Monday, November 5, 2012

My Picks of the Week! (Nov. 6th)

Hello, Muses!

I know it's been forever since I've posted anything but I wanted to say hello and let my blogger friends know that I am slowly making a comeback! I figured to start out with sharing my picks coming out this week in books & film. I hope to have a new book review posted on Wednesday. Also, I have some updating to do on my blog such as changing what I am currently reading, watching, etc.

As far as this week's new releases, I am super excited for Days of Blood & Starlight, the sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor! In movies, everyone should give The Amazing Spider-man a shot, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. It's a decent reboot worth a watch! In TV, fans of mermaids will love the release of H2O- Just Add Water: Complete Series boxset! If you are a Twilight fan, you might want to check out Jackson Rathbone's web series, Aim High.

Thanks for everyone hanging in there while I start getting back on track!

Best Wishes!








BOOKS (November 6th-8th) 



ADULT


Dire Wants (Eternal Wolf Clan, #2)
by: Stephanie Tyler

The supernatural world is rising up against the human one. The weretrappers want control, and only the immortal Dire wolves stand in the way of total destruction. Stray, a Dire, and his long-lost brother, Killian, emerge as the leaders of their pack. To keep themselves and the humans safe, the Dires need a witch as powerful as Seb, who betrayed the Dires to work for the weretrappers.

They find what they are looking for in Kate, a human who survived a horrible car accident that left her back scarred with a handprint no one else can see. Stray senses Kate's abilities as a witch and recruits her to help the Dires—all the while knowing she is so powerful they will need to kill her once she helps defeat the weretrappers.

Stray doesn't expect the powerful connection that he feels with Kate, or his irresistible need to protect her. They cannot hide their feelings or each other, and what once was taboo now seems inevitable…


Release Date: 6 November 2012



Heart of Danger (Ghost Ops, #1)
by: Lisa Marie Rice

Ghost Ops. A small unit of super-elite soldiers so secret only two men know of their existence. Betrayed by their commanding officer while on an antiterrorist mission, the team is massacred. Only three survive—and find themselves framed and disgraced. But en route to the court martial, they escape . . . and disappear.
Beautiful, brilliant, and determined, Dr. Catherine Young is on a mission to find a man who has vanished into thin air. Walking into a high-tech hideaway bearing an essential message to Tom "Mac" McEnroe, Team Leader of the betrayed Ghost Ops force, is the most dangerous thing she has ever done. The soldier she encounters is frightening and suspicious, but her senses reveal the man underneath: tough, honorable, and so breathtakingly masculine Catherine feels weak in his presence . . . But to surrender to Mac's passionate desires would put her life in dire jeopardy. Catherine has a gift that enables her to see into the heart of others—and looking into Mac's is like staring into the very heart of danger itself.

Release Date: 6 November 2012


Her Sky Cowboy (Glorious Victorious Darcys, #1)
by: Beth Ciotta

Amelia Darcy has no interest in marrying well. Her heart belongs to the sky and the dirigibles of brass and steel that swoop over Victorian England. But when her father, an eccentric inventor, dies, the Darcy siblings are left with scrap metal—and not a penny to their names. Their only hope to save the family name and fortune is to embark on a contest to discover an invention of historical importance in honor of Queen Victoria. Armed with only her father’s stories of a forgotten da Vinci workshop, a mechanically enhanced falcon, and an Italian cook, Amelia takes flight for Florence, Italy. But her quest is altered when her kitecycle crashes into the air ship of ex–Air Marshal—and scandalous dime novel hero—Tucker Gentry. Challenged by political unrest, a devious sky pirate, and their own sizzling attraction, Amelia and Tuck are dragged into an international conspiracy that could change the course of history…again.

Release Date: 6 November 2012



Nauti Temptress (Nauti Girls, #1)
by: Lora Leigh

The first in an all new spinoff series of the New York Times bestselling Nauti Boys series, now featuring the Nauti Girls.

The Mackay cousins—Natches, Rowdy, and Dawg—would do anything for family, so when former DHS agent Timothy Cranston drops off four sisters that Dawg never knew he had, there is no question: The cousins will protect and care for the girls, and their mother, because they’re family.

Five years later, Eve Mackay, the eldest sister, has graduated from college and settled in to life as a Mackay in Pulaski County, Kentucky. She works hard as a cocktail waitress and helps out at the bed-and-breakfast that Dawg bought for her mother. If she keeps herself busy enough, maybe she’ll be able to stay away from the man she promised Dawg she wouldn’t date, the man who has awakened her most ravenous fantasies…

He’s Brogan Campbell, a biker rumored to be a traitor and a thief. But he’s just playing a part; he came to Kentucky for a DHS mission that no one, except Cranston, is supposed to know about. Eve is the key to the whole operation, and his orders are to get her participation. But his need for Eve has nothing to do with stolen secrets and the safety of the country…

When Dawg took in Eve and her sisters, he warned them that if they ever lied, cheated, or betrayed the family, they risked losing everything. But desire and danger are locked in an inescapable embrace, and Eve has to make her choice between family or Brogan, for better or worse…


Release Date: 6 November 2012


Oddly Normal: One Family's Struggle to Help Their Teenage Son to Come to Terms with His Sexuality
by: John Schwartz

A heartfelt memoir by the father of a gay teen, and an eye-opening story for families who hope to bring up well-adjusted gay adults.

Three years ago, John Schwartz, a national correspondent at The New York Times, got the call that every parent hopes never to receive: his thirteen-year-old son, Joe, was in the hospital following a failed suicide attempt. After mustering the courage to come out to his classmates, Joe’s disclosure — delivered in a tirade about homophobic attitudes—was greeted with dismay and confusion by his fellow students. Hours later, he took an overdose of pills.

Additionally, John and his wife, Jeanne, found that their son’s school was unable to address Joe’s special needs. Angry and frustrated, they initiated their own search for services and groups that could help Joe understand that he wasn’t alone. Oddly Normal is Schwartz’s very personal attempt to address his family’s own struggles within a culture that is changing fast, but not fast enough to help gay kids like Joe.

Schwartz follows Joseph through childhood to the present day, interweaving his narrative with common questions, including: Are effeminate boys and tomboy girls necessarily gay? Is there a relationship between being gay and suicide or mental illness? Should a child be pushed into coming out? Parents, teachers, and counselors alike will welcome Oddly Normal and its crucial lessons about helping gay kids –and any kid who is different -- learn how to cope in a potentially hostile world.


Release Date: 6 November 2012


Skies of Steel (Ether Chronicles)
by: Zoe Archer

In the world of The Ether Chronicles, the Mechanical War rages on, and appearances are almost always deceiving . . .

The Prim Professor

Daphne Carlisle may be a scholar, but she's far more comfortable out in the field than lost in a stack of books. Still, when her parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord, she knows she'll need more than quick thinking if she is to reach them in time. Daphne's only hope for getting across enemy territory is an airship powered and navigated by Mikhail Denisov, a rogue Man O' War who is as seductive as he is untrustworthy.

The Jaded Mercenary

Mikhail will do anything for the right price, and he's certain he has this mission—and Daphne—figured out: a simple job and a beautiful but sheltered Englishwoman. But as they traverse the skies above the Mediterranean and Arabia, Mikhail learns the fight ahead is anything but simple, and his lovely passenger is not entirely what she seems. The only thing Mikhail is certain of is their shared desire—both unexpected and dangerous.


Release Date: 6 November 2012


Spellfire (Nightkeepers, #8)
by:  Jessica Anderson

Imprisoned and tortured by the demoness who tricked him into betraying the Nightkeepers and the woman he loves, Rabbit must endure excruciating pain to protect the diminished Skywatch army as the end-time approaches. Although an ancient prophecy says his unique powers are key to winning the final battle in the doomsday war, he hasn’t just lost his credibility—he’s lost his magic.

Myrinne is far from the woman Rabbit once knew—she’s got magic now, and despite emotional scars, she’s strong enough to help the Nightkeepers. And yet she’s not prepared to handle the fiercely driven man he’s become or the new, dangerous feelings that spark between them.

With the barrier ready to fall and a xombi outbreak in the human world, Rabbit and Myrinne must forge a new partnership amid dangerous instability and the threat of an undead army. In the end, it will be up to Rabbit to master his ferocious magic—or all will be lost. For him, for the woman he doesn’t have the right to love anymore, and for the fate of the world…


Release Date: 6 November 2012


Untamed (Amoveo Legend, #3)
by: Sara Humphreys

The Amoveo are an ancient race who've lived secretly among humans for thousands of years. They are beautiful and incredibly strong but their race is extremely fragile--each has until the age of 30 to find their soul mate, before their bodies start to die a slow, painful death.
Layla Nickelsen has spent her life running from a mate she didn't choose, until William Fleury finally confronts her. Normally stoic and unemotional, William finds himself befuddled by Layla: his growing feelings for her and his driving need to protect her. And Layla has to admit that William might be everything she's always wanted after all...



Release Date: 6 November 2012



YOUNG ADULT


Bitter Blood (Morganville Vampires, #13)
by: Rachel Caine

For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…

Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires.

To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news… or worse.


Release Date: 6 November 2012


Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #2)
by: Laini Taylor
 
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war. This is not that world.
 
Ar student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is --- and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
 
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
 
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
 
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?
 
Release Date: 6 November 2012


Eternally Yours (Immortal Beloved, #3)
by: Cate Tiernan

 After 450 years of living, Nastasya Crowe should have more of a handle on this whole immortal thing....

After a deadly confrontation at the end of Darkness Falls, the second Immortal Beloved novel, Nastasya Crowe is, as she would put it, so over the drama. She fights back against the dark immortals with her own brand of kick-butt magick...but can she fight against true love? In the satisfying finale to the Immortal Beloved trilogy, ex-party-girl immortal Nastasya ends a 450-year-old feud and learns what "eternally yours" really means.

Laced with historical flashbacks and laugh-out-loud dialogue, the Immortal Beloved trilogy is a fascinating and unique take on what it would mean to live forever.


Release Date: 6 November 2012


Flash Point
by: Nancy Kress

Reality TV meets a chillingly realistic version of America—and the fame game is on!

Amy had dreams of going to college, until the Collapse destroyed the economy and her future. Now she is desperate for any job that will help support her terminally ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. When she finds herself in the running for a slot on a new reality TV show, she signs on the dotted line, despite her misgivings. And she’s right to have them. TLN’s Who Knows People, Baby—You? has an irresistible premise: correctly predict what the teenage cast will do in a crisis and win millions. But the network has pulled strings to make it work, using everything from 24/7 hidden cameras to life-threatening technology to flat-out rigging. Worse, every time the ratings slip, TLN ups the ante. Soon Amy is fighting for her life—on and off camera.


Release Date: 8 November 2012


No Man's Land
by: S.T. Underdahl

With humor and honesty, neuropsychologist S. T. Underdahl explores the timely topic of post-traumatic stress disorder.

If life were a movie, Dov Howard's role would be Emo Kid/Family Loser. His brother Brian would star as Master of the Universe. But that's okay. Dov's got great friends-and possibly a new one named Scarlett. Like everyone else, Dov loves his brother and is thrilled when Brian, a National Guard soldier, is sent home in one piece. Then things get weird. Talking to his jumpy brother is like juggling grenades, and Dov can't help but notice Brian's new best friends: Jack Daniels and the pistol he sleeps with. What will it take for his family to wake up and see the ugly truth?


Release Date: 8 November 2012


Perry's Killer Playlist (Perry & Gobi, #2)
by:  Joe Schreiber

When Perry ends up in Venice on a European tour with his band Inchworm, he can’t resist a visit to Harry’s Bar, where Gobi told him she’d meet him someday. The last time he saw Gobi, five people were assassinated one crazy night in New York City. Well . . . Gobi shows up, and once again Perry is roped into a wild, nonstop thrill ride with a body count. Double crossings, kidnappings, CIA agents, arms dealers, boat chases in Venetian canals, and a shootout in the middle of a Santa Claus convention ensue.

Release Date: 6 November 2012


Sirens (Faithful, #3)
by: Janet Fox

When Jo Winter’s parents send her off to live with her rich cousin on the glittering island of Manhattan, it’s to find a husband and forget about her brother Teddy’s death. But all that glitters is not gold,. Caught up in the swirl of her cousin’s bobbed-hair set—and the men that court them—Jo soon realizes that the talk of marriage never stops, and behind the seemingly boundless gains are illicit business endeavors, gangsters, and their molls. Jo would much rather spend time the handsome but quiet Charles, a waiter at the Algonquin Hotel, than drape herself over a bootlegger. But when she befriends a moll to one of the most powerful men in town, Jo begins to uncover secrets—secrets that threaten an empire and could secure Jo’s freedom from her family. Can her newfound power buy her love? Or will it to ruin Jo, and everyone around her?

Release Date: 8 November 2012


Still Life With Shape-shifter (Shifting Circle, #2)
by: Sharon Shinn

Melanie Landon and her half-sister share a unique bond. For her entire life, Melanie has hidden the fact that Ann is a shape-shifter. The never-ending deception is a heavy weight to bear, but Melanie is determined to keep Ann’s secret and protect her from a world that simply wouldn’t understand.

For months, Melanie hasn’t seen or heard from Ann, in either of her forms. When a man shows up saying he’s there about her sister, Melanie fears the worst. But Brody Westerbrook doesn’t have information about Ann—he’s in search of it.

A freelance writer, Brody intends to include Ann in a book he’s writing about the existence of shape-shifters. While Melanie is immediately drawn to the stranger on her doorstep, she denies his claims, knowing that trusting him isn’t an option.

But when Ann finally appears looking thin and sick, Melanie realizes exposure is the least of their worries. Protecting her sister has always been such an enormous part of Melanie’s life, but as Ann’s health rapidly deteriorates, Melanie must come to grips with the fact that saving her may mean letting go…


Release Date: 6 November 2012



MOVIES & TV SERIES (November 6th-9th)



MOVIES

Amazing Spider-man
Directed by: Marc Webb

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Release Date: 9 November 2012


I Wish
Directed by: Hirokazu Koreeda

Starring: Koki Maeda, Ohshira Maeda

Twelve-year-old Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in the southern region Japan. His younger brother Ryunosuke lives with their father in the northern region of Japan. The brothers have been separated by their parents divorce, and Koichi's only wish is for his family to be reunited. When he learns that a new bullet train line will soon open linking the two towns, he starts to believe that a miracle will take place the moment these new trains first pass each other at top speed. With help from the adults around him, Koichi sets out on a journey with a group of friends, each hoping to witness a miracle.

Release Date: 6 November 2012


Red Dog
Directed by: Kriv Stenders

Starring: Josh Lucas, Luke Ford

In the tradition of Lassie, and adapted from the Louis de Bernieres best-selling novel, Red Dog is based on a true story. In this warm-hearted story, Red Dog becomes a legend with the wild outback locals. Along the way, Red Dog finds the person he s been searching for...Sometimes you pick the dog. Sometimes the dog picks you!

Release Date: 6 November 2012


Trishna
Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Starring: Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed

Based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel Tess of the D'Ubervilles, master filmmaker Michael Winterbottom's newest film stars Frieda Pinto who soars as Trishna in her most revealing performance yet. Trishna lives with her family in a village in Rajasthan, India's largest state. As the eldest daughter, she works in a nearby resort to help pay the bills. Jay (Riz Ahmed) is the wealthy son of a property developer. When he takes up managing a resort at his father's request, he meets Trishna at a dance and their fates cross. Jay finds every opportunity to win Trishna's affection and she accepts his efforts with shy curiosity. But when the two move to Mumbai and become a couple, Jay's deep family bond threaten the young lovers' bliss.

Release Date: 6 November 2012



Your Sister's Sister
 Directed by: Lynn Shelton

Starring: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt

A year after his brother Tom's death, Jack (Mark Duplass) is still struggling emotionally. When he makes a scene at a memorial party, Tom's best friend Iris (Emily Blunt) offers up her family cabin on an island in the Pacific Northwest so Jack can seek catharsis in solitude. Once there, however, he runs into Iris' sister Hannah (Rosemarie Dewitt) who is reeling from the abrupt end of a seven-year relationship and finds solace in Tom's unexpected presence. A blurry evening of drinking concludes with an awkward sexual incident, made worse by Iris' sudden presence at the cabin the next morning. A twisted tale of ever-complicated relationships is set in motion with raw, hilarious and emotional performances from the all-star cast.

Release Date: 6 November 2012




TV SERIES


Aim High: Season 1

Starring: Jackson Rathbone

In this action web series secret agent Nick Green lives the ultimate double life - by day he is an average high school kid and by night he's an operative for the US government. Keeping the two worlds from colliding is a full-time job. After accidentally letting a Russian mercenary escape Nick's everyday teenage struggles become even more complicated now that he's also a revenge target.

Release Date: 6 November 2012



Call the Midwife: Season 1

Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Raine

A moving intimate funny and above all true-to-life look at the colorful stories of midwifery and families in East London in the Fifties based on the best-selling memoirs of the late Jennifer Worth. When Jenny Lee first arrives in Poplar she knows nothing about hardship poverty or indeed life itself. Attached to an order of nursing nuns at Nonnatus House Jenny is part of a team of midwives who visit expectant mothers providing the poorest women with the best possible care. Here the streets teem with children and with just one eight-bed maternity ward to serve the whole district; most deliveries take place at home. Following Jenny as she travels through the streets to meet her patients-like Conchita who is on her 25th pregnancy and Mary a prostitute and pregnant at just 15-Call the Midwife offers a fascinating insight into a community on the brink of huge social change.

Release Date: 6 November 2012


H2O: Just Add Water: Complete Series

Starring: Cariba Heine, Claire Holt

Watch what happens when three normal teenage girls growing up on the sun-drenched beaches of the Gold Coast stumble upon an ancient cavern that transforms their lives forever. Sure, they face typical teenage problems, but with an added twist: they're mermaids with magical powers. This extensive 12-disc megaset includes all 78 episodes of the original hit series, most of which have never been released on DVD, as well as nearly 5 hours of exclusive bonus material.


Release Date: 6 November 2012


Sesame Street- Old School: Volume 3 (1979-1984)

Starring: n/a

Back by popular demand, it's our third installment in the Old School series, covering 1979 1984. In this set you'll see your Sesame Street friends on and off the Street! Remember when everyone surprised Maria in Puerto Rico for her birthday? Or when Snuffy and Gordon ran the New York City marathon? Bonus DVD extras like never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage will prove that we're still kicking it old school!

Release Date: 6 November 2012



Wolf Lake: Complete Series

Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips, Graham Greene

Police detective John Kanin (Lou Diamond Phillips) finds his world turned upside down when his girlfriend Ruby (Mia Kirshner) mysteriously
disappears one night after leaving his apartment. After months of searching, an anonymous tip leads Kanin back to Ruby's hometown Wolf Lake, a place where the residents are hiding a dark secret...what happens when werewolves  overtake a small Seattle town.

Release Date: 6 November 2012


2 comments:

  1. Hi Mia,
    how are you doing?
    It's been a while, I hope you are doing ok!
    I loved The Amazing Spiderman :) Andrew made an excellent job.
    See you soon

    Ruty@Reading...Dreaming

    ReplyDelete