Reading Funks

I've been going through a bit of a reading funk lately, and I hope it ends very soon!   I don't get in reading funks all that often, and they are generally characterized by me having zero interest in genres that I normally love such as historical fiction, fantasy and classic literature.   Sometimes my funks are even so bad that I have to take a break from reading altogether for a few days.    I'm not in such a drastic funk at the moment, as books still beckon, it's just that all I feel like reading are light, easy and short reads that require no effort on my part to get through.    My current read, Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen, is a fine example of the type of book I typically turn to when in a reading funk.  The book, which is the third novel in Bowen's Royal Spyness series, continues the adventures of Lady Georgina Rannoch, a young cousin of England's King George V, who is constantly getting herself wrapped up in intrigues and mysteries.   This series is delightfully fun, and definitely qualifies as light and easy.   Hopefully by the time I finish the novel my funk will have passed and I'll be ready to tackle some of my upcoming book club reads, none of which I'm even remotely in the mood for at the moment. 

Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
4 Stars ****

I've just finished reading City of Bones, the first novel in Cassandra Clare's YA Mortal Instruments series.   I admit that I'm not a big fan of urban fantasy novels, especially those that feature vampires, werewolves and/or demons, but I picked this book up on the recommendation of a friend and am very glad I did so.  Set in present day New York City, City of Bones introduces us to Clary Fray, a seemingly normal teenage girl whose life gets turned upside down when she witnesses a murder in NYC club.   Clary is soon thrown into the world of the Shadowhunters, a group whose purpose is to destroy demons and whose existence is unknown to mundanes (aka everyday people).    Clare has introduced both a memorable set of characters and an entertaining storyline, one that has left me wanting more.   So, what did I do when I was close to finishing this novel?   I went ahead and immediately ordered the next two books in the series, of course!  

Not only has the novel left me wanting to read the rest of the series, it also has me wondering what I had against urban fantasy in the first place.   Does anyone else enjoy urban fantasy?  If so, what do you recommend?

My First Post

Well, here it is, my first ever blog post! 

After checking in with a few other blogs devoted to books and reading, I gave some serious thought to starting a blog of my own.   I knew it would be time consuming, and I had my doubts that anyone but my immediate family and friends would read it, but I decided to go ahead with it anyway.   The result?  Confessions of an Avid Reader was born.   I plan to use this blog to give my thoughts on various books I'm reading or have read, and as a forum to discuss general book-related topics.   

Enjoy!