Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What I just loved about this book is Cassandra's phenomenal story of the Shadowhunters placed back in time to the the late 1870's. I was very leary of the idea when it was first published, but I had heard so many good things about it, so I caved and read it. I am so glad I did.

I am not nearly an expert on the English language, nor have I read much of the old English classics like Pride and Prejudice, but I completely enjoyed the old way of speaking. Everyone calling each other by "miss or Mr.", the clothes they wear, even the way one jokes with another. All this while fighting demons, vampires, and the likes. It was a nice change.
This is a prequel series to Cassandra Clare's series of "The Mortal Instruments". I am not a huge fan of prequels myself, but the Infernal Devices #1 begins with a few hints and explanations to the first series. So much detail has been thought out to bring these series together.
Tessa, an orphan, is sent from New York, to meet up with her brother in London after their Aunt, who raised them, dies. She isn't met by her brother at the docks in London, but two women who claim to know him well. Tessa soon learns the world isn't as she always believed it to be, monsters do exist and she is one of them. She is saved by Shadowhunters from the women who tortured her into learning her new abilities. Will, the tall dark and extremely handsome man is the one who saves her. His moodiness, boldness and out right hurtful comments baffle tessa. The Shadow hunters take Tessa in and offer to help find her brother. Tessa is able to help her new friends find those who are trying to kill off the Nephilim race, while searching for her brother with her new ability.
I am looking forward to the next book, Clockwork Prince, as Will, Tessa and Jem continue with the story. I can't wait to see how both series completely come together.
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Eve is an orphan. After a nasty plague takes over the country, many orphaned children were put into academies. Eve and her friends were brought up without men and were taught to fear them. After she figures out what is to happen to her after her graduation from the Academy, she runs away. Running for her life, she learns how different her world is than what she was brought up to believe. AFter meeting Caleb, a boy who is living in the wild, she learns not all men are savages. He promises...moreEve is an orphan. After a nasty plague takes over the country, many orphaned children were put into academies. Eve and her friends were brought up without men and were taught to fear them. After she figures out what is to happen to her after her graduation from the Academy, she runs away. Running for her life, she learns how different her world is than what she was brought up to believe. AFter meeting Caleb, a boy who is living in the wild, she learns not all men are savages. He promises to help her find shelter even with soldiers chasing her, putting his life in danger for her. Watching Eve's dreams and naivity crushed was depressing and heartbreaking. After meeting Caleb, Eve began to have more hope for the future. I thought it was too depressing for my taste, but the story had me captivated wondering where it would go next. I will read the second book because I am caught up in Eve and Calebs story.



Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush #3)

Nora wakes up not remembering the last 5 months, including Patch. I loved this approach to the story, keeping the reader in the dark as well as Nora. I could have done without the long drawn out explanations to get Nora up to speed about her life that she couldn't remember, but the reader (if they read the other 2 books) already knew it. I actually found myself skimming through a lot of those scenes. Other than that, I loved the characters. Nora, acting like a dumb 17 yr old, thinking she knows better and very insecure. Patch... well, Patch's sense of humor, style and just plain deliciousness remained unchanged. He could make me blush, that's for sure! Oh and can I steal a few nights in his hidden home? Satin sheets? My kind of place!!!

Another plug for Unearthly.

Unearthly
by Cynthia Hand
Hardcover, 435 pages
Published January 4th 2011
by HarperTeen
ISBN 0061996165
series: Unearthly #1

I know I already wrote a review of this amazing story, but I have read it again and I love it even more!  Angels have been my new thing lately, and this one tops my list!  I also wanted to share the trailer for this book.  If you haven't read it yet, or not sure about it, then maybe this will peak your interest.



Gift Card Giveaway!  is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Attack of the Book

This is so much fun.  I copied this from What's on the Bookshelf blog.  This is a great opportunity to win great gifts and check out other book review blogs!  Someday, when my blog is a little bigger, I just might sign up for my own giveaway.  In the meantime, go Hopping!!

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

I fell in love with this story. I am a huge Angel fan, and I am a rebel at heart. So without giving too much away, this was right up my alley.
Clara just found out that she is part angel and that she has a certain purpose to fulfill in her life.  When she starts having visions of what her purpose will be, her family moves from California to Jackson Hole, Wyoming so she will be able to complete it.  Christian is the boy from her visions, but Clara can't figure out what her purpose with him will be.  She can't afford to be distracted, but when Tucker becomes someone she can trust, she has to make a dicision that could tear her heart into pieces. 

Clara's personality reminds me of myself, especially at that young age; torn between doing what is "right" or expected of you and following your heart. I believe that 17 is a very difficult age;  deciding on education, career, and what "purpose" to accomplish in the future are all thoughts that these kids stress about. I enjoyed how the plot focused on Clara's purpose which I think I could apply in my own life.
This is a clean, fun, and suspensful book. The fact that it took place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (near where I live) added to my interest. Can't wait for book 2! Can I say that I am "team Tucker" right now? Who can resist a cute cowboy who loves his horse?

Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck (book 3)

WOW! Just when I didn't think things could get any better, this book comes along and just blows me away! This is definitely the best one in the series so far.

The relationship between Kelsey and the 2 princes was front and foremost in this book. I tended to "switch teams" a lot during this one, but my heart had been on Kishan until the last few chapters of the book. I still am not sure who I like best, but Ren's personality stood out the most. Before this book, I felt that Kishan was the pushy, arrogant, bad boy who would fight for Kelsey the hardest. And now I feel like Ren took over that part, being the dominant one.

During all of this, the 3 of them go in search of the 3 gift, Durga's pearl necklace in the 7th Pagoda. Traveling by boat/yacht, and with the help of the 5 dragons, they have to fight with almost their lives to retrieve it in the Indian Ocean. Still having to worry about Lokesh and his determination to get what he wants from the tigers.

This is a series that I will keep and read many times. I have fallen in love with the characters, and I can honestly say this is one of the best stories I have read. I wish there had been more books like this one when I was a young teen or young adult to read. If you enjoy good clean romance, with lots of action, and a place you can leave reality for a while, this is it!           

The Vampire Diaries

I know I am behind the times, and it is really showing now, but....

I just had to read this book. I had heard so much about it and thought "what the hay". I have NEVER seen the television series, so I figured I had nothing to compare it to. It was not what I expected.

Elena seemed to be quite the little brat at first, marching around, demanding things from her friends like she owned the world. I felt so sorry for Matt who seemed to get dumped on and kept giving Elena what she wanted... his trust.
Of course, Stefan was the mysterious bad boy who ends up really being the good guy... Well, good vampire anyway. I do feel like Elena ends up learning about giving instead of demanding from others.
In the end, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. 

Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The movie

This song was so perfect for the whole series! 

Wow, wow wow!  I can honestly say that the movie made the book!  Breaking Dawn, the book,  was very difficult for me to get through.  I loved it until I was half way through the book, then I thought it just got too weird.  I have read the series at least 4 times, but I have only finished Breaking Dawn 2 of those 4 times. I could have lived without the baby in all honesty.  I realize that it explained Jacob and Bella's love for each other, but to me this was a love story.  Now that I have experienced the movie, I was completely moved by the whole thing.  My heart was pounding every minute during the movie, either out of suspense (even though I knew what was coming), or out of emotion. 

Can I just say that I teared up many times?  Especially for my Jacob.  I have always been "team Jacob", but what a sad sad boy! Jacob was so broken, but yet still so devoted to Bella even after she made such wrong decisions, in his mind, every time breaking his heart.

The ending was full of blood, either from Bella drinking it through a straw, or of her own, spilled while trying to save the baby and Bella as well.  It actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, as bad as the book made it out to be, that part didn't bother me. Of course it was fun to look around me and see the faces of others, hands over mouths, squinting, trying not to look, almost like a horror film.  I loved it! 

Action!  There was so much action, fighting, wolves and vampires.  I found myself rocking back and forth in my seat, my hands gripping the bottom of cushion.  I must have looked pretty silly myself! 

As a silly 40-ish Twilight Mom, I have reached beyond the "mid-life-crisis" stage. Is there such a thing as "Post-mid-life-crisis-stress-disorder"? There should be! 

Breaking Dawn Part 1 Trailer

YES!  I will be there for the opening night!

Top 5 things I loved about this trailer:

1. The ring!
2. Jacob's cute, sad face! Did you see him with an "almost" beard?
3. Ummm, yeah... head board! A little too naughty!
4. The wolves are my favorite!
5. Edward yelling at Bella "You've given me no choice!" (Finally being manly)
6. The ending of it... the heartbeat... and no heartbeat. (Ok, so I said 5... I lied)

Things that bugged me:
#1. And always number one... Edward's hair (or how he isn't as beautiful as he is in my head) What is up with his hair being parted down the middle?  EEWWW.  I would have run back up the isle screaming! Get the gel and goo back in his hair!
2. Bella looking all grown up in Alice's choice of dress as they leave for the honeymoon.  Where did she get legs and hair like that?
3. Jacob still gets his heart broken... again and again.  Even in the movie!!!

Do you think this movie will be good?  I have to be honest, the Breaking Dawn book was not even close to my favorite.  I loved the first part, with the wedding and the honeymoon!! But when Bella began showing signs of being pregnant, I totally freaked!  I felt like Edward did... GET THE THING OUT OF HER! Even though my "motherly instincts" are always strong, this was just... wrong in so many ways!

  I am hoping the movie does a lot more for me than the book did.

I finally finished it!!  It took me a while to adapt to the whole "fairy or feary" world (still don't get that spelling)  which gave me nightmares!  OK, so I can deal with vampires, demons, monsters but I can't deal with feary world?  I think it has to do with my childhood memories, my childhood safety zone where cute little things like FAIRIES are beautiful, cute and will help people, not do evil little things to hurt humans. I was the child who ran in the other room when the wicked witch and the flying monkeys came around  in the Wizard of Oz! Creep-ed me out! I really, really had a problem with this! I am 40-something years old and my childhood fears still are fears! Who knew?

Well, after going back to the book, feeling determined to overcome this irrational fear I have, I FINALLY got into the plot and couldn't put it down.. and then the book ended!! UGH! I am a sucker for action and romance which this book finally revealed toward the end. There was a spark of romance here and there, then all of a sudden when the real action started, they were kissing?  Where did that come from?

Am I going to read the next book?  You bet!  I will give it another shot because I am now "into" the story and have to know what happens.  Hopefully I can get through it quicker than I did the first one.  I will let you know.

On to... "The Iron Daughter".

The Iron King. I have heard nothing but great things about this whole series, so I was looking forward to this book for a long time.  To tell you the truth, I am only on page 110 and I am just annoyed with the whole thing.  I am tired of Meghan being lost, almost being eaten and killed over and over.  Maybe I am just not up to the whole Fearie land thing. I just want to scream at all the part cute and part evil little creatures in the land. I was never a fan of Alice in Wonderland, it was too creepy and weird for my taste.  This book is heading in that direction for me.  
After saying all of this, I will continue to read the Iron King hoping that I will either adjust to this environment, or see if it changes.  I have only read 100 pages, so it really isn't too far into the plot. I usually give a good 150 to 200 pages before deciding whether or not to give up on a book.
So I will post another review in due time.  Hopefully it will be better than this.  

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month - letsCONQUER from St. Baldrick's on Vimeo.


After losing my son to Brain Cancer at the age of 17, I am a huge advocate for Childhood Cancer! Please spread the word!

Tiger's Quest

Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tiger's Quest surpassed all my expectations being the second book in the Tiger's Curse series. Usually, in my experience, the 2nd book can leave me thinking "that's it?" But Colleen came through, keeping me on my toes through this book as well.  Now I am in a dilema as to which stuffed Tiger I want to buy!  Black or White. HMMMM...


Kishan (Black Tiger) takes center stage in this book, and of course I was captivated by his wild spirit.  Going through more adventures, Kelsey gets to know Kishan better and realizes that her heart could be split. I appreciate each Tiger..er..man for each of their strong personalities, and who wouldn't love to have  2 exotic immortal men....er...Tigers fight for their affection?
I am on eggshells waiting for book three! Come on November!! (I hope that's when it is released!)

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Tiger's Curse

Amazing! I couldn't get enough of Ren, the white tiger, and Kelsey. I  have even thought about going out and buying a large stuffed white tiger for myself!

Kelsey, age 18, takes a temporary job working for a circus which is in town for a couple of weeks. One of her jobs is to help feed the white tiger, Ren. It soon leads to a bond between them.  When a man from India comes to rescue the tiger, he offers Kelsey the chance to help transport Ren back to India.

After arriving in India, Kelsey learns that her tiger is an ancient prince who is under a curse and she is the only one who can help break it. She and her tiger go through many adventures that Indiana Jones would appreciate. Romance blossoms, and Kelsey has to make some difficult decisions.

The story seemed to move slowly, but that is because there was so much history, customs and beliefs that needed to be included to support the plot.  I loved learning more about India.  I also appreciated the amount of time given to the tiger, his temperaments, his appearance and his movements.

A great novel that is clean, yet full of action and romance.  

Matched!

A whole new perspective at how life could be for us.  It was a book I just couldn't put down.  Again, another favorite of mine.  (I know I have a lot of those) but this one just caught my attention and made me realize how much I take for granted.  I love the fact that I can make my own decisions in life and that no one else controls me.  A definite MUST read.... BUT!! The next book isn't coming out until November 1st, so beware, you may have to wait a long time to find out what happens next!

Infinite Days

I first read this book in August of 2010 while on a visit to Arizona.  It wasn't really a fun visit, it was a very emotional time.  Because of all that was going on around me, I dove into this book.  The first part of the book stuck with me to the point that it was always in the back of my mind.   After all these months, I decided to find the book that kept haunting me to read it again.  Well, I have read so many books that I really couldn't remember which one it was.  I sat down and went through 2 or 3 books which sounded at all like I had remembered.  When I opened this book, I automatically began to read.  I couldn't put it down!  Even though I had read it before, I fell for the characters all over again and was shocked by the events that took place. This is the only book since Twilight, where I had a moment where I screamed "no, No, No, NOOOO!" in my mind as I read. The whole thought of being transformed FROM a vampire into human was intriguing to me.  A whole new concept after other books talked so much about turning into a vampire. 

I would recommend this book!!!  I think I might even read it again!!!