this is an original meme created by the broke and bookish. to use this image, link back to naga sanctuary

Top Ten Books that would be on my syllabus if I taught high school English

10. The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

I can't write even write a goddamn review of this book, THE FEELS I FELT WHILE READING THIS OMG *dead*.

9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

There's a lot to learn from this book, especially if you're young.

8. All of Paulo Coelho's Works

Cause of reasons.

7. The diaries of Anais Nin

There are no words to express my love for this woman and her writing, her personality, her way of thinking, analyzing, her everything.

6. Hannibal

Self explanatory. Big fan, big fan.

5. All of Charles Bukowski's Works

I do enjoy Bukowski a whole lot. His writting style is raw, intense, something that definitely should be read more in schools, instead of the usual literature.

4. All of Pablo Neruda's Works

I don't know actually whether he's taught in some schools or not, I just know that in my school, the answer was not. He wrote the best poems I've ever read and that's saying a lot.

3. Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling

Should I even say why? No.

2. All of Haruki Murakami's Works

1. Every book, every biography of Tesla and Van Gogh

Because they are my inspiration for everything and they can be an inspiration to literally anyone. The combination of these two may seem weird, like why would I even put them in the same sentence, one is a painter, one is an engineer (among others). Well, I've got a soft spot for geniuses who weren't acknowledged in their time. I could literally write a book about how Tesla and Van Gogh pretty much drove me to be more ambitionate in life and how they made me see that the work that you make is important, despite what everyone might say to bring you down. Fuck 'em. Do your thing.

unless your thing is something illegal, in which case, don't do your thing

Name: Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts
Author: Janet Delee
Series: -
Genre: Paranormal
Kindle, 238 pages

This book has been provided by the author for an honest review.


Haunting, humorous, and hopeful, Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts sparks the imagination and breathes unexpected life into everyday reality. 

_________________________________________________________________________


I started reading this book with many, many expectations. Why? Because ghosts. That's a good enough reason. Ghosts make everything 100% times better.

Did it deliver? Welllll...

i wanna say yes.... but, no.

This book is all about people's dreams and their way to accomplish them. Now that's a beautiful thing, both to read and to make it happen. Seeing someone achieve their life-long goal fills you with happiness as well. However, the goals these characters had? One wanted to buy a cottage (i get this dream, i want my own house as well and it can be difficult, yes), one was into crafting, one wanted to be a musician but was too shy to sing on a stage in front of people, one wanted ghosts to stop harassing his workplace and one wanted to publish a cookbook. I get that these are dreams we all have, some mediocre, some higher to achieve, but this is a book. Why would I wanna read about someone dreaming of publishing a cookbook??

This is the place where you can go insane with your writing. The book is your world, so why make it so... meh? Make them dream of yachts with unicorns on them, make them dream to go on a safari and write all about the animals that they got to see there and what a life-changing experience that was, make them go to a shaman and learn a different perspective on life, make them have dreams one would actually like to read about.

I get that they were supposed to be more realistic goals, I really do. This doesn't change the fact that when I read from the perspective of some characters, I became bored and this could've easily been avoided because the writing is quite good, the plot just needed a little bit more of a wow factor. This is a ghosts book after all.

I didn't feel that connected with the characters either and I feel like you have to be, in order to enjoy this story, because everything revolves around their little group.

This was a light book which I don't regret reading, honestly. Despite all of the things I disliked, I think I needed something a little bit lighter than my usual reads so it came at the perfect time.

Rating

Characters: 2/5 

Romance: 1/5

Pacing/Length: 3/5

Cover: 3/5

Plot: 3/5

Goodreads | Buy

Lately, I've been reading more e-books than physical ones and let me tell you, that sucks. Not that I'm complaining that I've got books to read, god no. It's just that I have a tiny tinyyy little problem with e-books, which is: I start way too many.

With physical books, my maximum number of what I'm usually reading is 6. I can't read more than 6 books at once or else the plots will get all mixed up and that will just be a book remix which actually, on second thought, sounds pretty good.

With e-books, if I have 50 of them on my device, I'm gonna start all of them. WHY?? I'll tell you why. Because I usually read what I'm in the mood for and thankfully, I've got everything covered: from mystery, to romance, to YA, to books about cute puppies.


I have no idea how this gets done after all, with me still remembering what's going on in these books, whose father that one is and what creature is that and which sister is still alive. It's a lot to take in, but somehow, when I'm finishing like 4, 5 books all at once, I feel satisfied. And all those stories I've assimilated all at once overwhelm me more than they would if I read them separately, so to speak. All those feels just come flooding in!!

literally

Right now, I'm jumping between review books (2 of which I'm almost done with, yesss!!!), some YA ones from series I've started long ago and I thought it was time to get back to them, some Bukowski and some photography ones and of course, last but not least, MY COFFEE has to be present.

i missed you, Iron Fey series <3

I often find myself wishing I had more time to read though. Years, years ago, I thought of reading as more like a chore rather than a hobby, thanks to how the school system is nowadays. I didn't feel any pleasure or accomplishment when I finished one, I just thanked god it was over AND NOW I DO THIS FOR FUN? Hm. Who would've thought.

I'm certainly glad that I got to see what an enriching activity this is and also, that I'm not just liking one genre, that I'm loving them all, which means I am not missing out on any good books.

Name: 1Q84
Author: Haruki Murakami
Series: 1Q84 #2
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Japanese Literature
Paperback, 501 pages


The events of 1Q84 take place in Tokyo during a fictionalized 1984, with the first volume set between April and June, the second between July and September, and the third between October and December.

_________________________________________________________________________


I've no words for how good it was. I'M STILL RECOVERING FROM IT, ALRIGHT?!
I've never read a book where literally every single detail matters, every word written is imperative to understanding and making sense of the story. You miss a paragraph, even a sentence, and you're in the dark. EVEN A FRICKIN' BIRD THAT YOU ONLY READ ABOUT IN 2 SENTENCES IN THE WHOLE VOLUME 2 IS A DETAIL YOU DON'T WANNA MISS.


This is a book like every other Murakami book, where reality merges with fiction. And it's why it's so frickin' awesome.I can't say anything because it would completely give away the story. And once you read it as well, you'll be just as perplexed with the ending as I am.
 
After reading numerous YA books that all seem to be made from the same blueprint, I figured I should focus on another genre for a change and it paid off. Not to mention the horrifying YA kept managing to get me in reading slumps and Murakami brought me back to reading (again!). It's refreshing to know that each time I'll think I've had enough of reading for a while, I can always count on Murakami's work to slap me in the face and wake me up from my reading hibernation.

Favorite Quotes

Rating

Characters: 4/5 

Romance: 5/5

Pacing/Length: 5/5

Cover: 3/5

Plot: 5/5

Goodreads | Buy

Name: King
Author: Joshua Hale Fialkov, Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo
Series: King #1
Genre: Graphic Novel
Kindle, 30 pages

Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


King just wants what anybody wants: not to get fired, eaten, or forced to mate with a cheetah lady. For Earth’s sole human survivor after the apocalypse, life among Los Angeles’s strange new populace ain’t easy. Working for the LA Department of Reclamation, King gets a lot of crappy jobs going on quests and searching for artifacts from the “old world,” which can range from the mythical (Excalibur!) to the absurd (an iPod shuffle—which, let’s be honest, was a terrible, terrible invention). The commute can be a real pain in the asphalt, too; the 405 freeway is filled with mutants, monsters, mayhem, and tentacled Elder Gods. And that’s all before you hit the horrors of the San Fernando Valley. As the world’s freakish inhabitants battle for supremacy, King searches for the “seed of life,” which may give Earth the second chance it probably doesn’t even deserve.

_________________________________________________________________________


THIS IS FREAKING AMAZING OH MY GOODNESS. I need the next one ASAP.

From the way the novel  starts, you'd think it's gonna be all serious, down-to-business stuff. Here's how it goes:

"There's an old parable from before the Fall. A tale of a cat who is given everything is ever desired. He gets a comfortable home of which he is King. He gets the finest foods made for man. Nothing is desired of him and he desires nothing, for it is all before him. And yet, just like us, without anything, without any home, or kin, or food, or hope... when he awoke, three words left his blessed gob."


And right then I knew, I was gonna love this.

The world construction in this is unbelievable. You literally feel a part of that world. And let me tell you all the perks you get here: the main character is presumably the last man on Earth, there's aliens, gods, primordial beings and "something called a Mans-Hubris", whatever that is. This is a mad world, as mad as the one in Mad Max. Did I tell you that you get a Karate Robot Bear too? And I'm not paraphrasing here, this is exactly how the bear was described there. If that is not worth checking out, I don't know what is.

The art work is just brilliant.


The only thing that bugs me is that I don't have a physical copy of this. Seriously, I think that its beauty is wasted on a Kindle.

Favorite Quotes

Rating

Characters: 5/5 

Romance: -

Pacing/Length: 5/5

Cover: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Goodreads | Buy

Name: 12
Author: Sean Platt, David Wright
Genre: Thriller
Kindle, 436 pages
Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


What Would You Do With the Last 12 Hours of Your Life? 

At 6 p.m. on a Wednesday in October, a gunman will enter Goldman’s Diner and commit one of the worst massacres the small coastal town of Palm Isles, Florida has ever seen. 
Twelve hours earlier: twelve lives are on borrowed time, unaware that death is coming, or that their paths will collide in one tragic moment. 
A young waitress and mother fights to protect her daughter from her violent estranged husband. Little does she know that a greater threat looms under her nose. 
A cop is forced to decide between his job and his marriage. 
A bullied teen with an abusive father is down to one friend when his world suddenly crumbles around him. 
An old man struggles to hold onto his memories and do one last thing to honor his wife. But in doing so, he will have to reveal his darkest secret. 
A cook with a shady past attempts to stay on the straight and narrow, until he gets a call which forces him to choose — his family or his honor? 
A woman attempts to meet her father’s expectations, clinging to a struggling diner even as her relationship with her son falls apart. 
TWELVE HOURS TWELVE LIVES WHO LIVES? WHO DIES? 


_________________________________________________________________________


HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE FROM BEGINNING TILL THE END.



This plot is so intriguing and exceptional that you will not let this book down until you've finished it. And then you'll want more.

Twelve characters, twelves points of view. Let me tell you, that's a lot of points of view to keep track of, but every story is top-notch. It'll be a challenge to remember everyone in the beginning, but you get the hang of it.

My own personal favorite characters from this book were Sebastian, Maggie and Tim. Guess I'm lucky some of them survived in the end...

forever bitter over one death

This book made me miss True Blood too, a lot. Guess every time I'll read something that takes place in a diner, I'll cry cause the series is over *gross sobbing*.

In the end, the author said "12 is about how we're all going to die and what we do with the hours we have left." I couldn't have said it any better. Every moment is precious and we only realize this when it's too late.

Rating

Characters: 4/5 

Romance: -

Pacing/Length: 4/5

Cover: 4/5

Plot: 5/5

Goodreads | Buy

Name: The Book of Fate
Author: Parinoush Saniee
Genre: Historical Fiction
Paperback, 447 pages


A bestselling novel in Iran, despite being banned twice by the government, The Book of Fate follows a teenage girl in pre-revolutionary Iran through five turbulent decades, from before the 1979 revolution, through the Islamic Republic, and up to the present in this powerful story of friendship, passion, and hope.

A teenager in pre-revolutionary Tehran, Massoumeh is an average girl, passionate about learning. On her way to school she meets a local man and falls in love, but when her family discover his letters they accuse her of bringing them dishonour. She is badly beaten by her brother, and her parents hastily arrange for her to marry to a man she’s never met. Facing a life without love, and the prospect of no education, Massoumeh is distraught, but a female neighbour urges her to comply: "We each have a destiny, and you can’t fight yours.”

_________________________________________________________________________


THAT. ENDING.

WHAT. THE. HELL.


I've waited an entire book for something to happen, then I was given hope that it might happen and then the author was like nope. Not gonna happen. THIS IS MAKING ME SO FRUSTRATED, mainly because this kind of stuff actually occurs in real life. You end up sacrificing your own happiness and well-being for the happiness of your family. You can literally give up on something that's probably the best thing that you could have experienced in your life, just to please others.

HOW SAD IS THAT??

Let me tell you about Massoumeh. All of her life is pretty shitty. It begins that way, it ends just the same. The only difference is, in the beginning she couldn't do much to change her fate, however in the end, she chose her path. And it was a pretty bad choice.

Her family treats her awful (this being an understatement), then she gets a husband who seems ok at first, but then pretty much neglects her, even endangers her. Her kids are one of the good things that happen to her, but in the end they become selfish pricks. Massoumeh's one cherished memory though is of her love. That one thought of the boy she cares for, gets her through the ordeal that is her life.

This is a book that will make you appreciate more the liberties that you have and make you realize how good you're actually living right now.

Favorite Quotes

Rating

Characters: 4/5 

Romance: 5/5

Pacing/Length: 4/5

Cover: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Goodreads | Buy

this is an original meme created by the broke and bookish. to use this image, link back to naga sanctuary

Top Ten Authors I've read the most

10. Tess Gerritsen

All hail the Rizzoli & Isles series!!

9. Laurell K. Hamilton

Big fan of Anita Blake, ever since her first book.

8. Karen Marie Moning

Only in her books am I able to both love and hate a character at the same time. How could I not include her when she gave me Barrons??

7. Charlaine Harris

The Sookie Stackhouse series sure was a big one. I really miss it reading it though :(

6. George R. R. Martin

His brilliant fantasy writing won me over.

5. Paulo Coelho

The love I have for his books is neverending. And Brida was even my first book that I've read!

4. Suzanne Collins

Well, we all know why she's on the list.

3. E. E. Cummings

Have read so many works from him... some I adore. Some I'm not sure what to think of them.

2. Edgar Allan Poe

Will not stop until I've read everything published by him. He is the master of his genre. I'm having a hard time picking a favorite from him, but I think I'm gonna go with... The Tell-Tale Heart. All of his stories stick with you though, long after you've finished reading them.

1. Haruki Murakami

And the first place goes to the one that always gets me out of a reading slump. The one that merges reality with fiction so well. The one that thinks of the most original stories I've ever read about.

What's your top ten? :)

Name: Solid Ground
Author: Katherine McIntyre
Genre: Romance, Sci-fi, New Adult
Kindle edition, 26 pages
This book was provided, in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads | Buy

"Mags Javiks has one day left until she boards a spaceship to start her ambassador training, one day in which to admit her love for her best friend Lex. To do so, she will have to trade the solid ground of a comfortable past relationship for the unknown frontier of a possible future together."

Oh thank god this wasn't any longer than 26 pages, I don't think I could've read more of their "love".
I feel lied to. I feel like they gave me something in the cover and then something completely different in the book.

'twas a sad realization

You look at the cover and think oh boy oh boy, I better read this when no one's around me. Well, you couldn't be more mistaken. Prepare yourself, I'm gonna give you a spoiler of the characters' relationship: they kiss.

That's it.

That's it, you ask?

That's it.

And then the book ends.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike the book just cause I didn't get something more than some kiss. The whole book revolves around their relationship. Their relationship is poorly written. Logically, this means the whole book is not that great to read. I was promised spaceships and all I got were a few descriptions of some sci-fi thingies and that's it. How can you do a science fiction book and not introduce HEAVY SCI-FI elements? Put some spaceships, some aliens even, weird experiments, SPACE. Even if this is New Adult and I get that the main focus should be on them, at least make their relationship so good that I won't notice that I have no idea about the world they live in.

I couldn't care less about any of the characters. In fact, they were getting me more annoyed rather than me enjoying reading about them.

i am hannibal.

Favorite Quotes

Rating

Characters: 0/5 

Romance: 0/5

Pacing/Length: 2/5

Thank you for not being any longer.

Cover: 4/5

Ahh, such a wasted good cover :(

Plot: 1/5

Name: The Shadow of the Wind
Authors: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Series: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Paperback edition
Goodreads | Buy

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.
_________________________________________________________________________

While I fully acknowledge the beauty and brilliance of this book, I think I must have read it at the wrong time in my life. It took me so many months to finish it and I believe this must be one of the reasons why I haven't enjoyed it thoroughly. Whenever I resumed reading it, I kept forgetting what happened last, since so much time has passed. This is also the kind of book that requires focus and good memory.

I lack both.


After the first 100 pages or so, I started slowly losing interest in the plot and the only character I enjoyed reading about wasn't even that much in the book. Lucky me.

I do believe this is the kind of book that is a gem to many readers and I can see why. It just wasn't for me.

Favorite Quotes

Rating

Characters: 3/5 

I didn't feel any real connection to them.

Romance: 3/5

It seemed a bit forced.

Pacing/Length: 2/5

Cover: 5/5

I adore it and it fits the book perfectly.

Plot: 5/5

Even though I feel like this book hasn't reached it's full potential, I like the premise a lot.


What did you think of it? :)

Name: Muirwood The Lost Abbey
Authors: Jeff Wheeler, Matt Sturges, Dave Justus, Alex Sheikman
Series: Legends of Muirwood (#1)
Genre: Comics & Graphic, Sci Fi, Fantasy
Kindle edition
Provided by Netgalley
Goodreads

Told in graphic novel form, Muirwood: The Lost Abbey introduces an all-new chapter in Jeff Wheeler’s Muirwood universe.
Maia, the daughter of the king of Comoros, has been banished, her rank and station taken away. Although magic is forbidden of women in her world, Maia secretly learned...and now her desperate father has sent her on a dangerous quest to save their kingdom. Protected by a hired killer, Maia voyages to another realm—the cursed shores of Dahomey, where an ancient Blight has destroyed all the inhabitants. Maia believes she can restore the deadly lands by using her magic medallion, but if she’s discovered wielding her clandestine power, she will most certainly be hunted down and killed.
From renowned fantasy writers Jeff Wheeler, Matt Sturges (Jack of Fables, House of Mystery), and Dave Justus (Fables: The Wolf Among Us), featuring stunning art by Alex Sheikman (Dark Crystal: Creation Myths) and Lizzy John (Dark Crystal: Creation Myths). Covers by Inaki Miranda (Fairest).
Muirwood: The Lost Abbey will be available in print at your local comic store and digitally via comiXology and the Amazon Kindle Store.

_________________________________________________________________________

I haven't read many graphic novels and I don't know why, since I am loving this genre. Gotta get on reading more of them!

Muirwood had good artwork, it matched the story completely. PS: it isn't as good as you see in the cover though, but it's still pleasing to the eyes.

It took me a while to understand what's going on (actually, I'm not even sure I still fully understand), there are a lot of fantasy elements that are part of this story, a lot of names that I could never remember, basically you gotta focus and read again and focus even better. Or maybe I just have crappy memory. That could be too.



I haven't gotten that attached to the characters... all I know is that Maia is an alright chick, her father is pretty much an ass, there's a kid who's absolutely adorable and some creepy blind dudes that can somehow see?? Hmm.

Rating

Characters: 3/5 

I think I have to read more from the Muirwood series to get more attached to them.

Romance: -

No romance so far :O

Pacing/Length: 4/5

I really like the pacing of this book.

Cover: 5/5

STUNNING!!

Plot: 3/5

Title: The Edge of Never

Author: J.A. Redmerski

Series: The Edge of Never #1

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.


There is so much shit going on in this book that I don't even know where to begin.

It reminded me a lot of "Beautiful Disaster" - which is not a good thing -. There's this Damon dude who freaks out when he sees Cam with another guy and basically goes berserk and beats the crap out of him for bringing her in a place where he could've had his way with her and then Damon forces himself on her because of reasons, but he's definitely better than the other guy.

Definitely.

...




Then, of course, every other girl besides Cam is considered an insecure, slut, whatever chick because Cam is da bomb, again, because of reasons. Yet unknown to me.

Cause it sure feels good reading about how if you're the hero of the story, everyone else pales in comparison, especially the ones of your own sex.

Then there's Andrew, a guy she meets on her road trip and starts trusting him when he comes to her rescue and beats up a dude. The author wants us to think that Damon and Andrew are two very different characters, but don't be fooled by their hotness. In the end, I couldn't distinguish one from the other, but why would a book even need multiple characters with different traits?! Those are for suckers.

I am sick and tired of books that contain things like "If you were to let me fuck you, you would have to let me own you." and for that shit to be passed for hot 'n sexy. This type of male characters have spread like the plague lately and it's harder and harder finding one that's different in the recent pool of clones.

Let's not forget the whole not-being-daddy's-little-girl-anymore, "I'm Andrew's girl now", which I've previously seen in *you guessed* Beautiful Disaster, where the chick whom I can't seem to recall her name tattooed herself with "Mrs. Maddox". Because why would you even want to be known as your own personal self when you can be known as someone's property. Cause that's what boyfriends do.

In case you couldn't feel my sarcasm, it's there.

Even though I rated this with 1 star, it's actually a 0.
            

Favorite quotes

            This is the book, when it comes to stories I thoroughly enjoyed, but it means so, so much more to me.
            I didn't like to read. At all. Mostly, because I thought all the books were exactly like those we had to read at school. And I hated those and I still do, they're just a big no from me.
            However, one day at literature class our teacher said we're gonna have an hour of reading from time to time, instead of the usual talking about school books and each of us had to bring a book. One of our choosing - yes!!-
            I can't really remember what I brought first, but one of my colleagues had Brida by Paulo Coelho. After the literature class, I asked him if I could borrow it (to this day, I have NO idea why I did that, at that time I wasn't interested in books at all. 'twas DESTINY! or the Universe conspiring, for the first time, not against me). I read the synopsis on the back, started reading it in breaks and even in the classes that followed... He let me take it with me home and I finished it that very day. Yes yes, it's a 224 page book, it's small, but it was the first time I was finishing a book in such a short time. Maybe even the first time I actually finished a book.
            This was happening a few years ago. And I can't help but thinking... if my classmate wouldn't have brought this book, would I be reading today? Would I have my room filled with books? My favorite adventures aren't even mine, but somehow they were lived by me through them, so right now I can't imagine a world without me having 5, 6, 20 books to choose from and continue the adventure.

            The moral of this story...

            Don't think every book is like the ones you hate reading for school.




            It'll be hard at first, trying to figure out what you like to read most... contemporary, mystery, romance... Maybe you'll keep on searching. And maybe, in your continuous search, you'll realize it doesn't really matter, cause you got to read all of that.
            It's a nice feeling to know I'll remember the ideas and characters and worlds of people who wanted precisely that. It's a nice feeling to be able to tell my friends, maybe even my future kids about the wonderful stories of Neil Gaiman and how they instantly project you in another world. Or remember the hype of dystopia ever since The Hunger Games.
            Or reminisce of how a story completely changed my way of thinking.

            (still a bit bitter over the end, Paulo. whyyyy isn't she with Magus, Maria herself wonders in "Eleven Minutes" why everyone keeps running away from the ones they love)

Title: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments

        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.

   


             City of Bones was a beautiful read. At first. Then, it sunk to the level of almost every YA book out there: annoying female protagonist, poorly written love triangle, etc. etc. and I found myself struggling to finish it.


             Let's find out a few things about Clary, according to the other characters:

             Simon, her best friend: "You're so stupid, Clary. You're so stupid, can't you see anything?" page 294
             Jace, her love interest: "Why don't you ever think?" page 394

             And that basically sums up her character.

             I wouldn't actually be this annoyed with her, because usually she's ok. However, when she's being like this, with Alec: "She could see how she was hurting him, and it made her glad." well biatch, to me, you're dead. HOW DARE YOU BE LIKE THIS WITH ALEC?

             HOW

             DARE

             YOU?

Cage has had enough with your shit.

              Also, she's senile (and it seems to be contagious):

             Page 351:
             "I'm sorry?"
             "Don't be," he said. "It was an excellent throw."

             Page 385:
             "I'm sorry I threw a knife at you."
             "Don't be. It was a well-placed blow."

             Either I was paying so much attention to the story, that I missed the part where she throws weapons at him again, or she has the memory of a 135 year old woman. Ooorrr maybe it's because the first time, she was asking him if she was sorry because she's a dumb, sad excuse for a human being that needed reassuring, and then she actually said it because she thought oh well, maybe I should apologize.

             Ugh, she's so complex, I can't figure her out. Thank god for Jace, ready to remind her every time how mundane she really is.

              The book offers so many plot twists, that the story reminded me of those Spanish novellas my mom watches (and for this reason, I kept thinking someone was gonna be left at the altar or someone was going to have amnesia).

             Let's do a recap: Valentine's dead, but not really dead, and Clary's father is dead, but he's not actually her father, her real one is alive, and then her brother's also alive, and then there's betrayal, oh god when does it end.

             My *swoon* part from this book - and probably the only reason I'll continue reading this series - is Magnus/Alec.


             They had like... one conversation and then one small scene in the end, where they didn't even talk, but OOOH MY GOD THEY ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER AND YOU SHOULD HAVE BABIES. Warlock babies... maybe it's possible with Magnus.

             So I'll go see the movie, for these two and probably also to laugh at the Shadowhunter marker tattoos.

             Highly recommend this if you don't agree with anything I just said and you're actually into this kind of books.
            

Favorite quotes

Great idea for a story, if only there was a protagonist I actually liked.

             How I Got Here is a young adult novel. It takes us through River's story, a young girl who has been in hospital for a long time. She's incredibly withdrawn and lonely. Nobody around her tries to understand her symptoms, choosing instead to brush it aside. Until Oliver, a young doctor who works hard to figure out what's happening with her.

             How I Got Here is a story about how much words can affect people and how rushed, hasty decisions can be followed by gruesome consequences. We're all reminded in this book of how much damage bullying can do to us and how much damage we can do to ourselves, without even realizing it.

             River is just a normal girl, who likes to read a good book, who likes listening to music and who'd rather stay home rather than go to a party and this is what sets everything into motion. Of course, there's that one girl at River's school who just demands attention and does anything to get it, even if it means breaking others. Her name's Kim Jenkins or as I like to call her, Jerkins - we'll go with this name from now on - and she's a shallow, conceited, superficial biatch that should get eaten by the tiger from Life of Pi.


            Because of Jerkins turning every person against River, including River's so called "friends", she starts getting spiteful e-mails every day, she becomes the mockery of the entire school, she almost drowns, she's invited by a guy to the ball only to find out that yet again she's being laughed at.

            The story is told while River is in the hospital and she's writing letters to Oliver, who works there, and that he's genuinely willing to help her. No, not because of medical reasons, but because he likes her. Of course, they both develop feelings for each other and to be honest, there were times when I thought their story was beautiful and times when it was just cheesy.
                     
            The book is written quite well, but there are a bit too many commas when the sentences should just end.

            "You've been saying no for the past week, you said that it was too risky, that you could get into trouble, you said you were worried about me going out."

             "I never did anything to upset her, other than not attending her party, but that was all it took for her to take a dislike to me, and that was fine, I never craved to have everyone like me, if she didn't want to be friends with me, I wasn't going to lose any sleep over it."

            Overall, it was an interesting book with a story that many can relate to and with a romance that shows us that even in our most difficult times, there can also be good things happening to us.

Favorite quotes

While the subject is an interesting one, it could've been told better.