"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler Publisher: Simon Pulse Expected Publication: May 7th, 2013 Pages: 384
Goodreads Summary:
...not yet available
Without any summary and only a very vague idea about Afterparty's content thanks to THIS blog post by Ann, I'm still dying to read this book. You might wonder why...
I loved Ann's Where It Began and have been waiting for another novel by her ever since.
This cover is just plain gorgeous, so even if I'd end up not liking the book, it still wouldn't be a waste of money.
I just looooooved Where It Began. Read my review here.
“Personal property is the effect of society; and it is as impossible for an individual to acquire personal property without the aid of society, as it is for him to make land originally.
Separate an individual from society, and give him an island or a continent to possess, and he cannot acquire personal property. He cannot be rich. So inseparably are the means connected with the end, in all cases, that where the former do not exist, the latter cannot be obtained. All accumulation, therefore, of personal property, beyond what a man’s own hands produce, is derived to him by living in society; and he owes on every principle of justice, of gratitude, and of civilisation, a part of that accumulation back again to society from whence the whole came.” Thomas Paine, Founding Father h/t to commenter The Other Chuck at Balloon Juice
Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout Series:Lux #2 Publisher: Entangled Teen (Entangled Publishing) First published: August 14th, 2012 Source: Bought Format: eBook (Kindle) Pages: 376
Goodreads Summary:
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…
Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.
Something worse than the Arum has come to town…
The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.
But then everything changes…
I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?
No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…
As a book bloggerI know how annoying it can be when your life decides to eat up all the time you'd love to spend reading and blogging - but my reasons for absence aren't (sadly) as swoon-worthy or (luckily) as life-threatening as Katy's.
More detailed:
So far Jennifer L. Armentrout has always managed to make me love her books and Onyx is no exception. I already loved the first installment of the Lux series and am happy to announce that I liked its sequel (almost) just as much. Katy and Daemon pulled me back into their world of danger, passion and fantastic humour and didn't want to let me go once I was finished.
The thing, or rather the person, I was looking forward to the most was, of course, Daemon Black. He can melt you into a puddle with one word, annoy you to death or just surprise you more than you'd ever expect. And in Onyx he definitely didn't disappoint - on the contrary, I liked him even more than in Obsidian, which should have been impossible.
Katy, on the other hand, can be a tiny bit annoying during some moments in Onyx. I can completely understand her doubts concerning a certain handsome neighbour, but nonetheless I sometimes wanted to shake her awake and tell her to finally realize that he's a very awesome male specimen and not only a pretty face to look at. But apart from that I really enjoyed witnessing the story from her point of view again and still think that she's a wonderful and favorite-worthy female main character.
The plot takes some very interesting and surprising twists and turns in Onyx and made sure that I don't just love this series for its characters. I won't elaborate on the things that are in store for you once you decide to pick it up, but it definitely doesn't get boring.
All in all, Onyx is a very worthy sequel for the awesomeness that is Obsidian, yet I didn't feel like giving it five stars. In comparison to its predecessor I liked it (just a tiny bit) less, but my expectations for the third book are incredibly high nonetheless. If you have yet to read this series, don't dare to wait much longer and just pick it up - I'm pretty sure you'll love it.
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:
I was way too slow reading-wise last week, so I'm hoping to finally get to read The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse, which I've started already but am not really far into yet. I like what I've read so far though.
Goodreads Summary:
Alenna Shawcross is a sixteen-year-old orphan growing up in a police state formed from the ashes of Canada, the US and Mexico after a global economic meltdown.
But when she unexpectedly fails ‘the test’ - a government initiative which supposedly identifies teens destined to be criminals - she wakes up alone on a remote island reserved for the criminally insane.
Terrified and confused, she soon encounters a group of other teen survivors battling to stay alive, including Liam, a boy who will become her love... and her lifeline.
Soon Alenna makes the terrifying discovery that there’s more to the island (and her past) than she could ever have guessed... But who can she trust? And can she ever escape?
My second read for this week will (hopefully) be Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett, which I'll be reading for its blog tour. I've heard some good things about it even though I've not seen too many reviews for it yet, but am exited nonetheless.
Goodreads Summary:
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?
2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.
3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)
Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.
(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)
(Sorry. That was rude.)
And, if I'm really lucky which I'm highly doubting, I might even get around to start My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris, which sounds like an absolutely amazing read and which I've heard really good things about already.
Goodreads Summary: On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.
Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.
Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?
Have you ever noticed how, about this time of every election year, the chattering and scribbling classes erupt in a frenzy of clutching their pearls, fanning themselves, and looking for the nearest fainting couch, because "Oh, mah stars, this is the nastiest, most divisive campaign evah!"
It happened in 1988. It happened again in 1992. And in 1996. And 2000, 2004, and 2008. Every single one of those campaigns was decried by pundits and wounded pols crying foul as "the most negative," "most divisive" or "dirtiest" in history.
Poppycock. Poppycock and balderdash. Also, codswallop. As former Obama and Clinton campaign aide Blake Zeff points out in a recent article in the online journal Buzzfeed, "Not only is this not the most negative campaign ever - it's not the most negative campaign of your lifetime, unless you happen to be 3 years old."
Don't believe me? Return with me, friends, in the Wayback Machine to the thrilling days of yesteryear. Specifically, to the year 1800, when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams found themselves pitted against one another in a nasty fight for the presidency and, like every election before or since, for the future of the nation.
Jefferson's campaign got the ball rolling, saying Adams had a "hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman."
Adams' men wasted no time in firing back, warning that if Jefferson was elected, "murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest would be openly practiced, the air will be rent with the cries of the distressed, the soil will be soaked with blood, and the nation black with crimes." They also called Jefferson an "atheist, mountebank, trickster, and Francomaniac."
Fast forward to 1872, when Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, hero of the Union, was opposed by New York Congressman and former newspaper editor Horace Greeley. Greeley's supporters called the Grant administration "the crowning point of governmental wickedness."
Grant, however, had the backing of the nation's wealthiest men, and poor Greeley was saddled with a running mate with a drinking problem so bad that at one campaign picnic, he got plastered and tried to butter a watermelon. Say what you like about Joe Biden, he never pulled a gaffe that big. Too bad they didn't have YouTube.
In the 1884 election, supporters of James Blaine accused Grover Cleveland of fathering an illegitimate child with the taunt "Ma! Ma! Where's My Pa?" to which Cleveland supporters shot back, "Gone to the White House, Ha! Ha! Ha!" Cleveland supporters also had a chant of their own: "Blaine! Blaine! James G. Blaine! The continental liar from the state of Maine!"
I'm not sure why they used "continental." "Monumental" would have fit and made more sense. But I'm sure they had their reasons.
The advent of mass media, television in particular, gave negative campaigning a truly visceral wallop. Among the first to gather controversy was Lyndon Johnson's infamous "Daisy" ad, which featured an adorable little girl picking daisies in a field. When she gets to "10," a metallic voice starts a countdown. The girl looks up in puzzlement just as the count reaches zero, at which point we see an image of a mushroom cloud.
The message is clear: If you vote for Goldwater, in the words of Johnson's voiceover, "we must die" in a nuclear war.
Interestingly, the ad, like the infamous "Mitt Romney killed my wife" ad by a pro-Obama Super PAC, only ran once on actual TV, but the controversy swirling around it gave it millions worth of dollars in free air time.
In recent years, we've had ads which implied that Michael Dukakis was responsible for the rape and armed robbery of a Maryland couple (1988). We've had ads accusing a decorated veteran of lying about his war record (2004). We've been told a candidate would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign (2008).
And in every one of those years, someone's claimed that "this is the nastiest campaign ever." Well, I won't believe that until someone pulls a Thomas Jefferson and calls Mitt Romney or Barack Obama a hermaphrodite. Frankly, my biggest problem with modern negative campaigning is that it lacks that kind of style.
New Distractions is a weekly feature on Fictional Distraction, inspired by various memes that make us share the new books we got during a week, e.g. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, This Week in Books by Pop Culture Junkie and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews.
Wow, I can't even tell you how excited I am for both of these books. I requested Breathe from the publisher and since I never heard back from them, it was a huge surprise to find it in my mailbox last week. And considering how much I loved Sherry's Unlovable, I can't wait to read her new novel Souls in Peril, which also sounds absolutely amazing!
Which books did you get last week?
Feel free to leave links to your IMM / Book Haul posts, so I can check them out!
Today I'm happy to be able to present you the cover of Viper's Creed by T.L. Shreffler, which is the second book in the Cat's Eye series. I have not yet read this series, but it sounds very promising and I definitely like its covers.
Goodreads Summary:
Sora is having visions. Strange, terrifying visions brought on by her Cat's Eye necklace, an ancient and magical device. Spurred to action, she leaves her mother's cabin to find Crash, the mysterious assassin who once changed her life. She is certain that together, they can discover what the necklace is trying to tell her.
Crash is still on the run from the dark sorcerer, Volcrian, but now a plague is spreading across the land. Volcrian's quest for vengeance has awakened something far more evil than himself; a force that could destroy the entire kingdom. Together, he and Sora must harness the power of the Cat's Eye and kill the sorcerer before it's too late....
Her assassin friend. The reminder of Crash was unexpected, and Sora bit her lip, quickly turning away from her mother. Well, he hadn't truly been a friend, but definitely someone who had changed her life. The mention of Crash left her flustered and tense, not a welcomed feeling, though she didn't mention it. He had left a year ago, traveling away with their mutual companion, Burn. An entire year... but she still thought of them every day. Every. Single. Damned. Day. (From Chapter 1 of Viper's Creed)
Goodreads Summary for book#1:
Sora planned on running away from her wedding, but she never expected to be kidnapped! Dumped into a world of magical races, arcane jewelry and forgotten lore, she finds herself at the mercy of a dangerous assassin, haunted by an even darker past. She yearns for freedom, but he won’t let her go—not when her Cat’s Eye necklace is the only thing that can save his life.
But the necklace itself presents a problem. It is an ancient device from the long forgotten War of the Races, and its magic has the ability to steal souls. Can Sora learn to wield its power—or will the power wield her? (Winner of the SKOW 2006 Best Fantasy Award)
Speechless by Hannah Harrington Publisher: Harlequin Teen Expected Publication: August 28th, 2012 Source: NetGalley Format: eARC Pages: 288
Goodreads Summary:
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.
My Rating: 4.0 / 5
First thoughts:
With a main character whose world is turned upside down by her inability to keep secrets to herself and who takes a vow of silence to stop herself from inflicting even more damage, Speechless is both dramatic and thought-provoking.
Below the picture is a profile of the monk, who'd taken a vow of silence and hadn't spoken a word in sixty years. I guess the idea was that by not speaking and staying in a constant state of contemplation, it made him closer to God, or enlightenment, or whatever. (Kindle Location 294)*
More detailed:
I never planned to read Speechless initially, because its summary always sounded quite depressing to me and I wasn't sure whether it could be something I'd like to read. But when many positive reviews started to appear, I doubted my decision and requested it from NetGalley. And believe me when I say that I'm very happy that I did so! This is a wonderful read.
Chelsea isn't the most likeable character to begin with. Her need to be liked by her best friend and the people at school who look up to this duo is intense and not easy to understand for someone who never really felt the need to be the center of attention. Gossip and bullying are her ways to get the status as one of the popular girls - until her inability to keep things to herself almost kills a boy one night.
Everybody's gone quiet, wondering what I'm going to say. And really, this is the best gossip I've heard all year. Considering the year is less than an hour from being officially over, that's saying something. (Kindle Location 240)*
Her vow of silence turns Speechless into a very character-driven book and Chelsea's development to a likeable and relatable main character is a huge proof of how amazing Hannah Harrington's style of writing is. The changes in her character are subtle within each part of the novel, but very obvious when you compare the Chelsea we meet on the first pages with the girl she becomes toward the end.
I also really enjoyed the cast of secondary characters we are presented with. There are people I hated and wanted to delete from the pages of Speechless and others that are just completely hug- and love-worthy. The new bonds of friendship Chelsea gets to experience are accentuated by her silence and her new friends' patience with her situation - and their forgiveness.
Except in the movie of my own life, I've never been the heroine. I've never been Action Girl. I've only ever been Kristen's supporting character. (Kindle Location 913)*
All in all, Speechless turned out to be a fast and not-so-depressing read in spite of my initial doubts. While I definitely felt as though Chelsea's issues with her ex-best-friend were solved too easily, I liked the plot a lot, but enjoyed Hannah Harrington's captivating style of writing even more. If you've had doubts similar to mine about Speechless, stop hesitating and make sure to get a copy as soon as possible.
Have you read Speechless? If yes, what did you think about it?
If no, do you plan to read it?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Carina
* All quotes are taken from an eARC of Speechless by Hannah Harrington, courtesy of Harlequin Teen and NetGalley, and are subject to change in the final version.
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.
(US / UK / ANZ / GER) You can click on each cover to enlarge it.
I have to admit that I don't truly love any of these covers, but nonetheless they're pretty and might catch my attention in a book store. My least favorite is probably the German one, because - for me - the bottom part completely ruines the gorgeous image of the girl (which you can also see in the cover of Wander Dust by Michelle Warren). My second to last favorite is the AUS/NZ cover, which - while pretty - seems a bit boring and doesn't make me "feel" anything special when looking at it. After that it's a tie between the US and the UK cover for me. I always like the sci-fi feeling of the US cover, but I also really like the style of the UK version - and I really don't know which one's better.
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
The Collector by Victoria Scott Publisher: Entangled Teen Expected Publication: March 2013 Pages: n/a
Goodreads Summary:
He makes good girls...bad.
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.
Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:
Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.
Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.
I'm very sorry that this post is late, but I was quite busy the last days and only realized on the train on my way to my internship this morning that I forgot to schedule this post.
But here you have my WoW pick for this week now, which I absolutely cannot wait for to be released. This sounds oh-so-very-awesome and swoon-worthy.
Goodreads Summary: The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.
I'd recommend this for an older audience (16+).
My Rating: 5.0/ 5
First thoughts:
There's always that one book among many that you pick up without too many expectations and end up falling love with just after reading a few sentences, and that love just grows with every chapter. One of these books is Beautiful Disaster, which I devoured as fast as possible without realizing that with every beautiful word I read, I came closer to its inevitable ending. I need more!
His eyes brightened. "You have my word. I won't even think about your panties... unless you want me to." (Kindle Location 237)*
More detailed:
I had heard amazing things about Beautiful Disaster, but I also have to admit that I was scared that all the hype would leave me disappointed. If you're having the same fears, stop worrying and get your own copy of this awesome novel immediately - it was more addicting than chocolate cakes, fresh coffee or anything else that can make a girl happy.
The love story is as intense as one can get. Travis and Abby are perfectly imperfect and have to face many ups and downs together. As the bad boy and the not-so-good girl they have many issues to get over, which ensures that reading Beautiful Disaster never gets boring. Whenever I thought 'Yes, they finally got over issue Y', they found problem Z to fight over (just to make up, or out, again).
A pair of heavy black boots stepped in front of me, diverting my attention to the floor. My eyes traveled upward; jeans spattered with blood, a set of finely chiseled abs, a bare, tattooed chest drenched in sweat, and finally a pair of warm, brown eyes. (Kindle Location 72)*
I actually didn't know that Beautiful Disaster has some very steamy and hot scenes that make a girl even happier, but I definitely didn't mind finding out about it. I wouldn't exactly classify this as a Young Adult story - more something leaning toward "New Adult." This is why, like I already said above, I'd recommend this for an older audience rather than the usual YA one.
But not only the love story made it so hard to put down Beautiful Disaster. I also adored the supporting characters, especially America and Shepley, who were so vividly and realistically written that I'd love to read a novel just about them as well. While they are continually weaved into Abby and Travis' lives, I love that they had their own little love story as well.
She seemed disappointed, and I giggled at the fallen expression on her face. It had always been a dream of America's for us to date friends, and roomated-slash-cousins, for her, was hitting the jackpot. (Kindle Location 314)*
All in all, Beautiful Disaster is a book that I put onto my favorites-list immediately after finishing it. I'm definitely regretting that I never read it before despite the raving reviews and now can't wait for Jamie McGuire's upcoming companion novel Walking Disaster which will allow us to witness the same story from Travis' point of view.
By the way, why are you still reading this review? Get a copy of Beautiful Disaster and read it. Now!
Have you read Beautiful Disaster? If yes, what did you think about it? If no, do you plan to read it?
I'd love to hear your thoughts! Carina
* All quotes are taken from an eARC of Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, courtesy of Atria Books and NetGalley, and are subject to change in the final version.
Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent Publisher: Self-Published First published: August 1st, 2012 Source: Received from author Format: eBook Pages: 325
Goodreads Summary:
Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.
Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners’ tree than in class.
Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other…until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play’s theme of love at first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don’t always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed’s comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd—and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes—but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia’s and Reed’s families even farther apart…and Julia must decide whether she’s willing to give up everything for love.
Defy the Stars is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel’s combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and form that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare’s play, Defy the Stars is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.
I'd recommend this for an older audience (16+).
My Rating: 4.0/ 5
First thoughts:
A bittersweet love story everybody knows, a modern setting and a writing style that will make you crave more verse novels - that's Defy the Stars. It incorporates the good-girl-bad-boy-element which, in combination with Romeo & Juliet's tragic fate, ensures enough passion and heart-break for its readers to keep the story interesting.
Then I can't stand at all and I'm sliding down, down, down. (Kindle Location 2299)*
More detailed:
As someone who absolutely loves verse novels I jumpedat the opportunity to read and review Defy the Stars. Up front I have to say that this is probably perfect for everyone who wants to "try" a verse novel since Stephanie Parent's storytelling is very easy to follow and can be read almost like a "regular" novel.
I know the glass is old, softening, flattering, but still, I hardly recognize that girl... Is it me? (Kindle Location 450)*
It's been a while since I've read Romeo & Juliet, but it was easy nonetheless to detect the elements of Shakespeare's love story which were beautifully incorporated into Defy the Stars. Needless to say, you can expect lots of passion, angst, and heart-break which always made me keep turning the pages, afraid that Julia and Reed will have to suffer the same tragic fate as the classical lovers.
What I also enjoyed were the music elements that were weaved into the story. As an aspiring pianist, we get to witness Julia practicing certain pieces of classical music and even for someone like me, who has really no idea about playing an instrument, it was great to see how she could get lost in the music she creates.
I want to change these notes, but I am no composer. I can only play the song another has chosen for me. (Kindle Location 56)*
Considering certain elements like drug use, I'd definitely recommend Defy the Stars for an older audience. While I know that it's important that such topics are presented in YA as well, I'm not really sure whether I like the extent of it in this story, which is why I have "only" rated this with four stars. Other than that I really liked Defy the Stars and hope to read more by Stephanie Parent in the future.
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:
After having a really good reading week last week (four books), I'm starting an internship this week and therefore doubt to get around to read as much as I did during the last month. Nonetheless I'm excited for my first read which is Defiance by C.J. Redwine, which I've heard amazing things about.
Goodreads Summary:
Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.
Then I'm hoping to finally get to read The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse, which I've also been hearing amazing things about and which I've wanted to read ever since I first saw the gorgeous US cover and read its summary.
Goodreads Summary:
Alenna Shawcross is a sixteen-year-old orphan growing up in a police state formed from the ashes of Canada, the US and Mexico after a global economic meltdown.
But when she unexpectedly fails ‘the test’ - a government initiative which supposedly identifies teens destined to be criminals - she wakes up alone on a remote island reserved for the criminally insane.
Terrified and confused, she soon encounters a group of other teen survivors battling to stay alive, including Liam, a boy who will become her love... and her lifeline.
Soon Alenna makes the terrifying discovery that there’s more to the island (and her past) than she could ever have guessed... But who can she trust? And can she ever escape?
My third read for this week will be Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett, which I'll be reading for its blog tour. I've not really read many reviews for it yet, but I'm quite excited for it nonetheless.
Goodreads Summary:
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?
2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.
3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)
Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.
(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)
In Winston Churchill's memoir of the Second World War, he relates his reaction to the news that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor: "I went to bed and slept the sleep of the saved and thankful."
When I heard the news that Mitt Romney had selected Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, I thought Barack Obama must have done the same.
Because, while the Rabid Right may be patting themselves on the back and admiring the "bold stroke" of choosing Ryan, and the Beltway pundits like to wax rhapsodic over Ryan's "gutsy" budget plan, I can think of nothing Etch A Sketch Romney could have done that's more certain to ensure his eventual defeat.
You know how I know Ryan is a terrible pick? One of his biggest backers was the affable boob Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard, who's frequently seen grinning his way across your TV screen and spouting nonsense, a veritable fountain of specious claptrap The two things Kristol's most famous for urging the GOP to embrace are Sarah Palin and the Iraq War, which he said would "pay for itself." How'd those work out?
Kristol gets props from his buddies in the Beltway media for urging the Republicans to be "bolder" and more "ambitious," as commentator Dylan Byers wrote in Politico. But in reality, he's like the half-bright, overly aggressive major general who's always urging some lunatic charge into the enemy guns that gets a lot of his men killed.
Insiders have been reporting for some time now that the Obama campaign had been trying to tie Romney to Ryan's proposed budget plans. Because here's the thing: Once people find out what's actually in the budget, it's highly unpopular, particularly his proposal to give more huge tax breaks to millionaires and pay for it by turning Medicare into a "voucher" system, where seniors would get coupons to buy insurance from private insurers.
A Washington Post/Kaiser Foundation poll this month asked people whether they favored keeping the current structure of Medicare, or going to a system "in which the government guarantees each senior a fixed amount of money to help them purchase coverage either from traditional Medicare or from a list of private health plans." Fifty-eight percent rejected the change.
You can see why, if you think about it. Given the amount of confusion and the grumbling of senior citizens over trying to choose between the various options in George Dubbya's budget-busting Medicare Part D plan (which Ryan voted for, by the way), I find it unlikely that they're going to welcome the fun and excitement of haggling with dozens of insurance companies over their coverage.
This is especially true since repealing the Affordable Care Act (which Ryan supports) means the insurance companies will once more be free to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. How many people do you know over 65 who don't have some kind of pre-existing condition?
It gets worse when you look at the rest of the plan. A recent Democracy Corps survey showed that "President Obama's lead against Romney more than doubles when the election is framed as a choice between the two candidates' positions on the Ryan budget - particularly its impact on the most vulnerable." And if the Obama campaign has shown one thing recently, it's that they know how to define an opponent and his positions.
You want to know how bad it gets for the Ryan plan? According to a report in The New York Times, when the pro-Obama SuperPac Priorities USA (they of the infamous "Bain Capital Killed My Wife" ad) was doing focus groups to determine what tack to take, they found that attacks on the Ryan budget plan and Romney's support of it didn't do all that well.
First because no one really knew anything about Ryan or what was in the plan, and second, because once people heard that it called for "ending Medicare as we know it" while giving bigger tax breaks to millionaires, "they refused to believe any politician would do such a thing."
Well, now they're going to hear about the plan, right from the blue-eyed horse's mouth, and the evidence is pretty clear that they're not going to like it at all. Bill Kristol and the Raging Right may think Romney's "boldness" in picking Ryan makes him into Gen. Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf.
In reality, it may turn out to be more like Custer - except this time, Custer spent the day before Little Big Horn handing out quivers full of arrows for the Indians to shoot him with.
New Distractions is a weekly feature on Fictional Distraction, inspired by various memes that make us share the new books we got during a week, e.g. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, This Week in Books by Pop Culture Junkie and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews.
Huge thanks to Tor/Forge, Macmillan, and Faber and Faber.
I freaked out a little bit when I realized that I was sent my pre-ordered Kindle copy of Onyx last week and immediately decided to ignore my reading schedule to squeeze it in. And I really liked it even though I liked it a bit less than Obsidian, but I cannot wait for book three! And well, the other three NetGalley books I got this week all seem über-awesome and I can't wait to get to them as well. Really tried to stop myself from requesting too much and already feel bad for these three... (but all three have been past WoW picks, which is why I think it's kind of okay for me to have requested them.)
Glitch by Heather Anastasiu Series:Glitch #1 Publisher: St. Martin's Press First published: August 7th, 2012 Source: NetGalley Format: eARC Pages: 371
Goodreads Summary:
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.
My Rating: 3.0/ 5
First thoughts:
Set in a world where feelings like love, hatred, and fear are anomalous, Glitch introduces us to a scary but almost believable future. While the first part was very easy and fast to read, it slowed down later and, for me, it got harder to identify with the characters that were intriguing when I first met them. Nonetheless I'd recommend this one for lovers of dystopian novels that are looking for another possible society to hate.
"The Community Link is peace. We are Humanity Sublime because we live in Community and favor above all else order, logic, and peace. Community first, Community always." (Kindle Location 109)*
More detailed:
I am huge fan of dystopian stories that give me the chance to see how our society might develop in the future - no matter how scary these possibilitiesmight be. Despite having heard a few mixed / negative things about Glitch, I was looking forward to reading it myself. And even though I had a few issues with it, I liked it and am curious to find out what will happen now.
The first part of Glitch was definitely the one that captivated me the most. Heather Anastasiu introduced me to the world Zoe grew up in very well and soon I felt scared for this girl. The world building is done really well; all necessary questions are answered for a reader to be able to understand the basic concept of the "Community", but there are still many other mysteries left to solve.
His expression was blank. Detached. No trace of a smile or any emotion. Watching him felt like looking at an empty room - the walls and furniture were all perfectly in place, but had no life. (Kindle Location 60)*
But after that first part the action, which made it so hard to put Glitch down, slows and the story seems to stagnate a bit. We get a love triangle that felt a little bit too forced for me, especially because Zoe's feelings for the "second guy" were purely based on, at first, the happiness of having found someone who is like her and, later, guilt.
Nonetheless Heather Anastasiu managed to surprise me at certain points, weaving elements into the story that I did not expect and had to re-read to realize what-the-hell had just happened. All in all, I didn't love but liked Glitch and would definitely recommend you to give it a chance if it has been on your radar already.
Have you read Glitch? If yes, what did you think about it?
If no, do you plan to read it?
I'd love hear your thoughts!
Carina
* All quotes are taken from an eARC of Glitch by Heather Anastasiu, courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, and are subject to change in the finished version.
Today I'm happy to be able to present you the cover for the second installment in the Solus trilogy by Devri Walls - Wings of Tavea. If you're curious about this series, feel free to check out my review for the first book, Wings of Arian, here.
Summary:
Kiora is rapidly learning that evil and lies come in shades of black and white and swirling greys, but nothing could have prepared her for the shock of leaving Meros.
Kiora and her protector Emane step through the pass into a world they never knew existed but were always meant to save, only to find it far worse than they could have ever imagined. Good has been forced into hiding for its own survival, while the rest of the land bows to the Shadow, a force that pushes any remaining thoughts of Dralazar from Kiora’s mind. This land is full of new creatures, each more dangerous than the last. Her visions have taken on a deadly twist, and magic, or what comes of it, was never so real. And then there is Alcander: a Tavean, their guide, and an entirely different kind of trouble.
Devri Walls lives in Kuna Idaho with her husband and two kids. She has worked as a music teacher and currently, a preschool teacher. She majored in theater and her love of a story still drives her today. Thankfully, she has finally found an outlet for all the voices in her head. Her first novel, Wings of Arian, is available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and Apple. The second book in the Solus trilogy, Wings of Tavea is scheduled for release Nov 2012.
What do you think about this (really gorgeous) cover? Would you like to pick up Wings of Tavea?
