 1Q84 and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles and I absolutely love his writing.

I am a fourth of the way through, and he is just an amazing writer. It is amazing the amount of themes that can transgress over cultural boundaries.

I am a fan of  dystopia as well as YA. Since this book got good ratings as well as became a movie (and has 4 other novels as well as a 5th on the way). I am curious to read the book before seeing the movie.

This book is part of one of the goodreads groups monthly book clubs I'm in that was created by my favorite YouTuber Kristina Horner.
The theme for this month was Ghosts and this book actually falls into my theme of reading at least one book from the genre of horror. Some other genres it falls into are YA, paranormal, mystery, fantasy, and fiction.

The book for my other reading club on goodreads (from Casual Readers) is actually The Mime Order... but I can't exactly read a second book without reading the first.
These books are in the post-apocolitic, dystopian, genres and set in London.


I know next to nothing about four of these books, so we shall see what type of journey's I'm taken on this month.

Click on the images (except for The Mime Order, follow The Bone Season for that one) to read more about what each book is about.

Review: A World Without Heroes (Beyonders #1) by Brandon Mull

Goodreads| Author Website

Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.
In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.






Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

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Rating: 5/5

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I jumped into this book because I absolutely love Brandon Mull for his Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War book (I read this before he had a second one). So I wanted to read more from a favored author to show my support of his work. I have always felt that his novels end better than they start, and with the Fablehaven series, each book ended better than the previous making me want more and more. 

That being said, I became apprehensive when I started this book. It started off a little bit slow for me. Then when it started picking up, it was just so different than Fablehaven, that it caught me off guard. I definitely had to warm up to this book, but once I was able to get over my hangups, I absolutely enjoyed it. 

We are taken on an action packed adventure in a world we learn about as we go. Stakes are set off immediately and our main characters are thrust into a quest. The book ties up nicely at the end fully engaging you as the reader and leaving no doubt that you will head to book two. 

Favorite Lines

page 326: "For each of us destiny is a blend of potential, circumstances, and choices." ~ Jasher.  


I definitely recommend this book!

Review: The Case That Time Forgot (The Sherlock Files #3)

Goodreads| Amazon| Author Website

Xander’s classmate Karim tells him about a famous amulet carved in the shape of Thoth, the Egyptian god of time. It was thought to be so powerful that it could turn back time one day every hundred years. And that day is in a week!

The amulet disappeared from a London museum years ago. Xena and Xander’s celebrated ancestor Sherlock Holmes tried to find it, but had no luck. The twins are on the case—and so are mysterious foes who are trying to thwart and perhaps even harm them! Can Xander and Xena track down what Sherlock Holmes could not?


The Case That Time Forgot is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.






Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

 
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Rating: 3/5 Stars

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I enjoyed this installation of Xena and Xander's life. They are back at home and they encounter a friend who has an ancestor who also knew their ancestor Sherlock for help. This case had been forced closed by HIM (Her Imperial Majesty) because of international issues between England and Egypt. The kids are taken on a thrilling adventure that has not only modern challenges (such as people used to be able to freely walk through Big Ben but now you need Parliaments permission to enter) as well as an unknown shadow figure who is following them and thwarting them at every turn. I think young readers will really enjoy this story!

We meet some new characters in this story, and one in particular that has a connection to the siblings that we find out later on. One thing that seemed to be a little flat was the lack of character development. This story is high paced and soli driven by solving the case. 

Now coming into this as an avid Sherlock fan, there are a few things that bothered me. Yet, I feel that this may be a personal issue. I remember Sherlock having almost an entire alphabetized bookshelf of case notes. It's been about a year since I read those, but I feel like the unsolved case book the kids came in contact in would have more. However, I understand it needs to be simple and relavent for this novel so no biggie. 

This grip seems a little bit more important. Several months before this book is when they figure out that their namesake is in fake due to the famous Sherlock Holmes. This fact to me would seem to have pushed me to read all of the things I could about my ancestor. Yet when they hear a direct quote, they seem to have never heard anything before. I think by now they should have read things... and Xander having a photographic memory would solidify his knowledge. This seemed odd to me. 

The ending also seems to happen and then the book is over. The abruptness is a bit discouraging. 

Overall a fun book for kids.

Review: The Beast of Blackslope (The Sherlock Files #2)

Goodreads| Amazon| Author Website

Xena and Xander have been looking forward to their vacation in the peaceful country village of Blackslope. But when a huge monster begins to terrorize the town, the young detectives are faced with a mystery that seems impossible to solve.

Sherlock Holmes, Xena and Xander’s famous ancestor, investigated the case of a horrible beast in Blackslope, but that was nearly a hundred years ago. It couldn’t be the same creature after all this time—could it?







Excerpt taken from Goodreads.
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Rating: 4/5 Stars

 

  


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This story is the second in a series about a brother and sister who are the descendents of Sherlock Holmes. They have inherited their predecessor's notebook of unsolved mysteries and each book has them on an adventure solving one case at a time. The kids are on a week vacation out in the country away from London and they hear a monster howl. Superstition from the town makes them realize this was a sight Sherlock visited himself and did not solve the case of the Beast of Blackslope. 

Sherlock had been called in because he had solved the case of The Hound of the Baskervilles but was said to not have solved this one. If you are a fan of Sherlock, you know that he only gave us (or rather Watson) those cases he was successful in solving and there had been plenty he had not solved. For me, I think some of them were unsolved because he was a busy man and I wish that had been stated, more for the ending of this book because it seemed like something he could have figured out. 

That being said, this book put a modern twist on an old case and it worked out really well. I do get a bit lost when reading this book because it is so fast pace and the POV switches quickly from Xander to Xena, and sometimes I think it's because of their names both starting with an X, but other times I wonder if it's because their voices aren't distinct enough. That's the for the 4 stars... and the ending on how they solve so simply a hundred year old case so simply. That felt a bit tacked on but worked well.

I will be reading the next one now and believe this book is perfect for middle age kids who love reading detective/ mystery stories. It's a fast pace book and there are a lot of clues and potential suspects. The plot twists keep everyone engaged nicely. 

Now some people have given this one a poor rating and have commented that this feels like a plot from Scooby-Doo. I believe the premise of this story was to more closely be related to The Hound of the Baskervilles and I think this worked well. 

Review: The Infinite Sea

Goodreads| Amazon| Website

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

(excerpt taken from goodreads.com)





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Rating: 5/5 Stars

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I have been seeing some unfavorable reviews for this book which makes me sad. I loved this book! The world is awesome and the characters developed well. One reservation I have is that many of the trilogies that I have read have started out strong and ended weak. I am hoping that this series is different though.

Starting the novel, I would have liked a little more clarification on who the speaker was... Like when Ringer was the voice, I thought it was Cassie because that's who the main character was last book. I think I would have benefited from a quick summary or such to remind me where we were picking up since it had been a while since I read the last book (like 9 months).

I think this book is misunderstood a bit because it is meant to signify how 'the enemy' is trying to divide and conquer and it kind of goes through various scenarios showing this, whether a person is by themselves or the group is thinking of splitting up. Another tactic used by 'the enemy' is sending children as suicide bombers. My guess is who we really think the enemy will change come the next book based on the ending.

There were two deaths in this book, I mean who likes characters dying... and I'm not sure if I like them, but I think I understand the need for them.

I was excited to learn more about Evan and Ringer's background as well as a few other characters. There was a constant edge-of-your-seat anticipation in this book which kept me 100% engaged. I like the idea that no man gets left behind and that friendships are meant to last... even when Cassie's little brother's friend tests this theory... something that becomes a theory of humanity. Hopelessness and despair seem to want to thrive, yet hope is what drives our characters.

Now, going off of my previous fear from past endings in books, the ending will either make or break this book for me. This is the second book which is a continuation of the plots and gives us more depth to the world and I am hoping that Mr. Yancey will give us a great ending! (Possibly one worthy of the movies!!!)

I would definitely recommend this book, but I think that recommending the first one makes people want to read it anyway. Forgive the lack of depth, first I don't want to give too much away, but second, I read this a month ago. 

Favorite Lines:

~ I am more than the sum of my fear.
~The temperature of true rage is absolute zero.
 

Upcoming Releases October 2014/ TBR

I wish I could read all the books I like faster. I have not completely gotten through my TBR from September but I am happy that I have read 2 of the 6 that were released. One of them is actually on my night stand so that is a step closer. Here are the books coming out this month that sound really interesting.
(There are a few October releases that are on my previous posts, like Angie Sage's first book in a new series PathFinder out on October 14, Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic to the Stars out on October 21 and George R. R. Martin's The World of Ice and Fire out on October 28th.)

October 7, 2014

October 14, 2014

The Young Elites is by the author of the Legend Series, Marie Lu and is a new series I believe. The main character is a young survivor of a plague, but also received some mysterious powers. This book's plot sounds very exciting!

Snow Like Ashes is by Sara Raasch and it is her premiere novel in a trilogy. The setting is a kingdom that was conquered and the main character is a female that I believe is one of the refugess who was not captured but training retake her city. She sets out on a mission to retrieve the magic of her city in order to try and regain her kingdom and that is where the journey takes off.

October 14, 2014

October 14, 2014

leave time is the latest book coming out by Jodi Picoult. She is a very popular author that I have never read before. This story is about a a daughter who is trying to find her mother after a mysterious disappearance. She pairs up with a psychic and a private detective and starts to find more questions than answers. If I like this book, I may her other books.

The Cure for Dreaming is the second book by Car Winters who debuted with In the Shadow of Blackbirds which won 3 awards last years. This story is set in 1900 Oregon. The main character in an attempt by her father to purge her of her rebellion takes her to a hypnotist. Instead of getting rid of her rebellion she is just not able to speak it as well as obtaining a terrible gift of seeing people's true nature.

October 21, 2014

October 28, 2014

Beautiful You is by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club.  Now I am not sure if this book has already been published, but it will be published definitely on the 21st. This book would be a guilty pleasure read. A mega-billionaire takes the main character to Paris to experiment in the bedroom with erotic toys to try and finalize a product to keep women from wanted men in their bedrooms.

Compulsion Heirs of Watson Island is by Martina Boone and is her second book. The idea behind this novel is a newly freed woman (from her mother) goes to her aunt's in hope of a new life. What she finds is generations old feuds and haunts that prowl the island. This book sounds great!

October 28, 2014

Talon by Julie Kagawa who is starting her fifth series. This is book one of five. And it's got dragons in hiding as humans. I am a HUGE dragon fan, so this book is a no brainer. Dragons were hunted long ago into what was thought to be extinction. Will the dragons make a come back? Will the modern order maintain it's stance? This books may get me into a new author :) Click on the images if you want to link to their goodreads page.

Coming Soon- Book to Movie- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1

Release Date: November 21, 2014

I am such a fan of The Hunger Games and the movies have been done so well. Looking forward to this next movie in the series and I'm glad it is split in two because a lot happened in this book. This one will be a challenge to see as it is in November right in the middle of NaNoWriMo... but we shall do it all :D

Coming Soon- Book to Movie- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Release Date: December 17, 2014

I am a HUGE Tolkien fan! I am soooo pleased that The Hobbit was directed by Peter Jackson. I have followed this journey since before The Lord of the Rings came out. I have gone to conventions, met actors/actresses, took an online 10 week 20 credit course on Tolkien studies, and just love the world he built.

While this is the end of the journey, it will be epic. I am so happy they divided this up into 3 movies to do it well. I can't wait for this movie to come out, we will be there at the midnight showing!

Coming Soon- Book to Movie- The 5th Wave

I am very excited to see this movie. I am not one for post apocalyptic types because lately they are related to zombies (not my thing).  I read this book right before the turn of the year in December 2013 and I just finished the 2nd book and I can't wait for book 3 to come out.
Cassie has already been casted as Chloe Grace Moretz.

Coming Soon Book to Movie: Gone Girl

Release Date October 3, 2014

This movie is rated R which is totally understandable. I didn't really like the book to much but I am curious as to how the move differs. This book left me with mixed feelings, now adding to it is the choice of casting for Neil and Desi. Ben Affleck and Neil Patrick Harris.

This type of blog is different for me but I will be back with a comparison of the movie to book as well as whether I liked the casting choices and changes.

Review: Gone Girl

Goodreads| Amazon| Website

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

(taken from goodreads.com)
 

 
 

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Rating: 3/5 Stars

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So this book was very long. This book was a bit tedious for me. It wasn't until past 100 pages that this story actually picked up pace to keep me interested (the reason I kept going was my OCD to finish and a curiosity at how this would end). 

I think that Amy was a bit over the top and I kinda feel bad for Nick because of his choice at the end. I suppose given Amy's history and how she progressively up-ed her anty so to speak... it makes sense what happens with her ex boyfriend from high school. I mean being married is tough, and everyone is going to make mistakes. This just takes it to a level so unrealistic that it's put me in a weird spot. When I think if I like this book or not, it leans more to the 'No'... but sometimes I think it's ok because of the writer in me.

There was definitely twists in this story I didn't anticipate and it was well written, but the ending was so anticlimactic and annoying. Now I can say I read it... I won't recommend this book, but I will probably see the movie out of curiosity.
  
Sorry if this post left you feeling weird... that's what this book did to me.