Hey Ho Bookaholics!

Welcome back to another Storytime Wednesday! It feels like forever since I’ve just sat down at my computer and written a post for this blog.

As of about a week ago, I’ve gotten back on Tumblr – after lots of phone drama – and just yesterday I discovered that it is the 10 year anniversary of the wonderful piece of literature that is City of Bones.

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Published 2007, Simon & Schuster.

For those unfortunate souls who don’t know; City of Bones was written by Cassandra Clare and  published in 2007 by Simon & Schuster. The book written in third-person, follows Clary Fray, a young woman who learns that not everything is as it seems and discovers that her whole life up until that moment has been a lie. With the help of some new Shadowhunter friends and her best friend Simon by her side, she begins to learn the truth – and a few lies – about her true identity.

I picked up this book almost 3 years ago now and since then I’ve read the whole Shadowhunter series twice and City of  Bones three times. Once a year. This book was recommended to me by my friend Elektra (werepanther on Wattpad), when I was in a reading slump and this was the book that lead from me owning 10 children’s books to having five shelves full of over 100 books. The City of Bones was the one book that I can truly say turned my life around and gave me a true passion to pursue, expanded my imagination and ultimately lead to the production of this blog.

I guess I can say I owe a fair bit to Cassandra Clare, as the characters she has created have helped shape me into the person I am today. Not only have these books been an escape from reality, but they’re also full of life lessons that I have certainly learned from.

10 Things Shadowhunters Have Taught Me!

1. Magnus Bane is one of the greatest characters in the entire book series, and though he is not introduced to us until a quarter way into the book, throughout the series he provides the mortal shadowhunters with a great deal of insight into how to live a fulfilling life. My favorite quote by Magnus is; 
   

   “Regret is a pointless emotion.” – Magnus Bane.

   This quote has become my life motto. As a very self-conscious person who – like many people – rethink every decision I’ve made whether it be good or bad, has learned that no amount of regret and over thinking will change what you have done and the only thing to do is move on.

   With Magnus being an immortal who has all the time in the world to worry about all his past mistakes, he has learned that some things are just not worth worrying about.

2. A bond between brothers is greater than that of a family. Throughout the book, the love between Jace and Alec was one unlike any that I’ve ever seen, or read of. A love so fierce that an act such as death can kill the other seemed false, a bond that only lovers or twins may have.

   “Blood is thicker than water.”

   This quote, though not the full quote (full quote: “blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”) was said in one of the books and hold true meaning in my own life with my own friends.

3. Clary’s mother is the prime example of the phrase, parents only want the best for their children.  Throughout the entire series, although she discovers the truth about her true identity and makes new friends, it becomes very apparent that Clary’s mother has been only trying to keep her daughter safe from all the evil that she grew up with.

   This has taught me to take my parents advice and demands as a safety warning and not be annoyed when they only want what is best for me.

4. Everything is not as it seems. The Mortal Instruments was the first introduction I’ve had to the fey as characters and there seems to be a common trait of deception. Being intorduced to such characters shows how even though someone may not lie to you, you can still be decived and because of this I look deeper into deals, and make my points explicitly clear as to not be decived by the fey of the human world.

5. Sebstian Verlac a.k.a. Jonathan Morganstern did and said a lot of questionable things and in context, this quote may not seem that great, out of context it has been the best motivation I have ever had.

   “If I cannot move Heaven I will raise Hell.”  – Jonathan Morganstern

   I have this quote stuck on my wall and it inspires me to try my best to ‘move heaven’ – try my best with everything I do and never fail – or if I am rejected or fail at my initial task I will ‘raise hell’ and give everything I have to be the best I can be.

6. Religion can save your damned life. Literally. Or make you stronger. Religion is a massive theme in this series as the whole Shadowhunter belief of angels and demons is like the Christian belief of one God and a Devil, though they eventually see proof of the beings they worship, where us Christians rely on faith.

   This taught me that having a belief in a higher entity is a powerful thing which when you have a great amount of dedication, one day you when you are in need of help, your God will reward you. This is all my belief and I fully acknowledge that everyone has their own beliefs and that is okay, because whatever you believe in will reward you if you are deserving of it.

7. Loyalty is a key theme in the novels, and to show what can happen when there is a lack of trust in a relationship due to the questioning of loyalty (the incident betwen Alec and Magnus of which we do not speak of), is something I haven’t experienced from the perspectives of both parties. Upon viewing both Alec and Magnus’ side of the fallout I’ve learnt that trust must be maintained to continue a healthy relationship and jelousy will only rip things apart.
8. Jocelyn’s expert hiding of The Mortal Cup has taught me that if you hide soemthing directly in plain sight, there will be less chance of it being found. Which is what happened with the Tarrot deck. Though it never seems to work for the leftover food I kep in the fridge… Always seems to be eaten.
9. I loved what Jocelyn said to Clary when she requested a painting of herself:

   “If you really love something, you never try to keep it the way it is forever. You have to let it be free to change.” – Jocelyn Fairchild

   It is like the saying ‘if you love something let it go’, but Jocelyn is telling Clary that what she is painting – the Idris skyline – she does not love and wants it to remain in a time loop of the perfect city she remembered before it became the city she hated.

   To want something to be as it is, perfect and untouched does not display love, rather a want or desire that will burn out once that thing becomes different, eveolved, even better. But to love means to expect and embrace change and accept whatever is to come.

10. Do not just assume someone has died their hair blonde because like Jace, thair hair may be natually that colour and being embarrased – especially when you have no comebacks – is the worst feeling ever.

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Stay Happy, Healthy, and have a Lovely Week!!

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Thank You so much for reading and I hope to see you all back here again Wednesday 🙂

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