Happy Monday!
Tomorrow is May 1st and what a way to start off the month! In Adult books, Gulliver Takes Manhattan by Justin Luke Zirilli has been getting a lot of buzz. I personally look forward to reading that one. If you haven't noticed already, there are quite a few Young Adult books coming out tomorrow, many being sequels or continuations of specific series. I know most of you are jumping up and down in anticipation for Veronica Roth's Insurgent, sequel to Divergent. The 3 that I have my eyes on are Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan, The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze, and The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova.
In movies we have a couple of films that are already out on dvd, but are finally being released on blu-ray, one being Meet Joe Black which I am super excited about. If you like action and women that kick a** then you might want to try Haywire, starring MMA fighter Gina Carano. If you want a good date movie that will make you laugh and cry at the same time, then New Years Eve is definitely a must and is my personal favorite in the movie category this week.
Not much going on in TV Series, but some of you may be excited for the release of older shows finally being put on dvd for the first time, such as the animated series Shazzan and the original Invisible Man.
So what releases are you most excited about this week?
Enjoy!
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BOOKS (MAY 1st)
ADULT
Danger That Is Damion, The (Zodius, #3)
by: Lisa Renee Jones
The diabol
ical General Powell created Kayla Martin, a beautiful super-soldier, to help him destroy his valiant enemies. But when Kayla is pitted against the renegade Damion Browne, she discovers that not only is her life in danger, but her heart as well. Enemies soon swarm around Kayla and she must trust the dangerous Damion to embrace her as his ally. As they struggle to defeat a madman, their trust in each other becomes the only chance they have to find peace...and love.Gulliver Takes Manhattan
by: Justin Luke Zirilli
When twe
nty-something Gulliver Leverenz abandons sunny L.A. for a fresh start in New York, he’s leaving behind his family, his friends—and one bastard ex-boyfriend who can’t take a hint. With no money, job, or direction, Gully gratefully accepts an invitation to crash with his former fraternity brother Todd.As luck would have it, Todd lives in Hell’s Kitchen, New York’s hottest “gayborhood,” and is a rising star in the gay nightlife scene, complete with a crew of incredibly hot friends. Not long after, Gully snags a job with a talent agent and even finds himself a new boyfriend. There’s just one catch: Gulliver knows this budding relationship could get him in a lot of trouble. And inevitably, it does just that. Gulliver’s streak of good fortune soon takes a turn for the miserable as his choices unleash an onslaught of catastrophes that leaves him in a tragic and seemingly hopeless situation beneath the skyscrapers.
But Gully’s tougher than he realizes and is determined to prove, for once and for all, that he has what it takes to make it in New York. By turns exciting, sad, and hysterically funny, Gulliver Takes Manhattan is a refreshingly candid tale of one man’s quest to stake a place for himself in the greatest city in the world.
Sparks Fly (Light Dragons, #3)
by: Katie MacAlister
The First
Dragon has Ysolde de Bouchier in his sights demandingthat she right past wrongs. So, with the help of some familiar friends, Ysolde sets into motion an elaborate plan that will have repercussions throughout the mortal and immortal worlds. But when a member of her family is held hostage, no one is safe from the fire of her rage...
Wolf Town Mate
by: Joely Sky
The wildest
heart can’t outrun love.Wolf Town
After years of hiding from other mind controllers, loneliness drives Scott to break his own rule and allow himself to fall asleep in a stranger’s arms. Rory’s been keeping an eye on Scott for his pack alpha. Seduction wasn’t part of the plan, but now maintaining distance isn’t an option. No matter how far or fast Scott runs…
Push Pull
For Rory, life is all about connections. But for Scott, connections spell danger—for himself and everyone he cares about. The bottom line is, Scott has only a small window of time to treasure every moment with his lover. Yet when a shadow from the past inevitably appears, he discovers he can’t just cut and run.
Moon Run
Wolf Town never quite felt like home to Iain—until he bonds with Teo. Yet the scars of his past mangle his declaration of love. The young wolf’s fumbling explanation for his attraction only serves to remind Teo why it’s a bad idea to date within the pack.
Teo’s apparent rejection not only breaks Iain’s heart, it triggers a deep-seated desperation that pushes him to take a terrible chance to show Teo their shared link is no illusion.
YOUNG ADULT
Being Friends With Boys
by: Terra Elan McVoy
Charlott
e and Oliver have been friends forever. She knows that he, Abe, and Trip consider her to be one of the guys, and she likes it that way. She likes being the friend who keeps them all together. Likes offering a girl's perspective on their love lives. Likes being the behind-the-scenes wordsmith who writes all the lyrics for the boys' band. Char has a house full of stepsisters and a past full of backstabbing (female) ex-best friends, so for her, being friends with boys is refreshingly drama-free...until it isn't any more.When a new boy enters the scene and makes Char feel like, well, a total girl...and two of her other friends have a falling out that may or may not be related to one of them deciding he possibly wants to be more than friends with Char...being friends with all these boys suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.
Bitterblue (Graceling Realm, #3)
by: Kristin Cashore, Ian Schoenherr
Eight y
ears after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart
Black Dawn (The Morganville Vampires, #12)
by: Rachel Cain
The hotl
y-anticipated twelfth installment in the Morganville Vampires series.In Last Breath, the rain brought a new and dire threat to Morganville and its vampires... their ancient enemies, the draug. Now, the vampires are fighting a losing war, and it will fall to the residents of the Glass House: Michael, Eve, Shane and Claire, to take the fight to an enemy who threatens to destroy the town, forever.
Lovers of Morganville, rejoice: Black Dawn takes the intrigue, romance and nail-biting suspense of the series to its highest level yet!
Body & Soul (The Ghost and the Goth, #3)
by: Stacey Kade
Alona D
are has been living as Lily “Ally” Turner for over a month...and it's not been easy. Besides being trapped in a body so not as good as her original one, she's failing miserably at playing the sister and daughter of people she barely knows. Plus, she can't help but think that Will Killian - the boy she hates to care about - somehow wishes the real Lily were back.She and Will have been trying to find a solution, looking for a two-for-one miracle that would free Alona and keep Lily alive. Visits to local psychics have proven useless, but then they stumble across Malachi the Magnificent, who seems to be different. His office is full of ghosts, for one thing. But Malachi doesn’t seem to hear or see them, which is odd. Plus, he bolts the moment he sees Will. To make things even weirder, Misty Evans, Alona's former best friend, is waiting in Malachi's lobby and claiming that she's being haunted. By Alona.
Will's convinced that Malachi has answers, while Alona is all kinds of pissed that someone's impersonating her. But their efforts to uncover the truth will bring them much unwanted attention and put them directly in the path of a ghost who will stop at nothing for another stab at life. Even if it means destroying Alona.
Crazy Dangerous
by: Andrew Klavan
Sam Ho
pkins is bored with his status as a preacher's kid. So when a group of guys notorious for being in trouble offers him friendship, he accepts. Before long, he has several new skills—including hot-wiring cars.At school, there's an eccentric loner named Jennifer. When Sam defends her from being bullied, she begins to seek him out as her only friend. Her ramblings often seem illogical . . . but then start to contain grains of truth. One leads Sam to discover that one of his new friends has been killed. And then she tells him, "I'm looking for the devil." Sam doesn't know what that means, but he knows it's a matter of life and death that he figure it out.
Everyone else thinks Jennifer is suffering from schizophrenia. But Sam is starting to wonder if there could be something prophetic in her words. Discovering the truth is going to be both crazy and dangerous.
Golden Lily, The (Bloodlines, #2)
by: Richelle Mead
The sec
ond thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series.Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.
Insurgent (Divergent, #2)
by: Veronica Roth
New Y
ork Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series. One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
Last Princess, The
by: Galaxy Craze
Happily
ever after is a thing of the past.A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.
When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.
Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess.
Revived
by: Cat Patrick
As a litt
le girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.
Shine (Shade, #3)
by: Jeri Smith- Ready
In this
dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.
As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.
Sweet Evil
by: Wendy Higgins
What if t
here were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
Vicious Deep, The
by: Zoraida Cordova
For Tri
stan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.
His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.
Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.
Waiting
by: Carol Lynch Williams
After her
brother’s death, a teen struggles to rediscover love and find redemption in this gripping novel.Growing up in Africa and Latin America as the children of missionaries, London and Zach were as close as could be. And then Zach dies, and the family is gutted. London’s father is distant. Her mother won’t speak. The days are filled with what-ifs and whispers: Did Zach take his own life? Was it London’s fault?
Alone and adrift, London finds herself torn between her brother’s best friend and the handsome new boy in town as she struggles to find herself—and ultimately redemption—in this authentic and affecting novel from award-winning novelist Carol Lynch Williams.
When You Were Mine
by: Rebecca Serle
In this
intensely romantic, modern recounting of the greatest love story ever told, Romeo’s original intended—Juliet’s cousin Rosaline—tells her side of the tale. What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell you: Everything. Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance. Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends…
Wrecked
by: Anna Davies
Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this. Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.
But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm.
Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.
MOVIES & TV SERIES (MAY 1st)
MOVIES
Clueless [blu-ray release]
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Ali
cia Silverstone, Stacey DashJane Austen might never have imagined that her 1816 novel Emma could be turned into a fresh and satirical look at ultra-rich teenagers in a Beverly Hills high school. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne (Stacey Dash), both named after "great singers of the past that now do infomercials," are pampered upper-class girls who care less about getting good grades than wearing the right clothes and being as popular as possible. But Cher, who lives with her tough yet warm-hearted lawyer dad (Dan Hedaya) and hunky, sensitive stepbrother (Paul Rudd), also has an innate urge to help those less fortunate -- like the two introverted teachers she brings together ("negotiating" herself improved grades in the process) and new friend Tai (Brittany Murphy), who starts out a geek and ends up a Cher prodigy. Cher also possesses her own sensitive side, and she is looking for the perfect boyfriend, whom she ends up finding where she least expected.
Haywire
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Gina
CaranoThis dynamic action-thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh boasts a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Michael Douglas, Michael Angarano; and introduces MMA superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts. Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive.
Joyful Noise
Directed by: Todd Graff
Starring: Queen
Latifah, Dolly PartonThe small town of Pacashau, Georgia, has fallen on hard times, but the people are counting on the Divinity Church Choir to lift their spirits by winning the National Joyful Noise Competition. The choir has always known how to sing in harmony, but the discord between its two leading ladies now threatens to tear them apart. Their newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), stubbornly wants to stick with their tried-and-true traditional style, while the fiery G.G. Sparrow (Parton) thinks tried-and-true translates to tired-and-old. Shaking things up even more is the arrival of G.G.'s rebellious grandson, Randy (Jeremy Jordan). Randy has an ear for music, but he also has an eye for Vi Rose's beautiful and talented daughter, Olivia (Keke Palmer), and the sparks between the two teenagers are causing even more heat between G.G. and Vi Rose.
Meet Joe Black [blu-ray release]
Directed by: Martin Brest
Starring: Br
ad Pitt, Anthony HopkinsThe cycle of life on Earth hangs in the balance when Death becomes emotionally involved in this romantic fantasy. William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) is a tremendously wealthy and powerful man who oversees a worldwide multi-media empire. Despite the loss of his wife, whom he dearly loved, William is content with his life, and he's very close to his two daughters, Allison (Marcia Gay Harden) and Susan (Claire Forlaini). One night, as William is fighting a hostile takeover of his company and Allison is planning an elaborate party to celebrate her dad's 65th birthday, William begins displaying the symptoms of a severe heart attack, and he is visited by a mysterious stranger, Joe Black (Brad Pitt). Joe is actually the angel of death, who has taken the form of a man who recently passed on to pay William a call. It seems that William is due to move on to the next world, but (no great surprise) he doesn't want to go. Joe, on the other hand, is curious to know what life is like for mere mortals, so the two men strike a deal -- William will have some time to get his affairs in order, and Joe will wait and see what it's like to be a human being. Joe decides that he likes it very much when he falls in love with Susan, but negotiating the slippery slopes of romance is no easier for Joe than for any ordinary man.
New Years Eve
Directed by: Gary Marshall
Starring: H
ilary Swank, Michelle PfeifferNew Year's Eve is all about parties, glitz, a midnight kiss, and maybe a few short-lived resolutions, right? Or could it be about something more? Valentine's Day writer Katherine Fugate and director Garry Marshall have once again joined forces to explore one of the most emotionally charged days of the year. Their uncanny ability to tell multiple stories at the same time, to intertwine those stories in the most unexpected ways, and to make sure viewers are emotionally invested in every single character makes the film an intriguing puzzle. Of course, a cast list that reads like an award-nomination roster doesn't hurt its success either. Among the host of "main characters" in the story is Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank), the woman in charge of the ball drop in Times Square. Naturally things don't go quite as planned and she's forced to do some serious on-the-spot improvising--oh, and it should be noted that she's deathly afraid of heights and there's somewhere else she really should be on New Year's Eve. Then there's the suddenly rebellious tween daughter Hailey (Abigail Breslin), who runs off to meet her boyfriend in Times Square for a New Year's Eve kiss, with her panicked mom (Sarah Jessica Parker) in hot pursuit. Mousy secretary Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) decides to finally act on her long list of New Year's resolutions and enlists the unlikely help of courier Paul (Zac Efron). An exclusive New Year's Eve party throws together caterer Laura (Katherine Heigl), entertainer Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi), and sous chef Ava (Sofia Vergara). And then there's Sam (Josh Duhamel), a wealthy playboy who just can't seem to resist keeping an unlikely appointment to meet a mystery woman he met by chance last New Year's Eve and hasn't seen since (think An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle). Other notable talent includes Ashton Kutcher, Ryan Seacrest, Hector Elizondo, Halle Berry, Robert De Niro, Lea Michele, Cary Elwes, Seth Meyers, and a host of others. While this film could easily run like a parade of stars or a rehash of the successful Valentine's Day, it's a powerful film in its own right that leaves viewers pondering whether New Year's Eve might really be about second chances, hope, and embracing what will be.
W.E.
Directed by: Madonna
Starring: A
ndrea Riseborough, James D'ArcyW.E. tells the story of two fragile but determined women - Wally Winthrop and Wallis Simpson - separated by more than six decades. In 1998, lonely New Yorker Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) is obsessed with what she perceives as the ultimate love story: King Edward's VIII's abdication of the British throne for the woman he loved, American divorcée Wallis Simpson. But Wally's research, including several visits to the Sotheby's auction of the Windsor Estate, reveals that the couple's life together was not as perfect as she thought. Weaving back and forth in time, W.E. intertwines Wally's journey of discovery in New York with the story of Wallis (Andrea Riseborough) and Edward (James D'Arcy), from the glamorous early days of their romance to the slow unraveling of their lives in the decades that followed.
TV SERIES
Covert Affairs: Season 2
Starring: P
iper PeraboRunaway hit original series, Covert Affairs, stars Golden Glober-nominated Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative whose exceptional linguistic skills and spot on instincts make her invaluable to the Agency. In season two, Annie's personal and professional lives crash into one another, and the balance of her relationships are forever changed. The series also stars Christopher Gorham, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Anne Dudek, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher. Watch all sixteen suspenseful and dynamic episodes uninterrupted, coming from the producer of The Bourne Trilogy.
The Invisible Man: Complete Series
Starring:
David McCallumDr. Daniel Westin is a scientist at government think-tank KLAE Corporation until he is rendered invisible by a formula he concocted. Upon discovering that the government intends to use his formula for evil, he destroys the only batch. With no way to become visible again, he dons a realistic face mask and gloves and becomes a crime-fighting agent for KLAE while also working in the lab with his wife, Kate, in an attempt to rediscover his formula.
Shazzan: Complete Series
Starring:
n/aWhen two adventurous, twin teenagers, Chuck and Nancy, recombine the halves of a mysterious ring, they are instantly transported to ancient Egypt...as masters of an all-powerful genie named Shazzan.
Now, with the help of the mighty Shazzan, the twins seek the wizard who lives "behind the beyond," the only person able to help them return home. But even as the teenagers pursue their quest, every evil sorcerer in the desert kingdom desires the twins' magic ring and will stop at nothing to gain the power it grants over Shazzan.
Suits: Season 1
Starring:
Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. AdamsThe new original series Suits delves into the fast-paced, high-stakes world of a top Manhattan corporate law firm where hotshot attorney Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht, Love and Other Drugs) makes a risky move by hiring the brilliant but unmotivated, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams, Lost), as his new associate. The only problem is he doesn't have an actual law degree. With his encyclopedic knowledge and uncanny knack of remembering things, Mike proves to be a legal prodigy despite the absence of bona fide legal credentials. Bound by their secret, the two are forced to keep up the charade as they become an irrepressible duo. The series also stars Meghan Markle (CSI Miami), Gina Torres (Gossip Girl), Sarah Rafferty (Brothers and Sisters) and Rick Hoffman (Samantha Who). This 3-disc set features all 12 Season One episodes of Suits.
