The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 - Teaser Trailer

#OurLeaderTheMockingjay

   So... I woke up around 7am to take my meds and what do I find on my phone? A message from a friend of mine, who is currently over in the US, saying that "The Trailer will be released in 1 1/2 hours". No questions asked I immediately knew which trailer he meant and so I ventured onto YouTube to find said trailer and there it was, waiting for me to watch it - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Teaser Trailer!
   Here's the thing for all of you who didn't see it yet or simply want to watch it again (and again, and again...):

   I am super happy they finally released it to the world, aka those who ain't in the US with their Best Buys or lucky enough to be able to go to ComicCon. I sure am "sad" that it's only a teaser and not a full trailer, but no matter what, it still looks damn awesome, don't you think?
   Katniss looks spot on amazing. She has this deep sadness and this look of someone who truly is broken in her eyes so I applause Jennifer Lawrence yet again for showing us that she most definitely is an amazing actress. It's great that we finally get to see some of the new characters like President Coin or Cressida.
   And just that moment when the boy asks Katniss "You fighting Katniss? Are you here to fight with us?" and Katniss answers "I am. I will." is just so powerful, somehow. I don't know, is it just me who finds this moment amazing and emotional?
   All in all I am super curious how the two Mockingjay parts will play out, how they have made some of the scenes and just generally how it'll all look like in the finished thing. I am super excited for the movie and truly cannot wait for November to finally come, even if that means that summer will be already over. I just want to see that movie really bad, because it's the Hunger Games, no more explanation needed, eh?

   And that is all for this morning from me. It's 8am and I only slept for like way too short so I am heading back to bed. I hope you are just as excited for this movie and I would be happy if you would share your opinion with me and everybody in the comment here or on my facebook page.

   Cheerio!

Review: Erased by Margaret Chatwin

Erased by Margaret Chatwin
Published: June 2013 
Number of pages:  286 (Paperback)
Series: No 

   There’s that moment – you know the moment – when you emerge from sub-consciousness and enter full awareness. Now imagine reaching that moment with a pounding head, throbbing body, hospital ID band around your wrist, and no memory. No idea why you hurt the way you do, or how you got where you are. No clue what your own name is, or who the people next to you are.
    I’m seventeen-year-old Ryan Farnsworth, and that’s what happened to me. Now I have to walk a mile in my own, unfamiliar shoes; view myself through the eyes of a perfect stranger; live the life a former me chose. I also need to figure out why that former me tried to kill me. (goodreads)

   I received a free copy of Erased by Margaret Chatwin in exchange for a honest review.

   Let me start this review by pointing out that this book has a male protagonist, something I don’t come across often. I must admit that it was a very refreshing and fun change. This fact already lead me into liking Erased.
   When I first read the synopsis of Erased on goodreads, I immediately knew that it’s exactly the type of story, which I would enjoy. It deals with memory loss and the whole process of finding yourself and your memories. I enjoy stories like this greatly, and so it comes as no surprise, when I say that I enjoyed Erased a lot.
   The story we are presented with in Erased is written in a way, which comes across in a very believable and realistic way. The pace in which Ryan, the protagonist of this story, gets his memories back is amazingly good and fun. Also the way Ryan explores his former life and self is both sad and fun at the same time. And seeing him come to the conclusion, that maybe the way he was before the accident, which was declared to be a suicide attempt, wasn’t good was brilliant.

“Could I…I really need a drink. Could I maybe borrow a glass of water from you?” (Ryan)

“Borrow? Well, we might want the glass back, but you can keep the water, we have a whole sink full.” (Paige)

   Also his relationship with his brother Lucas is very believable and the way it plays out over the course of the book is well paced and also adds to the level of believability of this story. And yes, I know it’s just a story so the whole ‘believable’ or not factor isn’t that important, but I enjoy it when it’s present.

   Ryan is a very likable character. The way he describes everything that happens around him and inside of him is great. The further I was into the story, the more I liked Ryan. 

   “If you think I’m over-exaggerating or being whiny when I say that, you go throw yourself off of a cliff, break damn near every bone in your body and then get back to me about the matter.” (Ryan) 

   Lucas, Ryans brother, is also a very nicely crafted character. I felt sorry for him throughout most of the story, due to the way people and even his very own family treats him.

“No grounding. But it better not happen again, and if it does, the two of you had better run like hell, because I’m sick and tired of coming to school. That thing you call principal frightens me.” (Ryan’s dad)

   Speaking of people, I really did hate Ryan’s former friend Zane, who just behaved like a total ass toward everybody, including Ryan. And also Tasha just annoyed me which made me root for Paige even more, because she just seemed like the right kind of girl for Ryan.
The ending and epilogue were simply perfect and made it even harder for me to say goodbye to the characters in Erased.

   All in all, I had a lot of run reading the story, even though it deals with quite a hard topic, which on the other hand is exactly what I like. I can only recommend it to everybody, even though it might not be your average summer read, but it’s still a great read.

   I give Erased by Margaret Chatwin five out of five stars.

June Wrap Up

   June wasn't the best reading month for me. Somehow I ended up in quite a reading slump for no obvious reason. After finishing Hell's Knights by Bella Jewel and being somewhere halfway through Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout I got stuck. Toward the end of the month I picked up Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, which was most definately an amazing summer read and it pulled be out of that slump, which makes me happy, because I really missed reading.

Book of the Month:
Because it's a great summer read
and it, obviously, includes a road trip
and who could say no to a book that
has one? No one! Loved it!

Books read:

• Retribution by Amy Rachel Thompson [2 stars]
• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout [5 Stars]
• Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout [5 Stars]
• Hell's Knights by Bella Jewel [3 Stars]
• Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson [5 Stars] 

Books acquired:

• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
• Left Drowning by Jessica Park
• Feed by Mira Grant
• The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa 
• World War Z by Max Brooks
• Varient by Robinson Wells
• Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
• Hell's Knights by Bella Jewel
• Rebel by Amy Tintera
• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
• The Program by Suzanne Young
• Tease by Amanda Maciel
• The Merciless by Danielle Vega



Most anticipated read:
The Merciless by Danielle Vega.
I am super excited to continue reading
this one, because it looks really
promissing!

• Amy & Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

~ In Progress ~

• The Merciless by Danielle Vega [23%]
• Tease by Amanda Maciel [28%]
• Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski [26%]
• Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout [62%]
• The Immortal Rule by Julie Kagawa [23%]
• Paradigm by Ceri A. Lowe [3%]

   I'm hoping that July will be a better month, in terms of reading, but as Camp NaNoWriMo goes all through July, I'm not sure if I manage to time my time good enough to find enough time for both reading and writing.