Saturday, October 25, 2014

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel
By Cassandra Clare
Published: October 4, 2011
Publisher: McElderry Books
Pages: 479
ISBN: 141697587X
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Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still. Discover the riveting first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices Trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

Includes the never-before-seen short story Magnus's Vow!

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Review:
I really enjoyed this novel. I think it was a fun story to bring me into the series. The story itself I really loved. I thought it was exciting and interesting. I was immediately drawn into the story. I loved the way it was written and all the references to poetry and classic stories (I know really want to read more classics). There were things I didn't like about the book. I had some issues with the character development. While there was some I felt it was a bit lacking. I loved the main character Tessa, I feel like I could really connect with her but I really just didn't connect with any other character. I am hoping that later in the series there will be character development among the other characters. 


My Rating:



Wednesday, October 22, 2014

My favorite Fall reads

Fall is a wonderful time to cuddle up and read. As the weather gets colder the pages from my books get warmer. I love being able to spend countless house hiding away from the outside chill reading wonderful books. This fall I have a list of books I want to read. All of these just scream fall. I love book that seem scary or have paranormal aspects. This the best time of year to let them shine.

Book one: Anna dressed in blood by 
Book two: Girl of nightmare by 
Book three: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Book four: Hexed by Michelle Krys
Book five: Madapple by Christina Meldrum
Book six: Grim by Assorted Authors
Book seven: Between the devil and the deep blue sea by  April Genevieve Tucholke
Book eight: Kiss of deception by Mary E. Pearson
Book nine: Nightmares by Jason Segal and Kirsten Miller
Book ten: Sweet evil by Wendy Higgins

What are your favorite fall reads? 
Check out what Beth Revis author of the Across the Universe trilogy enjoyed reading here:
http://bethrevis.blogspot.de/2014/10/favorite-fall-reads-giveaway-young.html


Monday, October 20, 2014

Wonderfully Wicked Readathon TBR

This is so late! The Readathon started 3 days ago on the 17th. Either way here is my TBR. The Readathon runs from October 17-27. It is hosted by myshelfconfessions. I will link her website below.

Book One: Legend by Marie Lu
Book Two: Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare
Book Three: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Book Four: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Book Five: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
Book Six: The 5 Wave by Rick Yancey

Check out the readathon information and creator here: 
http://www.myshelfconfessions.com/wwreadathon/

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Monday, October 13, 2014

Book Review: Saga Volume 1 By Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples


Saga Volume One
By Brain K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Published: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Imagine Comics
Pages: 160
ISBN: 160706601
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When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. 

From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, North 40), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults. 

                                                                 This specially priced volume collects the first six issues of the smash-                                                                    hit series The Onion A.V. Club calls "the emotional epic Hollywood                                                                        wishes it could make."


My Review:
This is the first graphic novel I have ever read and has made me want to read many, many more.
The story follows two soldier that are fighting on opposite sides of a war between a planet and its moon. The two soldiers fall in love, even though they are suppose to be enemies and they have a baby. The story is told partially through the point of view of the child. This series is their story on surviving in a world where they should not be together.


I really loved the way it was written. It is very fun, smart and interesting. I didn't lose interest the whole time I was reading it and when I finished was left craving more. I love the world it is very creative and so huge. There are so many different dynamics happening throughout the story. The characters are so different and lovable, the development of the characters  was wonderful. I just couldn’t get enough of them. I am so happy this was the first graphic novel I've  read, it has shined a light onto this new realm of literature for me to read.

My Rating:

Book Review: Onxy By Jennifer L. Armentrout


Onxy
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: April 14, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 366
ISBN: 1620610116


Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…







My Review:
This is the second book in the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This book was much better than Obsidian. So if you enjoyed Obsidian, I recommend continuing on with the series. It built on all of the good points in Obsidian and it improves on some of the not so good points.  I am not going to go too much into detail about this book so I don’t give away any spoilers. 


Like in the first novel this novel continues to follow Katy and the aliens that live next door to her.  The romance found in the first book does continue but for new reasons. The story in this novel is fun and intriguing. I am so excited to see where this series will go from here.

My Rating

Book Review: Obsidian By Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages:335
ISBN: 1620610078
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When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens. 

                                                                  The hot alien living next door marks me.

                                                                  You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy                                                                     of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has                                                                      me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this                                                                          alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

                                                                 If I don't kill him first, that is

My Review:
This is the first book in the Lux series. Obsidian is about a girl named Katy ( she is a book blogger, very relatable). I knew by the first paragraph that I would love this book. Katy's mom moves her to a new town to get a fresh new start. What they don’t realize is they have just moved into a house full of aliens.

I loved this book. It was so fun and so fast paced. The romance is the novel is a little frustrating because it is so dragged out. I loved the characters and the character development. It was very easy to forget everything and get swept away by the story.


I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun paranormal series to dive into.

My Rating:

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Book Review A Monster Calls By Patrick Ness


A Monster Calls
By Patrick Ness
Published: February 2, 2012
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
Pages: 215
ISBN: 1406339342 
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The monster showed up just after midnight. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his back garden, though, this monster is something different. Something ancient, something wild.





My Review:
This book it set up as a sort of children's book.  The lay out of the pages give it that look. However it is written as a novel and not a children's story. This story follows a young boy named Conor who's mom is dying of cancer. Conor every night is having a repeating nightmare about a monster. One night a monster made of a Yew tree comes stomping up to Conor's window. This is not the monster from Conor's nightmares though. According to the monster Conor has called him there but Conor doesn’t know why he would do such a thing. Throughout the story the Monster tells Conor he will come to him on multiple nights and tell him three stories. After the stories are done Conor must tell the monster the story of his nightmare, and it has to be the truth. 

I really loved this story. I loved the characters and the setting. The message behind the story is what truly makes this story unique. A short but heartwarming read I think anyone would enjoy.

My Rating:

Book Review: Asylum By Madeleine Roux


Asylum 
By Madeleine Roux
Published: August 26, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 336
ISBN: 0062220977 
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For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, the New Hampshire College Prep program is the chance of a lifetime. Except that when Dan arrives, he finds that the usual summer housing has been closed, forcing students to stay in the crumbling Brookline Dorm—formerly a psychiatric hospital. As Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan start exploring Brookline's twisty halls and hidden basement, they uncover disturbing secrets about what really went on here . . . secrets that link Dan and his friends to the asylum's dark past. Because Brookline was no ordinary mental hospital, and there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried

My Review:
I had high hopes going into this novel. The synopsis on the back and cover gave the impression of a creepy story. However I feel as though the "horror" factor just fell short. The story is about three teenagers who go to a college prep program and are housed in an old asylum. The uncover weird events that took place when the asylum was happening and these events start to intertwine with the teens lives.

I would have loved to read more about the asylum and the practices that took place while the asylum was open. I feel like this was cut too short. The was so much detail surrounding the teens that I think the asylum story was just sort of lost in the mix. 


With this being a series, I hope this was just an opening that gave a lot of back story and the second novel lives up to the creepy horror feel the novels give off.  

My Rating:

Book Review: Across the Universe By Beth Revis

Across the Universe
By Beth Revis
Published : January 1, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9781595144675
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A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.... 

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end 50 years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules. 

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next. 

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

My Review:
A dual perspective Young Adult Science Fiction novel.  It is about a space mission to a "new earth",  the setting of the story is on a ship called Godspeed. The journey is said to take 300 years. The people aboard the ship live lives, have families, jobs and take care of the ship. Meanwhile below the ship are military personal and scientist from "Sol Earth" that are frozen an will be woken up when the ship reaches the new Earth.  The main character is named Amy and she is the daughter of two people who are frozen, she decides to get frozen and go with them on this mission.

When Amy is woken up from her frozen sleep, she thinks they have arrived at the new planet  but she comes to realize that someone has woken her up too early. The process of being frozen and unfrozen is so hard on the body, that Amy can not be refrozen. Thus meaning she will have to live on this ship, where everyone looks and talks the same, and she will probably never see her parents again. Amy now has to struggle with learning to live in a new world on Godspeed, where she doesn’t fit in.

The other main character is named Elder. Aboard Godspeed there is a leadership system of Eldest, who leads and Elder, who learns to lead.

Things on the ship seem to be running smoothly but with the inhabitants odd behavior and the murders of the people who are frozen below, it is up to Amy and Elder to uncover the truth about what is really happening on Godspeed.


Over all I thought this was an amazing opening to the series. I have recommended it to so many people. I think the characters are lovable and the story is exciting. It was a very quick read. The chapters are short and every chapter changes perspective.

My Rating:

Book Review: We Were Liars By E. Lockhart


We Were Liars
By E. Lockhart
Published:  May 15, 2014
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Pages: 228
ISBN: 147140398X
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We are the Liars.

We are beautiful, privileged and live a life of carefree luxury.

We are cracked and broken.

A story of love and romance.

A tale of tragedy.

                                                                  Which are lies?

                                                                  Which is truth?

My Review:
A short but dynamic novel. From page one I was completely engulfed in the story.
I compliment the way Lockhart writes the emotions of our main character is very enticing, showing all the emotion throughout the novel as physically wounds instead of emotional ones, gave the story a feeling of reality. 

One another note I didn't enjoy the lack of character development and attachment I felt. The story is rather short and has a lot happening in it, so I understand the loss of some minor developmental points, I just would have liked to feel more for the characters.


The novel as a whole I recommend to anyone looking for short and thrilling read.  The story earned its title for a reason and I warn anyone who reads it, you will want to read it again to see what you missed the first time.

My Rating: