From the Bookshelf of The one who reads several books…

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)

Cassandra Clare

Start date: March 1, 2021

Finish date: March 31, 2021

Discussion: BOTM’s

Why we're reading this: This book is our March BOTM 2021. It tied in the poll with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
[close] This book is our March BOTM 2021. It tied in the poll with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

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Showing 2 of 4 topics — 108 comments total

BOTM’s

~June 2021~ Caraval {Caraval #1}
By Jace · 3 posts · 13 views

last updated Jun 03, 2021 07:25PM

~June 2021~ Everything, Everything
By Jace · 4 posts · 9 views

last updated Jun 03, 2021 06:24PM

showing 4 of 4 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jun 12, 2021 Katie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: left-unfinished

That ending was unexpectedly wholesome.

12 likes · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2019 Leigh Dispo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: childhood-reads, my-crush-liked-it, not-that-awful, sentimental-value

Did you ever find your twelve-year-old self in the middle of a math schoolwork in the classroom - with a book in her hands and a greedy look in her eyes?

See, at the time, the movie adaptation premiered in our country the previous day. My best friend, A, recently saw it. I remember the movie tie-in paperback of the book edition in her hands and her accompanying hushed shrieks she would cry at me about it. But I was pessimistic, at the time. She wanted me to read it so bad, but I was trying to get Did you ever find your twelve-year-old self in the middle of a math schoolwork in the classroom - with a book in her hands and a greedy look in her eyes?

See, at the time, the movie adaptation premiered in our country the previous day. My best friend, A, recently saw it. I remember the movie tie-in paperback of the book edition in her hands and her accompanying hushed shrieks she would cry at me about it. But I was pessimistic, at the time. She wanted me to read it so bad, but I was trying to get through a boring ass book, which I will name: 1984 by George Orwell - and I didn't want to postpone it, afraid I might be so, so bored to go back and pick it up again. (I did pick it up again, and loved it; then Orwell became my most favorite author, but turns out he was a snitch to the Left, so fuck that dude.)

I gave in anyway. Of course I did. That was the charm of books: you meet better people. We had an unspoken alliance that if we loved a book the other hasn't read yet, we'd pick it up. And then we'd talk.

So I was there with a book in my hands - my eyes were red and probably mistaken by the other children in the class having a sign of mania or lunacy. But I was fine, I thought (I think). I borrowed my friend's City of Bones, saying I'd be over it for about a couple days so she'd get back at it immediately. But finished it the same day anyway.

How do I want to talk about the book? It's almost impossible for me to have enough words to express what I think, what I feel. It’s like that feeling you have when you first read a book that made you really cry - and I mean the kind that you’re choking, there are more tears spilling out of your eyes, your chest bawling out more air for you to breathe in but you can’t because you’re choking and crying again. It was like that. I loved everything about City of Bones. I didn’t care that Carly pissed me off or Jace didn’t actually excite me. (view spoiler) I was just there, in my desk, the other kids no longer surprised that I was crying about a book again (It didn’t happen that much but, well, it was starting to become a normal thing, though).

Sometimes I think I still read this book (and am about to read the entire series because why the hell not) because I miss the old days - I miss hating school because it was cool to do so, I miss the anticipated recess breaks because those meant book discussions and they give me personal time, and I miss having a Friend.

I miss having that Friend. That Best Friend. The One you go to about books. And by that I mean they’re better than anyone else because sure, you tell your friends about the first guy you ever had sex with, you tell your sister about the one friend you hate, and you tell yourself you’ll get through it another day. But that Best Friend will be a book lover - that person understands you more than the rest of the people you love. It’s different, it’s kind of magical.

I like to think that City of Bones was kind of like that in some way. And even though me and this book no longer have anything in common - because 1) I’m no longer thirteen; 2) I no longer hate on school like a brat that I was; and 3) I don’t really have that kind of Friend anymore.

I want to think that this book is absolutely a good example of what stories should be: it stands the test of time and knows how to linger enough for the reader to remember, again and again, the bliss that is the fictional world. ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2019 The Cat of Elfhame rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, fae, vampires, young-adult, shadowhunters, angels, read-in-2015

i mean...see it might be overhyped, but the sequels of this book, prequels of the whole series, sequels of prequels, sequels of this series, an upcoming sequels of sequels series, with a partner series involving few of the characters from this series, and a few additional books, really make up for everything i swear. and this one's the first so objectively its the worst and i still like it so trust me. it really does get better. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 13, 2020 KayLuvsBooks rated it liked it

Shelves: cassandra-clare, books-i-own, fairyloot

This was my second time reading this book (the first time was close to 4 or 5 years ago). This book holds some nostalgia to it because it was one of the first books I read when transitioning from middle grade books to young adult. At the time I loved it and quickly fell in love with the shadowhunting universe. I still follow all of Cassandra Clare's books and to say the least her writing has DEFINITELY improved. I am a huge Cassandra Clare fan but The Mortal Instruments is very much my least lik ...more

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Nov 17, 2020 Blanca added it

Lo he disfrutado mucho más que la primera vez que lo leí. Me ha sorprendido gratamente encontrarme detalles que pasé por alto. También he comprendido mucho mejor todo ahora que ya sé cómo continua la historia.
¡¡¡Me encanta!!! y dios mío... cuánta nostalgia con los personajes!!

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Aug 14, 2020 Alana rated it it was ok

Shelves: disappointing, urban-fantasy, part-of-a-series

Not my favorite series by a long shot. Very predictable, Mary Sue MC, classic YA (what's up with the [mainstream/traditional] YA genre and incest, btw? Jesus). ...more

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