Mundie Moms

Monday, February 29, 2016

Lady Midnight Playlist



We're about a week away from Lady Midnight's release! To celebrate, Cassandra Clare shared her playlist for Lady Midnight here. We're huge fans of author playlists, and have loved the previous playlists Cassandra Clare has shared for her other books. Check out the entire playlist below.

Lady Midnight is coming out in one week (and a few hours) so in honor of that I’m putting up the playlist. Usually songs remind me of specific characters in general rather than scenes or themes, so I’ve made notes.
Play Crack The Sky: Brand New
(Julian and Emma)
This story’s old but it goes on and on until we disappear.
Calm me and let me taste the salt you breathed while you were underneath.
I am the one who haunts your dreams of mountains sunk below the sea.
I spoke the words but never gave a thought to what they all could mean.
You’ve Haunted Me All Of My Life: Death Cab for Cutie
(Lady Midnight’s own story)
You’ve haunted me all my life
You’re always out of reach when I’m in pursuit
Long winded then suddenly mute
And there’s a flaw in my heart’s design
For I keep trying to make you mine

And so I wait but I never seem to learn
How to capture your diminishing returns
I still see you through the eyes of a child
Not even thinking we could tame the wild.
“Always Gold” by Radical Face
(Mark and Julian. Ty and Julian, Ty and Mark - brotherhood in general!)
We were tight knit boys
Brothers in more than name
You would kill for me
And knew that I’d do the same
And it cut me sharp
Hearing you’d gone away.

Lady Midnight Postcard + More / Mundane Monday #273


Happy Mundane Monday! Just in case you missed it, Cassandra Clare shared a new Lady Midnight postcard by Cassandra Jean. Along with it, she shared an snippet, which some fans may have already seen before. Trust me, it's worth checking out again! Check out what she originally shared here, below:


Another lovely postcard from Cassandra Jean, another Lady Midnight snippet — though some of you may have seen a bit of this. :)
“Why did you pull the arrow out?” Emma demanded, unzipping her own jacket and pulling her sweater over her head. She had a tank top on under it. She patted his chest and side with the sweater, absorbing as much of the blood as she could.
Jules’ breath was coming in harsh pants. “Because when someone shoots you with an arrow, you immediate response is not “Thanks for the arrow, I think I’ll keep it for a while.’”
“Good to know your sense of humor is intact.” 
“It was burning,” Julian said. “Not like a normal wound. Like there was something on the arrowhead, acid or something.”
Raziel,” Emma muttered. She’d mopped away as much of the blood as she could. It was still welling from the puncture wound, running in thin streams down his stomach, gathering in the lines between his abdominal muscles. 
She took a deep breath. “You’re too skinny,” she said, as brightly as she could. “Too much coffee, not enough pancakes.”
“I hope they put that on my tombstone.” He gasped as she shifted forward, and she realized abruptly that she was squarely in Julian’s lap, her knees around his hips. It was a bizarrely intimate position.

Shadowhunters TV: Episode 7: "Major Arcana" / Review #Shadowhunters



Happy Mundane Monday Shadowhunter fans! Once again I am late on sharing our thoughts from this last week's Shadowhunters episode. It was another crazy week, but better late than never. You can read our previous reviews here. What did you think of this last week's episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Please leave us a comment below and tell us what you thought. 

Katie's Thoughts


Wow, Shadowhunters gave fans a little bit of everything this week. We got action, suspense, a more detailed story arch, and finally a kissy scene! As always, I love this cast! I won't keep repeating who my favorites are, because I feel like I mention them every single week (Alec and Simon). I've really liked getting to see more of the characters each week, and I'm looking forward to each of their story arches progressing more, especially Simon's. 

Simon's story is killing me! I'm feeling some of the same heartbreak I felt for him in the books, right now. While I love Simon, his mom and sister scenes aren't cutting for me. I wasn't feeling it during their "intervention" part. I don't know if it was the way the script was written or the acting, but together, it didn't work, and I didn't feel it was believable at all. What was believable, is the range of emotions Simon was going through. Someone seriously needed to give him a hug or at least be there for him. 


We finally got more Clace! I have to admit, I really liked getting more of them together. I feel like I'm starting to see more of the Clace that's been missing from the series so far. Okay, let's talk about that kiss for just a second.... this by no means replaces that Greenhouse kiss! Yes, and am still bitter about that, because that scene is so crucial! While this kiss was good, it wasn't what it could have been.... there's something about the greenhouse kiss that needed to be apart of this series. How awesome was that scene of Clary killing demon Jace? I seriously had huge kudos to her, because for a moment I was afraid something was going to go wrong. Clary definitely showed off her fierce side tonight. I loved it.


Is it just me or does anyone else wish they would be a fly on the wall when Alec and Izzy are hanging out together? I love the moments when Izzy and Alec are together on screen. I'm curious to see what direction the series is going to go with all the drama surrounding their parents, and the burdens they've placed on Alec and Izzy. With the rumors flying around the fandom about Alec's forced engagement and possible marriage to a girl, I'm really worried about what's going to happen to Alec, as well as Magnus. I'm really hoping there's no truth to there rumors. However, it is obvious that their parents have something planned, and except their kids to follow through with it. 


While I'm a fan of the casting, and the acting, I'm still not a huge fan of the writing. I think it's because I have been looking for those same feelings I got from Cassie's writing (reading the books) to be felt while watching the series. Or even feel a spark of that. Two episodes ago I finally put aside hoping for/looking for some sort of faithfulness that the series is based on Cassandra Clare's books, (while it's inspired from her books, even mentioning that the series is loosely based on her books isn't totally honest). Once I did that, I started to see the series differently, and I even liked the previous two episodes. While I wasn't in love with this week, I liked it,
 though just not as much as the previous two. There was something missing from this week that was present in the last two weeks. Regardless, I like the over all improvements, and I'm looking forward to seeing what direction the story goes in this week.

Em's Thoughts


I am so glad that I'm really starting to like each episode better. This one had it all for me. Action, romance, suspense, and story! Lots of things going on in this episode but not too hard to follow for a change.

My husband is one of the biggest critics of these kind of shows. He hasn't read the books and doesn't know the myths so ends up picking on everything. One of his biggest criticisms of the show in early weeks was that it was hard to follow. It was dialogue and  information heavy. Ok for those of us who know the characters and back story already, not so good for new people to this world. But tonight didn't seem like that. We understood what was possibly happening to Simon, and how this would seem to his family & Maureen. We understood who has the hots for who and how this makes Clary and Jace tricky. We understood that there were demons and other elements not to be trusted at the police station and that anyone could be an enemy.

I'm not sure what order each episode was shot, but I do think that the acting is getting better with each episode. The script is too which may be why, giving them something to work with.

The one thing I didn't like so much was Simon's mum and sister. I'm sorry, I don't find Simon's mum and sister believable, they are too clean cut for me. I expected his mum to be a bit more relaxed and less polished. Way to housewife for me, maybe the Aussie in me seeing too much American soap opera mother and not the one I remember from the books. But that is a little criticism and I think their storyline was ok although the dropped pasta plate a little dramatic.

Keep up the good work again, please for us.



Sophie's Thoughts

The episode title "Major Arcana" really should be titled "Pretty Little Shadowhunters". At this point, I have no qualms in saying that they should just subtitle it "very loosely based on Cassandra Clare's series".

Putting my fandom feelings aside in the name of #shadowhuntersfandomunite (the trending hashtag reminding fans that we are a united fandom after all), the show wasn't all that bad. No really, it wasn't.

We got a Clace moment that we've all waited breathlessly for -- of course, it didn't have the heart-thumping sweetness of the Midnight Flower chapter. It wasn't the adorable moment when, in the middle of chaos, Jace decides to celebrate Clary's birthday with a feast of a soggy grilled cheese sandwich, a shared apple and viewing the Idris grown flower magically blossom. The book scene unfolds with perfect pace and ends in a passionate kiss with these lines that still make me sigh after many re-reads:

Clary: Aren't you tired?
Jace: I've never been more alive in my life.

See how I put them into script format? It's truly not hard to do. I wish the screenwriters would give us a few more true book moments.

But, Pretty Little Shadowhunters on its own does hold up as a story. And I'm curious to see it unfold. The actors are bringing a story to life. It's just not quite the story I wanted to see.  Are you guys hanging in with me?


Friday, February 26, 2016

Freebie Friday - Enter To WIN a Box of 2016 ARCS

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Today, I'm celebrating the end of the week with a giveaway for a box of 2016 spring/summer arcs. This is a box of random arcs, but each of the arcs in the box are for upcoming titles. In my quest to simplify my TBR bookcases this year, I've realized that there are titles that I just won't have the time to read, and instead of them sitting on my shelves, I'd rather they go to someone whom will enjoy reading them. This is open INTERNATIONALLY!

To enter to win, please fill out the form below. Please be sure to read the terms and conditions found on the giveaway form, before entering. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Friday & Happy Reading!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Lady Midnight Snippet



Cassandra Clare recently treated her fans to a snippet from Lady Midnight! Originally shared here, you can read the entire snippet below.

As Tavvy slept, Julian reached for the law book he’d taken from the library. It was a book he’d looked at so many times before that it now always fell open to the same well-worn page. On Parabatai, it said. He’d read it a hundred times.
It is decreed that those who have undergone the ceremony of parabatai and are forever bound by the terms of the oaths of Saul and David, of Ruth and Naomi, shall not enter into marriage, shall not bear children together, and shall not love each other in the manner of Eros, but only the manner of Philia or Agape. 
The punishment for the contravention of this law shall be, at the discretion of the Clave: the separation of the parabatai in question from each other, their exile from their families, and should the criminal behavior continue, the stripping of their Marks and their expulsion from the Nephilim. Never again shall they be Shadowhunters.
So it is decreed by Raziel.
Dura lex, sed lex. The Law is hard, but it is the Law.

This leaves us a little concerned about what's to come..... especially when it's a reminder about how hard the Shadowhunter law is. 

Shadowhunter Fanart / Fan Art Friday



We thought we'd get back into the habit of sharing book fanart, something we used to feature on Fridays, called Fan Art Friday. I know today's not Friday, but close enough. Plus we need something pretty to look at to get us through today.

I love this fanart of Will and Tessa! Wow! This artwork was shared here on Tumblr. Per the artist: 

taratjah:
Will and Tessa for the 4th week of the shipweeks!
Note to self: Don’t listen to sappy romance songs while you draw Wessa because you will cry and won’t be able to continue the actual drawing.


Another favorite Shadowhunters fanart of ours, is one Cassandra Clare shared a little bit ago featured Simon and Izzy, *here. We agree with Cassie's comment that it's adorable! Per the artist:

Sizzy for the shadowhunter shipweeks! It’s been so long :’)

New The Dark Artifices Postcards from Cassandra Jean



We have a new Lady Midnight post card. This new one, which Cassandra Clare shared here, features Ty. Here's what Cassandra Clare said about it,

Another in @cassandrajp ‘s countdown to Lady Midnight Dark Artifices postcards. Ty gets his Shadowhunter on…



The second Lady Midnight postcard Cassandra Clare shared here, features Emma and Malcolm. Here's what she said about their card:

The second of Cassandra Jean’s set of ten postcards for Lady Midnight. Emma and Malcolm eat some unusual pizza.
19 more days to Lady Midnight!


Cassandra Clare shared the first of Cassandra Jean's set of 10 Lady Midnight post cards here. The first one featured Mark. Per Cassie:

The first of Cassandra Jean’s set of ten postcards for Lady Midnight. Mark misunderstands the concept of “semi-formal.” :)
26 more days to Lady Midnight!

We're less than 3 weeks away from Lady Midnight's release! Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

THE SERPENT KING by Jeff Zenter / Blog Tour: Book Review


Hello and welcome to today's blog tour stop for THE SERPENT KING by debut author Jeff Zenter. 

ABOUT THE BOOK




By: Jeff Zenter
Published by: Random House
To Be Released on: March 8th, 2016
Pre-Order from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

He and his fellow outcast friends must try to make it through their senior year of high school without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Graduation will lead to new beginnings for Lydia, whose edgy fashion blog is her ticket out of their rural Tennessee town. And Travis is content where he is thanks to his obsession with an epic book series and the fangirl turning his reality into real-life fantasy.

Their diverging paths could mean the end of their friendship. But not before Dill confronts his dark legacy to attempt to find a way into the light of a future worth living.


Zenter's debut is a coming of age story with friendship, courage, and forgiveness at it's heart. It's a story about finding out who you are, over coming the fear of doing what you feel is right in order to get where you feel you need to be, and doing what you believe is best for you. It's a story about not letting anyone or anything hold you back, and holding onto to the dream you have for yourself. It's a story about making that dream a possibility. Sometimes you'll have to do some of those things on your own, and other times you'll have the help of good friends to help make those dreams a reality. No matter how hard it will be, it will all be worth it.


Normally The Serpent King is not a book I would pick up and read. It's a 'not my cup of tea' kind of book. For some reason this particular book was one I started browsing through, and ended up reading it the day it arrived. Zenter's writing is poetic, quickly grabbed my attention. While I may not have connected with the story or characters, there's something about Zenter's storytelling that made it hard for me to put the book down. I wanted to know what the outcome of Dill and his two best friends's lives. This book is one that at times had me feeling hopeful, heartbreaking, mad, happy, and I of course had a few proud mama moments when it came to Dill and his taking his life choices into his own hands. This of course was a huge decision for him. 


The characters in this book were a fabulous mix of characters who some might call misfits. Within the characters I felt like there's something that everyone can either sympathize with or relate to in some way. Dill, Lydia and Travis are the main characters. I loved that the story is told from all three of their points of views. Dill definitely does not have it easy. Thanks to his Serpent king father, his family name has become tainted, making them looked down upon in their small, southern town. To say they've falling on hard times would an understatement. With his father in prison, his mother and Dill are left to pay the bills, and do what they can to get by. Dill's mother thinks Dill should drop out of school to work and help pay for the bills. Dill feels trapped and wants nothing more to hold on to his dream of escaping the life he's stuck living in. His music and his friends are his solace.


Similar to Dill, Travis is also trapped. Travis lives with an abusive father. Instead of being loved for who he is, this fantasy series fan is constantly reminded that he's not the son his father wants him to be. Lydia is the fashion guru of this trio. She has a fashion blog and is ready to head out to NYC to follow her dream of attending NYU. I loved that she's the one that constantly pushes her friends to be more than their circumstances. She pushes them to not only be who they are, she helps keep them floating in situations they could other wise easily given into. 


Parent wise, I love it when parents are apart of YA books. The parents in this book play a huge role in the lives of these teens, as they should. However everyone's parents, except for Lydia's are less than stellar. I absolutely loved Lydia's parents and the relationship they had with their daughter. I also loved the support they had for her friends. When it comes to Dill and Travis's parents, I had absolutely no respect for them. I may have for a moment felt bad for both Travis and Dill's moms, but Travis's mom could have left, and Dill's mom never really saw her son for who he was. She's so blinded by her way of life, instead of wanting better for her son, she felt he should be punished for the life she and his father choose to live. Dill's parents infuriated me to know end. Thankfully Dill gets the best of both of them in two separate, yet pivotal scenes.


While I'm a religious person, I'm not a fan of over religious themes in YA books. However the religious theme in the book was the heart of this book's story.  Being that I now live in the south, religion is a huge way of life here. Not saying it's not else where, but it's a whole different thing in the south. Kind of like how football is here. Actually football is it's own religion here too. The religious themes in this book are realistic, and not only a life style for some of these characters, it is their life.


 Zenter's debut may not have been one I loved (it goes back to the whole 'not my cup of tea' read), however it's one that made me think, and had me cheering on the characters. This book definitely had me feeling a wide range of book feelings, and I'm looking forward to reading many more books from Zenter in the future.



PRAISE FOR THE BOOK



“Characters, incidents, dialogue, the poverty of the rural South, enduring friendship, a desperate clinging to strange faiths, fear of theunknown, and an awareness of the courage it takes to survive, let alone thrive, are among this fine novel's strengths. Zentner writes with understanding and grace—a new voice to savor.” — Kirkus ReviewsStarred Review


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Jeff Zentner lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He came to writing through music, starting his creative life as a guitarist and eventually becoming a songwriter. He’s released five albums and appeared on recordings with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Thurston Moore, Debbie Harry, Mark Lanegan, and Lydia Lunch, among others.

Now he writes novels for young adults. He became interested in writing for young adults after volunteering at the Tennessee Teen Rock Camp and Southern Girls Rock Camp. As a kid, his parents would take him to the library and drop him off, where he would read until closing time. He worked at various bookstores through high school and college.

He speaks fluent Portuguese, having lived in the Amazon region of Brazil for two years.


FOLLOW THE TOUR

Monday, February 22: Jenuine Cupcakes, Kickoff Blog Tour Post
Tuesday, February 23: Book Hounds, Review
Wednesday, February 24: Mundie Moms, Review
Thursday, February 25: Curling Up With a Good Book, Review
Friday, February 26: To Read or Not to Read, Annotate a Scene Guest Post
Monday, February 29: Bookish Lifestyle, Review
Tuesday, March 1: The Book Swarm, Review
Wednesday, March 2: Katie’s Book Blog, Playlist Post
Thursday, March 3: Paperback Princess, Guest Post: Writing a Character with a Parent in Prison
Friday, March 4: Who R U, Behind the Scenes Book Secret Guest Post
Monday, March 7: Icey Books, Review
Tuesday, March 8: Stories & Sweeties, Author Interview
Wednesday, March 9: LovingDemBooks, Review
Thursday, March 10: Swoony Boys Podcast, Review
Friday, March 11: Good Books And Good Wine, Review
Monday, March 14: Winter Haven Books, Review
Tuesday, March 15: Me, My Shelf and I, Review
Wednesday, March 16: Novel Novice, Review
Thursday, March 17: Lili’s Reflections, Review
Friday, March 18: A Reader of Fictions, Author “Don’t Miss” in Nashville Guest Post

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

TITANS by Victoria Scott / Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway




Hello and welcome to today's stop in the TITANS blog tour! Victoria's new book is out TODAY!! 

ABOUT THE BOOK


By: Victoria Scott
Published by: Scholastic Press
Released on: February 23rd, 2016
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks 
Add it  Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars - I Enjoyed It
* I received an arc of this book to review from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review


From Victoria Scott, author of FIRE & FLOOD, comes a thrilling story of impossible odds. 
Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.
She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.
But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about.
Victoria Scott has a way of writing books that just grab me and pull me, even if they're not a genre I would normally read. I love the way she tells a story, how she brings her characters to life, the world she sets her stories in, and the range of emotions she makes me feel. Titans was no different. This is a book that will have your adrenaline pumping with the horse races, will melt your heart with the drive and determination Astrid has, and why she wants to race, and it will make you cheer on the wide range of characters who all have little to lose and much to gain in terms of possessions. These are the type of characters who risk it all and have so much more to gain, and in the process end up stealing your heart. Which was the case with Titan.

The characters in this story are great! From the main characters down to the secondary characters. I really enjoyed getting to know them, and the roles they all played in Astrid's life. I love it when an author makes her secondary characters just as crucial as her main characters. That's something I felt like Victoria Scott did with Titans. These characters brought a wide range of emotions to the story. They made me laugh, get a little teary eyed over, and had me cheering them on. I loved the roles they all had in the story. From Astrid, to her best friend Magnolia, to Astrid's family, Padlock the Titan, and Rags, the old grumpy man who sees something in Astrid, and takes a chance on her, and helps her accomplish her goal of racing.


Who knew that falling in love with a robotic horse would be so easy? Aside from Astrid and Magnolia, I absolutely loved Padlock! This horse stole my heart, and made me get teary eyed. I loved the way he and Astrid learned to trust each other. They both learned a lot from each other, and I loved the relationship they had and the bond they formed. It was no different from that of a real life horse. 


I loved the best friend relationship between Astrid and Magnolia. Both girls have a lot they're going through, and dealing with, and both are there to support and encourage each other through it all. I loved their loyalty to each other. I loved that no matter what was going on, they had each other's backs. Their relationship is one that will make you feel more blessed if you have a BFF relationship similar to the one they have, and if you don't, it will make you wish you had your own Magnolia to share the joys, sorrows, and all the in-betweens that life throws at you. 


The thing I loved the most about this story is the message of Girl Power! Girls can do anything they put their mind to. They may have to work twice as hard at something, like Astrid does, but they can do it if they have the will and drive to do so. That's something Astrid doesn't lack. This is one determined girl, and I admired that strength she has. Astrid defies the odds, and proves that just because she's a girl, doesn't mean she doesn't have what it takes to be in the races with her Titan. I love that she uses that to drive her, and prove those wrong who looked down on her and her Titan, Padlock. Above all, I love that Astrid learned to rely on herself. 


Overall this is a book I enjoyed! If you're looking for a read that has some great characters, horse racing, and fabulous character relationships, I would recommend picking this one up! 



ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe of the Harvey-Klinger Literary Agency. She’s the author of the FIRE & FLOOD series, and TITANS published by Scholastic, and the DANTE WALKER trilogy published by Entangled Teen. Her books have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets including the UK, Turkey, China, Poland, Israel, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.
Find Victoria: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook |Instagram | Goodreads

ENTER TO WIN

3 will receive finished copies of TITANS, US Only.

FOLLOW THE TOUR



2/15/2016- Lost in Literature- Interview
2/16/2016- Paranormal Book ClubReview
2/17/2016- Two Chicks on BooksExcerpt
2/18/2016- Stuck in Books- Review
2/19/2016- FangirlishGuest Post
2/22/2016- Seeing Night ReviewsReview
2/23/2016- Mundie MomsReview
2/24/2016- The Book CellarExcerpt
2/25/2016- Krista's Dust JacketReview
2/26/2016- Addicted to Happily Ever AfterReview

Ten Books We Recently Enjoyed / Top Ten Tuesday #52


Hello & welcome to this week's Top Ten Tuesday! This week's topic is Ten Books We Recently Enjoyed That Weren't Out Typical Genre. My previous Top Ten Tuesday post was, Valentine's Day Freebie.



I really haven't read anything out of my typical genre lately, so I'm mixing things up a bit and sharing my list of the top ten books I've recently read and really enjoyed. These are titles that have been reviewed here on Mundie Moms prior to this post being made. In no particular order, they are:


  1. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  2. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
  3. A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  4. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
  5. Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes
  6. Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
  7. Night Study by Maria V. Snyder
  8. Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell
  9. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
  10. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard 
  11. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
  12. Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
What are some books you've recently read and really enjoyed? 

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