Mundie Moms

Monday, June 30, 2014

On The Fence by Kasie West, Book Review




By: Kasie West
Published by: Harper Teen
To Be Released on: July 1, 2014
Source: arc from publisher to review
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It
Add it to Goodreads
Purchase from: Harper Teen

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door.

With three older brothers, Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, has always been more comfortable calling the shots on a basketball court than flirting with the opposite sex. So when her police officer dad demands she get a summer job to pay for the latest in a long line of speeding tickets, she's more than a little surprised to find herself working at a chichi boutique and going out with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game. Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with her neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden, sitting back-to-back against the fence that separates them. Braden may know her better than anyone. But there's a secret Charlie's keeping that even he hasn't figured out—she's fallen for him. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.


On the Fence is a sweet and satisfying read about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect it.

This is a fantastic summer read, with the perfect summer romance! On The Fence has all the right elements that made me swoon, laugh, cry and enjoy every moment I spent reading this book. 

Have you ever found yourself sitting down with a book you knew you were going to enjoy, but didn't except yourself to fall head over heels in love with? That was this book for me. I knew Kasie was going to give me a good story, but what I didn't except was loving each of her characters, connecting with the story, and staying up until 2 am reading it, because I couldn't put the book down. On The Fence is a book that introduced me to some pretty incredible characters, all of which became these three dimensional characters whom I came to really care about. What I loved about that, is the story itself is about Charlotte, aka Charlie. I love it when I fall for more than just a main character. Each of West's characters felt more like people I wish I could go hang out with vs characters I was reading about in a book.

Charlie is a girl I connected with on the tom boy level. I got her love of sports, and hanging out with the guys, which in this case were her over protective, really fun big brothers. I totally understood that awkwardness that comes from trying to figure out how to become more girly and less tomboyish, while still enjoying all the tomboyish things. Unlike Charlie, I didn't figure that out until I was older. Charlie was an easy character for me to love. She says what she's thinking, he handles her own, and yet she's coping with something that really got me emotionally. I won't say what that is for the sake of spoilers, but it's something that played a big role in her maturing in who she is as a teenager, and a women, and finding herself. I also liked the way relationships with Charlie and some of the girls in the story evolved, and the realizations Charlie comes to with her relationships with them. 

Charlie's family is, well just awesome! I loved her brothers. I loved the relationship they all have, and how playful Charlie and her brothers were. They were constantly playing jokes on each other, messing around, and being pranksters. They all have a love of sports, and I LOVED that they included Charlie in everything they did from soccer games to pick up football games. Charlie can seriously hold her own with her brothers. Their dynamics and relationship felt real. I also loved that Charlie's dad played a role in the story as well. 

The love interest in this story rocked! Braden is just like one of Charlie's brothers. He's the guy from next door who's grown up with Charlie and her family, and is her brother Gage's best friend. There's nothing this group doesn't do together. Out of everyone, Braden and Gage are Charlie's besets friends. Braden and Charlie have this natural chemistry that from the get go I wanted something more to develop between them. 

West does such a great job with the way he developed Braden and Charlie's relationship. They have to navigate their feelings from being best friends to that awkwardness that arises once they both come to the realization they've in love. I liked that West didn't rush their relationship. Charlie and Braden had to decide if taking the risk of crossing the best friends to being in a relationship was worth it. Not to mention that Braden would have to deal with the wrath of his best friends for his dating their sister. I LOVED their moments together late at night talking by the fence. I liked seeing both of them with their guard down, and how vulnerable it made them. 

On The Fence really surprised me. Instead of being a read I thought I could just sit and read without giving it much thought, I ended up being completely wrapped up in the story, and connected with it on a level I was not excepting. I LOVED it! It's simplistic in it's fast moving plot line, wonderful in the way the story is told, and complex with how the characters learn to come to terms with a relationship that was so perfect, wonderful, and romantic in a way that fit both characters. This is a story that I will definitely read again. 

If you're looking for that perfect book to pick up and take to the beach with you that will have you sighing, constantly smiling, laughing out loud and swooning, PICK UP THIS BOOK!

Mundane Monday #216 - City of Heavenly Fire Quote from Magnus


Happy Mundane Monday! 
Hopefully today's quote from City of Heavenly Fire will help get your Monday off to a great start, or maybe this picture of Magnus will. 

"..... Everyone has the potential to be extraordinary. As long as you have a soul and free will, you can be anything, do anything, choose anything...."

- Magnus Bane, City of Heavenly Fire, page 699

I LOVE this quote from Magnus. Have a great Monday!

Cassandra Clare Discusses Her Upcoming Series, Magisterium: The Iron Trial


Cassie took to Tumblr yesterday to answer a fan question about her upcoming release, The Iron Trail, which is book one in her MG (middle grade) series that she's co-written with fellow YA author, Holly Black!

"frozeninstruments said: Hello Cassie! I’m looking forward to the first book of TDA and Magisterium series, now that TMI is over. :’) I see that you’ve been posting TDA snippets lately… can you share some snippets from Magisterium?"
I will soon! I’m letting the post-CoHF hangover wear off first. Right now you can read the prologue and first chapter of Iron Trial here. And here is the upload of the full cover. The poem on the back is called the Cinquain — it’s part of the rules of the alchemical magic of the Magisterium. Each element has a purpose and each balances another.
Cassandra Jean’s also drawn the characters of the Iron Trial and I look forward to showing them to you!

I'm looking forward to this book!


Cassandra Clare Talks CoHF, Church, Izzy's Eye Color & Clockwork Princess



Hi Shadownunters! Just in case you missed it, here are some of Cassie's most recent Q&A's she's shared with fans via her Tumblr page. Each of the individual post links are embedded into the individual discussion thread headers below.

Hey Cassie. I just want to say that I adore all of your books, and I think they are beautiful. Thank you. I have a question regarding Sebastian or Jonathan. For some reason I loved his character even though I wanted to strangle him 99% of the time. I just always thought he was evil against his own will, that he was the way he was because of his bastard father, and it didn’t hurt that he was hot too. I’m just curious to what he might have been like without demon blood, as in his personality.
herondalectable said: I have a couple questions about a very important character… Church. The most important is, of course, HOW IS THIS CAT STILL ALIVE?! Is he immortal? If so, how did he become immortal? Was it the Dark Sisters or Magnus? I he somehow tied to Jem’s life force? Also, in now Magnus brought him to New York, but how did he wind up at the NY Institute? Magnus always seems to want a cat, so why didn’t he just keep Church? Was Church too moody for him? Thanks for all the cats to love!
Church is all I LIVE FOREVER. VICTORY DANCE.
I’ve been asked about Church so often it’s on my FAQ page.
"The necromantic magic practiced on him by the Dark Sisters has made him immortal."
(The FAQ page actually answers a ton of questions. I recommend checking it out.)
Church will live forever. One day he will inhabit space.
Church doesn’t really care if most people live or die, except Jem. He may remember Jem saved his life. He is not, however, tied to Jem in any magical way. 
Magnus actually only has the two cats whose names we know, Chairman Meow and The Great Catsby. He spends The Bane Chronicles and TID mostly catless. He probably suspects Church might try to kill him, which is true.
We will eventually find out how Church wound up at the NY Institute. Patience!
sociopathwithyournumber said: Hi Cassie, first off i wanted to tell how much i admire your writing. CoHF was fantastic but I do have questions about it. This was brought to my attention by polandbananasbooks video, but was never addressed in CoHF. why is Izzy the only lightwood child with dark eyes when both Maryse and Robert have blue eyes? why does it seem like we know practically every character’s eye color but max? Is this just coicindence or will it be adressed in another series? thanks for sharing the shadow world :) 
Hello! I’m not sticking this under a spoiler cut because honestly, it’s not really a spoiler, any more than “City of Heavenly Fire contains no sharks!” is a spoiler.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

New To My Shelves #177 - Exciting Summer Reads Edition

Happy Weekend! Welcome to this week's edition of New To My Shelves (previously known as In My Mailbox (IMM) / Stacking the Shelves (STS) or My Weekly Round Up in the Stacks. This week's posts features the goodies that have recently arrived, or I've purchased this past week. You can check out all the goodies that have arrived via my Instagram account. 


I'm really excited about this week's book arrivals. I received an exciting variety of children's book, MG, YA and new adult. I'll be featuring my children/MG ones tomorrow on Mundie Kids. There are a lot of exciting reads coming out this year. 

For Review

Gifted
  • City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, Target edition w/ the comic *I'm not sharing a picture of it, because it's spoilery
  • City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, the UK edition, *I'm not sharing of it, because it too is spoilery
Bought
With Jennifer Mathieu, Julie Murphy, Kristen Rae & Lindsay Cummings

*On Friday night I moderated a YA panel at Book People that had these fabulous 4 Texas debut authors on it! Jennifer Mathieu (The Truth About Alice), Julie Murphy (Side Effects may Vary), Kristen Rae (I Wish You Were Italian), and Lindsay Cummings (The Murder Complex). It was so much fun. If you didn't make it to the event, Book People does have signed copies available and they do ship world wide. 

THANK YOU to
Disney Hyperion, Bloomsbury, Harper Teen, Simon Teen, Amulet, Harper Collins, Fierce Reads, Tor Teen, Sophie & Em for this week's fabulous reads.

What goodies have you recently received? 

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes, Book Review


By: Paula Stokes (also writes as Fiona Paul)
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Source: eARC from publisher
Purchase: IndieBound | Book Depository | amazon | Barnes and Noble
The Art of Lainey

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars - the story showed promise...

Synopsis: "A satisfying and sweet story." -Publishers Weekly

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

First a disclaimer, I didn't know that Paula Stokes is also Fiona Paul (author of the Venom series), and I haven't read her historical series, Venom, yet. I read this story because I love the plot device of using The Art of War as a way to get back an ex-boyfriend. I wanted this book to be a little more like  Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall. Lainey and Samantha are so similar -- both popular girls ruling the realm of their high school. Neither one are likable characters, at all, but the differences in how the authors handle the characters is dramatic.

It's tough to write an unlikeable character that is relatable, and there are few authors who do it extremely well (I'm thinking of Holly Black's Gavriel in The Coldest Girl in Coldtown although he's more of an anti-hero). As a reader, I admit, I have a tough time understanding these characters. And Lainey is just that character -- wrapped up in her popularity, her success as a soccer player, whining about not being able to get into a Division1 school (because her mother works at a college where the tuition would be free and incidentally Lainey did a commercial, that everyone loves, for that very college…Lainey needs my "money doesn't grow on trees, kids" lecture) and on and on and on. Lainey is perfect. Everyone (including her) tells us that over and over again, so why does her equally popular boyfriend dump her? I wanted to know, I really did, but in the end, there just wasn't enough tension holding that thought in place.

I confess that I almost didn't finish the book. Lainey's best friend and her co-worker/pretend boyfriend were such flat, two-dimensional characters that I kept reading because I thought, surely, there will be a  twist explaining why they even bother to hang out with the obnoxious Lainey. Sadly, there is no twist. What I did get was a sweet moment or two with the fake boyfriend's sister that were genuine and true. Really sweet moments. I wish there were more of those with the other characters.

I think my own expectations of what should happen to Lainey's character made me want to walk away from the story. What would have made me increase the rating was if I saw the always manipulative Lainey grow or even suffer for some of her mistakes and biases. The story never gave me that feeling of satisfaction, and it never explored the shades of gray in these very black and white characters.

For more favorable reviews, check out Wendy Darling's (The Midnight Garden) and Tiffany's (Once Upon a Twilight).

Saturday, June 28, 2014

The 15 Most Anticipated YA Books Being Released in July 2014


I LOVE the book lists that Epic Reads creates, and the monthly book release one is one of my all time favorite. Here is their list for The 15 Most Anticipated YA Books Publishing in July 2014.





 Check out the rest of the titles and find out more about each of the books HERE.

Epic Reads's 30 Perfect Paperbacks for Summer Reading


If you're having troubles trying to figure out what book to grab with you when you hit the beach, lake or pool this summer, check out Epic Reads's list of the 30 Perfect Paperbacks for Summer Reading. If you don't see your favorite paperback listed, leave them a comment here, they'd love to know what other books you'd add to their list.

Friday, June 27, 2014

FOUR: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth, Book Review


By: Veronica Roth
Published by: Harper Teen
To Be Released on: July 8, 2014
Series: Divergent #4
Source: book from publisher to review
Pre-Order from: find out where to purchase it at here
Add it to Goodreads

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling divergent series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—The Transfer, The Initiate, The Son, and The Traitor—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the Divergent trilogy.

A must read for Divergent fans!

FOUR: A Divergent Collection is a collection of novellas from Four's point of view. If you already didn't love Four, you now. If you already did, you'll love him even more. I enjoyed getting to understand Four more. With this collection of novellas, Veronica Roth gives his side of the story. Fans will see what Four's motivation was for changing Fractions, why he wanted to be a trainer, the corruption between fractions, and his first impression of Tris. Oh yeah, it's a great read.

I loved reading about Tris and Four's first meeting and some of their time together, through Four's eyes. That was fabulous. It was easy to like Four in Divergent, and at the same time think he was a jerk at first, but know we get to see why. Often times I thought Tris was tougher than Four, but this book made me realize Four has a different kind of strength than Tris. They definitely complimented each other well in the series.

This was a fast paced read, enjoyable read that I read in one sitting. I liked stepping back into the series. Roth does a great job at staying true to the series, and to both Four and Tris's voices. There are times I feel that novellas lose the true voice of the series, and lose the feeling that the book series gives off, and luckily that was not the case at all with this book.

FOUR is a great addition to the Divergent series. This is a book I'd highly recommend DIVERGENT fans pick up, though I wouldn't recommend reading it until you've read the entire series.

UNLEASED by Sophie Jordan, Cover Reveal


Happy Friday! I am so thrilled to be apart of today's team of bloggers/book reviewers whom are helping Sophie Jordan reveal the cover for her sequel to Uninvited, UNLEASHED, which will be out in early 2015. 

CHECK OUT THIS COVER!


I seriously love that Harper kept with the same theme, and again features DNA her hair. If you've read Uninvited, you'll know how crucial DNA is to the storyline (read my review here). I also like who they have on the cover. Normally I'm not a big fan of seeing people on the cover of books. 

About The Book


What if the worst thing you ever did was unforgivable?

Davy’s world fell apart after she tested positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome. She was expelled from her school, dumped by her boyfriend, abandoned by friends, and shipped off to a camp that turns HTS carriers into soldiers. Davy may have escaped, but the damage has already been done. The unthinkable has happened. Now, even worse than having everyone else see her as a monster is the knowledge that they may have been right about her all along. Because Davy has killed.

On the run from government agents, Davy is rescued by Caden, the charismatic leader of an underground group of rebels. Despite Caden’s assurances that the Resistance is made up of carriers like her, Davy isn’t sure she can trust them. Then again, she doesn’t even know if she can trust herself . . . or her growing feelings for Caden. But if she doesn’t belong with Caden and his followers, is there anywhere she can call home?

UNLEASHED mini-teaser:

I thought being labeled a killer and losing everything—my future, family, boyfriend, friends—was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. It’s not. Finding out they were right. Finding out that’s exactly what I am?

That’s worse.

Be sure to add this to your TBR lists on Goodreads.

About Uninvited 


Purchase it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.


We would like to know, what to you think of the cover for UNLEASHED? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

The Maze Runner Movie Tie In Editions, Covers Are Revealed!

Happy Friday! Check out this exciting news from Random House Kids, which James Dashner and actor Dylan O'Brien, whom stars in The Maze Runner movie, recently shared with fans. It's the cover for the movie tie edition of the book!!


Per Random House
Fans are eagerly awaiting the film adaptation of the first book in James Dashner’s action-packed series, hailed as “[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the FliesThe Hunger Games, and Lost” by Entertainment Weekly.com. With 4 million copies of the series sold, James Dashner continues to grow his Dashner Army fan base every day, and both fans and newcomers to the books will be thrilled to see these movie-tie in editions (which they can read before they see the film.) 

THE MAZE RUNNER movie tie-in edition (pictured above) of the New York Times bestseller The Maze Runner features an eight-page full-color insert with photos from the film and an exclusive fan sticker.


In INSIDE THE MAZE RUNNER: THE GUIDE TO THE GLADEreaders can explore the Glade and uncover the secrets to the Maze in the ultimate Maze Runner movie companion book. This action-packed volume features more than 100 thrilling full-color photographs, up-close profiles of the Gladers, and details about the Glade, the Maze, and more! A must-have for fans of the Maze Runner series, who’ll want to learn all they can before The Maze Runner movie hits theaters on September, 19, 2014.

Dylan O’Brien, star of THE MAZE RUNNER, revealed the movie tie-in edition via twitter recently, and James Dashner revealed the cover of INSIDE THE MAZE RUNNER. Be sure to retweet, post, and share the excitement that continues to build for the movie! #Dashner Army.

Leave us a comment letting us know what you think of the cover. I'm totally loving it! Yes, I would totally buy it just for the cover. lol

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Tackling The Never Ending TBR Pile

It's summer time, which means there will be plenty of time to sit by the pool, or hide out in your house in the cool AC and read right? That's what I was hoping, but so far summer vacation has proven other wise. Instead of getting caught up on my reading, writing reviews, and getting posts schedule for all three blogs, I've fallen more behind. While it's driving me crazy that I can't get ahead of the game at the moment, I'm enjoying every second of  having some summer time fun with my kids. This also means my TBR pile is getting ridiculously huge.


So, let's talk about tackling that never ending TBR pile. Instead of boring you with my thoughts, I've brought along a little help, thank you to the awesome Super Natural gifs I found here.

"HI, my name is Katie, and I have a book problem." 

Seriously, no matter how big my TBR pile is, and how impossible it sometimes seems to read through, I keep adding more books to it.


Honestly, who doesn't do this when a book package arrives?! haha
While I admit I have a book buying problem, which I'm getting better at, I have learned over the years of book blogging to "no thank you" when it comes to reviewing books I know that 1) I won't or don't have time to read and 2) will not interest my blog readers. My time is valuable. I'm a mom, wife, PR committee chair, PTA president, sports mom, and a book reviewer. Reading is my escape and my time to relax from the every day stuff. Between my prior reviewing commitments, and the books I've purchased to read, there isn't time to read every book that is requested, or sent.


I love books, and that love started when I was a kid. I won't ever stop purchasing books, or promoting books, whether though my blog or word of mouth. While this gif above sums up my book feels, when it comes to my TBR pile I'm feeling a little like this ......


I swear my TBR pile won't stop growing. Currently my TBR pile includes books I've purchased, (because no matter how many books I have to read, apparently I can't stop buy more books), books I need to review, and books I would like to review. I have weeded out my shelves numerous times, and in the process have donated countless books to local shelters, teacher friends, school libraries and my publish library. For some reason as soon I feel like I've gotten my TBR pile to a reasonable size I'm all, "hey look I have more room", and some how more books fill that space.


 Since life is crazy busy, and I can't sit around and read all day (don't I wish), I've become very picky with the books I read. I have to be. It's impossible for me to read every book that arrives. Between the books that are solicited that I've agreed to review, and the ones I purchase and want to read, it leaves very little time to read the other books that arrive, though I do add some of them to my TBR shelves, because they look like good reads and I do plan on reading them at some point.

I've tried to figure out away that helps me stay organized with my TBR pile, because we all know how scary our TBR piles can get.....


I have one too many shelves/bookcases that currently hold my TBR piles. To help them not feel so chaotic, I've organized my TBR shelves for my books to review for publishers down by months. All arcs come with a date that features the month and year on them, and to help me stay organized as a reviewer, I put my books in order of the month they'll be released in, and within that shelf, I've placed the books I'm most excited about reading first. While this works great for Mundie Moms and Mundie Kids, when it comes to my new adult/adult book review blog, that is still an organizational mess, because that blog is more of a my fun, laid back blog.

When it comes to my purchased books I put them in order of the books I want to read first, though I'm trying to organize these books more like the rest of my "read" shelves, which are in alphabetical order by author. I swear this way has made my life way easier when it comes to finding a book.


I've been asked numerous times about what I do with all the books I receive. I kinda of mentioned it above about what I do. I'm very grateful for all the books I receive to read and review. As I mentioned previously, it is impossible for me to read every book I receive, nor do I keep every book I receive. I don't have the room, and why keep I book I won't read, but someone else might enjoy. For some reason moving to a bigger house so that I could have a bigger room just for my books doesn't fly with the husband. (I'm not sure why HAHA). 

Even after I read a book, unless I loved it, or I think my kids will love it, I don't keep it. If I've agreed to review a book for an author or publisher, or have purchased the book, then it goes on my TBR shelves. I've If I receive an unsolicited book, and either I know I won't have time to read it, or it doesn't look like one I'll enjoy or my blog's readers will, I set it aside to be donated. 

Sometimes I still feel like I'm missing an easier way to tackle my TBR pile. I'd love to know, how do you tackle your TBR pile? 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Cassandra Clare Answers Fan Questions about #CoHF & More

Hi Shadowhunters. It's been a crazy couple of days and I'm some how totally behind on posts, and catching up with all of Cassie Clare's latest posts from her Tumblr. She's been posting a lot of Q&A's lately (via her tumblr), and I'm sharing some of those here. 

Just like her Tumblr posts, I've included her READ MORE link, as many of these posts below have COHF spoilers in them. You can also find each of the links to Cassie's individual posts via the title of each posts shared below, which are highlighted and bolded. 

Questions about Sebastian/Jonathan under the cut.


Raziel as part of Cassandra Jean’s flower cards for Shadowhunters.



Helen Blackthorn and Aline Penhallow.
Helen weeps for her family. Aline is there for her, representing constancy.


Hi Cassie I have a question about Stephen Herondale. In The Last Stand… You described a man that is filled with hate and ignorance. We all know Valentine was a very charismatic and persuasive person but it is very difficult for me to understand how the descendant of Will Hareondale and Tessa Gray could be so narrow minded and cruel towards downworlders. When Tessa met Jocelyn for the first time she said that if Stephen met her he wouldve killed her and that is something I find hard to wrap my head around. Some of the shadowhunter families had issues with downworlders over the generations but the Herondale line should have been different considering such a strong influence from Will and Tessa. I would appreciate it if you could shed some light on this, I know Stephen eventually understood his wrong doings and wrote that letter to Jace but to me it seemed too little too late and it really bugged me. Thanks — nicky-angel
Stephen was a jerk and a bigot, there’s no way around that, even if he did reconsider later in his life.  
No family is all good or all bad. Even the Herondales. Even the hot boy Herondales. Edmund is portrayed as having massive character flaws and gambling away all his family’s money. Will and Tessa are many generations removed from Stephen and neither of them knew him, and he didn’t know them — which makes it difficult for him to be influenced by them. In fact, as a kid, he didn’t even know he had any Downworlder blood, as by then the fact had been covered up.
It would be easy to idealize the Herondales, but they are, after all, just people. There will be more stories about the Circle in future; can’t talk about them quite yet, but you will see more of the influences that shaped Stephen. (And in fact meet a different, even worseHerondale.)
shadowhunter-halfblood said: Hi Cassie. Firstly, I’d just like to thank you for CoHF. It was amazing and a fantastic ending to a remarkable series. I was just wondering, what made you decide not to kill …
SPOILERS. BIG SPOILERS ABOUT WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES. MORE UNDER THE CUT.
haepenguin said: A couple months ago you said that if we squinted we would see Jessamine in CoHF. I was wondering what you meant by that (now that the book has been out for a while)?
Spoilers under the cut …but it’s on my page 196.



A scene from CoHF illustrated by Cassandra Jean. Slightly spoilery. Magnus and Alec questions under the cut.


The Giver Movie Poster Revealed


The Giver hits theaters laster this year, and recently the Huffington Post revealed the official The Giver most poster! Check it out below:


I'll be real honest, this is one YA movie adaptation I've not been a fan of. I know, *gasp*. I loved this book, and having seen some poorly done book to movie adaptations recently, I feel this one will fall under the, "didn't do the book justice" category. I'm basing that on the movie trailer. After seeing it, I don't think that what I loved about the book will be portrayed correctly on the big screen. I hope I'm proven wrong. There's a stellar cast, but we all know no matter how good the acting is, the directing and the script can totally ruin a movie, hence a certain movie that won't be named.
Honestly, until now I've not even posted about the movie here on the blog because of that. I'm kinda of digging the movie poster. What do you think about the post? Is this a movie you'll go see? 


About the Movie
THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.  You can read her new foreword for THE GIVER, and learn how she looks back on her groundbreaking novel and its influence 20 years later: more here.

The Cast
THE GIVER, starring Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard, Cameron Monaghan, Odeya Rush, and Taylor Swift, will be in theaters everywhere August 15th

SYNOPSIS
The haunting story of THE GIVER centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community’s secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined – a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all – a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Watch the Trailer



More Movie Info
The follow the movie via the Official WebsiteFacebookTwitter, Tumblr & The Giver Challenge

Monday, June 23, 2014

TDA Snippet, Mundane Monday #215

Happy Mundane Monday! 
Yesterday Cassie treated fans with this TDA Snippet:


meghanqueen said: It’s crazy how I go on your tumblr page everyday just to read that snippet of Julian and Emma. It’s what 49 words long? Yes, I counted but I can’t help it! I’m just so excited for this duo and their story!! This isn’t a question, sorry about that! I just wanted to tell you this really random thing I do.
Why, thank you! Have another one.
Emma swallowed. She was remembering Julian, two years ago, standing in the overlapping circles of fire where the parabatai ritual was performed. The look on his face as they each stepped into the central circle and the fire rose up around them, and he unbuttoned his shirt to let her touch the stele to his skin and carve the rune that would bind them together for their whole lives. She knew if she just reached out now, she could touch it, touch the rune cut into his shoulder, the rune she had put there …

Gah.... you can't stop there Cassie. lol We need more! I'm looking forward to reading this series. 

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