Sometimes You Just Have to Buy a New Book!

So far this month I've only purchased three books. Of course I'll most likely end up with a few more. Here are the synopsis for each one:

1) What is the Bible? By Rob Bell

Rob Bell, the beloved author of Love Wins and What We Talk About When We Talk About God, goes deep into the Bible to show how it is more revelatory, revolutionary, and relevant than we ever imagined—and offers a cogent argument for why we need to look at it in a fresh, new way.
In Love Wins, Rob Bell confronted the troubling questions that many people of faith were afraid to ask about heaven, hell, fate, and faith. Using the same inspired, inquisitive approach, he now turns to our most sacred book, the Bible. What Is the Bible? provides insights and answers that make clear why the Bible is so revered and what makes it truly inspiring and essential to our lives.
Rob takes us deep into actual passages to reveal the humanity behind the Scriptures. You cannot get to the holy without going through the human, Rob tells us. When considering a passage, we shouldn’t ask "Why did God say . . .?" To get to the heart of the Bible’s meaning, we should be asking: "What’s the story that’s unfolding here and why did people find it important to tell it? What was it that moved them to record these words? What was happening in the world at that time? What does this passage/story/poem/verse/book tell us about how people understood who they were and who God was at that time?" In asking these questions, Rob goes beyond the one-dimensional question of "is it true?" to reveal the Bible’s authentic transformative power.
Rob addresses the concerns of all those who see the Bible as God’s Word but are troubled by the ethical dilemmas, errors, and inconsistencies in Scripture. With What Is the Bible?, he recaptures the Good Book’s magic and reaffirms its power and inspiration to shape and inspire our lives today. (Via Harper Collins website).

2) Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

Riordan takes the classic guide to Greek myths and makes it his own, with an introduction and narration by beloved character Percy Jackson. With 19 chapters, this oversize hardcover includes a variety of stories, from the early tales of Gaea and the Titans to individual tales of gods readers encounter in the "Percy Jackson" series (Hyperion), such as Ares, Apollo, and Dionysus. Percy's irreverent voice is evident from titles such as "Hera Gets a Little Cuckoo," "Zeus Kills Everyone," and "Artemis Unleashes the Death Pig," and the stories are told in his voice with his distinctive perspective ("Another guy who got a special punishment was Sisyphus. With a name like Sissy-Fuss you have to figure the guy had issues…"). The format and illustrations are fairly traditional, considering the tone, featuring painterly depictions of the gods and their world. While these are actual tales of Greek mythology, Percy's take adds more color than would be helpful for those working on research projects or reports. The stories do make for fun reading, however, and might work as starting points for schoolwork. This original and wildly entertaining spin on Greek mythology is bound to be popular among fans of the series (from Amazon).

3) Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Sunny Los Angeles can be a dark place indeed in Cassandra Clare’s Lord of Shadows, the sequel to the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Lady Midnight. Lord of Shadows is a Shadowhunters novel.
Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?
And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late (from Amazon).

One Sit reads: An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunter & Denizens of Downworld

Sometimes a girl just needs a Shadowhunter fix; that's exactly what I got with this short little volume. This book covers every Shadowhunter and character that we have meant in all of Clare's books. What made this book so special is that it features the artwork of Cassandra Jean; who has been working along side Cassie Clare to bring the Shadowhunters to life for several years. Another magical thing about this little tome is that every blurb about the characters features something we didn't know about them. For instance, I loved the bit about Tatiana Blackthorn (sister to the Lightwood brothers in Infernal Devices); supposedly she was prone to nastiness. Throwing tantrums when she did not get her way etc. Well, if any of you remember the elder (father) Lightwood turned into a worm after contracting Demon Pox. According to this book Tatiana went into a rage after her father ate her fiancé in front of her.
I literally laughed. I remember that part of the book very well because her reaction was not one of horror or grief but childish anger. I laughed at that scene and I laughed at the blurb. Another thing that I found enjoyable was that the cats (Chairman Meow and Church) are featured. Not to mention my book boyfriend, Jen Carstairs, is featured twice. This book was a quick, easy read, and it took me two days to get through (it would have been one if I had not been so tired Monday night). This book is definitely a must have for all Cassandra Clare fans. I really can not wait to add it to my Shadowhunter shelf. I gave this 5/5 stars of goodreads.com

Below is some of the art work from the book:

Thoughts on Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments

So finally the long awaited premiere episode aired. I was a bit nervous that because it was on Freeform (formerly ABC family) that it would come up lacking; however I was pleasantly surprised. I knew that there would be some changes and they played very well. I am the most excited about Luke Garroway's character, because it's a little more of a believable angle; at least for a tv show. I am also excited about the change of Maureen. If you've read the books you will know just how annoying she was. So this slight change her is very welcomed. Of course, we still know she is in love with Simon (just look at the lovey dovey look she throws him during the concert scene). 

I know that several "fans" of the series are going to take the time time to really rip the TV show apart. Well, not I. I absolutely loved everything about it. Including the change in the casting. 

With the movie, I took serious issue with Alec and Isabelle. I did not feel a connection between them and they did not even look like they could be brother and sister. This go round I feel that Emeraude is the perfect Isabelle. She embodies her very well. I am also happy with Matthew as Alec. As for our main character Clary; Kat was a pleasant surprise and she really did a great job of Capturing Clary's innocence. 

What I was really worried about was Dom Sherwood's portrayal of Jace. As a fan of the movie, I found Jamie Bower's Jace to be spot on. But Dom was VERY GOOD. I can not wait to see him deliever some of Jace's famous lines. 

All in all; I think Freeform did good by the content and I believe more people will be attracted to the books because of the show. (Or at least I hope so). I really can't wait to see what happens with it over the next few weeks! 

The Shadowhunter Cast; what we know so far....

I will have to admit that as the cast is announced I grow more and more excited. I can not wait to see who is cast for Magnus Bane; who is one of my favorite supporting characters in the series. Here are some fan mashups that some of my friends have posted on Facebook and reposted on Tumblr (none of these photos are mine) 

Hello Clary Fray; your looking pretty bad ass! Clary will be played by Katherine McNamara.

Well Hello there Jace Wayland. Jace will be played by Dominic Sherwood. Honestly I am excited and open to this change. Dominic looks like he will be perfect for the role.

Next up is Isabelle Lightwood....this casting was interesting. Mainly because she is what I pictured. The Izzy from City of Bones (movie) was not at all what I pictured. The beautiful Miss Lightwood will be played by Emeraude Toubia. 

Well Hello Simon Lewis. I was a little Leary of this one; because the Simon from the movie was absolutely perfect. After seeing the actor, Alberto Rosende, with glasses I was sold. I can not wait to see what he does with Simon. 

Last but not least; and by far the most interesting casting was that of actor Isaiah Mustafa as Luke Garroway. This was particularly interesting (and a tad perplexing) due to the fact that Luke was played by a Caucasian actor in the movie. Luke's character will also get a slight change from the book. Instead of being a bookstore owner he will be a NYPD detective. Which makes so much more sense when I actually took the time to think about it. 

I can honestly say that as of right now I am happy with the casting. Of course McG (the producer of the show) has a few more characters to cast but so far he  (with the help of Cassandra Clare) is doing an amazing job. I will be posting like crazy about the show as more news comes to light. Please feel free to let me know what you think about the castings.