The Mortal Instruments 4 & 5

 City of Fallen Angels
Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

I had a really hard time with this book. This took me forever to get through because it is my least favorite of the series. The only interesting parts of this book were in the last half of it--maybe even the last quarter. I could have done without all of the "Does he love me, or love me not?" nonsense. And then it took forever for Jace to tel her. What a healthy relationship. I did want to know why someone was trying to go after Simon, but I lost interest after the fact that he didn't appear to be in that much danger. So three people with dark hoodies go after him and that's it. I get that they're scared of being turned into salt, but c'mon. Things should have moved faster than they did if Lilith really wanted to bring Sebastian back.

 City of Lost Souls

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

This one took me a while, too. I still had the taste in my mouth from the last one, and felt like the characters were being idiots for most of the book. Yeah, let's leave the impulsive Clary alone. There's no way she'll portal herself out to get to the boy she loves. Not like she hasn't done that before but for another person she loves. It wasn't until later on that I realized that I started feeling sad or mad at things that were happening to the characters. I think that's it's because I have read five books with these characters and I couldn't help but be a little attached.

I'm going to finish the series when the last book comes out, but I don't think that I'll continue on with Clare's books. Someone would really have to convince me to venture out again.

City of Glass

 City of Glass
Cassandra Clare

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and 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 Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters 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.

And I've kept on going. I have so many mixed feelings about this one. As I had realized in City of Ashes, the writing is still lazy but the story is interesting. I found phrases repeated within 10-15 pages of each other. It was kind of ridiculous. One was "it felt like a thousand years" and "it's like from a fairytale." Clary is supposed to be fairly intelligent and couldn't find another way to describe something. C'mon! (And the fact that the characters are stupid enough to leave a desperate girl alone who has magical rune powers is a dumb idea. Of course she'll do something rash.) I also wish the whole truth reveal was more dramatic. Having Clary and Jocelyn just talk about it didn't seem very interesting.

As the story progressed I was interested in the book more. I wanted to see how it would all end, and it feels like the series could have ended here. I almost wish that it had but I could see the holes that needed filling. I also like that at the end the Shadowhunters are reminded that vampires, warlocks, werewolves, and faeries have souls; they aren't demonic by nature. It was good to see them coming together.

P.S. - Simon rocks.

City of Ashes

City of Ashes
Cassandra Clare

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

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

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

Another series I'm finally getting around to catching up on. It's been a long time. I hear so many good things about this book. I was eager when I read the first one back in 2010... actually almost exactly three years ago. After the ending of it I wasn't sure if wanted to keep going. Everything between Jace and Clary was turned creepy and the vibe kept going throughout this one. I kept going with reading it, though. I like the world and the dynamics are interesting.

I'll start with what I didn't care for. Clare's writing style is easy to follow but it isn't anything special. Some authors have grammatical errors while Clare was lazy. She would keep using the same metaphors over and over again. The most prominent is that something either tasted or smelled like metal/salt/blood. I realize that happens, but it gets boring. And she would describe voice sounding like "shattering glass." What does that mean exactly? Was the voice loud? Was the voice painful to hear? I don't know and neither does the reader. I also didn't like that she had to say the emotion behind every sentence. Bitter was her favorite description. The reader should be able to infer this without help.

Now for the stuff that I like. It's funny that I say that Clare's writing is lazy because I did like how she described the different locations. I enjoyed reading those descriptions. I wasn't distracted by things being too repetitive. (Am I sounding repetitive?)

I also liked the characters in the book. Some of them I hated. Valentine and the Inquisitor are the obvious ones. The predjudice of the Inquistor was the most infuritating things I've read this past week. Then again that's a reason I don't like Valentine and culture of the Shadowhunters. They think everything is black and white when there's gray. Which is hilarious because they're Nephilim. They're half angel, for Pete's sake. I want to like Jace but I'm still not sure. He's a jerk but he's had a lot on his plate. He's utterly confused and damaged. I like Clary and Simon. Clary is the normal girl that is thrown into an extraordinary world. She isn't trained and so just seems like a nuisance but has her own gifts. Simon. Poor Simon. He sure is thrown for a loop and I know it's only going to get worse in the next book. But I like him. He's a total geek at heart.

I know that I had issues with this book, but I like the world. It's interesting and exciting. I'm not even sure why I'm giving it 5 stars, but I think it's because I believe in the story. I think it's a fun read. I did finish it in two days. That's gotta say something.

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian
Eoin Colfer

Is this Armageddon for the Artemis Fowl?

Opal Koboi, power-crazed pixie, is plotting to exterminate mankind and become fairy queen. If she succeeds, the spirits of long-dead fairy warriors will rise from the earth, inhabit the nearest available bodies and wreak mass destruction. But what happens if those nearest bodies include crows, or deer, or badgers - or two curious little boys by the names of Myles and Beckett Fowl?

Yes, it's true. Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl's four-year-old brothers could be involved in destroying the human race. Can Artemis and Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police stop Opal and prevent the end of the world?

It's hard to say good-bye to a good book series. I finished this maybe three hours ago and it's hard to say that I won't be reading a new Artemis Fowl shenanigan. I wish that there will be but I understand that it has to come to an end.

I had a lot of fun reading this one. There was an "a-ha" moment that the last one lacked but I expected it to be different. I thought that Nopal would have a bigger impact. Kind of like what happens with Artemis at the end of the book. Because Opal still had her previous memories even though her death came and went. I figured she would somehow go back to the past to fill in that gap of the story. That was the only problem I had with the book. There isn't a solution to this.

I like how much all of the characters have grown since the first one. Seeing Artemis grow-up was interesting to watch. He grows from an immature, heartless, juvenile criminal mastermind to a mature, selfish young man.  He still has his flaws from being a genius around the average intelligence, but he's a lot easier to read. He is more aware of the other characters' feelings and takes it into account.

To anyone thinking of reading the Artmeis Fowl series then you're going to have some fun. The humor is hysterical, especially when dwarves and Colfer's history tidbits are involved (Swear toads. HA.). The characters are interesting to read and learn about. The stories are a lot of fun to go a long with and easy to believe. (I mean, you're dealing with magic, for Pete's sake.) Go ahead and give these books a try. You'll enjoy it. ;)

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex
Eoin Colfer

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world's greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies - not humans - and most likely triggered by Artemis's dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly's past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind, and the grips of a giant squid, in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?

Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has summoned an elite group of high-tech fairies to Iceland. He wants to present his invention to save the world from global warming. But something terrible has happened to him.
Artemis Fowl has become nice.
The fairies diagnose Atlantis Complex (aka multiple-personality disorder) – dabbling in magic has damaged Artemis’s mind. And now the subterranean city of Atlantis is under attack from vicious robots and nice Artemis is no use to anyone

 I'm finally getting around to finishing these books. I don't know why I haven't finished this series earlier. I like Artemis and the gang and their adventures that they go on together. I've had a hard time finishing this one, though. I think, for me, that everything was moving a bit slow. Things that should have been done fast weren't done fast and the opposite for the slow things. Or course the humor that Colfer puts into his books is still there. Reading the little nonsensical tidbits and references to Dwarves' nether-regions in round-about ways is always fun to read.

The part I missed the most was having a big "a-ha moment" when Artemis' plans fall into place. Since Artemis has Atlantis Complex, you don't really get that. He's out of sorts in many ways, although reading from his alter-ego's point-of-view is very entertaining. There is a small "a-ha moment" when Artemis uses this other half to his advantage, but not really anything like in the other books.

I still enjoyed reading this book. I'm kind of sad that I'm reading the last one now. It means that I'll have to say good-bye to new adventures from the gang. But if the movie works out, then it should be fun to see how everything is done.

Yet Another Polymer Clay Adventure

This time the polymer madness started because I had an idea for some book charms... and then I kept going. Some of these things I will put on my Etsy shop. I don't think the last two pictures are going to make it on there. One had copyrighted characters and the other picture has some not-so-original ideas.

This dragon matches the Maroon and Gold one from the last polymer adventures. I wanted to use up the glass stones that I have. It just happened that they're going on a Harry Potter color theme. I think I'll have to continue with it. ;)

Hungry like a Zombie?

I had these little bowls from the last time and didn't know what I was going to do with them then. I wanted to make something kind of gross and weird. I think this fits the bill.

Berry Deadly Lollies

These go along with the other Deadly Lollies. This time they look as though they can be berry flavored.

The Bibliophile's Charm

 I'm a self-proclaimed bibliophile and I like it when I find another. I really like to talk about books that I'm reading or interested in. It's fun to talk to other writers, as well. I figured making a charm to declare so would be perfect.

Book Genre Charms

These are the charms that got me going on this latest polymer endeavor. I drew up some little images that I thought would convey certain genres and stories. I'm open to other ideas.

These are the charms that I'm not going to put on Etsy... well, Jack and Sally for sure. I don't like the idea of making a profit on copyrighted characters. It doesn't seem right to me. But I like to make them as gifts for friends/family. The ice cream and candycane bunch just didn't seem all that original to put up. I even debated putting them up here on the blog, but I figured what the heck?

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility
Jane Austen

Oh, Romantic Period. How I love your writing. I'm glad that I was forced to read Pride and Prejudice a couple years ago. I was introduced to the fun of the middle-class courtship scene. Funny, witty, and dramatic. Without that book I wouldn't have picked up this one.

Sense and Sensibility is a lot of fun to read. The differences in Elinor and Marianne are fantastic. I loved reading the two different thought processes of the time. Elinor is the one who thinks everything through while Marianne is vivacious and extravagant in her feelings for everything around her. Marianne would see the woods as something to be admired with great gusto while Elinor would see the woods as a place to get timber.

The story was a lot of fun to get through. I had some ideas of what to expect since I have seen a few scenes from one of the film adaptations. (Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet are in it.) What I really didn't know is how exactly everything happened. I thought that it was very entertaining. All would seem lost to both women at some point but then everything works out. The only reason I'm not giving this book a five star is because the ending seems a little off to me. Mostly in the part of how Elinor and Edward's situation ends like. Edwards sure seems to get nothing in comparison with his sneaky brother. I wish that it worked out better for them, but I suppose that not all ending are one-hundred percent happy.

If you like Jane Austen or anything from the Romantic Period, give this a shot. It's a ton of fun.

Wishes on the Moon

Wishes on the Moon
Michael O. Tunnell

Oh, this book. Or shall I really say books? It has taken me WAY too long to finish this, and I'll tell you why. The main theme of why for me is that everything was too easy. I'll do this by talking about the two books separately.

Wishing Moon
I had an open mind when I began. My friend gave this book to me as a Christmas gift in 2011 and she seemed to really enjoy it. I started to read it and I was saddened by Aminah's plight. An orphaned girl forced to be a beggar on the streets. As she's so close to death she goes to Princess Badr's room hoping to find a kind-hearted woman. Instead she finds a Princess with a good throwing arm. This is the first easy part. The Princess throws a lamp at Aminah's forehead because she is disgusted by Aminah's appearance. When Aminah wakes, she tried to polish the lamp and poof! A jinni. Everything just became easier from then on. Aminah meets new people and they become instant friends. Aminah finds a guy she likes and instantly they are lovers. The "climax" is only five pages long. Pretty much nothing and is solved way too easily. If  the second book wasn't attached, I probably wouldn't have continued.

Moon Without Magic
I'm giving the story the benefit of the doubt as I begin. Things are still going all honky-dory for Aminah and the newly named "Alliance of the Lamp" (Cheesy, I know.). The story only really happens when they think they're betrayed and then have to go find that person. Then the Princess gets involved and blah blah blah. Oh, wait we're in danger still? DUH! The world doesn't feel real to me anymore when traveling becomes so quick and suddenly thieves kills everyone in the caravan but the two characters. They do find something amongst the thieves that will prove useful but only kind of. I feel like the thieves-that-also-turn-out-to-be-pirates and the storytelling sections are just added into the story just because the writer knew he could. The whole thing felt so detached from itself. And again, the climax is done so simply. Why are the 'good guys' okay with the Princess having what she wants? Why don't they do something about it? If you had magic at your finger tips, why don't you use it to stop her?! I'm baffled. Completely baffled by how easy the ending is.

Conclusion?
There really isn't a story here. No great conflict and nothing has really been solved. The writing is not challenging at all to get through. It's funny because in my post about Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, I complained about her writing being arrogant through her sentence structure. But this is too simple for the Young Adult audience that it's meant for. It's boring. I guess if you want something that you can get through really fast then, yeah, go for it. The only fascinating part is that old fairy tales are mixed into the story, but just barely. I just wish that there was more substance to these books.

Interview with the Vampire & The Vampire Lestat

Interview with the Vampire
Anne Rice

The time's now.
We are in a small room with the vampire, face to face, as he speaks, as he pours out the hypnotic, shocking, moving, and erotically charged confessions of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead ...
A provoking book, which starts a rich series...

The Vampire Lestat
Anne Rice

After the spectacular debut of Interview with the Vampire in 1976, Anne Rice put aside her vampires to explore other literary interests--Italian castrati in Cry to Heaven and the Free People of Color in The Feast of All Saints . But Lestat, the mischievous creator of Louis in Interview , finally emerged to tell his own story in the 1985 sequel, The Vampire Lestat . As with the first book in the series, the novel begins with a frame narrative. After over a half century underground, Lestat awakens in the 1980s to the cacophony of electronic sounds and images that characterizes the MTV generation. Particularly, he is captivated by a fledgling rock band named Satan's Night Out. Determined both to achieve international fame and end the centuries of self-imposed vampire silence, Lestat takes command of the band (now renamed "The Vampire Lestat") and pens his own autobiography. The remainder of the novel purports to be that autobiography: the vampire traces his mortal youth as the son of a marquis in pre-Revolutionary France, his initiation into vampirism at the hands of Magnus, and his quest for the ultimate origins of his undead species. While very different from the first novel in the Vampire Chronicles, The Vampire Lestat has proved to be the foundation for a broader range of narratives than is possible from Louis's brooding, passive perspective. The character of Lestat is one of Rice's most complex and popular literary alter egos, and his Faustian strivings have a mythopoeic resonance that links the novel to a grand tradition of spiritual and supernatural fiction. --Patrick O'Kelley

 Huh, it seems that I forgot to write about Interview with a Vampire. I guess I'll try to write about both of these books at the same time, but mainly about The Vampire Lestat.

It took me FOREVER to finish these books. I wanted to read these as research to how another author took hold of the vampire genre. I had a hard time reading these. I could tell by the sentence structure that Rice was trying really hard to sound elegant ALL of the time. It's gets tiresome to read the same structure over and over again, especially when it's so thick.

I also didn't care too much for either character. Louis and Lestat are almost like reading the same character. Louis is more melodramatic and Lestat is impulsive, but the way they thought was the same. After I read Interview with the Vampire I didn't think about continuing on. But my father told me to read the next book in the series, which is The Vampire Lestat. He said that Lestat is a more interesting subject to read about. I was bored with both of them. I'm not continuing with the series.

I can see how some people like the books. Some interesting things happen. Lestat sees some cool things. But I didn't care after a while. It become too episodic. The story didn't feel like it was one long story, but a bunch of parts of a story with no guide to the end.

I wish that I had to more to say about these books. I wish I could tell you everything that is swimming through my head right now, but I'm not sure how to put it. I guess this series just isn't my cup of tea.I wouldn't personally recommend these books, but I do understand that some would like them.

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Miles from Ordinary
Carol Lynch Williams

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control.... “No one can get inside the head and heart of a 13-year-old girl better than Carol Lynch Williams, and I mean no one," said James S. Jacobs, Professor of Children's Literature at Brigham Young University, of her breakout novel, The Chosen One.  Now this award-winning YA author brings us an equally gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them.

I will warn you all now. This book was written by my latest Creative Writing professor at Brigham Young University and I loved learning from her. I will do my best to keep out the bias that I may have because I liked her so much. But the fact is, I also like the other book that I've read of hers, The Chosen One. Both are darker than some YA out there. I like the dark, though. ;)

You can tell when you read one of Carol's books. The writing is concise and meaningful. There aren't any unnecessary sentences, and she takes and grabs hold to the modern style of writing. Not everything is in a paragraph; sometimes there are words on their own or with unique punctuation. All of this adds to the tension and feelings that young Lacey are going through. I'm a fan of this.

The plot of this story only happens in one day. Information is given through flashbacks and these were done very nicely. It's sad to see what Lacey has had to go through because of her mother's mental illness. Having the flashbacks tell this helps the reader believe this story. The ending fits. It's not a 100% happy but you know that Lacey should be able to get through it.

I liked reading Lacey's view on everything. You can tell that this girl has gone through a lot in her short life. I could feel the emotion coming off the pages and couldn't wait to finish this.

If you want a well-written story with an emotional roller coaster added in, then this should be something that you'll enjoy.

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Inheritance
Christopher Paolini

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle that the world has waited for.

 Ah, finally finished it. It took some time but I finally finished it. I blame school and other things for not finishing it faster. I'm so glad that the series has come to an end. It's nice to see how the characters have developed throughout the four books. And have they developed.

That's the first thing that comes to my mind with this series: There is character development. This doesn't happen all of time, I find. I wish that it did. It was so fun to see Eragon and Saphira become the adults that they ended up being. Even with Roran. I liked seeing this differences between Eragon and his cousin because they are so similar; but one has a dragon and the other doesn't. It's cool to see how they both changed because of what was given to them.

I also liked the descriptions that Paolini gave the reader. I could see what Alagaesia was supposed to look like, especially in new places that we hadn't been to before. However--and this leads me into the not so good--Paolini went WAY too long in most cases. And this goes for his writing in general, descriptions or thoughts. This is the main reason that it took me so long to read. There were times where I said to myself, "Can we move on already?" Paolini could have been more concise. Some of the sentences were the same thing written the same way.

Another thing that I didn't like so much is that there are times that Paolini breaks the point-of-view. This is a big No-No. One case that stays with me is when the reader is in Saphira's mind but the next sentence--and only for this sentence--Paolini writes Thorn's feelings. There is no indication at the moment that they are talking through their minds, so how would Saphira know this? She wouldn't. Plain and simple. This happened a couple other of times as well.

Going back to the positive, I did like where the story went; and I liked the surprises along the way. It was interesting to see how everything was resolved. I felt like everything was resolved, although the resolution with the Menoa tree was almost a cop-out. But I'll let whoever wants to read this decide that for themselves.

If you want an entertaining, fast, and lovable characters to attach to; then give The Inheritance Cycle a chance. You'll have fun along the way.

Belinda by Maria Edgeworth

I have realized now that I have forgotten to write about other books that I have read for class. (Totally spaced North and South last semester. I'll make it up some time.) Right now I'm currently taking a British Romantic Period Literature class. One of the books that we have to read is Belinda by Maria Edgeworth. Edgeworth was a female author that wrote just before and while Jane Austen became popular. It's interesting that some seem to forget that she was the one that influenced the later. This book was written in 1801 while Austen wrote in the 1810s.

When you first open this book you are greeted with Edgeworth's explanation for writing it. She hated the idea of Belinda being called a Novel since the genre had bad connotations then. She said that this was to be a Moral Tale. Finding the moral might be the interesting part since so many things are happening. It is a Coming of Age story, but for whom? It would appear three people would be the focus: Belinda Portman, Lady Delacour, and Mr. Clarence Hervey. There are hints at race, feminism, and class differences but I think it may be up to us to decide what the moral really is.

Because I wrote a paper for this book, I feel that it is necessary to write about what other people have said about it. Some have said (especially Edgeworth's contemporary critics) that the title should be called Lady Delacour since she appears to be the dominant character. I thought about this point and at first I agreed with them; now I don't. Belinda is the morally right person in this novel and helps others through her example to realize that some of their actions might not be the best choice. She also is the one that moves the plot through the book. The other characters have some influence but the main tie is Belinda.

Belinda is also blamed for being too much of a goody-two-shoes. I don't mind this about her. She honest, quiet, sincere, and what she say is thought-provoking. I like her amidst all of the other characters who are way over the top. They have so many flaws that I believe that it's nice to have a morally right character. Why must we always have our heroine as someone who isn't morally perfect? I liked this about her. Her prudence may seem a bore to some but that's who Belinda is. She herself said: "Surely, prudence, not courage, is the virtue of our sex (meaning women)."

I also enjoyed the story of this book. Belinda is caught in the moment where she is available to be married and it is her Aunt Stanhope's desire that this happens. In this English aristocratic time courting was a lot different than it is now and how it can go a muck in some areas. This book shows that off nicely. I do feel that there were times when things were long-winded and could have been toned down. I suppose that it's for that reason that I would give Belinda 4 out of 5 stars. If you like to read a book like that of Austen then go ahead and give Belinda a try.

Pride and Prejudice

Look out world. I read a Jane Austen novel. Never thought the day would come, huh? To be honest, neither did I. I can actually thank my British Literature class for opening me up to Jane Austen by reading Pride and Prejudice. I'm actually quite glad, too. I may have to read more of her works in the future.

I often associated Pride and Prejudice with hoighty-toighty people and overly passionate females. For that I refused to watch the movies (although I've seen bits and pieces) and to read the book. I really didn't want to get myself into the realm of 'squealing girls,' but I have already successfully accomplished that by reading The Twilight Saga. (Funny how that works, huh?) I do see why girls are mainly attracted to this book. The main character is female but she isn't really like other females; and there is more to the story about love. It's about looking into ourselves and finding our own follies; especially pride and prejudice.

I found myself feeling for Elizabeth Bennet. There is a lot to be learned by looking through her perspective. She changes so much by the end of the novel as does Mr. Darcy. I can say that this book has some well developed characters. All of them aren't perfect, and yet they are likable. There are some that you don't like but you end of pitying them because of how naive they really are. Then there are others that you wish you could knock some sense into.

I'm glad that I had to read this book for class. I would have missed out a fun classic if I hadn't otherwise. Perhaps someday I'll be able to watch the movie and be able to enjoy it for what it's worth.

Mockingjay

I finally finished reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. It's the final installment to The Hunger Games Trilogy. I wasn't able to get the book until a couple days ago since I was traveling the day it came out. And, boy, was I lucky. The Borders was out of them until a few minutes after I entered the store. They just got a bunch of boxes right then.

In my opinion there is a lot more dealing with what Katniss has going on in her head. She's dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil from beginning to end. She has to deal with trusting the people around her to feeling guilty about the start of the war. There is a lot more that goes on in a 17 year-old girl that has survived through death over and over again; but I don't want to say much else because it could ruin it.

As usual I like Suzanne Collins' writing style. It's easy to follow and understand. I am happy and yet sad that I don't have to wait for another book to come out. I like knowing how things end but I felt like there was a lack of resolution. I also like that about his book though. It's not a complete happy ending, nor is it sad. It's in between, in my opinion. I still enjoyed reading this book, and I recommend it to anyone who is willing to read a good series. There's suspense, gore, action, and love. Go ahead and try it. You'll like it.

City of Bones

I finished reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare a few days ago. City of Bones is the first book in The Mortal Instruments trilogy. It followed a young girl named Clarissa Fray; Clary for short. She spots three young teenagers kill a human demon and thinks at first that they're crazy. She soon finds out that she isn't crazy and is plunged into the exciting world of the Shadowhunters, or demon hunters, along with her best friend Simon.

There was a lot to love in this book. There is plenty of action, some romance, humor, and lots of twists. (Although I guessed one on them.) There was one twist at the end of the book that blew me off guard though. I really didn't see it coming and kind of wished that it didn't. It changed the dynamics between two of the characters and I'm pretty interested to see how that turns out. I do wonder if the twist is true or if it's just something the villain decided to come up with.

I also really like Cassandra Clare's writing style. Her metaphors are great as is her diction. She has a knack for dialogue to sound like it's actually happening right before your own eyes. Descriptions of the people and places are down to defined images that I hope I can emulate in my own writing. I also like her references to modern things rather than stories that I might have or might have not read.

The end of the book is left pretty open and I want to know what happens. I sure hope that you all give this book a try. There's a lot in there and I'm excited to read the next two in series. (When I get a hold of them. xD ) I'll leave you with the synopsis to figure out if you want to read it yourself.

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…

Catching Fire

I finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins two days after finishing Hunger Games. However, with moving out of the apartment I didn't have the chance to write something about it.

I love this book just at much as I love the first book. This was written with the same fluidity and diction as the first, and I loved that about Hunger Games. I wanted to keep going and going. I was very sad when this one ended because I knew that I couldn't get a hold of the third one until August 24th! Oh well. That's what happens when you read a series that hasn't end yet. xP

One thing I noticed with this book is that there is a double meaning to pretty much everything being said. It so happens that Katniss made some people in the Capitol mad and has to please them. She follows with this for a while but that changes. There is also a love triangle beginning to form in this book. I'm interested to see how that plays out in the third one. And the ending! If you don't like cliff hangers then you won't be happy how this ends. For me, it makes me eager to read the third even more. Anyway, you all should read this book and it's prequel. I'm sure you'll like it. ;)

The Hunger Games

Some time ago I finally got my hands on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I've heard good things about this book from roommates, an aunt, and my sister. I wanted a new book to read since I'm all caught up on current series that I'm reading. I finally got the chance to read this since it's finals time and I don't have any to study for.

From the start I like the fluidity of the writing. It's very easy to follow and it makes you want to keep reading. I like that it didn't take me long to want to know what was going on. And when the book ended I was very sad that it did! However, there is another book in the series that is out and I will get my hands on it today. ;)

It begins with a 16 year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen living in a futuristic, post apocalyptic America. The country is split into 12 Districts; formerly 13 but the Capitol that controls them destroyed it to show that they can stomp the rebels. As a reinforcement of the Capitol's power, they have something called the Hunger Games. A boy and girl from each district is chosen randomly go into a battle arena and fight to death. Katniss takes her younger sister's, Prim, place when she is called. As the book goes on it deals with the trials of before, during, and after the Games. She also is confused about her feelings she has about her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta.

This book was a lot of fun to read. During the fight scenes you are dragged into it and left to wonder how Katniss will pull herself out of this one. And then during the slower moments you were enthralled in Katniss's mind. The way this one ends also wants you to have more. I suggest that you read this book. I'll be getting the second of the trilogy, Catching Fire, today. Then I'll have to wait for August 24th for Mockingjay. ;)

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox

I finished reading Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox last week. I was going to write about it then but I got distracted by being back in school again and spending time with family near by. I also forgot for a moment that I write 'book reviews' on my blog. xD

The Time Paradox is the sixth book in the Artemis Fowl series. I made the mistake of reading this book late at night. I started reading one night and went to bed at 1 a.m. not too bad considering I get up at 9. Read some the next day and then that night I read until I finished it; 2:30 a.m. Silly me. I say it was a mistake because I knew that the climax was going to start at any time and I kept going. xD

I'm glad that I kept going though. When I got to that part in the book I didn't want to put it down. The classic humor was throughout and seeing the development of new relationships was cool. There was one thing that I predicted but I think anyone could spot that. *coughseventhkrakencough* Why would an author mention something like that without it showing up later in the book? Anyway, I liked the story a lot and I found it pretty easy to follow. I was interested in the re-introduction of a past villan and I'm curious how that will play out in the future.

Here's the synopsis of the story:

After disappearing for three years, Artemis Fowl has returned to a life different from the one he had. Now he’s a big brother, and spends his days teaching his twin siblings the important things in life, such as how to properly summon a waiter at a French restaurant. But when Artemis’s mother contracts a life-threatening illness, his world is turned upside down. The only hope for a cure lies in the brain fluid of the silky sifaka lemur. Unfortunately, the animal is extinct, due to a heartless bargain Artemis himself made as a younger boy. Though the odds are stacked against him, Artemis is not willing to give up. With the help of his fairy friends, the young genius travels back in time to rescue the lemur and bring it to the present. But to do so, Artemis will have to defeat a maniacal poacher who has set his sights on new prey: Holly Short. The rules of time travel are far from simple, but to save his mother, Artemis will have to break them all . . . and outsmart his most cunning adversary yet: Artemis Fowl, age ten.

I'll be waiting for the next book, Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, on July 20th to read more about Artemis and his friends. Maybe in the meantime though I'll read the second graphic novel. ;)

New Moon: The Movie

Jenni called me at the beginning of November to see if we wanted to go see New Moon together. She offered to take me to the Twilight Lexicon showing that they have going on today. However, since it was $25 that automatically meant that I couldn't go to that. So instead Jenni and I went yesterday. =)

There are so many good things to write about this movie. I even think that my father, brothers, and brother-in-law might like this one a lot better. xD I've always liked the Twilight movie but it wasn't really done perfectly. This was done pretty spectacularly. That makes up for the last movie. ^^

I think Jenni and I were pretty much like Amber and I when we saw Twilight. We definitely were laughing and giggling at the same times. There was one part in the movie that I took my hand and pushed her shoulder a couple of times. I was so excited to see this little 'preview' within the movie of what was to come.

Without trying to give too much away, Edward decides to leave Bella in order to protect her. Through her depression she ends up spending a lot of time with Jacob. She's on this adrenaline rush so that she can 'see' Edward since she promised him that she wouldn't do anything reckless. Bella finds out that Jacob has become part of a pack and they aren't too friendly to vampires. While they're off hunting, Bella does something stupid and because of this she has to go save Edward from the Vulturi. She does so but they give the Cullens an ultimatum.

I had so much fun watching New Moon with Jenni. I love seeing movies with other fans. ^^ And I definitely can't wait until Eclipse comes out next June. ^^

On a Pale Horse

Last week I finally finished On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony. It's the first book in the Incarnation of Immortality series. However, I don't think I'm going beyond this one. I've read bits and pieces of what's in the following books, and I know that there's going to be pretty graphic things. I really don't want to read that.

Anyway, I found On a Pale Horse an interesting read. I started reading it in my junior year of high school. I found it interesting then too, but I got my hands on other books instead. The main action in the book doesn't happen until the very end and that's why I found it pretty easy to put it down.

Zane is the main character and as he is attempting to commit suicide, Death comes walking in and Zane shoots him. Zane learns that he has to take the place of Death and meets the other incarnations throughout his journey. He gets tangled into a plot dealing with Satan, but he has to destroy the woman he loves, Luna. So he tries to find a way to fight off Satan.

Zane doesn't learn about the plot until near the end of the book. Before this he has to go around and collect the souls of people who are 'at balance' between good and evil. I found the reasoning for the people at being at balance disturbing sometimes. Especially when Zane has to collect babies or children under 8. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I found the reasoning for the children being at balance sad; for the babies especially. I know that through the Atonement, Jesus Christ made the Fall null for everyone. Our sins are not our parents sins. They are our own and so we have to use the Atonement while repenting for ourselves.

I'm glad that I read this book now. I have my own testimony of the Atonement and this book didn't change my stand on that or how God and Satan work. By the end of the book, God and Satan were made to the same level as the other Incarnations. That was weird. I still find it interesting to read though.