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It's times like this that I really miss the Roosevelts.
Recently, the right got its knickers in an even bigger twist than usual, and given the customary highly torqued state of said knickers, that is very twisted indeed. The impetus for this torsion of the collective conservative undergarment was a quote relayed by one of Fox News' most reliable Obama bashers, Steve Doocy of "Fox and Friends." Doocy, with the sort of smirk you imagine on the face of a tale-bearing adolescent girl intent on stirring things up, told the presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, that the president had told a crowd, "Unlike some people, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth."
Immediately, the Right Wing Fake Outrage Machine went into high gear to defend the delicate feelings of Mitt Romney. The remark was "snotty," the New York Post sniffed. The conservative blog "Hot Air" got downright huffy: "By September he'll be referring to Romney as 'Moneybags.'" Even the supposedly liberal "mainstream" media picked up on the horrific act of disrespect to poor Mitt. ABC News called the remark "a hard-to-miss shot" at Romney.
The problem is, that's not what President Obama said. The actual quote, delivered in a speech about federal funding for student loans, was: "Somebody gave me an education. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Michelle wasn't. But somebody gave us a chance - just like these folks up here are looking for a chance."
Nothing whatsoever about "some people." Not even a veiled reference to Mitt Romney. The "unlike some people" was a complete fabrication by Doocy.
Here's the thing: Mitt Romney may get his feelings hurt when people point out that he's rich, but the fact is, he actually is rich. He is very rich. His dad was the president of American Motors. He's so rich that he's having a lift installed in his multimillion-dollar beach house because he doesn't have room to store all the cars that he parks there. That's rich by any definition of the word.
But so what? There really is nothing wrong with a political candidate being rich. Which brings me to the Roosevelts, Theodore and his distant cousin Franklin.
They were rich guys. They went to the finest schools, lived in mansions, belonged to rich people's clubs. They were the closest thing we had to a hereditary aristocracy. And no one cared, least of all them. They didn't pretend to be "regular guys." They did, however, recognize the fact that some people were poor and unemployed and exploited, and they tried to do something about it.
Contrast them with Mitt Romney. Mitt and his people are always trying to convince people that he's just a middle-class schlub like the rest of us, sometimes with comical results.
Take, for instance, the time when Mitt tried to claim he was "unemployed" too, because he was running for office. Or the time when his wife, Ann, told a reporter how they'd struggled in college and grad school, only making it "because Mitt had enough of an investment from stock that we could sell off a little at a time."
Wow. I don't know how you did it, Ann, with only Daddy's stock to get you by, not to mention the house he bought you when you graduated.
Some of these clumsy attempts by the Romneys to make themselves look middle-class can be blamed on the American media's obsession with "regular guyness," the idea that we're so shallow that we'll make our voting decisions for the highest office in the land based on whom we'd rather have a beer with.
Sadly, it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, which gave us eight years of George Dubbya Bush. So the media and their ridiculous "regular guy" narrative bear some blame. But Romney's buying into that schtick to try to cover up the fact that his platform and his policies boil down to "even more tax breaks for me and guys like me, and the rest of you are on your own."
The problem is not that Mitt Romney is rich. The problem is that he's a phony. A fake. A slick, pandering snake-oil salesman with no compunction about saying anything at all if it'll get him into office so he can continue the Republican plan to turn this country into an oligarchy where the rich rule and the rest of us can take what they deign to give us. And no amount of Romney's pretensions to being anything else will cover that up.
Monday, 30 April 2012
Fictional Distractions of the Week #27
Welcome to 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:
The first book I'm reading this week is The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda. I've been intrigued by its cover and synopsis for a very long time now, but after 30% in I'm not really sure what I'm thinking about it. It's interesting, but a bit... weird.
Goodreads Summary:
Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.
Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.
When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?
Since I had to download The Hunt onto my mom's iPad (there was no Kindle version available on NetGalley), I can't carry it with me everywhere I go, so I've also already started reading Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock. And I love it so far! Really hoping to finish this one as well during this week.
Goodreads Summary:
Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.
Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.
Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.
Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.
Goodreads Summary:
Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.
As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.
In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.
What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?
Sunday, 29 April 2012
New Distractions #01
If you spend half a week thinking about whether to continue participating in In My Mailbox or not, it's probably the best decision to not do so anymore. Nonetheless I don't necessarily feel comfortable slapping a new name on an old meme, so I have no choice but credit Kristi from The Story Siren for the inspiration for this post. That doesn't mean I'm supporting her actions, but in the end this kind of post isn't my idea. I'm not a person for such drama like the one we had last week and so far I've managed to stay out of it, but taking this step feels necessary to distance myself from everything.
Kristi's blog was the first book blog I've ever come across and read, so I probably don't even need to say that I'm disappointed - more by the lack of a true apology than what she did in the first place. People make mistakes all the time (and yes, I feel comfortable calling this a "mistake", because that's what you call things you shouldn't have done), but you should be able to stand up and admit them - and apologize properly for what you did. Then forgiveness is a lot easier.
It's not my place to forgive Kristi, but I need to forget before being able to read her blog again like I used to. I'm one of the bloggers who were inspired by her love for YA books and who looked up to her without truly knowing her. I won't judge her as a person, but as a blogger, as a role model for other bloggers. I won't say that I'll never read her blog again, but for now I need a break.
And despite never having wanted to say anything, this is already too long. I'm sure you're all sick of the drama and yet another three paragraphs about it is more than enough. Sorry! Let's get to the awesome books I got last week:
Kristi's blog was the first book blog I've ever come across and read, so I probably don't even need to say that I'm disappointed - more by the lack of a true apology than what she did in the first place. People make mistakes all the time (and yes, I feel comfortable calling this a "mistake", because that's what you call things you shouldn't have done), but you should be able to stand up and admit them - and apologize properly for what you did. Then forgiveness is a lot easier.
It's not my place to forgive Kristi, but I need to forget before being able to read her blog again like I used to. I'm one of the bloggers who were inspired by her love for YA books and who looked up to her without truly knowing her. I won't judge her as a person, but as a blogger, as a role model for other bloggers. I won't say that I'll never read her blog again, but for now I need a break.
And despite never having wanted to say anything, this is already too long. I'm sure you're all sick of the drama and yet another three paragraphs about it is more than enough. Sorry! Let's get to the awesome books I got last week:
The books I received:
Bought:
For review:
Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin, Egmont USA, Hachette Children's Books (UK) and Devri Walls.
Remember to enter the giveaways I currently have on my blog (they're listed on top of the blog on all pages) and to link your IMM / Book Haul / whatever-you-call-it-now below. :)
Carina
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Distractive Obsessions #06
Distractive Obsessions are books that are going to be released very soon and that I'm dying to read - books that I know I'm going to be obsessed with until I'll finally hold them in my hands and read them.
This week's pick is UNTIL I DIE by Amy Plum.
It's going to be published on May 8th, 2012 by HarperCollins.
ISBN: 9780062004048 | pre-order: The Book Depository / Amazon / B&N
ISBN: 9780062004048 | pre-order: The Book Depository / Amazon / B&N
Goodreads Summary:Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.
Considering that I'm actually lucky enough to have an eARC of Until I Die, it's pretty sad that I haven't read it yet, even though I've been dying to do so ever since I read the last page of Die For Me. But I'm blaming uni trying to keep me busy 24/7 at the moment, which is why I can't read as much as I want to at the moment... and I hate it. I've moved up Until I Die on my reading pile now and really hope to get to it next week. I'm dying to delve back into the world of the Revenants. ♥
Which book are you obsessing over at the moment?
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Interview + Giveaway: Goddess Interrupted by Aimée Carter
A few weeks ago, I posted my review for the latest installment of the Goddess Test series by Aimée Carter, Goddess Interrupted, on my blog (go here) and told you how much I actually liked it. Today I have the opportunity to share my love for this series with you - with a giveaway of one copy of this wonderful sequel.
Goodreads Summary:
Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.
Q&A with Aimée Carter
How familiar were you with Greek myths and folklore before writing the Goddess Test series? Was a lot of research required?
I first fell in love with Greek mythology when I was a kid learning how to read, and my infatuation only grew from there. I’ve studied various kinds of mythology for years, sometimes for class and always for fun, but even then I put a great deal of research into the Goddess Test series. Mostly as a refresher to make sure I was getting my facts right, but I also researched the various myths looking for ways to tie the plots and characters together in unexpected ways.
It was both easier and harder, in a strange way. I rewrote The Goddess Test multiple times, and I’ve never edited a book more heavily in my life. Goddess Interrupted did require some editing, of course, but it was much easier.
However, the pressure to deliver a sequel worthy of the series made the writing process for Goddess Interrupted more difficult than I’d anticipated. There’s something called the “sophomore slump”, where sequels or second books generally don’t quite match up to the second, and I wanted to avoid that at all cost. So that added a lot of stress, but in the end, I was very happy with the results.
You give the gods and goddesses in the series “ordinary names” – Zeus is named Walter, Aphrodite goes by Ava, Hermes is named James. Why did you do that and do the more contemporary names have any significance?
This was something I went back and forth on multiple times. Initially the characters Kate encounters weren’t council members at all – I changed that very, very quickly though. By the second draft, I had a place for each of the Olympians, and I did some heavy rewriting to replace my first draft characters with the gods. I wanted to find a way to keep their names the same, but since they’re supposed to live among us in secret in the modern world, it didn’t really make sense. How many men named Zeus do you know, or women called Aphrodite? On top of that, keeping the council’s identities secret was incredibly important to the plot. So eventually I decided they would have changed their names when Western civilization stopped worshipping them as gods, allowing them to live freely among us.
I did choose each name for what it means, some more than others – Walter, for instance, means “army leader”, while James means “supplanter”. The exception is Calliope, which in the story was chosen by her counterpart for its Greek roots. The reason the gods changed their names – and why Artemis didn’t wind up with the name Diana – is explained throughout the series, but you get to actually see this happen in The Goddess Legacy (July 31).
Goddess Interrupted begins with the main character Kate Winters adjusting to her new life as an immortal. Given Kate’s innate strength and stubbornness, was it difficult to switch gears to portray her as a bit more vulnerable and unsure of herself in her new role as goddess AND wife?
Not so much, to be honest – her progression felt natural to me. While Kate is very tough in certain ways, she’s extremely vulnerable as well. She’s emotionally dependent on the people around her (her mother in the first book, Henry in the second), and that in and of itself carves the path she takes in the sequel. She’s spent six months with Henry, falling in love with him and forming a relationship she thinks is going to last for eternity. But Henry is battling his own demons and isn’t ready to be the person she needs him to be, and because Kate is so stubborn, she has a hard time coming to terms with that. In the sequel, Kate really is her own worst enemy emotionally – her entire world has changed, after all, and that’s a lot for anyone to take – but it’s all part of her development into a goddess and queen.
Kate finds herself trying to work through her rather complicated relationship with James, as well as her relationship with her new husband, Henry (Hades). Neither seems to be black and white, but rather varying shades of gray. Were any of Kate’s feelings or situations based on any relationship struggles you’ve been through?
Not personally, no, but I did try to make Kate’s relationships with the people in her life as realistic as possible. She isn’t perfect, and neither are they, and that’s something they all have to work through at varying points in the series. None of the relationships in the books are based off of specific experiences I’ve been through though.
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?
Outlining is by far my favorite part of the process. I love the idea stage, where anything’s possible, and it’s such a shiny place. All of that comes crashing down when I write the first draft though, which is the hardest part for me. I tend to get mentally exhausted about two thirds to three quarters of the way into the manuscript, and it’s always a struggle for me to push through it, especially if I’m on a deadline. And inevitably there are a ton of problems I didn’t notice in the outline stage that have to be fixed for the story to work. I’m a perfectionist, so in order for me to continue writing the story, everything I’ve already written has to make sense.
Do you have a favorite quote or line from a poem or book?
I love so many quotes that I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite.
How did you get your first publishing deal and how did that feel?
My agent, Rosemary Stimola, sent the manuscript out to various publishers, and after a long submission process, Harlequin TEEN offered to publish it! I was stunned at first, but that quickly gave way to giddiness. It was an incredible feeling to know I’d be published, and to this day, I still can’t quite believe it.
When is the next book in the series due out? Any hints on what will happen in book 3?
Goddess Interrupted, the sequel to The Goddess Test, came out in late March. The next book in the series, The Goddess Legacy, will be out July 31. It’s a collection of five novellas told in the perspectives of Calliope, Ava, Persephone, James, and Henry, and together they form one story.
The third book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance, is currently scheduled to be released in March 2013. Unfortunately I can’t say too much about it, but the challenges that Kate will face are pretty clear by the end of the sequel!
After the huge success of The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted is on many, many TBR lists for this summer. What’s on your TBR list?
I’m so excited for a slew of books coming out – The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, Grave Mercy, The Selection, The Serpent’s Shadow, Philippa Gregory’s YA novel, and a ton of others. I never have as much time to read as I want, but I’m definitely making time for all of those and more!
Yearbook Superlatives! If you went to high school with the Greek gods and goddesses, who would you vote for?
• Most likely to succeed? - Hera
• Class clown? - Hermes
• Nicest? – Demeter or Hephaestus
• Best dressed? - Aphrodite
• Best dancer? - Apollo
• Most school spirit? - Iris
• Most likely to attend summer school? - Ares
• Teachers pet? - Athena
Helpful links:
My review for Goddess Interrupted
Website | Aimée Carter's blog
Buy the book: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Harlequin | TBD
Giveaway
Because Goddess Interrupted is on so many to-read lists for this summer, Harlequin Teen is now generously offering one (1) copy for giveaway. So, if you're from the US/Can and are dying to read this book, go ahead and enter this giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open until May 31st, 2012 midnight EST.
(Sorry to my international followers, but since I'm not sending out the prize myself, this is limited to US/Can. But you can enter my blogoversary giveaway here for a chance to win this, too.)
(Sorry to my international followers, but since I'm not sending out the prize myself, this is limited to US/Can. But you can enter my blogoversary giveaway here for a chance to win this, too.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Cover Comparisons #52: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
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.
Last week's winner is the UK cover of Wings by Aprilynne Pike.
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
(US / UK / GER)
I can start this by saying that I don't like the US cover... at all. It's weird and it has never appealed to me nor will I probably ever start to like it. I'm a bit on the fence when it comes the UK and German versions. I definitely prefer the colors of the German cover, but overall the UK cover appeals to me a bit more, especially since the German version looks a little bit usual, not really unique.
Carina
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Review: Clockwise by Elle Strauss (Blog Tour Stop incl. Giveaway)
Series: Clockwise #1
Publisher: Self-Published
First published: November 21st, 2011
Source: Received from author
Format: eBook
Pages: 290
Goodreads Summary:Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this --she’s accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just “brotherly” protectiveness?When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.Which of course, she does.
My Rating: 3.0 / 5
First thoughts:
Cute and refreshing, Clockwise will be the perfect read for everyone who is looking for a time travel novel to pull them into a different world where everything seems possible. Especially fans of Middle Grade literature will enjoy this novel and cross their fingers for Casey's adventures to turn out alright.
More detailed:
I started reading Clockwise without really knowing what to expect and was positively surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Actually I should start this review by explaining, why my rating isn't higher, because I definitely really liked this novel. But as I already stated above, it has more of a Middle Grade feel to it, which made it a tiny bit hard for me to identify with the situations and expectations of the characters.
Other than that, I really liked Clockwise and Casey is a really refreshing character. Not being able to control her time travelling into the 19th century tends to take a toll on her, but accidentally taking Nate, her crush, back in time, is a recipe for disaster. But nontheless she manages to fight for herself and everything she believes in and breaks through every obstacle in a very heart-warming and amusing way.
Nate, Casey's love interest, becomes more likable with every chapter I read and I couldn't help myself but cross my fingers for their happy ending. Clockwise has a wide range of supporting characters and everyone of them contributes something different, and important, to the story. Some things surprised me thoroughly, some made me laugh, some made me angry - and all of them kept me turning this book's pages.
But, like I said above, I would recommend this either for a younger audience or people who are able to completely appreciate Middle Grade literature. As someone who prefers to read Young Adult literature suitable for an "older" audience, I felt more like a witness than someone emotionally invested in this story.
At the same time though, I'm really glad that I didn't know that Clockwise might turn out to be for a younger audience, because otherwise I might not even have picked it up. But I definitely don't regret reading it - I enjoyed it and loved Elle Strauss' entertaining writing. Her plot has wonderful twists and turns and surprised me more than once.
This review is part of Clockwise's blog tour,
hosted by AToMR Book Blog Tours.
Goodreads Summary:
Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with an aunt she’s never met. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with “channelers”—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.
Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Soon, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though.
As Eren and Aiden’s relationship develops, so too does a mystery in Spruce Knoll. The town holds many secrets—and many dangers. It soon becomes apparent that the untimely death of Eren’s parents was no accident and that her life might be in danger too. Only time will tell if Eren can embrace her unwanted power and protect the only family she has left.
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Waiting on Wednesday #55
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux for YR
Expected Publication: October 16th, 2012
Pages: 368
Goodreads Summary:
Incapable. Awkward. Artless.
That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.
Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.
Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.
Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.
Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.
It was Crewel's gorgeous cover that pulled me in first, but the summary sounds just as fascinating and therefore I couldn't stop myself from adding this book to my to-read list. Can't wait to get a copy of this!
What are you waiting for this Wednesday?
Carina
Monday, 23 April 2012
Okay, Here's the Deal
My sci-fi vampire revenge epic, titled MONSTER: NIGHTRIDER'S VENGEANCE, releases May 1st. I'll send a free Kindle or EPub copy to the first 20 people, not related to me by blood or marriage, who e-mail me at dustyr@nc.rr.com and put MONSTER in the subject line. In exchange, you agree to post an honest review when (or within a reasonable time after) it's released. Reviews can be on Amazon, B & N, blog, wherever, but they must be honest. Specify mobi (Kindle) or Epub format, and if you want me to send it direct to your device give me the address (e.g. mykindle@kindle.com), and remember to set dustyr@nc.rr.com as an address you can get files from.
Review: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Expected Publication: April 24th, 2012
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC
Pages: 445
Goodreads Summary:
Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.
But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.
My Rating: 4.0 / 5
First thoughts:
Ending up to be so much more than its summary promises, Unraveling was impossible to put down. Science-Fiction meets murder mystery in an exciting adventure to find the right answers to the right questions - as soon as possible. If you're looking for a real page-turner which won't let you stop thinking about it, then this might be the perfect next read for you.
More detailed:
Despite being obviously longer than usual YA novels, it wasn't hard for me to devour Unraveling within a day. It probably helped that I didn't need to go to university and decided to spend some time relaxing - but this novel was the perfect read for me that day. I rarely put it down and kept turning its pages, hoping to find out answers to the endless questions that plagued me, and the book's characters.
This book doesn't sugarcoat anything. If you're expecting a story that will be kind to your new favorite characters and will treat them carefully, don't pick up Unraveling. I cried, I screamed and I was very angry at this book during certain situations and when you do as I'm recommending and will read it, too, then you'll feel similar. But a novel that can provoke such emotions is always a very good book, in my opinion.
Janelle's life is turned upside down within the blink of an eye. Literally. In one second, she still sees a truck driving towards her, in the next second she opens her eyes and sees Ben Michaels leaning over her, changing her life forever. I love Janelle - she is a kick-ass female main character, without being too tough to be unbelievable. Her narration was incredibly easy to follow and I could identify with her immediately.
My only excuse for not rating Unraveling with five stars would be the fact that the romance didn't get enough attention. Janelle and Ben are such a wonderful couple, sadly star-crossed though, and I would have loved if there were a few more obvious moments in which their relationship could have developed. But for people who love to focus on the mystery than the romance, this will be perfect.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Unraveling. With surprising twists and turns it managed to captivate my attention all the time and made it almost impossible to put it away and do something else. It's a wonderful debut and I definitely hope that we'll get to see more of Janelle's adventures - especially since this ending left me hanging a little bit. There are still many things I need to find out and I'd love to spend more time in the world Elizabth Norris created.
This book doesn't sugarcoat anything. If you're expecting a story that will be kind to your new favorite characters and will treat them carefully, don't pick up Unraveling. I cried, I screamed and I was very angry at this book during certain situations and when you do as I'm recommending and will read it, too, then you'll feel similar. But a novel that can provoke such emotions is always a very good book, in my opinion.
Janelle's life is turned upside down within the blink of an eye. Literally. In one second, she still sees a truck driving towards her, in the next second she opens her eyes and sees Ben Michaels leaning over her, changing her life forever. I love Janelle - she is a kick-ass female main character, without being too tough to be unbelievable. Her narration was incredibly easy to follow and I could identify with her immediately.
My only excuse for not rating Unraveling with five stars would be the fact that the romance didn't get enough attention. Janelle and Ben are such a wonderful couple, sadly star-crossed though, and I would have loved if there were a few more obvious moments in which their relationship could have developed. But for people who love to focus on the mystery than the romance, this will be perfect.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Unraveling. With surprising twists and turns it managed to captivate my attention all the time and made it almost impossible to put it away and do something else. It's a wonderful debut and I definitely hope that we'll get to see more of Janelle's adventures - especially since this ending left me hanging a little bit. There are still many things I need to find out and I'd love to spend more time in the world Elizabth Norris created.
Challenge(s):
Debut Author Challenge 2012
Have you read Unraveling? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?
Carina
NIGHTRIDER'S VENGEANCE Cover
This is the cover for my upcoming e-book (the long-awaited sci-fi vampire revenge epic), by the multi-talented David Terrenoire. I like it a lot, hope you do too.
Fictional Distractions of the Week #26
Welcome to 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:
My first task for this week will be finishing Clockwise by Elle Strauss, a really cute time travel novel. While I wouldn't put it onto my list of favorite books so far, it's definitely an enjoyable read.
Goodreads Summary:
Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this --she’s accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.
Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just “brotherly” protectiveness?
When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.
Which of course, she does.
Goodreads Summary:
Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.
She’s been Slated.
The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?
Goodreads Summary:
Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.
Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.
When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?
What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?
Sunday, 22 April 2012
The Chairborne Rangers of the Right Wing: Pushing Barbarism
Latest Newspaper Column:
You know, I've never been to Afghanistan. I've never been in a firefight anywhere, although I have had a gun pointed at me, which is as close as I care to come, thank you very much.
But from some of the reporting coming out of there - such as Sebastian Junger's harrowing book "War" and the accompanying documentary "Restrepo" - Afghanistan is to stress, fear and paranoia what Mount Everest is to rock formations. And it seems like we can't go a month now without hearing about some of our soldiers (almost all of whom have been through multiple deployments) who have completely lost it under the stress.
From the Marine snipers photographed urinating on enemy corpses to the soldier who walked out of camp one night and started slaughtering civilians to the recently released photos of American troops posing with body parts and corpses, it's just one image after another that makes you wonder if maybe we've finally stressed our military past its breaking point.
Now, desecrating the bodies of fallen enemies is not a new phenomenon by any means. In "The Iliad," Homer describes how Achilles, maddened with grief by the death of his best friend, Patroclus, killed Hector, the Trojan crown prince responsible, then desecrated Hector's body by dragging it behind his chariot for nine days during Patroclus' funeral feast.
In the 15th century, the Wallachian prince known as Vlad the Impaler (later the inspiration for the blood-drinking Count Dracula) became well known for desecrating the bodies of vanquished enemies, mainly by sticking the bodies (and more than a few live prisoners) onto pointed stakes and leaving them for the invading Turks to find.
In the harrowing World War II memoir "With the Old Breed," Marine John Sledge describes the mutilation of American corpses by the Japanese on the islands of Peleliu and Okinawa - and the corresponding looting (particularly of gold teeth) and taking of other "trophies" from dead Japanese by our own people. And so on.
What does seem to be new is the idea, particularly among the right, that this is either (a) no big deal or (b) actually a good thing.
Homer describes how Achilles repented from his act and returned Hector's body after being confronted by Hector's weeping father, King Priam, not to mention getting a stern warning from Zeus himself that he was "tempting the wrath of heaven" by his act of disrespect to a dead enemy.
Sledge describes how he was dissuaded from the act of stealing the gold teeth from a dead Japanese soldier by his friend, corpsman "Doc" Caswell, who admonishes him, "You don't want to do that. What would your folks think?" And Vlad ... well, as noted above, his major claim to fame is as the inspiration for one of literature's greatest monsters.
In contrast, when those pictures surfaced of Marine snipers urinating on dead Taliban fighters, conservative radio host Dana Loesch turned gushing fangirl: "I'd drop trou and do it too. That's me, though. I want a million cool points for these guys." Anti-Muslim blogger Pamela Geller tweeted, "I don't CAIR that these Marines wee wee'ed on murderous savages" (CAIR being the acronym for one of Geller's favorite bogeymen, the Council on American Islamic Relations).
Fox commentator Ralph Peters went on the air nearly apoplectic with rage about how the recent photos of soldiers with dead and dismembered enemies were being used by people - including, according to Peters, their own commanders - to "trash our troops."
I look at those images of young Americans, truly our best and brightest, behaving this way, and my heart breaks for them. I don't know if they'll ever make it back to sanity from that. I don't know if any person could.
Then I think of the passage from Sledge's book where he talks about Doc Caswell, the man who dissuaded him from desecrating enemy bodies: "He was a good friend and a fine, genuine person whose sensitivity hadn't been crushed out by the war. He was merely trying to help me retain some of mine and not become completely callous and harsh."
I compare that with the "callous and harsh" and downright barbaric statements from some of the Chairborne Rangers of 24-hour news TV and I wonder if we, as a country, will ever make it back from the abyss they're pushing us toward.
You know, I've never been to Afghanistan. I've never been in a firefight anywhere, although I have had a gun pointed at me, which is as close as I care to come, thank you very much.
But from some of the reporting coming out of there - such as Sebastian Junger's harrowing book "War" and the accompanying documentary "Restrepo" - Afghanistan is to stress, fear and paranoia what Mount Everest is to rock formations. And it seems like we can't go a month now without hearing about some of our soldiers (almost all of whom have been through multiple deployments) who have completely lost it under the stress.
From the Marine snipers photographed urinating on enemy corpses to the soldier who walked out of camp one night and started slaughtering civilians to the recently released photos of American troops posing with body parts and corpses, it's just one image after another that makes you wonder if maybe we've finally stressed our military past its breaking point.
Now, desecrating the bodies of fallen enemies is not a new phenomenon by any means. In "The Iliad," Homer describes how Achilles, maddened with grief by the death of his best friend, Patroclus, killed Hector, the Trojan crown prince responsible, then desecrated Hector's body by dragging it behind his chariot for nine days during Patroclus' funeral feast.
In the 15th century, the Wallachian prince known as Vlad the Impaler (later the inspiration for the blood-drinking Count Dracula) became well known for desecrating the bodies of vanquished enemies, mainly by sticking the bodies (and more than a few live prisoners) onto pointed stakes and leaving them for the invading Turks to find.
In the harrowing World War II memoir "With the Old Breed," Marine John Sledge describes the mutilation of American corpses by the Japanese on the islands of Peleliu and Okinawa - and the corresponding looting (particularly of gold teeth) and taking of other "trophies" from dead Japanese by our own people. And so on.
What does seem to be new is the idea, particularly among the right, that this is either (a) no big deal or (b) actually a good thing.
Homer describes how Achilles repented from his act and returned Hector's body after being confronted by Hector's weeping father, King Priam, not to mention getting a stern warning from Zeus himself that he was "tempting the wrath of heaven" by his act of disrespect to a dead enemy.
Sledge describes how he was dissuaded from the act of stealing the gold teeth from a dead Japanese soldier by his friend, corpsman "Doc" Caswell, who admonishes him, "You don't want to do that. What would your folks think?" And Vlad ... well, as noted above, his major claim to fame is as the inspiration for one of literature's greatest monsters.
In contrast, when those pictures surfaced of Marine snipers urinating on dead Taliban fighters, conservative radio host Dana Loesch turned gushing fangirl: "I'd drop trou and do it too. That's me, though. I want a million cool points for these guys." Anti-Muslim blogger Pamela Geller tweeted, "I don't CAIR that these Marines wee wee'ed on murderous savages" (CAIR being the acronym for one of Geller's favorite bogeymen, the Council on American Islamic Relations).
Fox commentator Ralph Peters went on the air nearly apoplectic with rage about how the recent photos of soldiers with dead and dismembered enemies were being used by people - including, according to Peters, their own commanders - to "trash our troops."
I look at those images of young Americans, truly our best and brightest, behaving this way, and my heart breaks for them. I don't know if they'll ever make it back to sanity from that. I don't know if any person could.
Then I think of the passage from Sledge's book where he talks about Doc Caswell, the man who dissuaded him from desecrating enemy bodies: "He was a good friend and a fine, genuine person whose sensitivity hadn't been crushed out by the war. He was merely trying to help me retain some of mine and not become completely callous and harsh."
I compare that with the "callous and harsh" and downright barbaric statements from some of the Chairborne Rangers of 24-hour news TV and I wonder if we, as a country, will ever make it back from the abyss they're pushing us toward.
IMM substitute: The TBR-pile of insanity [physical edition]
Trying to fill the void that a weekly IMM post leaves once you actually don't get any books, I decided to follow Nickey's (The Book Shop Assistant) idea and show you my physical tbr-pile. I'm stressing the word "physical" because I have just as much unread books on my Kindle as well. This post is just showing me how good it is that I didn't receive any new books this week - this pile is insane.
Any ideas how to tackle it? What books should I read first? What did you love, what did you hate?
You can click on each photo to enlarge it. Have fun laughing at my inability to stop myself from getting new books. :D
What does your TBR-pile look like?
Carina
P.s.: I used this opportunity to re-organize my shelf. YAY!
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Distractive Obsessions #05
Distractive Obsessions are books that are going to be released very soon and that I'm dying to read - books that I know I'm going to be obsessed with until I'll finally hold them in my hands and read them.
This week's pick is SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins.
It's going to be published on May 1st, 2012 by HarperCollins.
ISBN: 9780062085610 | pre-order: The Book Depository / Amazon / B&N
ISBN: 9780062085610 | pre-order: The Book Depository / Amazon / B&N
Goodreads Summary:What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
A few people were already lucky enough to get an ARC and have already read this. Am I jealous? Yes! Why? Because according to their reviews (e.g. Fiktshun's here), Sweet Evil does not only sound incredibly awesome - it actually lives up to these expectations. I have pre-ordered a copy a while ago and now I'm dying to get my e-mail from The Book Depository that they have it and will send it to me soon. Until then - go ahead and read my awesome interview with the lovely Wendy Higgins here.
Which book are you obsessing over at the moment?
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Review + Giveaway: Embrace by Cherie Colyer (Blog Tour Stop)
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
First published: December 20th, 2011
Source: Received for review
Format: eBook
Pages: 210
Goodreads Summary:How far would you go to save the people you love?Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.
My Rating: 4.0 / 5
First thoughts:
Turning out to be an overall surprising read for me, Embrace exceeded my expectations and made me happy that I decided to read it and be a part of its blog tour. While there might be a few typical YA clichés incorporated, I fell for these characters and how they dealt with the situations they were in.
More detailed:
Change is probably the only constant in human life and that's exactly what Madison has to experience in very difficult ways. In Embrace we get to witness how she fights for herself, for her friends and everything that is important to her - and finally "embraces" the change that has turned her life upside down.
Madison is a very strong character right from the start. But at the same time it's obvious to see how she develops and adjusts to the happenings around her, without ever losing herself in the process. She makes some huge discoveries that I never expected after reading the summary, which just made this novel an even more lovely surprise than it already was.
The love story is heart-melting and wonderfully realistic at the same time. Despite an instant connection, these characters don't profess their love within a few chapters, but remain somewhat skeptical and down-to-earth when it comes to their life-changing feelings for each other - when you're reading Embrace yourself (which I'm definitely recommending) you'll understand what I mean exactly.
Once knowing what Embrace is about, not everything is a surprise anymore though and some things might even be a little bit predictable. But even though it doesn't reinvent the YA genre, its diverse and realistic characters turn Embrace into a very enjoyable read. If you're looking for a fast paranormal read, which fans of Spellbound (Cara Lynn Shultz), My Soul to Take (Rachel Vincent) and / or A Witch in Winter (Ruth Warburton) will enjoy, you will definitely make no mistake by picking up Embrace.
The love story is heart-melting and wonderfully realistic at the same time. Despite an instant connection, these characters don't profess their love within a few chapters, but remain somewhat skeptical and down-to-earth when it comes to their life-changing feelings for each other - when you're reading Embrace yourself (which I'm definitely recommending) you'll understand what I mean exactly.
Once knowing what Embrace is about, not everything is a surprise anymore though and some things might even be a little bit predictable. But even though it doesn't reinvent the YA genre, its diverse and realistic characters turn Embrace into a very enjoyable read. If you're looking for a fast paranormal read, which fans of Spellbound (Cara Lynn Shultz), My Soul to Take (Rachel Vincent) and / or A Witch in Winter (Ruth Warburton) will enjoy, you will definitely make no mistake by picking up Embrace.
Grand Prize Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Cover Comparisons #51: Wings by Aprilynne Pike
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.
Wings by Aprylinne Pike
(US / UK / GER)
While I didn't really love Wings when I read it (and gifted my copy to a person who will hopefully be able to love it more than I can), I've always had a weakness for its covers. The US cover is very simple but oh-so-beautiful, but the more often I see the UK version, the more I like it, too. The German version pales a bit in comparison with the other two (literally), so at this very moment I have to say that the UK cover is my favorite. But that might change in a few weeks. Do you know that feeling?
Carina