Title: Clockwork Angel

Series: The Infernal Devices

Author: Cassandra Clare

Pages: 476

Published: 2010

Read In: March, 2013

Rating: 5/5

This was certainly worth the wait... I've had this book on my bookshelf since 2011. And I just read it yesterday. I read so many reviews where people were desperate for the sequel, and how it wasn't gonna be out until another year. So I decided to read Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince a few days before Clockwork Princess was published. And since CP will be out in 9 days, I thought it was about time. I read this book in 13 hours. That being said....

BY THE ANGEL

Cassie Clare is definitely a master in making me happy. And mad too. I absolutely loved this story. It was incredibly original, and very entertaining. One of the many reasons I've been a fan of Clare's work is because she always manage to describe everything so carefully, yet simply, and I can see it all vividly in my head. She transported me to victorian England, and I really made up a whole movie about the story in my mind.

Another thing I loved about the story, were the characters and their names. Everyone has a really lovely name. Very classy and also very british. Let's start with my favorite.

William Herondale... sigh Doesn't he sound like a prince? Well, for me, he does. He was by far my favorite character in the whole book. Not only because he was described as an extremely attractive guy and the fact that he is british (well maybe) but there was something about him, that really got me. He was very strong but also vulnerable. He has a dark past and some secrets he doesn't share, he feels alone in the world. Of course he is kind of a douche, he's a Herondale... But I believe that there's a good reason why. Also I think that the reason why he treats Tessa like he does has to do with something important. Can't wait to read about it in Clockwork Prince. With complexity, darkness, looks, vulnerability, big heart, bad ass attitude, the way he quoted poetry, his soul and blue eyes, he stole my heart. Team Will

Now, Tessa Gray, our lead character. At the beginning I didn't quite love her, because she didn't like London and she hated chocolate... 

“Will looked horrified. "What kind of monster could possibly hate chocolate?”

I know Will, I know... Like how could I ever relate to someone like that? But hey, I was wrong. She was a sweet heart, so brave, so clever and so, so, so sweet. I liked her power and her incredibly big heart. I look forward to reading more about her, and I hope that she doesn't get her heart broken, because she has already suffered too much. I love Tess.

Jem... James Carstairs... Hmmm. Although I didn't LOVE Jem, I did like him. He was a complete gentleman, so lovely, and he had a very sad past. I think that he holds back so many things, because no one can ever be so nice to everyone, and so calm, but besides that, I really really liked him. He was very sweet to Tessa and he was also wise. I just hope he doesn't dies in the next books, I hope they find a cure.

The love triangle wasn't practically clear here, since Tessa only has strong feelings towards Will, so I guess that there's more to come. Both guys are handsome, sweet in their own way, and they both had a tragic past. The difference is how each one chose to handle it, and how to live with it. 

As in The Mortal Instruments, there were several things that reminded me of Harry Potter. Like the rune they used to spy/listen to the enclave, reminded me of the Weasley's extendable ears; when Tessa changes into Lady Belcourt to uncover De Quincey, it kind of felt like when Ron, Harry and Hermione drank polyjuice potion to change into Ministry workers, and Henry, who was very similar to Mr. Weasley. 

This book was better than TMI, I reckon. The setting was stunning, London in the 1880's. A remarkable work of Clare, her plot was original and kept me hanging on with every single word she wrote. I wish I lived there and I wish I had that library, oh my.

Spoiler

I found very obvious who the Magister was, Mortmain had something that made me suspect, plus his name sounded like Valentine's last name... It made sense to me... But that I never ever imagined that plot twist at the last chapters... Tessa's brother was evil :( He was Mortmains servant, and everyone believed in him... Poor Tessa. 

End of Spoiler

Honestly, I was very excited for this book, but I never expected it to hit me like it did. 

and

“Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.”

Let me start by saying that "Across The Universe" was a surprise for me. I had this book on my possession since early 2012 but I didn't wanted to read it until the second and third book were out, because I heard it was that good. Now, I finally read it, and I never ever expected this.

The story was full of mystery, intrigue, secrets and doubts, it was all about the secrets in Godspeed (the ship). The setting was so original and unique, that I had the time of my life visualizing it in my head. At the beginning I wasn't too thrilled about the whole spaceship thing, but then I fell in love with the whole concept. It's definitely something different from what I've read. Everything was creative and well described. Some things I found a bit predictable and some others REALLY took me by surprise, so it was very interesting to read it. 

The story is narrated from two pov's. Amy's and Elder's. And it worked wonderfully. 

Elder was an incredibly real character, he was very well written, while I read from his pov I could totally ask myself the same questions and think what he was thinking. He was a good person, but sometimes he had his "doubts" like everyone else does, and still he always did the right thing... Well, almost always. There was something poetic about him and the way he saw the world around him, and how he saw Amy. He wasn't conceited like Eldest, and he had dreams and a big heart. I never got bored while reading from his pov. He was lovely, sweet and brave. A true leader. And that shocker at the end (you must read it, I will not spoil it for you) made him more real to me, because he was flawed, of course, but still he was great.

Wish I could say the same thing about Amy... At the very beginning I found her quite annoying and not very smart. This changed through the story, but I wasn't entirely connected to her by the end of the book. She was clever and kinda cute, but not my favorite character. I think she was very mature for her age, which I liked very much, because I didn't hate the way he managed everything that happened to her... And it was a lot. She wasn't as eloquent, romantic and fun as Elder, but she was a strong female character, and you don't find those often in YA. So I did liked her.

Harley was one of my favourite characters of the book. Such complexity expressed through art... My kind of guy. So I really want Harley to know, that he was the star for me.

The romance was cute. It wasn't cheesy nor annoying, but I wish there was more of it. Elder has strong feelings for her, and she's still confused because she misses Jason but I think that we'll read more about their love in the sequel, which I'm starting ASAP!

Some quotes gave me the chills and other just made me sigh.

“Power isn’t control at all — power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.”

“And in her smile I see something more beautiful than the stars.”

Thrilling, interesting, creative and mind-blowing, "Across The Universe" is a MUST read. PLUS: Take a look at that cover and try to resist...

Title: Sweet Evil 

Author: Wendy Higgins

Pages: 453

Published: 2012

Read In: 2013
Rating: 5/5

The story was incredible. I never read the synopsis of this book before I read it, I was caught by that beautiful cover, so I never did expect angels. This was a refreshing approach to this heavenly creatures. The fact that there were dukes of sins and bad habits was a surprise, a good one. And the fact that their sons were a group of individuals called nephs with "obligations" and jobs. Their job is to be a bad influence for human beings, to corrupt them, and to never get attached to them. In this story, "conscience" or that little voice in our heads turns out to be angels and devils whispering things into our ears to influence on us. Wow. 

Anna was so amazing, it's been a long time since I could relate this much to a fictional character. She is smart, too innocent for me but really cute and nice, a bit insecure about herself, she is brave, kind and she believes that everyone deserve happiness. Personally, I think she was so brave when it came to decision making... Sometimes I did think "what are you doing", but I guess that's normal, she was such a delight to read about. 

Kaidan Oh Kaidan, my sweet, sexy Kai. I'm breathless. No words can explain how I loved this character. I know, I know... He's a bit of a jerk sometimes, but if you read the extra stories( Sweet Evil Extra 1 and Sweet Evil Extra 2 ) from his POV you could see why he acts like that, it like his nature. He's described as absolutely breathtaking, drop dead gorgeous, with great hair and body, an smoking hot musician who also happens to be british (that was the cherry this perfect cake). He had a though life. Even when he is rich, super attractive, a sex god and a musician, he feels empty, he has a void that, according to him, no one would ever be able to fill.. Until he met Anna. In his past, so many girls tried to change him, to make him fall in love, but he never did care about those things, until Anna came to the picture. 

The development of the characters was great, I loved reading about Kaidan, about Anna and about their torrid romance. He finally got to know what love was like, and their neph rules intervene, so basically Anna and Kai love each other, but can't be together, unless they want to die. Heartbreaking. The moments they shared were full of magic, mystery, love and lust, this was definitely my cup of tea.

The other characters were so cool, I really liked everyone. Jay was the sweetest guy, so real and understanding, he was amazing, you could see that he cared about Anna and that he had real emotions. Patti was also so sweet; too permissive to be a protective mom, but she was actually nice. Anna's dad was also a surprise, he has a genuinely good heart, and he loves Anna. The nephs were a shocker too, Marna was the best, I would love to be her friend, Ginger and Blake were really cool and Kopano, well he was nice but I didn't like him being in the picture... 

I loved absolutely everything about this book expect this: 

- Not enough Kaiden. Ha! There were some pages where I really missed him. I need more Kaiden in my life. 

- It wasn't long enough. I wish this book was eternal, because I couldn't put it down, it was so addicting, so good, so perfect. I'm seriously looking forward to "Sweet Peril". 

So this is me, watching a new obsession blooming. "Sweet Evil" has become one of my favourite books ever. I have read it twice in 4 days, and I'm sure I will read it again soon. Kaiden is now one of my favourite fictional character crush, and Wendy Higgins one of my favourite authors. 

It was a romantic, intriguing, sexy and thrilling reading, full of emotions, feelings and excitement. Stop whatever you're doing and go read this!

Title: 100 Quotes To Make You Think

Author: Wolfgang Riebe

Pages: 33 (e-book)
Published: 2010

Read In: 2013
Rating: 3/5

This *free* e-book by Wolfgang Riebe was a fast reading and quite entertaining. I'm not a huge fan of inspirational quotes, but this contained a variety of quotes, some I really liked and some other made me laugh so hard. "100 Quotes To Make You Think" was a nice way to start the year, and as the first book of 2013 I shall say that I will take some of this quotes as advice in order to achieve my dreams and goals.

Some of the quotes that made me LOL: (Not spoilers, but if you are going to read the book, you might as well skip them)

9) Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.

11) May your life be like toilet paper... Long and useful.

15) If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you. 

58) Borrow money from a pessimist - they don't expect it back. 

80) There are only two things to worry about, either you are healthy or you are sick. If you are healthy, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you are sick there are only two things to worry about, either you will get well or you will die. If you get well, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you die there are only two things to worry about, either you will go to heaven or you will go to hell. If you go to heaven, then there is nothing to worry about. And if you go to hell, you'll be so darn busy shaking hands with your friends you won't have time to worry.

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Series: Caster Chronicles, #1
Author(s): Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Pages: 563
Published: 2009

Read In: 2012

Rating: 3/5

I really craved a story with a male POV and I wasn't sure enough if I would like this one.

Turns out, I was wrong. Sort of.

This was thrilling, romantic and incredibly interesting.

May I say Ethan Wate is one of my "I'd like to marry with" characters? Well, no entirely because sometimes I felt like I was reading from a girl's POV, maybe that's why I related so much... But still, he is not described as a super smoking drop dead gorgeous guy, he's just attractive, and he has an amazing personality... Personally, I think we would get along, because sometimes it felt like I was reading about myself, we're too alike. He had this sad past, and ambitions and dreams of leaving that sad little town, he didn't have an easy life, he was kind of lost... At least, until he met Lena.

I hope to learn more about Ethan's mom, she seems a great character.

I loved the literary references: "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Catcher in the Rye", Hemingway, Frost, Luther King, Bradbury.

There were some really memorable quotes, at least for me, two of my favourites being:

"There’s something about sitting alone in the dark that reminds you how big the world really is, and how far apart we all are. The stars look like they’re so close, you could reach out and touch them. But you can’t. Sometimes things look a lot closer than they are.

and

“I never loved you any more than I do, right this second. And I'll never love you any less than I do, right this second.” 

It was fun, exciting and magical! A great story about love, lies, magic and sacrifice. It was very original and really entertaining (at least after 100 pages). It was a lot to digest, but I liked it.

I gave it 3 stars because sometimes it was hard for me to keep up with the story, all the information being processed and understood, but that didn't make it less enjoyable.

My review on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/405964782