City of Glass

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that enter-ing the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?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.

from Amazon.com

Beth says 5 stars...
This book was fantastic! It kept me reading past 1 o'clock in the morning while I knew all along that I should have been sleeping. This book was worth the lost sleep, though. Clare has an incredible and unique way of writing, fusing sarcastic humor with striking descriptions. City of Glass lost none of that, and it feels like Clare's writing is just getting better. It is the backbone and driving force of the stories, and what makes them so wonderful. All of the characters became more complex, and none more so than Jace. His development was so fascinating and one of the most engaging portions of the book. The existing relationships also deepened and some new ones were introduced. It was interesting to finally get a real look at the Shadowhunters' homeland. That in itself gave insight into why some of the characters behave the way they do. Some of the "plot twists" I was able to figure out fairly easily, however I was blindsided on more than one occasion. I love (most) of the characters and the stories, so it's very sad for me to have to part ways with them. I must admit that this book had the most satisfying epilogue that I've ever read. This was a fitting end to an amazing series and I can't wait to read more books from Cassandra Clare.


Nathan says 5 stars...
I'm entirely convinced that Cassandra Clare could write about the rate at which paint dries and I would read every word. Her writing is amazing. I would put her in the top three YA prose writers today. I loved every sentence. The crew is back again and they are remedying (and creating) more havoc, but this time in Idris, the capital of the Shadowhunters. The dialogue is as amazing as always with a lot of quirk and biting sarcasm. I have one issue with the book-predictability. Most of the plot points were easily guessed, though a few were unexpected. It's so well-written that I really didn't mind. Denouement is one of my favorite parts of a novel and this book had plenty of it. There is a truly massive epilogue; this thing is awe-inspiring. Every minor plot was addressed and we find all of our characters reach a conclusion. I love all of the couplings in this book. It helps that Clare makes her characters realistic, which is hard to do when dealing with demon-slaying Nephilim, warlocks, vampires, and other breeds of mystical beings. This book is truly well done. I love Clare's writing and all I can say I can't wait for her next series*.

*Her next series is about the Shadowhunters and is set in Victorian England-I love Victorian England.

Confessions of a Serial Kisser

EVANGELINE LOGAN WANTS a kiss. A spectacular, heart-stopping, life changing kiss. Somehow The Crimson Kiss (a romance novel she’s become obsessed with) and Four Steps to Living Your Fantasy (a self-help book she’s reading) have fused in Evangeline’s mind and sent her on a quest for a kiss. But the path to perfection is paved with many bad kisses—the smash mouth, the ear licker, the “misser.” The phrase “I don’t kiss and tell” means nothing to the boys in her school. And worse: someone starts writing her name and number on bathroom walls. And worst of all: the boy she's just kissed turns out to be her best friend’s new crush. Kissing turns out to be way more complicated than the romance novels would have you believe . . .

from amazon.com

Beth says 4 Stars...
I was very skeptical of this book when I started it. From the pink cover to the title it appeared like another terribly shallow chick-lit book. I'm willing to admit that I was wrong. This book was so much better and deeper than the title implied. The main character, Evangeline, had to confront her own demons and issues raised by her parents' divorce. The plot moved along fairly well, and the commentary on romance was biting and spot on. It served as a reminder that quite often we end up looking for the wrong thing , or that we look for the right thing in the all of the wrong places. I enjoyed the book and found it to be a fun and insightful read.

Blue is for Nightmares

"I Know Your Secret . . ."

It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. Now someone's leaving Drea white lilies-the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacy's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game . . . until another girl at school is brutally murdered.

There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacy turns to the one secret weapon she can trust-the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. Will Stacy's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?

from bn.com

Nathan says 4 stars...
Laurie Faria Stolarz knows how to draw in readers. Stolarz defies the niches of YA literature and writes in multiple genres, but one of her most popular series is her Blue is for Nightmares set. The books focus on Stacey who is dealing with the transition to boarding school...oh yeah, and the ominous premonitions she is having of her best friend's death. Part coming-of-age, part super natural thriller, part romance, and wholly interesting, this book proves that Stolarz is a writer worthy of our admiration. The dialogue is fairly well-written, and the characters are suitable, but the real key to this book is the plot. It's fast-paced and Intense (note the capital "I"). This series swept through my school like the Black Plague through Europe; contagious is seriously a great word to describe the series. It's a fun, fast read that will have readers ready to continue the rest of the series. The verdict- If you like super-natural thrillers this book should definitely be on your reading list.

A Note On Bloggy Things.

Well, first we must say THANKS to the amazing MssJos at Reviews of Young Adult Literature who just gave us our very first award. We'll save you the Oscar speech, but a general thank you is in order to all of our lovely readers.

Here is our fantabulamazing award. YAY for putrefied poultry.

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all...

So to avoid the wrath of chickens, zombies or otherwise, here are our nominees~
Tasha at And Another Book Read...
Sharon at Sharon Loves Books and Cats
Stephanie at Juiciliciousss Reviews
Carrie at Carrie's YA Bookshelf
Steph Su at Steph Su Reads


Our second order of business is in regards to our poll.
The winner of the "What to Review Next" poll was Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr. There's only one problem - we don't have Fragile Eternity. We're working on that though. We will post as soon as we have it, pinky promise. We'll probably review City of Glass first, but don't despair, Marr will receive her fair share eventually.


I'll close with a small teaser. We will soon be holding our first ever CONTEST. It will involve free things, bookish things, so come back next week for your chance to win. We promise excitement, and we mean Harry Potter Midnight Madness excitement, oh yeah we went there.

Bloodhound

Beka Cooper is finally a Dog—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus’s streets. But there’s unrest in Tortall’s capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won’t let anything—or anyone—jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won’t be enough for Beka be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound. . . .

from bn.com

Beth says 5 stars...

I'm going to try and keep the gushing to a minimum. However, I LOVE Tamora Pierce's books. Bloodhound is no exception. It read even more like a detective novel than Terrier, but it worked. It's set about a year after Terrier ends and skips some major events (like when Beka is made a Dog). Pierce subtly shows how many of the characters have grown through brilliant dialogue and their actions. After a series of incidents, Beka finds herself in Port Caynn investigating some counterfeit coins that have made their way into circulation. The plot moved forward beautifully, its complexities neither getting lost nor hampering the flow of the story. Because most of the story took place outside of Corus, I missed some familiar characters (Rosto, Kora, Aniki, Lady Sabine, etc.). Pierce attempted to make up for this by introducing some new characters that were fantastic. This pulled me in and refused to let me go. Beka continued to grow and develop. It will be interesting to see what Pierce will do with her in the next book. This book reminded my of why I love Tamora Pierce's writing so much. Her versatility and ability to create a story are anstounding and distinguish her as an extraordinary talent. Simply put, this book was AMAZING!

Nathan says 5 stars...
My love affair with Tamora Pierce began long ago, and this latest tryst left little wanting. As I began Bloodhound, I was once again walking in the muck of the Lower City trolling for Rats next to our favorite Dog, Beka. The instant pull of her writing sucked me in totally. The partner storyline felt a bit ominous, and I guessed the outcome, but I love Pierce so much it didn't matter. I enjoyed the ride to the inevitable. The detailed and believable characters create the magnetism in Pierce's books which has made her a powerhouse in the YA world, this is true of Bloodhound also. The Port Caynn crew made a welcome addition to the series. Readers will be anxious for more of this well-conceived bunch. It was a fairly quick read, but that may be because my life was nearly paused until I finished. As I'm writing this I'm trying keep my book-self from gushing onto the keyboard. Pierce fans will be ecstatic and new readers will be hooked, though I would suggest reading Terrier first. Wait-why are you still reading this? You should be pre-ordering Bloodhound. Go! No really, now, I promise it won't dissapoint.

How to Ditch Your Fairy

Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Though invisible to the naked eye, a personal fairy, like a specialized good luck charm, is vital to success. And in the case of the students at New Avalon Sports High, it might just determine whether you make the team, pass a class, or find that perfect outfit. But for 14-year-old Charlie, having a Parking Fairy is worse than having nothing at all—especially when the school bully carts her around like his own personal parking pass. Enter: The Plan. At first, teaming up with arch-enemy Fiorenza (who has an All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy) seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart’s desire, it isn’t at all what she thought it would be like, and she’ll have resort to extraordinary measures to ditch her fairy. The question is: will Charlie herself survive the fairy ditching experiment? From the author of the acclaimed Magic or Madness trilogy, this is a delightful story of fairies, friendships, and figuring out how to make your own magic.

from amazon.com

Beth says 4 Stars...
I was looking forward to reading this book. I really enjoyed the Magic or Madness trilogy, and therefore expected great things from this book as well. Although it wasn't quite as good as I expected it to be, I still enjoyed reading it. I loved how unique the fairies in this book were, they weren't like Tinker Bell. I thought it was cute how they all had their little quirks and all did such different things. I also found the culture of New Avalon fascinating, and felt a little bit of scathing social commentary. The complete obsession with sports and the city itself was another facet to this almost real world. Charlie was a decent character, but, as with all the characters in the book, there was really nothing special that made her stand out in my mind. She may as well have been any other host of female characters. Despite its shortcomings, this book was really fun and absolutely adorable. It had some thought provoking points about what you really want, but managed to somehow remain rather foofy. This was a fun, light read.

Teen Angst? Naaah...A Quasi-autobiography

The events in these stories are real. Some names have been changed so I don’t get yelled at.

Ned Vizzini writes about the weird, funny, and sometimes mortifying moments that made up his teen years. With wit, irony, and honesty, Teen Angst? Naaah . . . invites you into his world of school, parents, street people, rock bands, friends, fame, camp, sex (sort of), Cancun (almost), prom, beer, Nintendo, the cool (and almost cool), and more. A Holden Caulfield for Generation Y, Ned Vizzini is an original voice to be reckoned with, read, and enjoyed.

from bn.com

Nathan says 5 stars...
I opened this book to find the first chapter entitled "Nintendo Saved Me," and I instantly fell in love. Ned Vizzini captures the essence of the teenage years with a realism that seems achieved so easily. Vizzini recalls all the quirky details of junior high to senior year with a humor, wit, and depth that makes one look beyond his prose into the very soul of the author. Whether it be ranting about the evils of the Collegeboard or explaining how he tried illegal narcotics before sampling alcohol, Vizzini involves the reader in the story at a core level. Oh, I haven't mentioned yet, there are footnotes*. The book looks a little kid-ish, with its cartoons and large text, but I promise, it's not. I would suggest this for slightly older demographic, but most YA book audiences will be fine with it. Final verdict - this book is bold and refreshing. A must-read for YA fanatics, I mean the word quasi is in the title, what's not to love?


*I LOVE footnotes. They are delicious and quirky interjections that make a book all the more interesting.