Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Are you following Forever Young? If not, you should be. It's the go to for all things YA. Jessica read Cracked Up to Be and listed it as one of her 2009 favorites and it's been on my TBR pile ever since.


Why didn't I read it sooner??



Well, to be honest. I think the cover had something to do with it. That and it seemed so short! The books I read seem to average around 500 pages, so at 214 pages, this one seemed like nothing.


Well, the hype got to me and I decided to give it a shot.


It was so good, you guys! I couldn't put it down - which was a mistake because I started it at 9:00pm on a work night. Oops.


So Parker was once the captain of the cheerleading squad and perfect in nearly every way. Until she falls apart. When we meet her she's a hot mess, and quite frankly, a bitch. She is horrible to everyone and is shutting people out because of a secret that she's not willing to tell.


She is so incredibly flawed that you can't help but to hate her and love her at the same time. Courtney Summers did such an amazing job describing the emotions in this book. I felt so much for her and in the end when the bad thing comes to surface.... wow.

Just because it's short - doesn't mean it's light. I was so invested the entire time. My heart raced and broke with Parker and I loved just about every minute of it.


All of the characters are so developed and the relationships seem so real - which I love. It's very much a character driven book - so if you're looking for an action packed plot, maybe not this one. But for a good story that sucks you in and has your emotions all over the place - check it out.


Verdict - A-: I couldn't put this book down and ran out to buy Summers' second novel - Some Girls Are, pretty much immediately.

Cover Deliciousness... AKA: SQUEE!!!!

OMG I feel like a child on Christmas Morning!

Introducing - the cover for Hunger Games Three!!!! MOCKINGJAY!

Could the title be more perfect? Or more obvious? In all the speculation of the title I've seen - Mockingjay never came up.


Anyway....

Tada! :

And look how pretty they are all side by side:

Love. Love. Love.

Can. Not. Wait.

::Faints::

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Well, I did it. I finished the Mortal Instruments Trilogy on Monday afternoon. I was home sick with a migraine but it finally subsided to the point of me being able to plow through the last 100 pages.

I really enjoyed this series.

It was such a fun ride and I really liked the world and I’m going to read it over and over again in the coming years, I can tell.

But I will say – I think book III may have been the weakest link.

NOT to say it was bad. My heart was racing and I was excited to find out what happened next and all of that. Really, I was. And I LOVE Clary and Jace and Simon as the main characters. Talk about three very different but very linked people. I loved their dynamic.

But, I have to be honest, I’m a stickler for originality. I feel like if something’s been done, especially done well, then hey – it’s done. And this installment just got a little too Harry Potter for me. (Minor spoilers ahead)

Specifically, the attempted elimination of a dirty, mixed race; replacing it with a pure one with one person in power who would mark everyone with a permanent rune that would bind them to him. I… I just can’t read about that without thinking of Deatheaters and the Dark Mark. I’m not sure many people can. I wish that could have been done differently.

Beyond that, I loved it. I had one other small problem with it but it spoils the ending so I won’t give it away here. I’m actually a bit sad that the series is over for me, but honestly I think she stopped at the right spot. I hate it when a series outlives itself and you get bored and give up.

Verdict – A- : I’m not lying when I say I loved this series. Was it flawed? Yes, but it was such a ride and Clare’s characters are so original and the twists keep you guessing from page to page. You’ll feel happy with the characters, cry with the characters, and even get sick to your stomach when they’re in danger. Definitely check out this series.

Teehee

From http://xkcd.com/280/

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Okay, so I obviously loved City of B0nes, but what did I think of its sequel?

As a part of a trilogy, I wasn't overly excited to read this book. I mean, yes, I wanted to find out what happened next and I looooooved Clary's world. But I mean... It is a second novel. A middle novel.

And to be honest, a lot of times, middle novels can be big flops.

All setup, little action, no resolution, etc. etc. I usually fly through them in anticipation of getting to the 'good stuff'. You know. The last installation. Where all the good stuff happens.

So with a lot of anticipation and a little bit of dread, I launched into City of Ashes.

For the first time in quite a while, I was sucked in immediately and never once bored. There were resolutions and new problems introduced. At close to 500 pages, there was never a dull moment, and the last portion of the book held an intense battle that easily could have finished the series, but didn't.

It was a great thrill ride, in some parts better than the first - because I was already so attached to the main characters.

Verdict- A-: Cassandra Clare kept her series going strong. Her writing is stronger and her characters are more comfortable in their skin. Hooray for an awesome second book. The only downside was I wasn't left needing to know what happened next. There was a cliffhanger, of course, but not nearly the same sort as with the ending of book one. Here's to hopefully finishing the series with a bang.

Goodbye Mr. Salinger. And Thank You.

So I'm sure most of the literary word has heard the news by now that J.D. Salinger passed away yesterday at the ripe old age of 91.

I was a bit sad at first, but really, he lived a good, long life. I am so very pleased that all of his work is resurfacing now and have seen many posts on FB, Twitter, and others about re-reading Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey.

I'm so thankful for Salinger and the art he published. He seemed to avoid the craziness and stick to his reclusive lifestyle while being a literary genius. Catcher touched me in many ways and I related to Holden in more ways than I'd like to admit. I first read it when I was 18 and had just moved to New York City. I've even named a character in one of my works in progress after him.

So thank you, J D Salinger - for all you gave the world. You live on through your art, which will be read forever. You touched me and so many others - and for that, I will never forget you or the literary worlds you created.

Rest in Peace.


In Tribute:


I found this article on the times that was really cool. It follows Holden Caulfield's journey through New York with page numbers and passages regarding each location:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/28/nyregion/20100128-salinger-map.html


Some great quotes:
"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though."
- The Catcher in the Rye

"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody."
- The Catcher in the Rye

"The most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid."
- Nine Stories

"An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's."
- Franny and Zooey


Blogs about J.D. Salinger:

http://jessicaisreading.blogspot.com/2010/01/rip-jd-salinger.html


Did you blog about Salinger? Leave a link to your post in the comments and I'll link to it here.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

So I bought this book like a year ago while checking out at a bookstore. I had heard that the Mortal Instruments Trilogy was supposed to be uh-ma-zing and possibly the next Harry Potter! So I picked it up and put it in the cart and succeeded in forgetting about it almost immediately. Hey, every book written lately seems to be "The Next Harry Potter" so you can see why I wasn't that excited.

And, contrary to my deep adoration of the HP Series, I'm not typically your YA Fantasy-ish girl. Especially when Paranormal romances are involved. I will admit to getting sucked in to the Twilight Craze momentarily (See what I did there?), but all in all, I'm usually okay without it. So I put it off.

I picked it up on a whim about a week and a half ago. After Ragtime, I needed something light. Now, the next Harry Potter, it is not. But it was a pretty stinkin fun read.

We follow the story of Clary who is introduced within the first few pages to the Shadowhunter world that she has never known. No human has ever known, actually. What follows is a 490 page rollercoaster that has us battling all sorts of demons and rushing all up and down New York City. The book covers a fairly short amount of time, but the action keeps coming and I found myself up very late at night reading quite a few times.

I loved the setting of New York. As someone who lived there for several years, I often get frustrated with authors who place their books in the Big Apple but clearly don't have a knowledge of the city beyond the touristy aspects. C. Clare clearly knows this city like the back of her hand. And it's no surprise - her bio shows that she lives in Brooklyn.

There was one HUGE twist. I won't give it away but it absolutely stunned me. I'm not entirely on board with it yet, but at halfway through book two of the series, I clearly can't stop reading.

Verdict - A- : It's been a very long time since a book pulled me in as much as this one did. I found myself daydreaming about it at work and itching to get back into Clary's world the moment I got home. I just hope the rest of the series keeps up. And, as much as the twist irks me, it truly shocked the heck out of me and that's hard to do. For these reasons and more - definitely check out this book.