Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Book: Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires #1)
Author: Rachel Caine
# of Pages: 222 (paperback)
Challenge: 2015 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
From the author of the popular Weather Warden series comes the debut of an exciting new series set in Morganville, Texas, where you would be well advised to avoid being out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. Will she be able to face the town's terror or will she drown like everyone else?

My Thoughts:

I did not know what to expect going into this book. But...WOW! I definitely didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

The writing was really good. But the characters were what made this book for me. Claire, Shane, Michael, Eve, so well-developed and likable. Their banter, their personalities, I loved everything about them. 

There was never a dull moment with all the action, suspense, and mystery, twists and revelations. And a jaw-dropping cliffhanger ending. I am so glad that I finally read this.

An amazing start to the series.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Book: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella (Twilight #3.5)
Author: Stephenie Meyer
# of Pages: 178 (Paperback)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don’t draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn’t know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as “her”. As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagines, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?(

My Thoughts:
I initially had no desire to read this, but I ended up getting it out of curiosity. Bree and the other newborns are led and instructed by Riley. He teaches them how to hunt and dispose bodies as well as to stay out of the sun. After spending a day with Diego, Bree has to agree with him that Riley is keeping things from them.

Bree and Diego grow close after a very short period of time and try to hide it from Riley and the other newborns. One of the newborns, Fred, has a very unique talent that nobody truly appreciates except Bree.

I did like Bree and after reading her story, I'm kind of disappointed that she didn't play a bigger role in the Twilight series. Also, I'd like to know what happened to Fred. I think I might reread the series soon.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Book: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
# of Pages: 485 (Paperback)
Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads Summary
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

My Thoughts:
I was apprehensive about reading City of Bones because of all the mixed reviews. But, I decided to give it a try not expecting that I would be hooked only after reading a few pages. The world that Clare has created is reminiscent of that of Harry Potter's with its magical intrigue and mystique as well as the many mythical creatures.

Clary thinks she is a normal fifteen-year-old until she meets Jace and is drawn into the Shadow World. She begins to unearth the truth of her identity and finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with her best friend Simon and the swoonworthy Jace.

City of Bones was funny and full of action. And the ending was soo unexpected. I am angry with myself for not reading this sooner. But now that I have, I am very eager to read the rest of the series.