Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
First published: March 24th, 2009
Source: Bought
Pages: 492

Previous book in the series:
City of Bones - my review 
City of Ashes - my review 

Goodreads Summary:
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that enter-ing 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 Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters 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?

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

First thoughts:

Wow. This series definitely makes it impossible to pick up another book immediately after finishing this. It will stay with you for hours, or even days. And even though City of Glass could be the perfect ending for this series, I am extremely happy that there will be more books set in this world.

The following might include spoilers for people who haven't read City of Bones and City of Ashes.

More detailed:

City of Glass is the third installment of the The Mortal Instruments series and finally gave me the answers to the thousands of questions that I had while reading the first two books. It made me sigh, smile, laugh and scream frustratedly at those fictional characters - it was an emotional rollercoaster.

Just like the other two books, this novel is told by a third person narrator. While the storytelling is concentrated on Clary's point of view, I loved the small glimpses of other people's experiences and thoughts. This always helped me to understand, and appreciate, some certain characters (e.g. Simon) more.

I really enjoyed all the background knowledge about Jace and Clary, Valentine and Jocelyn in this book. There were a lot of questions left open for a long time and it's great to see everything come together now. Little details, which could be found all over the story, finally have a meaning and help to understand why certain things happened.

While I'm completely in love with Jace and Clary's story and their scenes never failed to make me smile (or, in some cases, shout at the book), I always squealed like a little girl when I encountered Magnus and Alec in one scene. They are definitely one of my favorite fictional couples and I hope to see more of them together in the future books.

As far as I know, The Mortal Instruments was originally planned to be a trilogy and you can definitely see this in City of Glass. The ending is completely satisfying and if there wasn't another book, it would be okay. But of course I am very happy that there'll be another three books, because I'm not willing to leave this world already.

All in all, I loved City of Glass as much as I loved the other two previous books of this series. It is amazingly well written and the storyline has a few very intriguing twists that I really enjoyed. If you haven't read this (or even this series) yet, please do so now. I am sure that you will not regret it.

Following books of the series:

4. City of Fallen Angels

5. City of Lost Souls (2012)

6. City of Heavenly Fire (2013)

Have you read City of Glass / this series? What did you think about it?
Carina

Cover Comparisons #21: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Living in Germany gives me the perfect opportunity to compare original covers with the ones German publishers choose. Sometimes they're gorgeous, sometimes they make me cringe, but it's always interesting to see different covers for the same novel.

Cover Comparisons is a weekly feature here at Fictional Distraction.

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The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
(US old / US new / GER)

I have the new US paperback version of this sitting on my shelf and I have to admit that I like this a lot better than the original version. The latter would just never made me want to read this without reading the summary. And while the new version is slightly better, I'd definitely prefer the German version. I love the image, the colors, the placement of the title - just everything.

Which version do you like best?

US old US new GER

pollcode.com free polls

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Carina

Waiting on Wednesday #26: Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Wander Dust by Michelle Warren
Expected Publication: November 2011

Goodreads Summary:
Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.
Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities.
The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.
And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time and love.

Just like last week I am showing you a book with a very pretty cover. And the summary sounds really interesting, therefore I can't wait to get my hands on this!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?
Carina

Review: Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date of Publication: January 1st, 2009
Source: Bought
Pages: 389

Previous books in the series: 
Wicked Lovely - my review
Ink Exchange - my review

Goodreads Summary:
Aislinn never expected to rule in Faerie--but that was before Keenan stole her mortality to make her a monarch. Now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever dreamed of.

Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone--but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he's ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on a new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

My Rating: 3.0 / 5

First thoughts:

While I had a hard time with the first half of the book, I really enjoyed the things that happened in the second half. Especially Seth's development during this novel was lovely to watch and I'm looking forward to see how his decisions will affect the rest of this world. 

More detailed:

Fragile Eternity is the third novel in Melissa Marr's faerie series and gave us a more detailed experience of this fairytale-like world. Unlike the second book, it concentrates on Aislinn and Seth's relationship again and showed us how Keenan and the faerie courts affect them.

I have to admit that I struggled with the beginning of this novel. While I grew more attached to this series after reading Ink Exchange, this reminded me of the problems I had while reading Wicked Lovely: I couldn't really connect to the characters and never felt like I had to continue reading.

But after some time I started to get into the story again and really enjoyed the rest. We finally get to find out more about the fourth court, the High Court, and its queen Sorcha. She plays a very important part in Seth's plan to save his relationship with Aislinn and was a very interesting character to meet. I really hope that we'll get to see more of her in the last two novels.

I'm still on the fence when it comes to Keenan and Seth. While I really started to like Seth a lot, I also enjoyed to see Aislinn and Keenan's relationship develop. At the same time I'd also love Keenan to be with Donia. So all in all, the love stories are very interesting to watch and I'm looking forward to find out who will end up together.

Like always, Melissa Marr's writing was very vivid and made it incredibly easy to imagine the world she created. I'm sure that the faeries in this story will become even more cruel in the final two novels and I'm excited to see whether the impending war will claim many victims. All in all, Fragile Eternity was an interesting sequel with a few flaws, but I'm still looking forward to continue this series.

Following books of the series:

4. Radiant Shadows

5. Darkest Mercy

Have you read this series? What did you think about it?

Carina

Teaser Tuesday #24: Swoon by Nina Malkin

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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My teaser:

Swoon by Nina Malkin - p. 6

It takes a while to hang a man. He must have been strong; he must have fought. But at last he was well and truly dead, for the knots and clots of the crowd began to unravel and disperse.

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I only just started reading this, therefore you're getting a teaser from one of the first pages.

Have a lovely day,
Carina

If This Be Class Warfare, Let Us Make the Most of It.

 (This is this week's newspaper column which does not, for some reason, appear on the paper's website, although it is in the print version. One of the paper's conservative columnists has noted that his column doesn't appear either. We're trying to find out why. Stay tuned. )

One of the most widely used and abused right wing buzzwords of this wild and wacky century is "class warfare." Sometimes it seems as if it's the knee-jerk wingnut answer to everything. Point out the growing inequality of income in America, in which the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and more numerous, and the middle class is getting smaller and being squeezed harder? They won't bother denying it, they'll just complain that mentioning it is "class warfare."  Propose a tax hike on the wealthiest Americans to pay for upgrades to American infrastructure (and in doing so, create more jobs for the companies who do the upgrading)? "Class warfare!" the Teahadists sputter. 

Well, after hearing the whining of Louisiana representative John Fleming, I'm saying "so what if it is?" Fleming, who owns a chain of Subway restaurants and UPS stores back home, recently appeared on MSNBC and complained that by the time  he paid taxes, paid all his bills, and "fed his family" he had "maybe, $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment." When host Chris Jansing pointed out that he probably wasn't going to get a lot of sympathy pointing out that he "only" had 400K left over after expenses, the poor little rich boy went immediately to the standard fall-back, saying "class warfare never created jobs." 

I've got to tell you, Congressman Fleming, when you consider that your buddies in Congress oppose President Obama's plan to cut payroll taxes, which affect primarily middle and working class people, yet continue to insist on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, that sounds an awful lot like class warfare to me. When you consider that that  400K you regard as so paltry is the equivalent of eight median household incomes ($50,000 was the average in 2010, down 2.3 percent from the year before)....well, it makes me want to reach for a torch and a pitchfork, build a guillotine in the front yard, and say, to paraphrase Patrick Henry, "if this be class warfare, let us make the most of it."  

As for the tired old  protest that higher taxes on wealthy people are "punishing success,” I refer you to Massachusetts Senatorial Candidate Elizabeth Warren.  You may remember Warren as the woman who helped oversee the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that the Republicans in Congress are now striving mightily to strangle in its crib. She was recently at a campaign event in Andover and delivered an epic smackdown to the myth of the "self-made American millionaire," saying:  "There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own.  Nobody. You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea. God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is, you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.” 

Doggone right. Here's the thing. If there's one unshakable rule of economics, it's that stuff costs money. Roads, highways and bridges cost money. Schools cost money. A powerful military costs money, especially when it’s in two wars. Police cost money, as the NC Highway Patrol showed us when they had to suspend their training academy indefinitely, because of budget cuts--cuts necessitated by the Republican-controlled legislature's refusal to consider tax increases. 

Let's face it:  civilization is expensive. Right wingers like to rail against "freeloaders," but it's the people who become successful because society provides the infrastructure and the freedom to use it, and who then refuse to help pay for it, that are freeloading. 

If you're a member of the middle class, keep one thing in mind:  When multimillionaire politicians or pundits or talk show hosts start hollering  about "class warfare," while opposing tax breaks for the middle class and defending them for the wealthy, they want you to pay for the civilization that made their success possible. They've  already declared war. On you.

In My Mailbox #22

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives bloggers the chance to appreciate the books they got last week and to meet new people.

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Gifted / Won:

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Michelle from Much Loved Books gave this (+ lovely bookmarks) to me. Thank you! ♥

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Won this from Fiktshun. Thank you, Rachel! ♥

Received for review:

Unlovable by Sherry Gammon

received from author

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I'm very excited about the books I got this week. Most of you probably know that I'm currently reading and loving the The Mortal Instruments series and therefore I'm sooo happy that Michelle send me a copy of City of Fallen Angels! Thank you. :)

And I've been dying to read Anna Dressed in Blood and when I won a giveaway on Rachel's second blog and could choose one book that I'd like to read, I immediately thought of this. Can't wait to start it!

I also can't wait to start Unlovable, because I've heard good things about it and probably would have bought it anyway once I have a Kindle. :)

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Carina

This week's reviews:

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (4.5/5)

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (5/5)

"We Sound Like CRAZY PEOPLE!!!"

The Weekly Standard's take on the current GOP crop: YIKES!

...in a week in which markets collapsed, Solyndra exploded, our Middle East policy was in meltdown, the Iranian nuclear threat became more urgent, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff fingered our “ally” Pakistan as a sponsor of terror against American forces in Afghanistan—none of the candidates really seemed up to the moment, either politically or substantively. In the midst of a crisis, we’re getting politics as usual—and a somewhat subpar version of politics as usual at that.

Dudes, if you've lost an uber-wingnut like William Kristol, you are in deep kimchee.

Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Date of Publication: March 25th, 2008
Source: Bought
Pages: 411

Previous book in the series:
City of Bones - my review 

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?

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

First thoughts:

Even after reading the second novel of this series, I'm still a little bit angry at myself for not starting this earlier. Those novels are fantastic: Really well written, interesting characters, a heart-breaking love story and so much excitement. And of course cliffhangers. If you haven't read this series yet, you need to do so now!

More detailed:

City of Ashes is a stunning sequel to the first book of this series and made it impossible for me to forget this world. With every new page, every new chapter, I got pulled into this story more and I never wanted it to end while hoping to finally know that everything will be alright.

Like City of Bones, this novel is being told by a third person narrator, but this time we get to see some more different points of view. While Clary is still the person whose feelings we can explore most, it was lovely to experience a few certain situations from other people's point of view. It especially helped me to like Clary's best friend Simon a little bit better whom I didn't really care for during the first novel.

I really loved how the love story was treated in City of Ashes. While the usual "second book problem" of  the love interests being torn apart by something applies to Jace and Clary, I liked how they still shared a lot of scenes in this novel and had to face their feelings. But just like people have predicted, the ending broke my heart again (Cassandra Clare seems to love cliffhangers).

After finishing it, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered and many problems unsolved, which gives me high expectations for the third novel. But I already feel like Cassandra Clare can't really disappoint me with this series: Her writing is amazing and even though some of her story lines are torturous, they're just as addicting.

All in all, City of Ashes is a great novel that is just as amazing as the first book of this series. If you haven't read this series, you should do so, because I'm certainly regretting that I waited so long. It has a very interesting world, lovely characters and it will never fail to keep you entertained.

Following books of the series:

3. City of Glass

4. City of Fallen Angels

5. City of Lost Souls (2012)

6. City of Heavenly Fire (2013)

Have you read any books of this series? What did you think about it?
Carina

Cover Comparisons #20: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Living in Germany gives me the perfect opportunity to compare original covers with the ones German publishers choose. Sometimes they're gorgeous, sometimes they make me cringe, but it's always interesting to see different covers for the same novel.

Cover Comparisons is a weekly feature here at Fictional Distraction.

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Forgotten by Cat Patrick
(US / UK / GER)

This book has been on my to-read list for so long now and I still haven't bought a copy yet. But I really can't say which cover is appealing to me the most. I love the pink in the German cover, but I'm not sure whether this represents the story in any way. I don't really like the US cover, but I would pick up the UK cover.

Which version do you like best?

US UK GER

pollcode.com free polls

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Cover Comparisons is back. Yay! With a poll and a pretty pink box. Do you like it?
Carina

Thank You, Ms. Warren

T

This cannot be said enough.

Waiting on Wednesday #25: Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
Publisher: Tor/Macmillan
Expected Publication: June 2012

Goodreads Summary:
When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove.

Something's not quite right about the school -- or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother.

The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her new friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member.

Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school...and be bound to Birch Grove forever?

Is it very wrong that it actually was the cover that grabbed my attention first and made me want to put this onto my to-read list? It's sooo gorgeous! But I love the summary just as much. It sounds very mysterious and interesting. Can't wait!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?
Carina

Rep. John Fleming: Poor Little Rich Boy

Multi-Millionaire Rep. Says He Can’t Afford A Tax Hike Because He Only Has $400K A Year After Feeding Family | ThinkProgress: 

"After being asked about the $6 million profit of his businesses last year, he responded that, "the amount that I have to reinvest in my business and feed my family is more like $600,000 of that $6.3 million, and so by the time I feed my family I have, maybe, $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment..." 

Let me just say this about that:

Class Warfare? It's on, bitches. It is ON. 

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Speak (Penguin Group)
Date of Publication: October 19th, 2010
Source: Bought
Pages: 454 (Paperback)

Goodreads Summary:

Calla is the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack. She is destined to marry Ren Laroche, the pack's alpha male. Together, they would rule their pack together, guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But then, Calla saves a beautiful human boy, who captures her heart. Calla begins to question everything - her fate, her existence, and her world and the orders the Keepers have asked her to follow. She will have to make a choice. But will she follow her heart if it means losing everything, including her own life? 

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

First thoughts:

Why did I wait so long to start this series? To be honest, I didn't expect it to be this good and I was positively surprised by the detail and uniqueness of the werewolf aspects of this story. Sadly this book ended with a mean cliffhanger, which means that I'll need to get the second book as soon as possible!

More detailed:

Nightshade is one of those books that I always saw on other blogs but never remembered to order. But once I started reading this book, I regretted taking so much time to start this series. It was a very surprising story that captivated me and made me remember it even long after I finished it. 

Even though I read many incredibly positive reviews about this, I've always expected this to be a regular werewolf story. But soon I realized that this is a lot more complex than any other werewolf novel I have read before. It is filled with mysterious and surprising elements that make me want to get to know this world even more.

I loved being told the story from Calla's point of view. She's a very likeable character and I could easily identify with her problems. The way she struggles for freedom and independece in a world dominated by men was incredibly well written and with every new chapter I read, I hoped that she would finally get what she wants.

Of course I'm also a little bit jealous of Calla, since - like most YA heroines of course - she has two guys vying for her attention. Ren and Shay are both very interesting characters and I really enjoyed seeing them develop during the story. But I have to admit that I picked a favorite quite soon and that I'm definitely a part of Team Ren.

All in all, Nightshade is a fantastic and very refreshing story that you should definitely read if you haven't already. But I'm warning you: This ends with a huge cliffhanger, therefore you shouldn't make the same mistake as I did and not have the sequel nearby. I definitely need to get the next book of this series soon.

The second novel of this series

Wolfsbane

was released on July 26th, 2011 by Penguin.

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The third novel of the series

Bloodrose

will be released on January 24th, 2012 by Philomel.

Have you read Nightshade? What did you think about it?
Carina

Teaser Tuesday #23: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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My teaser:

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - p. 112 / 113

In the middle of the room stood Jace. He wasn't alone, though - not by a long shot. There was a dark-haired girl with him, a girl Clary had never seen before, and the two of them were locked together in a passionate embrace.

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Carina

Forward This To Everyone You Know!!!!!!!!

Thanks to John Scalzi for posting this first.

Review: CHOKE ON YOUR LIES, Anthony Neil Smith

Choke on Your Lies by Anthony Neil Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anthony Neil Smith set his best book yet in one of the country's best known cesspools of corruption and wickedness: academia. There's enough viciousness, backstabbing and sexual depravity among Smith's small-college faculty to make Caligula look like an episode of The Little Rascals.

The last decent man in this pit of vipers is Mick Thooft, a good guy but, apparently, a wretchedly bad poet. When Mick discovers his wife's infidelity and her attempt to defraud him out of the marital home, he turns to his friend Octavia, a big woman with a bigger intellect and a capacity for malice that dwarfs both. Octavia pronounces "let's punish the bitch," and proceeds to use her considerable wealth to make that happen. But even Octavia's sheer meanness may not be a match for the evil mind of the antagonist pulling the strings.

Smith pulls off one of the hardest tricks in all of writing: he fascinates you with characters who, for the most part, are completely unlikable. Mick's such a wimp you just want to pick him up and shake him, the only sane reaction to Octavia would be to flee from her screaming in terror, and the rest of the cast (with only a couple of minor exceptions) range from slightly creepy to downright demonic. And yet, you can't look away.

Great book.


View all my reviews

On Teabaggers Cheering For American Deaths

Latest Newspaper Column:

Remember back during the health care debate when Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson came onto the House floor and presented two posters which he called "The Republican Health Care Plan"?

One of them said "Don't Get Sick," and the other said "Die Quickly."

Remember the outrage? "Appalling," Sean Hannity called it. Bill O'Reilly called Grayson a "pinhead." House Republicans drafted a resolution of disapproval identical to the one approved against Joe Wilson, who became a hero to Republicans after shouting "you lie!" at the president while he was speaking to Congress.

(Remember, the GOP hates disrespect and name-calling, unless it's them doing it. Then it's a fundraising bonanza.).

Well, a few months later, it seems that at least some tea partiers actually think that Grayson's so-called "smear" could actually be the basis of a mighty fine plan.

During the recent TP-sponsored debate, moderator Wolf Blitzer was discussing health care reform with Ron Paul, the Rodney Dangerfield of his party. Blitzer gave Paul a hypothetical situation about a 30-year-old who'd decided not to buy health insurance getting sick and slipping into a coma. Who pays for his care?

Paul started talking about how assuming your own risks is what freedom is all about.

"But Congressman," Blitzer persisted, "are you saying society should just let him die?"

At which point, members of the tea party audience began shouting "Yes! YEAH!" to scattered laughter and applause.

To his credit, Paul at least said "no," but then he began scattering rays of the usual nostalgic moonshine about how the hypothetical coma patient would be taken care of anyway, just like in the Good Old Days. Back in his day, Grandpa Ron said, when he first practiced medicine, churches took care of people and "we never turned anybody away from the hospital."

Maybe not, Congressman, but I'm betting the hospital passed the costs of the uninsured along by charging everyone else more, just as the ERs do now, which is exactly one of the problems health care reform addresses. And I'm not sure how the doctors' offices are going to react when they're told to send the bill for an MRI or colonoscopy to the patient's church.

Actually, that's wrong. I am sure how they're going to react. They're going to tell you to come back when you have some health insurance, or several thousand dollars. In cash, not (as failed tea party candidate Sue Lowden once suggested) in poultry.

So, anyway, it seems that there are at least some Teahadists who not only approve of, but are downright gleeful at, the idea of letting the uninsured simply expire.

Now we see why Sarah Palin was so upset by that hallucination she had about the "death panels" in the health care bill. She wanted to get rid of the bureaucratic middleman and let the Grim Reaper do his work free of all that government regulation they're always so heated up about.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the current ABM (Anybody But Mitt) favorite of the tea party, told reporters the next day that he was "taken aback" by the crowd reaction to the question. I don't know why he was so surprised, though, at the idea that right-wingers would cheer at the mention of people dying.

At the last debate, one of the big applause lines came when NBC's Brian Williams, in the course of asking a question on the death penalty, noted that Texas under Perry had executed 234 death row inmates, "more than any other governor in modern times." The crowd cheered and whistled at the death toll.

Maybe next debate, Perry can put little stickers of nooses on the podium, like a fighter pilot putting his kills on the side of his plane. That'll really get their juices flowing.

See, here's the thing: The only lives wingnuts really care about are ones that haven't been born yet. Once you first see daylight, kid, you're on your own. Don't be poor, don't lose your job, don't get sick, and don't make any mistakes like failing to buy insurance.

Because in the Dickensian nightmare world the Teahadists fantasize about, "E Pluribus Unum" is Latin for "I Got Mine, So Step Off, Jack." And freedom's just another word for "we don't care if you live or die."

In My Mailbox #21

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives bloggers the chance to appreciate the books they got last week and to meet new people.

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The books I received for review this week:

Seers* by Heather Frost

Suspense** by Jason Letts

* via NetGalley and Cedar Fort

** from the author

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Not much this week, but since I still have quite a few books to read and a lot to do for university, this is perfect. Looking forward to read both of these.

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Carina

The reviews I posted during the last week:
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (4.5/5)
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (5/5)
Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst (4/5)

Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Harper Collins (UK) (, Putnam (US))
Expected Publication: September 29th, 2011
Source: Received from UK publisher
Pages: 372

Goodreads Summary:
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

What I thought about it:

The Name of the Star is a breath-taking story with an intriguing main character and a style of writing that will transfer you into another world - or rather into another city. Sadly I've never been to London, but Maureen Johnson's descriptions of the places she's taking us to are very vivid and easy to imagine. After reading this novel I felt like I've actually been in London.

Our main character Aurora, who demands to be called Rory, has a very refreshing voice. The story is told from her point of view by a first-person narrator and she was so much fun to read about. To me, she is not one of the stereotypical YA protagonists. She comes from a small town whose inhabitants seem to be a little bit weird, but I got the feeling that she's proud of that. Her sense of humour is great and her reactions to the things she experiences are completely understandable.

The secondary characters were just as interesting as Rory. On the one hand, there are Jerome and Jazza, the friends she meets at boarding school and who are representing the people who don't know anything about the paranormal activity around them. And on the other hand, there are Stephen, Callum and Boo whose interactions I loved to read about and whom I can't wait to see more of in the future.

While I have not read many ghost stories yet, I could already see that this is different than most of them. Seeing ghosts is a lot more creepy in The Name of the Star than in any of the other novels and this is what I loved so much about it. Of course this was enhanced by the mystery of Jack the Ripper and the fear and the gruesome merriment of London's inhabitants.

The ending of this was very action-packed and had a very interesting twist when I didn't expect it. I'm very much looking forward to see what will happen to Rory, and all the other characters, now. I'm especially hoping for a little bit more romance in the future. All in all, The Name of the Star is a very unique and beautiful story that you should definitely read. It was creepy and really well written, so give this series a chance.

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Have you already read The Name of the Star? What did you think about it?
Are you going to read this?

Carina

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Date of Publication: March 27th, 2007
Source: Received as a gift
Pages: 442

Goodreads Summary:

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. . . . 

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

What I thought about it:

I always heard about the The Mortal Instruments series that it's supposed to be one of the best Young Adult series out there. But since a lot of hype tends to make people (or at least me) a little bit skeptical, I always put off reading it. When a lovely person got me a copy of City of Bones, I could no longer find excuses and had to read it. And now I'm more than happy that I did.

City of Bones completely lived up to my expectations, which had been built up by the hype surrounding it. It was a captivating story set in an incredible world that I hope to explore more in the following novels. The Shadowhunters and the adventures they experience were wonderful to read about.

Over night, Clary realizes that everything she has believed to know never had been true. She learns about Shadowhunters and how she is connected to them, having to question everything she has ever experienced. While City of Bones is told by a third person narrator, we mostly get to hear the story from Clary's point of view and live through her confusion and fear.

As people have predicted it, I developed a huge weakness for one certain Shadowhunter: Jace. I was a little bit scared that the love story would be too similar to Cassandra Clare's other novel Clockwork Angel, but I was happy to realize that it's not. And Jace certainly is one of the most interesting male fictional characters and I can't wait to read more about him.

I also liked most of the secondary characters, although I have to admit that I just couldn't warm up to Simon, Clary's best friend. While he really seems like a nice person and probably would do everything for Clary, I couldn't really develop any serious attachment to him. I just don't care what will happen to him

I've also been warned that the ending might be a shock for me and believe me when I say that I didn't see that coming. Once I was finished, I was angry at myself for not having the sequel City of Ashes nearby, because I definitely hate cliffhanger endings. And this one was truly awful.

All in all, City of Bones was an amazing novel. If you haven't read this, you should really do this now (don't wait as long as I did), but once you realize that you like this novel, you should get the sequel. I didn't and I regretted it.

Following books of the series:

2. City of Ashes

3. City of Glass

4. City of Fallen Angels

5. City of Lost Souls (2012)

6. City of Heavenly Fire (2013)

Have you read City of Bones / this series? What did you think about it?
Carina

Waiting on Wednesday #24: Obisdian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Expected Publication: December 6th, 2011

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

This sounds really great and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?
Carina

Here's What I Remember

Now that all the remembrances of 9/11 are over, I finally felt I could say what I wanted to say. But as usual, Jon Stewart said it better.

Here are my memories of the time since that day:

I remember Falwell's "you helped cause this" comment and what a shock it was to see that kind of hate-as-usual, two days after the event that was supposed to bring us together.

I remember someone writing the local paper  within six months and claiming that, if you voted for Bill Clinton, you helped cause all those deaths and all that tragedy on 9/11. I particularly remember it because that person was my own father. That wound's still as fresh as the day it was so casually inflicted.

I remember being called a "traitor" and "terrorist sympathizer" and people e-mailing me anonymous death threats  for opposing their Dear Leader Dubbya's Wacky Iraqi Adventure (a war I and my fellow liberals were one hundred percent right about, by the way).

I remember Ann Coulter telling people that she thought the 9/11 widows were "enjoying" their husband's deaths.

I remember Glenn Beck saying he 'hated" the families of 9/11 victims--and becoming a hero of the Right. 
So I don't want to hear a damn thing about how 9/11 unified us from anyone on the Right. They were the ones who immediately started waving the bloody shirt and using it to divide us.

After all the hate directed against me personally and against people like me in general, starting before the smoke had even cleared, I don't want to hear a damn thing about how liberals are  hateful or the usual right wing whiny claptrap about "liberal name-calling". I don't know a name worse than traitor, and no one said a mumblin' word against anyone  calling me that since 9/11.

If you didn't stand up against it then, you can sit right the fuck down now. You have nothing to say that I want to hear.

Quote of the Day, or Terrenoire FTW

This morning, I heard someone on the radio claiming that a proposed state Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage (which, it should be noted, is already banned by state law)  is "the most important issue facing North Carolina right now." 

Seriously. Someone from a state in the throes of a massive budget crisis, still rebuilding from hurricane Irene's damage, with a 10.1 percent jobless rate, had the infernal gall to say that. With a straight face.

 Which prompted this rejoinder from my good friend David Terrenoire on Facebook:

"I don't know about Carthage, but here in Durham I woke up to a fulfilling, full time job, my wife's health costs are completely covered, the education system is so good that our dogs speak English and Spanish, the cat does calculus and we have a unicorn shitting skittles in the front yard. So yes, let's go after gay marriage because everything else is 100% A-OK."

Terrenoire shoots, HE SCORES!

The Tea Party of Love (With Video)

Debate exchange offers window into larger question about role of health care - Political Hotsheet - CBS News:

So Ron Paul was asked in the Tea Party debate last night if a 30 year old without health insurance who went into a coma should just be allowed to die.

Paul, to his credit, said no, but opined that he'd be taken care of anyway.

Several voices from the Tea Party audience, however, cried out "YES!"

Yes. Just let him die.

A new low for the Party of Love.

Winner of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway. If you didn't win this time, don't worry, I already have other giveaways planned - one of it is supposed to be posted later this month.

Now... the winner:

Review: Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Expected Publication: September 13th, 2011
Source: GalleyGrab
Pages: 320

Goodreads Summary:

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do? 

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

What I thought about it:

Drink, Slay, Love is a vampire novel that is completely different than any other I've read before. These vampires are different - they are not the ones that try to be good and not endanger humanity. No, these are evil and they're proud of it. And while it took a while to get used to this other kind of vampires, it turned out to be what I enjoyed most about this book.

Our main character Pearl, who is one of the above-mentioned vampires, is very self-confident, witty and an incredibly refreshing person to read about. The story is told by a third person narrator from her point of view and it was lovely to see how she changed during the novel. While she survived her life-threatening encounter a unicorn, it seems to have turned her life upside down.

I also loved reading about the secondary characters. While the vampire aunts, uncles and cousins never failed to amuse me, I really started to care about the humans Pearl met. The people she's befriending in high school are amazing and while all of them are completely different characters, I loved that each of them had their own impact on Pearl's developing conscience (especially the very hot Evan).

But I also have to admit that I struggled with the beginning a little bit. I think I just had a hard time adjusting to the new kind of vampires, because once I read a few chapters, I started to love this novel and its very refreshing way of narration. So, if you might have the same problem in the beginning, don't give up on this, because the more I read, the more I liked it.

All in all, Drink, Slay, Love was a fantastic story with a wonderful new take on vampires. I don't know whether there will ever be a sequel, but I'm definitely hoping for it. The way this novel ended leaves room for a new story set in this world and I'd love to see more of those characters. 

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Have you read Drink, Slay, Love? What did you think about it?
Carina

Teaser Tuesday #22: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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My teaser:

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - p. 162

She felt the brush of his lips, light at first, and her own opened automatically beneath the pressure. Almost against her will she felt herself go fluid and pliant, stretching upward to twine her arms around his neck the way that a sunflower twists toward light.

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Carina

FAQ Two (And Final): How the Jury Might Have Been Thinking

Latest Newspaper Column:

Last Saturday, a jury found Robert Stewart guilty, not of first-degree, but of second-degree murder for killing eight people at Pinelake Nursing Center in Carthage. I confess, I really didn't see it coming either.

First off, let me say that my heart truly goes out to the families of the dead. It must have been brutally hard to sit through hours of testimony and to relive the pain of that day. But please, I beg you to remember this about the verdict: Degrees of murder are in no way a reflection on the victims.

The life of a second-degree murder victim is worth just as much as that of a first-degree one in the eyes of the law. The degrees of homicide refer to the state of mind of the accused. After a lengthy hearing, ably tried by lawyers on both sides, the jury found that Robert Stewart didn't have that state of mind that could allow him to act with premeditation and deliberation.

Why? How could they do such a thing? Well, unless the jurors decide to talk about it (and there's no indication that they're inclined to do so), we may never know why they decided the way they did. There are a number of possible reasons, but all are pure conjecture.

The simplest explanation is that the jury considered all the evidence as to the prescription drugs Stewart was taking and the potential effects of those drugs on his state of mind and truly had reasonable doubts as to his ability to engage in premeditation and deliberation. The fact that they asked to re-examine evidence about those drugs would seem to bear this theory out.

Another explanation is that it was what we call a "compromise" verdict. Possibly some jurors wanted one verdict, some wanted another, but everyone was just plain worn out and daunted by the prospect of a another few weeks of hearings on whether or not Stewart should get the death penalty (the "guilt or innocence" phase is only the first part of a capital trial; the second, or "penalty" phase can go even longer).

So they came up with a verdict everyone on the jury could live with, one that put Robert Stewart in prison for well over 100 years - effectively life without parole. Again, this is pure conjecture, but it does -happen.

One of the things that shocked a lot of people was that Stewart's lawyers immediately gave notice of appeal. What were they thinking? Why didn't they just take the win and go home? Well, they can still do that. Just because a notice of appeal is given doesn't mean that the appeal itself will be pursued.

I imagine the last thing Messrs. Megerian and Wells would want for their client is another lengthy trial that could result in a different verdict. But you give the notice, because if you don't do it within the time limit, you lose the right to do so. It would be malpractice to just let that right go because you forgot to say the words "defendant gives notice of appeal."

On the subject of those defense lawyers: I don't know the gentlemen personally, but I do know the -system, and I have to laugh when people claim they did this trial for the big money. I know the court-appointed rates, and I know private rates, and trust me, they'd have made a heck of a lot more staying home and defending private clients.

You don't get rich off court-appointed capital trials; in fact, thanks to the time they take away from -everything else, they can turn into The Trial That Ate Your Practice if you're not careful.

So why do it? Well, as I said, I don't know Mr. Stewart's lawyers except to say hey to, so I can't speak for them. But I can say that everyone else I've ever met who does appointed capital defense does it because they believe that the Constitution's guarantee that everyone is entitled to counsel means everybody and that there isn't a constitutional loophole for really bad crimes.

In the Stewart case, two teams of experienced trial lawyers, under the eye of an experienced and even-handed trial judge, worked very hard to put all the evidence at their disposal in front of an impartial jury, which pondered that evidence for hours before -arriving at a verdict that put the defendant in jail for the rest of his natural life.

We may never know the answer to the question of exactly why they went the way they did, but I hope I was able to answer at least some of your other ones.