Cassandra Clare and Her Magnificent Works
Some of you may or may not know that my favorite author is Cassandra Clare. I absolutely love reading her books. She’s the author of The Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices series, and many more Shadowhunter-related books and series’. If you don’t know what a Shadowhunter is, it is essentially a fictional demon-fighting half-angel, half-human being. They are the main characters in the majority of Cassandra Clare’s books. The Shadow World, the fictional world in which Shadowhunters live, is also home to warlocks, faeries, vampires, etc. This universe has been my safe haven for years.
The Mortal Instruments was the first young adult book series I read. I read it when I was only 10-years-old, but that did little to deter me from becoming obsessed with it. I’ve always been mature for my age, and my reading level has always been years ahead the average. The Mortal Instruments was Cassandra Clare’s first Shadowhunter-related book series. It revolves around a young girl names Clary Fray who discovers her mother has gone missing. While trying to find her mother, she discovers the Shadow World. She eventually discovers the fact that the creatures and people in it possibly had to do with her mother’s disappearance. I fell in love with this series before I even finished the first book.
Reading has always been my outlet. It’s a way for me to escape the real world and its problems and imagine everything was different. Although, I will admit, I haven’t had a bad life or anything even close, everyone needs an escape of sorts every once-in-a-while. Reading was mine. Not only did it let me envision that the real world was different, but it also allowed me to live hundreds of lives and learn all sorts of things I would’ve otherwise had to learn the hard way. And for that, I am grateful.
Originally, I started typing this post because I wanted to rant about a specific family of men in Cassandra Clare’s books that are very stubborn and emotionally-confusing. However, as I began to type, my thoughts decided to go a different way. One of the main reasons I started a book blog was so that I could talk about reading and how it makes me feel. So, I guess that’s what I’ll be doing in this post.
The Beginning of the Rantings of a Madwoman
Approximately 5 hours ago, I began rereading one of Cassie Clare’s Shadowhunter-related series, The Infernal Devices. This series is set in the late 1800’s, so while it is very different from the world I know, everything in it is oddly comforting to me. I’m unsure why, though. It may be because the people of this time have a sophisticated sort of manner in which they behave, think, and speak. Or, it could be because everything was much simpler then. There was no social media or cyberbullying, and there was no need for people to worry about things such as plane crashes or car wrecks. They did have carriages, but that’s besides the point.
Everything in this book series, especially the characters, bring me such peace and joy. One of the main characters, Will, is part of that family I mentioned that is always stubborn and confusing. Currently, I’m a little over half-way through the first book in the series, and Will has made me both laugh and want to slap him. But because I’ve read the series before, I know why he is the way he is and that he will eventually get his teenage mood swings under control. Will also has a friend, who is another main character, named Jem. Jem is so sweet, caring, and thoughtful. He has such an optimistic view of the world, and anytime something goes wrong, he tries his best to help others see the silver lining.
It’s characters like this and the relationships that they have that make me happy. Not only that, but it’s also the way the words on the pages flow together to create vivid pictures in my mind of how the story is playing out. The plot twists, however heart-wrenching, and their resolutions give me a reason to continue reading. I’ve never been able to properly explain all of this to someone in person, though I’ve tried many times. I don’t know anyone, save my own father, who truly understands how I feel about reading, and sometimes still, I wonder if he knows the extent of the joy it brings me.
It wasn’t until this past December that I started reading again after taking a two-year long hiatus from it. I honestly don’t even remember why I stopped reading in the first place. It could have been stress, lack of time, or even something as simple as not knowing what to read next. But nonetheless, I stopped reading for quite a while. When I started back up, I had forgotten the pleasantness it brings me. I’d forgotten how it can make me laugh and cry just as much as people in the real world. In fact, the main character of The Infernal Devices, Tessa, said, “One must always be careful of books and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” (Clockwork Angel, Page 87) I have never agreed more with a fictional character.
You Can Breathe Now, I’m Finished
Ultimately, this post was just meant to be a rant of sorts so that I can get all of the thoughts out of my head after reading. It’s currently 1:32 A.M. where I’m from, so I needed to do something to quiet my mind before bed. This rant is, honestly, probably only the first in a long series of rantings about reading and books. So, I hope that those of you that decide to stick around are prepared for that.
I hope you all enjoyed this sort of post. It feels very personal to share this with complete strangers on the internet, but how else am I to talk about reading and books? They are and always will be something I hold very dear. If you made it this far in the post, leave a comment letting me know how reading makes you feel and if there’s a certain author’s works that affect you more than others.
P.S. I know what you’re thinking: “She just posted yesterday!” However, I did mention in my schedule on my Home and About pages that I may post more posts than scheduled for the week if I wish to. I also just wanted to make a post after reading so that my readers can get to know what I’m like after reading. Anyways, I hope you all have a great day/night! See you next time!
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Ray, Blog Owner
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Book-Lover, Writer, Music-Lover, K-Pop Stan
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