Spending Time with the Books

This year I feel that I have grown as a reader. I have learned more every day and learned to try new things. I am thankful for the year I had and very thankful for my English class. I never loved to read before and always stuck to one genre, but now I love to read and am open to the idea of exploring new genres. I have read gothic, fantasy, fiction, science fiction, non-fiction, mystery, and dystopian.

My favorite thing about the books I read individually and as a class is the way they relate to everyday life. Each story or genre has a different perspective and outlook. The purpose of a story is to give the reader a certain type of feeling, depending on the genre. Another purpose of a story is to persuade the reader, but most importantly, we can take these stories and their messages to improve our daily decisions. These stories are entertaining and useful.

One of my favorite things about the class is after reading a story we had a class discussion. We take what we already know and our thoughts to create a discussion. Sitting there listening to others opinions and ideas looking at things from another perspective keeps the discussion going. I feel these discussions motivate us to grow. These discussions are when we learn more about life and how we view it.

My favorite genre we read as a class was the science fiction unit. I never liked science fiction until this year. The stories we read were interesting and had plenty of twists. The Minority Report was a great story to read and watch. The twists were unbelievable and had a bit of mystery to it. The thing that stuck out the most was the movie and book were not that similar to each other, so we got to see two different perspectives. I feel that we spent more time on this unit, so I had more time to get used to it and enjoy it.

Another favorite thing we did this year was the zine magazine. We got to pick our topic and write about it but used articles to help us. I love that we were able to do something non fiction and put the story into our own words. I love that everyone had a different topic and had a different way of persuading the reader. It was a creative, fun, and enjoyable.

Last but no least the blog post. This was absolutely my favorite thing to do this year. I love the sahdowhunter books and tv show. I got to pick a book that I love and put my own thoughts and feelings into it. I was happy to share this with my readers. I want to say thank you for reading my post. I hope you loved it.

Clockwork Angel is the first book of the Infernal Devices series. Tessa is a teenage girl living in New York City, but after her aunts early passing she moves to London to find her brother Nate. Not long after Tessa arrives in London she is taken hostage. During this time, Tessa encounters two young shadowhunter Jem Carstairs and Will Herondale who rescues her. Tessa will become more involved with the shadowhunter world and have more obstacles to face.

My favorite thing about this series is that it takes you back in time. We see what happened before Clary and her friends came into the picture and what led up to everything that has happened. The characters here are great and similar to the characters in the Mortal Instruments. Will has a smart mouth reminds me a lot of Jace. Tessa is stubborn, caring, and understanding person. Jem is a calm, intelligent, and kind character. These characters are also brave, courageous, and hard working. The relationship between the characters becomes more interesting as the love triangle between Jem, Will, and Tessa develop.

The concept of this book is not to judge a book by its cover and the people you surround yourself with is important. Tessa is nothing like these shadowhunters, but if they are willing to accept her it will all work out. It is better to surround yourself with the ones you love or care for no matter how different they could be. Like all the other books it comes down to love and doing the right thing. I am always accepting of people that are good, respectful, or either trusting because the people will encourage me to do the right thing.

In my next blog post I will write about what I have learned this year the different types of genres and books I have read.

In 2016 the TV series Shadow hunters was release. The TV series based on Cassandra Clare’s famous Mortal Instrument books. We have the same characters from the books Clary played by Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood as Jace, Mathew Daddario as Alec Lightwood, Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood, Alberto Rosende as Simon, and Harry Shum as Magnus Bane. The show ended in 2019 with three seasons. It was fun to see these characters come to life and to see a different perspective.

As I read the book, I notice some similarities and differences between the show and the book. The first thing I notice is the characters have the same personality which I love. You still get to see that humor and sarcasm between Simon and Jace. The love and bond between the characters is heart warming. The characters in the book are younger while in the show they are older. The second thing is Clary’s mother gets married to Luke in the book, but in the show she dies and their relationship was never official. You can see from both the movie and book they love each other and if she was still alive they more in likely would have been married. The biggest difference I notice was in the end. In the movie Clary loses her memory while in the book Simon does. The TV show ending left off on a cliff hanger between Clary and jace. while the book has a happier ending. Simon remembers bits and pieces of his old life and is surrounded by everyone that loves him.

Overall the book and movie was great. I enjoyed every moment of it. Too see a different perspective and two different endings was interesting.

It is the final fight for Clary and her friends. This will be Clary’s last chance to stop her evil brother Sebastian from destroying the Earth, but Clary might not be so prepared for what Sebastian is planning. It is not easy to go up against someone manipulative, and cunning, and never seems to stay dead. It is especially not easy when you don’t know who is completely on your side. For they were not expecting this betrayal.

The main idea of this book is good vs. evil. Clary and the shadow hunters have beaten Sebastian. It was a struggle, but the good guys won. These characters appear to be stronger together. The love these characters have for one another motivates them to do better and good. They always seem to do right by one another. They know what they need to do and whom they need to protect. Another thing to understand about good vs evil even if you are a good guy and you fail at first don’t give up. You might win later. I say this because, at the end of this book, one of them is not remembering anything about the Shadowhunter world and forgets the people in it. Evil may have won that time but not for long. In the end, not all of them had given up causing the forgetful friend to remember bits and pieces leading to a happy ending.

I believe it is good and bad in every person but you should always try to do better for yourself and others. I try to be the best I can be. I feel if I don’t give up and do good in life I could get my happy ending. My family and friends motivate me to do this. I believe in them and they believe in me.

In the next blog post, I will compare the shadowhunter books to the tv series.

In the last book we learn that Lilith the mother of all demons wants revenge for the death of Sebastian, but once her plan falls through Lilith is killed and Sebastian is wakened. When Clary returns Sebastian and Jace have both disappeared. The next time Clary and Jace meet she is surprised to learn that Lilith had bounded both of the boys together kill one both die harm one harm the other. The shadowhunters need to find a way to save Jace and stop Sebastian without harming Jace. Alec. Isabella, Magnus, and Simon might be asking for more trouble though as they scheme to save Jace’s life while Clary who is alone in all this mess would do anything for Jace even if that means risking her own life.

The concept is lost. Jace has not been exactly himself acting as if he believes in Sebastian and that what he is doing is for a good reason. The people that love Jace are lost without him. They are unsure what to do having no clue what Sebastian is up to. The Plans they have to save Jace’s life are risky leaving them more confused and weary of the situation.The relationships become more of a struggle as well leaving some people to become more distant or confused with one another.

I believe everyone has felt lost with themselves before. I feel more lost when I am upset or unsure. I sometimes rethink what I want to do with my life if it is what I want to do for sure . This makes me feel unsure about myself and my plans. Then when I am upset I don’t feel like myself and feel a bit lonely. It is not a good feeling to feel lost, but people will find their way with time.

In the next blog post, I will review “The City of Heavenly Fire”, the last book of the Mortal Instruments. Will Sebastian be caught? How will these relationships play out? What will happen in the end?

The battle against Valentine has ended the Shadow hunters are filled with relief but for Clary and the rest of her friends trouble still awaits. There is Simon everywhere he goes someone is watching. Thanks to the powerful and cursed Mark of Caine downworlders see him as an ally and want him on their side . Then there is Jace filled with all these nightmares. He tries to avoid Clary leaving Clary confused and heartbroken. Jace will not be able to avoid Clary forever as an unexpected turn of events will make her lose the one thing she loves more than anything in the world Jace.

The concept is revenge and jealousy. The relationships become more complicated and for some jealousy plays a part in it. For one Camille the oldest vampire arrives back in Brooklyn with time we learn she was Magnus’s old flame causing Alec to become jealous. Then there is the relationship between Mia and Simon which causes Jordan which is Mia’s ex to become jealous of Simon. The main reason why this is about revenge and jealousy is because everything that has happened to them throughout this book is caused by someone angry, jealous, and wants revenge.

Looking at the concept I can kind of relate. Everybody gets jealous and when you are built up with so much anger revenge seems reasonable. I used to get jealous of my mom and brother”s bond. My sister and I didn’t grow up with our brother so the focus was always on us. 5 years ago my brother finally started coming around more. It felt like she only focused on him. She never said no to him but did not mind saying it to us. I sometimes wonder what I could do to make her stop paying attention more. I would get so angry I would want to get revenge, but over time I understood it and I understood them more just like the characters in the book.

In the next blog post I will be writing about “The City of Lost Souls”. Thank you I hope you enjoyed it.

Today I am going to review the first three Mortal Instrument books in one. The main concept expressed throughout these first three books is change and identity. We discover these characters are different and within their journey, they discover things they never knew about themselves before. Both Jace and Clary find out their past and who they truly are. Clary learns to adapt to a new life by living in the shadwohunter world. Jace and the others will have to adapt to Clary and the changes that come with it.

We have all had to learn to cope with new changes in life and everyone has to try new things to figure out who they are or what they want to be. I have moved a couple of times in my life and had to adapt to the new environment. I even tried new classes like interior design and veterinarian to figure out who I want to be. Change and finding yourself is a part of life it could be good or bad.

The first three books I loved because the suspense never knowing what will happen next. I loved that the characters are different. You have those serious characters that allowed the story to continue and become suspenseful. Then you have the funny characters that lighten the mood which would be Simon. The love each character has for one another is moving to me. Shows you what family is about and how it should be valued. I feel that I am different from the rest of my family and we don’t always get along, but I would do anything for them because they mean the world to me. My favorite relationship is the relationship between Simon and Jace they have this love-and-hate relationship. The fact that they have this type of relationship is funny to me because they are always being sarcastic to one another, but in the end, they always protect and respect each other.

Next week I will be reviewing the City of Fallen Angels. I know I said I would originally write about it this week but I felt I should review what has happened so far and the message it sends altogether.

Jace, Alec, and Isabella travel to the City of Glass (a place where demons can’t get through) when a meeting is held between the shadow hunters and the Clave. Clary, trying to save her mother’s life, joins but without the Clave’s acknowledgement. This could mean death for Clary, who had just broken the law, but that is not the only problem. Simon is thrown in jail by the Clave and a brutal demon attack sent by Valentine surrounds the shadow hunters. The shadowhunters and downworlders must get along and work together to stop Valentine.

The book is about power, corruption, and manipulation. The Clave is superior to ordinary shadowhunters and downworlders. They hold power and control but are corrupt. The Clave broke the law by imprisoning Simon when he committed no crime. The Clave took part in this action for their benefit, so they could obtain information and not be blamed for the recent events. The Clave will try to hold onto this power and control they have as it is slipping away along with their hope. There will be a war to see who will hold power in the future, the Clave or Valentine. Since the Clave and Valentine are both corrupt manipulators neither should be trusted.

Power can turn to chaos, violence, and corruption. Power is the main reason most people fight, but the question is whether it is worth it. Is it worth the hundreds of lives and homes that are lost? I believe this book shows you what power can do and the consequences it offers.

In my next post, I will be discussing the City of Fallen Angels. What will happen next? What is the concept? What can we take from the book and the meaningful message it sends?