Top Ten Tuesday 21

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic asks us to list the top ten characters we wish could switch places with for 24 hours.  I know everyone has read books and seen lucky characters - I sure have!  Whether it's time period, superpowers, or even just really great experiences, I've found plenty of characters worthy of envy.


The Top Ten Characters I'd Like to Switch Places with for 24 Hours


1.  Hermione Granger, the Harry Potter series:  While I think most folks would want to switch places with Harry, his life is just WAY too high-pressure for my taste!  But, it would be awesome to have magical powers like Miss Granger, as well as her fierce loyalty and extreme intelligence.  She is a character to envy!


2.  Scarlett O'Hara, Gone with the Wind:  But let me qualify this one... I would want to be the fabulous and frivolous Scarlett, not necessarily the starving one.  Mostly, I just want to live the consequence free life she starts out with (minus the slavery thing).


3.  Katsa, Graceling:  Katsa is one kick-butt female.  While it would be hard to have her killing grace, she more than makes up for it with positive attributes - and a swoon-worthy love interest!


4.  Anna Oliphant, Anna and the French Kiss:  First of all, there's her totally awesome last name.  But more, she gets to experience Paris in a way I have always wanted to, but could never afford.  And then, there's St. Clair, who is possibly the cutest YA man that I have seen in a long time.


5.  Belly Conklin, The Summer I Turned Pretty:  While Belly's love life drama causes her a lot of headaches, man would I love to have problems that simple.  I've been lucky to travel to a lot of fun places, but growing up with a beach house I got to visit every summer would have been a fantastic tradition too.


6.  Mia Hall, Where She Went:   Notice I did NOT pick the Mia of the first novel, If I Stay, as I would never want the extreme family tragedy that befalls Mia to happen to me!  However, in the second book, Mia shows incredible strength, and I would love to know what that feels like.  Also, Adam's devotion to her would be amazing to experience.


7.  Tris Prior, Divergent:  I would LOVE to be as tough, brave, and fierce as Tris.  Most of the situations she ends up in, I feel like I would completely crack, but not her - switching places with her would be an instant boost to my level of "hard core."  However, after about 24 hours, I think I'd find her existence far too exhausting, even with Tris' kick-buttness.


8.  Ever Bloom, The Immortals:  Ever seems to have a pretty awesome psychic ability, a hot boyfriend, and plenty of exciting life events.  It would be amazing to hear people's thoughts - but probably only for a day.  I don't think I could handle that much honesty for a lifetime!


9.  Michele Windsor, Timeless:  I would LOVE to live in the heart of New York City in a historic mansion - who wouldn't!?!  Plus, the ability to travel through time and visit the fabulous era of The Great Gatsby (minus all the heartache being those characters would entail) would be incredible.


10.  Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson and the Olympians:  Annabeth is smart, talented, and a great friend; she basically gets to live at a summer camp year-round.  Plus, I would love to see who my Greek god or goddess as a parent would be (not that my own parents aren't amazing, of course).  But, having to fight monsters almost constantly would get pretty irritating after a day.  24 hours would definitely be enough!

Thoughts on re-reading City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Spoiler Alert!  If you have not read the first book in the series, and would like to in an unspoiled manner, read no further!

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


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.


I find that most series experience a "sophomore slump" - that is, a crummy second book.  Even the Harry Potter series does.  While I'm sure many would disagree, I usually skip The Chamber of Secrets when reading because it's just so darn blah.  However, I think City of Ashes eschews this trend, and is a book that was an enjoyable read the second time through.


Part of this novel's strength is the promotion of several minor characters into much more important figures.  For example, I love that Clary's best friend Simon figures more prominently - even becoming a vampire!  This way, he can continue to be involved in the Downworld action without it seeming forced.  I also loved watching the relationship between Alec Lightwood, Jace's adopted brother, and Magnus Bane the warlock develop.  It is always nice to see same-sex relationships treated in a normal and positive light in YA literature, rather than over sensationalizing it or making it seem taboo.


The plot of this novel largely sets up the first of two climaxes in the series, coming in the third book.  So, some parts might move a little slower than others.  However, one of my favorite scenes in this series occurs in the novel when the characters go to visit the Seelie Court, which is where the queen of Faerie resides.  As faeries are known to be tricksters and mischievous to the point of cruel, the scene is very compelling.


Content concerns remain the same, so this book is still not recommended for younger readers.  The whole "Jace and Clary are related but still want one another" incest thread is a bit worrisome to anyone who can't predict where the story is headed.  However, for more precocious readers, I recommend!

Thoughts on re-reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


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.


Since I recently finished re-reading this novel, I'm not going to write a review of it - it seems difficult to review the first book in a series when I know where it is headed later on.  However, that doesn't mean that I don't have opinions of the book; those who know me say I have opinions on pretty much everything.  I absolutely loved this series the first time I read the first three installments; they're long books, but I devoured all three of them in about a week.  And while some of the tension created in the first novel dissipated upon re-reading, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book.


Jace and Clary, the two main characters in the series, are the sort of characters I immediately adore.  I love Clary's awkwardness, especially since she is always willing to put her reservations aside to rescue a friend in need (there's a lot of rescuing that goes on in these novels, after all).  Jace is a delightfully complicated young man, the sort who covers his vulnerability with a mask of supreme arrogance.  However, probably my favorite aspect of Clare's series is the fact that even minor characters get rich development.  As characters are introduced, it becomes pretty important to remember who they are, as they will likely star later in the series.  Case in point, my favorite character of the series:  Magnus Bane, the flamboyant and compassionate warlock.  We are only briefly introduced to him in the first book, but by the end of the series, I find myself staunchly in his corner in any conflict.


What drew my attention the first pass through this series was Clare's incredible world-building (the books even made a Top Ten Tuesday list!).  She seamlessly integrates the Shadow world - the world where the battle between demons and angels is still raging, and many supernatural creatures help - with modern day New York City.  Seeing her characters battle various forms of evil, as well as their own personal problems, kept me reading.


When I first read the series, I was teaching middle school, so I didn't really pass the books along.  There are some pretty mature themes in the novels, as well as plenty of language.  However, I have had great success hooking my high school students on them, particularly my girls who enjoy more action-oriented novels.  I will certainly continue to recommend these books to my more mature students, as they are highly engaging.


Stay tuned for my thoughts on the other books in Clare's series, including reviews of City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls!

W... W... W... Wednesdays 14

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  To take part in this feature, you answer three questions in a blog post:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

I recently returned from a trip to Las Vegas, which left me with plenty of airport and pool time to read.  I was fortunate enough to enjoy some fantastic books!

What am I currently reading?

Right now, I am re-reading James Dashner's The Maze Runner.  I originally read this novel when it was first published, but by the time the other two in the trilogy came out, I was busy with other things and never got to them.  In order to fully appreciate the trilogy, I figured I would start from the beginning!

What did I recently finish reading?

I finished both City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare.  I'm glad I read them!  Now, I am counting the days until the final book in the series is published in 2013.

What do I think I'll read next?

I can't wait to start the next two books of the Maze Runner trilogy, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure.  Side note:  how gorgeous are the covers in this series?  They might be some of my favorites!

Top Ten Tuesday 20

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week, our topic is our favorite settings and worlds in books.  I will be honest - convincing world building is an absolute MUST for me to enjoy a book.  Conversely, if I find a world unconvincing or with too many holes, I tend to dislike the storyline.  Though I've read a lot of great books with fantastic settings, here are some of my favorites:

Top Ten Favorite Worlds/Settings:


1.  Middle Earth:  I am sure I am in good company with other Lord of the Rings fans when I say this is far and above my favorite fictional setting.  I can't lie - there have been times when I sort of wished it was real...

2.  Harry Potter's England:  One of my favorite aspects of Rowling's Harry Potter series is her incredible attention to detail in creating an alternate side of England.  I mean, she even made up plants! This attention to detail makes the novels much more engrossing - and fun to imagine as I read!

3.  Camp Half-Blood:  Really, I adore all aspects of the settings in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series.  His modern imaginings of ancient Greek and Roman myths makes for a fantastic world in which to spend time.

4.  Panem:  I am sure I am going to be one of many with Panem on the list.  Collins did a fantastic job vividly re-imagining the United States in her Hunger Games trilogy.  I particularly enjoyed her integration of imagined technology with familiar locations; as a matter of fact, I am writing to you all from District 12!

5.  The Colony:  Roderick Gordon's imaginary world underneath the streets of London in his Tunnels trilogy is a very vividly created world.  Any book with a modern world re-imagined holds appeal to me, and this book definitely made me wonder what lies below my own feet!

6.  Faerie:  If you haven't read Neil Gaiman's Stardust, and you are the type of reader who enjoys fantasy novels, I highly recommend it.  The world he creates is beautifully described.

7.  New York City a la Cassandra Clare:  Re-reading the first three books in her Mortal Instruments series, as well as adding the next two to my "read" list, has made me appreciate just how much fun her New York meets the Shadow World is.  She describes the city with remarkable clarity, but her added twist of demons, warlocks, werewolves, and the like make the story seem even more real.

8.  The Glade:  Right now, I am re-reading James Dashner's The Maze Runner in an effort to finish the trilogy before school starts.  I forgot what an inventive setting this novel has!  A completely automated maze set apart from the rest of the world - well, I never would have thought of it.  However, Dashner describes it in a way that makes it almost seem real!

9.  Incarceron:  Catherine Fisher's novel of the same title has one of the most creative settings I have seen in YA literature.  Incarceron is not only a futuristic prison, but also a living, breathing entity with a mind of its own - and a will to thwart any character who tries to escape.

10.  Arthurian England:  Regardless of the novel, any book taking place in the time of King Arthur is bound to be one of my favorites.  I don't know why, but this particular time holds such appeal to me!  While my favorite of books set in this time is The Mists of Avalon, I've read many others that make the legend come to life.

W... W... W... Wednesdays 13

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  To take part in this feature, you answer three questions in a blog post:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

I've been hanging out by the pool most of this week, reading and relaxing.  So, between that and watching the Tour de France (I'm also crazy addicted to cycling), it's been a fantastic week!

What am I currently reading?

If you saw my post last week, you know I am re-reading the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.  I am just about done with the third book, City of Glass.

What did I recently finish reading?

I finished the second book City of Ashes not too long ago.

What will I read next?

I will read the fourth book in the series, City of Fallen Angels.  After that, though, I will have to wait for the fifth book to get back to the library.  Looks like I will need to switch series!

Top Ten Tuesday 19

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week is a freebie week, meaning we can post any sort of book-related list we choose.  I took a look back at the past topics, and found one that made me smile and think of all the crazy places I've been found reading. So...


My Top Ten Favorite Reading Places


1.  The beach:  Who doesn't love to tear through a book (or five) while relaxing in the sun and sand?


2.  The pool:  See above, but minus the seagulls.  I love a good lounge chair that allows me to lay back without getting bad tan lines but be sitting upright enough to read.  It's really a delicate balance.


3.  Snuggled up in bed:  Usually, this is best accomplished with my dog Indie curled up next to me.


4.  In the bathtub:  Add a glass of wine, and it truly makes for a perfect evening.


5.  The airport:  I absolutely hate sitting around in airports, so having a good book with me makes it much more tolerable.


6.  On my deck in the mornings:  This is especially relaxing when I am on my second cup of coffee on a leisurely Saturday or Sunday morning.  


7.  Waiting rooms:  Many folks use this time to catch up on their "People" magazine reading, but I always bring a book along.  It makes the wait for anything go much faster!  Now, if only the dentist would let me read while I am actually in the chair...


8.  Long car trips:  I am one of the people who is blessed to be able to read in the car.  This works out well, as my husband prefers to drive and listen to absolutely awful music.  Tuning him out is much better than smiling tolerantly as he relives all his favorite college "party tunes" yet again.  :)'


9.  To escape family functions:  Alright, so not a place exactly, but I have found that if I look studiously engaged in a book, I can avoid awkward conversations with rarely-seen relatives. Call me anti-social, but I stand by my coping mechanism.


10.  In the mornings in my classroom before school:  Once I have my class set up, but before the kiddos arrive, I like to take a few minutes and re-read whatever we are working on for the day (or whatever book I am reading at the moment!).  Reading relaxes me every time, so it is a helpful morning routine to center myself and get into a great headspace.


What are some of your favorite places to read?

W... W... W... Wednesdays 12

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  To take part in this feature, you answer three questions in a blog post:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

As posted earlier, I lost my internet access after a pretty severe bout of weather, so I didn't get to blog for a while.  However, I have been reading, and am eager to share my thoughts on all of the books!

What am I currently reading?

Can I just say - I LOVE this series!  I am re-reading the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, and am currently on book two.  I love re-reading favorites when I have the time; plus, I want to read the later installments.  I forgot how much I adore all of these characters, and can't wait to see where the series goes.

 What did I recently finish reading?

I've been busy!  I finished City of Bones (book one in the aforementioned series by Cassandra Clare) and Insurgent by Veronica Roth.  Both excellent!  

I also started a book that I just could not get into, and ended up abandoning it:  Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers.  I was rather Tuesdays with Morrie-esque, which just is not the type of book I typically enjoy.  I realize this makes me heartless. 

What do I think I'll read next?

More Mortal Instruments of course!  What a great summer series!

I'm back!

So, after a massive storm wrecked my area in Virginia, I was forced to take a hiatus from blogging due to lack of internet access.  While I probably could have been proactive and spent my time writing book reviews on Microsoft Word to copy-paste into Blogger later... I didn't.

However, with the internet up and running.... I'm back and have lots of new books to review!