A Book Obsession..

Teaser Tuesday (8)

, by KT

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser is from City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. This is the 3rd book in the Mortal Instruments Series. The teaser comes from 61% of the way in according to my kindle. (Sorry, no page number, that's one of the very few downsides to the kindle)

"I won't touch you, not if you don't want me to. I know it's wrong- God, it's all kinds of wrong- but I just want to lie down with you and wake up with you, just once, just once ever in my life." There was desperation in his voice. "It's just this one night. In the grand scheme of things, how much can one night matter?"

City of Glass

, by KT

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #3

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 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 third installment of bestselling series the Mortal Instruments.

This book starts out with the whole gang preparing to go to the Shadowhunter city, Idris. Clary is going to seek out a warlock that knows how to wake her mother, while everyone else is going to talk about the brewing war. Jace of course, being the overprotective person he is, does everything he can to keep Clary from coming, and he almost succeeds. When she arrives, Jace, being the fool he is, does everything he can to get her to leave. I have to say that I was surprised that Clary believed the cruel things he said. She should have known he was just trying to protect her by getting her out of the city.

There were plenty of heartbreaking moments in this book. It seemed like everyone's relationship came to a head. I won't go into detail as to not spoil the book, but there is one relationship I can talk about as this event happens in the very beginning of the book. Simon, for once, did the smart thing. He broke off the romance between himself and Clary. She was only trying to forget her feelings for Jace as well as trying to not lose Simon. She needs him, just not in the way he wants her too. I was really glad Simon realized it was better to have her in whatever way was real then a faked or forced romance. That definitely showed a major maturity on his part.

I really enjoyed this book, and I just couldn't put it down. It was just as captivating as the first two books. While most things were tied up at the end of this book, there were some events that left unanswered questions. I look forward to reading the future books, seeing more in their world, and finding out how the new changes effect all the characters.

I'm going to do something I don't normally do, and write about a MAJOR SPOILER here. I chose to do this because this "event" just needs to be talked about. So, if you don't like spoilers please do not read any further.

****Spoiler Warning****

I knew it! I knew Jace and Clary just could not be siblings. The author couldn't possibly be that cruel! Now, all of the hints about them finally make sense. The two were inexplicably drawn to each other from the start and I was so happy to read that they finally got to be with each other. Every heart wrenching moment between the two of them came jumping back at me and I just exhaled in relief. I didn't realize just how much the angst had been building up in me as well. I think the best books are the ones where you are so submersed that you feel every emotion as if it is happening to you, and this was no exception. The book really was the perfect ending to the first trilogy. I understand the series is going to continue, but the focus will be more on Simon I think. So I was glad this first trilogy ended on such a happy note.

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments)

Book Blogger Appreciation Week Interview Swap

, by KT

Today is the day to post our interview swaps. I interviewed Florinda from The 3 R's: Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness. I really enjoyed this as I have never interviewed anyone before. I have to say she was much better at coming up with the interview questions. I completely drew a blank when it came time to figure out what to ask. I hope you enjoy the interview!

Your profile tells us you're a wife, mom, and stepmom who works with numbers but loves words. How many kids do you have? Boys or girls? What's your job? What are some of your favorite pastimes aside from reading and blogging?

I'm married for the second time, and have a 16-year-old stepdaughter and 10-year-old stepson. My son from my first marriage is 26 and lives on the East Coast; I live in California, and I'm too young to have a 26-year-old son! I'm an accountant, and I work as the Controller for a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles. When I'm not reading or blogging, I like TV, movies, music, and travel.

How long have you been blogging? What made you decide to start doing it?

I started this blog in March 2007 as a place to record information and thoughts on what I was reading, because I wasn't remembering them very well! But I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't blog just about books.

What regular/recurring features do you have on your blog?

I've dropped the ball on some of my features lately, but I hope to get back on track before the end of this year! I participate in the Sunday Salon, and I try to post link round-ups regularly. Tuesday (or Thursday) Tangents is where I occasionally ramble on about things I can't build up into a blog post of their own.

Has blogging about books changed your reading habits? How - the kinds of books you read, the amount of time you spend reading, the things you pay attention to while reading, and/or some other way?

Book blogs have become my main source for information and opinions about books, and have occasionally spurred me to broaden my range of reading to new subjects and genres. Writing about the books I read has made me a more attentive and thoughtful reader, but the time I spend blogging has cut into the time I used to spend reading!

Which three books that you've read this year have made the biggest impression on you, and why?

A Fierce Radiance, by Lauren Belfer: A fascinating historical novel about World War II, the rise of the modern pharmaceutical industry, and a single mother who chronicles it as a photojournalist for Life magazine. I've waited ten years for this author's second novel, and I couldn't put it down.

The Heart is Not a Size, by Beth Kephart: I've read four of her books this year, but I thought this one was the very best. The writing's beautiful, the setting and characters are original, and the author has challenged nearly all of my perceptions about young-adult literature.

In the Land of Believers, by Gina Welch: This memoir of a year spent "undercover" in a fundamentalist congregation was suprisingly compassionate and insightful, and gave me a lot to think about.

What do you like best about book blogging?

The people I've met because I do it, and the way it's improved both my reading and my writing.

Do you blog about subjects other than books? What are some of them?

Current events, things I do with my family, TV shows and movies, and the occasional moment of reflection.

Do you use anything, like goodreads or shelfari to organize and keep track of the books you have read/reviewed?

I originally thought I'd use my blog for that, but that's not the most user-friendly way to track things, so I also use LibraryThing. I started with it almost three years ago, and I'm very happy with it. I add books to my TBR collection there as soon as they come in, I cross-post reviews there, and I have a Wishlist collection there too.

Are you an organized blogger or do you mostly just wing it?

I do the opposite of winging it! I'm fairly organized, and I nearly always write my posts in advance and pre-schedule them. There were a couple of times this summer when I had posts prepared and scheduled more than two weeks in advance - I can't do that all the time, but I really liked it! I usually try to have most of the posts for the week ahead written and scheduled out by Sunday. But sometimes something worth blogging about catches me by surprise, and then I'll move some of the pre-scheduled posts to make space for it.

How did you get the name for your blog?

I've always liked the back-to-basics concept of "the three R's - reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic," but even though I'm an accountant, there was no way I was going to blog about math! "Reading" was pretty obvious, since I started the blog as a book journal, and so was "'Riting," since that's what I'd be doing here. My third R was "Randomness," because everything non-book-related I chose to blog about could fit in under that.

What is your biggest pet peeve in a novel, something that just drives you nuts?

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors! They annoy me in advance copies, but I can be a little more forgiving at that stage. They really bother me in a finished book, though - wasn't someone supposed to fix that stuff before it got published?

If you could pick only one book/series to be stranded on an island with, what would you choose and why?

Probably the Harry Potter books, because that's a lot of pages and they could keep me busy for a while!

I hope everyone enjoyed the interview! Make sure to check out Florinda's blog if you get a chance! The 3 R's: Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness

City of Ashes

, by KT

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #2

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.

The repercussions of finding out Jace is Valentine's son hit everyone hard, but had the most devastating impact on Jace and Clary. While they are trying to figure out their new roles with each other, Valentine doesn't give them a break. He continues with his plot to destroy all of the downworlders as well as the Shadowhunter's Clave. Because of this, Jace's loyalty is constantly tested and questioned throughout the book. Almost everyone believes he is Valentine's spy and he spends most of this book fighting against imprisonment. In the end, one person's revenge could cost them everything, as without their help, it could all easily crumble.

Anyone who read my Review of the first book in this series, City of Bones could tell that I was completely shocked at the twist in the end of the book. I didn't go into to much detail because I didn't want to spoil such a major event. However, now that I've read the second book, I just have to talk about said event. Never would I have expected Jace and Clary to be siblings! The heartache is completely evident between the two throughout this book as they both try to deny/hide their feelings for each other. I cannot imagine finding out the person you love is completely unattainable. They could have overcome almost any other obstacle, but this one just won't go away no matter how much they may want it to.

Its funny that the "love triangle" aspect continues throughout this book considering Jace is her brother, but it does make sense since neither Clary nor Jace can just turn off their feelings. As much as I love Simon's character and his absolute loyalty to Clary, I just don't feel the "romance" between the two of them. I think Simon is truly in love with her, but one side just isn't enough. Clary of course loves him, but its more of an extremely close brother love, the type of love she should have for Jace. I think there are only two reasons she shows any romance at all towards Simon. One, she is trying to forget about Jace, something that just doesn't look likely, and two, because she is afraid of losing Simon. Even though her feelings might not be romantic, she cannot bear the thought of losing him. The poor girl is just in a losing battle on all sides.

There were plenty of shocking moments in this books, and one character in particular was irrevocably changed. Everything about the world and the characters seems so real. All the emotions are felt right along with the characters as they go through the things they do. I love a book/series that really sucks you in, and this one is no exception. The most impressive would have to be Valentine's character. Sometimes the villains in books just don't come across as completely believable or a major threat. However, Valentine is truly a nefarious character as everyone who he comes in contact is utterly destroyed in one way or another. Everyone loves a "good" bay guy to "hate, and Valentine fits that bill perfectly.

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments)

Book Blogger Appreciation Week Monday Post

, by KT

This is my first year participating in the Book Blogger Appreciation week. Each day will have a different question to answer. Today's question for new bloggers to the event is:

For those you new to BBAW, what was the first book blog you discovered?

Tell us all about this blog and why you love it…why do you keep going back for more?

I'm not entirely sure whether or not this was the very first book blog I discovered, but it is definitely the one that sticks out the most. So, whether I'm remembering it as the first one because it really was, or just because it made suchan impression, my answer is:

Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy

I love everything about Abigail's blog, the layout, the features, the reviews. She used to do an awesome feature called Win on Wednesday that listed all of the current book giveaways. Due to time constraints, she had to pass it on to another blogger, but I still give her the credit. The reviews on this site are honest and thorough. She doesn't have a problem with giving a negative review, which is something I personally struggle with. She actually is nominated in the Best Speculative Fiction category in the Book Blogger Appreciation week. I hope she wins, she really deserves it!

Its Monday! What are you Reading? (8)

, by KT

It's Monday! What Are You Reading, hosted by Book Journey, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Here's what I read this week:

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost (Re-read)
Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Re-read)
Chosen by Jeanne C Stein (Review)
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Review)
City of Angels by Cassandra Clare
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

This week, I was able to get more reading in as you can see. I particularly enjoyed The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, which surprised me. Look for the reviews of the second and third books this week!

Here is my list for the upcoming week:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Maybe?)
Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready
Bad to the Bone by Jeri Smith-Ready
Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready

I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to read Clockwork Angel yet. I read so fast that is almost torture to read only one book in a series. I usually prefer to wait until there are at least three books out. Yes, I know this is a flawed idea since authors need the support from the first book on if they hope to continue to get contracts for more books. I have been trying to break myself of this habit for the sheer purpose of supporting the authors from the beginning, buts its been difficult. We will just have to see how the week goes.

City of Bones

, by KT

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #1

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.

Clary is a 15 year old girl who has a "crazy" mom that seems extremely overprotective. However, Clary quickly realizes that there may have been a reason for all this when she starts to see things other people can't see. When her mother is taken, she is thrust into a world with shadowhunters, demons, vampires, and other creatures. Clary must quickly seek the truth to her heritage and past, if she is to have any hope in rescuing her mother as well as any hope for her own survival. There are plenty of twists and turns that will leave Clary with the knowledge that while she may want to, there is no going back to the way life was before. She will be forever changed.

For most of this book, I seemed to realize things long before Clary did. Usually, a clueless character would annoy me, but that definitely isn't the case in this book. The reader's prior knowledge was just enough to keep away confusion and suck them into the characters. I love Jace's character. He acts so sarcastic and concieted, but you can really see all of that is a front to hide his real feelings. He has been through so much and lost even more, so he shuts everyone out, refusing to let himself care. Well, that is until Clary comes along. Something about the two of them just seems to ignite the other. They really bring out the best and worst in each other.

Its funny how sometimes the cover of a book can be the determination on whether to give a book a shot. I was in the bookstore the other day, not somewhere I get very often on account of the kiddos, and I saw this book. Absently, I remembered seeing it before on other blogs, but I have to say the images do not do the real cover justice. I don't know why I'm so drawn to them, but I think the covers for this series are some of the best I've seen in a long time. They are really captivating and are honestly the biggest reason I decided to read them.

I'm not usually a big fan of fallen angels and nephilim books. Well, I guess that isn't entirely true as I have enjoyed some of the ones I've read. It would be more accurate to say that they aren't usually my first choice. However, I can honestly say I am very glad I read this book. I absolutely loved it! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and was hopelessly sucked in. The only "bad" thing I can say about the book would be the shocking twist at the end. Its one of those that leaves you just hoping its all a trick because you don't believe the author could really be that cruel. Hopefully future books will resolve this issue, but even if they don't the book was still amazing, and I highly recommend it.

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments)

Follow Friday & Book Blogger Hop (8)

, by KT

On fridays I participate in both Follow Friday and the Book Blogger Hop.

Follow Fridays is hosted by Parajunkee's View, and is just Fridays.

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy-for-Books, and runs Friday to Monday. There are new rules for the hop, so make sure to check out Crazy for Books for the details.

This week's hop question is:

Post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past three months.

Wow, that's really a hard one. I'm not really sure which one to choose. I'm going to have to say its a toss up between my review on Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning and my review on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

This week's question from Parajunkee:

Ebook or Print?

I have to say hands down, Ebook. I love my kindle! Not only is it much easier to read because of the larger font size, but it also is so convenient. I'm never without a book, and when I finish one I can just download the next. No dragging kids to store, or even having to wait until it opens. I do keep a collection of printed books that I've gotten signed for my "keeper" shelf, but for actual reading I stick to the kindle.

Chosen

, by KT

Chosen by Jeanne C. Stein

The Anna Strong Chronicles #6

It's been almost a year since bounty hunter Anna Strong became a vampire, but as she's about to discover, her greatest powers have yet to be unleashed...

Though Anna has become accustomed to the fact that she’s now a vampire, she still enjoys the illusion of being human. So when she suddenly notices that her primitive urges are getting harder to control, she’s worried. Then, she’s attacked, narrowly escaping with her life. The only person with enough motive to want her dead is her old foe—Warren Williams. But another more dangerous enemy lies in wait.

What Anna doesn’t know is that she’s far too valuable to kill. For she’s been chosen to shape the destiny of the vampire race—and all of mankind…

This book caught me completely off guard. Anna's relationship with Lance was really stepped up a major notch. While she never admits it, she is head over heels in love with him, something she never has been with anyone before. I really never saw her truly loving someone because she has such major trust issues. However, for at least a little while she let herself trust him just a little, which put her at a major risk. I do like this vulnerability, as she normally comes off as a closed off unfeeling person. Sometimes strength can be taken too far, so this "softer" side was really nice to see.

Her past experiences are to blame for her trust issues, and unfortunately she is right to not trust most of the people in her life. It seems everyone wants to use her since she is the chosen one. Throughout the book she is still in denial about the prophecy and her need to step up and take control of her duties. I imagine it is was hard enough to handle being changed unwillingly into a vampire, but at some point she just has to give in and accept who and what she is.

I find it very frustrating that she hasn't told David what she is. I love their working relationship, and it is really suffering because she constantly has to hide things from him and is always disappearing. I really think he could handle the truth, and would go a long way towards fixing their friendship. Considering he always seems to be the one everyone targets to hurt her, she really needs to tell him the truth.

Although my review may seem more frustrated than anything, I really did enjoy the book. So much happened in this book that I loved, but I can't talk about without completely spoiling it. So many questions were answered that have been building throughout the series. The twists in this book and the fallout from those events should make the next book really interesting. It definitely lived up to its predecessors, and I can't wait for the next book.

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
Chosen (Anna Strong Chronicles, Book 6)

Alpha Trailer

, by KT

Rachel Vincent just posted the Alpha trailer on her blog. Squeee!! I am so excited for this book. I will be sad to see Faythe's story end, but all good things must come to an end eventually. Here is the trailer: