Author: Cassandra Clare

June 2016 in Review

Posted June 29, 2016 in Life, Reading / 8 Comments

Month in Review

Things that Happened in June

  • I spent a weekend at Glacier National Park. I kind of sort of love it there. It is beautiful. If you haven’t gone, you definitely should!
  • I attended my friend’s wedding in California. My sister came with me and we had a blast.
  • I’ve been doing quite a bit of prep for the upcoming school year. I can’t believe June is over already! Only a month and a half until I am back in the classroom.
  • I did not reread any books this month. Wow! I am pretty sure that is a first this year.
  • I messed with my blog fonts last weekend (and updated my About Me page). I ended up changing up the fonts (both headers and body text) and simplifying my header. My design itself hadn’t changed since last October. Please let me know what you think about the changes! Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Below is the screenshot I took last October after my last design update:

Blog Design Change 06

My Favorite Book of June

Ruined

Ruined by Amy Tintera

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I Loved It & Yet I Didn’t {3 Things I Loved & 3 Issues I Had} – Lady Midnight {Review}

Posted June 20, 2016 in Reading, Review / 4 Comments

I Loved It & Yet I Didn’t {3 Things I Loved & 3 Issues I Had} – Lady Midnight {Review}Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Publisher: McElderry Books (2016)
Hardcover (668 pages)
Rating:
Also by this author: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass
Reading Challenges: Read 2016

Synopsis

In a kingdom by the sea…
In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.
A
parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.
Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her
parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.
Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid
parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?
The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in
Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

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Find the author: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram

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May 2016 in Review

Posted June 1, 2016 in Life, Reading / 8 Comments

May 2016 in Review

Things that Happened in May

  • We have had one of the craziest Mays ever. It was over 70*F one day, and the next is was snowing so bad that we almost lost power and cars got stuck on the road. Yep, this is simply life in Montana.
  • My little sister graduated from her undergrad program (BA in Psychology, if anyone is interested).
  • My little sister also happened to move home with me… with her cats (whom I am allergic to a lot more than my cat).
  • My family and I drove to visit our family in Wisconsin. We got home late yesterday. I had forgotten about this trip which means that my monthly wrap-up was not scheduled ahead of time.
  • The school year ended. This really is bittersweet. I love my job and I enjoy working with the students. However, summer is much appreciated.
  • My favorite book of the month was The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh.

My Favorite Tweets of May

Books I Read in May

Lady MidnightThe CrownMap of FatesBurning Glass
BlackveilTruthwitchHarry Potter and the Deathly HallowsSee How They Run
Stars AboveThe Rose and the DaggerSecrets in the SnowTen Thousand Skies Above You

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Back to New York City and More Drama – City of Fallen Angels {Review}

Posted May 26, 2016 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments

Back to New York City and More Drama – City of Fallen Angels {Review}City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #4
Publisher: McElderry Books (2011)
Hardcover (424 pages)
Via: Library
Rating:
Also by this author: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass
Also in this series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass
Reading Challenges: 2016 Backlist Books, Read 2016

Synopsis

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
The stakes are higher than ever in the #1 New York Times bestselling fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series.

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More Magnus Bane! – The Bane Chronicles {Review}

Posted May 16, 2016 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments

More Magnus Bane! – The Bane Chronicles {Review}The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson
Publisher: McElderry Books (2014)
eBook (507 pages)
Via: Library
Rating:
Also by this author: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass
Reading Challenges: 2016 Backlist Books, Read 2016

Synopsis

Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices can get to know warlock Magnus Bane like never before in this collection of New York Times bestselling tales, in print for the first time with an exclusive new story and illustrated material.
This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.
Originally released one-by-one as e-only short stories by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan, this compilation presents all ten together in print for the first time and includes a never-before-seen eleventh tale, as well as new illustrated material.

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