January Wrap-Up

    Hello everyone!  It's been awhile and I apologize, but with school back in session for the Spring semester, I haven't had much time to get to post.  I've also decided that, because I have rarely stuck to my TBR each month, I'm going to try not posting a TBR each month and just do a wrap up.  That way I don't have to read something I don't feel like reading and I can still write about the books I did manage to read each month.  I will occasionally do a "My Favorites" list each year at the end of the year, or a "Most Anticipated Releases" each month, but we'll see what my schedule allows.  That being said, I read a whopping 4 BOOKS last month guys!  I knew I would have a lot of time to read over the winter holiday and I'm proud of staying in time with my reading goals for the year.  Here are the books I ended up finishing last month.

(goodreads.com)

    Tales from Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, etc.:  I have had my eye on this book for at least a year, but didn't have an e-reader to read the electronic copies, so I had to wait until the hardcover edition was released.  It was totally worth the wait!  Although there was no discernible plot and the story moved a bit slow at times for my taste, I really enjoyed getting to know this new version of Simon as he struggled through his training at the academy.  I really liked the side characters as well, especially my Scottish BFF George.  If you've been following me at all, you'll know I've been on somewhat of a Scottish kick since I finished Outlander.  The ending was a bit surprising because it was so abrupt.  I feel that because the book is supposed to be a bunch of short stories put together that the ending might have been different if this was a traditional book.  My favorites parts were towards the end as well as those that included the Herondale children.  I felt like they could have done a lot more with the characters with a few extra pages.  Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

   










    Passenger and Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken: These books were amazing!  Duologies are my new favorite thing; they are so concise with their story lines but they still pack a huge punch when it comes to plot.  In this short series, we follow Etta, who is a violin prodigy readying herself for her concert debut when she is unceremoniously shoved (literally) into the world of time traveling by a family who wants to use her to get a valuable object that her mother has hidden.  This story was a whirlwind full of traveling, history, adventure, romance and manipulation.  I honestly had no idea what was going to happen until the end and I really liked that I couldn't guess the chain of events.  Etta was a great protagonist and Nicholas is my precious cinnamon roll and they are straight up couple goals.  I loved that I started off not feeling too kindly towards certain characters, but ended up liking them in the end.  There was a lot of character development, especially with the female characters spread across the story.  I also really liked the ending Bracken gave her characters because it felt real and not rushed at all.  The whole second book moved a bit slower for me than the first, but I liked the result.  Full marks at 4.5 out of 5 stars!

(goodreads.com)

    The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: This book wasn't even on my radar until I saw the cover of the second book by this author and saw that they were related.  Maya is our main character and she is cursed by the stars to have death follow her wherever she goes.  Although Maya favors reading over marriage and other female duties, her father makes a bargain with a neighboring kingdom for her hand.  Maya and her new husband Amar rule together over Akaran, an otherworldly realm where anything seems possible.  Maya soon realizes the fate of the world is in danger of plunging into eternal darkness and it will be up to her to save not only her kingdom, but also her husband from falling into the wrong hands.  This story reminded me so much of ACOMAF that I was instantly hooked by the synopsis.  I guess this book was based loosely on an Indian myth about the realm of death and a different take on the Persephone myth (obviously because it isn't Greek).  The imagery in this book was stunning, the way the author paints each scene as if you are looking out at crumbling ruins, lush forests, or an elaborately decorated castle.  I really liked the Night Bazaar and all the creatures that utilize that space.  I'm really excited that her next book is going to be released next month, so I can follow more of her characters.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

    There you have it!  I read a lot of great books last month.  This month is actually shaping up to be just as good.  With all these snow days we keep getting here in New England, I suppose I'll have many more opportunities to read in the coming weeks.  What are you reading this month?  What are some books you can't wait to get your hands on this year?  Let me know in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

March Wrap-Up

    Hello all!  I know, I'm not posting on a Tuesday or Thursday, but I felt that it was necessary to post my March wrap-up before we got too far into April.  I had meant to post last week, but wanted to finish one of my books, which didn't end up happening.  Although I didn't reach my goal, (again), I will keep trying for three (maybe shorter) books each month until I get it.  Determination!  I've been busy with finishing up my first semester of online library school as well as helping my little sister take care of my new nephew, so it's been hard to find time to read before 11pm.  I'm looking at taking less classes next semester and hopefully that will give me more time to read.  Everyone has to make time for themselves and I've been sucking at that lately, so I'm making a conscious effort to take breaks and breath from time to time.  So without further ado, let's get into the books I read last month.

(goodreads.com)

    As I mentioned in my last post, I had started Prudence by Gail Carriger at the end of February but didn't finish it to put it in the February wrap-up.  Although this book was short in comparison to other books I've read, it took me a lot longer to get through than I thought it would.  This book followed Prudence, who is the daughter of two of the main characters from Gail Carriger's original series Soulless.  Pru is tasked with a mission to India, traveling on a floating blimp, to retrieve a rare tea leaf for her adopted father.  I'm going to reiterate that I should have read this series before the sequel series because I felt lost sometimes with the world building and mentions of seemingly important people who were introduced before.  I also felt like Soulless would have given me some much needed background information on terminology and the older characters, although I don't think it would've added too much to the plot.  Overall I enjoyed this book and I can see why some people really like the humor involved.  For me, it was so close to the humor involved in The Infernal Devices, but not enough for me to laugh out loud.  The story line didn't grab me necessarily and, like I said, I didn't understand what was going on at times.  I thought I would like it more than I did, but I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars just the same.  I may try to read Soulless instead of continuing on with this series for now, just to see if it helps.

(goodreads.com)

    The second and last book I finished was my most anticipated book of the year, which was Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare.  THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD.  It was a little over 700 pages of drama and Shadowhunters and conflict left over from the events of City of Heavenly Fire.  I actually almost did a full spoilery review on just this book because I had SO MANY thoughts upon finishing it, but decided against it.  That being said, there will probably be minor SPOILERS in this review, so if you haven't read Lady Midnight yet, you've been warned.  This book takes place 5 years after the Dark War and the events of The Mortal Instruments series and follows Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn as parabatai at the Los Angeles Institute.  We get to learn more about the Blackthorns and how they've been getting on since their oldest brother Mark was taken from them and became a member of The Wild Hunt, a special group of fairies tasked with riding around the world in search of war and death.  I felt so many feelings towards Jules and Emma during this book.  Jules because he had to take responsibility for way more than he should have and Emma for living off of revenge for a good portion of her life.  Emma reminded me a little of the Herondale boys, Will and Jace, because she's an excellent fighter and only marginally witty.  Jules was DEFINITELY more like Jem in the sense that he had a more calculating mind and loved to lose himself in his art.  Also, the way he usually had to chase after Emma so she wouldn't hurt herself.  I loved seeing that dynamic again in this series because I miss Will and Jem SO MUCH.
    ALSO JEM.  Jem is officially back to being Jem again in this book and we don't see him as much as I wanted, but at the end of the book we get hints that there's more to this story line that includes Jem and Tessa, so I'm betting we'll get to see them both more in the next books.  The flashbacks to Emma and Jules parabatai ceremony KILLED ME, watching Jem retreat outside because he couldn't handle everyone talking about their parabatai bond.  I love seeing all the nods to TID, but it's still a fresh wound in my mind.  Speaking of Will, the fact that Kit seems to be a lost Herondale made me scream.  I knew he would be important, because we kept going back to him during this book, but I didn't expect that.  I feel bad for him too because he's been taught his whole life not to trust Shadowhunters, (much like Will was with his parents, who fled that life).  Plus Kit's poor father being torn in half right in front of him has to scar him for life, right?  Anyway, I'm looking forward to them exploring this plot throughout the other books.
    The tension in this book is OFF THE CHARTS.  Sexual tension, family tension, EVERYTHING IS TENSE and I loved it!  The drama totally added a new layer to the story and I found myself getting beyond frustrated with some of these characters as they attempted to maneuver around each other and their feelings.  I could also understand where everyone was coming from and why they were so guarded.  Cristina was a GREAT addition to this cast of characters and I loved that she also had an air of mystery about her.  She also appreciates Captain America and the Hulk, so she wins in my book.  There were plenty of cultural references in this book, which were accepted and understood by almost everyone, as opposed to TMI.  They explained that it was because of their location, Los Angeles, that they were exposed to things like pop culture, vehicles, etc.  I totally get that and it was a great way to explain their knowledge of driving and computers and things that the New York institute lacked.  Basically I found nothing really wrong with this book and I'm already dreading the wait for the second because Lady Midnight ENDED ON A CLIFF HANGER.  I didn't realize it was at first and had to re-read the last page and I STILL don't really get what's going on, so if anyone has any thoughts or opinions, please enlighten me.  The last thing I'll say, (because this review is super long, so I apologize), is that a lot of other people who read this say to read Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy before reading Lady Midnight because the novellas set up to the events in Lady Midnight and have important information, so I will be reading Shadowhunter Academy ASAP.  Easily this book earned it's 5 stars all around.

(goodreads.com)

    Lastly, I started A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab and I'm currently half way through.  I desperately wanted to finish this before the end of March but didn't anticipate it being as long as it is.  I got this book in the mail as a pre-order BEFORE Lady Midnight and chose to read Lady Midnight first, so I guess it's my own fault.  I'm thoroughly enjoying this book so far and I'm anticipating the second half to be much more intense than the first, so I'll give you guys all my thoughts come April.

(shadowhunterstv.com)

    I did want to mention Shadowhunters again just to talk about the season wrapping up this week.  MALEC was last week's episode and OHMYGOD!!  I think they broke the Internet because that episode was probably the best they've done so far.  I agree with some people who say that Malec hasn't had adequate relationship development, but the kiss was a long time coming, so it was much appreciated.  It would have been great if Alec and Magnus had been meeting in secret, like they did that first time Alec stayed behind at Magnus's flat to have drinks, but they've literally had no contact that wasn't met with hostility from Alec, so I wish they had explored Alec's real feelings more.  I really loved Ragnor Fell in this episode, so it's a bummer that he died so soon.  Despite the fact that he wasn't green, the actor did a really great job at portraying the Ragnor I could picture from the books.  He also had great chemistry with Magnus.  Clace has moved to the back-burner as of their sibling reveal, which readers know is only temporary.  I'm curious to see how they'll end the season because I honestly have no idea what will happen.  Jocelyn is partially to blame for Jace knowing his true parentage, so if they finally wake her up in the finally, they may reveal the hoax as well.  The poor actress who plays Jocelyn has had almost no screen time this season, so I doubt they'll keep her dormant for much longer.  On the other hand, I can totally see Jace leaving with Valentine at the end of this season, believing it's his true path, and the second season is spent trying to find him.  This would be a riff on Jace and Sebastian's escapades in the second half of TMI.  Either way, I don't think they will drag the brother-sister thing out too long because almost the entire viewing audience knows it's not real, so why bother?  If they brought it too far into next season, it would get frustrating.  I'm hoping they use the second season to take everyone's criticisms into account and improve, now that they know they have another shot.

    Ok, so those should be all my thoughts.  What do you think of Shadowhunters season 1?  What are your predictions for season 2?  They've stated that Sebastian wouldn't be happening until season 3, (if they got that far), so what does that mean?  What did you think of Lady Midnight?  Let's discuss in the comments.  Tune in later this week as I'll attempt to list a doable TBR for April.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

March TBR

    Hello again!  Welcome back.  As promised, I've returned to give you my March TBR.  It's not impressive by any means, but they are books I'm looking forward to reading, so let's get started!

    The first book I'm planning to read, (or finish), this month is Prudence, which is book one in The Custard Protocol series by Gail Carriger.  I already went into some detail on this book in my previous post because I'm currently in the process of reading it, so you can check out my thoughts so far down below.  I am enjoying it so far, but I can't wait to get to the other two books on my list!

(goodreads.com)

    A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab came for me in the mail yesterday, after pre-ordering it MONTHS ago.  The cover art is just as stunning in person and I literally cannot wait to dive into this book.  For those of you who aren't aware, this is the second book in Schwab's adult fantasy series, A Darker Shade of Magic, which follows the adventures of a magician named Kell and his friend Delilah Bard through alternative versions of London.  This book takes place four months after the dramatic events of the first book and Kell is left attempting to return to normal in his home of Red London as the kingdom prepares for a magical competition amid dark powers rising from a long-dead alternative universe.  This is one of the most original fantasy series I've ever read and I'm seriously invested in these characters, so I can't wait to see what happens in this next installment.  I literally have no idea what's going to happen, so I'm excited to find out for myself!  I mean LOOK AT THAT COVER ART THOUGH.

(goodreads.com)

    Lastly, but not least, I have Lady Midnight by Cassandra friggin Clare FINALLY comes out this month.  This is probably one of my most anticipated books of the year besides A Court of Mist and Fury.  LADY MIDNIGHT COMES OUT IN 5 DAYS GUYS.  5 DAYS!!!  Shadowhunters are back y'all, and they are in Los Angeles for this one.  This new series takes place five years after the events of City of Heavenly Fire from The Mortal Instruments series.  Emma's parents have been killed and she's still trying to figure out how when a long-lost family member returns at a price to help the Fair Folk regain what was lost to them in the war.  I'm already thoroughly invested in the Blackthorns and their predicament, not to mention the lone Carstairs giving me the Jem feels all over again.  I just can't wait to immerse myself in more of this world.  It's honestly an addiction guys.  I think I need help...

    Those are all the books I'm going to try to attempt this month.  I'm hoping I can get to all of them.  I've been having trouble keeping up with my reading, but I will definitely be plowing through those last two as soon as I can.  Also, at this point, I believe we're a little more than half way through Shadowhunters, so I'll try to post a review/recap at some point before posting my wrap-up for March, but I'm not promising anything.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

February Wrap-Up

    Long time, no see!  I know it's been awhile since I last posted, but I'm really glad I made the decision to cut back on blogging, (unfortunately).  It's bitter sweet because, obviously, I'd rather be writing about a ton of cooler things besides management techniques and reference sources, (OK, my reference services class is actually pretty neat).  That being said, I did want to make time to address the books I did get to read this month.  Sadly, it was still a little less than I had hoped, but I'm actually in the middle of a book right now, so I'll mention that one as well.  Then I'll sort of review what I think of Shadowhunters so far.  Let's get to it!

(goodreads.com)

    The first book I tackled this month was Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes.  This is the second book in the Falling Kingdoms series that I started last month.  I'm really enjoying this series and where it's going so far.  For some reason I can't place, I find Lucia to be annoying, but I'm sure that will subside eventually...  I'm also not one of those people who hate Magnus, (how can I possibly hate ANYONE named Magnus?!?).  I think he's just misunderstood; he's been physically and emotionally abused by his own family, so why wouldn't he be vengeful?  I am a bit disappointed that Magnus can't seem to hurt or kill anyone unless it's from behind.  I guess I was just expecting a little more effort from him, but I would still chose him over Jonas.  Jonas bugged me in this book and it was probably because he NEVER LISTENED to ANYONE.  A lot of people died in this book, so I'll be curious to see how the rest of the series unfolds from here.  I ended up giving this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The second (and final) book I read this month was Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and it was a breath of fresh air for me.  It's so different than anything I've been reading that I was intrigued from the start.  I think I'm starting to experiment more with what the kids call "urban fantasy," which is what this is.  The book takes place in Prague, so I have no idea what Prague looks like, but it seems like the most beautiful place in Europe from the way Taylor describes the place.  I also like that our female characters, Karou and Zuzana are quirky, eccentric students living their own lives.  The way they talked to each other reminded me of the way I used to be in high school, so I loved that take on their friendship.  I also liked the romance, being very much star-crossed lovers.  Honestly, I can say that I didn't see anything in the second half of the book coming at all.  I knew something was strange, but I was totally blindsided by the reveal towards the end.  I'm curious about the other two books in this trilogy, so when I find time, I will definitely be finishing it.  I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars as well.

(goodreads.com)

    The book that I'm currently reading is Prudence by Gail Carriger and it's the first book in her Custard Protocol series.  This series is actually Carriger's newest, having written The Parasol Protectorate series, the original series to which Custard Protocol is the sequel.  Prudence is the daughter of the protagonist of the original series, so I went back and forth for awhile to see which one I would read first.  Upon starting this book, I do wish I had read Soulless and the other books in that series prior to this one because it seems like this book just starts and doesn't explain how anything works regarding the world, people's personalities and actions.  Everything just seems expected, so I wish I had some tether to the original characters to make this one seem important.  I do enjoy the Victorian-century wit, very similar to that of The Infernal Devices, so that at least is familiar and enjoyable.  I'm not that far in yet, but I'm going to try to finish it soon so I can get into A Gathering of Shadows, which should be in my hands by tomorrow and Lady Midnight, which I should have hopefully sometime next week! (SQUEE)  I also grabbed Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard from my library before it went out on the shelves, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get into that with the other two looming over me.

OK SO SHADOWHUNTERS SHADOWHUNTERS SHADOWHUNTERS

    So I know I haven't updated my feelings about this show in awhile after my initial underwhelming reaction to the pilot, but at this point episode eight premiered tonight, (NO I haven't watched it yet and it's KILLING ME SLOWLY), and the series has improved greatly, in my eyes.  I think the way they're handling the plot twists and changes is admirable and they've been subtly adding more and more lines from the book, which is great!  My favorite characters, by far, have been Alec and Simon.  They are honestly the best people to play those two characters and they are always on point in personality.  It's like they were meant to be those characters.  I'm also really enjoying Magnus and all of his bedazzled glory, so I'm hoping Malec is worth the painstaking wait.

    There are two things that I haven't seen yet from this show that I think should have happened by now because they're extremely important to the books.  Although Jace has mentioned Demon Pox already, he has yet to play the piano!  I know this probably doesn't matter for some people, but his playing the piano is part of his softer side that Clary needs to witness.  It also ties him more to Will Herondale, which is extremely important to me, considering all the name dropping the show is doing from TID.  It doesn't seem like much, but I would just like to see Jace at the piano at least once please.  The second thing that is bothering me is that Clary has made absolutely no runes!  She actually seems to forget the ones she's learned so far, so what's up with that?  Clary's special ability is supposed to be her ability to create runes and have them work really well.  She almost seems like she has no idea what she's doing most of the time.  We also never saw her pick up the book and study any either, so I'm wondering how she's learning all of this stuff to begin with.  I'm still not 100% in love with the show yet, but it's steadily getting better for me, and that's all that matters.

    What do you guys think?  What do you think of the show so far? (we're already more than half way through!)  What's missing for you or what could they add from the books?  What do you hope to see from a season two, if it happens?  Personally, I'm praying for BROTHER ZACHARIAH Y'ALL.  Let's discuss in the comments.  Thursday I'll be talking about my March TBR.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Shadowhunters Review

    I hope everyone is having a good week so far!  I'm making an attempt to post at least once this week just so I feel accomplished.  As you all know, I've been eagerly waiting for the arrival of "Shadowhunters" on Free Form, which used to be ABC Family.  Unfortunately I didn't have time to post about it last night because I ended up watching not just the first episode, but the SECOND one as well!  I downloaded the new Free Form app on my phone in order to access the second episode, which they unlocked for those people who had the app.  I will be reviewing both episodes here while also letting you know what I did or did not like about the show so far.  If you haven't seen either episode one or two, be prepared for spoilers below.

(tmisource.com)

    I'm going to start off with the negative because I feel like it's easier to pick out what I didn't like than what I did like.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed watching this show and I will definitely keep watching, however there are some things that bugged me about this pilot.  The first thing I'm going to mention is that once things moved past initial introductions, everything seemed a bit rushed, even the dialogue.  It's as if they were trying to cram too much into the pilot episode.  The second episode was a bit better tempo-wise, but still crammed with a lot.  I think a lot of people have already commented on this, so I won't elaborate any more, but I think it may have something to do with attempting to combine the first two books into this first season.  We see elements of both City of Bones and City of Ashes here in these first two episodes, so those of us who read the books may deem this to be a bad move.  I think as a show, without re-reading the books for it, is a great show and Free Form's first attempt at a really good fantasy show.  We have to remember that Cassandra Clare was directly involved with this show, so there is hope for the show to become more relaxed.

(fanpop.com)

    The biggest thing I had a problem with, besides the obvious rushing of events, was the institute.  There were WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE in there!  The New York institute is supposed to be practically empty except for the Lightwoods and Hodge.  The ancient and empty institute is what made it interesting and mysterious.  Now it looks like they are raising an army in there with loads of modern technology.  The institute in the movie took my breath away with how beautiful and spot on it was visually.  This TV show one fell a little flat for me.
    I don't mind the difference in ages and I think it works better for the demographic they are trying to hit with this new launch of ABC Family as Free Form.  I don't mind Hodge as a younger guy because apparently he was younger than the rest of the Circle members in the books.  I also like how Valentine is older and looks more like a father of an 18 year old.  I also love the guy playing Valentine, (he was also in Reign as King Henry and he was AMAZING).  He had a decent amount of screen time too.
    The Silent Brother's scene from episode two bothered me a little also.  They look pretty much the same as before, although I think they could look even creepier, but that's just me.  The graveyard setting was key because they look after their dead, so the fact that this looks more like the entrance to the troll market from Hellboy is a little underwhelming.  I did enjoy the part where Jace said my favorite line from the book, "Shadowhunters: looking better in black than the widows of our enemies."

(tmisource.com)

   The characters were good.  I loved the Lightwoods!  They are spot on and Alec is SO DONE WITH EVERYONE'S SHIT already, it's so perfect.  I also really liked Simon because it really felt like the Simon from the book, (not sure if that's because Alberto has read the books and is actually a fan girl like the rest of us, but it could be).  I also like Luke, even though they've deviated from his original profession.  I even liked Raphael, for the short time he was in the second episode.  Dom looks great as Jace, but I honestly think that Jamie Campbell Bower was a better Jace at this point.  Jace is sarcastic, witty, narcissistic, and rude.  It was almost as if Dom was holding back a lot, so I'm hoping he gets more comfortable with himself as Jace as the show moves forward.  Some of the dialogue was straight from the books while some of it was really corny at times, so they have to find that happy medium.  Clary felt mostly true to her character for me, but there were times where I feel like she accepted everything that was going on too easily.  She really just went along with Jace without asking too many questions.  I understand that she's in it for her mom and that's all she cares about, but shouldn't all of this be a bit more overwhelming at first?  I can understand her coming to terms with her new status in the second or third episode, but she shouldn't just be able to jump right into being a Shadowhunter.  Can we mention Jocelyn for a minute?  She's a complete bad ass and I totally approve.  She's still unwilling to introduce Clary to the Shadow world, but she is willing to kill demons to protect her, instead of acting helpless.  Also, definitely not enough Magnus for me.

(tumblr.com)

    The second episode was better than the pilot.  They had a decent introduction to the vampires, but I'm wondering if they're going to turn Simon this early in the season or if they'll wait it out a few more episodes.  Obviously they're going to have to attempt a rescue mission in the third episode which may or may not involve Magnus's help, so we'll see how that goes.

    Overall, I think this show has potential.  There were some great lines in these first two episodes, (including the one above),  many nods to the books while also recognizing this as their "translation" of them, and a little bit of action.  I really hope they have the fight in the vampire den as a part of this series because I'd love to see more vampires vs. werewolves up in here.  This is how I see everyone's inner dialogue, based solely on the first two episodes:
  Clary: GUYS I LITERALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING YOU'RE SAYING unless it's about my mom.
  Jace: How's my hair?
  Isabelle: *looks at everyone like they have a secret to keep and she knows it*
  Alec: I CAN'T EVEN.
  Simon: What the actual fuck?
    I'm really excited about this series and I will not be deterred from watching because of only the first two episodes.  Yes, there are some things I didn't like or that didn't feel right to me, but that's because it's a pilot.  After watching both episodes I can say that the second one felt better than the first, so I'm hoping that trend continues throughout the series.  I may or may not be posting every week about this show, but I will keep you posted on definite likes and dislikes that need to be addressed as they come up.  What did you think?  Do we have similar opinions about the show so far?  What would you like to see in future episodes?  Is anyone else counting down until Malec?!??  Let's discuss in the comments below!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
   

January TBR

    Hello, and welcome to 2016!  So far so good on this end, although I've been battling a pretty nasty cold.  I apologize in advance if I don't end up posting Thursday, but I've been pretty busy on top of being sick, planning my little sister's baby shower for next weekend.  Forgive me if I'm a little scatter-brained!  I'm here today to bring you my list of books I'll be attempting to read this month.  Seeing as I only read about 3 books last month, I'll only try to tackle 4 or 5 this month.  We'll see if I can get to them all.

(goodreads.com)

    The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima is the first book in Chima's older, (first?), 5-book fantasy series.  I had originally planned to read this book a few months ago, but never got around to it.  But now I have time!  This book follows a boy named Jack, who is a high school teenager with a heart defect.  One day he skips his very important medicine and actually feels great, superior even to his old self.  He then gets thrown into a secret underground world filled with wizards and enchanters and warriors who live among us normal humans.  I've already started this book and I'm about 200 pages in.  At this point, I'm not loving it as much as Chima's Demon King series, but I'm going to try to read a few more hundred pages before I give up on it.  I'm just not that into it at the moment, but we'll see if that changes by the end of the month.

(goodreads.com)

    Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes is a fantasy series I've heard a lot of great things about.  It's been on my TBR shelf for awhile and now that I have access to it through the library I work at, I can finally read it!  This first book introduces the reader to the three kingdoms of Mytica and their struggle to keep the peace between their realms.  Four very different people in each of the kingdoms become intertwined in the fate of the ruined world.  I think the idea of telling the same story from four different perspectives seems interesting and I've liked other books that have done that as well, so I have high hopes for this one!

(goodreads.com)

    Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor just seems like a wild ride!  This is another books I've heard a lot of great things about and the last book in this series came out last year, so I'm looking forward to starting it fresh.  This is also another story about demons and angels I guess, which perked my interest, considering my current obsession with Shadowhunters.  This story takes place in Prague and follows Karou, a budding art student with bright blue hair who gets involved with the wrong sort.  Akiva, a haunted but beautiful soul, will no doubt change Karou's life forever.  The synopsis on the book doesn't really give much away, but I kind of like that because I have no idea what this book is really about other than from what I've heard from other people who've read it already.  Really excited to pick this one up!

(goodreads.com)

    Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan is the first book in Riordan's new middle grade series, which came out last fall.  I am one of those people who've never read Percy Jackson, but what drew me to this particular book was the tie in with vikings and Norse mythology, which is very interesting to me, and the fact that the book takes place partially in Boston, which is my home city.  I recently picked up this book while I was at work and just leafed through all the titles of the chapters and I DIED LAUGHING.  I can't wait to read this and I can't wait it's taken me this long to put it on my TBR.  THAT COVER THOUGH.

(goodreads.com)

   Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare, because I really haven't gotten enough of this series and I'm TRYING to prepare myself for the SHADOWHUNTERS premiere in A WEEK GUYS.  IT'S OFFICIALLY A WEEK AWAY!!  If you still, for some reason, haven't read my synopsis or review of this book already, click the link here or forever hold your peace.  Still keeping track and posting the funniest quotes I find from the books, so hit me up on Instagram to check it out!  I'll be compiling a huge list and posting it to here, maybe this month, once I'm finished gathering the funniest quotes I can find.  Stay tuned!

    There you have it, my  condensed TBR for January.  I feel sad that I can't read as much as I could over the summer, but it will only get more difficult when I start classes at the end of the month.  I'm also trying to pay attention to what I want to read versus what I'm forcing myself to read, hence why I may abort that first book to make room for others.  Always follow your reading instincts!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Most Anticipated Books of 2016

  Happy New Year everyone!  I'm glad that 2015 is coming to a close; it was a very stressful year full of academic woes and health issues.  I know this sounds cliche, but it feels like I'm starting from scratch in 2016.  I should only have about a year of recovery left after this year, (which will probably be more like two, but I'm optimistic for once), I just started my ideal job at the library and I'll be starting my Library and Information Science degree at URI at the end of the month, officially beginning my career as a librarian.  I feel like I can finally relax now and get on with my life instead of waiting around for nothing.  I can finally move forward now that I know exactly what I want for myself.  That being said, I hope that whatever your goals for 2016 may be that you achieve them with gusto.  I have a bad habit of not following through, so I try not to make promises, even to myself.  My only resolution for next year is to stay alive, which I think I can manage.
    This year, as I discussed in my previous post, we had a lot of great books.  This coming year is no exception, which is why I wanted to highlight some of my most anticipated books of 2016.  This is a list solely based on what I am personally excited about, not necessarily a list of ALL the popular books coming out next year, (that would be a very long post and one I don't think many people would get through).  I'll mention each book in the order in which they will be released and then I will note my top three most anticipated books for next year.  I will also link each title to it's Goodreads page for those of you who want to read more about each book and check them out!

(goodreads.com)

    Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard:  Aveyard saw success last year with her best-selling book Red Queen, which is the first book in this series.  I read her first book and really enjoyed the story and the characters.  Mare Barrow has been revealed to the kingdom as a red-blooded normal girl with the silver ability to control lightning, which is considered an abomination.  After the kingdom suffers a blow and the new King Maven is appointed to the throne, he'll stop at nothing to get to Mare back.  Mare seeks to find more of her own kind in order to build an army to fight back against the vindictive new king.  This book sounds a lot more action-packed than the first, so I'm hoping that's true.  I'm also curious to see what the aftermath of the shocking twist of the end will look like.  Glass Sword comes out February 9th.

(goodreads.com)

    The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine:  This book intrigued me because it's a retelling of Snow White and sounds very similar to the Snow White story line from Once Upon a Time.  Our main character, Lorelai, is a princess who possesses magic, but has been banished from her kingdom of Ravenspire after the evil Queen took her throne and killed her father.  In a neighboring kingdom, Prince Kol is propositioned by the evil Queen of Ravenspire after a band of magical ogres kill his family and he is left unprotected.  She promises him magical assistance in exchange for his services in hunting down Lorelai and bringing back her heart.  This sounds incredibly juicy and the addition of magic to this story makes it even better.  I love the idea of a courageous and completely independent Snow White-like character, so I'm hoping Lorelai is the champion we deserve from this story.  The Shadow Queen debuts February 16th.

(goodreads.com)

    A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab:  I have been waiting for this book for a long time!  It feels like I read A Darker Shade of Magic ages ago, but it was only last January, almost a year ago.  LOOK AT THAT COVER THOUGH.  This is the second book in this adult fantasy series and follows Kell, the last of his kind of magicians who can travel between alternate universes.  It has been four months since the events at the end of the first book and all seems well.  Kell has given up smuggling between dimensions and is preparing for the Element Games, a pageant to keep pleasant ties between countries, including Red London, Kell's home.  But Black London is stirring after the unfortunate events from four months ago and Delilah is on her way back from her trials at sea at the least opportune moment.  I have very high expectations for this book, so I hope it lives up to them.  A Gathering of Shadows comes out February 23rd.

(goodreads.com)

    Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare:  Although I won't have to wait too long between books for this one, (seeing as I finished City of Heavenly Fire in November of this year), I am still planning on going to the closest book store and buying it immediately upon its release.  As you all know by now, I am OBSESSED with the Shadowhunters series and this is Clare's next installment.  This new series takes place at the Los Angeles institute five years after the events in City of Heavenly Fire.  Emma Carstairs has been determined to find out what happened to her murdered parents.  She lives at the institute with the Blackthorn family, including her parabatai and best friend Julian, who lost his father five years ago as well.  Mundanes and Downworlders are being murdered around Los Angeles and they look eerily familiar to Emma's parents' own murder.  In order to find out what's happening and determine the connection between the murders, the Shadowhunters and the Fair Folk will initiate an uneasy alliance in order to stop the bloodshed.  If all goes according to plan, The Fair Folk will release one of the Blackthorns they have held captive for the past five years.  The stakes are high, but will they succeed in time?  Forbidden love, a race against time and a Downworlder feud for the ages make this story sound irresistible.  With the TV show set to start in 12 days and this new book I CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE SHADOWHUNTERS!  Lady Midnight comes out March 8th.

(goodreads.com)

    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas:  OH MY GOD THIS BOOK.  I've wanted this book since the minute I finished ACOTAR and the NEED IS STRONG.  As you know, ACOTAR was my favorite book of 2015, so I have just cause to want this book.  This will be the second book in this new trilogy, (?), by Maas, who has become one of my favorite authors.  Feyre is struggling with her guilt after the events that took place at the end of the first book.  She has paid a heavy price for her freedom and the freedom of the High Fae she now calls friends.  Feyre also has to hold up her end of her bargain with the High Fae of the Night Court, the powerful Rhysand.  Feyre will have a chance to use her powers for good and prevent a great evil from striking the Night Court.  I have heard that this book may include elements of the Persephone mythology, much like the first book was a nod to Beauty and the Beast.  I want there to be a love triangle SO BAD.  Does that make me a horrible person?  Personally, I'm all for Rhysand and whatever he wants to do, so bring it on!  I can't see how I could be disappointed in this book and it's still so far away!  A Court of Mist and Fury comes out May 3rd.

(goodreads.com)

   Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine:  I read the first book in The Great Library series, Ink and Bone, this past year and really enjoyed the alternative reality that would be our present if The Great Library of Alexandria still existed.  The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world and Jess Brightwell has gone from a child smuggler of rare books to a soldier in the Library's army.  All is not as it seems and Jess soon finds himself in trouble again, fleeing Alexandria, away from the girl he loves, home to London in order to escape the Library's automata.  He must use his quick thinking skills to survive and decide where his loyalties truly lie.  The first book was a bit slow paced, but I'm hoping this will have a lot more action in it.  Paper and Fire comes out July 5th.

(pinterest.com)

    Throne of Glass #5 (no title) by Sarah J. Maas:  Maas is so important to me that she made my list twice!  After reading Queen of Shadows in 2015 and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.  Aelin has succeeded in asserting herself on the throne in her own kingdom, but will she hold her people's adoration for long?  Magic and non-magic people are feuding and the remaining kingdoms of Erilea are beginning to shatter.  In order to save her world from looming dark forces, she must embark on a quest that may endanger those she holds dear.  There are going to be a total of six books in this series, so the synopsis definitely sounds like the beginning of the end for Aelin's adventures.  I'm praying for a happy ending for all of my precious cinnamon rolls, (talking about you Dorian!)  Although there's no title or picture for this book yet, I did find something pretty sweet while I was snooping for some inside info.  There has been talk of the Throne of Glass series being optioned as a TV series!  I'm praying that this becomes a reality, but only if it's similar to Game of Thrones.  There's an article that talks a little about this development from September with recommendations for casting.  Check it out in the link here!  Book five in the Throne of Glass series debuts September 6th.

(goodreads.com)

    The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon:  There's no picture for this book either, plus a really pathetic synopsis, but considering the release date I'm not surprised.  This will be the third, (and final?), installment to the Bone Season series.  This series follows Paige Mahoney as she discovers her incredible clairvoyant powers as well as an alien invasion, a crime lord murder and a secret government plot.  There's a lot going on in this series so it's difficult to summarize, but basically Paige has to save everyone and ignore her feelings.  There's a revolution starting in Scion London and Paige, as the new Mime Lord of her sector, she is in charge of protecting her new subjects.  Someone is out there to prevent Paige from succeeding, an enemy of her past.  Will she finally be strong enough to stop the onslaught of destruction?  This adult series has really surprised me and although it took me a long time to finish the first book, I really enjoyed it.  The story is original, complex and intriguing in the way both sci-fi and fantastical elements collide in a whirlwind of action.  I'm really excited to see where this ends.  The Song Rising comes out November 3rd.

    Overall, my top three books that I'm most anticipating for 2016 are A Court of Mist and Fury, Lady Midnight and the fifth Throne of Glass book, in that order.  Those are the series that I'm most obsessed with at the moment, so those are the books I'm going to focus most of my energy on in the coming year.  Luckily I won't have to wait too long for Lady Midnight!  What books are you eagerly anticipating in the new year?  Are you pumped about any on my list?  Let's discuss in the comments below or you can hit me up on any of my social media platforms.  I hope everybody has fun at the various New Year's celebrations tonight.  See you all in 2016!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

November Wrap-Up

    Hey guys, sorry I took an impromptu, (but not really), break from posting last week.  I figured it was Thanksgiving and I could use a little time off, plus I was able to finish the rest of the paperwork I needed to complete to finish my colloquium, FINALLY.  Fingers crossed I get the OK from my pseudo-adviser sometime this week that I'm officially DONE with this Masters degree.  I'm also preparing to start my new job at a local library!  I had hope that my commitment and determination would pay off and I'm glad that it did.  I can't wait to start this new chapter in my life!  I can't believe how fast November went by and in that time I read a whopping 12 BOOKS guys!  12!!  That's the most I've ever read in a month!  Granted, most of those, (9), were Shadowhunter related, but still.  I don't think I'll be able to repeat that list until probably this summer when I have more time.  Plus I'm still suffering from a slight book hangover after finishing City of Heavenly Fire...  That being said, here are all the books I read this month.  I will try to keep it as concise as humanly possible and leave spoilers out, but I'm not promising anything.  This is going to be a long one, so bear with me...

(goodreads.com)

    The Night Circus:  I was supposed to read this book in October for Halloween because it seemed like that type of book, but I ended up running out of time.  I'm kind of glad that I read this book at the beginning of November because it's still had that eerie vibe to it, but with some romanticism thrown in.  This story was beautiful and enchanting, to say the least.  As the only real stand-alone book I read this month, it brought something different to the table that the others lacked.  I really had no idea where the story was going the entire time.  As you read through each section, you only get snippets of each time line and from certain points of view.  The story also takes place over a 30-year span of time, so that added to the intrigue.  The writing style kept me wanting more and the way the author alternated between the past and present was really interesting and effective for the story.  Not one of the characters came out and just said what was happening; you had to figure it out and piece it together for yourself, which I appreciated.  After reading a lot of YA, you get used to that standard plot structure, so it was somewhat refreshing to not know what to expect.  Each piece of the larger plot was revealed gradually and casually over time, which added to the suspense.  All of the characters were dynamic and interesting, each having a part to play in this "game."  Although the beginning was a little slow for me, it picked up towards the middle and I couldn't stop.  I also really liked the setting, 1800s/1900s, all over the world, but mostly London and New York.  The love story was beautiful and very unique.  Everyone should want a Marco in their life.  I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess:  OH MY GOD THESE BOOKS.  I think I've mentioned this before, but one of my friends recommended The Infernal Devices to me after I tried and failed to get into City of Bones.  She told me this would hook me into the Shadowhunter world and SHE WAS SO RIGHT.  I read the first book, Clockwork Angel in October, so I wanted to finish the series this month.  Little did I know that this would spur the changes I made to the rest of my TBR list for November...  Clockwork Prince takes place after the events of Clockwork Angel, in which Will is attempting to rid himself of his "curse" through Magnus, who can summon the demon he needs to bargain with.  The book deals with Charlotte fighting for control of the London Institute, the Lightwood brothers training Tessa and Sophie to fight like Shadowhunters and everyone trying to figure out what Mortmain is up to.  I was actually moved by the introduction of Cyril, Thomas's brother, because he looks just like him.  I also really liked that Sophie had a chance to shine despite her deformity.  Because Will is still trying to figure out what's wrong with him, Jem and Tessa end up developing a connection that is apparently so strong that it results in engagement.  I think it's adorable, but I never saw Jem as a romantic interest for Tessa, at least at this point in my reading.  There is so much betrayal and heartbreak in this book!  Will wasn't as much of an asshole in this one, but he's still easily my favorite character in the whole series.  I will eventually make a list of all the Will Herondale quotes that amuse me and post it somewhere.  Tessa is also more tolerable in this book, which was nice.  The revelation about Will at the end was excruciatingly painful and my heart broke for him.  We also get to learn more about Will's family, which was a nice touch.  Overall I Clockwork Prince 4.5 out of 5 stars.
    Clockwork Princess DESTROYED ME emotionally.  Easily one of the best books I've read this year, on the same level as ACOTAR.  I can't even with this book.  I laughed and cried so much that I couldn't sleep.  Jem goes through hell in this book.  While Will is away trying to save Tessa after she gets abducted Jem apparently dies, leaving Will in inconsolable pain.  This is exactly how I felt: Jem dying and Will leaving him/saying goodbye...NO.  Will feeling Jem die and then going on a murderous rampage....NO.  Will saving Tessa and confessing his love for her...YES.  The battle where Brother Zachariah is revealed to be Jem and I COULDN'T KEEP THE TEARS IN MY EYES.  Saying goodbye to Jem a second time when he leaves to be a full-fledged Silent Brother...NO.  The worst part of this book, emotionally, was the damn epilogue.  I read the entire thing sobbing uncontrollably.  This book has action, romance, sabotage, sacrifice, secrets, family, etc.  It's everything I could have asked for in a book, and especially for the ending of a trilogy.  It caused the worst book hangover I've had since The Deathly Hallows.  5 out of 5 stars and then some.  ALL THE FOREVER FEELS.

(goodreads.com)

    City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass:  Because of Clockwork Princess, I immediately forfeited the rest of my planned TBR for November and ran out to borrow the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series because I CAN'T STOP.  These are the first three books out of the six in this series and takes place in 2007 and 2008.  City of Bones introduces us to Clary Fray, whose mother is an ex-Shadowhunter on the run from her ex-husband, the evil and deadly Valentine.  Clary, through a series of unfortunate events which result in her mother's kidnapping, ends up running into Jace Wayland and his team of Shadowhunters, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, (all descendants of the original Shadowhunters from The Infernal Devices, which makes this series even more fun to read).  In the first 20 pages or so we see Church, an immortal cat who was saved by Jem in one of the other books, so I'm immediately hooked after that.  I went over the similarities and differences between this book and it's movie/TV show counterparts in a previous post, so if you're curious about my thoughts on those, go check them out.  Overall I loved the book, even though I pretty much already knew what happened from watching the movie.  The world building in the book was spectacular and the setting in New York City was an interesting perspective that gave the author a lot to work with.  I wish some of the scenes from the book had made it into the movie, but hopefully the TV show will do it more justice.  I gave the first book 4 out of 5 stars.
    The second book, City of Ashes, deals with the aftermath of the Shadowhunter showdown with Valentine and the revelation that Clary and Jace are actually brother and sister.  If I had to pick a least-favorite book in this series, (which I wouldn't), it would be this one, just because it does read like a middle book and focuses mainly on the conflict between the Clary and Jace trying not to be in love with each other.  This is the only book where incest is OK with me because it's NOT REAL.  I felt the worst for Simon throughout this book because he got dealt the worst hand.  We also get introduced to a bunch of new characters, mainly vampires and werewolves.  There is a lot of contact between the Shadowhunters at the institute and the Downworlders.  Jocelyn is still unconscious from the first book, so Clary is living with Luke.  Because of Clary and Jace's new relationship with each other, they try to stay away from each other, which results in Simon going after Clary.  Jace is on the outs at the Institute because of his involvement with his father Valentine.  Jace is implicated in a lot of stuff he didn't do and nobody trusts him, (as usual).  We see a lot more of Magnus in this book, which I love because I need more MALEC in my life.  Simon becoming a vampire was the hardest to read because I just felt bad for everyone, not just Simon, but Clary and Isabelle too.  Clary's growing into her powers and ends up saving everyone in the end.  One of the mysteries of this book was Jace's true parentage, which is revealed in the next book.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
    City of Glass was awesome to read.  It gave the first look into Idris, mainly the city of Alicante, the Shadowhunter home base, hidden to mundanes.  If you thought there was drama in the last book, this book tops that.  There's more incest, even real incest this time, with the introduction of Sebastian, who is revealed to be Clary's real brother and mostly demonic.  There was action, but we really didn't see much of it due to the focus on the lake scene.  I think reading how Clary has grown as a Shadowhunter through these three books in particular was enjoyable for me because at this point in the series, she's really come into her own.  I didn't particularly like how the author handled Jocelyn's return.  I thought Clary was a bit too dramatic and took out way too much on her mother at one time.  Everyone's self-loathing was at an all-time high in this book.  Again, Malec forever please.  At the end, Jocelyn reveals the truth about Jace's parentage and EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE.  I gave this book another 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire:  I thoroughly enjoyed these last three books in the series, more so than the first three I think.  Even though they are all connected and go together, I feel like they are split up three and three.  After the abrupt death of Valentine at the angelic hands of Raziel, you'd think there wouldn't be another antagonist running around who's just as bad, but you'd be wrong.  Sebastian is our new villain for these three books and boy, does he give Valentine a run for his money.  Crazy shit is happening this time around!  Also, the sexual tension is ridiculous for the next three books, so get used to that.  There are also a lot more references to the past, (The Infernal Devices), especially with the introduction of Brother Zachariah, (I literally squealed with joy when I read that he had come back).  Clary gets to test out her improved fighting skills as well.  The premise of City of Fallen Angels is about Jace coming to terms with his vulnerable status after being brought back to life by Clary through the angel Raziel.  Jace keeps having nightmares in which he murders Clary, so although they can now be together without it being weird, it's still weird.  We get introduced to the Praetor Lupus, (Simon actually mentions Lupus as an autoimmune disease in this book and I couldn't believe it!), and one of it's members, Jordan Kyle.  Simon and Jordan become friends and it's so cute!  Everyone has to deal with Lilith, who is a raging bitch in this book.  In the end, poor Jace gets taken over by a now resurrected Sebastian, as if everyone's lives couldn't get any worse...  I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
    City of Lost Souls was interesting.  Jace, under the control of Sebastian, ends up kidnapping Clary and taking her all over Europe, which is actually kind of nice.  Despite the fact that it's not entirely Jace in there, he still loves Clary and will do anything to make her happy and keep her safe.  I actually even kind of liked Sebastian for a minute in this book because he seemed almost normal.  All throughout this book, I really just wanted someone to tell Alec about Will because he kept coming up and I was like SERIOUSLY JUST TELL HIM I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WILL AGAIN IT'S BEEN TOO LONG.  But it never happened...  Magnus was the star in this book, in my opinion, although the Malec breakup was torture.  The sexual tension was AWFUL in this book, like just BONE already, OK?  Towards the end of this book my heart broke, not because of anything to do with the main characters, but because of what Brother Zachariah, aka Jem, said about love and immortality, (I can feel my heart ripping apart again just thinking about it).  And JACE HAS WILL'S COPY OF A TALE OF TWO CITIES THAT WILL GAVE TO TESSA AND I'M SOBBING.  I can't even...  4.5 out of 5 stars.
    Last, but not least, City of Heavenly Fire.  I was torn reading this one because I really didn't want this journey to end.  I wanted to prolong my suffering until January when I can have more Shadowhunters and then March when Lady Midnight comes out, but oh well.  I cried in the first 200 pages of this book, again because of Brother Zachariah, when he saves Jace and becomes cured, thus returning to his mortality.  They talk about parabatai and Will and I cried real tears.  I wasn't expecting Brother Zachariah to turn back into Jem so soon, but I'm kind of glad it happened when it did.  There was a lot of action and danger in this book, which I appreciated.  Everyone is back in Idris because of demons overrunning other institutes.  We also get introduced to Emma Carstairs, Jem's descendant and a future member of the Los Angeles Institute, along with the young Blackthorns, (this book sets up Lady Midnight, which is the sequel book to this one and takes place in 2013, five years after the events of this book).  We get a lot of back-and-forth points of view, from Clary and the gang to Emma to Simon, etc.  Malec is everything!  Clary and Jace finally proved their love to each other, in a cave in the middle of a demon realm...how romantic!  A lot of characters died as well, which was so sad.  I cried again towards the end when Magnus and Simon were going back and forth to see who would sacrifice themselves so the group could go home.  The ending wasn't nearly as powerful and heart-wrenching as Clockwork Princess, but I'm glad Tessa got to talk to Jace and I'm glad Tessa and Jem ended up walking out together, (and taking Church with them).  I really can't wait until the next book comes out.  I haven't been able to shake the Shadowhunter fever out of me.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The Exiled Queen, The Grey Wolf Throne and The Crimson Crown:  After finishing The Mortal Instruments series, I didn't want to read anything else, but I forced myself to keep reading, if only to cure my book hangover.  Although I'm still sort of stuck on it, I've found that I'm slowly recovering due to this series.  I read The Demon King awhile ago and I was still interested in finishing the series, so I decided to read the rest of them this month to help get my mind off of The Mortal Instruments.  This series follows a young princess-turned-queen named Raisa as she tries to right the wrongs of past generations of Gray Wolf Queens.  She runs into a street rat named Han Alister, who discovers he's a wizard descendant from the Demon King himself, an ancient story that began the laws of the land they live in today.  Han and Raisa's paths cross more than once until they're hopelessly in love with each other.  The Exiled Queen takes place mostly in Oden's Ford, a neutral country where students go to learn either wizardry or military skills.  Raisa fled her homeland to escape an arranged marriage to Micah Bayar, a wizard with ulterior motives, fueled by his powerful father, The High Wizard.  Raisa is accompanied by her best friend and Captain of her guard, Amon Byrne, who was once in love with Raisa.  While Raisa is studying to become a better queen, Han and his best friend Dancer are trying to fit in with the other noble wizards, being ex-street lord and clan bred respectively.  I liked the change of scenery of this book as we leave Fellsmarch Castle in favor of traveling south to Oden's Ford.  I thought the back-and-forth of perspectives worked well for the story line.  Amon is King Awkward in this book, especially with Raisa and especially after he announces his betrothal to another woman.  I'm glad Raisa was able to make real female friends who won't stab her in the back like they do at court.  Han is all about magical revenge and learning as much as he can before he has to go on his secret mission.  There was a lot of tension between Han and Micah, as usual.  Crow was an interesting character, but he was very mysterious, which made me nervous for Han.  I had a hard time figuring out if he was good or bad.  Raisa ended up getting kidnapped, albeit not forcefully, and sent back to the Fells, with Han in close pursuit.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
    The Gray Wolf Throne saw Raisa fight for her life and her way back home as she's pursued by a million assassins.  There's a lot of traveling in the first half of this book, but not as much as there was in The Exiled Queen.  I don't enjoy the travel sequences, but understand they're necessary.  At least she gets shot at in this one.  Han rescues her at the cost of his own health, (as usual), and then he finds out that she's a princess and IMMEDIATELY gives her the cold shoulder.  I really wanted to hit him for being absolutely unreasonable to Raisa after it took her all that courage to tell him the truth.  Especially after she found out her mom was just murdered, I mean COME ON.  I have no idea what Han's plan really is, but he seemed confident enough.  The way Raisa just walked right up into her mom's memorial service like BAM.  The awkwardness was so rewarding, especially because I felt like I could see the look on Lord Bayar's face.  The tension between Han and Raisa was awful after her reveal.  Poor Amon too!  He's all alone now, the precious cinnamon roll.  Even though I knew Amon had no chance with Raisa, especially because he gets physically ill when he touches her, I was still somehow torn between him and Han.  Near the end, everything got really crazy really fast.  Dancer confessed about his father and I was like WHAT?!  Han gave Raisa a replica of Hanalea's betrothal ring and it was SO ADORABLE.  Raisa was crowned Queen of the Fells and all is great but NO WAIT it's not.  4 out of 5 stars for this book.
    The last book, The Crimson Crown, was a great ending to this series.  Everyone was all over the place.  There was action, romance, suspense, betrayal, (I think there was a chapter in each of these books titled "Betrayal" or something).  Han is one smooth operator in this book, even right at the beginning!  There isn't really a break from the action; everyone is always doing something.  The setting varied from the Clans to the castle to the battle to the slums to the wizard fortress.  Han threw some major shade towards the wizard council in this book!  At one point, I was like, "OH NO HE DIDN'T."  It was one of those things where you're reading it as it's happening and you're like OH NO, this is going to be so embarrassing!  Han's such a smug little POS that it works for him, which makes me love him even more.  Raisa really can't catch a break in this book.  At one point she's just like, "SCREW you guys, go kill yourselves for all I care," (seriously, she said almost those exact words).  I honestly didn't think Han could pull off his plan, especially after he got imprisoned.  Poor kid...  In the end, I'm surprised everything worked out.  It was almost too easy for everyone.  Dancer uses his power, which is apparently extremely rare, even among wizards, Han saves everyone and Raisa agrees to sacrifice herself for the millionth time.  The ending seemed a bit rushed to me, although I'm glad it was a happy one.  Like, where was Han when Raisa went to meet him in his warehouse?  Did he actually write the note that led her there or is Nightwalker just really good at replicating handwriting?  I didn't get that part at all.  This series got progressively better with each book and I appreciated the slow build to the end.  I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.  Now I get to start the next series, which takes place a generation after the events of this one.

    OK, I think that's everything!  Believe it or not, this was me condensing these book reviews so that it's not ridiculously long, but I still don't think I did a very good job.  Thursday we'll chat about my December TBR, which will be a lot shorter, but won't include comic books this time.  Since I had to leave my job at the comic book store to start my job at the library, I won't have access to as many comic books, so it'll have to be on a limited basis.  They have some graphic novels at the library, so I'll have to take a look and see what I can come up with, but until I come up with a plan, I'll go back to just books for now.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.