Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I have come across the Shadow Hunters before this book, following Clary's Adventures in The Mortal Instruments books. The plot of the story was interesting, but the teen angst become boring and annoying very quickly. ( And I couldn't stand Jace.) I didn't pick up this series until my friend recommended The Infernal Devices, assuring me that it was a really great read. 

I must admit that this series is a pleasant surprise! Not only is the main character sensible, but the main cast is charming, all with their own unique flaws and quirks. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are significant and clever add ons. There's fun dialogue and well thought out story lines.  Another plus is the love triangle, which is not ridiculous so far, and I actually like both Jem and Will. (Jem is my favorite character.) The plot itself is very interesting, with unpredictable twists and turns and a history that ties in with the previous series. 

The world of the Clave, the Downworlders and the Mundanes is not an easy task to manage, but Clare writes great explanations, and Tessa asks a lot of questions. 

I have already bought the second book in the series, and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys action, suspense, history, religion and of course romance. The book is very balanced in fleshing out the characters, adding interesting plot points and introducing the reader to the world of a Shadow Hunter. 

With a setting in London and a steampunk flair, Clockwork Angel is an entertaining read and a mix of paranormal worlds , mystery and adventure. Of course, it probably helps that the main character is a book worm. Still, this adventure is an exciting one!

Ink by Amanda Sun

Ink was one amazing ride through the world of Japan and the mythology of the Kami. Katie's voice, both in the english narrative, and her responses in Japanese show her struggle from being in a world she's always known and having no choice but to adapt to a world she has never known. She starts off the novel as a typical teenager and rebels the world around her in any way she can, but she can't help being drawn to Tomohiro Yuu, a tsundre in true fashion, and the strange events that occur when she is around ink. From a pen exploding to drawings moving on the page, she handles as much as she can without thinking she's crazy. But there is more than the loss of her mother triggering these events. Katie is tied to the ink by a destiny and curse that she can barely begin to understand. And as she begins to blend in to her new enviornment, a bigger threat awaits her as she becomes more interested in Tomohiro. 

This book was a nonstop read. I couldn't put it down, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of Japan's Sakura and Tanabata festivals. Katie is also an entertaining narrator, always throwing her two sense in the middle of an important scene. The references to both Japanese culture and mythology were a nice element to the story, and helped me see Japan through eyes that were not similar to my own. 

I recommend this story to anyone who loves Japan, and to anyone who doesn't know anything about Japan. I came to this novel knowing many things that were already explained, but I felt that the explanations added to the depth of the story's atmosphere and taught you a new perspective. I give this book five out of five cherry blossoms, and I can't wait for the next book!

Honolulu by Alan Brennert

Born with the name Regret, the protagonist of this story deals with both external and internal struggles to discover who she is and how she will find where she belongs. Regret's story begins in Korea, where her secret love of reading and her passion for writing must be concealed from her rigid father and passive mother. Once Regret discovers that she will not get her father's approval to pursue an education, she takes matters in her own hands and finds herself in Hawaii with an entire journey through many obstacles right in front of her. Regret's story, from her poetic narrative to her powerful ambition is a memorable tale that weaves many different cultures together, creating a new environment and home for Regret, and she discovers opportunities that she could only dream of. The road to Hawaii may not have been paved in gold, but Regret's ambition and perseverance offers a great lesson in growing up and finding who you are. 

I recommend this novel to Historical Fiction lovers, people who love Korean culture, Hawaiian culture and Japanese culture. By creating her own chogak po, Regret blooms where she is planted and never gives up on creating a home that is all her own.     

Jane by April Linder

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of my favorite literary stories. It's not very often that you come across a great modern day adaption of a tale you already know and love. I found Jane a year ago, right before I graduated college, and it quickly became a favorite on my book shelf. 

In this adaption, Rochester is a recovering rock star, and Jane is a nanny on the road to self discovery and the freedom to do what she believes she can. The novel is told in Jane's point of view as she is hired to work for Nico Rathburn, a rock star that even Jane has heard of, due to her brother's love of rock music. With the many rumors and countless People articles about Nico's road to success, mysterious fall out and his upcoming album, Jane must find who the real person is behind the mask. As she adjusts to the new enviornment, and meets Maddy, Nico's daughter, she expects to barely see the celebrity, even on his own grounds, but he has other plans, and Jane soon finds herself in a completely different world than she has ever lived in. To find who she is, and even the true Nico Rathburn, Jane goes on a journey, both intellectual and spiritual to find where she belongs and how much she should listen to her own heart.

I recommend this novel to anyone who loves Jane Eyre, Rock Stars and Star Crossed Romance. Jane's voice is refreshing yet it stays true to the original and Nico Rathburn is an enigmatic character. 

Dreams and Wishes

Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook

What do you do when you've lived your life for everyone else? Deidre Griffin has done just that and more. She is in charge of her famous brother's schedule, right down to the tee. With her whole life wrapped around her family's PR for the new age guru Tag, Deidre tends to fall in the background and watch her brother shine. But what she has always wanted to do is dance and live her life for herself. Dragged down by everyone's expectations, and going insane from the fact she seems to be nothing but a scheduler in her family's eyes, Deidre decides to risk it all, and use her brother's massive fan club to gain her own fifteen seconds of fame in the spotlight. As one thing leads to another, from the endless supprt Tag's fans give her to the actual offer on Dancing with the Stars, Deidre learns that in order to be herself, she must follow her heart and trust that she will land on her own two feet.

I enjoyed this novel. It was told in a voice that I found extremely familair and amusing. Deidre's family is not your usual group of people, from their quirks to goofy obsessions, you learn to see them as Deidre does, and you see Deidre as a person whose only obstacle is herself. Once she gets past the most difficult hurdle, Deidre learns more about life than she would have if she was still stuck in a job she only stayed with for fear of her family's disapproval. I recommend this book to anyone who feels like they have not bloomed themselves. It's important to recognize what the real obstacle is when you look at your life and your dreams. A fun and enlightening read.

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

First, I would like to say that I recommend this book to everybody. Whether you like Winnie the Pooh or Taoism. It's interesting just how relative the principles in this book are, to some of the other books I have read about worry, stress and life drama. If you think of Pooh, and the way he views life. The way he goes through life, he has a lot of wisdom and allows things to be, and he just IS! The book will describe this better of course, but there's a song from this book that kind of sums it up:

"How can you get very far,

If you don't know Who You Are?

How can you do what you ought,

If you don't know What You've Got?

And if you don't know Which To Do

Of all the things in front of you,

Then what you'll have when you are through

Is just a mess without a clue

Of all the best that can come true

If you know What and Which and Who." - Winnie the Pooh

Not only is this book charming and light hearted, it presents deep wisdom in the guise of the fable of Winnie the Pooh. The stories and characters are an allegory representing different types of people in the world. How they think. What they do. How they view the world. But the wisest and most relative of all is P'u.