Fictional Distraction

Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore

2013-03-13T17:02:00.000+01:00

Gilt by Katherine Longshore
Series: The Royal Circle #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (UK)
First published: February 28th, 2013 (UK)
Source: Received from publisher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 398

Goodreads Summary:
In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free—and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney’s best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII’s heart and brings Kitty to court, she’s thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat’s shadow, Kitty’s now caught between two men—the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat’s meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

First thoughts:

As someone who is incredibly intrigued by the Tudor era, I had wanted to read Gilt ever since I first found out about it. And it completely met all of my expectations, pulling me into a world of intrigues, back-stabbing and beautiful dresses. If you've been looking for a great historical read, be sure to add this to your list of books to buy.

More detailed:

... the plot:

While I definitely read way too few historical novels, I tend to enjoy them a lot whenever I pick them up. Having watched the TV show The Tudors, I already knew certain things that would happen to the king's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Nonetheless I was very intrigued by the main character Kitty's story, who tells us her point of view. Her life doesn't turn out to be as glamorous and happy as she and Cat had hoped it might be by coming to court. It actually just gets a lot more complicated and makes her wish she would have stayed behind. But these complications are exactly what makes Gilt a very unputdownable read.

... the characters:

As a book full of backstabbing, Gilt has many characters that you never want to meet in real life. Certain people are behaving so disgustingly, which makes it very hard to feel any sympathy for them. Luckily this is the charm of historical novels like this and I had lots of fun guessing whom you could trust, unless I already knew the character's story.

Our main character Katherine "Kitty" Tylney has to face many situations that make her develop from a naive young girl to a grown-up woman, who had to solve too many problems in too little time. While she might not be the most relatable character in the beginning, I've grown to like her a lot throughout the story. Her best friend Cat, the queen, is probably the most tragic character - someone who gets to live the dream many young girls have, but who also has to realize that it can be taken away from you too fast. While I sometimes wanted to hate her and her attitude, I could only feel sorry for her.

... everything:

All in all, Gilt lived up to my expectations and makes me look forward a lot to the second installment of this series, the companion novel Tarnish. If you like historical novels that will pull you into a different time and make you feel part of its world, add this to your to-read list.

Buy this book:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

I'm very sorry that the blog's fairly quiet at the moment, but with my everyday-internship, my job and learning for university, I just don't seem to get around to blogging. I really hope that this'll change soon, although I already know that the next semester will be very busy, too. At least I still get to read a couple of books, so I can write some reviews for you!

Have you read Gilt? If yes, what did you think about it?

If no, do you plan to read it?

Carina

Review + Excerpt: Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally (Blog Tour Stop)

2013-03-05T06:00:00.000+01:00

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #3
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
First published: March 1st, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 304

Goodreads Summary:
Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

First thoughts:

As the third companion novel in one of my favorite series, Things I Can't Forget turned out to be a great addition even though it didn't completely meet my expectations. Its very prominent religious undertones made it a little bit hard for me to identify with the characters. Nonetheless it was just as addicting as the previous installments and I can't wait for the next book.

More detailed:

... the plot:

Having just finished High School, Kate Kelly gets a summer job as a camp counselor before starting college. After her best friend had an abortion and Kate actually helped her to do so, this summer doesn't turn out the way she wanted it to. Facing her guilt and loneliness, Kate has to figure out some things about how she wants to live her life and whether she can respect other attitudes than her own. The experiences she makes during the seven weeks of camp are very diverse and change her attitude toward a lot of things.

... the characters:

Like I already mentioned above, I had a hard time connecting to Kate. Her love for her religion and God can be all-consuming at times and makes it hard to believe that she could ever feel equally intense for anything else. Luckily she proves otherwise, which makes her a more relatable character for me. Nonetheless I was confused by her changing attitude at times as certain things happened slightly too fast and unexpected.

Apart from Kate, we get to meet a couple new characters and some of my old favorites - Parker and Will, Jordan and Sam. These reappearances of former main characters never fail to make me happy and give us a great idea of what happened after their "ending." But I was just as content meeting new characters, especially Kate's love interest who is a wonderful, heart-warming guy, whom you'll probably love just as much as I did. There are also quite a few other secondary characters who add dimension to the story, but usually don't play an important part - except maybe Emily, Kate's best friend, whom I'd have loved to see more often.

... everything:

All in all, Things I Can't Forget is a great addition to this wonderful series of companion novels. My lack of connection to Kate is solely based on my dislike of too religious novels, which I usually try to avoid. But luckily I enjoyed it nonetheless and am very happy to have read this story. Can't wait to get my greedy little hands on the fourth installment!

This review is part of Things I Can't Forget's blog tour,

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

EXCERPT

Girls like me do not buy pregnancy tests. 
I drag my pencil down the paper, drawing tears rolling from her eyes.  Girls like me sing in the church choir. Every spring break, I go on mission trips to Honduras, where we renovate houses for the underprivileged. I do all my homework every night, and before I go to bed, I kiss Daddy’s cheek and tell him I wish he’d go to the doctor about his blood pressure and start getting more exercise than walking Fritz and scooping his poop.
I’ve only kissed one boy my entire life.
Emily called that day, crying. “Kate,” she said between sobs. “You can’t tell anyone. Not even your mom.”
I drove to Walmart two towns away, over in Green Hills, so no one would see me buying the test. I trembled as I carried the box to the self-checkout lane. I scanned, bagged and paid, and bit back tears, because my best friend of fifteen years—since we were three years old—might have accidentally gotten pregnant by her long-time boyfriend.
I didn’t even know they had had sex. It’s not something they would tell. If anyone found out that Jacob, son of Brother Michael—our preacher at church—got a girl pregnant out of wedlock? Chaos.
It wouldn’t look good for Emily either. She’s like me. Always wears clean T-shirts and none of her jeans have holes or loose strings. She would never even think about smoking a cigarette. She doesn’t go over the speed limit. She plays the violin and has a scholarship lined up to attend Belmont University in Nashville.
But Emily made a mistake.
I use my black coloring pencil to shade her hair. My red pencil fills in her lips, turned upside down in a frown.
And then I made an even bigger mistake: I helped her.

New Distractions #23

2013-02-24T16:48:00.000+01:00

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.

The books I received this week:

Bought:
Indigo Spell

For review:
Scarlet | Girl of Nightmares
Night School | Transparent | The Eternity Cure

Huge thanks to Puffin (Penguin UK), Hachette Children's Books UK, HarperCollins (via Edelweiss), and Harlequin Teen (via NetGalley).

I got all of these über-awesome books during the last three weeks and already read and loved Scarlet (read my review here) and The Indigo Spell. Of course I also can't wait to start reading the other four books, although I have to admit that I'm most excited for The Eternity Cure - I was more than just a little bit happy to find out it was available on NetGalley.

Which books did you get last week?
Carina

Waiting on Wednesday #86

2013-02-20T02:30:00.000+01:00

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

This week's pick is SPELLCASTER by Claudia Gray.
It's going to be published on March 5th, 2013 by HarperTeen.

Goodreads Summary:
When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

Even though I own two of Claudia Gray's books I have yet to read any of them. But since I've only heard great things about her books and love the sound of Spellcaster, I really hope to get to read this one - especially since its release isn't that far away.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

2013-02-19T02:30:00.000+01:00

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles #2
Publisher: Puffin (Penguin UK)
First published: February 7th, 2013
Source: Received from UK publisher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 424

Goodreads Summary:
This is not the fairytale you remember.

But it’s one you won’t forget.

Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

The following review might include spoilers for the first book.

Previos review(s): Cinder (#1)

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

First thoughts:

After loving the first book, I couldn't wait for its sequel. And luckily my expectations were met. With lots of action and a wonderful world-builing, I'd recommend this series to everyone who is looking for something different and unique on the Young Adult market.

More detailed:

... the plot:

Still craving to know more about the Lunar Chronicles' mysteries after having read the first book, I was very excited to finally pick up Scarlet. To be honest, I was slightly scared as this seemed to be more like a companion novel since it introduces new narrators; but we still get to experience the world from Cinder and Kai's perspective a couple of times.

The things that are happening in this futuristic world are getting worse with almost every chapter and make it hard to put down this book. I was captivated by both, Cinder and Scarlet's stories and soon found myself crossing my fingers for both of them. The only thing that annoyed me sometimes was the change of perspective after chapters that had me dying to find out more - but in the end that's the charme of Scarlet and makes it even harder to put down.

... the characters:

Along with Kai and Cinder we get to meet some old characters again. Most of them aren't exactly the people I missed, but considering they play a crucial part in the story I didn't expect anything else. I'm still hoping for this lovely couple to get their happy ending, but certain parts during Scarlet almost make me doubt that this could be possible.

Scarlet and Wolf are the two new narrators that are introduced, though we get to see more from Scarlet's point of view. Their love story is both, different and similar to Kai and Cinder's and already includes quite a few heart-breaking moments. Both of them are very likable characters, even though they didn't win me over as much as Kai and Cinder did. Of course we get to meet quite a few other new characters, too, who mostly play a smaller part. I love this variety of characters as it continues to surprise me.

... everything:

All in all, Scarlet is a wonderful second installment in this amazing series. These books definitely don't focus solely on romance, but incorporate many different elements to weave a story of heart-break and mysteries. Sometimes I honestly hoped for some more romantic moments, but I'm willing to wait - or rather hope - for these to make me happy in the third installment.

Have you read this series yet? What did you think about them so far?

If you haven't read any of the books yet, do you want to read them?

Carina

Fictional Distractions of the Week #57

2013-02-18T18:21:00.001+01:00

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:

Before I actually started reading Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally, I finished reading The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead today, which means that this contemporary has a lot to live up to. I really enjoyed the previous two companion novels a lot, but am a little bit scared so far (I'm 10% into it right now) that it might be a tiny bit too religious for me.

Afterwards I'm hoping to read Gilt by Katherine Longshore which I've been wanting to read for the longest time. It's been sitting on my shelf for about one or two weeks and I'm finally going to get around to reading it. I definitely have to read a lot more historical novels and since I love the Tudor era, this is a very good opportunity to do so.

And maybe I'll even get around to start reading Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen, which is the second book in the Nightwatchers series. I enjoyed the first installment surprisingly much and am therefore hoping to like this one just as much.

What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?

Waiting on Wednesday #85

2013-02-13T03:30:00.000+01:00

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

This week's pick is THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West.
It's going to be published on July 2nd, 2013 by HarperTeen.

Goodreads Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

In the past weeks I've been reading many more contemporary novels than usually, so of course I fell in love with one for this week's Waiting on Wednesday. I just love the sound of this story and really hope it's as different from our usual contemporaries as it sounds.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton

2013-02-12T18:26:00.000+01:00

A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton
Series: Winter #3
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (Hachette UK)
First published: February 7th, 2013
Source: Received from publisher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 422

Goodreads Summary:
Where do you go when your heart has been ripped out?

For Anna there is only one answer; into her past, where the truth about her mother, her power, and her real identity lie hidden.

But as Anna delves deeper into her history, she begins to fear that the truth about what set her mother running may be darker than she ever suspected. With the witches of the world on the brink of war, Seth gone, and her friend Abe wanting more from her than she can possibly give, Anna is in crisis.

As the clouds around her gather, Anna is torn between friends, family and rival tribes of witches and – at the last – between love and magic.

This review might include spoilers for previous books of this series.

Review(s): A Witch in Winter (#1) | A Witch in Love (#2)

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

First thoughts:

As the conclusion of a wonderful series, A Witch Alone has many moments that broke my heart. At the same time there happened many other things that could make me smile again, even though I was constantly hoping for a happy ending, which I could never expect at any moment during the story. If you were hoping for an exciting last installment, don't hesitate to finish reading this amazing series.

More detailed:

... the plot:

I was already dying to get my hands on a copy of A Witch Alone after the ending of the second book. Therefore I couldn't wait long to read it once I finally had it and am very happy I did so. There happened so many things that I definitely didn't expect. Twists and turns had me guessing and I'm sure I'm not the only one. While I'm still not completely sure what to feel about the ending, which lacked a certain spark in comparison with the rest of the book, I'm still happy with the conclusion of this series and would love to re-read it one day.

... the characters:

Oh Anna, selfless little Anna. My heart definitely broke for her more than once while reading A Witch Alone. But sometimes I wanted to shout at her nonetheless to try to make her see that accepting help can be the better solution. Not wanting to endanger the people she loves, she ends up in situations that aren't better than the ones she feared and has to realize that she can't do everything on her own.

Still, my favorite character of this series is Abe. I fell in love with him during the first book and loved every scene with him ever since. He sometimes reminds me a tiny bit like a rougher version of Adrian (Vampire Academy / Bloodlines), which would definitely explain why I like him so much. His love for his friends is unconditional even though I didn't like some of his reactions toward the end.

Of course I cannot forget to mention Seth, who is the origin of many painful moments, which I'm happy about though. A love story like Anna and Seth's can never be easy and I'm very satisfied with Ruth's approach throughout the books. Both of them make many mistakes, but that's what makes them so wonderfully realistic.

... everything:

All in all, A Witch Alone is an amazing and satisfying last installment, even though I still would have preferred a more exciting ending scene. I loved reading this series and can't wait for Ruth Warburton to write more books for me to read. If you want to delve into a world of magic and mysteries, I'm sure you'll enjoy this series!

Have you read this series? If yes, what did you think about it?

If no, do you plan to read it?

Carina

New Distractions #22

2013-02-03T12:55:00.001+01:00

The books I received this week:

For review:

Fractured | A Witch Alone | Gilt

Huge thanks to Hachette Children's Books UK and Simon & Schuster UK.

I definitely freaked out a little bit this week with these awesome books arriving in my mailbox. I've been super excited to read all three of these and am actually already reading A Witch Alone. The only hard thing to do will be to put off reading Fractured until the end of March, so I can publish its review closer to its release date. Not sure if I'll be able to wait so long.

Which books did you get this week?

Carina

Review: Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

2013-01-29T02:00:00.000+01:00

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
First published: January 15th, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 240

Goodreads Summary:
Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical, Uses for Boys is a story of breaking down and growing up.

I'd recommend this for an older audience (16+).

My Rating: 2.5 / 5

First thoughts:

Turning out to be completely different than I expected, Uses for Boys still was a fast and easy read, but had many moments and scenes that disturbed me. Considering the almost explicit sexual content in some parts, I'd definitely recommend this for older teens.

More detailed:

... the plot and the narration:

Even before I started reading Uses for Boys, I knew that it wouldn't be a light contemporary read. I had heard that it can be slightly depressing and heart-breaking, but since I knew what to expect I didn't mind that. Of course I felt very sorry for Anna, who was simply trying to find someone she could call family. The first person narrator tells the story from her point of view and while it focuses very strongly on her thoughts and less on dialogues and "action", I found it quite easy to read.

Nonetheless I was very surprised by the amount of sexual content in Uses for Boys. I'm definitely not a prude and usually prefer more "grown up" Young Adult novels, but at times I was a little bit disturbed by certain scenes in this story. Considering Anna's life circumstances it's somewhat easy to understand that she's looking for love and approval in people she should have just ignored, but I'm not sure whether this is the right reading material for younger teens.

... the characters:

Anna thinks back to the first years of her life very positively, remembering a mother who loves her more than anything. But with her mother's continuous quest to find the love of her life, Anna starts to feel left alone. This makes her try to find love again, searching for the perfect boyfriend. While I definitely felt sorry for her, I sadly couldn't connect with her completely. I'm not sure though whether this is because of the slightly unusual style of narration or Anna's naivety. Sadly I could connect even less with the secondary characters, who we don't get to know very well thanks to the focus on Anna's point of view and emotions. To be honest, I wanted to hate most of them since only very few seemed to really care about the poor girl.

... everything:

I'm not exactly sure how to categorize Uses for Boys. Considering Anna's age and the coming-of-age feeling to the story, I'd call it a Young Adult novel. But the sexual content is a little bit hard to ignore and would rather make me think of this as a mixture of Young and New Adult. All in all, it was a very easy and fast read, but it's definitely not one of my favorite books. Though if you're looking for something unconventional and unique to read, you should definitely give this a chance.

Buy this book:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Have you read Uses for Boys? If yes, what did you think about it?
If no, do you plan to read it?
Carina

Fictional Distractions of the Week #56 (Special Edition - Help me decide)

2013-01-28T01:30:00.000+01:00

The books I plan to read this week:

At first, I'll finish reading Hooked by Liz Fichera. I'm about 25% in while scheduling this post and so far I'm definitely intrigued enough to want to continue reading as fast as possible. I don't know much about golf and while I would wish for more explanations, it's not really confusing and very easy to read. Hope it'll continue to be like this.

Afer that I'll finally be reading Stealing Parker, which I've been wanting to read for the longest time. Since I'll be participating in the third book's blog tour in March, I really want to read this installment first, even though I doubt it's necessary since they're "just" companion novels.

And because I just cannot decide, I'll let you choose my third read for this week:

What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?

New Distractions #21

2013-01-27T13:00:00.000+01:00

The books I received this week:

For review:

In the Shadow of Blackbirds | Ethan | Dare You To | Infatuate

Huge thanks to Abrams & Chronicle Books UK, P.T. Michelle, Harlequin UK (via NetGalley) and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (via NetGalley).

As I couldn't wait to delve into it, I already read and loved Ethan - you can read my review here. But I'm equally excited for these other über-awesome books and hope to get to read them as soon as possible. I was especially crossing my fingers to get approved for Infatuate, since I loved the first book and am dying to find out more about this world!

Which books did you get this week?

Carina

Short Story Review: Ethan by P.T. Michelle

2013-01-26T13:26:00.001+01:00

Ethan by P.T. Michelle
Series: Brightest Kind of Darkness #0.5
Publisher: Self-Published
First published: January 11th, 2013
Source: Received from author
Format: eBook (Kindle)
Pages: n/a

Goodreads Summary:
Ethan Harris never thought monsters and darkness would consume his daily thoughts, but every night the same visions repeat in his dreams. He’s careful to project a semblance of normalcy, keeping the suffocating darkness locked inside. As much as he wishes he could focus on girls, sports, and cars like other seventeen-year-olds; nothing distracts him from his own demons or shines through.

Until Nara Collins crosses his path. The blonde fascinates and intrigues him, giving him a measure of peace he’s never felt before.

When Ethan discovers there’s more to Nara than she allows others to see, that she might have a unique secret of her own, suddenly his world comes into focus.

Review(s): Brightest Kind of Darkness (#1) | Lucid (#2)

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

What I thought about it:

I've been in love with this series ever since I read Brightest Kind of Darkness, so of course I had to read this prequel novella as well. It's told from Ethan's point of view and starts off even before he and Nara have met, which gives us an idea about what his life used to be like. Instead of just filling the time until the release of the third installment, it adds more dimension to the story, especially after we didn't get to see Ethan a lot in Lucid.

There has never been a doubt that Ethan is a great character, but witnessing certain moments from his point of view just makes me love him even more. His life is anything but easy, but he still seems to care more for others than for himself. Witnessing his interactions with animals is both heart breaking and beautiful.

Of course my favorite part is when he sees Nara for the first time and develops feelings for her. Those two are such a wonderful couple and I'm already crossing my fingers for them to get their happy ending. All in all, Ethan is a wonderful prequel for a series that will always be one of my favorites. If you haven't read Brightest Kind of Darkness yet, I'd recommend you to pick up a copy of these books immediately.

Buy this novella:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Have you read this series? What do you think about it?
Carina

Waiting on Wednesday #84

2013-01-23T16:58:00.001+01:00

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

This week's pick is WINTER QUEEN by Amber Argyle.
It's going to be published on June 19th, 2013 by Starling Publishing.

Goodreads Summary:
~Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.~

Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year-old Ilyenna is healed by winter fairies who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family.

Unwilling to pay such a high price, Ilyenna is enslaved by one of the invaders, Darrien. While in captivity, she learns the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation.

With the enemy stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, Ilyenna must decide whether to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the other invaders, but if she embraces winter, she will lose herself to that destroying power—forever.

I'm almost tempted to say that this cover would be enough reason to pick up Winter Queen. So gorgeous! But the actual reason why I put this onto my to-read list is the fact that it's been way too long since I've read an awesome faerie novel and this one sounds really great. Can't wait to find out more about it!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen (Blog Tour Stop)

2013-01-18T07:00:00.000+01:00

All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen
Publisher: Entangled Teen
First published: December 11th, 2012
Source: Received from publisher
Format: eBook (Kindle)
Pages: 304

Goodreads Summary:
What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

First thoughts:

Even though memory loss stories can be found very often in YA books at the moment and can therefore become a little bit tiring, I thoroughly enjoyed All the Broken Pieces.

More detailed:

... the narration and the plot:

I usually prefer stories told from a first person narrator, because they make it a lot easier to connect with the main charcter. All the Broken Pieces is told from a third person narrator who isn't omniscient though. At first this confused me since I'm not as used to this technique, but soon it no longer made a difference. We get to experience the world from Liv's point of view, who isn't a very reliable narrator thanks to her memory loss, which makes stories like this so very interesting.

As I already mentioned above, memory loss stories aren't unique and so far I have read a couple - some were good, some not so good. All the Broken Pieces is definitely one of the better ones, even though it cannot replace my current favorite. The problem I've had with its plot is the rather slow pace and the missing action. While it's mysterious, I found it to be more like a "simple" contemporary coming-of-age story with some elements that are supposed to keep us guessing. Nonetheless I loved those moments that hint at a big secret behind Liv's awful accident and I loved trying to find out about it.

... the characters:

Liv is a character you can't help but end up liking. She isn't too whiny even though she has enough reasons to be and tries to figure out the mysteries of her accident without forgetting that she has a life to live nonetheless. What I didn't like about her though, were her inconsisent reactions. There were moments when she completely overreacts, while I'm completely baffled after some scenes where her reactions are just too mild.

Spencer, too, is a very likeable main character and a great love interest for Liv. He has to work through his own issues, which makes him a very understanding friend and boyfriend for the poor girl, who never fails to support her when she needs it the most. The other characters we meet in All the Broken Pieces are diverse but none of them really stick out (except for Liv's parents maybe).

... everything:

All in all, I can definitely recommend All the Broken Pieces, if you're looking for an entertaining and slightly mysterious contemporary to your tbr-pile. It's a lot of fun to guess along with Liv and Spencer and find out what really happened. And while it's definitely possible to guess the truth (I wasn't too mistaken actually), I'm sure some of you will definitely be surprised by what truly happened.

This review is part of All the Broken Pieces' blog tour.

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog | Website

Waiting on Wednesday #83

2013-01-16T05:00:00.000+01:00

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

This week's pick is BEAUTY by Nancy Ohlin.
It's going to be published on May 7th, 2013 by Simon Pulse.
ISBN: 9781442472655 | pre-order: The Book Depository / Amazon US / Amazon UK / B&N

Goodreads Summary:
Looks to kill for...

Ana is nothing like her glamorous mother, Queen Veda, whose hair is black as ravens and whose lips are red as roses. Alas, Queen Veda loathes anyone whose beauty dares to rival her own—including her daughter.

And despite Ana’s attempts to be plain to earn her mother’s affection,
she’s sent away to the kingdom’s exclusive boarding school.

At the Academy, Ana is devastated when her only friend abandons her for the popular girls. Isolated and alone, Ana resolves to look like a true princess to earn the acceptance she desires.

But when she uncovers the dangerous secret that makes all of the girls at the Academy so gorgeous, just how far will Ana go to fit in?

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

2013-01-15T13:48:00.000+01:00

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Speak (Penguin)
First published: May 27th, 2002
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 345

Goodreads Summary:
When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

First thoughts:

Craving more contemporary stories, I decided to finally pick up one of Sarah Dessen's books that were so often recommended to me. And while I definitely enjoyed This Lullaby, I felt as though all the hype surrounding her novels had raised my expectations a bit too much.

More detailed:

... the plot:

As I don't read contemporaries too often, I always find the normalcy very refreshing. Without any paranormal secrets to reveal, I know that many people can be bored by realistic fiction, but This Lullaby has enough twists, turns and heart-breaking moments to keep me interested. And even though its narration still concentrates heavily on Remy's emotions, I was never bored.

... the characters:

I couldn't help myself but feel sorry for poor Remy who just cannot make herself believe in true love because of her mother's constantly repeated pattern of wedding and divorce. Therefore she ends up being slightly cynic, but that makes her a very entertaining first person narrator. Her attitude toward relationships can be a little bit tiring though. While she realizes that the relationship with Dexter is different than what she usually prefers, I would have wished for her to change more thoroughly toward the end.

On the other hand, Dexter turned out to be a very swoon-worthy love interest whom I was very happy to meet. While he's not the type of guy Remy usually falls for, I knew from the beginning that I'd love meeting a guy like him, because he never fails to make you smile and feel good. The secondary characters of This Lullaby are very diverse and entertaining, even though I had a hard time connecting to some of them - especially Remy's mother.

... everything:

While not completely meeting my expectations for This Lullaby, it still was a very enjoyable read that makes me want to read more of Sarah Dessen's books. It was a cute but still slightly heart-breaking contemporary read that could be the perfect beach read for the upcoming summer, if you're looking for a feisty main character and a love story that is anything but conventional.

Buy this book:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Have you read any of Sarah Dessen's books? If yes, which one would you recommend me to read next?
Carina

Fictional Distractions of the Week #55

2013-01-14T01:00:00.000+01:00

The books I plan to read this week:

At first I'll finish reading All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen, which I'm very far into and liking a lot at the moment. While I wish that the plot would move a little bit faster, I really like the mystery surrounding Liv's past. If you like memory-loss stories, this could be a great one for you! My review will be up on Friday for its blog tour.

After that I want to read Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt. I really like contemporary books at the moment and this one sounds really interesting. I already know that it's not the happy read I first thought it would be and I've heard some mixed things about it, but I'm really curious to find out what I'll think about it.

And maybe I'll even get around to start Hooked by Liz Fichera, which is another contemporary that sounds like a perfect addition to my reading pile. I haven't heard a lot about it yet, but some quite good things, so I'm looking forward to read it myself.

What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?

New Distractions #20

2013-01-13T00:30:00.000+01:00

The books I received this week:

For review:

The Nightmare Affair | Things I Can't Forget | Losing It

Huge thanks to Tor Teen, Sourcebooks Fire, and William Morrow Paperbacks.

Slowly things are getting a bit more quiet for me, but in February I'll start another internship for six weeks which will keep me super busy again. Really hoping to find enough time to read and review. Luckily I only have one side job now, which at least gives me more free time during the weekend.

And YAY! for these awesome books. Can't wait to read them!

Which books did you get this week?
Carina

Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2013-01-11T08:24:00.000+01:00

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #3
Publisher: Entangled Teen
First published: December 3rd, 2012
Source: Bought
Format: eBook (Kindle)
Pages: n/a

Goodreads Summary:
No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

I'd recommend Opal to an older audience (16+) due to sexual content and violence.
This review might include spoilers for the first two books of this series.
Review(s): Obsidian (#1) | Onyx (#2)

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

First thoughts:

Believing Opal to be the last installment of this wonderful series, I expected to get closure. You can imagine how surprised I was to realize that there are still more sequels to come, which makes me very happy as this is a series I cannot get enough of.

More detailed:

... the plot and the narration:

The Lux series has never been boring, but with every new installment the plot's getting more and more interesting. Sadly I read Opal during a very busy time, which forced me to put it down again and again, but under different circumstances this would have been a book that's almost impossible to stop reading. Sadly this lack of time to read made me enjoy it a little bit less than I probably would have, so I'm definitely planning to re-read it closer to the fourth book's release date.

Other than that, I'm still incredibly happy with Jennifer L. Armentrout's style of writing - especially Kat's witty narration and the non-stop excitement. But despite the action in Opal, I can already tell you that I'm expecting the next book to be even more nerve-wracking. And once you've read that cliffhanger ending that both broke my heart and made my secret cliffhanger-loving part of my heart smile, you'll know what I mean.

... the characters:

Of course I cannot not mention Daemon, who's probably one of the main reasons why this series is so popular. Even though he's probably always been a sweet guy ever since the first book, he only truly starts to show this now and I love getting to know new sides of him. And considering Kat's reactions to him, I'm not the only one who likes the more open and slightly romantic side of Daemon.

Character-wise we also get to encounter some surprises. Some of those are slightly heart-breaking and will make you want to erase the words of the book and rewrite them, others will make you want to continue reading as fast as possible just to find out whether those people will continue to develop so positively.

... everything:

All in all, I really liked the third book of the Lux series and after that mean cliffhanger ending I cannot wait for the fourth installment. I'm not sure whether to recommend you to wait to read this until the release of the fourth book has come closer, because I'm pretty sure that Jennifer L. Armentrout will torture us again with a mean ending - and you'd just miss some very awesome Daemon-time. If you haven't even started reading this series, I don't even know why you're wasting precious time reading this review - grab a copy of Obsidian and start reading now.

Buy this book:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Do you love this series as much as I do? If you haven't read it yet, do you plan to do so soon?
Carina

Waiting on Wednesday #82

2012-12-26T15:20:00.004+01:00

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

This week's pick is PARALLEL by Lauren Miller.

It's going to be published on May 14th, 2013 by HarperTeen.
ISBN: 9780062199775 | pre-order: The Book Depository / Amazon US / Amazon UK / B&N

Goodreads Summary:
Abby Barnes had a plan. Get into a great college, major in journalism, and land a dream job at a major newspaper. But on the eve of her 18th birthday, she is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she’s in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. A cosmic collision of parallel universes has left Abby living a new reality every time parallel Abby makes a decision. Now Abby must race against time to take control of her fate without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that’s finally in reach.

First of all, Merry Christmas! I'm very sorry for still being so inactive, but at the moment my life's just simply crazy and I have so many other things to do that I rarely find the time to read or even come online. Even though it's the holidays, I have to get some uni stuff done and am spending my day in front of the laptop with a couple of law textbooks.

But I thought it was time for a break and therefore some Waiting on Wednesday love. I really like the sound of Parallel since I absolutely adore books with parallel worlds. Really hope that this one will be as awesome as it sounds.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Fictional Distractions of the Week #54

2012-12-17T18:24:00.000+01:00

The books I plan to read this week:

Oh wow, can you believe that this is an actual post? I'm incredibly sorry for being so inactive this month, but exams and work have kept me so busy that I preferred to spent my time off offline. But I finally have some time and motivation to sit down and get some blogging done, so here you go. I really hope you can forgive me my absence and still know who I am. ;)

My first read for this (finally more quiet) week it Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout, which I've actually already started last week and definitely like. I really hope to be able to finally delve into it completely and enjoy the awesomeness that is Daemon. Although I really don't want this series to end...

After that I'll finally be reading Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, which has already been on my tbr-pile at the beginning of this month, but with everything getting in my way I just hadn't found the time to pick it up. Really excited for this, especially since I've heard amazing things about Sarah's style of writing.

And maybe I'll even have a chance to start reading Splintered by A.G. Howard which sounds like a really fantastic and unique read. So far I didn't read many reviews for it (even though I know that some are already online), so it's going to be some kind of surprise for me.

What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?

Review: Silver by Talia Vance

2012-12-02T15:06:00.000+01:00

Silver by Talia Vance
Series: Bandia #1
Publisher: Flux
First published: September 8th, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 374

Goodreads Summary:
Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.

Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.

I'd recommend Silver to an older audience (16+) due to sexual content and violence.

My Rating: 3.0 / 5

First thoughts:

With fascinating mythology but characters that I didn't really like that much, Silver was an enjoyable read for me, but won't end up on any of my favorite lists for this year.

More detailed:

... the plot and the narration:

Based on Celtic mythology, Silver has unique paranormal elements that make it an interesting read. It doesn't take long for the actual plot to begin and I'm still happy about the twists and turns Talia Vance weaved into her story. Nonetheless I was sometimes confused by explanations about the paranormal aspects and would have wished for more structured explanations that would have helped me understand the nature of those characters more.

... the characters:

My main problem with Silver is my lack of connection to the characters and the love story. While I definitely enjoy the plot and mythology used as explained above, I just didn't feel the connection between Brianna and Blake even though the concept of a forbidden love story usually is highly addicting for me. For me, these two felt forced together - I'm not sure whether it's supposed to be an effect of their "bond", but I didn't like it.

Sadly I also didn't really feel connected to Brianna as the narrator and protagonist of Silver. I don't mind sexual content in YA books I read, but I don't like a main character who just goes off with the first guy who seems to notice her. Apart from that, I also didn't understand her reactions to finding out more about her heritage and abilities. But that's actually something I didn't like about every character - if they found out about something that they naturally weren't supposed to know, they didn't come close to freaking out and didn't even question the things they were told.

... everything:

All in all, I definitely enjoyed Silver even though I didn't fall in love with it. I need to feel connected to a book's characters for the story to have any real impact on me, and sadly this wasn't the case with this book. But if you're looking for a book with intriguing and unique mythological elements, then I think you'll definitely like this one.

Challenge(s):

Debut Author Challenge 2012

YA Mythology Challenge 2012

Buy this book:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Are you a fan of mythology in YA books? If yes, do you think about reading Silver? Or have you already read it and, if yes, what did you think about it?

Fictional Distractions of the Week #53

2012-11-26T18:23:00.000+01:00

The books I plan to read this week:

My first read for this new week will be Through to You by Emily Hainsworth. I've been wanting to read it for a while now and I just love books with parallel worlds - and this book seems to be even a little bit more heartbreaking than others. And while the concept sounds depressing, I cannot wait to delve into this crazy-sounding world.

Then I'm going to read Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, which I've heard amazing things about. Sadly I have not yet read any of Sarah's books, but this one sounds like a great way to finally do so. I really hope the writing's as witty as so many reviews have promised and that I will get pulled into a very intriguing paranormal story.

After that I'm finally going to read a non-review-book and that is This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. Can you believe I haven't read any of her books yet? No? I can't either. But I'm going to change that now after reading an excerpt of her upcoming novel The Moon and More, which made me crave to read more contemporary awesomeness.

What are your Fictional Distractions of the Week?

New Distractions #19

2012-11-25T13:34:00.000+01:00

The books I got this week:

Gifted:

Delirium

For review:

Hooked | Wicked Kiss | Mila 2.0

Huge thanks to the lovely Michelle from MuchLovedBooks for the copy of Delirium. I really hope to read this soon, because I can't believe I haven't read it yet.
Also thanks to Harlequin Teen (via NetGalley) and HarperCollins (via Edelweiss) for the review copies.

Pretty, pretty new additions to my tbr-pile. I really cannot believe I haven't read Delirium yet, but I need to change this as soon as possible. Big thanks to Michelle again for sending me this! I'm also very happy about these awesome review copies that I can't wait to delve into. Wish my days had more hours so I could spend more time reading.

Which books did you get this week?
Carina

Which book should I read?
	Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter
	Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
	Wings of the Wicked by Courtney A. Moulton
	Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
	Fated by Sarah Alderson

pollcode.com free polls