Friday, November 30, 2012

2013 Ebook Challenge

The 2013 Ebook Challenge is hosted by Workaday Reads.

This challenge will run from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Any genre or length of book counts, as it's in ebook format.

Levels:

1. Floppy Disk - 5 ebooks
2. CD - 10 ebooks
3. DVD - 25 ebooks (my goal)
4. Memory stick - 50 ebooks
5. Hard drive - 75 ebooks
6. Server - 100 ebooks
7. Human brain - 150 ebooks

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Book: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 498 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.(


My Thoughts:
Charlotte is in danger of losing control of the London Institute and it is up to Tessa, Jem, and Will to help her keep her position. The Magister has vanished and Tessa and the others are determined to find him and figure out what he is planning to do.

I must say that Tessa disappointed me a little. She was brave and clever, but there was a point in the book where she was obsessing over Will and it was sort of annoying. Her true identity is still a mystery, but Will's secret is revealed and we get a better understanding of why he acts the way he does. There are a few new characters. The most interesting being Bridget with her ability to fight and the eerie songs she sings. I did like Clockwork Prince better than Clockwork Angel, but once again there was too much description and not enough action.

Overall, Clockwork Prince was a good read. I am looking forward to the final book in the series, but I just get the feeling that something sad is going to happen.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books for 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi

2. Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

3. Dead Silence (The Body Finder #4) by Kimberly Derting

4. Of Triton (Of Poseidon #2) by Anna Banks

5. Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers

6. Spirit (Elemental #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

7. Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

8. Impostor (Slide #2) by Jill Hathaway

9. With All My Soul (Soul Screamers #7) by Rachel Vincent

10. Nevermore #3 by Kelly Creagh

11. Sever (The Chemical Gardens #3) by Lauren DeStefano

Monday, November 19, 2012

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Book: Spark (Elemental #2)
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
# of Pages: 345 (Paperback)
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary
Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.

Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it.

More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

The fuse is lit…


My Thoughts:
Holy awesomeness, this book was amazing!!

Being able to control fire isn't exactly easy for Gabriel Merrick. He is addicted to it and can't stay away from it. Unfortunately for him, there is an arsonist in town and his brothers suspect he may have something to do with it. Unable to turn to his brothers with his problems in math, Gabriel finds himself seeking help from Layne, a sophomore in his math class. She tries to blend in, but ends up being bullied by the other girls in class. He works hard to hide his secret from Layne, but at the same time, she has secrets of her own.

Gabriel has a short temper and has a habit of ending up in fights. Layne is quiet and smart and stronger than she realizes. Though they are different, I could not help but root for them to get together.

Spark is full of humor, action, and romance. I really enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next book in the series!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Stacking theShelves #8

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.


Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld with Keith Thompson
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld with Keith Thompson
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld with Keith Thompson




False Memory by Dan Krokos

For My Nook
Roar and Liv (Under the Never Sky 0.5) by Veronica Rossi

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Friday, November 9, 2012

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Book: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 476 (Paperback)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

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.(


My Thoughts:
Tessa Gray travels from New York to England so that she can live with her brother, Nate. Upon arriving, she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters who reveal to her that she is not who she thought she was  and that she has a unique ability to change into other people. After escaping the horrors of the Dark Sisters, Tessa goes to stay with the Shadowhunters at the London Institute. With her brother missing and the man known as the Magister after her, Tessa struggles to find out what she is while trying to acclimate to the supernatural world that she has fallen into.

I thought Tessa was a a strong protagonist. She is brave and smart. As for the Shadowhunters, Will is sarcastic and witty. But, as funny as he was, I found that I did not like him that much. Jem is kind and intelligent and extremely likable. Though they appear to be completely opposite, they have one thing in common. They are both harboring big secrets.

Charlotte runs the Institute, and although she is underestimated by her peers, she is a very clever and determined woman. Her husband, Henry, is obsessed with his inventions. He is a little eccentric, but overall he is a very amusing character.

I loved how Clockwork Angel was set in Victorian England and I do like Clare's writing style. I just thought there were points where there was too much description. I also would like to have seen more action.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

November TBR List


Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Feedback by Robison Wells
Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

What are you planning to read this month?