Shipping Saturdays #6: The Infernal Love Triangle

The winner of last week's Shipping Saturdays was: Damon Salvatore!

Welcome to Shipping Saturdays! Basically, I talk about my favourite ship in a book/series, and then you guys get to vote on which favourite pairing of that book/series you prefer. If there are any couples you'd like me to talk about, let me know in the comments (along with what book they're from, in case I haven't read it yet!) and I'll add them to the list.

These three gave everyone a hell of a lot of heartache, and are, quite possibly, the only true, actual love triangle I've ever come across, because all three entities loved each other. Cassie Clare wins the cake for painful books with the heartbreaking story of Will, Tessa and Jem.

I think, though, that we can all agree that in the end, everyone had their chance at happiness, right?

With that in mind, I'm going to be very selfish and say that I am so, so happy she married Will. She's Tessa Herondale (see how that name suits her?!) now, and Jace will always have a living relative (ha!). She lived a lifetime with my baby William, and he died happy in the knowledge that he was loved by the woman he loved more than anything. It's been a year now, and they still give me a barrage of feels, just thinking about them. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled she gets to tease Jem about his backward ways as he accustoms himself to the XXI century, but I really hope she doesn't marry him. In part because it's not a necessity anymore like it was in the Victorian times, but also largely because then I can happily sleep, knowing she was Will's wife and only his. It gives me the warm and fuzzies.

But mostly I'm just glad Will got everything he deserved, because if that boy had suffered one more tiny bit, I'd very likely lose my shit. My favourite pass time is imagining his reaction if he were to find out his great-great grandson is parabatai with a Lightworm. It provides hours of entertainment. It also probably does me no favours that I've recently moved to Wales, and every time I come across the Welsh flag, I dissolve into hysterical giggles. I'm getting better with exposure, though!

Now, we're voting this week for who we prefer Tessa with, because honestly let's face, she got the cake and ate it too. So really just pick your favourite guy, even if you exclude Tessa from the equation; even if you shipped Will and Jem (I am so, so sorry if you did. Truly. Because ouch), just pick the guy you like the most ;)

Will or Jem?

Will!

Jem!

Other (do tell!)

Magnus

Poll Maker

Confessions of a Book Worm #1

Well now, I know I've been slacking in the review department lately, but it's common for me to have a rant about one book or another, or even about a TV series, or... just anything, really, about monthly. So, I've decided to start up a new thing on Book Worm. It's the Confessions of a Book Worm rant, in which I talk fictional characters and all other cool stuff.


        I once saw this beautiful picture of all the most famous and loved contemporary books, and it said “I laughed with you, I believed in you, I followed you, I cried with you, I fought for you, I grew up with you, I was you, and all along you were never really there”. And while I started out reading this with a smile, the last sentence nearly made me cry. 
It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately. To quote Tessa Gray in Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Prince, “If no one knows you, do you even truly exist?”. And I wonder. Because I have friends. So, so many friends. But 90% of them live in my head. 30% of those 90%, I invented myself. The other 60%, other authors have given me. And they know me. They know me better than I know myself. And I did laugh, believe, follow, cry, fight and grow up with them. I was them, each and every one of them, for a short period of time. 
But saying that they were never really there? Well, that’s akin to saying most of my life has been a lie.
What brought on the thinking I mentioned earlier was yet another quote. This one stated “Legitimately being unable to identify if a memory if yours or from a book character”. Now, at first glance, that sounds stupid. I mean, who could possibly confuse their own life with that of a fictional character, right? 
The thing about books is just that: the really good ones are the ones that mess with your emotions, your thoughts and beliefs.  And if they mess with those things, well, eventually, after countless of good books doing that to you, the emotions start to blur together. You remember what brought them on, and you remember the feeling - but that’s the thing. You never truly experienced what the character did, so those emotions can’t be yours, because you’ve never been through that. But you felt it. 
So as the feelings blur, when something triggers a memory of that emotion, you feel it as strongly as if whatever happened to the character happened to you. So, yes, to an extent, you are the character. You experienced a little of life with them, and now, that part of them will always be within you. But how do you tell the difference, after thirteen years of “false” emotions piling up, how can you possibly tell the difference between an emotion or experience lived by you in the physical world from an emotion or experience lived by you as a character in a fictional world? 
You can’t.
It is not possible.
Does that mean I’m going mad? Maybe.
Maybe not. But, as Lewis Carroll has said, “You know what? The best people are”.
So to those people who try to tell me that my friends aren’t real; that they aren’t there just because they’re fictional, well then, Dumbledore has something to say to you: “Of course it’s happening in your head... But why would that mean that it’s not real?”. And you’ll never convince me differently.

Cover Reveal: Clockwork Princess

That's right, it's here! There was a mad scramble on twitter today to help unveil Clockwork Princess's cover, and I must say -- it's such a beautiful cover for what will, without a doubt, be a very painful book to read!
I just wonder what book it is that Tessa is holding. My first hope was A Tale of Two Cities, but since it's, you know, shining, I think I'll go with the Grey Book. Which pretty much confirms she's a warlock... and I love her dress.

In Clockwork Princess, Tessa and her companions travel all over the world as they race to stop the clockwork army before it’s too late. As Jem’s health worsens alarmingly and his friends search desperately for a cure, can Tessa choose between the two boys she loves—even if it means never seeing the other one again?

Clockwork Princess will be out March 19th 2013.

Book Review: Clockwork Prince

Title: Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Historical, YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 8/10


I'd have written a review sooner, but I was still reeling with the ending. I don't believe I've felt so heartbroken with the end of a book since I finished Richelle Mead's Shadow Kiss, and goodness knows that almost killed me, though I had the next one to pounce on immediately.
In this case, I'm left with a broken heart, a thoroughly confused mind and no next book to ease the pain. Extremely frustrating, to say the very least!
And yet, despite the moments when I just stared at the book, shook my head in frustration, yelled at it, let the tears fall, and/or wanted to kill some characters, you'll notice I gave it five stars.
That's because I believe that what determines if a book is good or not isn't if the author paired who we wanted or not, but if the book is able to bring out strong emotions in those reading it. And Clockwork Prince most DEFINITELY did that. I was a sobbing, blubbering mess of nerves when I'd finished it, and had no idea what to do with myself.
Clockwork Prince has that very Cassie Clare feel to it: amazing plot, incredible characters, impeccable setting... in other words, a wonderful read.

Tessa started standing up for herself more, which I loved. I adored also seeing her friendship with Jem flourish. Gabriel and Gideon were interesting to me mostly because I was trying to see some similarities between them and Alec and Izzy. They're definitely there.
Magnus is always a welcome addition to the party; I love love him to bits, and some of the best scenes involved him (though his timing for interrupting is just horrible. HORRIBLE, Magnus!).
Will's story, on the other hand... that was the beginning of the undoing of my heart. I can't imagine what that poor boy had to go trhough, how much it hurt him to do everything he did for five years, only to find out in the end... I thought he took it quite well; I'd have gone on a rampage and smashed some things. And of course, his little monets with Tessa made me squeal with utter delight. That is one man who deserves to be happy and be loved heart, body and soul, and I believe Tessa can give him that.
It shocked me, though, how RIDICULOUSLY OBLIVIOUS both Jem and Will were about the other's feelings towards Tessa. I thought they were blood brothers; surely they'd have noticed? Well, apparenyl not. I am also incredibly mad at Tessa for what she did, and for what she said to Jem. Because of her, my heart is torn to smithereens on the floor.
I want both Jem and Will to be happy, but not if the happiness of one means sacrificing the happiness of the other.