Mundie Moms

Monday, February 18, 2013

Book Review / Giveaway: The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) by Maureen Johnson


By: Maureen Johnson
Published by: Penguin Teen
To Be Released on: 2/26/13
Series: Shades of London #2
Source: arc from publisher to review
4 Stars: I Enjoyed It!
Pre-Order From: Penguin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades—the city's secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late.

In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. -quoted from
GoodReads


The dark, haunting twists continue in this thrilling sequel to Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star. 

I loved The Name of the Star, and have anxiously been awaiting the release of this book. After that ending I needed more, and Maureen definitely gave me more with this sequel. The thing that surprised me the most, and what I loved with this story is Rory. She grew a lot and changed in ways that were fitting and realistic with all that she has gone through and what she's dealing with now. These experiences have made her a more braver, bolder person. But this time around, I felt like I connected with her more emotionally. I loved her sarcastic remarks, I understand her bravery even when it was hard not to be fearful, and most of all I understand her heartbreak, and her feelings of wanting to get revenge. Oh yes, this story ends on a note that made me turn the pages just to make sure there wasn't more. I NEED MORE!

Maureen Johnson introduces new characters, continues to add more twists, and leaves me wondering if my suspicions I have with a few characters are right. From the get go, there is a new character in this book that had me on edge with her. Something was just off, and though and behold the twists only amplified when Rory is in London, and meets a certain someone this other person recommended to her. Sound confusing? Believe me it's not. I'm trying to not giveaway any spoilers. And London. I don't know what it is about this setting, but I'm a sucker for a London setting, and this one definitely fits the bill. I love the ties from Victorian London with modern day London. The ghosts of London's past definitely play a role in this series.

Fans of the Shades of London series need not worry if this sequel will live up to The Name of the Star. It's the perfect, dark, companion to a story I become enchanted with when I first met Rory. Though I loved The Name of the Star a bit more, I still enjoyed the afternoon I spent reading this book. It's one of those thrilling reads that once I started reading it, there was no putting this book down. Be warned, Maureen has become the queen of cliff hangers, and she ends this book with quite the shocking twist I was not excepting. I can not wait another year for book 3! I'd definitely recommend picking this one up. 

Thank you to Penguin Teen, I've got 1 copy of The Madness Underneath to giveaway to one lucky reader! To enter, please fill out this form below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White


By: Kiersten White
Published by: Harper Teen (Epic Reads)
To Be Released on: 2/19/13
Source: arc from publisher to review
Series: Mind Games #1
4 Stars: I Enjoyed It!
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Read the 1st Five Chapters here

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost -quoted from Goodreads


Mind Games is a thrilling, fun, and incredibly fast read. It's a book I read over the course of a couple hours and enjoyed every moment of it. Aside from the mind games that are being played through out this story, I seriously enjoyed being able to just sit down and read this book. It's complex without being complex, if that makes sense. It's one of those books that's witty and just plain fun to read. It has the same snark I've come to love most about Kiersten's books. 

Mind Games's slightly darker tone made for a twisted, troubled world where gifted young girls are forced to live at a school that specializes in their extraordinary powers. That's where sisters Annie and Fia are now living, and are ultimately being forced to do things they don't want to do, or are doing now. Much like Evie from the Paranromalcy series had, Mind Games's main character Fia is one sarcastic character I enjoyed getting to know. Unlike Evie, Fia is one of the angriest characters I truly enjoyed reading about. In her own unique way, Fia's anger is what made me want to read about her more. Her anger is justified, and in part it's also what makes her have a sharper tongue and motivates her ability to kick some butt. It's her reason for anger and what drives her to do what she does, that I understood the most. 

I liked that this present day story has alternating chapters that give us a brief history about the sisters, and how they came to the school, and became entangled in this web of danger. Getting to understand the sisters and their motivates more is heartbreaking, though I suspect there's a lot more to come from their relationship, especially given all that happens towards the end of the book. I loved that not everything is as it appears in this story. Though this is a quick and easy read, it's a storyline that's layered with deceit and twists, and lives up to it's namesake. Not only do various characters mess with each others's minds with the games they're all playing against each other, it's a storyline that messes with the readers minds as well. 

Though some things were easy to pick up on, over all there are some shocking twists I never saw coming. All I can say is this book ended a little too quickly, and I'm hoping I don't have to wait long for more. In true Kiersten fashion, there is a complicated relationship that is hard to decipher if it's one based on deceit or one that will grow into something else. Either way, I'm anxious to learn a lot more about James. I think Kiersten White fans are really going to enjoy Mind Games. Sure it's no Evie story, but I think fans will enjoy reading about Fia just as much they enjoyed Evie. 

The Mortal Instruments Movie Monday #13: Fansites / Press's TMI On Set Reports, Plus a Little #ShareMortalLove ReCap


Welcome to this week's edition of The Mortal Instruments Movie Monday. I know, it's been a couple weeks since I last featured a TMIMM. Last week on top of all the #ShareMortalLove from Sony Pictures, a few of the fansites and press that were at one of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie set visits revealed their reports from their exciting visits. Here's the links to their must read reports. I definitely recommend reading these exciting reports.

Collider:

  • 35 Things to Know About THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES From Our Set Visit
  • Jamie Campbell Bower Talks Fake Tattoos, Female Protagonists, Working with Lily Collins, and More on the Set of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
  • Jared Harris Talks Fight Sequences, SHERLOCK HOLMES, and More on the Set of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
  • Author Cassandra Clare Talks Casting, Changes from the Book, and More on the Set of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
  • Director Harald Zwart Talks Collaborating with the Author, Why He Wanted to Make the Film, & More on the Set of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
  • Producers Don Carmody and Robert Kulzer Talk the Development Process, Casting, and More on the Set of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

  • TEEN
    The Mortal Instruments’ Cast Talks Lily & Jamie’s Chemistry


    HOLLYWOOD.COM: Lily Collins working with her real life Beau & a Different Kind of YA Heroine / Tattoos, Leather and Hidden Symbols; What We Found on the TMI Movie Set

    MOVIEFONEThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones': 11 Things You Need to Know

    COMINGSOON.NET: Talks their TMI Movie Set Visit

    HITFIXSet Visit: Lily Collins takes a dark trip in 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'

    TMI Spanish NewsEXCLUSIVA: Visita al set de Cazadores de Sombras: Ciudad de Hueso

    UK TwilightOn the Set with Jamie Campbell Bower

    Myself and few other of the TMI fansites who were all on the movie set together are still waiting for our green light from Sony. I have a feeling that we'll be sharing our set visits soon enough. I can't wait! 



    Last week on top of all the exciting ShareMortalLove images, @ShadowhuntersUK also revealed this lovely! This is from the group entering Magnus's party. I do believe we need to see Magnus, so I'm including his #ShareMortalLove reveal....



    Now @MortalMovie wants to know, which of their reveals was your favorite? 



    Stop by their Instagram account, facebook page or follow them on Twitter and tell them who your favorite was. *click the image to enlarge it* Thank you to Sony for last week's TMI Movie high. I'm still enjoying all the images they revealed. That's enough to hold me over until Clockwork Princess is out, followed by The Bane Chronicles. After that, before we know it will be AUGUST!! 

    The Bane Chronicles: Release Dates, Synopsis & More

    The Bane Chronicles are coming! I know April seems like forever, but just think, we got to see Magnus in character last week, in less than 4 weeks Clockwork Princess will be out, and then a few weeks after that we'll have Magnus's story, well at least the first part of it. I'd say 2013 is the year of all things MAGNUS! Per Cassie and Sarah Rees Brennan's posts on tumblr yesterday:


    What Really Happened in Peru (April 16, 2013)
    By Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
    Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices know that Magnus Bane is banned from Peru—and now they can find out why. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.
    There are good reasons Peru is off-limits to Magnus Bane. Follow Magnus’s Peruvian escapades as he drags his fellow warlocks Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss into trouble, learns several instruments (which he plays shockingly), dances (which he does shockingly), and disgraces his host nation by doing something unspeakable to the Nazca Lines.
    This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, What Really Happened in Peru, is written by Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare.
    The Runaway Queen (May 21, 2013)
    By Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson
    Magnus Bane has a royal role in the French Revolution—if the angry mobs don’t spoil his spells. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.
    While in France, immortal warlock Magnus Bane finds himself attempting to rescue the royal family from the horrors of the French Revolution—after being roped into this mess by a most attractive count. Naturally, the daring escape calls for invisible air balloons…
    This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, The Runaway Queen, is written by Maureen Johnson and Cassandra Clare.
    By Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
    Magnus Bane leverages his alliances with Downworlders and Shadowhunters on a venture to Victorian London. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.
    When immortal warlock Magnus Bane attends preliminary peace talks between the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders in Victorian London, he is charmed by two very different people: the vampire Camille Belcourt and the young Shadowhunter, Edmund Herondale. Will winning hearts mean choosing sides?
    This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale, is written by Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare.
    By Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson
    In 1920s Manhattan, Magnus Bane hobnobs with the elite at a glamorous Jazz Age hotspot. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.
    The immortal Magnus Bane is making the most of his time in the Roaring Twenties: He’s settled into New York society and is thriving among the fashionable jazz set. And there is nowhere better to see and be seen than the glamorous Hotel Dumont, a glittering new addition to the Manhattan landscape. But a different type of glamour may be at play…
    This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, The Rise of the Hotel Dumont, is written by Maureen Johnson and Cassandra Clare.
    By Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson
    Magnus Bane watches the once-glamorous Hotel Dumont become something else altogether in 1970s New York City. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.
    Fifty years after the Jazz Age rise of the Hotel Dumont, immortal warlock Magnus Bane knows the Manhattan landmark is on the decline. The once-beautiful Hotel Dumont has fallen into a decayed thing, a ruin, as dead as a place can be. But the vampires don’t mind…
    This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, The Fall of the Hotel Dumort, is written by Maureen Johnson and Cassandra Clare.
    Saving Raphael Santiago (September 17, 2013)
    By Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
    —One of the more interesting jobs Magnus has ever been involved in… A distraught mother in 1950s New York hires Magnus to find her son, Raphael, but when Magnus finds him young Raphael is already beyond saving. Or is he?
    No Immortal Can Keep a Secret (October 15, 2013)
    By Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson
    Magnus at the turn of the 20th century decides to try this new “psychoanalysis” with Dr. Freud. But clearly the doctor has no experience to help deal with a centuries-old warlock with a very complicated dating history and some very unusual father issues.
    By Cassandra Clare
    Magnus and Alec’s first date.
    What To Buy The Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway) (Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare)
    Set between City of Ashes and City of Glass. Magnus has to find the perfect birthday present, deal with the demon he’s conjured up for a very irritating client, and work out what’s going on between him and Alec, anyway.
    By Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
    The Letter (December 31, 2013)
    By Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan
    No spoilers for this one. :)
    All of these installments are available for pre-order on Amazon at $2.99. They will be available for Nooks, Kindles, Sony e-readers, Ipads, and however else you may read e-books. Though the individual stories will not be released in print editions, eventually the collection will be bound as a book and released in stores. All info here.

    Mundane Monday #175- Clockwork Prince

    Happy Mundane Monday! Enjoy a little CP with Jem and Tessa...... 


    "Was there really a need to bring Tessa with you to Whitechapel?" Charlotte asked Jem, sliding her glasses off and placing them on the newspaper. Her brown eyes were reproachful.

    "Tess is not made of delicate china," said Jem. "She will not break."

    For some reason this statement, though he said it still without looking at her, sent a flood of images through Tessa's mind of the night before- of clinging to Jem in the shadows of his bed, his hands gripping her shoulders, their mouths fierce on each other's. No, he had not treated her as if she were breakable then. A boiling flood of heat seared her cheeks, and she looked down quickly, praying for her blush to go away.

    - Clockwork Prince, page 211

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