Review: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: August 31, 2010
Pages: 478
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Paranormal
Target Audience: Young Adult
Series: The Infernal Devices #1
Source and Format: Library; Hardcover

Summary (From Goodreads)
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Thoughts on Clockwork Angel

HOLY CRAP, this book! I originally gave it 4 stars on Goodreads, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought it deserved a 5, so I went back and changed it. Yep, this one is a new favorite! I don’t know what it was about this book, maybe I was just in the perfect mood for this genre and it was a right place at the right time kind of thing, but I LOVED it!

Because I like being mean to myself, I started reading this the weekend before we closed on our house, which resulted in some major book guilt. I needed to spend my free time packing, and then once we moved, unpacking. But all I really wanted to do was READ THIS BOOK. I finally finished it 15 days later, but that certainly isn’t a reflection on my feelings for this novel. If I had been able to, I would have gobbled this thing up in one day!

I went into Clockwork Angel having not read The Mortal Instruments series, so one advantage of being late to the party is reading all of these books “in order” and not knowing what will eventually happen in the future. But before I get away from myself and gush all over the place with this review, here are the top three things I loved about Clockwork Angel:

The characters:
From the moment I met each of the characters in this book, I was fully engrossed in their story and wanted to know more about them. Even the servants had me intrigued! What happened in their past to make them the way they are today? What are their motivations? Cassandra Clare does an outstanding job of slowly peeling back the curtain to reveal important pieces to the puzzle, and how those pieces fit together. I just can't get enough of Will, Jem, and Tessa! My only complaint is that I wanted to know more. But this is the first novel in the series, so of course we can't know everything yet!

The world-building:
This book was kind of an instant win for me because it combined two of my favorite genres: historical fiction and fantasy. If historical fiction is not your jam, don't worry. There were times I often forgot this book was set in the 1800s because it was so character driven. Which leads to why I loved the world-building. Cassandra Clare has woven such an intricate and compelling world that I absolutely loved to get lost in, mainly because the Shadowhunter world relied on the identity of the characters. Downworlders, Shadowhunters, mundanes, parabatai--what the heck does all that mean?! You'll have to read to find out!

TWO swoonworthy boys:
Ok, ladies. Cassandra Clare has given us a dilemma here. First we have Jem, the fair-skinned but handsome gentleman who shows nothing but the utmost respect for Tessa. He is dealing with a mysterious illness, but maybe Tessa will be the one to find his cure? And then we have Will Herondale. Prepare yourself for some major swooning! He is dark, mysterious, and confuses the heck out of Tessa with the way he treats her. He gives off a bad boy vibe, but I'm thinking there is a tender side underneath that hard shell. He likes to talk books with Tessa, which hints that in fact there is a soft side to him. I am so torn between these two, but at the end of the day I think I am gonna have to go with Team Jem. That little stunt you-know-who pulls on the rooftop is just not gonna cut it! I am hoping there is a hidden reason behind that revealed sometime in the next two books. In the meantime, here's to hoping nice guy Jem doesn't finish last. :)

Memorable Quote

"Sometimes," Jem said, "our lives can change so fast that the change outpaces our minds and hearts. It's those times, I think, when our lives have altered but we still long for the time before everything was altered-- that is when we feel the greatest pain. I can tell you, though, from experience, you grow accustomed to it. You learn to live your new life, and you can't imagine, or even really remember, how things were before."

Disclosure: This review was originally published on my lifestyle blog on June 26, 2013. 

Mini Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: January 2, 2012
Pages: 236
Genre: Contemporary
Target Audience: Young Adult
Series: No
Source and Format: Bought; Nook eBook

Summary (From Goodreads)
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Thoughts on The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
This book has so many fun things going for it -- an adorable cover, a quirky title, a meet-cute romance, and the perfect mixture of fluff and substance. It was a great choice as my first read for 2013, and at 236 pages, it was a quick read too. 

With the phrase "love at first sight" in the title, you'd think that insta-love would be all over this book, which is one of my biggest pet peeves with young adult novels (or any novel, really). But let me assure you, that is not the case with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. I am even a little bit of a believer in love at first sight myself, since the husband likes to say he knew I would be someone special when he first saw me. He ended up being right about that one, y'all! ;)

Another thing I particularly loved about this book was how Hadley's love for reading played into the story, especially in her relationship with her father. I really connected to this element of Hadley's character, and some of my favorite quotes from the book came from this aspect of the novel (one is included below).

This book wasn't anything groundbreaking, but if you find yourself facing a long flight coming up soon, or have a free afternoon to curl up with a short novel, this one might be the perfect light read for you. I'd recommend it!

Memorable Quotes

“It's not the changes that will break your heart; it's that tug of familiarity.”

“Even when she was old enough to read herself, they still tackled the classics together, moving from Anna Karenina to Pride and Prejudice to The Grapes of Wrath as if traveling across the globe itself, leaving holes in the bookshelves like missing teeth. And later, when it started to become clear that she cared more about soccer practice and phone privileges than Jane Austen or Walt Whitman, when the hour turned into a half hour and every night turned into every other, it no longer mattered. The stories had become a part of her by then; they stuck to her bones like a good meal, bloomed inside of her like a garden. They were as deep and meaningful as any other trait Dad had passed along to her: her blue eyes, her straw-colored hair, the sprinkling of freckles across her nose.”

Disclosure: This review was originally posted on my lifestyle blog on January 29, 2013. 

We'd Hibernate With These Books

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is all about our Winter reading lists. For me (Lesley Anne), Winter is one of my very favorite times to get some reading done! It's just the perfect season to stay cozied up inside with a good book and a warm cup of tea. And as you can see, I tend to crave me some fantasy reads during the colder months. But I do plan to make Jane Eyre a priority, which I know will make Jenny and Brenna really happy! ;) So without further ado, here are the Top Ten Books on our Winter TBRs.    

Top Ten Books on Lesley Anne's Winter TBR

1. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
3. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
4. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

5. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

8. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

9. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

10. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Top Ten Books on Jenny's Winter TBR

1. The Chosen by Chaim Potok
2. Sula by Toni Morrison
3. Fledgling by Octavia Butler
4. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
5. The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
6. The Brief Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
7. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
8. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
9. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
10. Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

What books are you planning to read this Winter?

Gifts for Readers

Wondering what to get the reader in your life but they already own every book? Are you stumped as to what to tell your mom to get you for Christmas since she has explicitly stated she is tired of buying you books? Buzzfeed has the answer! I always love their book list. So creative. Here are a couple of lists for the book lovers (or yourself) in your life.

24 Insanely Clever Gifts - book accessories that you will be unsure how you've lived without

16 Fantastic Gifts for Lit Lovers - for the serious lit lover (I confess, I didn't understand all of these)

37 Ways to Proudly Wear Your Love of Books - you will want all of these

Happy shopping :)

If You Like...

One of my most favorite genres is that of the gothic novel. The heightened suspense, the way information is slowly revealed, the uncertainty of the veracity of said information, I love it all. It takes a talented writer to create the atmosphere needed to make a great gothic story. It has to be the perfect blend of creepiness and beauty, otherwise you start to slip into the genre of horror story or it becomes simply a caricature. Without further ado, here are some of my favorites to get you started.

1. Jane Eyre  by Charlotte Brönte. This is the classic gothic romance novel. It involves an orphaned girl, a handsome and surly single father, and a house with a secret. It can get a bit wordy in places and it has a slow start, but once the action moves to Mr. Rochester's house it starts getting good.

 Just a little taste: "I have for the first time found what I can truly love–I have found you. You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel–I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one.” 

2. Rebecca  by Daphne du Maurier. This book is deliciously creepy right from the get go. The book opens with our narrator and her husband far from home. We get a picture of them set in our mind, then Ms. du Maurier precedes to undo our preconceived notions. We find out that Rebecca was the husband's first wife (she is now deceased). Exactly who was Rebecca? Everyone has a different opinion and our protagonist must find the answer for herself, even as she fights to create her own identity and not to succumb to the ever-present memory of Rebecca. 

Just a little taste: “We can never go back again, that much is certain. The past is still close to us. The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic - now mercifully stilled, thank God - might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion as it had before.” 


3. Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart. My favorite thing about this book is the characters. You simply do not know who to trust. The descriptions of the countryside, the house, and the characters are so vivid it is as if you are there, right beside the heroine. Few people can create an atmosphere the way Mary Stewart can. 

Just a little taste:  “I'm very much to blame for not seeing it before, but who on earth goes about suspecting an impossible outlandish thing like murder? That's something that happens in books, not among people you know.” 








4. The Distant Hours  by Kate Morton. Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors. I would read the phone book if she wrote it. Her writing style is so lyrical and unique. This books spans two generations and multiple relationships. The story focuses on three sisters and their relationships with each other, their lovers, and their father. One could almost say the sisters' house is a character all of its own. It has kept its secrets for a long time and is slow in giving them up. 

Just a little taste: "It was the sibling thing, I suppose. I was fascinated by the intricate tangle of love and duty and resentment that tied them together. The glances they exchanged; the complicated balance of power established over decades; the games I would never play with rules I would never fully understand. And perhaps that was key: they were such a natural group that they made me feel remarkably singular by comparison. To watch them together was to know strongly, painfully, all that I'd been missing.” 

Those are just a few of my favorites. What about y'all? Any you would add to the list?

Top Twelve Historical Fiction Releases in 2014

Today's Top Ten Tuesday is all about 2014 releases, which was an easy and hard topic all at the same time! Since I couldn't pick just ten -- especially ten out of all possible genres -- I went with my Top Twelve Historical Fiction Releases for 2014. Next to each title I list three reasons why I can't wait to read that particular book. 2014 is going to be a great year, y'all!

1. The Lost Sisterhood - Oxford University professor. The Amazons of Ancient Greece. Uncovering a secret family history.

2. A Mad, Wicked Folly - The gorgeous yellow dress on the cover (duh). A covert application to the Royal College of Art. Debutante balls and high society.

3. Fallen Beauty - The Jazz Age in Upstate New York. Costume design for poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Female friendship.

4. Prisoner of Night and Fog - A girl who grew up under the care of Adolf Hitler. Falling for a young Jewish reporter. Solving the mystery of her father's death.

5. Revolutionary - The Revolutionary War. A woman disguised as a male soldier. Based on a true story.

6. The Mirk and Midnight Hour - Retelling of the Scottish "Battle of Tam Lin." Civil War Mississippi. Falling in love with the enemy.

7. Tsarina - Because I was obsessed with the movie Anastasia when I was little. The Romanov winter palace. A magical Faberge egg.

8. The Winner's Curse - Comparison to Kristin Cashore and Cassandra Clare in the synopsis. No love triangle. A mashup of historical fiction and fantasy.

9. The Crimson Ribbon - The cover! Set during the British Civil War. Based on the real historical figure of Elizabeth Poole.

10. The Daring Ladies of Lowell - The Lowell Mill girls. A romance with the mill owner's son. A murder and questions of loyalty.

11. Captured by Love - British invasion of Mackinac Island. Male POV. Because I love Christian historical fiction romance!

12. For Such a Time - 1944 Czechoslovakia. A false identity. Retelling of the biblical story of Esther.

What releases are you looking forward to in 2014? 

Mini Review: Madame Tussaud

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran

Release Date: February 15, 2011
Pages: 446
Genre: Historical Fiction
Target Audience: Adult
Series: No
Source and Format: Bought; Nook eBook

Summary (From Goodreads)
Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.

Thoughts on Madame Tussaud 
Let's cut to the chase--I LOVED this book! I was initially drawn to it because of the gorgeous cover, because let's face it, if I lived in France in the 1700s, I would be wearing that gorgeous yellow gown every.single.day.

What I really loved about this book was how much I learned about the French Revolution and what life was like for the people living through it without feeling like I was reading a history book. Marie was a fascinating character, and her connection with the royal family made my understanding of the Revolution from the aristocratic side so much more dynamic. I know this novel is historical fiction and not to be considered fact, but I've read many reviews praising Moran for her commitment to historical accuracy, and after reading just one of her novels, I would have to agree. I loved how she incorporated maps, epigraphs, and a glossary at the end to make for a well-rounded experience, but those things are hard to enjoy with an eBook (like in my case), so I would recommend getting this one in print if you are looking to add it to your shelves.

My only disappointment with the book is the timing of the ending, which I thought was rather abrupt. As I read through the epilogue, I would have liked to see more details of Marie's life in England in the actual novel. I would highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction or anything related to the French Revolution. I am excited to dive into another one of Moran's novels soon! 

Memorable Quote
“But we are all sorry when loss comes for us. The test of our character comes not in how many tears we shed, but in how we act after those tears have dried.”

Disclosure: This review was originally published on my lifestyle blog on December 17, 2012.