The Bookworm's Corner #4

The Bookworm's Corner is weekly updates on anything bookish! What I've read through the week, any books I've bought this week that I'm super duper excited about, recommendations lists, book news - whatever! This is where the Bookworm wades in.

What I've Finished

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Twilight Saga #1

YA, paranormal, romance

1/5 stars

Bella is recently moved to Forks, Washington - one of the rainiest places on the Pacific Northwest. She's prepared for a dull life in the small town, settling into a new school and making new friends. What she doesn't expect is to fall head over heels for the mysterious Edward Cullen - a young man with a very dangerous secret. There is absolutely no logical reason why I read this book. So I won't even try to explain; I read it and that's the end of it. It was, predictably, absolute torture. I went into this book with an open mind - I really did. I was prepared to let it speak for itself. Forget my preconceived expectations and all the gripe and hype surrounding it. I was giving this book a fighting chance to prove itself to me. The writing immediately hit me as some of the worst I've ever read, There was simply nothing to like about Bella; she was one-dimensional at best. It irked me that she liked books, her clumsiness was not endearing, and I just wanted someone to kill her. Edward is a classic stalker/abusive boyfriend, and any of the side characters could have had some potential if I hadn't been reading about them through Bella's perspective. Alice and Carlisle were kind of awesome, and as I read the book, I could do nothing but moan over all of the missed opportunities. If only this author had told someone - anyone else's - story other than Bella's. Carlisle has an awesome past! Or Alice! I would have loved to read Alice's story. Why couldn't we have gotten her as a protagonist instead? In short, this book did not defend itself well.

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #3

YA, fantasy

3/5 stars

Clary's only hope to wake her mom from her self-induced slumber lies with a mysterious warlock in Idris, the capital city of the Shadowhunter world. But Jace is afraid that the Clave with use Clary's special abilities as a weapon against the impending war with Valentine. Meanwhile, secrets come crashing down around them as Valentine's web is woven tighter and tighter around them. This is the volume that everyone has told me things start to go downhill. And I chose to read this simultaneously with Twilight. Very. Bad. Idea. However, my general opinion of this series continues, even after this book. I really, really like the general concept. Simon, Luke, and now Sebastian do make it easier to bear the annoyance that is the romance between Clary and Jace. When the book wasn't focusing on that, I enjoyed it. And if Jace wasn't causing so much romantic tension, I would even like Clary. But I really dislike Jace; he's pouty and moody and "oh, pity me." And of course, with Clary and Jace being brother and sister, the romance is all levels of awkward. It's a little sad, in fact, when the only halfway romantic relationship in a book is the gay couple - and even that relationship feels like molestation is taking place. But I like the storyline itself well enough to continue on.

What I'm Currently Reading

- Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan: On page 259

- Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales: This week, I read The Glass Coffin

- Anderson's Best-Loved Fairy Tales: This week, I read The Galoshes of Fortune

- Wolfsblood by Hazel West: On page 216

- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling: On page 363

- Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie: On page 175

- Dracula by Bram Stoker: On page 383
- Bone Gap by 174