A Bowl For the Soul

BLOG TOUR: ESCAPE THE DOUBT 

Good day, bookworms! Today I'll be reviewing Escape the Doubt by Andrea Michelle as part of her blog tour. I receive an ARC from Enticing Journey in exchange for an honest review. It's a young adult romance story but it is also much more than that so here we go!

Synopsis:

After the unexpected death of her Dad and the haunting manner in which he died, Riley Shaw built invisible walls around her heart. Barriers she created to protect her from splintering into broken pieces that couldn’t be repaired. She was unable to move forward from her past, letting the guilt of her parent’s mistakes dictate her own choices. 



Dean Warren was safe. Being with him was innocent and peaceful because she didn’t truly love him. His words held her captive in a false sense of security. His eyes were deceptive, and his promises of never pushing her beyond what she was willing to give were broken, leaving Riley Shaw in a state of regret and doubt. 



Joshua Parker had the power to take what was left of Riley’s splintered pieces, and ruin her completely or make her whole again. He was her best friend, her next-door neighbor - everything she wanted and settled on never having. Loving him was as easy as breathing air. The fear of losing him forever was more real to her than the feelings she couldn’t escape. 



When faced with the very thing she feared the most and in the arms she thought were safe, Riley finds herself questioning every decision she has made over the past two years. When she finally escapes the doubt in her head and accepts the truth in her heart is it too late? 



Is taking a chance with your heart worth the escape or was it better to have never loved at all? Can forgiveness really set you free? 



*Warning: This is a mature young adult novel. Recommended for readers 17+ due to underage drinking, sexual content and adult language. 



*This is book one in a series however can be read as a standalone.

This is a beautiful, heartbreaking love story about two teens struggling for their love towards each other while coping with their other life dilemmas at the same time. Everyone has gone through that particular phase where we fell in love for the first time and our times during high school. That is what exactly what I get from reading Escape the Doubt. We can relate well with the story and characters because it happened to most of us at some point in our life.

Bookworm Buzz

AUTHOR ASK, WE ANSWER

Hi bookworms! Today we are doing an interview again but unlike most interview where bloggers ask the questions, this time we will be the one doing the answering! Heather Hildenbrand approached us for the interview, I got really excited for this opportunity. Here is my interview with Heather and I hope you enjoy it!

Are you a writer?

I consider myself as one so yes. I’ve written a few articles for my local newspapers and I’m working on a novel at the moment.

Do you have aspirations of publishing a book someday?

Yes, very much so! It’s been my dream since middle school. I’ve written a few short stories and now, I’m working on my first novel. I hope I manage to finish and publish it in the near future.

What is your overall opinion of self-publishing?

With the modern media and technology that enables anyone to promote their works through social medias, self-publishing is a good way to publish our book without being tied to large publishing house/ company. We can write on our own pace and liking since there’s no publisher that neither gives us deadline nor tells us to change any of the things we write.

Do you read self-published books?

Yes. I’ve come across several self-published books and in fact, since I started my blog I received a few self-published book review request. And I accepted them. I often found these self-published books to be an undiscovered gem!

What is one thing you like about reading or working with indie authors?

We feel a deeper connection with indie authors because they’re more approachable. I also found indie authors to be more appreciative of any help and inputs from their reviewers and readers.

What is one thing indie authors are doing well?

Definitely communication. They are making the most of social medias to get their book out there. Another thing is the increasing indie authors and readers community, which enables indie authors to communicate with each other and with fellow readers.

Starter: Reading Challenge Announcement

The Double Trouble

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Twin Reading Challenge

Hi, bookworms! As mentioned in our first "Book Coop" post, I have decided to join with my two fellow bloggers to form a reading challenge. Last year, I realised along with my two blogger buddies, Chene @ Mean Who You Are & Pamela @ Reading is Fun Again, that our TBR Piles has grown to the point we decided it is time to do something about it. 

Being so new to receiving ARC's our TBR piles took the back seat, but never stopped increasing as awesome new books came out and we easily added to the pile via paperback or one-clicking on Amazon!

As a rule this year we decided for every ARC or review book we read, we need to read a book off our TBR pile too. Every month we will do a post updating our progress (in my case, I'll feature the updates in "Book Coop" post). If you want to join in the fun, we just ask to link back to one of our blogs and use the graphic in your progress post, so that others can join in too!

Grab one of the buttons here:

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Join in the fun & Happy Reading!!!

Book Coop

Hello, bookworms! I know it's kind of late but I still wanna say Happy New Year! I hope all of you have a fantastic 2014! Since our team is finally back to the blogging world, we decided to start a new post which acts as our newsletter. This year, we have tons of fun reading plans including a reading challenge. Keep an eye for further details about the reading challenge! Anyone can join in the fun :)

Since we've never posted about the books we receive and read, we'll be starting the year with listing all the books we got in 2014 from the author/publisher/editor. We appreciate every review request so here's a miniature spotlight for all the books and ARCs we accepted and signed up for in exchange for an honest review.

A Flight of Marewings by Kristen S. Walker (ARC- TBD)

Age Warfare by Juan Carlos Cantu (e-copy- our review)

Aversion by Kenechi Udogu (e-copy- TBD)

Escape the Doubt by Andrea Michelle (ARC- 24th of January)

It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy by Quanie Miller (ARC- our review)

Monkey Talk by T. Lucas Earle (e-copy- our review)

Open Your Eyes by Jake Olson (ARC- TBD)

Quest for the Red Sapphire by Rival Gates (e-copy- our review)

Shadow Allegiance by Lacy Yager (ARC- TBD)

The Indie Author's Guide: A Self- Publisher's Toolbox by Heather Hildenbrand (e-copy- TBD)

The Mine by John Heldt (e-copy- our review)

The Queen of Bad Decisions by Janel Gradowski (ARC- our review)

The Thirteenth Prophet by T. Lucas Earle (e-copy- TBD)
Unholy Alliance by Lacy Yager (e-copy- companion to Shadow Allegiance)

Weeks in Naviras by Chris Wimpress (ARC- TBD) 

*TBD- To Be Determined

That's a wrap, bookworms! Catch more of our Book Coop next month to for more list of books we got and updates on our reading activities. Happy reading, everyone!

A Bowl For the Soul

BACK IN TIME: THE MINE

Hi everyone! Let us start with a question regarding time-travelling. What would you do if you travel back in time? Not back to a few years but back to a few decades or more than half century; which means you, or maybe, your parents are not even born yet. When I was a kid I used to think: that'll be cool! Of course being the 8 year-old kid that I was, it's quite a naïve thought. Perhaps, that is one of the reason why I was ecstatic when John Heldt approached our blog with a review request. I've always love a good time-travelling story especially considering all the funny things that could happen to the main character when he or she landed in an entirely different era. Add that with a romantic twist and wonderful historical descriptions, voilá! The perfect book for my reading time. The Mine consist of all the elements said above. It's the first book in John Heldt's Northway Passage series, which consist of 3 more books: The Journey, The Show, and The Fire.

 

The Mine started with the main character, Joel Smith, having discovered an abandoned mine in May 2000. While exploring it, he re-emerged from the mine to an entirely different time. He was still in the same place, but landed in May 1941. He was penniless (modern money did not qualify in pre-war era and credit card was not even invented yet!), have no place to go home to, and perplexed at what he is going to do next. 

Thankfully, after days of walking around and catching a wagon to Seattle (his hometown back in the 21st century), he made good friends with Tom Carter and (here's the catch) his independent, straightforward grandmother, Ginny. Seriously, the young version of Joel's grandmother is one of my favourite character in The Mine; a strong-willed woman during the pre-war era was difficult to be found. Then Joel was introduced to Grace Vanderberg. Sweet and smart, Grace felt immediate attraction to Joel and vice versa. Unfortunately there's a catch, Grace was engaged and this proves to be one of the conflict that arises for Joel. Eventually after spending time in each other's company, Joel's cocky (and a bit arrogant) attitude is softened up by Grace's compassionate nature. Their romance evolves for months as in 1940's, holding-hands and afternoon walks are required for a budding relationship back then. It turns out for both Joel and Grace that their mutual attraction becomes something much more serious and they are falling in love with each other. Think of the Notebook and this tender, beautiful love is just like that. I just can't help but sigh contentedly as I read this wonderfully written romance. 

Bookworm Buzz

INTERVIEW WITH JUAN CARLOS CANTU

Hello bookworms! Today we have an author interview with Juan Carlos Cantu, who penned Age Warfare. To those who have checked out our review of the book, here's a little insight to the brain behind Age Warfare.

Hi Juan, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Thank you for the opportunity to tell your audience a little bit about me and my literary work. I’m originally from Mexico, and came to the U.S. as a student some 10 years ago. My educational background is not a literary one -I’m an economist by training- but I’ve always had a knack for writing. Ever since I moved here I’ve always lived in Texas. After a couple of years in Austin (a town I learned to love) I now live Houston. I really don’t write for a living (I have a full-time job, which is not related to publishing in any way). I am simply someone who likes to share and exchange ideas.

What inspired you to write your first novel?

I’ve always been concerned about the environment. The U.S. has many great things, but I remember one of the surprises I experienced coming here was how much waste is produced --how little recycling is done. Not that where I come from everyone recycles, but my expectation was to find a very well-developed recycling culture here. Another major shock for me was to learn how a very big portion of the population don’t think climate change even exists.

So, after a couple of months reading about finance, energy, demographics and the environment, and with the encouragement of a friend, I came up with the idea for Age Warfare. The goal was to create a story palatable enough to be read as an action-style, fast-paced novel, but with the underpinnings of all these environmental concepts that are currently afflicting the planet and which many people around the world seem to disregard (or more dishearteningly, ignore). The inspiration came from the realization that something genuinely different could be written by combining youth activism, social networks, political movements, energy economics, ecological depletion, and demographic imbalances -all of this wrapped up in a nail-biter story that stealthily lays out the importance of taking care of the planet. This, is what Age Warfare is.

Give us an insight into your main character in Age Warfare. How did you come up with Ethan Maxwell’s character? 

The story of Ethan Maxwell in Age Warfare is a story of personal transformation. It’s the evolution from apathy into action. He starts off as a very disengaged, disgruntled teenager, and throughout the novel you witness his evolution into someone who is determined to change the world. At first, he is a little bit misunderstood, and cares about stuff that not everyone is interested in, but it comes a point in the story when his leadership skills blossom and he becomes an instrumental figure in the struggle of his entire generation.

In creating Ethan, I needed someone who was inspiring; a leader who was able to harness the power of social networks and defy the status quo to improve the conditions of his generation. But I also did not want to create this cliché-ridden main character who is invincible, the best at everything he tries; the impossibly good-looking lad who gets all the girls he wants, or the one who always kicks ass. I wanted to keep him real. With great strengths, but with great flaws also, simply because that is how we all are. I wanted someone reachable, relatable, and complex. His name came from from a friend’s suggestion at the word “Maxwell” (as in Maxwell House, but without the “House” part, since Ethan would grow “homeless” if the status quo keeps its course).

What are you working on at the minute?

During my free time, I am currently working on Age Warfare’s sequel. I have already laid out the structure of the story.

Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I really did not “suffer” from that during the time I wrote Age Warfare. I wrote it in a span of 4 ½ month. The creation process of that story was extremely intense. Every time I had free time I sat down and wrote 500 to 750 words, and that happened mostly every day. The emotional rush of that creative period was extremely, extremely enjoyable. Now, I must say I don’t feel the same way. Probably because it’s more about extending characters and situations that have already been created in the first one, or simply because I have allowed myself time write about other stuff.

A Bowl For the Soul

 AGE WARFARE: A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

I'm sure that most of you have at least one or two dystopian-themed books in your shelves. Aside from vampires and werewolves, dystopian seems to be the rage these days. How can you not love this literary genre? It has all the suspense of an impending future that people are always curious to find out  about. With these stories, you can imagine the future of the world along with the author. I started reading Age Warfare with excitement because I'm a major fan of dystopian novels. Add science fiction to it, and then this story becomes the perfect package. This is the debut novel of Juan Carlos Cantu and we are very pleased that he approached us to review it. 

Synopsis:

A social movement pushing for change brews in the United States. The crushing difference between the appalling conditions the younger generation (called limiters) have to endure and the opulent lifestyles of the older folks (called precollapsers) is increasingly unsustainable. The year is 2053, and the compulsive use of technology has molded human interaction, behavior, and learning capabilities, degrading them to a level which decades earlier would have been thought of as pathological. The world is mired in ecological crisis, as the governments around the world intrusively impose regulations aimed at moderating energy consumption growth in an increasingly strained planet. 

This is the world in which Ethan Maxwell is born: a world of harsh conditions; one that apparently no other youth around him seems to have a problem with. His story is one of transformation, one of survival –and one of hope. Accompany Ethan in the journey that takes him from an inconspicuous high school in Boston, Massachusetts, to the zenith of a worldwide social movement that threatens to rock the very structures that keep his generation oppressed and neglected. Age Warfare is the tale of a not-so-foreign future that paints the picture of what could happen if we continue in the current path, but also one that leaves us with the hope of knowing that there is always another opportunity to start anew.

From the beginning of the story, it has captured my interest immediately. I was hanging on to pages after pages, and found it hard to stop reading it. Age Warfare is a unique, wonderful story that taught me a lesson: We have to take good care of the ecosystem. Unlike most dystopian novels, Age Warfare shows a detailed version of what will happen if the society doesn't do something to stop the degradation of our environment. Age Warfare describes a possible future if humanity keeps squandering the natural resources and earth has finally taken its toll from global warming.

A Bowl For the Soul

 TO BE OR NOT TO BE: THE QUEEN OF BAD DECISIONS

“Because some life lessons you just have to learn on your own. You need to set your man bar higher.”- Mary to Daisy; The Queen of Bad Decisions.

Author of Must Love Sandwiches, Janel Gradowski, has released a novella with an ear-catching book title: The Queen of Bad Decisions. As the prequel of Must Love Sandwiches (Bartonville Series), we get to know Daisy better and understand her life dilemmas. This is a great story for those who likes to curl up on their couch to relax and enjoy some light reading.

About The Bartonville Series

Sometimes all you need is one or two bites to satisfy a craving.

That is the principle behind The Bartonville Series. We're all busy. Settling down and spending hours reading a nice, long novel is appealing, but how often do you get to do that? With that thought in mind I am creating a women's fiction series where each book will contain stories of different lengths with companion recipes. There will be flash fiction stories that can be read during a coffee break, novellas that can be devoured over an evening and everything in between, like short stories and novelettes.

A Bowl For the Soul

IT AIN'T EASY BEING JAZZY

“Jasmine.” I stuck out my chest. “Jasmine T. Peacock.” “What’s the T stand for?”
 “Nothing. My mom just thought it sounded cool.”- Jazzy; "It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy"

As a part of 'It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy' blog tour, here's the review of this compelling hilarious story by Quanie Miller. If you like humour and funny chick-lit story, then this is the book for you. 'It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy was loosely based on Miller's experiences loving in Silicon Valley. 

Book Blurb:

Jazzy secretly wants to get back together with her ex boyfriend, Curtis, so when he calls and reveals that he's got something important to tell her, she's got no idea that he's about to propose-to her first cousin and bitter rival, Mercedes.

The annual family dinner is coming up, and fearing that she will spend the evening seething while Mercedes flaunts her four carat engagement ring in her face, Jazzy asks Reggie, an Adonis she met at the mall, to accompany her. As fate would have it, not only did Reggie and Mercedes used to date; that backstabbing, leopard print wearing cow is still carrying a torch for him! Revenge. It's never been so sweet. 

But falling for Reggie? Holy crap! That wasn't part of the plan! She's got enough on her plate as it is with a mother who spies on the neighbors and a sister and best friend with man problems that could land them on Jerry Springer. So when Curtis comes sniffing around again-this time, with an accusation that sends her blood pressure shooting through the roof-the one good nerve that Jazzy's got left has just about run its course.

Even the book blurb made me smile while reading it so I was really eager to start the book. Then, I finished it in two days! Yes, it was that funny and tear-inducing (tears of laughter mind you). This book had definitely won my heart and this book is a must for those who are feeling a little blue these days. 

The main heroine, Jasmine "Jazzy" T. Peacock, will make you laugh so hard with her mischievous nature till your stomach cramps and within her family, she's the least quirky along with her sister. Even her spying-on-the-neighbors-as-a-hobby mother is loveable with her catty attitude. The supporting characters such as Serai are also humorous which made me snort with laughter along the way. 

A Bowl For the Soul

CARRIE: A BLOODY PROM NIGHT

“People don't get better, they just get smarter. When you get smarter you don't stop pulling the wings off flies, you just think of better reasons for doing it.” ― Stephen King, Carrie

Since Halloween is coming up soon, I'm in the mood for some horror-fest. Now, my favourite horror story remains with Stephen King. Name a few of King's work and I'll be jumping up and down ecstatic to tell you all about the story from head to tail. Well, not that I'm much of a horror story-teller. I mean, I got creeped out myself when I watched Wes Craven's Elm Street so how do you expect me to actually  retell any horror or ghost story. I'm not a hardcore horror story fan; Rosemary's Baby and the Exorcist made me insomniac for several nights. Anyways, since there are so many of King's ingenious works I'll choose the very first book that I read which is "Carrie".

A paperback copy of Carrie

There are so many reasons why I absolutely named "Carrie" as one of the best horror stories ever written. Along with the Shining. Or Salem's Lot. Okay, you should realise by now that I'm a huge fan of Stephen King. But since the remake of "Carrie" will hit the theatres soon, a little nostalgia about the story won't hurt (fun fact: "Carrie" is the fourth book written by Stephen King but the first to be published). "Carrie" tells us the story of a girl, social misfit with the titular name, who develops a telekinesis power that she eventually uses to exact revenge on her tormentors; killing everyone in her  school and town, where this disaster left it as a ghost town after Carrie's rampage. When you started reading "Carrie", it doesn't feel like that it's a horror story but by the time you have reached the middle of the book, this is when King really starts his brilliant gift for writing horror story. 

A Bowl For The Soul

THE PERFECT UNCOMMON HEIST 

"Time, the greatest thief of all"- Katarina Bishop; Heist Society 

Hi bookworms! It has been quite a while since the last post of A Bowl For the Soul. This time, it's dedicated to the brilliant Heist Society trilogy by Ally Carter.

Ally Carter never cease to surprise her fans with new YA series that is just as amazing as her previous works. That includes Heist Society series that consists of three books: Heist Society, followed by Uncommon Criminals, and closed with the finale of Perfect Scoundrels. Ally Carter has created another phenomenal ensemble characters. This time it has nothing to do with spies or espionage but it's about a group of teenage grifters with the central character, a girl named Katarina Bishop (Even the name sounds cool) who came from a family of con-men (and women).

The first book introduce us to Katarina, a teenage thief protege, enrolls herself  in a prestigious boarding school- with a little bit of con here and there to worm her way into the school. Then after a mere three months there, her friend 16-year-old billionaire W.W Hale V, arranges for her expulsion. After bringing her home, he breaks that five paintings have been stolen from a mobster, Arturo Taccone and that her father is the prime suspect. Determined to save her father by locating the real thief and stealing the paintings back, Kat gathers a 'heist society' to pull off the job before a two-week deadline- where her father will be arrested, only to discover that the works were stolen by world renowned Visily Romani, a thief famous for reclaiming Nazi-spoils. By planning the theft of the Henley museum in London, well known for its security, and always having to be one step ahead of Interpol and the mobster on her tail, Kat is going to pull a heist that will make them remembered by every thieves in the world.

Paper to Motion Pictures

PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS

     Salutations bookworms! On a random unrelated note, this is just a filler until my next book review and I'm itching to write something all of the sudden (I'm writing this through my phone so excuse the lack of pictures, please). 

Theatrical Release Poster

Have you watched the 2nd Percy Jackson movie? Well, I haven't since it's not released in my hometown yet! I'm crossing my fingers for the movie not to be another letdown though (like the first film Percy Jackson & he Olympians: The Lighting thief - seriously a brunette Annabeth? That's just wrong from the beginning). 

Thank the gods that now they finally realise their grave mistake and decided to dye Alexandra Daddario's aka Annabeth Chase hair to a golden blonde as described by Rick Riordan in the awesome book series. Anyway, aside from that I give two thumbs up for Logan Lerman (he's a wonderful actor to begin with; I mean, have you watched him in The Perks of Being A Wallflower?! and oh, of course, his blue-green eyes earned him candy points). So far the trailer is keeping me on edge and from the looks of the promotional posters, it looks much promising than the first film (let me stress on the fact that they finally dyed Annabeth's supposedly blonde hair to well, blonde. Cue first approval clap from me).

Then again, I found out that Nathan Fillion is playing Hermes the god of thieves, travellers, and messengers. Funny thing is I can't imagine Nathan Fillion as Hermes. though I can't say for sure since I haven't watch the movie yet so that remains unknown. I love their cast for Thalia Grace, though. Paloma Kwiatkowski look exactly as I have imagined the spunky, smart Thalia to look like. So, I'm definitely gonna be queuing once Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters hits the theatre in my city.

Signing off, bookwormsoul.

A Bowl for the Soul

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

   
   “Oh, I wouldn't mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.” - Augustus Waters; The Fault In Our Stars.

John Green was probably the most talked YA fiction author in early to mid 2013 (until now, really). His first breakthrough was Finding Alaska, and then continued by the bestselling The Fault In Our Stars. The thing about Green’s work that captured the attention of readers is the combination of ridiculously funny and endearing moments between the characters. He is able to create a universe of characters that interact with such chemistry that us, readers, could relate to. The whole concept of Green’s work is just so down-to-earth that we simply could not resist to delve further into it.

'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.'- Cassius to Brutus; Julius Caesar (Act 1, scene 2).

The Fault in Our Stars is most praised by critics and readers alike. It revolves around the budding love story of Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters. They probably come off as a cliché of two teenagers finding love and having their summer fling but here’s the catch: they’re both terminal cancer patients. So, there you go. You get a glimpse of their feelings and lives and you might just be surprised at what they thought of the world aka the rest of healthy living population.

On a side note, The Fault In Our Stars were optioned by Fox 2000 with Josh Boone directing and starring Shailene Woodley!

Up next: Have you, bookworms, read the uh-mazing Heist Society series by Ally Carter? Well if you haven’t, you should. It’s ridiculously brilliant!

Signing off, bookwormsoul.

A Bowl For the Soul

THE INFERNAL DEVICES

   “Let me give you a piece of advice. The handsome young fellow who's trying to rescue you from a hideous fate is never wrong. Not even if he says the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs.” - Will Herondale;  The Clockwork Angel.

Anyone who recognised the term Shadowhunters, are no doubt familiar with Cassandra Clare's world of The Mortal Instruments. It is by far one of her best-selling book series after all. With sensational, wonderfully written characters that seem to come alive with every pages from City of Bones to the recent City of Lost Souls, Clare has created a paradox of astounding universe with the likes of fantasy creatures such as vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and faeries (mind you- Clare's faeries are perhaps one of the most devious, and cunning kind among the other mentioned species). But, alas, today is not the day The Mortal Instruments receive the spotlight. In fact, it is the prequel installment of the Mortal Instruments: The Infernal Devices.

Set in grey subdued London, during the Victorian era, the series focuses mainly on the pivotal London Institute (a safe house for Shadowhunters), centering around the Tessa Gray, Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs. This is the time where the peace treaty between the Shadowhunters (a secretive race of human with angelic blood- sometimes referred as Nephilims) and Downworlders (hybrid creatures of part human, part demon such as vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and faeries) had not existed yet in oppose to the modern day setting of The Mortal Instruments. Therefore, Shadowhunters have no qualms in killing Downworlders as they consider themselves higher in regard and superior of the latter species. 

To sum up the trilogy, I will do my best to cover the basic outline of the story (Warning: spoilers ahead). Theresa "Tessa" Gray arrived in London from America, when she received a letter from her brother to come and find him. Unfortunately, she was captured by the Dark Sisters - a pair of female warlocks- only to be exploited for her shapeshifting power which was unbeknown to her until then. She was rescued by a Shadowhunter, Will Herondale and brought to the London Institute led by a woman (controversial subject that takes place in the story as many had disagree with a woman as the head of well, practically anything - remember this is the victorian era where it is unconventional for a woman to be placed as a leader), Charlotte Bramwell. From there, Tessa met the many residence of the Institute including Jem Carstairs that will held a special role in the future. The main complication faced by the protagonists was going against the deadly clockwork army of Axel Mortmain, who wishes to rid of all Shadowhunters due to an old vengeance. Thus Mortmain's desire to snare Tessa in order to obtain her power, was to raise a legion of demonic clockwork that has its own mind and body, and also hard to be destroyed unlike the previous normal clockwork. The emotional apex was the love triangle between the three main characters as Will had spurned Tessa's love as he believe he was cursed by a demon that involves anyone he cares to die, Tessa torn between her two love, and Jem succumbing to his illness due to Yin Fen addiction caused by a greater demon feeding him demon poison when he was a child. It also involves Tessa finding her identity and well, to be exact what category of species she fits into since the readers will learn early in the series that she is definitely not a human.

Greetings to all Bookworms!

     “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ―C.S. Lewis

         One of the world's fascinating gift to mankind, for me, is personally stories. Passed through generations such as urban legends, myths, fables and fairytales alike as well as masterpieces woven intricately to pages with fresh, new idea and plots. I had decided to dedicate this blog to post my innermost thoughts and insights to books I read and came across. Preferences in my reading list are romance (clichè-but everyone need love in their life), fantasy, science fiction, thriller mystery, and young adult. Ingenious writers such as Agatha Christie, J.K Rowling, Sidney Sheldon, C.S Lewis, Jodi Picoult, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Leo Tolstoy are my- and many avid readers'- inspiration. Their works had captivated many hearts and stayed in our soul with their outstanding, intense pieces.

          I would like to point out the purpose of this blog is to mainly deliver opinions, recommendations, and reviews of books by an eager fan of amazing, beautiful stories written around the world. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts through comments and give references of other remarkable stories. It is a place for all bookworms to gather and exchange their reading lists.

          To start off, my most recent reads include the Infernal Devices, which I devoured the last installment: The Clockwork Princess in less than a day. It was, to say the least, one of the best YA piece I had ever come across. A standing ovation for Cassandra Clare (who pens the Mortal Instruments series), for yet another breathtaking, touching story woven into readers' hearts. I'll be posting a brief summary and heartfelt review of the trilogy soon.

Signing off, bookwormsoul.