My Favorite Books I Read in 2012

It's the last day of 2012, so I figured, why not make a list of your favorite reads of the year? So here they are (in no particular order)...

-The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

-Every Day by David Levithan

-Speechless by Hannah Harrington

-The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

-The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

-Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

-Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

-Delirium by Lauren Oliver

-Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

I absolutely loved this book.  I wasn't expecting it to be nearly as good as it was. It's made my favorite books list of 2012, which is saying something.  All of the characters were created perfectly, and I found myself understanding and caring about every one of them, even the bad characters.  The plot was executed very well in my opinion, and I'll definitely be rereading this book in the future.  I'd recommend this for fans of Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall, the movie Mean Girls, or if you just need a good YA realistic fiction book to read.

Summary (from GoodReads):
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

This is the second book in The Caster Chronicles. To see my review of the first, click here.

I loved Beautiful Creatures, and the sequel is even better! I like the new characters and you learn more about characters that lingered in the background of the first book, and it's much more exciting and fast-paced than Beautiful Creatures.  If you liked Beautiful Creatures, I would definitely recommend to continue the series.  Now I have to get my hands on the third book in the series, Beautiful Chaos! 

Summary (from GoodReads):
Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

~~~

The Caster Chronicles
BOOK ONE: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
BOOK TWO: BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS
BOOK THREE: BEAUTIFUL CHAOS
BOOK FOUR: BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

Teen Angst? Naaah... by Ned Vizzini

This book was really fun to read. It's full of short stories from Ned Vizzini's teenage years, and they're all very relatable stories.  This is a really good book if you're looking for a light, comedic YA read.  I really enjoyed this book.

Summary (from GoodReads): 

“The events in these stories are real. Some names have been changed so I don’t get yelled at.” —Ned Vizzini
 
Ned Vizzini writes about the weird, funny, and sometimes mortifying moments that made up his teen years. With wit, irony, and honesty, Teen Angst? Naaah . . .  invites you into Ned’s world of school, parents, cool (and almost cool), street people, rock bands, friends, fame, camp, Cancún (almost), prom, beer, video games, and more.

~thespectacularbookworm

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

This book has been hyped up and so I was excited when I grabbed this book off of the library shelf.  I finished it in two days and sadly, I was disappointed. The characters seemed kind of flat to me and I've read other books that followed the same basic (and kind of boring) plotline.  It was a cute book overall, but I wouldn't recommend this. 

Summary (from GoodReads):
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. 

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I heard of this series a couple years ago, and I regret not having picked it up until now.  It was a really thrilling book and it was fun to read!  I liked how many characters were very mysterious--it made you want to keep reading and not put the book down until you've finished!  I recommend this to fans of YA fiction, fantasy, Harry Potter fans, Twilight fans, or really anyone who likes an addictive series.

Summary (from GoodReads):
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

~~~

Plus there's a movie of Beautiful Creatures coming to theatres February 13th, 2013! Watch the trailer here (this trailer contains minor spoilers!):

~~~

The Caster Chronicles

BOOK ONE: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

BOOK TWO: BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS
BOOK THREE: BEAUTIFUL CHAOS
BOOK FOUR: BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

Every Day by David Levithan

I loved this book completely.  The characters were real, and it was so interesting to see the different lives that A experiences throughout the book.  This book kept me intrigued, and not once did I find myself at a dull part because the whole book is interesting!  It was very well-written and I'm planning on reading some other books by David Levithan.  This book was amazing and I definitely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of YA fiction.

Summary (from GoodReads):
Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. 

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

~~~

You should definitely read this!

~thespectacularbookworm

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I think the title and cover of this book kind of throws you off.  This book looks like a no-good cheesy romance, but this book is actually very good--full of quirky but three-dimensional characters, comedy, a cute romance, and it's just fun to read overall.  At first I didn't want to read this book, but a lot of people were saying this book was amazing.  Finally I gave in and picked it up, and was pleasantly surprised.  If you want to read a good YA realistic fiction romance, pick this one up!

Summary (from GoodReads):
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

This is the second book of the Mara Dyer series. See my review of the first here!

Everything that was amazing in the first book is in the sequel--and more! This book was full of mystery and so much suspense.  There were constant twists that kept me at the edge of my seat and completely awed. You get to know Mara and Noah better in this one, and it ends with a big cliffhanger, as the first book did.  Overall, this book was fantastic and very fun to read. It's 544 pages long, but it doesn't feel like that when you're reading it.  The book is such a rush, and I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who liked The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. 

If you haven't read The Unbecoming, I'd recommend you read it if you love mystery, suspense, psychological thrillers, and/or amazing YA novels.

Summary (from GoodReads):

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

Ember by Jessica Sorensen

This is the first book in the series called "The Death Collectors" and it was pretty good. It was interesting and kept me wanting to read more and more, and it was written well, but upon finishing it, I'm not left with any excitement about the series. Overall, it's pretty good, so if you like dark young adult books, I'd recommend this for you! (Plus it's only $0.99 in the Kindle Store!)

Summary (from GoodReads):
What if you knew when someone was going to die?

For seventeen-year-old Ember, life is death. With a simple touch, she knows when someone will die. It’s her curse and the reason she secludes herself from the world. The only person who knows her secret is her best friend Raven. 

Then she meets Asher Morgan. He’s gorgeous, mysterious, and is the only person Ember can't sense death from. So when he pushes into her life, she doesn’t mind.

But when unexplained deaths start to haunt her town, Ember starts questioning why she can’t sense Asher's death and what he may be hiding.

~~

~thespectacularbookworm

The Scott Pilgrim Series! by Brian O'Malley

The first volume in the Scott Pilgrim series.

THIS SERIES WAS FANTASTIC. I read every single book within a week. First of all, all six volumes are graphic novels, and I loved the cartoon-style of it! It was a mixture of action, romance, and comedy and it was so fun to read. There's a movie, too (it was made in 2010) but I think the books are better, like always. I STRONGLY recommend this to people who like graphic novels, comedy, video games, action, and romance. You won't be disappointed.

Summary of Vol. 1 
(from GoodReads):
Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band,  he's "between jobs", and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes. The long answer is Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life.

~~~~

The Series:
VOL. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
VOL. 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
VOL. 3: Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness
VOL. 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together
VOL. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe
VOL. 6: Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour

~~~~

For more info, visit the website.

~thespectacularbookworm

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

John Green is a spectacular author. This is the fourth (out of five) books by him that I've read, and I've loved all of them. They're all really quotable and amazing. An Abundance of Katherines was no exception. It's funny and romantic and a lot of fun to read. I recommend this for lovers of the realistic fiction genre and if you've liked any other John Green books!

Summary (from GoodReads):
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He's also a washed-up child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin's on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl. Letting expectations go and allowing love in are at the heart of Colin's hilarious quest to find his missing piece and avenge dumpees everywhere.
~~

For more info, visit John Green's website.

~thespectacularbookworm

Looking For Alaska by John Green

This is the third John Green book I've read, and it's fantastic! (Although my favorite John Green book is still The Fault In Our Stars). The characters were three-dimensional and all likable--which is rare. I'd recommend this for lovers of realistic fiction and if you liked any of John Green's other books! (Plus it won the Printz award, which is a GIANT accomplishment!!!)

Summary (from GoodReads):
Miles "Pudge" Halter is abandoning his safe-okay, boring-life. Fascinated by the last words of famous people, Pudge leaves for boarding school to seek what a dying Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps."
Pudge becomes encircled by friends whose lives are everything but safe and boring. Their nucleus is razor-sharp, sexy, and self-destructive Alaska, who has perfected the arts of pranking and evading school rules. Pudge falls impossibly in love. When tragedy strikes the close-knit group, it is only in coming face-to-face with death that Pudge discovers the value of living and loving unconditionally.
John Green's stunning debut marks the arrival of a stand-out new voice in young adult fiction.

~~

For more info, visit John Green's website.

~thespectacularbookworm

Paper Towns by John Green

First of all, I already knew John Green was a fantastic author from reading The Fault In Our Stars (and by the way, if you haven't read that yet, YOU SHOULD) and Paper Towns was a great book also!  I strongly recommend this for fans of John Green, fans of The Fault In Our Stars, fans of realistic fiction and/or fans of YA fiction!

Summary (from GoodReads):
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life--dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues--and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.

~~

You should read it!

For more information, visit John Green's website.

~thespectacularbookworm

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

This book was interesting. It's set in a dystopian world, and follows the life of the clone of the big and powerful Matteo Alacrán, who goes by the name El Patrón. It demonstrated a lot of social issues and while reading, you can't stop rooting for the main character.  I recommend this for fans of dystopian fiction.

Summary (from GoodReads):
At his coming-of-age party, Matteo Alacrán asks El Patrón's bodyguard, "How old am I? ... I know I don't have a birthday like humans, but I was born." 

"You were harvested," Tam Lin reminds him. "You were grown in that poor cow for nine months and then you were cut out of her." 

To most people around him, Matt is not a boy, but a beast. But for El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium--a strip of poppy field lying between the U.S. and what was once called Mexico--Matt is a guarantee of eternal life. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, for Matt is himself. They share identical DNA. 

As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister, grasping cast of characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family. He is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards and by the mindless slaves of Opium, brain-deadened 'eejits' who toil in the poppy fields. 

Escape from the Alacrán Estate is no guarantee of freedom because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect. Around every turn in this vivid, futuristic adventure is a new, heart-stopping surprise.

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Since I'm waiting for Cassandra Clare's City of Heavenly Fire (book six in The Mortal Instruments series which comes out in 2014) I decided to pick up the first book of her prequel series, The Infernal Devices. And it was amazing! I can honestly say that I liked this book more than City of Bones (book one in The Mortal Instruments series) and the characters were intriguing -- I could relate to Tessa, Jem's really nice and his past is quite sad, and Will seems to be keeping many secrets. I recommend this book for fans of urban fantasy, fans of steampunk, and fans of The Mortal Instruments series.

Summary (from GoodReads):
 

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

~~

The Infernal Devices Trilogy

BOOK ONE: Clockwork Angel
BOOK TWO: Clockwork Prince
BOOK THREE: Clockwork Princess (RELEASES MARCH 19, 2013)
~~

~thespectacularbookworm



The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

First of all, I'd heard many great things about this book before I started it, so naturally I had high expectations. AND IT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS! This book was funny and beautiful and real and heart-breaking. I recommend that you read it if you like realistic fiction and/or romance. But be warned -- this book is extremely sad.

Summary (from GoodReads):

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumors in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumors tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

~~

You should read this book!

~thespectacularbookworm

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book was pretty good. I liked Melinda's (the main character) voice -- Laurie Halse Anderson completely three-dimensionalized her. She was sarcastic and kind and real. This book is gripping and honest and I recommend this for fans of realistic fiction and fans of the book Thirteen Reasons Why. There's a movie, too (I haven't seen it though).

Summary (from GoodReads):

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

~~

~thespectacularbookworm

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

CAUTION: This is the fifth book in The Mortal Instruments series. To see my review of the first one, click here.

So this book was really good! Definitely one of my favorites in the whole The Mortal Instruments series. This book was gripping --it's 534 pages and I finished it in just a few days. It was hard to put down and full of action, romance, and humor. I don't know what I'm going to do until the last book comes out (it doesn't come out until 2014). Well, as usual, I recommend this book for lovers of urban fantasy and The Mortal Instruments series. :)

Summary (from GoodReads):
  Jace is now a servant of evil, bound for all eternity to Sebastian. Only a small band of Shadowhunters believe he can be saved. To do this they must defy the Clave. And they must act without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace's soul. Clary is willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?




~~

The Mortal Instruments Series
BOOK ONE: City of Bones
BOOK TWO: City of Ashes
BOOK THREE: City of Glass
BOOK FOUR: City of Fallen Angels
BOOK FIVE: City of Lost Souls
BOOK SIX: City of Heavenly Fire (RELEASING IN MARCH 2014)

~~

~thespectacularbookworm

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

CAUTION: This is the fourth book in The Mortal Instruments series. To see my review of the first, click here.

This book was good, but I didn't think it was the best out of The Mortal Instruments series. Of course, there was still action, romance, and humor, but it wasn't my favorite of The Mortal Instruments books. I recommend this for people who like fantasy, and, obviously, fans of The Mortal Instruments series. :)

Summary (from GoodReads):
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 who used to be in Valentine's Circle, 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. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.

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.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

~~

The Mortal Instruments Series
BOOK ONE: City of Bones
BOOK TWO: City of Ashes
BOOK THREE: City of Glass
BOOK FOUR: City of Fallen Angels
BOOK FIVE: City of Lost Souls
BOOK SIX: City of Heavenly Fire (RELEASING IN MARCH 2014)

~~

~thespectacularbookworm

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

CAUTION: This is the third book in the Mortal Instruments series. To see my review of the first, click here. 

This book was so thrilling!  So far, it's my favorite in The Mortal Instruments series. There's action, romance, humor, vampires, faeries, warlocks, werewolves, and of course, Shadowhunters. The characters were all three-dimensional, the plotline was amazing, and it was just an all-around spectacular book! If you haven't read this series, and you love fantasy, you should read it as soon as possible! :]

Summary (from GoodReads):
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?
Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

~~~

The Mortal Instruments Series
BOOK ONE: City of Bones
BOOK TWO: City of Ashes
BOOK THREE: City of Glass
BOOK FOUR: City of Fallen Angels
BOOK FIVE: City of Lost Souls
BOOK SIX: City of Heavenly Fire (RELEASING IN MARCH 2014)

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

CAUTION -- This book is the 2nd book in The Mortal Instruments series.  For info on the first, click here. Spoiler Alert for anyone who hasn't read City of Bones!

I liked this book much better than the first, so if you didn't like the first very much, DON'T GIVE UP ON THE SERIES.  I liked getting to know each character better, and there are so many nail-biting moments where I was on the edge of my seat anxious to see what would happen next.  I definitely recommend this to people who like YA and fantasy!

Summary (from GoodReads):
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

~~~

The Mortal Instruments Series
BOOK ONE: City of Bones
BOOK TWO: City of Ashes
BOOK THREE: City of Glass
BOOK FOUR: City of Fallen Angels
BOOK FIVE: City of Lost Souls
BOOK SIX: City of Heavenly Fire (RELEASING IN MARCH 2014)

~~~

~thespectacularbookworm

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

First of all, I thought this book was great! There were a few parts that I thought dragged on a bit, but otherwise it was very fast-paced and exciting!  There's everything: vampires, werewolves, fairies... I recommend this book for people who like fantasy. :)

Summary (from GoodReads):
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.

~~~
The Mortal Instruments Series
BOOK ONE: City of Bones
BOOK TWO: City of Ashes
BOOK THREE: City of Glass
BOOK FOUR: City of Fallen Angels
BOOK FIVE: City of Lost Souls
BOOK SIX: City of Heavenly Fire (RELEASING IN MARCH 2014)
~~~

Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

~thespectacularbookworm

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

First of all, the cover is AMAZING! Second of all, this book is AMAZING!  I recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fiction.  This book reeled me in my just the first chapter.  I loved the suspense, I loved the romance, I loved the whole mystery on what REALLY happened that night.  The characters were three-dimensional -- which is something I always like to see.
You should definitely read this book. :)

Summary (from GoodReads):
Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

~~~

Doesn't it look good? Well, it IS good, so read it! :D
For more information on the book, visit the website.

~thespectacularbookworm


Hourglass by Myra McEntire

I just finished this book today and it was amazing!  The plot is very original, and there's an ending that I didn't see coming!  It's a great mix of time-travel and romance.  If the cover's not enough to convince you to read this book, just read the summary!

Summary (from GoodReads):

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

~~~

What are you waiting for? Read it already! :)

~thespectacularbookworm