City of... SERIOUS LOVE!

So I realize that I do not have one single review up for any of Cassandra Clare's books.  If you know me, then you know how much I ADORE these books.  But I've never once sat down & put my thoughts on the computer screen explaining WHY I love these stories so much.  Yes, I have this blog to share with you all my love/hate relationship with my books, but sometimes I like to keep my thoughts MY thoughts.  The Mortal Instruments series is one set of books that I will probably keep private, my reviews on them anyway.  They hold a special place in my heart & I don't know if I am quite ready to unleash all those emotions out in to the blogosphere.  So instead, I thought I'd share with you all my love FOR the books & not necessarily ABOUT the books.

Are you still with me?

I first picked up City of Bones in 2008.  I had just devoured the Twilight series for the 6th or 7th time (seriously), and I was needing something to settle my stomach & feed that craving in which Twilight so graciously stuffed down my throat.  The order was tall, but I was up for the challenge.  In walks Cassandra Clare (not literally) with these amazing characters named Jace, Clary, Simon, Magnus, Alec, Izzy (& the list could go on...) that consumed a world I had no idea even existed!  We're talking about Shadowhunters people!  Totally bad-ass, demon-slaying, jaw-dropping, risk-taking individuals who just blew me away.  Throw in a crazy awesome warlock, a sarcastic vampire, & loads of family history and we have the makings of the perfect cast for the ultimate paranormal book. 

I'm pretty sure I read City of Bones in one day & immediately got my hands on City of Ashes (the 2nd book in the series).  As I recall, I spent Christmas of 2008 at my dad's house reading CoA while my family engaged in festive holiday traditions.  I was too busy losing myself to runes, battles, & swoonage - OH THE SWOONAGE!  Cassandra Clare definitely knows how to set the scene when it comes to swooning.  Jace Wayland anyone???  As I finished CoA I realized that it would be 3 months until City of Glass came out.  What the what?!  How on earth could I possibly wait that long???  Well let me just tell you, the wait was SO worth it!  City of Glass gave us such a sense of closure with that crazy wicked world, that I felt satisfied closing that last chapter.  But then Cassandra threw a curve ball at us.. THERE WOULD BE MORE!!!  Oh yes.  More Jace. More Clary. More Magnus. MORE JACE. And more adventures to be swept away in.

I write this little blog post on the day City of Fallen Angels has been released.  It's the fourth installment in the series, in which I have waited two years (TWO YEARS!) to continue my love for Cassandra Clare in all her epic glory.  Yes, I pre-ordered my beautiful copy from Barnes & Noble months ago, so that I could get the signed edition with Jace's letter to Clary inside (see City of Glass to know what I am talking about).  But silly me I could not wait the 2 days of shipping to get my hands on it, so this fangirl here downloaded the e-book to her nook at 5am this morning! Ha!  Now THAT is true love :-)

So that is my quest with The Mortal Instruments series thus far (in a nut shell).  They are special books to me because they made me realize that I really DO love to read.  That Twilight (being the books that started this craziness for me) wasn't just a fluke.  Reading really was my thing.  When books can open up your imagination & fill you with so much emotion that you never knew existed, it's an enlightening yet humble experience.  Oh and you may ask, have I finished City of Fallen Angels yet? Nope. But I'm about to...