Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity by Kim Harrington was one of many books I discovered on my "Recommendations" page when I first got a Goodreads account. Apparently, Goodreads knows what it's talking about, because Clarity ROCKS.

 

Clarity by Kim Harrington
When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth? This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats. 

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift. 

And a curse. 


When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

------

When I first heard about this book, I was worried it was going to be pretty much exactly like Tempus by Tyra Lynn. You know what I mean: Girl has special power, touches objects and gets flashes of the past. I mean, c'mon, the love interest's name is GABRIEL, same as Tempus. (Actually, I just checked and, to be fair, Clarity was published first. Just so you know.)

The good news is, I was pleasantly surprised. Despite Clare and Jessie's similar powers, and the names of their love interests, these books could not be more different. But this review is about Clarity, so I won't go into the reasons now. (Maybe another time.)

First off, can I just say I LOVED this book. I don't usually seek out mysteries, but oftentimes when I read them I absolutely adore them. From the moment I read the first chapter of Clarity (which, to me, actually seemed more like a preface/prologue than a first chapter), I was hooked and dying to know what would happen. I totally thought that I knew who had committed the crimes and how everything matched up, but it turned out in the end that I was dead wrong. But, in my defense, when I went through my paranoid suspect-everyone phase of reading, I TOTALLY considered the right person. Briefly. (Actually, the whole thing kind of reminded me of watching that movie Red Riding Hood with Amanda Seyfried. I TOTALLY did not see the end of that one coming. And I was mad at myself about it afterward.) Anyway, so the mystery/murder part was really satisfying for me.

I was, however, kind of disappointed at how the romance aspect ended up. Not the romance "in the book", mind you. There was definitely some good romance, and I pretty much fell in love with Gabriel. The disappointment for me was what changed and was left unresolved at the end. During the last couple pages, all I could think was, I really hope there's going to be a sequel, because I am needing closure badly. (And I was relieved to find there is. Perception is coming out March 1st, and I am excited. See the pretty widget over there? ---->)

There were also a few minor characters in Clarity that I really liked. Nate, for one, wasn't a huge character, but I thought he was fun. I dunno, I just did. Also, call me crazy, but I really liked Madame Maslov. She intrigued me. I'm not sure why. I'm holding out hope she makes an appearance in Perception.

More things I liked:

-Gabriel. But of course that goes without saying. The boy is FANTASTIC.

-The Fern's psychic business. I would SO be a recurring customer. That is just SO COOL! Except I probably would book an appointment with just Clare, or just Clare and Perry, because I sooo don't want Starla digging around in my brain.

-Clare working with the police. It had a very "Psych" feel to it. Except for the fact that Clare is a legit psychic and Shawn Spencer is full of crap.

-Yummy's. That's just the best name for a diner I've ever heard. 'Nuff said.

All things considered, I give Clarity <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)

~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: Need by Carrie Jones

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

For my first TT, I'm going to share a couple of lines from Need by Carrie Jones. I just finished reading Need today, and it was REALLY GOOD. Review is coming for that soon.

1.

     "I know, it's a dumb word. My mom says it all the time. My mom sent me here, you know. She said that word, woozy." 

-Page 118

2.

      My eyelids just don't want to be open and I really want them open, because Nick is so cute when he isn't bossing me around.

-Page 119

Those were my random finds, but I also wanted to share a bonus quote with you (not random).

*

     "He has a bet with all the other PE teachers in the county. If we don't have the best average time, he has to buy everyone strudel."
     "Strudel?"
     Nick raises his hands in the air. "I have no idea."

 Anyway, this book is exceedingly awesome, so if you haven't read it, check it out. Also, keep an eye out for my review of Need, coming soon!

(:D)

~Mag

Updates/Upcoming Reviews

There are several (okay, a LOT of) books sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read. Several of these I intend to review, but obviously, first I need to read them. So I need to go do that. But I am easily distracted by the computer and that addictive substance known as the internet. 

But I am going to do that. RIGHT NOW. So before I go, I just wanted to give you a head's up about what's coming up on the blog.

I have four books I'm planning to review right now.

-Clarity by Kim Harrington
-The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross
-The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle
-Need by Carrie Jones
So reviews of all those are coming!

Also, while I have all of your attention, I want to thank everybody who has checked out the blog, follows me on GFC or Twitter, or is friends with me on Goodreads or Facebook. I really appreciate all of you guys listening to my insane rambling!


(:D)
~Mag

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Legend by Marie Lu is a book that I wanted to read as soon as I heard about it. Unfortunately, it hadn't been released, and as my library didn't have it on order I couldn't go ahead and put a hold on it. Eventually, I pretty much forgot about it until I was walking through the YA section of the library looking for another book and saw it on the new releases shelf, just waiting for me to come and grab it!

Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias' death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

------

This book was very, very cool. The society is as dystopian as they come, but I thought it was unique, something that's hard to come by in a popular genre. On one hand you have June, who has everything a girl could want: wealth, a good home, smarts, admiration and every opportunity. But on the other hand you have Day, a criminal boy from the slums, where life is precious because it is scarce and illness and poverty plague the citizens.

The two of them are just about as different as day and night. June is the only person in the Republic's history to have a perfect score on the Trial, the test that decides whether your life will be filled with prosperity and wealth or pain and poverty. Day is the youngest and most wanted criminal in the Republic. They'd never have a reason to meet...until June's brother is murdered, Day is the only suspect, and June is determined to hunt him down and make him pay.

I loved this book. I liked June, but I LOVED Day. He's determined to keep his family safe at any cost, and he's a sucker for people in trouble. He risks his life daily by taking care of Tess, and he risks it even more to rescue June, not knowing she's trying to get him arrested and killed.

Neither he or June is really as tough on the inside as they appear to others (Let's keep in mind that June is a fifteen-year-old high-ranked military official and--I say again--Day is a fifteen-year-old who's the MOST WANTED CRIMINAL IN THE REPUBLIC), but they are strong. That's probably a good thing, too, because as they discover all the secrets the Republic is hiding from them, it's going to change the world as they see it. And it will take that strength to make the choices necessary in order to break free from the grasp of the Republic.

I give this book <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)

~Mag

Awesome Giveaways (That I am not hosting) *UPDATED*

Lately I've come across lots of GREAT giveaways for lots of GREAT books here in the blogging world. So I thought I'd share them with you!

-From The Once and Future Librarian, a giveaway of New Girl by Paige Harbison

-From The Review News, a prize with much potential!

-From O.W.L., a Young Adult Giveaway Hop giveaway!

-From the YA Sisterhood, a giveaway of Unbreakable Love by Angela Carling

-From Reading Teen, another YA Giveaway Hop

-From Stuck In Books, a giveaway from the Young Adult Giveaway Hop

So go enter! Hopefully you win something ;)!

Edited to add: And here's another awesome one from The Overstuffed Bookcase! Thanks, Andrea, for letting me know!

Edited AGAIN to add: Here's another giveaway, this one from Literary Exploration in celebration of 800 followers! Congrats!

(:D)

~Mag

Novels 'n' Notes #2: Numb by Linkin Park

Novels 'n' Notes is a weekly event I created here at Geek Chic to talk about songs that remind me of books.

Numb by Linkin Park: Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth

This song, to me, sounds like something Tris would say to her parents. I mean, listen to these lyrics:

-"I'm tired of being what you want me to be. Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface. Don't know what you're expecting of me. Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes..."

Even as early as the beginning of Divergent, Tris is feeling like she's always disappointing her parents and even Caleb, struggling to be as selfless and good as them. It's starting to hurt her, which is why she chooses Dauntless over Abnegation.

-"I'm becoming this; all I want to do is be more like me and be less like you."

Becoming this: Becoming Dauntless

More like me: Divergent

Less like you: Abnegation

-"And I know, I may end up failing too. But I know you were just like me with someone disappointed in you."

*Sorta spoilery*

Tris understands that her Divergence may get her killed. But by the end of the book, she also knows that her mother ***spoiler spoiler spoiler*** was Divergent, too.

*Spoiler over*

Anyway, you can listen to Numb below. While you listen, just kind of think about Tris and Divergent, and see if you get what I mean.

                                   

Please note that I do not own this song, the lyrics, or anything related to Linkin Park or Numb. I also did not post this video, nor am I affiliated with "acmilan505", who did. *Insert other legal stuff here.*

Thanks for checking out Novels 'n' Notes #2. I hope you enjoyed it!

And tell me, does Numb make you think of Divergent? What other songs make you think of books?

Feel free to create your own NN post on your blog (use the logo above!) and leave me a link to it in the comments! I'd love to check it out.

(You can see the first Novels 'n' Notes here)


(:D)
~Mag

Waiting On Wednesday: Spell Bound

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated. Today, my pick under the category "Please, book, hurry up and come out so that I can read you now, yes, I mean right NOW." is the third book in the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins: Spell Bound.

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium.  Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

 

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

OH. MY. WORD. First off, look at that cover! That is seriously awesome. CHECK OUT SOPHIE WITH THAT SWORD! Very cool. And I've always loved the mirror-image text on the bottom of the covers of these books. Also very cool. Then we move along to that synopsis. It is very exciting, is it not? Except maybe not quite as exciting as the last couple of chapters of Demonglass, which I think set up Spell Bound much better than any synopsis ever could. Talk about a cliffhanger! Please tell me March 13th is tomorrow? Or does somebody have a time machine? Anyone? Anyone? Please?? I need to know if Archer is okay! Oh...and, uh, Jenna and Cal and Sophie's dad. They're, uh, important, too. *Clears throat awkwardly*

(:D)

~Mag

Review: Heist Society (Heist Society) by Ally Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter. I can't even begin to talk about this without wanting to start shrieking with excitement. Because this book is INCREDIBLE.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. 

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

------

When I began reading Heist Society, I'd already read (and fallen in love with) the fantastic Ally Carter's also fantastic Gallagher Girls series. So I knew (well, hoped) I'd like HS. I just didn't realize HOW MUCH.

See, I absolutely love heist books and movies. You know, movies like Ocean's 11, The Italian Job, that one scene in National Treasure when they steal the Declaration of Independence...And books like HEIST SOCIETY. What I love about them is the elaborate schemes, the character taking over the thief, the quick costume changes in the course of an elevator ride, a computer hack that I could only dream of. I love the code names for both people and plans whose meanings are implied but not flat out said. ("Hansel and Gretel?" "No, we only have the one grenade launcher." etc.)

And then, I love the story. Katarina wants to be a normal girl. However, normal isn't quite so easy when you come from a family of thieves. That's why, when the story begins, Kat's just pulled off one last con--getting herself into boarding school. And things are going fine for her, until her best friend Hale gets her kicked out so she can help him clear her father's name for a crime he (for once) didn't commit. 

Teaming up with the other underage members of "The Family", Kat and Hale come up with a plan to clear Bobby Bishop's name: By finding out who really did take the paintings--and stealing them back.

This book rocks. This book more than rocks. This book...boulders.

You must go read this book. For real.

This book gets... <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)

~Mag

Beautiful Logo of AWESOME

CHECK OUT THIS NEW LOGO. It makes me happy. My last logo was created in Paint. It took me about twenty minutes. This one was painstakingly crafted by the awesome CJ! So naturally, infinite thanks go out to him. Because he rocks.

(:D)
~Mag

READ THIS YEAR

So, obviously, I like reading. And, obviously, I read a lot. For my New Year's Resolution this year, I decided I wanted to try really hard to keep track of all the books I read this year. So far, so good, though I'm still wondering if I'll even make it through the month of January. Either way, if you're at all interested in what I'm reading, you can check out my list if you click here.


Feel free to leave comments about the books I've read or what you've been reading!


(:D)
~Mag

Novels 'n' Notes #1: Falling In by Lifehouse

Ok, so, today I'd like to try out a new segment here on Geek Chic called Novels 'n' Notes. Basically what I'd like to do is showcase a song that reminds me of a book, usually two characters' relationship in a book.


For the first NN, I've chosen one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, because it makes me think of one of my favorite parings in one of my favorite books. :)


*Warning--teeny tiny spoilers ahead for Soul Screamers. I'm trying really hard to keep it clear. Then again, the pairing itself is kinda spoilery.*

Falling In by Lifehouse: Tod and Kaylee from the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent
There's a lot of things about this song that makes me think of Taylee around My Soul To Steal/If I Die time. When I listen to the lyrics, it sounds, to me, like Tod talking to Kaylee. I can find a connection from almost every line in the whole song, but I'll just highlight a couple:


-"This heart that I've followed has left me so hollow, that was then, this is now, yeah you have changed everything." 


When Tod made the choices he made--the rather spoilery ones we find out about in Reaper and If I Die--he gave up being alive and human, and it took its toll on him, made it harder for him to feel things. But when he meets Kaylee, that all changes.


-"Won't be easy, have my doubts, too, but it's over, without you I'm just lost, incomplete."


They both know that being together would be hard (for various, rather obvious reasons), but it would be harder not to be. 


-"All those nights I stayed awake, thinking of all the ways to make you mine."


I think this one goes without saying...:)


Anyway, if you stayed with me on my rambling, thanks. If not, I can't say I blame you. Either way, if you love Taylee, check out Falling In below and keep Kaylee and Tod in mind as you do.

Please note that I do not own this song, the lyrics, or anything related to Lifehouse or Falling In. I also did not post this video, nor am I affiliated with "DazzleMeForevr", who did. *Insert other legal stuff here.*


I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Novels 'n' Notes. I don't have a set schedule for these yet, so they could pop up at any moment. 


So, let me know: Does this song make you think of Tod and Kaylee? What other songs make you think of books? Sound off in the comments! Also, feel free to make your own Novels 'n' Notes posts (with the logo above) and link them here! I'd love to check them out!


Also, special thanks to CJ for his help with the NN logo!


(:D)
~Mag

Review: My Soul To Take (Soul Screamers) by Rachel Vincent--Soul Screamers Reading Challenge

Ever since I finished If I Die by Rachel Vincent, I've wanted to reread the entire series in preparation for the release of Before I Wake. I got the perfect reason to do exactly that with the awesome Soul Screamers Reading Challenge hosted by one of my absolute favorite blogs, Fiktshun.

This is a super awesome reading challenge chock full of awesome opportunities to win awesome prizes that are just AWESOME. You still have time to join! Check out the details here!


So, without further ado, my review of the first book in the series, My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent.

My Soul To Take  

Something is wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh. 

She doesn't see dead people, but... 

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next... 

------

This book... I'm not sure if there are words. I loved this book the first time I read it, and I love it now. For starters, It's such a unique idea. These days, everywhere you go in YA World you're very, very likely to bump into a book about vampires or werewolves or faeries or fallen angels. And a lot of times I like or love those books, don't get me wrong. But a book about bean sidhes (banshees, to the uninformed) is something I had never seen before these books and haven't seen since. The world Rachel Vincent has created is just SO INCREDIBLE. And the characters are deep enough that you can fall in love with them or hate them or at least feel SOMETHING about any of them. 


Kaylee is an awesome heroine, a great main character. She's simultaneously an average girl with no idea what's going on and a strong, brave hero who will risk everything for others. Then there's the boys. Nash...and TOD. The best parts of Tod and his personality aren't fleshed out until later books, but even in this one he made me smile. Toss in Emma, the best friend, Sophie, the frenemy, and the secret-keeping aunt and uncle and it's impossible to read this book without feeling SOMETHING for all the characters.


If you haven't read this book, I VERY STRONGLY recommend you fix that as soon as possible. And if you have...well, read it again! I assure you, it's just as good the second time, if not BETTER!


I give this book a full <*><*><*><*><*>


Now, since this is my second time reading this book...


Down below is what was intended to be a short paragraph or two and turned into a monologue about what I found interesting about reading My Soul To Take again. Please bear with me as you read it, though it's long and ramble-y, and be aware that it contains some spoilers for My Soul To Take and the other books in the series.




*******************************************************************************




Reading My Soul To Take for the first time, I'd known Tod would be awesome, thanks to the fantastic post advocating him in the YA Sisterhood's Crush Tournament. And I did like him. And I do love him. But I did notice a few strange things about him reading this book through again.


At first, he kinda sorta seems to very much dislike Nash. And obviously (as we know having read Reaper and If I Die) that is not the case. (Of course, by the later parts of the book, he's showing more concern about Nash's well-being.) But not only that, he seemed to very much hate bean sidhes in general, which is weird, because, reaper or not, Tod was once purely bean sidhe, and in the other books, as far as I can tell, he never gave any signal of disliking his fellow bean sidhes. He seems angry in this book, kinda jerkish. He doesn't exactly seem like the same nice (if dead) guy we meet in Reaper and get to know throughout the later books.


But I do have a theory on all that--Reaper takes place both right before and right after Tod becomes a reaper, so he's still retaining his human opinions. Then, by If I Die, Tod's met Kaylee and she makes him feel alive again, and happy. But in My Soul To Take, Tod's been dead for two years and he's pretty much become full reaper, just better-looking and with a better sense of humor.


I think Nash says something to that effect to Kaylee--something about Tod not having the same values and opinions as a human. In If I Die, Tod himself says it. Something like, "Only two years dead, and already it was getting harder for me to feel anything."


But deep down in there, I still see the Tod I come to love. And by the dramatic ending, he's definitely shining through the cracks of Tod's reaper-ness.


On the other hand, I made a startling discovery rereading this book. I don't hate Nash as much as I thought I did. And even though I still kind of am angry at him a lot and kinda hate him, I remember now why I used to love him. But he just doesn't get it. He's stubborn and angry and bitter and he won't let himself be convinced that maybe things aren't exactly as they seem. He's just a kid, honestly. The thing that's annoyed me most about his character is simply that he assumes that Tod is jealous of him or mean to him because Nash lived and he died. And Tod's just standing there knowing he loves his brother more than he will ever know.


Another thing I found cool was going back and reading Kaylee's dad's explanation of what happened the night Kaylee died. Because knowing what we know about that situation and the reaper involved (the stuff that happens in If I Die), it's really interesting to see the hints dropped and the base laid for later reference.


I know this is really long when it was supposed to be short, but I'd just like to mention Sophie and Kaylee really quick. Sophie...I'm forming new opinions on Sophie. I never really HATED her, just found her annoying. Reading Never To Sleep, I found a new respect for her, even if she was still kind of a oblivious, spoiled little girl at the end. Rereading My Soul To Take, I realized that's her problem. She's just a spoiled, oblivious little girl, so who can expect her to be brave and self-sufficient like Kaylee when she's never had an opportunity to be? 


And then Kaylee. It was interesting to go back, knowing what was to come, and read about her when she was naive and had no idea what was going on, when she was more innocent and hadn't seen the horrors the Netherworld had to offer. Or the good things...certain others had to offer. 


I loved reading this part: 

     "Reapers aren't our enemies, Kaylee. They just don't particularly enjoy our company."
     Something told me the feeling would be mutual.

Oh, Kaylee. You have no idea what's in store. :)


Anyway, those are my feelings on reading My Soul To Take a second time.




********************************************************************************




Again, a big thanks to Fiktshun for hosting this awesome fun time, and to Rachel Vincent for writing such great books!


(:D)
~Mag

Waiting On Wednesday: SHINE

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated. Today, my pick under the category "I need this book or my brain will explode" is none other than SHINE, the third book in the fantastic SHADE series by one of my favorite authors, Jeri Smith-Ready.

In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.

     Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past. 

     As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves…even if that means betraying her own heart.

EEEEP! I love this series SO MUCH. So it's freaking me out that I have to wait until May 1st to read the conclusion. Oh, no. CONCLUSION. I DON'T WANT THIS SERIES TO BE OVER! Not only is the world Jeri Smith-Ready's created awesome and unique, the characters are made of pure awesome and the twists--and romance--keep the pages flipping of their own accord. Or possibly that's the ghosts.

But the very best part? You can read the first chapter of SHINE right here! And it's going to FREAK YOU OUT. It freaked me out. Now I'm even more excited for this release. C'mon, May! Hurry up already!

(:D)

~Mag

Review: Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare

HERE IT IS! My first review. What better choice could there be than the newest release from one of my all-time FAVORITE authors, Cassandra Clare!

Clockwork Prince is one of those books that can make you want to laugh and cry and shriek all within, like, five pages. It’s guaranteed to both sate the hunger for more left after Clockwork Angel and then bring back the hunger full-force, this time for Clockwork Princess.

Please keep in mind, while reading my review, it does contain certain things that may be considered mild spoilers for the first book in The Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Angel. If you haven’t read Clockwork Angel, please proceed with caution.

And now, to get you in the proper mindset, let’s check out a synopsis of CP.

Same disclaimer for the synopsis--mild CA spoilers.

 

Clockwork Prince

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

    I got this synopsis from amazon.com

    ------

When I first got my hands on a copy of Clockwork Prince, for a few minutes all I did was stare at it in awe. After waiting for it for so long, I needed a moment to mentally prepare myself. And that cover is nice, even if it is Jem and Jem… is not my favorite. Yes, be shocked if you WILL (that's a pun, get it?), but I am one of those people who loved Will as soon as I read Clockwork Angel. I love him, though some hate him. But that’s not the point.

This book...with all the hype waiting for it, I was expecting A LOT. And I think it pretty much delivered. There were a lot of laughs, for sure. Some plot twists and side stories that rocked. Very much romance. Lots of secrets revealed, and not just at the end. Plus there were some lovely POVs, including some heartbreaking Will POV moments, which made my Will-loving self happy and sad simultaneously.

Then, of course, there is the problem of the Magister. We're looking for answers about this creeper. Will we find any? Ha! That's a major spoiler alert! Read it yourself!

And--oh my gosh, I can't believe I almost forgot!!--MAGNUS!!!!!!!! I LOVE THAT GUY!!! I loved him in The Mortal Instruments, loved him in Clockwork Angel, ADORE HIM in Clockwork Prince! It don't get better than Magnus Bane, folks.

Now, I will tell you one thing about Clockwork Prince: For every question answered, six more will be raised, if not more. Questions about Will, about Jem, about parabatai and Shadowhunters...And many about Tessa; about her very existence.

Have I got you interested? If you've read Clockwork Angel and liked it, this is a must-read. Must. If you haven't, and I've still made you think, "That sounds cool." go read it first--don't you DARE skip! 

Without question, I give this book <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)
~Mag

Beautiful Covers

So, with the new year, there are a lot of new books coming out. And many of these books have absolutely fantastic covers. But there are three that are really sticking out to me right now. So, in descending order (from least favorite to most favorite) are those three gorgeous covers.

3. Timepiece by Myra McEntire

I really love this. It's totally complementary to Hourglass's cover, yet lovely and striking on its own. I don't even have words to say what I'm feeling about it. I mean, seriously, just look at it.

 

2. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

How gorgeous is this?? First off, FINALLY we've got Jace and Clary on the cover together! Secondly, I love this guy portraying Jace. Not only is he really good looking, somehow he just IS Jace. If I concretely pictured Jace (something I usually don't do with book characters) this is what he'd look like. And am I the only one thinking that this girl portraying Clary looks, like, EXACTLY like Amy Adams? Is that just me? Anyway.

 

1. Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

This. Cover. Rocks. It's so pretty! And flow-y. And...I don't even know. And I kind of like that Kaylee's alone on this one. As in: I'm really glad that Nash finally got kicked off the covers. 'Cuz I kinda-semi hate him. Though, admittedly, I wouldn't mind seeing a certain blond reaper on the cover with Kaylee. Just sayin'...;)

Anyway, those are my favorite covers right now. And, honestly, I CAN'T WAIT to read the books, too!

(:D)

~Mag

Soul Screamers Reading Challenge

To start off my blogging career with a bang, I'm participating in the Soul Screamers Reading Challenge being held by one of my favorite blogs, Fiktshun. 

The idea of the Challenge is to read--or reread, as in my case--the entire Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent to date, between January 15th and June 14th of 2012, so you'd be done just in time for the late June release of Before I Wake, the sixth book in the series (not including the e-novellas).

And here's the schedule:

January 15-February 14: My Soul To Take
February 15-March 14: My Soul To Save
March 15-April 14: My Soul To Keep
April 15-May 14: My Soul To Steal
May 14-June 14: If I Die

I gotta say...I'm super excited. I was actually expecting to  explode with anticipation while waiting for BIW. Hopefully, rereading the entire series will help keep that from happening. Because exploding would kind of be a bummer.


To add to the excitement, Fiktshun is also offering some awesome incentives for participants, like the chance to win various Rachel Vincent books (including a preorder of Before I Wake!), Amazon and Barnes and Noble gift cards, t-shirts, and more! And all the participants have to do is read or reread the books (one a month) and review them on their blog or some other place on the web, then post links to the reviews over at Fiktshun, on the proper post for the month.


Plus, you can get extra credit for reading and posting about any of the three e-novellas (Reaper, My Soul To Lose and Never To Sleep) at any time during the challenge.


And there you have it. For more details, check out the posts about it here and here. Good luck, and have fun, because really, whether or not you win the prizes, you'll still get to (re)read these AWESOME books.


(:D)
~Mag

FIRST POST

Hi, and welcome to Geek Chic! My name is Mag, and I've created this blog so I can talk about (*cough* obsess over *cough*) my favorite books.

I've loved reading for as long as I can remember, and am totally happy to hide away in my room all day reading, with minimal human contact--just ask my family, they never see me anymore! :)--but it was only recently that I decided to create a blog where I could share my views on my favorite books with others who share my obsession hobby.

So, I hope you'll enjoy as I blather on about Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers, Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments, Jeri Smith-Ready's SHADE, and so many others until my fingers start to bleed. Feel free to comment with your own feelings and opinions on the books, or my blog--I'm looking forward to hearing what you think!


Any book-related topic is fair game, be it an actual book, fanart, a song that reminds you of a book, a website or blog about books, etc.


Contacting me is easy--just leave a comment or email me at mag.geekchic@yahoo.com. You can also friend me on Facebook or like my Facebook page. I'll try really hard to respond to you at a reasonable speed ;).


And don't forget to tell your book-loving friends about Geek Chic! Let's all get together and talk about BOOKS! 

(:D)
~Mag