Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Titles link back to Goodreads
• The Queen Of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter (purchased)
• The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan & Maureen Johnson (purchased)
• Four by Veronica Roth (purchased)
• Sacrifice by Brigid Kemmerer (purchased)
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner (purchased)
• The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (purchased)
• The Death Cure by James Dashner (purchased)
• Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (purchased)

It happened again. It’s been months since I’ve posted one of these. Work’s been busy, life’s been busy–I’ve just been super time poor. Also, I haven’t bought that many books. I’ve just been letting the few I’ve gotten accumulate in a pile before I tackled the task of finding somewhere on my over-stuffed shelves to squeeze them in. Personally, I think I need a whole new set of bookshelves. My current ones are looking ready to fall apart. I’d really like to get some built-in ones–wall to ceiling once I’ve built my own house. I think that would look awesome.

For now, though, I’m just getting more books. I don’t really know when I’ll read any of these as I’ve read only the first of Gena Showalter, Veronica Roth and Brigid Kemmerer’s books and none of the other series yet–oh, except for The Mortal Instruments, so I could potentially jump into Magnus’ bunch of stories anytime. I just need to get in the mood for a giant book. I’ve actually just finished reading Sarah Rees Brennan’s Unmade, the final in that trilogy. My review will come soon as I’ve thought it up. It’s just so hot this weekend, that I can’t really bare to sit a the computer for an extended period. I need ice cream, and I need it NOW. With that said, I’ll leave you to your stinking hot weekends–or chilly, depending on which side of the world you’re on.

So, what books have you gotten lately? Let me know what I should be checking out in the comments.

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Titles link back to Goodreads
• City Of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare (purchased)
• The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (purchased)
• Broken by CJ Lyons (purchased)
• Secret by Brigid Kemmerer (purchased)
• Take Me On by Katie McGarry (purchased)
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (purchased)

Firstly, CoHF, why is that book so large? It looks good on my shelf, but I was so tired after reading it. I feel like it could’ve crushed me if I’d fell asleep reading it in bed. I mean, I enjoyed it, but it just could have been shorter. I needed to read a Rainbow Rowell book after it to recharge.

I found the other two hardcovers, Broken and The Dream Thieves for $8 each at an independent secondhand bookstore I just discovered in a residential side-street. I’ll be going back there. There wasn’t a huge selection, but it was fun seeing what random YA books they had sitting in a tall stack there.

I picked up Take Me On last weekend during Big W’s 10% off sale. I’m still yet to start the series, though, so it’ll be gathering dust on my shelf for a while. However, after how much I loved Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door went straight to the top of my to-read list as soon as it arrived. I’m either starting it today or tomorrow depending on whether I get sucked into watching a Nikita marathon this afternoon. I just finished Fringe yesterday, so Nikita‘s next on my list of TV to watch.

Here’s what Joey and I have been reading this week:
Clare, Cassandra City Of Heavenly Fire – This ate up practically my whole weekend.
Haas, Abilgail Dangerous Girls – Joey took this one on to see what all the hype was about.

So, what books have you gotten lately? Which books would you recommend I read first? Let me know in the comments.

Title: City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: May, 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 725
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Shadowhunters and demons square off for the final showdown in the spellbinding, seductive conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

Darkness has descended on the Shadowhunter world. Chaos and destruction overwhelm the Nephilim as Clary, Jace, Simon, and their friends band together to fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. Nothing in this world can defeat Sebastian, but if they journey to the realm of demons, they just might have a chance.

Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world will change. Who will survive the explosive sixth and final installment of the Mortal Instruments series?

Final Thoughts:
This book ate my whole weekend. It was just so long. I’ve spent the past six hours on my couch getting through the last 300 pages, feeling like I just wanted it to end. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great book, a great end to the series, but it was just so…I guess ‘tiring’ is the word. All of the characters get a look in, with most getting a fair share of the time spent exploring and wrapping up their plots, but in doing this, it really slowed down the pacing with all of the jumping back and forth to all of the different perspectives. It’s probably a good thing for people who are sick of certain characters, but I just wanted to get to the end and put the heavy (you could use it as a brick) book down.

Title: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: March, 2013 by Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 570
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Final Thoughts:
This was such a long book, much longer than it needed to be. A much tighter story would have been easier to get through. As it stood, I found myself constantly putting this one down to take a breather. I think I may have even ended up spending two months on this tome. But in all fairness, it was actually a step up on Clockwork Prince story-wise with the plot finally getting back on track. Still, if I’d had my way I would have condensed it down to a solid three hundred or so pages. I mean, who really needs a hundred pages of wrap-up.

Title: City Of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: May, 2012 by Simon & Schuster
Pages: 534
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Final Thoughts:
This book just went on and on. Don’t get me wrong—it was definitely a solid four stars, but it did have me constantly checking if I was getting any closer to the end. I think a nice, thin book is in order to cleanse the palette after the ten plus hours I spent lying on the couch today, clutching my hardcover of City Of Lost Souls. I found improvements in this instalment over the previous incarnate, the second half of the series finally forming a distinctive plot with some actual tension. However, I found the overuse of alternating point of views detracted from my enjoyment. With over ten different perspectives, they seemed to be used more to create suspense by jarring us out of situations just as they were getting interesting, rather than to give extra insight into these other characters.

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Titles link back to Goodreads
• Whisper by Alyson Noel (thanks to Publisher)
• Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (thanks to Publisher)
• Tricked by Kevin Hearne (purchased)
• Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris (purchased)
• Endure by Carrie Jones (purchased)
• Storm by Brigid Kemmerer (purchased)
• Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (purchased)
• Hush Hush: Graphic Novel by Becca Fitzpatrick (purchased)
• Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross (purchased)
• The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (thanks to Publisher)
• City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (purchased)

I took a detour from my reading after I got stuck of Red Glove for over four weeks, so I decided not to post any of my book goodies until I got back into reviewing. I’ve since finished that book, as well as Endure. Neither particularly excited me, but I’m hoping City Of Lost Souls will fix that slump for me. Those books usually suck me back in. I was one of those that actually enjoyed the Simon focus last time around. With my bookshelves still packed away in storage, I’ve just got boxes of books shoved under my bed and now piles growing around the room. These have only added to that. Not that that’s a bad thing, I love getting more books. I just wish I had room to display them again.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Black, Holly The Curse Workers #2, Red Glove
Jones, Carrie Need #4, Endure

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

I’ve been missing around here for a while. Reading took a back seat, spending my free hours after work writing a short story I needed to get done. Anyway, I just picked up the latest Cassandra Clare book in hopes of drawing me back in again. I know not everyone loves these newer books in the series, but I can’t wait.

“Then you tell me why his body isn’t there, because it isn’t,” she said, her voice finally breaking. “There’s nothing up there but a lot of blood and broken glass. They’re both gone, Simon. Jace is gone…”

– City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, page 4.
Published by Margaret K. McElderry in May, 2012.