Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: May 19th 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.
Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.
As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?
Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Before I start with this review, my apologies in advance for most likely the longest review I've ever written. The book is the size of a beast and I have so many feeeeeellllzzz that I just need to get them out there.

When I finished the first four books in The Mortal Instruments series, I wanted to read something else by Cassie and since the first two in The Infernal Devices were out, I gave them a try. I didn’t immediately love the characters since let’s face it, I had become to love the ones in TMI and I read TID right after. However, now that I think about it, I was way too harsh with my Clockwork Angel review and when I really think about it, TID series is maybe even better in my eyes.

“A very magnanimous statement, Gideon,” said Magnus.
“I’m Gabriel.”
Magnus waved a hand. “All Lightwoods look the same to me.” 

We pick up shortly after where Clockwork Prince ended. Everything is such a mess. Tessa getting ready for her wedding, one of the guys being upset about it and trying not to show it to the rest of the world. Oh boy, did that pain kill me in every single scene. The Magister is gathering his forces to attack and Charlotte’s position as the head of London’s institute is in jeopardy thanks to the very ambitious, jealous and conniving consul Wayland. I felt so darn bad for Charlotte – she has worked her butt off to protect the Shadowhunters and her loved ones and everything might be ripped away by that awful consul who’s threatened by a woman. What a jackass.

Cassie takes no time to jump into action as the Lightwoods have a problem they need help to solve. Here are a few questions that came to mind while I was reading Clockwork Princess: why haven’t I noticed how amazing Gabriel Lightwood is? Why wasn’t I initially excited about the fact that Cecily came to the institute? Why did Cassie make me feel ALL of that with this plot of surprising revelations and complex relationships? It was a brutal ugly crying in some of the scenes, but sadness wasn’t the only emotion brought out in me as Will and Magnus made me laugh out loud on several occasions and excitement ran in my blood with every page turn. The quote above portrays perfectly why these two make such great friends.

The characters in this story are multi-dimensional and very enjoyable. I came to love every single one of them in my own way. I was surprised how much questions were answered, however, I agree with some of the readers that a few of them were a little too vague. Did I mention that I became to love Cecily and Gabriel? Ohhhhh, man! LOVE THESE TWO SO HARD. It was pretty incredulous though how everyone found their soul-mates. Among the people in Institute, nevertheless. Awkward, but understandable. Also, I’m not complaining since most of these were my OTP-s.

This review is already too darn long, but the ending deserves a paragraph on its own, so bare with me, alright? I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved it and at the same time I hated it. I’m more than sure that most of the fandom is satisfied with this solution and in some ways, I am too. However, I feel like it was too easy. Maybe City of Heavenly Fire will explain to us how the impossible turned out to be possible, but it feels a little icky for me. I loved both of the guys and let’s face it, when every single person in a love triangle loves the other two more than life itself, it’s bound to be tough. The epilogue… It didn’t leave a good taste in my mouth if you know what I mean. I am happy, I’m truly happy, but do I understand? No, I don’t. Not on all levels. I understand why Cassie wrote it that way though, but I still dont give thumbs up to this solution.

To sum up one of the longest reviews I have ever written, this book is a beast in the best way possible. It comes at you with all these emotions and makes you feel ALL the feels there is to feel. I loved almost every single part of it and I truly recommend you to read these books. All I need now is to get the first two in hardcovers so I can put myself through heart ache again and again. I’m a masochist like that, lol. In all honesty, I adored this book and it was a great way to end a series. *fingers crossed it won’t be continued (and ruined)*

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Haul #22

Haven't done one in a while again. I think it's been a month if not more. I haven't received any paperbacks throughout this time other than The Sea of Tranquility--love that book--which I loaned to my mom and she took it to her vacation with her so I can't show it to you this week. The rest of the paperbacks/hard covers I've received before, but haven't showcased yet. If you've read any of these, let me know and I'll push them up on my tbr list. Be sure to leave me your links so I can visit all of you lovelies back:)

Physical copies

Sweet Peril (Sweet Evil #2) by Wendy Higgins

Dreamless (Starcrossed #2) by Josephine Angelini

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi

Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare (read, review will be up soon)

E-books

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu (arc, currently reading)

Elite by Rachel van Dyken (review copy, already read)

The Lies We Tell by Elizabeth Dunk (arc, already read)

I also received a little bit of swag throughout that time. A huge thanks to Jennifer Jacopelli for these gorgeous bookmarks. Moreover, the always wonderful Trisha Wolfe, who is just one of the best human beings, sent me signed bookmarks which she designed herself, by the way, and a very lovely letter. Thanks so so so much you guys! *hugs*

A HUGE thanks to Edelweiss, Netgalley, Simon Pulse, Forever, Harlequin Australia, Jennifer Jacopelli and Trisha Wolfe.

What did you get this week? Leave your links below and I'll check out your goodies :)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Mod Podge Bookshelf and Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Top Ten Tuesday #8

 

Top Ten Favorite Kick-Ass Heroines

It was such a tough choice that I chose 10 of these lovely ladies and then put the others on a honorable mentions list down below. All of them deserve to be in the top ten and I think they're all absolutely fantastic! They've sacrificed a lot for their loved ones, been to battles beyond our imaginations, have great personalities and are just exceptional role models.

I'm not quite sure what captures me on this picture, but her kick-ass
attitude and determined expression definitely do our heroines
justice. Love it!

1. Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead)
2. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins)
3. Karou (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor)
4. Alex(andria) Andros (Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
5. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling)
6. Clary Fray (The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare)
7. Meghan Chase (The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa)
8. Nora Grey (Hush Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick)
9. Beartice Prior (Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth)
10. Anna Whitt (Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins)

Honorable mentions:

Sookie Stackhouse (Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris)
Sydney Sage (Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead)
Lena Duchannes (The Caster Chronicles Saga by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)
Nikki Beckett (The Everneath Trilogy by Brodi Ashton)
Katy Swartz (The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Theia Alderson (Falling Under Series by Gwen Hayes)
Georgina Kincaid (Georgina Kincaid Series by Richelle Mead)
Tessa Grey (The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare)
Grace Brisbane (The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater)


Do you agree with my list? Would you add anybody else? Who did you pick as your top ten kick-ass heroines? Leave your links below and I'll check out yours :)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Tuesday #7

 

Top Ten Bookish People You Want To Meet (Authors, Bloggers, etc.)

Let’s say I’d host a dinner party and got to invite 10 so called bookish people. Here's what I'd do: host a dinner party for these ten writers and since I had such a hard time choosing them, I’d throw a banquet after the mentioned dinner in honor of this fabulous community of writers, bloggers and book lovers in general. I’d gladly invite guests of honor and every fellow blogger who’s interested in addition to these ten authors from different eras. Want to know which ten authors I’d be delighted to have dinner with? Check out their names as well as the guests of honor below. As for the bloggers, I’d let in anyone who’d be interested to join us and have a great time.

Doesn't this seem like a magical place for our
dinner? If Hogwarts is not available, this
would be the perfect place! Beautiful and intimate.

1. Agatha Christie to solve the mystery of 'how to stop internet piracy'
2. Oscar Wilde to make us think about different shades human nature
3. Jennifer L. Armentrout to make us swoon over hot aliens and teach us how to write heart-stopping cliffhangers
4. Wendy Higgins to tell us about temptation and how to avoid it
5. Colleen Hoover to teach us how to make the best out of the worst
6. Cassandra Clare to tell us how TMI movie is going and when are Godfrey and Zegers finally going to meet in person and *ahem* perhaps give as a few hints on The Dark Artifices series..?
7. J. K. Rowling to share information on what Harry, Ron and Hermione are doing at the moment (because we’re all dying to know) and tell us if Draco has gone off the dark path (I sure hope he has). Oh, maybe she could talk with whoever's leading the Hogwarts these days and we could throw this get-together there! That, in fact, is a fabulous idea!
8. Harper Lee to make a speech about the moral aspects of the society and the difference between the right and wrong
9. Richelle Mead to take Dimitri, Adrian, Christian or Eddie as her date *swoons* and give us an insight to The Indigo Spell and what’s to come
10. Jamie McGuire to share a snippet of Walking Disaster and give us a few tips on how to leave one’s past behind and make a better person out of oneself

Honorable mentions:  Julie Kagawa, Tammara Webber, Abbi Glines, Elizabeth Reyes, Becca Fitzpatrick, Tina Reber, Veronica Roth, J. D. Salinger, Jane Austen, Maggie Stiefvater, S. C. Stephens, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Nyrae Dawn, Tarryn Fisher, Gwen Hayes.

Care to join us? If so and you could bring a date, who would you pick (in addition to the previously mentioned fabulous authors)?

P.S. Leave a link to your TTT and I'll stop by and check out your list of bookish people you're dying to meet :)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish.

Adrian vs. Will in the Finale of the YA Crush Tourney

'Sup, people? I hope you're as excited as I am that we've finally reached to the finale and here's what you have to do:

1. Go to this link
2. Read about both of these amazing characters (if you don't know them yet, which, honestly, I'm a little suprised by)
3. Decide whom you want to vote for
4. Vote for your crush!!!!
5. Also, you can tweet, post about it on your blog or share on facebook :)

I love both of them so, so much. They both have a special place in my heart for totally different reasons. However, I feel like there are so many Infernal Devices fans out there that Adrian Ivashkov is somewhat an underdog in this competition, so.. I'm asking you to vote for Adrian, although it breaks my heart not to advise you to vote for Will Herondale. Still, if you're team Will, way to go! No judging as long as you vote, vote, vote and show these two amazing, swoon-worthy, protective, gorgeous guys your love. Did I say vote? Well, I'll say it again. Please vote, they need you. Adrian needs you. Will, too.

All right, I hope you do end up voting for one of them and let the better man win :) Sending you a pocketful of sunshine anda bunch of thank-you's, too! xo

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours

Okay. Here’s the deal. I’m not going to explain “why” with each character, I’ll just state it here that I know they have difficulties in their lives and sometimes it seems like these obstacles are completely insurmountable, but these gals are awesome! They’ve got great friends, they’re loyal, loving, kick-ass (even if they don't do that in the literal sense of this phrase, they're still bright, strong and witty) characters and it’d be fun and thrilling to spend a day in their skin and to get to know their situations even better. So that’s why I chose these characters, however, it was a difficult choice and I had to leave out so many good characters starting with Alex from the Covenant series, Tessa from the Infernal Devices series, Layken from the Slammed series, Samantha from “My Life Next Door”, Sydney from the Bloodlines series etc. I love all of them and I’d love to get a glimpse of their life for real. That’s the reason why I, again, drew these out of a hat randomly. All right, want to know who made it? Here you go:

You get why I think Ms. Granger is one of the most amazing characters ever, right?
Would love to experience 24 hours as her, although, I bet I'd get Harry and
Ron killed like in the first 5 minutes. Probably even less than that.

1. Hermione from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
2. Rose from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
3. Georgina from the Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead
4. Clary from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
5. Katy from the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
6. Meghan from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
7. Sarah from the Moreno Brothers series by Elizabeth Reyes
8. Abby from Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
9. Nora from the Hush Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick
10. Aspen from What a Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn

What do you think of these characters? Who would you add? Which characters did you choose? Leave a link to your TTT and I’ll check out yours :)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish

City of Lost Souls

Original Title: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: May 8th 2012
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

The Clave's magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith's magic has wrought - Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.

Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell - a risk that could claim their lives.

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

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

I think that there is a reason why Clary won the first heroine tournament and why Jace won the first YA crush tournament. They're both reckless fighters and don't know any boundaries when it comes to keeping their loved ones safe and sound, making them happy, doing what's right. As you know, last time we heard about them, Jace was missing from the rooftop and Clary was just saved by Simon from Lilith's wrath. This book starts about two weeks after the events that took place at the end of City of Fallen Angels. The Clave cannot find any information on Jace's and Sebastian's whereabouts, therefore Clary, Simon, Isabelle and Alec decide to do a little research on their own and that's when it all begins.

Honestly, being in Clary's head kind of got on my nerves a little. I know she's in love with Jace. I know she'd do anything to save him. I know he means the world to her, but come on! I already got that this new Jace (from now on I'll just point to him as Jace 2.0) is nothing like Clary's Jace. I love Clary and her bold, loving, caring, strong, beautiful personality and that wasn't always the case here. She was a wreck. However, the title says 'city of lost souls' so I think in some ways she was lost, too. Eh, whatever, I forgive her. She's great no matter what!

Jace 2.0. I would have loved to have read something from his point of view. I was a little disappointed by that, but I guess you can't really write in someone's POV when this person is being controlled by one's evil stepbrother, can you? It is what it is. Doesn't matter whether he's posessed, controled or un-controled, I still love him.

Sebastian, I have to admit, kept me on my toes. He wasn't that interesting in the last two books, but he sure got me interested now. I didn't think there could be a worse (or should I say better) villain in this series than Valentine, but Cassie Clare suprised me by creating an even crazier villain – someone who doesn't know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, love and lust etc and who's determined to bring the world down bith a bang.

What amazed me was how Clare has created these two boys – Jace and Sebastian – raised by the same man and they've turned out to be completely different from each other. I've read in psychology that people's personalities develop until the age of four and from then on one's personality can only be influenced, but not changed entirely. Jace knows love and that's the most important thing there is to know in this world. Even if he's sometimes lost, he knows, feels and wants to be loved. Sebastian, however, is a totally different case and even though he intrigues me, he creeps me out, too. Wouldn't want to run in with him on a dark alley, that's for sure!

As to the other characters, I loved Simon (and I don't get why I didn't love him from the very start, I was kind of annoyed with him, to be honest, but now he has become one of my favorite characters if not the most favorite), Magnus, Isabelle and Alec. I liked Jordan's and Maia's story in the previous book, but I think their POV's were just too much for me in this one. That was the thing that bothere me the most – too many POV's to keep myself emotionally invested in everyone's storylines. It was really hard to keep up.

As the heading states, this book was all about lost souls and I think that even if everyone didn't found themselves, they were pushed on the right path. Exept for Sebastian, of course. I liked this installment, I just wasn't that excited about it as I've been with the other ones in this series. I think it may be because as I said, there were too many POV's and also, I read it in bits as opposed to reading the whole book (or half of it) in one sitting. And I read a lot of snippets and spoilers from Cassie's tumblr. That was a mistake, too, I guess, since I knew some parts of it already. I think I'm not going to do that with Clockwork Princess and City of Heavenly Fire *hopes she can keep her curiosity to the minimum*. That being said, I still very much enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading the final book in the Mortal Instruments series. It'll be sad to say goodbye to everyone, though.

Rating: 4/5.

Excerpts:

“I never cared,” he said. “I wanted you anyway. I always wanted you.” 

“As far as I’m concerned, this is the worst thing that’s happened since I found out why Magnus was banned from Peru.” 

“Missing, one stunningly attractive teenage boy. Answers to 'Jace' or 'Hot Stuff” 

Simon rolled his eyes. “It’s a good thing we know the person who’s dating Magnus Bane,” he said. “Otherwise, I get the feeling we’d all just lie around all the time wondering what the hell to do next. Or trying to raise the money to hire him by selling lemonade or something.”
Alec looked merely irritated by this comment. “The only way you could raise enough money to hire Magnus by selling lemonade is if you put meth in it.” 

“You stole a boat,” she snapped. “What am I doing with you, you boat-stealing lunatic?” 

"Ah," said Magnus. "Nerd love. It is a beautiful thing, while also being an object of mockery and hilarity for those of us who are more sophisticated."

Reading order:

1. "City of Bones" 
2. "City of Ashes"
3. "City of Glass"
4. "City of Fallen Angels"
5. "City of Lost Souls"
6. "City of Heavenly Fire" 

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Most Vivid Worlds/Settings In Books

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

It’s definitely one of the most vivid worlds I’ve ever read about and at times the description was too much for me and I couldn’t keep up with all of it. 

The Mortal Instruments (and The InfernalDevices) by Cassandra Clare

This series has it all: a secret world with Shadowhunters, demons, angels, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and faeries – just pick whatever you like! Plus, the Shadowhunters have their own little incredibly beautiful little country – Idris.

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

Who hasn’t read Harry Potter? Okay, that was a rhetorical question because some people probably haven’t, but if you have I’m pretty sure you agree with me on this one. Harry Potter has one of the most amazing worlds I have ever read about and I bet I will not forget it until the day I die. It’s absolutely wonderful!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

I love how she’s created this world of vampires who have their own royalty, schools, councils etc. There are two kinds of vampires: moroi – the good ones who each control different elements such as water, fire, earth, air and the most rare one – spirit; strigoi – the bad ones who feed from moroi. Then there are dhampires – descendants of moroi and humans who protect moroi from strigoi. It’s really hard to understand at first, but once you read it, you just cannot get enough! 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is the novel that introduced dystopian novels to the masses. It’s fantastic to think about how S. Collins has made this society look and even though I must say that sometimes it kind of creeps me out and depresses me how people can turn up like this, it’s still one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read and I’m simply amazed how well she’s created this future world. The Capitol of Panem is one freaky place, I tell ya!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I liked the first book which introduced us the world of compellers, witches, incubuses etc and I really liked the setting. The second book made us dig even deeper and it turned out to be even cooler.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I haven’t finish it (I plan on finishing it whenever I get my book back from a friend), but I really, really liked the setting. Once a month a boy comes out of a box and he doesn’t remember anything from his life. Now that he’s finally made it, he must learn how to survive, because they’re all locked on a field in the middle of a maze. Everyone has to work together in order to survive, because they want a way out of there, to figure out how they even got there. Every night at the exact same time the walls close and whoever’s left out there will not survive, since there are creatures out in the maze that you couldn’t have imagined even in your wildest dreams (or nightmares.. yep, nightmare's more accurate).

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I somehow haven’t gotten through the second book, I always end up reading half of it and then leave it unfinished, however, this series has a great world created by an author who started this book when he was just fifteen years old. How cool is that? This book also has one heck of a vivid world and it’s definitely worth exploring if you haven’t read this series yet.

Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

I loved Winnie the Pooh when I was a little girl and there wasn’t a time when I wouldn’t have wanted to go to the Hundred Acre Wood and live and play there with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Roo, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl and Christopher Robin. It’s something I loved as a kid and still appreciate as a young adult since it was a huge part of my childhood. 

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

One of my favorite books! The story takes place in Japan which has this exotic culture and exotic people. I know it’s not the most realistic portrayal of Japan, but it’s still very vivid and creative. I love all the parties, costumes and customs. It’s definitely worth reading!

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

There aren’t enough words to express how much I love this book. It describes everything that’s wrong with the society and its standards perfectly and gives you something to think about for a long time. It’s a fairy tale of a young prince who visits different planets and learns things from roses, a fox, a king etc. It isn’t that long, but it is worth a lot more than a lot of the other books out there. The setting is absolutely brilliant!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What would you add? Which books did you choose? Leave a link to your TTT and I’ll check out yours :)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish

Teaser Tuesday

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) * Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers

 "Ah," said Magnus. "Nerd love. It is a beautiful thing, while also being an object of mockery and hilarity for those of us who are more sophisticated."

 ~ p. 215 "City of Lost Souls" by Cassandra Clare

Friday the 13th: a deadly dose of Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, Sydney, Christian, Eddie, Lissa and Jill

So.. I didn't have the best week: got stinged by a bee last weekend and walked around like a heavily pregnant woman throughout most of this week, cut myself with a cheese knife and my Mom's car broke down due to an electrical fault while I was driving it. However, I had the best Friday the 13th!! I received two packages:

1. "Bloodlines" by Richelle Mead
2. Vampire Academy Collection (Three Volume Set) by Richelle Mead

The first time I read the Vampire Academy series was when I borrowed it from a family friend and it was fan-freaking-tastic!! I loved it and it's still one of my favorite series. I read "Bloodlines" at the beginning of this year but I think it was too soon after reading VA for the third time (!!) that I just didn't think of Sydney as an equal to Rose, although Sydney's more me in a sense that she loves books and knowledge, while Rose is the type of a person who jumps into situations without thinking. Moreover, I wasn't that big of a fan of the alchemists. Since then I've thought about it over and over and come to a conclusion that I was too harsh when it comes to the rating of "Bloodlines" (I think I gave it like two stars?). I love Richelle Mead to death and if you, too, are a fan of the Vampire Academy series, you should definitely give the Bloodlines series a try as well. Even my Mother loves VA series and she hasn't read "Bloodlines" yet so you can only imagine how excited she is (I made her read Jennifer L. Armentrout's books and she's reading "Half-Blood" at the moment so it may be a while before she picks up "Bloodlines", but I'm definitely waiting forward to share my thoughts with her). I ordered "The Golden Lily" months ago and received it last month, but haven't been able to read it yet. Now that I think about it, I'll probably read "Bloodlines" again before TGL and write a new review to it.

Did I already tell you how freaking beautiful these books look? Oh, my! They're such eye candies and I love that "Shadow Kiss" (my favorite out of the six in the VA series) has a purple cover. Purple's my favorite color and the cover's so unbelievably stunning! They all are.

Okay, I've been here for too long now and I'm off to read "City of Lost Souls" by Cassandra Clare which is the fifth installment of the Mortal Instruments series and has been sitting on my bookcase for such a long time now. I don't like to read books/series that I really, really like while reading other books (although I do tend to read many books at a time) and I've been waiting for a great time to relax and just read this book by one of the most amazing authors and today's the day I get to do that: it's raining cats and dogs outside so there's really nothing else to do and I sure as hell don't mind :)

I can't wait to re-read the VA series and get started on the Bloodlines series (again). Love you and hope you have a great week ahead of yourselves :)

Clockwork Princess Cover

Yeeeeiiii!!! It's CP2 cover. Like the actual cover. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it. It's absolutely stunning and I think it's my favorite of all three. I love that Tessa's on the last one. We've all been waiting for this moment for so long, haven't we? I think it was totally worth the wait and I really want to read it already. If you want to know more about the cover, check out Cassie's blog on tumblr (or follow her on twitter). Keep an eye on my "Waiting on" Wednesday, it'll definitely be there at some point. Gosh, I just can't stop looking at it. Amazingly beautiful. Gorgeous!

Here're the other two (and if you have not read this series, I recommend you to read it, it's great :)).

 

P.S. How excited are you about the movie? Jamie and Lily have already flown to Toronto and start filming August 15th. They've already cast Isabelle (Jemima West), Blackwell (Robert Maillet) and Pangborn (Kevin Durand). I wonder when're we going to get the news about Alec, Magnus, Simon and Valentine. Oh, and if you haven't seen it yet, there's a teaser poster for the movie (I'll post the on I reblogged on my tumblr). The little rune instead of an "o" is a great idea and I'm glad they put it there. Right now I just want to crawl in a time machine, step out of it and walk around during the summer of 2013 so that I can watch this amazing series come alive on the big screen. Are you excited? I know I am and I'm looking forward to CP2 as well as the movie about the first book in The Mortal Instruments series.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten All Time Favorite Characters

It was such a difficult choice, I had to leave out Isabelle Lightwood, Clary Fray, Magnus Bane, Will Herondale, Jace Lightwood, Draco Malfoy, Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen, Effie Trinket, Adrian Ivashkov, Christian Ozera, Hermione Granger et cetera – some of my favorite characters. What did I do? I just wrote down all of their names and picked 10 names randomly. I thought about telling you why I love them, but if you’ve read the books they’re in, you already know the answer to this question, so.. I’ll just post some of my favorite quotes by them and hope that if you haven’t read the books they’re in, you’ll pick them up in a heartbeat. Feel free to answer the questions at the end of the post and to sound off in the comments :) xx

Ronald Weasley – Harry Potter

1. "Viktor? Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"
2. "Accio Brain!"
3. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
4. “Don't talk to me."
   "Why not?"
   "Because I want to fix that in my memory for ever. Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret...”

Cinna – The Hunger Games

1. “Remember, girl on fire,” he says, “I'm still betting on you.”

Atticus Finch – To Kill a Mokingbird

1. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
2. "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible."
3. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. "

Simon Lewis – The Mortal Instruments

1. “Jesus!” Luke exclaimed.
   ”Actually, it's just me, said Simon. "lthough I've been told the resemblance is startling.”
2. “That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they don't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I' am a badass, and I recognize that you, too, are a badass,' but they don't say anything because they're Wolverine and Magneto and it would mess up their vibe to explain.”
3. “No. That's Clary; shes's my best friend Simon pocketed his phone. “And she has a boyfriend. Like, really, really, really has a boyfriend. The nuclear bomb of boyfriends. Trust me on this one.”
4. “Look on the bright side,” said Simon, “If they need a human sacrifice, you can always offer me. I'm not sure the rest of you qualify anyway.”

Travis Maddox – Beautiful Disaster

1. “I know we're fucked up, alright? I'm impulsive, and hot tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don't deserve you...but I fucking love you, Abby. I love you more than I loved anyone or anything ever. When you're around, I don't need booze, or money, or the fighting, or the one-night stands...”
2. He shifted to look straight into my eyes. "I should say no to prove a point," he said, his eyebrows pulling together. "But I would hate myself later if I said no and you never asked me again.”
3. “WELL I BELONG TO YOU!” The veins in his neck bulged as he shouted, and I met his glare, refusing to even flinch. He looked at my lips, panting. “I belong to you,” he whispered, his anger melting as he realized how close we were.

Rose Hathaway – Vampire Academy

1. “What the hell?” I asked. “Is this daring escape being sponsored by Honda?”
2. “Checkmate, bitch.”
3. “A gun. I had been brought down by a gun. It was practically comical. Cheaters, I thought.”
4. “You said you were a victim. That's why...that's why ultimately, you and I aren't matched for each other. In spite of everything that's happened, I've never though of myself that way. Being a victim means you're powerless. That you won't take action. Always...always I've done something to fight for myself...for others. No matter what.”

Will Cooper – Slammed, Point of Retreat

1. “If I were a carpenter, I would build you a window to my soul. But I would leave that window shut and locked, so that every time you tried to look through it all you would see is your own reflection. You would see that my soul is a reflection of you.”
2. “Get out, Get out, get out, get out!" I do what any sane male would do in this situation; I run down the hall and lock myself in her bedroom.”
3. “I realize I've never been so sure about the rest of my life than I am in thise moment. This girl is the rest of my life.”

Daemon Black – Lux

1. “I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect." His eyes searched mine intently, and for a moment we stood there toe to toe. "The ones who throw their beauty around, waste what they have? Their beauty is only passing. It's just a shell hiding nothing but shadows and emptiness.”
2. “Remind me," he paused, drawing in a stuttered gasp, "to never piss you off again. Christ, are you secretly a ninja?”
3. “You look like you got more of a bath than the car. I never thought washing a car would be so hard, but after watching you for the last fifteen minutes, I’m convinced it should be an Olympic sport.”
4. Daemon arched a brow. “Are you feeling me up, Kat? I'm liking where this is heading.”

Professor Severus Snape – Harry Potter

1. “Ah yes, Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity.”
2. “Obviously fame isn't everything. Is it, Mr. Potter? ”
3. “Turn to page 394.”

Haymitch Abernathy – The Hunger Games

1. “Here's some advice. Stay alive.”
2. “I ate your lunch.”
3. “Not like this. He wanted it to be real.”
4. “It's okay. It'll be okay, sweetheart”

What did you think? Are some of these 10 characters in your top ten too? Why do you like them? What topic did you choose for this week’s TTT?