Book Review-CITY OF BONES

CITY OF BONES
By Cassandra Clare
485 Pages
2007
Published by Margaret K. McElderry
 
Synopsis taken from Goodreads:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 
My thoughts:
I really wanted to read this book before I see the movie.  And I have always loved the covers of the entire series. Family and friends  have long raved about these books so I admit I went in with high expectations and well.....City of Bones just fell flat for me.
It's not very often that I do a bad review on a book. In fact I can count on one hand how many time I have.
But maybe just maybe it's me not you, Cassandra Clare. Sometimes you just pick the wrong book when your in the wrong mood. And this could have very well happened in this case.
The first and only problem I had with City of Bones was I had absolutely no connection to the characters.
None. Zero. Zip.
Main character Clary, is an unremarkable and slightly annoying girl-she ran around mostly in a confused state almost the entire book. I got tired of the-Who am I, what am I doing and where am I suppose to be? Oh, and the "I want to scream but I have no air! Over and over and over......
But it wasn't just Clary that failed to get my attention-I also had a problem with Jace-Clary's love interest. He's angry and filled with inner turmoil. But wait, he's just a sensitive boy trapped in a rude boy's body!
Most of the book has our main characters running from place to place looking for a cup. Yup, a cup. When the super villian, Valentine is finally tracked down he's a downright laughable bad guy. His ruthlessness has been built up throughout the entire book and what do we get-evil laughter and sneers. Really?
But I guess the thing that just made me want to beg for my week of night time reading back was the BIG reveal at the end.....RELAX peeps, there will be no spoiler from me. It just made me gag a little and then throw the book on the floor.
So, let's sum CITY OF BONES up in one word-DISAPPOINTING.
Parental heads up-The main characters are fighting demons so of course it's going to get good and gory.
So I'm curious, did you think it was a good book and please tell me why. I have the second one in the series on my Nook. At this point I'm ready to delete it and move on. Or should I give Cassandra Clare one more chance?

"Staying Warm" Giveaway Hop

I'm choosing "Staying Warm" for Mug of Moxie Giveaway Hop! Fall is my favorite season, but sadly here in Idaho it's a blink of an eye before a cold north wind blows in and takes the leaves off the trees. Soon there is frost on the windows and snow flurries in the air.  I'm so not ready for winter!! It gets darn cold in Idaho for the winter so.... in hopes of "Staying Warm" I'm giving away an Amazon gift card worth $10.00, an awesome autumn candle that I just recieved from Flicker Box(see my review on this web site) and a a box of my favorite night time tea- TAZO calm chamomile.
A big thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Reading In Twilight for hosting this fabulous hop.
This giveaway is open to US only! To enter this giveaway you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Please put your GFC name and a way to contact you in the comment box below. Thanks for following and hopping. The winner will be drawn on November 20th.

Good Luck and have fun!

DYSTOPIAN Giveaway Hop

I LOVE DYSTOPIAN! It's one of my favorite genres which is why I wanted to participate in the Dystopian  Giveaway Hop because it gives me the opportunity to share with you a few of my favorite books. I can't recommend these three books enough....I LOVED THEM!
A big thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and My Shelf Confessions for hosting this fabulous hop.

BIRTHMARKED

by Caragh M. O'Brien

WITHER

by Lauren Destefano

Both books are are great dystopian reads guaranteed to make you fear for the future. As an extra incentive LIKE my Facebook page-Mug of Moxie(look for the icon to the right of my website). I'll include a creepy ARC I just received from Amulet Books called 

SICK 

by Tom Leveen.

This giveaway is open to US only! To enter this giveaway you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Please put your GFC name and a way to contact you in the comment box below. Thanks for following and hopping. The winner will be drawn on November 8th

Good Luck and have fun!

Review:Flicker Box

OCTOBER FLICKER BOX REVIEW

I'm so excited to tell you about my newest find and addiction! SUBSCRIPTION BOXES! Here is my first review of an awesome find that I have fallen in love with. I was recently given the opportunity to work with a company called Flicker Box. It's a monthly subscription service for candle lovers!  Flicker Box is inspired by a love and appreciation for handmade candles.  Their mission is to connect candle lovers with people who love to make candles. They scour the United States to find candle makers who create candles with a unique quality and want to share those qualities with you and your home. Flicker Box shares their stories and ships subscribers a delightfully curated box right to your front door!

So here is the lovely box I found on my doorstep.

As I cut the packing tape my senses were assaulted by the heavenly smells of autumn that filled my kitchen and had my husband wandering in to see where the wonderful smells were coming from.

Atop the wrapping was a detailed card that explained exactly where each candle was made as well as the ingredients used to make them.   

The top layer of my package contained an adorable candle by The Flying Farm. Owner Rachel is just debuting her Etsy business and creates her candles out of South Carolina. Each one is filled with natural soy wax and is free from dyes. She uses mason jars as containers and urges you to reuse and recycle. The value of this candle is $10.50

The next layer of goodness were these super awesome tea lights by Witch City Wicks,

one package was called Trick or Treat and the other was called Poison Apple. I loved the packaging and art work on them! These tea lights come straight from Salem, MA and are made from 100% all-natural soy wax, color dye and lead free with cotton wicks. Each tea light will burn up to 4 hours! Each package of tea lights is $5.50 each

And finally we get to the bottom of this beautiful box of goodies.

What would October be without a pumpkin? This gorgeous candle is made by Armadilla Wax Works and handcrafted out of Prescott, Arizona. I'll be honest-it's almost too pretty to burn. But the cool thing is that this pumpkin is actually a floating candle. The value is $7.50. Lastly there were three white candle nestled in the bottom. These candles are made by Mosely Lane who create candle with soy wax and bees wax-a perfect combination of Mother nature. These little cuties are made in Oxford Ohio and include 3 Halloween inspired fragrances. Color coordinated by a mark on the bottom of the candle. Orange=The Witching Hour, Blue=All Hallows Eve, Green=Spiced Pumpkin. The value of these candles are $2.50 each.

This box was filled to the brim with wonderful goodness! My house smells like my favorite season-Autumn!

And here's just an extra little Halloween treat that Flicker Box included just for fun. 

Here's the thing- we all love candles! We love the way they smell, we love the way they make a room look. Candles can change a mood in a moment. I love this subscription box and everything they stand for.

They are out there discovering the small companies that aren't or can't sell in the big name store. It's also a great way for a smaller candle artists or companies to get their products into the hands of subscribers around the country. This month's box was valued at $36.50, and it included a branded matchbox and a bag of sweet treats!. With the shipping included you are getting quite a deal at the $32 price tag a month.The other option you have is to sign up for a subscription which makes Flicker Box cost as low as $25 a month, It can be purchased as an automatically-renewing monthly subscription or 3, 6, or 12 month term subscriptions. 

I just loved the care that went into the creating of this month's box-All things Fall. I'm hooked! I happily recommend Flicker Box and I hope you will go check them out. The owner of Flicker Box is offering to Mug of Moxie Followers the opportunity to take 10% off 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions using REVIEW2013-with a year subscription that $270 or $22.50 a month. A HUGE saving!
Just to spice this review up a little bit I'm offering an incentive to go check the Flicker Box web page out-go take a look around and come back here-in the comment section tell me the founder's name and where her company is based out of. The prize.... a tea light package of your choice(fifth picture down) Poison apple or Trick or Treat PLUS some of my favorite Halloween candy thrown in for fun! 
The drawing for the winner will take place Sunday night. Good Luck! This contest is open to US followers. Go! Go! Go!
**Disclaimer: I was offered this subscription box for free in return for an honest review

It's a SPOOKTACULAR Giveaway Hop!

Here we are at one of the biggest hops of the year. Get ready to get your hop on people-this is a great one to be a part of. A big thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for hosting this shindig! Mug of Moxie is offering a box of goodies for this event. I have two fantastic books I'm giving away-

 THIS IS NOT A TEST

By Courtney Summers

ASYLUM

Madeleine Roux

Both books are spine chilling reads guaranteed to make you check under the bed and behind the shower curtain. As an extra incentive LIKE my facebook page-Mug of Moxie and I'll include one of my favorite Stephen King book-IT. Lastly because it's Halloween I'm throwing a couple bags of my favorite sweet treats. YUM!

This giveaway is open to everyone including my international friends! To enter this giveaway you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Please put your GFC name and a way to contact you in the comment box below. Thanks for following and hopping.

Good Luck and have fun!

 







Stacking the Shelves(2)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit Tynga's Reviews

Oh wow! What a week I've had. Look at my lovlies!
Courtesy of Edelweiss-

I bought:

I borrowed:

My thanks to Harper Teen and Quirk Books.

Book Review-BRUISED

BRUISED
By Sarah Skilton
March 2013
288 Pages
Amulet Publishing

Summary Taken from Goodreads:
Imogen has always believed that her black belt in Tae Kwon Do made her stronger than everyone else--more responsible, more capable. But when she witnesses a holdup in a diner, she freezes. The gunman is shot and killed by the police. And it's all her fault.
Now she's got to rebuild her life without the talent that made her special and the beliefs that made her strong. If only she could prove herself in a fight--a real fight--she might be able to let go of the guilt and shock. She's drawn to Ricky, another witness to the holdup, both romantically and because she believes he might be able to give her the fight she’s been waiting for.
But when it comes down to it, a fight won’t answer Imogen's big questions: What does it really mean to be stronger than other people? Is there such a thing as a fair fight? And can someone who's beaten and bruised fall in love?
My Thoughts:
Wow!
Bruised is emotional, raw and honest.
Author, Sarah Skilton grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go from the very beginning. In the first few pages main character Imogen witnesses a horrible crime at a neighborhood restaurant. The event causes Imogen to suffer from PTSD and she doesn't remember the final moments in the diner.
The story unfolds as Imogen struggles to come to terms her sense of failure and her inability to act during the hold up. She's overcome by anger and frustration because she didn't use her Tae Kwon Do and stop the hold up from happening. Could she have stopped the robbery from occurring?
Is the gunman's death her fault?
My heart broke over and over reading Imogen's story. Sarah Skilton doesn't hold back in this amazing debut novel. The reader rides an emotional roller coaster as Imogen spirals into self destructive behavior that causes her to strike out at loved ones and friends as she sinks deeper into depression and sadness.
Imogen's journey is not an easy one as she works through her sense of self worth and puts the pieces of the puzzle together. But it's a journey worth taking. Imogen is unforgettable-she'll be on your mind long after you close Bruised.
My thanks to Amulet Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

OFF To OZ Giveaway Hop

I wanted to participate in the Off To Oz Giveaway Hop because it gives me the opportunity to share with you my favorite books about time travel. I can't recommend these three books enough....I LOVED THEM!
A big thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Angela's Anxious Life for hosting this fabulous hop.

OUTLANDER

By Diana Gabaldon

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE

By Audrey Niffenegger 

A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap. An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love.

Before I Fall

By Lauren Oliver

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.
The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

To enter this giveaway you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Please put your GFC name, your book choice and a way to contact you in the comment box below. For an extra entry follow me on Bloglovin! Thanks for following and hopping.
Good Luck and have fun!

Contest Winners

I have winners to announce!!
*The Last Hurrah Giveaway-Code Name Verity- Kayla Card
*August New Release Giveaway-Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock-Shooting Stars Mag
*Books To Movies Giveaway-Ender's Game-Erika
Thanks to all who have entered, hopped and participated.
I'll be doing some more hops and giveaways in the next couple of months-
*September is for Sequels Giveaway Hop-September 2 thru September 9
*Off To Oz Giveaway Hop-September 10 thru September 17
*Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop- September 20 thru September 25
*Spooktacular Giveaway Hop-October 15 thru October 31
For more information click on sidebar on the right of web page.

September is for Sequels Giveaway Hop

Stretch out because it's time to hop!
It's September and we are celebrating sequels.
And I'm giving away some great books in another awesome contest! Yes, more than one! Chose two books from the selection below.
A giant thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Lisa Loves Literature who are hosting this giveaway!

Embers and Echoes
By Karsten Knight
Ashline Wilde may have needed school to learn that she is actually a reincarnated goddess, but she’s ready to move beyond books. She leaves her California boarding school behind and makes for Miami, where she meets a new group of deities and desperately seeks her sister Rose, the goddess of war. But she’s also looking for love—because even though her romance with Cole had to be snuffed, Ash is a volcano goddess—and she doesn’t get burned.
This sequel to the edgy and action-packed Wildefire continues a fiery drama on an immortal scale.

Poison

By Molly Cochran

After the riveting—and romantic—events of Legacy, Katy has won Peter’s heart and is now claiming her place in the magical world. Though half the students at her boarding school come from witching lines, the use of magic is expressly forbidden at Ainsworth, so as to keep the witching world hidden from the blue-blooded preppies, aka Muffies, who also walk the halls.
But the Muffies have at least a notion of magic, because Katy catches them staging a made-up ritual—and to her astonishment, the girls collapse at Katy’s feet and fall into comas. When Katy is blamed, she becomes desperate to clear her name and finds herself battling all odds to harness her growing magical powers in order to save the Muffies and dispel the Darkness once more.

Dork Diaries
By Rachel Renee Russell
Nikki Maxwell develops a sudden interest in student journalism that may or may not (okay, definitely does) have to do with the fact that mean girl Mackenzie has started writing a gossip column. And there just might be some juicy info involving Nikki’s crush, Brandon, that Nikki doesn’t want Mackenzie reporting to the world. So Nikki joins the school newspaper staff—and ends up as an advice columnist! It’s fun at first, answering other kids’ letters. But when Miss Know-It-All’s inbox is suddenly overflowing with pleas for guidance, Nikki feels in need of some help herself. Fortunately she has BFFs Chloe and Zoey on her side—and at her keyboard

To enter this giveaway you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Please put your GFC name, your book choices and a way to contact you in the comment box below.  Thanks for following and hopping.
Good Luck and have fun!

Books To Movies Giveaway Hop

I'm so excited to be participating in this hop! Is there anything more exciting than your favorite book going to the big screen?
So there's three movies I'm super excited to see and I hope, wish, and pray that they do the books justice. You have a choice to pick your prize on this hop. I'm offering three super cool  books! You have to do the hard part and pick one.
A big thank you to Book Hounds and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for hosting this hop.

THE MAZE RUNNER-
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.
Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.
Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

ENDER'S GAME
Once again, the Earth is under attack. An alien species is poised for a final assault. The survival of humanity depends on a military genius who can defeat the aliens. But who?
Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child.
Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender’s childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. He excels in simulated war games. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battle School is just a game.
Isn’t it?

THE BOOK THIEF-
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 

To enter this giveaway you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Please put your GFC name, your book choice and a way to contact you in the comment box below.  For an EXTRA entry "LIKE" me on Facebook. Icon is at the right of my sidebar. Thanks for following and hopping.
Good Luck and have fun!

Book Review: MAID OF SECRETS

MAID of  SECRETS
416 Pages
May 2013
Simon and Schuster Publishing

Summary Taken from Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril.
For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.
A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love…
My Thoughts:
I've been reading alot of debut novels lately and I have to say that these new writers are blowing me away!
Maid of Secrets is Jennifer McGowen's first novel and it's the first book in the series-Maids of Honor.
It's a combination of historical fiction and mystery, set in London, England 1559.
Meg, a seventeen year old orphan is the main character of this tale. She is a feisty thief with a talent for pick pocketing. She makes her living being part of The Golden Rose acting Troupe. As spectators are watching the show on stage Meg makes her way around the crowd lifting wallets and jewelry.
One fateful day she is caught and arrested. But here's the spin. Instead of being thrown in a dungeon to rot she has actually been kidnapped and forced to work for the crown as a spy-Meg is put in the service of Queen Elizabeth to watch, memorize, and report for the queen and her master spies.
Against her will Meg is forced to train and learn the ways of the court as well as how to serve and protect the queen at all costs. Meg is not the only spy working for the queen. There are actually five ladies in waiting-watching the queen as well as the court. Sophia- who is a seer, with a gift for seeing the future. Jane-the blade, she has the ability to blend and the courage to kill. Beatrice is the beauty and the charmer of men, and lastly there is Anna, she is the puzzle solver and master linguist. I look forward to finding out more about Meg's fellow spies as the series continues.
With Queen Elizabeth's  royal court filled with opportunists all looking for the Queen's favor, and enemies who want to see her dead these spies very kept busy.
Meg is ordered to spy on a handsome Spanish courtier who may possibly be connected to the murder of a fellow spy. With traitors and conspirators at every turn Meg struggles to know who she should trust and who will betray her.
There are plenty of twists and turns that kept this reader guessing and the pages turning.
I LOVED Maid of Secrets and I can't wait to see what what this author has in store next.
Rumor has it that the sequel is in the works and is called Maid of Deception. YEAH!
To learn more about the Maids of Honor go to Jennifer McGowan web page for all kinds of fun extras and information. Seriously, go there.
A big thank you to Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I will be donating this book to my local middle school library.

The Last Hurrah Hop

It's been a fun filled summer full of road trips, BBQs and sun soaked afternoons. I've had the chance to read some great books the last few months. I'm giving away a book that I read at the beginning of the summer and it still hasn't left my mind. It was that good!
Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein

To enter this giveaway simply be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Leave GFC name in comment section below along with a way to contact you if your name is drawn. For an extra entry be my Bloglovin buddy. Icon is at the right of sidebar.

A big thank you to Candace's Book Blog for hosting this hop.

Happy Hopping!

 

 

Stacking the Shelves(1)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves!

From Net Galley I received:

 I Bought :

                                                  Received from Author/Publisher:

I'm super excited to dig into these new books.

Thanks to Merit Press and Ember.

Stay tuned for reviews! Have a great weekend!

August New Release Giveaway Hop

Summer is winding down and school is getting ready to start. Let's celebrate and have a hop!
I'm giving away one of these books that was released this month. You choose which one you want.
A giant thanks to Book Twirps and Refracted Light Reviews for hosting this hop.

To enter this hop you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Simply put your GFC name in  the comment box below.  This contest is open to all, including International. A winner will be drawn on September 1st.
Good luck!