Hey, everyone! Welcome to the City of Bones Book Discussion! I’m so glad you could join me! Over the next seven weeks, I’m bringing on some awesome-ness to spice up your life! That’s right, I’m about to get the party started, but I have to set a few ground rules first (*trying to make a stern face*). This is how each week will play out:

• Each week I will do a detailed discussion of the plot of that week’s chapters (every Monday!). I will also highlight characterization, quotes, favorite parts, random scenes, and ask/answer questions.
• Argh, thar be spoilers ahead, matey!! While each week will be spoiler-free for the next chapters in the book, all of the previous chapters I’ve read will become free game. So to keep this discussion fun for readers who have not read the amazing series try to keep your comments spoiler-free, from the next chapters, as possible.
• At the end of each post, questions will be asked. Feel free to participate every week! We’d love to hear your opinion but you don’t have to answer everything. The questions are only there as guidelines but I’d love to read your tangents on that week’s chapters. And if you feel totally inspired about this book, as much as I am, you could always discuss your own opinion in a guest post: just fill out the form HERE.

For an entire schedule of our discussion (or just in case you’ve missed a post), you can go HERE. And I am also giving away a copy of City of Bones, to enter the contest, go HERE. Finally, on to the moment you’ve all been waiting for. *drumroll*

Chapter 13: The Memory of Whiteness

Clary discovers that her mother had payed Magnus to put the block in her mind. She describes what Magnus did to her as "mind-rape" (227). She is shocked to find that he cannot reverse the spell nor undo what he had done. She may never recover the memories she lost. Magnus tells a little backstory of who he was growing up. "When your father flinches at the sight of you and your mother hangs herself in the barn" (231). He hated himself for being who he was: a wizard. Clary understands the meaning of the story and simply doesn't care who she is- she just wants to figure who she is.

Magnus gives her a copy of the Gray Book. It is given to a Shadowhunter child to help him learn Shadowhunters' runes. She is very curious about the book and leafs through the thing, recognizing many of the symbols.

The Mortal Instruments are discussed in more detail with Clary. "The Angels gave three items to the first Shadowhunters. A cup, a sword, and a mirror" (234). Magnus refuses to help the group find the Mortal Cup; he does not want to get involved. Clary is trying to stomach all this information when she joins the party again. They find Isabelle and "Simon drank one of those blue drinks... and he turned into a rat" (237). Clary takes Simon and puts him in her backpack. Magnus refuses to change him back because the drink will wear off in an hour or so, so there is really no point. Magnus calls for the party to end and moves everyone out. Clary is walking with Jace on the way out when a vampire is interested to what she has in her backpack. Jace responds with "holy water" (243) and the vampire leaves with a huff. Magnus wants Alec to call him, "he dropped a glittery wink at Alec" (243). Everyone else walks out the door except Clary who Magnus wishes to speak with her. "Keep in mind that when your mother fled from the Shadow World, it wasn't the monster she was hiding from... It was the Shadowhunters" (244).

When walking back to the Institute, Clary can't find Simon in her backpack. Someone had stolen the rat, Simon. Isabelle and Alec leave them as Jace and Clary make their way back to Magnus' to inquire about his party guests. Jace wants to know where the vampires' lair is. It takes some coaxing, but Magnus finally gives them a location: "The old Hotel Dumont" (250). Before they storm the hotel, Jace wants to be prepared. Clary and Jace head towards a church to retrieve more weapons.

Chapter 14: The Hotel Dumort

Jace and Clary go to a Catholic church. Jace gets his weapons at the altar of the church in a secret compartment sealed with a Shadowhunter rune. "Shadowhunters cleave to no single religion, and in turn all religions assist us in our battle" (255). Clary is surprised, however, that Jace doesn't believe in God. It was because of his father, when he "saw him lying dead in a pool of his own blood, I knew then that I hadn't stopped believing in God. I'd just stopped believing God cared" (257). There really was nothing else left to say after that. They made their way to the hotel.

Even the sign warned them away: Hotel Dumort. While trying to get into the boarded-up building, they meet Raphael, a Spanish-speaking boy who warns them on entering. After hearing the story of why they are there, he shows them the way. It seems he is slightly touched by their story and "perhaps I cannot warn you away" (264). Jace and Clary enter the lair through the basement, Raphael follows.

It turns out that Raphael is a vampire- the leader at that. He calls for the others to join them. Clary suggests to take Raphael hostage and poses a trade to the others for the rat. Raphael thinks it is a bad idea. This is his life the vampires are gambling for. They do not trust Clary's word; they want the Shadowhunters to swear. Jace refuses to swear, so Clary lunges for Simon and a fight immediately breaks loose. Jace fights the vampires while Clary puts Simon in a safe place. They finally make their to edge of the crowd of vampires, fighting along the way, and wolves jump through the window. "Now this... is a situation" (280).

When the Hotel Dumont was up and running, would you stay there or would you rather stay at the church, knowing that the hotel, in the future, will become a vampries' lair?
 
REMEMBER: Please try to give a minimum of spoilers unless it is about the chapters we have read already. Also, every comment (one per post) on our discussion posts gives you extra entries if you are entered to win a copy of City of Bones.