Three Mini-Reviews from the read-a-thon!

Title: City of Fallen Angels 
Author: Cassandra Clare
Hardcover: 424 pages
Pub Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating: ++++

Summary: Fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series. The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home She’s training to become a Shadowhunter. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. She can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she 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.

Review:

Another great book in the series! Though Clary was not the best part of it, which was different. Instead, Simon stole the show. His story was heart-breaking, but watching his friends stand with him was uplifting. Jace was frustrating as usual, but not because he chose to be this time.

My issue with this book was that it didn’t really end. It was completely a cliffhanger and I do get annoyed with series books that aren’t a complete story by itself. Still a great book and a great series.

Title:  Seriously, I’m Kidding
 Author: Ellen Degeneres
Hardcover:  241 pages
Pub Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Grand Central
Rating: +++

Summary: Degeneres’ first book in eight years, brings us up to date about the life of a kindhearted woman who bowed out of American Idol because she didn’t want to be mean. Lively; hilarious; often sweetly poignant.

Review: This book is exactly what you would expect from Ellen – a series of essays that are funny and just so very her. But if you watch her show regularly,  it  is a little disappointing. She has used many of the themes of the essays for her monologues, so I felt like I had heard some them  already.  That said, it was still fun and entertaining and was a really fast read!

Title: City of Lost Souls 
Author: Cassandra Clare
Hardcover: 535 pages
Pub Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry
Rating: +++++

Summary: The fifth and latest book in the Mortal Instruments series. What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Review:

This is the best book in the series so far! It was such an exciting book! I loved that reader’s get to know Clary’s mom more. There were many times I found myself agreeing with her mom, Clary took things too far a few times. Yeah, se loves Jace, but the love put her in danger and she was risking everything for a boy. I wanted her to listen to her mom for once! Yet what makes this so great is that you can still see why Clary doesn’t want to listen to her mom.

I loved reading everyone’s story this time and what they were doing to save the world. Simon continues to be an amazing character and I started loving Isabelle even more. She has become a much more well-defined character in the last couple books. Magnus and Alec’s relationship also changes in understandable and sad ways.

Every story in this book was so great and it made me excited to read more – being caught up with series is great, but it always leaves me wanting more.

If you haven’t read this fantastic YA paranormal series yet, you should start!