Monday, September 12, 2011

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

This is Book Three in The Mortal Instruments series.
This book feels like the culmination of a trilogy. It contains a mortal war of Shadowhunters, Downworlders, and Demons. Various romantic problems are solved. All is right with the world...but there is Book Four waiting at home for me to start. I don't know how I feel about this. I like my YA to end happily and my series to max out at 3 books (with the exceptions of Harry Potter and Outlander, which could go on forever, in my opinion).
I really do like this series, so I'm afraid I'm just going to have to keep reading...no matter how many books she writes...but I don't think I'll read the prequel series because I just can't get attached to another series.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

This is Book Two of The Mortal Instruments series.
I wasn't going to keep reading this series (even though I really enjoyed the first book) because I was sad Clary and Jace are...well, you'll know if you read it. Julie Bynum talked me into continuing, and I'm glad she did. I'm already on Book Three!
This series is about Shadowhunters (Nephilim...children of gods and men) who hunt Downworlders (Werewolves, Vampires, and Demons). Clary is adjusting to life as a Shadowhunter while Simon adjusts to life as a Downworlder.
My favorite quote has nothing really to do with the storyline, but it just spoke to me. It says: "A man doesn't have to agree with his government to be a patriot, does he? It takes a true patriot to dissent, to say he loves his country more than he cares for his own place in the social order" (261).

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

I read Beastly by Alex Flinn last year for the VSBA Book Club. It was fine. I can say the same for Cloaked. I think Flinn is a bit teen-y for my tastes. I had a third book by her waiting in my car to listen to next, but I returned it to the SPL without ever listening to it.
When I read a book, I always find myself imagining that I am one of the characters and thinking about how I would act in the situations. I don't do that with Flinn. She doesn't suck me in.
There was one tale in the book, though, that got me thinking. It was about a man who wished for one thing, the wish was granted, but he kept wishing for more; he wished for too much. My mom has just been told that her cancer is back. I am going to keep wishing that it will be healed, but I am also going to remember to be thankful for the last three-and-a-half years we have had with her.