Review: City of Ashes (Book #2) - Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 454

ISBN: 9781416972242

Series: The Mortal Instruments #2

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Read: August 2011

Well, this is the second installment of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and it has been so long since I have read the first one, City of Bones so it was kinda hard for me to retrace and remember what had happened. I remembered a few key points like who's who but I got tied at certain pages and just was hoping that it would all come together in the end, in which it did. I am going to have to read the next few 2 books more closely together so I don't lose track of the stories.

I liked the book because it kinda had this adulty-youthful innocence to it. Does that make sense? I mean, I know that these are teenagers who think they know the world (what teen doesn't think that?) but having to grow up quickly under the crazy circumstances. Even know these are teenagers they talk with such authority and reassurance. Whatever I mean it makes sense to me.

Of course I love Jace too and I am glad he is not my brother! He is still up for grabs huh? I mean, I am almost positive that they are going to find out that they are not really related. I mean, come on, what are the building up for? I can read between the lines. It is a destined love! I am just going to have to put the next 2 books up a little on my list to prove my sanity!

Review: Half a Life: A Memoir - Darin Strauss

Genre: Non Fiction
ISBN: 9780812982534 - ARC
Pages: 191
Format: Trade Paperback
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Read: August 2011

To start, I got bored. I feel that this book was probably more for him then for the audience. I liked it and then...like I said I got bored and I do feel kinda bad about it because if it were the other way around I would hates for someone to rate my real life with such a low rating, but I didn't really hate the book. I found it quite interesting...

I should tell you that this book is about a guy who had killed a girl with his car, by accident, when he was in high school. This is 20 years later and he talks about how he lived with the guilt and how it was a process, a long one I might add, of how he came to terms with it. It was crazy of what he had to deal with and of all the ups and downs and the B.S. he had to endure but I still felt that it would have been a great article or essay. I don't really know why I am giving it 2 stars maybe its because I thought it as simply just "Okay".

Review: In Serena's Web - Kay Hooper

Genre: Fiction
Format: Mass Market Paperback

ISBN: 9780553590555

Rating: 1/5 Stars

Read: August 2011

I only picked up this book because I was nervous about the minor earthquake here in NYC that I left my book at work. So when I got home and wanted to read I wanted to read something small and quick. I saw this book that someone had given me and I decided it looked small and easy and it was but it just wasn't a good story. It could have been if there were more details and excitement. It moved to quickly and I feel that there was a lot of parts left out. Serious parts. I just felt like I walked into a major story and was left confused and wanted more. I just don't think it really wasn't much of a read and I felt cheated.

Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 345

ISBN: 9781400052189

Format: Trade Paperback

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Read: August 2011 - Work Book Club

I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. This is about a black woman who had cervical cancer in the 1950's and the doctors took a sample of her tumor and watched as her cells miraculously grew (and continue to to this day). There are a lot of scientific terminology in here but it is not too hard to follow. I loved how Skloot really dug into the family and revealed a real person behind the HeLa cells. The best parts of the book of our when Skloot goes into the past and see the family and of how they felt about what was happening to the cells of their mother/friend/wife/cousin/Aunt etc.

We have all heard about HeLa cells but no one really ever thought behind it and really, who would have if it is not truly linked to us? I mean, now, reading the book, it seems like it is linked to everyone as a whole because of the things that come from it. All that research being conducted on so many different things gave cures and better insights to diseases and so on. HeLa cells have a enormous impact on our lives as a whole without us even knowing and Skloot's book finally gives life to what is such a great scientific history,present and future to us all!