March Monthly Re-Read (The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith)

Monthly Re-Read is something I'm going to be doing every month in 2014. I'm going to re-read one book a month and then blogging about it. To learn more and see the post where I introduced the idea, click HERE. 

The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith
Release Date: April 9, 2009 (again, this is the date Goodreads is giving me, even though I know these were released in the '90s)

Format: Paperback, Omnibus, 390 pages

Publisher: Harper Teen

Series: The Secret Circle #2-3

Source: Bought

Description from Goodreads: 

Caught in the struggle between good and evil . . .

Cassie has joined the most alluring--and deadly--in-crowd imaginable. But power comes with a price, and it's more dangerous than she knows. Torn between the dueling desires of the two leaders of the Secret Grcle, she must ultimately choose between saving all of New Salem, and her own dangerous love for the bewitching Adam, which threatens to tear the circle apart. In the ultimate battle between good and evil, will Cassie's supernatural powers be strong enough to lead the coven out of danger? Or will she foil prey to the dark forces within?

. . . will she sacrifice her love for the circle to survive?

I remember pretty much dying while waiting to borrow this book. I'd finished the first half of the trilogy over the weekend, so I had to wait until I saw my friend at school on Monday to return the first book and then wait another day for her to bring this one to me. I am not a very patient person, and I re-read that little snippet teaser they give you in the back of the first book countless times during my wait.

Also, I know I was freaking out over what may or may not go on with Nick. I was somewhat obsessed with everything that had happened with him in the first volume--especially the parts right up near the end, where he was all "Steady, steady" (which of course made me swoon) and then when Cassie asked him to the Halloween dance. I know I was probably supposed to think he was a jerk, but all I wanted to do was learn more about him and understand him, so I was hoping so hard for he and Cassie to end up going to the dance together...or something...after all. In this half of the trilogy.

What DOES end up happening...well. It's something I wish could have panned out differently, but it's also one of those things that is better than nothing in my eyes. And I am definitely looking forward to getting into it all again. 

So, yeah. What I remember about this half of the trilogy is that it was the chocolate icing on the cake of awesome that is this trilogy. And that I spent more time worrying/thinking about Nick than anything. Hoping. Possibly dreading, since it was always kind of obvious how the romance thing would go. 

Just like when I read these books for the first time, I am at a loss for words right now and just want to READ. Read the crap out of this magical book. So I'm going to get to it. I know for sure I'm going to have bunches to say once I finish this one. Things about character growth and Nick (of course) and the romance aspects of the trilogy as a whole. 

Yeah, I have THINGS to say. 

But first, I must go read. Be back when I'm done hanging with my fav boy Nick ;)

This half of the trilogy is my favorite. I much prefer it to the first half, though I DO enjoy them both. I just enjoy this one more. Mostly because of Nick. Nick is kind of the largest reason for my obsession with these books. He's awesome. But still, he's not the only thing I noticed this time around.

The biggest thing for me (aside from Nick) is Cassie's character arc. It's actually kind of fantastic. She went from being a shy, obedient girl in The Initiation to being a strong leader in The Power. That's a huge leap, and I love it. She's like the ideal female MC, in my opinion. And that's saying a lot since I am so hard on female characters.

Speaking of characters! I love them all. Every single one. Kind of. Okay, not really. But I do love all of the circle, except Faye. Speaking of FAYE...I always pictured her as a young Christina Applegate. Like from when she was in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. For no real reason other than I think she looks like a Faye. *shrugs*

But the characters. The Henderson brothers freaking rock. They're all cute and stuff. And they're all so NICE to each other. They're one big group of friends, and I find that so appealing. Wouldn't be so cool to have that? 

And the witch stuff. I find that incredibly interesting. Witches are one of my favorite things, right behind werewolves/shifters. It's cool to have all that kind of power, and such a heritage that builds it all up. I always love reading witch books, and learning more. Especially when I'm reading one and I already KNOW things. Like, go me!

Okay, the biggest, #1 thing for me with these books: Nick. And the romance. I kind of shift between feeling sympathy for Adam and wanting to slap him across the face. He HAD Diana. And then he got all close with Cassie, in about five seconds. Seriously, I never understood how their relationship ever grew as it did. They spent minimal time together. But whatever. Adam. Kind of a douche, if you think about it. I know he didn't do it intentionally, but still. I call it like I see it.

I would have chosen Nick. All day every day. I get that he was all cold before. But he was always THERE. And he was always a decent person. (Don't try to tell me how he yelled at Cassie in his garage that one time. Because he apologized, and I accepted it, so I'm moving on...) I don't feel like Cassie gave Nick an actual chance. She kind of half-assed it, which bothers me to no end. I always wish that we could have spin-offs or something with ALL of the characters from this series (though I am aware that this will never happen), and Nick is my #1 as far as that want goes. He needs his own story where he can be happy and in love, preferably with a chick named Jessica. 

I could rant all day long about how Nick deserved a fair shot, and Cassie didn't give him that. But we've all got better things to do, yes? Like read and stuff. So I'll leave that there. I really don't have much more commentary on these books. I loved reading them again--mostly so I could get to the Nick parts, but also so I could watch Cassie grow again. It's magnificent. Knowing what was going to happen didn't really hinder the experience any, especially because I really sat down ANTICIPATING the awesome parts I love. And then there were the parts I forgot about that I was so flipping happy to see--like swimming with the Circle, and Nick smiling. Always Nick smiling.

Ahhh, these books make me feel happy. I'm so glad I gave them another go.

February Monthly Re-Read (The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith)

 Monthly Re-Read is something I'm going to be doing every month in 2014. I'm going to re-read one book a month (except for January, unless I get some extra time later in the year) and then blogging about it. To learn more and see the post where I introduced the idea, click HERE.

**I was originally going to play catch-up in February and do the re-read for January AND February in one month. Now, I've changed that plan to just skipping January. Maybe if I have time later in the year--probably the summer--I'll make up for the missed month. Nothing else has changed. I'm still reading the Secret Circle books. Eeeep!**

The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith 

Release Date: July 22, 2008 (I know these were actually released in the '90s, but this is the date Goodreads is giving me for some reason)

Format: Paperback, 396 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Series: The Secret Circle #1-2

Source: Bought

Description from Goodreads: 

THE CIRCLE'S POWER HAS LURED HER HOME...

Forced to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, Cassie longs for her old life. Even so, she feels a strange kinship to a terrifying group of teens who seem to rule her school. Initiated into the coven of witched that's controlled New Salem for hundreds of years, she's drawn into the Secret Circle, a thrill that's both intoxicating and deadly. But when she falls for the mysterious and intriguing Adam, Cassie must choose whether to resist temptation or risk dark forces to get what she wants - even if it means that one wrong move could ultimately destroy her. 

This was the second series by L.J. Smith I gave a shot. First I read The Vampire Diaries books--all that were out at the time, anyway--and then I remembered seeing these books on the list of L.J's other books and I wanted to reeeeeeeeeead theeeeeeeeem. So I borrowed this book from my friend and read it so fast, like whoa. I loved this book even more than The Vampire Diaries. This trilogy was actually my favorite for a while, and I still think it may be my favorite of L.J. Smith's trilogies. It's a close call with Dark Visions, though, so I'm not sure. 

So I read this book. I remember staying up so late into the night reading this. And then I'd wake up with it shoved (neatly) under my pillow. I thought Diana would be the best of all best friends, and thought Cassie was the most perfect heroine. And Adam...I thought he was so nice. And I could kind of see why Cassie was all thrown for a loop because of him. Honestly, I've been a fan of Nick since he snatched her backpack back on her first day at school, however.

I remember dying inside when this book was over. I had been borrowing it from a friend, so I had to wait to see her in school on Monday to tell her I'd finished, and then I had to wait another day for her to bring in the next book. I devoured that little teaser chapter (or two?) they give you of the next book in the back and was so excited to get on with everything. There's a big revelation at the end of The Captive Part I and I was also wanting so bad to see what would happen with Nick and that Halloween dance. Because I'm Team Nick, all the way. 

When I started babysitting, these books were the very first I bought with my own money. Even though I'd already read them. Because I loved them that much. And now that I've sat here and typed all this I am so flipping excited to go start re-reading this book right now. :)

I told y'all that  these were the first books I bought with my own money. Well, this is true. I also still have the receipt: 

I liked to use the receipts as my bookmarks back then, before I had more bookmarks than anyone will ever know what to do with. But if you click the picture and enlarge it, you'll see that the two volumes of Secret Circle books are on there. Along with As Long As We Both Shall Live by Lurlene McDaniel, because I don't know how to walk out of a bookstore with enough money leftover to buy another book. No, I buy all I can. Haaaaa. OH, and it's from Borders. I looooooooved Borders. The little stickers that they put on the back of the books always felt so comforting to me, which is odd, I know. But still.

So anyway, the book. That I re-read. Here's the thing about The Secret Circle: I love it. The whole trilogy rocks, big time. But the first book isn't precisely my favorite thing ever. Neither is the first half of the second book. Don't get me wrong, they are definitely on my list of favorites, but compared to the other half of book two and the third book, this one isn't as preferable.

I DID enjoy re-reading it, however. To refresh my memory of the events I'd loved so much when I read them the first time around. Especially since my mind had muddled them up somewhat. I remembered everything that happened, but I also had them mixed up, order-wise. It brought a nice feeling to be reading the story again when I found I was expecting something to happen way sooner than I'd thought it would--and when something I wasn't expecting for at least another two chapters popped up in two pages instead. 

It also amused me how much I know now, about witches. Back when I first read this trilogy, I didn't really know much of anything about witches. But now I know more--partly from other L.J. Smith books, and partly from other things I've read since then. There were even certain little things I recognized all by myself that I never caught before, like scrying and the reference to The Crucible. That's actually a big one for me--The Crucible reference. I read The Secret Circle in middle school and didn't read The Crucible until my second year of high school. There was absolutely no way for me to notice the reference before, but I caught it now, and I have to admit that I felt really happy about that catch.

Other than noticing things I'd never even considered before, it felt so good to be back with those characters I'd fallen in love with so long ago. I always enjoyed the idea of a big group of friends who were there for each other and helpful and protective and just TOGETHER the way the circle is. Re-visting the feeling of being part of that group through Cassie's eyes again was something I am so glad I did.

And then there's the romance. Adam or Nick. Ahhhhhh, goodness. The first time around, I was Team Nick, but I was also somewhat cool with her not being with Nick in the first volume of the trilogy. He was all cold and quiet then. But now that I'm reading back through, I am especially focusing on Nick whenever he's around. Not much attention was given to him early on. We noticed him whenever we were surveying all of the members of the circle, yes, but we kind of dismissed him when his expression gave nothing away. I wish so hard that Cassie had given him more thought. More time. Things may have turned out differently in the end if she'd started on Nick before Adam made it back to New Salem.

Speaking of Adam...SIGH. I like Adam well enough. I really do. He's nice, and he isn't as cardboard as I thought he was now that I'm diving back into the world of New Salem. He has his own little aspects that set him apart in ways that I really like. But he still gets on my nerves in a romantic sense. Because he has a girlfriend. But he gets into whatever they have in this half of the trilogy with Cassie. I know, I know. That have that silver-cord bond thing. I don't really care. Probably because I'm so partial to Nick, but hey. It still annoys me. 

I know that I'm going to dive more into the romantic elements of the books in the next re-read post, so I'll leave it there. I am SO FREAKING EXCITED to start the second half of this trilogy. Just as excited as I was when I finished this first half the first time--except now I actually own the book and can jump right in (once I go fill out the first part of the next re-read post, that is). 

So far, I am way, way, WAY happy with my decision to re-read some books this year. It's such a great feeling to pick up a book I've loved for years but haven't given much time and then fall in love with it all over again. And I'm so looking forward to what comes next in this series. BRING ON THE NICK. ;)

Introducing Monthly Re-Reads

In 2013, I had the urge to re-read a bunch of books. To fix that problem, I just re-read my favorite parts of the books when I had free time (and sometimes when I didn't) and by talking about re-reading books. Like on YA Bound, where I did a whole post about my re-reading tendencies.

Then I was talking with Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner on Twitter, and thank sweet baby goodness, I'm not the only one who wants to go back and read some darn good books I read what feels like forever ago. She has a feature on her own blog called Before I Blogged I Read that I think is pretty similar to what I'm doing on my blog this year (and possibly next year and the year after, etc. If this year goes well).

So, how does this whole thing go?

Short version: I read one book that I've already read every month and then post about it.

The version that actually explains things beyond the obvious:
I'll pick one book every month to re-read. It doesn't HAVE to be a book I read before I started blogging and reviewing, but from what I can tell right now, a bunch of them will be. I'll be doing monthly TBR's at the beginning of every month, so you'll know what book I'm re-reading for that month then. Sometime during the month, I'll read it and then write a post about it, which will go up on the last-ish day of the month. Depending on my scheduling situation, it may be a day or two early.

What will the post look like?

Well, there'll be the book info, of course. These posts ARE NOT reviews, but the info is still kind of good to include. And then there will be this section:

Here, I'll tell you what I remember my thoughts being on the book. Not a summary or anything, but particular feelings I remember having. Characters I may have liked/hated, parts that stick out in my mind, that kind of thing. Though the whole post goes up at the same time, I'll be filling out this part BEFORE I read. So this will literally be all from memory.

After that, there will be this section:

Here, I'll tell you how the re-read went. Maybe things I noticed now that I didn't before, or ways my opinions on things have changed. Again, this won't be a summary or anything, just my thoughts. Sort of like a review, but shorter and probably in less detail.

I'm still undecided on whether or not I'll be rating the books, and I may or may not include a favorite quotes section, depending on if I pass by any quotes that I really want to include.

So...that's it. If I wasn't clear enough on anything, or if you have any questions, just let me know and I shall answer. I'm easy to reach on Twitter, and if you ask me a question in the comments here, I'll totally respond. Oh, and I have that handy dandy Facebook page now! You can ask me there. And there is, of course, always email, which I check as often as I possibly can. Because I'm like that. :)

Oh, and since I'm missing January (I just thought of the idea this month, which didn't give me enough time to participate this month), I'm going to make up for it in February. How? I'm reading these:

 

Technically, this is a trilogy, but it is two BOOKS, like physically, so I'm counting them that way. As far as how posting will go, I'm thinking I'll probably do the January post in the middle of February. PROBABLY, not DEFINITELY. If not, then I'll do them both at the end of the month. But I am seriously excited to re-read these books! I heart them so hard. 

So...yeah, that's SERIOUSLY it. I'm really looking forward to doing this in 2014, and I'm flailing all over the place that I get to kick it off with a couple of my favorites! 

(Honestly, most of these will probably be favorites, but oh well. I get to read them again--that is that happy point! Eeeep!)