What happened in October?

This month was an amazing month for Fictional Distraction. Thanks to everyone who made my 6-month-blogoversary and my 20th birthday so great. And thanks to all the new followers. It looks like I might need to decide on a prize for an 800-followers-giveaway soon! :)

As you can see, I have made a few layout changes and I hope that you like the improved design of Fictional Distraction.

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Reviews I posted in October:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Sign Language by Amy Ackley

Suspense by Jason Letts

Swoon by Nina Malkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe

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Happy Halloween,
and have a lovely November!
Carina

Fictional Distractions of the Week #1

Welcome to a new feature on my blog: Fictional Distractions of the Week. It is inspired by Book Journey's It's Monday! What are you reading? and Fiktshun's My Reading Pile and it will show you what I'm planning to read during the next week.

The books I plan to read this week:

First of all I'm planning to finish Destined by Jessie Harrell, which I'm really loving so far. My review is part of the Destined Blog Tour and will be posted Sunday.

Goodreads Summary:
When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

Then I'm planning to read Unlovable by Sherry Gammon. I got this one for review and I'm dying to read it since it sounds amazing!

Goodreads Summary:
Port Fare, New York, has fallen into the clutches of true evil. The Dreser brothers have arrived with a scheme to increase drug sales in the area by whatever means possible. Seth Prescott is part of MET (Mobile Enforcement Teams) a branch of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). He's been assigned to work undercover at Port Fare High, and things aren't going very well, until senior Maggie Brown enters the equation. He's harbored a secret crush on her from day one, and now that she is in the center of the case, he's trying to stay clear and objective while walking the line between business and unrequited love.

Maggie is truly the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes, but is she an addict, or is there another reason for her appearance? She struggles with her feelings for Seth, fearing he is just another person who will eventually let her down, as everyone in her life has done thus far.
Maggie has spent her life caring for her alcoholic mother. A task that has left her heavily burdened and alone. Before long, her mother's health takes a turn for the worst, sending Maggie's life into a tale-spin.

While Seth works relentlessly to inject fear into the dealers and flush them out into the open, Maggie fights to stay alive as the hunt turns deadly.

And in case university lets me spend more time with my books, I'll also read Brightest Kind of Darkness by P. T. Michelle. It's a book I got for review, too, and I've heard amazing things about it.

Goodreads Summary:
Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?

The Zombie Renaissance

Latest Newspaper Column:

Tomorrow is Halloween, the time when we think about ghosties, ghoulies, and various things that go bump in the night. So it seems an appropriate time to discuss the Zombie Renaissance.

Seems like there’s never been a better time to be a creator of zombie-related art and entertainment. The website 24/7 Wall Street estimates that “today’s zombie-genre economy,” as they put it, is worth up to $5 billion.

First and foremost, of course, there are the movies. Starting with the shambling, rotting grandaddy of them all, “Night of the Living Dead,” all the way though films like “28 Days Later,” its sequel “28 Weeks Later,” the seemingly unkillable “Resident Evil” franchise, the Will Smith vehicle “I Am Legend” (which substituted fast-moving, rage-filled zombies for the vampires in the original novel), the hilarious spoofs “Shaun of the Dead” and “Zombieland,” and the upcoming “World War Z,” starring Brad Pitt, it seems that the undead make for great box office.

Then there are things like video games (the recent smash hit shoot-em up “Call of Duty: Black Ops” comes with a mode where the player battles Nazi zombies); TV shows (AMC’s “The Walking Dead” has just been picked up for a third season); comic books; and even novels such as “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which takes Jane Austen’s classic novel and updates it with a few ghouls (as an Austen-loving friend of mine puts it, that’s just so wrong).

Some people jump on the zombie bandwagon through so-called “zombie walks,” in which crowds of people make themselves up as zombies and lurch, moan and chomp their way through cities and towns, all in good fun and sometimes for charity.

The first recorded walk occurred in 2001 in Sacramento to promote a horror film festival, but the idea quickly spread like — well, like a zombie plague. Now cities compete for the record of biggest walk, with the current crown held by Asbury Park, N.J., which recorded an invasion of 5,000 rotters and secured a place for itself in “The Guinness Book of World Records.”

Dublin, Ireland, claimed a turnout of 8,000 for the one they held July 23 of this year, but Guinness has not yet confirmed the number, possibly because of the difficulty of sorting out whether a pale person staggering through the streets of Dublin and muttering incoherently is a wannabe zombie or just a drunk on his way home from the pub.

Which raises the question: Why are the walking dead such a hot item these days? I mean, I love a good zombie story as much as the next guy, but even I have trouble explaining why zombies seem to be replacing vampires as everyone’s favorite undead.

I can almost see the appeal of the vampire thing. There’s a certain sexiness about vampires, or so the fans tell me. They’re beautiful, their hunger equates with great passion, they bite your neck — hey, it’s not my kink, but whatever floats your boat. But it’s hard to envision a best-selling book and movie series about a forbidden romance between a beautiful but awkward teenage girl and a mindless, flesh-eating ghoul.

Maybe it’s because zombies embody something we all recognize deep down, something that’s definitely on the rise these days. As my friend Stephen Blackmoore, author of the upcoming zombie novel “City of the Lost,” once put it: “Zombies aren’t terror, they’re dread. They’re the physical embodiment of anxiety.” Which may be why they’ve gotten so much more popular in these anxious times.

On the flipside, though, zombies are kind of goofy, with their blank expressions, their clumsy shuffle, the bits falling off. They’re funny in a sick kind of way. They take that anxiety and make it into something you can laugh at. If you can laugh at it, it’s not so scary.

And that’s what Halloween is all about, Charlie Brown.

(click the pic for hints on surviving a zombie plague. Because you just never know.)

In My Mailbox #27

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives bloggers the chance to appreciate the books they got last week and to meet new people.

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The book I was gifted this week:

Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

I got this from the lovely Alaiel from Librarian Mouse. Thank you so much! I can't wait to start reading this. ♥

The Kindle books I bought:

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

First Frost by Jennifer Estep

Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young

Six Moon Summer by S. M. Reine

Six Moon Summer is available for free on Smashwords.

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I'm very excited for these books and I wish I could read all of them at the same time. Right now. :D But since that's not possible I'm looking forward to start each of them very much.

Also, don't forget to visit my blog's new Facebook page and like it if you want to. :)

What did you get in your mailbox?
Carina

Last week's reviews:
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Suspense by Jason Letts
Forgotten by Cat Patrick 

Graveyard Tales

 
New for Kindle and Nook: "The Caretaker." Two short stories from the graveyard, just in time for Hallowe'en!

In "The Caretaker," William Cain doesn't know why only he can see the new arrivals in his cemetery, or why they tell him their stories--but he knows how to take care of their unfinished business. "Spadework" is a previously published tale of a father's revenge.

Cover by David Terrenoire.

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ZT6PPU

Nook:  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940013246478

Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Publisher: HarperCollins
First published: June 7th, 2011
Source: Bought
Pages: 404

Goodreads Summary:
Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

First thoughts:

I have not read many ghost stories, but Hereafter made me want to read more. It's a lovely and heartfelt story about two people who have a unique connection and have to face many obstacles to be together. I loved every moment I spent in this world and I'm looking forward to see what will happen to Amelia and Joshua.

More detailed:

Hereafter is a wonderfully written story that captivated me and constantly made me hope that its characters will find their happy ending. Tara Hudson managed to create a beautiful world with her words and I couldn't get enough of her writing. Just this would be enough to love this novel, but the story itself was just as amazing.

Both, Amelia and Josh are amazing characters. After everything she experienced, Amelia still was a lovely voice to listen to and a relatable character. It was lovely to watch how her existence slowly develops into a life and how she starts to piece the puzzle of her past together and finds out who she is and what happened to her.

Joshua is a very great guy and I loved how his relationship with Amelia grew into something important - slowly. While their feelings for each other develop quite soon, they don't rush things and their connection seems believable. Of course I was thrilled to find out that their relationship is one of the forbidden sort and I'm excited to find out whether they will manage to stay together - which I'm desperately hoping for.

All the other characters we get to meet play important roles as well. Not all of them are likeable and I'm afraid that some will pose a huge problem for Amelia in the future, but Hereafter wouldn't be the same without them. In my opinion it's a great achievement when an author has managed to make the reader interested in finding out what the unlikeable characters have planned.

All in all, Hereafter does not only have a gorgeous cover but is a fantastic story based on a unique idea and I'm sure that many people will fall in love with it like I did. I'm glad that this is part of a trilogy because I'm not yet willing to leave this world and I'm looking forward to find out whether Amelia and Joshua will get their happy ending.

Following books in the series:

2. Arise (June 5th, 2012)
3. Elegy (2013)

Have you read Hereafter? What did you think about it?
Carina

Giveaway Winners

Huge thanks to everyone who participated in my last two giveaways and especially made my 500-followers/6-month-blogoversary/birthday celebration such a huge success! And now I'm here to announce the two winners.

A signed hardback copy of Sign Language by Amy Ackley won
Micia.

Their choice of one of 24 amazing YA novels won

Mandy @ twimom101 book blog






Congratulations. ♥
Winners will be notified via e-mail soon and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be picked.
Both winners have responded and the prizes have already been dispatched.

If you didn't win, don't worry - there'll be another giveaway soon, probably to promote Fictional Distraction's new Facebook page. So you can already go ahead and like this.

Cover Comparisons #25: Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Living in Germany gives me the perfect opportunity to compare original covers with the ones German publishers choose. Sometimes they're gorgeous, sometimes they make me cringe, but it's always interesting to see different covers for the same novel.

Cover Comparisons is a weekly feature here at Fictional Distraction.

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Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
(US / UK / GER)

While the German cover is really cute, I think I prefer either the US or the UK cover - they just seem a little bit more mature to me and look like something I'd rather pick up. But I'm very unsure whether I'd prefer the US or the UK cover. Seeing these pictures on my laptop makes me want to say "US", but I've heard that the UK cover looks incredibly gorgeous in real life.

Which version do you like best?

US UK GER

pollcode.com free polls

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Remember to like Fictional Distraction's new FACEBOOK PAGE. :)
Carina

Review: Suspense by Jason Letts

Suspense by Jason Letts
First published: September 3rd, 2011
Source: Received from author
Format: Kindle

Goodreads Summary:
Spencer Nye can’t control the rage bubbling under her skin over the world around her. The trouble is, by the year 2102, the world has solved most of its great problems. Without hunger, war, greed, or even money, people obsess over the glamour of the Culture Industry and its mega-celebrity Idols, who vie for followers over the social networks of Connect.

But Spencer discovers there is plenty to fix within the Idols’ competition for more popularity. She becomes a diehard and promises to do anything to help her Idol, a dreamy movie star named Cleary Mintz, bring his vision of hope and purpose to the world. When she stumbles onto a threat against his life, she’ll have to fight harder than she ever thought possible or lose the man who means more to her than any other.

Suspense, the first book in a dystopian trilogy, contains 76,000 words and is recommended for ages 16 and up because of depictions of violence and some sexual themes.

My Rating: 2.5 / 5

First thoughts:

While I'm completely in love with the idea of a story involving this kind of dystopian society and even though I read really positive reviews about Suspense, it wasn't the right story for me in the end. I would have preferred a little more romance and a little less action, but at the same time I'm interested in finding out what will happen in this world.

More detailed:

The idea of Suspense sounds really special and is a wonderful basis for a great novel. It's already visible today how many people are focusing on social networks and it's easy to imagine that one day people would depend on them too much. This also makes the idea of Idols quite realistic.

Jason Letts has outlined this world intriguingly, but at the same time it took a long time for me to understand the world and how it became the way it is. Only towards the end we are given more detailed explanations about how everything changed and that made it a little bit hard for me to relate to the characters throughout most of the novel.

As I said before I also would have loved some more romantic moments but this is just a very subjective / personal opinion. I have a hard time keeping my interest in a book that puts a main focus on action scenes instead of relationships. I know that for a lot of people this is completely different, so keep in mind that my rating is mostly based on this fact.

Other than that, Suspense is well written and easy to read. I'm sure that the questions I still have are going to be answered in the sequels and I still am very fond of the idea of this dystopian world. All in all, I think people who prefer action-packed novels with a very detailed style of writing could really like this story and should give this a chance.

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Have you read Suspense? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?
Carina

Waiting on Wednesday #30: The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Expected Publication: 2012

Goodreads Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications (again!) and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home and school. She refuses to be daunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom, or that her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

This has a gorgeous cover and sounds incredibly intriguing.
What are you waiting for this Wednesday?
Carina

NEW:  

Facebook page for Fictional Distraction.

Like it, if you want to. :)

P.s.: Last day to enter my international giveaways.

Win one of 24 amazing YA books.

Win a signed hardback copy of Sign Language by Amy Ackley.

Review: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Publisher: Egmont Books
First published: June 7th, 2011
Source: Gifted
Pages: 280

Goodreads Summary:
Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

First thoughts:

It was almost impossible for me to put Forgotten down. Within a few chapters I was addicted to this novel and couldn't wait to find out how London's condition will develop. This story is incredibly well written and based on a unique idea. I can't wait to read more of Cat Patrick's books.

More detailed:

Forgotten is a unique novel that I want to recommend to everyone who is sick of constantly repeating Young Adult clichés and needs a story that will captivate them immediately. Whenever I had a few minutes to spare, I would pick up Forgotten and was sucked into London's world within a few seconds. And I'm sure her story will stay with me for a long time.

I will admit that the summary of Forgotten reminded me a lot of the movie 50 First Dates at first. But it didn't take long for me to realize that this story is much more special and profound. London does not only forget her past, but she "remembers" her future as well - a concept that is completely new to me. It was great to witness London deal with this and somewhat shocking to realize how normal this is for her.

Forgotten is told by a first person narrator from London's point of view and despite her forgetting her past, it wasn't repetitive. London is a great character who has to deal with lots of problems, starting with having to remember the guy she is in love with, even though she forgets him every night. Without knowing what it's like to forget my past and know my future, it was very easy to relate to her and I loved to hear the story from her point of view.

Her boyfriend Luke is a wonderful character as well. He's the kind of boyfriend every girl is dreaming about and while reading I developed a little crush on him. There is no doubt that he loves London and it's amazing how he treats her. Just like him, her best friend Jamie is a intriguing character although I would have loved to see more of her. But once you read this novel, you'll know why she is left out a little bit which at the same time emphasized London's "ability".

Cat Patrick's style of writing is absolutely gorgeous and makes it impossible to forget this book. It is easy to read and creates a wonderful, complex world at the same time. All in all, Forgotten is a wonderful and very unique novel that everyone should have read. It's definitely one of my favorite books that I've read in 2011.

Other books by Cat Patrick:
Revived (May 8th, 2012)

Have you read Forgotten? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?
Carina

Teaser Tuesday #28: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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My teaser:

Forgotten by Cat Patrick - p. 92

He looks back into my eyes and we're locked there for a few moments. And then, before I can worry about what he's doing, Luke leans over and kisses me.

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Oooh, this is such a perfect novel. My review for will be up today, too. :)

Carina

P.s.: Two days left to enter my international giveaways.

Win one of 24 amazing YA books.

Win a signed hardback copy of Sign Language by Amy Ackley.

In My Mailbox #26 - Birthday Edition

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives bloggers the chance to appreciate the books they got last week and to meet new people.

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The books I was gifted this week:

Forgotten* by Cat Patrick

Angel* by L. A. Weatherly

Slide** by Jill Hathaway (UK ARC)

* huuuuuge thanks to Donna from Book Passion For Life for getting me so many awesome birthday presents! ♥

** and huge thanks to Michelle from Much Loved Books for sending me her ARC of Slide. I'm dying to read this! ♥

The books I got for review this week:

Volition*** by Shawn Kirsten Maravel

Severance*** by Shawn Kirsten Maravel

Melody's Song*** by Kendal Ashby

Darker Still**** by Leanna Renee Hieber

*** from author

**** from NetGalley and Sourcebooks

And the most awesome thing:

My parents got me a KINDLE! ♥

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I'm sooo tired today thanks to celebrating my birthday at midnight with my friends but I'm having an awesome day nonetheless. Now I'll really spend some time with figuring out my Kindle and then I'll spend more time with my family. A great 20th birthday.

What did you get in your mailbox?

Carina