NaNoWriMo

Montag, 28. Oktober 2013

  Hey guys!

  It's almost November and you, may or may not, know what that means.... IT'S NANOWRIMO TIME! I'm sure many of you are asking yourselves now "What the hell is she talking about?", so let me explain.



   NaNoWriMo is the National Novel Writing Month where you get 30 days to write a (at least) 50.000 word novel. You have time from November 1st till 30th, where between the 25th and 30th you can upload what you wrote onto their page so they can check if you really wrote 50.000 or more words, and if you did you are a winner. As NaNoWriMo winner you get a lot of different possibilities of what you can do: many pages like lulu.com or createspace.com, which are pages that make becoming a self-published author happen, offer discounts on their services and many more.
   But, if you don't succeed or you are not happy with what you wrote, it's okay. Don't delete it or be sad, you tried which is already a huge step into the right direction, besides maybe in a month or two you'll read over your work again and come to the conclusion that it is not as bad as you thought.

   This year I'm going to participate for the first time (SO excited). I'm basically going to try and write my second novel for my "Hunting Freedom"-Trilogy, which is going to be a huge challenge as I have to manage not only writing at least 50.000 words but also school and all. But, I will still try and I encourage all of you, who like writing or have thought about writing a book, to also participate and who knows maybe in November you will write your first best-seller.
   If you decide to participate, you can add me as "writing buddy", which doesn't really give me anything besides having you as "writing buddy".

   Besides that, I also wanted to thank everybody who showed interest in my novel, Into the Unknown, till now and I want to encourage you to go and check it out if you didn't do it yet, especially if you are a fan of dystopian societies and such.

              Cheerio! 

Elements Book Cover TAG

Freitag, 4. Oktober 2013

 Hey Guys!
Today I have a slightly different Post for you. Todays post is going to be a "Elements Book Cover TAG", which is actually more of a YouTube thing, but I decided to do it anyways. Basically what this TAG is about is that you have to pick nine books which correspond to the nine tasks which have something to do with the four elements (earth, air, fire and water) plus one bonus task.
The way I'm going to do this is that I'm going to give you the task + the cover and synopsis + my justification as to why I chose that book. Sounds good, doesn't it?
So let's begin!

The first element is Water:
1) Find a book with water on it. 
Renegade by J. A. Soulders
  Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.
  But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. 
Her memories have been altered. 
  Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. 
  And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.
  Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all. (goodreads) 

  This is actually the cover of the German version of this book and I chose it because it's the version that I have. And the reason why I chose it for this task is because the whole cover is basically water PLUS the story itself is set underwater. I read this book a while ago and unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped that I would enjoy it.

2) Find a book with blue on it.
iBoy by Kevin Brooks
  What can he do with his new powers — and what are they doing to him? 
  Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they're having an extraordinary effect on his every thought. 
  Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: To avenge Lucy, the girl he loves, will he hunt down the vicious gangsters who hurt her? Will he take the law into his own electric hands and exterminate them from the South London housing projects where, by fear and violence, they rule? 
  Not even his mental search engine can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy's actions.(goodreads)

   At first I wanted to choose City of Glass by Cassandra Clare for this task BUT then I realized that only the German version is completely blue so I changed my mind and decided to go with iBoy. The cover contains quite a bit of blue so I guess it fits the task. I actually enjoyed reading this book even though it's a really freaky story but hey, who doesn't like freaky stories from time to time?

The next element is Fire:
1) Find a book with fire on it. 
The Ice People 2 - Witch Hunt by Margit Sandemo
Summer 1586: Silje, the courageous sixteen-year-old peasant girl orphaned by the Trondheim plague in the opening Ice People Novel, Spellbound, has just come of age in this sequel Witch-hunt. Having fled for her life with her adored ‘wolf-man’ Tengel and two children she rescued from the plague, she is struggling at 21 to come to terms with the harchness of life among witches and warlocks in the high mountain valley of the mysterious Ice People.
Silje has bravely borne Tengel their first child, a daughter Liv. But their life of austere poverty is shattered when savage, witch-hunting troops invade the remote valley to slaughter all its feared inhabitants. Warned in time, Silje, Tengel and the three children flee from the carnage to the lowlands ... But are they unknowingly carrying with them to the rest of Europe the accursed heritage of the Ice People? (goodreads)


Like you can see this also isn't the English cover but the polish one, as again it's the one that I have and I simply couldn't find any other book with fire on it. So that’s also why I chose it: it has fire on the cover, it's about hunting witches (which as we all know used to be burned alive using fire) and so I think it fits the task. I read this book and the whole series to which it belongs a really long time ago and I absolutely loved it. Even though I'm normally not a fan of books that are set in like the 16-19th Century, this one was simply amazing.

2) Find a book with red on it.
The Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
Nobody is safe in the secret hour.
Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma.
Time freezes. Nobody moves.
For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour -- only they are free to move about the midnight time.
These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School.
Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.( goodreads) 

I chose this book because the cover consists of quite a bit of red and because I really enjoyed it and also the other two parts of this series. I liked how the story developed and read this particular part I think at least twice. 

The next element is Earth:
1) Find a book with something related to earth on it.
What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
  “Don’t even think of leaving… I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”
  Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it.
  With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both. (goodreads)

  I chose this lovely cover because it has earth and trees on it which are both obviously related to earth. I've not read this book yet but I am planning on reading it, some when, as I think that the synopsis sounds quite interesting and I really like the cover. (Yes, I know 'don't judge a book by its cover')  

 2) Find a book with green on it.
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
  Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.
  Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.
  In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space. (goodreads)

One reason why I chose this book is because the cover contains the color green but also because it's my favorite book of all. I read it so many times, it's unbelievable. I also wrote a review for this book some time ago but it's in German. (Review) I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves awesome stories filled with action and character development and also to everyone who loves really great dystopian novel, because this one is brilliant!

The next element is Air:
1) Find a book with air on it.
  Tomorrow, when the war began by John Marsden
When Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip in the Australian bush, they find things hideously wrong — their families are gone. Gradually they begin to comprehend that their country has been invaded and everyone in their town has been taken prisoner. As the reality of the situation hits them, they must make a decision — run and hide, give themselves up and be with their families, or fight back.(
goodreads) 


 I have to admit that I was quite unsure which book I should choose for air as I wasn't quite sure what is exactly meant but I finally decided to choose this one. On the top part of the cover we see the sky and airplanes flying and both relate to air, so I think it should be an alright choice.
I've not read this book yet but I really want to as the synopsis sounds really interesting, just like the title and also the cover looks amazing.
 

 2) Find a book with white on it.
Legend by Marie Lu
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. (
goodreads) 

Again you can see that I chose the German cover because it’s mostly white. The English cover is silver with a bit of white, with which I wasn't satisfied so I chose the German one, which is also the one I have.
I love this book and I also love its sequel Prodigy. The way it is written and the way the story develops is very interesting and I can really recommend it to anyone who loves good dystopian novels.  

Bonus: Find a book with the colors blue, red, green and white on it.

Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart
  Jake Stephens was always an average, fly-under-the-radar guy. The kind of guy who would never catch the attention of an insanely popular girl like Amanda Blake-or a psychic teenage government agent like Cass. But one day during lunch, Jake's whole life changed. He and Amanda suddenly locked eyes across the cafeteria, and at the exact same instant, they turned into zombies and devoured half their senior class.
  Now Jake definitely has Amanda's attention-as well as Cass's, since she's been sent on a top-secret mission to hunt them down. As Jake and Amanda deal with the existential guilt of eating their best friends, Cass struggles with a growing psychic dilemma of her own-one that will lead the three of them on an epic journey across the country and make them question what it means to truly be alive.
Or undead. (goodreads)

I chose this cover because it not only contains all the colors (red, green, white and blue) but also because I find it really funny. I've also not read this one yet but it sounds funny and so I will definitely read it, after I'm done with all the books that I'm planing to read in the next weeks and months.  

  And thats it. Those are the book covers that I have chosen. I hope you found this TAG interesting, if so I encourage you to (if you have a blog yourself) do this TAG too and paste a link to it into the comments underneath this Post.
 

                                             Cheerio!

Review: Paranoia - Riskantes Spiel (Film, 2013)

Donnerstag, 3. Oktober 2013

Titel: Paranoia - Riskantes Spiel
Original titel: Paranoia 
Erscheinungajahr: 2013
FSK: 12
Länge: 106 Minuten
Hauptdarsteller: Liam Hemsworth (Adam Cassidy)
Gary Oldman (Nicholas Wyatt)
Harrison Ford (Jock Goddard)


   Adam Cassidy kommt aus Brooklyn und mauserte sich im Keller seiner Eltern zu einem erfahrenen Hacker und Computerpezialisten. Er arbeitet hart an sich, um eines Tages genug Geld zu verdienen, um seinen Vater versorgen zu können. Seinen Aushilfsjob bei der Wyatt Corporation verliert er jedoch beinahe, als er die Geburtstagsparty eines Kollegen über die Firmenrechnung bezahlen lässt. As der CEO der Wyatt Corporation Nicholas Wyatt von diesem Streich erfährt, stellt er Adam vor die Wahl: Entweder er wird wegen Untreue angeklagt oder Adam erklärt sich bereit, Wyatts Rivalen und ehemaligen Mentor Jock Goddard auszuspionieren, dessen Telekommunikationsunternehmen Trion in Konkurrenz zu Wyatt steht.
   Adam gelingt es, in Goddards Unternehmen einzusteigen und mehr noch: Bald schon ist er ein aufstrebender Star bei Trion, schwimmt im Luxus, hat eine schöne Freundin und wird zum Vertrauten Goddards. Doch dann gerät Adam zwischen die Fronten, denn Wyatt geht notfalls auch über Leichen, um an sein Ziel zu gelangen.(moviepilot)

  Langsam bekomm ich das Gefühl das Hollywood entweder die Ideen oder das Streben nach guten storielines ausgeht, denn bei Paranoia fehlt irgendwie die Action, der thrill und dinge die den Film irgendwie interessant machen würden. Die Story scheint irgendwie leblos und war in dieser Form schon hunderte male vorher auf der großen Leinwand. Und mit Paranoia hatte der Film auch nicht wirklich was zu tun.
  Womit der Film punktet ist die Besetzung: nicht nur bietet Paranoia einem Liam Hemsworth, den man schon aus Filmen wie The Hunger Games oder Mit dir an meiner Seite kennt, sondern auch mit zwei Film-titanen in Form von Gary Oldman und Harrison Ford, beides Schauspieler die ich sehr mag. Alle drei versuchen dem Film das nötige etwas zu geben jedoch wenn der Film schon von vorne herein zum Scheitern verurteilt ist, können die Schauspieler auch nicht mehr viel daran ändern.
  Die Story ist simple: Junger aufstrebender Junge gerät zwischen die Machtspiele zweier Firmenmogule und schafft es dennoch irgendwie nicht komplett in der ganzen Sache unter zu gehen. Die Story würde Potenzial bieten wenn sie nicht auf eine total uninteressante und leblose Art und Weise geschrieben worden wäre, aber was erwarte ich auch, immerhin basiert der Film auf einem Buch und wir wissen ja alle das so was nur schlecht gehen kann.
  Ich habe auch ein wenig das Gefühl bekommen das der Film mehr Wert auf die Optik gesetzt hat als auf die Story selbst und das sie sich wohl gedacht haben "hey, nehmen wir doch beliebte Schauspieler für diesen Film, dann wird bestimmt niemanden auffallen das die Story nicht ganz so toll ist" aber wie gut auch Liam Hemsworth aussehen mag, mit aussehen alleine kann man keinen durchschnittlichen Film besser machen.
  Durchschnittlich, genau das ist der Film. Weder gut noch schlecht, einfach nur so was nicht Erwähnenswertes in der Mitte. 
 

  Alles in allem bot das Thema potential das leider in den Sand gesetzt wurde. Die schauspielerischen Leistungen waren sehr gut aber leider schafften auch diese es nicht den Film zu retten. Auffallend ist auch das ich nicht die einzige bin die dieser Meinung ist. Viele Kritiker gaben Paranoia - Riskantes Spiel eine negative Kritik und auch viele Kinobesucher gingen enttäuscht aus den Kinosälen. Ob Paranoia nun die 6-9 Euro wert ist, die man für den Kinobesuch investieren muss, muss jeder für sich entscheiden. Ich kann jedoch sagen dass ich den Film nicht so gut fand auch wenn der Trailer vielversprechend war.


Meine Bewertung: 2.5/5 Sternen