Teaser Tuesday (19)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The rules are:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS.

My teaser:

"You're the one in for a surprise, because I'm going to bring you to the Magician's Keep where the First Magician will peel your mind like a banana, exposing the soft center where all the answers lie. Your brain gets a little mashed in the process --" he shrugged his shoulders as if unconcerned about this detail "-- but the information is always accurate."

~pg. 69 "Magic Study"
by Maria V. Snyder

Well, wow. That sounds very enjoyable. But anyway...69 pages and I'm already loving it! Gosh, I love this series so far. I may end up marrying it.

Friday's Finest (26)

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

Rules:
~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.

All relationships are tough. Just like with music, sometimes you have harmony and other times you have cacophony.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman successfully shows the analogy above through her characters and their relationships. They all go through bumps in the road but they also experience smoothness and unity.

Justine's Thoughts: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass
By Cassandra Clare

Pages:

541

Book Description:

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

A quote:

People aren’t born good or bad. Maybe they’re born with tendencies either way, but it’s the way you live your life that matters. And the people you know.

Any thoughts:

City of Glass seems like the perfect ending for The Mortal Instruments series. It’s got everything -- friendship, heartache, action, epiphanies, suspense, family and love. Who would ask for more? Every minute and every second spent reading this book was seriously a pleasure.

Initially when I saw the book, I noticed how thick it was and thought it would take me forever. Little did I know that I would want to stay up late to read it. Alas, it took me only two days to read such a thick book. (I’m so proud of myself!) Cassandra Clare really knows how to hook people at the end of chapters despite their length.

Every question that has been bugging my mind since City of Bones is finally answered. We also see a completely different side of Jace -- his inner self. Beneath his arrogance and wit lies the Jace who we’ve all been waiting to see. It’s the reason why I love him so much! As a fictional character, of course. Other characters are further developed and I enjoyed each personality’s uniqueness. They are all so loveable! To be honest, I even liked Valentine. He is one of the best villains of all time. Everything that everyone says about him is right; he draws people in with his leadership qualities. He is pretty determined; however, he’s a villain for many reasons.

One thing I wanted to mention was how Jace reminded me a lot like Shakespeare’s own Hamlet. It’s strange but true! I’ll leave it to you to make the similarities and differences.

Overall, City of Glass is by far my most favourite. It took me to a series of loops as if I was on a roller coaster ride. It left me pondering and guessing after having read it. Although I’m glad it seems like the perfect ending, I’m happier that there’s another book in the series and an additional prequel to The Mortal Instruments. Boy, am I ever excited!

If you have not started this series, I beg you to do so! I assure you that you will not regret it. In fact, you’ll enjoy the roller coaster ride.

Waiting on Wednesday (35)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Torment
by Lauren Kate

Release Date:
September 28, 2010

Description:
So far, life for fourteen-year-old Phoebe Trask has been picture perfect. Her parents are successful; her older sister, Shyla, is on track to becoming...more How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden a...more How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

---

Yes, it's finally my WoW for the week. What can I say? I love the sound of it! And the cover is hauntingly gorgeous. Argh, September come now! I'm anxious for you!

Daily Dose (31)

This new meme is hosted by Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly, where inspirational pictures are posted to enlighten your day.

Justine's Thoughts: The Girl with the Mermaid Hair by Delia Ephron

The Girl with the Mermaid Hair
By Delia Ephron

Pages:

312

Book Description:

Sukie Jamieson is obsessed with her appearance. She checks her reflection in windows, spoons, car chrome—anything available. So when her mother gives her a full-length mirror that once belonged to her grandmother, Sukie is thrilled. So thrilled that she doesn’t listen to her mother’s warning: "This mirror will be your best friend and worst enemy.” Because mirrors, as Sukie discovers, show not only the faraway truth but the truth close up. And finding out that close-up truth changes people. Often forever.

A quote:

This mirror will be your best friend and worst enemy.

Any thoughts:

I’m not certain how to begin this review, mostly because I didn’t like it at all. I wanted to stop but I had this tiny hope that it would eventually get better. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

Sukie is introduced as an obsessed perfectionist, always making sure that she looks the way she wants to look (she even presses on tape on her nose so she can lose the ‘bump’). Her mother is the same, always conscious of her appearance. With Sukie as the MC, I found her to be extremely annoying. I disliked her and as a result, I disliked the book.

I had no idea about the plot. In the beginning, I was clueless about where it was going. It is later on in the story that it takes a turn and suddenly, something comes up and changes everything. Also, the way the story is told has no effect. To me it sounds monotone, as if everything is stiff and uncomfortable.

The ‘appearances are deceiving’ theme is present, however, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who expects something significant to happen.