Hello, my lovely Muses!I know it's been awhile since I've posted an actual review which truly pains me. Blogging has been a huge outlet for me but lately the craziness in my life has taken over and I was forced to cut back. While I've made sure to post at least once a week, it's not enough, especially since the posts have not been reviews.
The good news is, a new year is just around the corner and with it, a fresh new start. I still plan to give my blog a makeover in the near future and while I will be posting reviews for novels and film in 2014, I have not forgotten the many novels I had promised to review months ago. So it may take awhile, but I am determined to fulfill some of my prior reviewing commitments while adding new ones.
In the meantime, enjoy these new releases, especially in movies. And thank you to those who have stuck with me from the beginning and understand that sometimes life just demands you take a break whether you like it or not.
Best Wishes,
BOOKS (17th December 2013)
ADULT BOOKS
Before We Fall (Beautifully Broken, #3)
by: Courtney Cole
Sometimes, one dark moment is all it takes to turn your world black...
For 24-year old Dominic Kinkaide, that moment took place on the night of his high school graduation. One dark incident changed him forever. He's a hardened actor now, famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured in his own. He doesn't care about much of anything, except for losing himself in the roles that he plays.
23-year old Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but rather it's an absence of moments. She's like a bird with a broken wing-strong yet fragile, as she tries to float through life, finding acceptance in the arms of random guys, one after the other... to fill the void that her father left in her.
Until she meets Dominic.
After jaded Dominic and strong-willed Jacey are thrown together, his secret and her issues create a dark and damaged energy that will soon turn their attraction to each other into an explosive storm.
Even though when the clouds have cleared and the dust has settled, both of them are almost obliterated... they've learned a priceless lesson.
For 24-year old Dominic Kinkaide, that moment took place on the night of his high school graduation. One dark incident changed him forever. He's a hardened actor now, famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured in his own. He doesn't care about much of anything, except for losing himself in the roles that he plays.
23-year old Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but rather it's an absence of moments. She's like a bird with a broken wing-strong yet fragile, as she tries to float through life, finding acceptance in the arms of random guys, one after the other... to fill the void that her father left in her.
Until she meets Dominic.
After jaded Dominic and strong-willed Jacey are thrown together, his secret and her issues create a dark and damaged energy that will soon turn their attraction to each other into an explosive storm.
Even though when the clouds have cleared and the dust has settled, both of them are almost obliterated... they've learned a priceless lesson.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Charmed
by: Emmie Dark
Michael Harrison was dubious about the idea of seeing a psychic, but given the attraction between them, he's prepared to put first impressions aside. Yet as he and Melanie get to know each other, Michael is forced to confront his past, and to face the fact that Melanie may be more than she seems.
Will fear and suspicion ruin all or will the magic and power of love keep them together?
Release Date: 16th December 2013
Chasing Kings
by: Seirra Dean
Samantha Hart wishes things would stop happening in Vegas when a case of mistaken identity lands her in the Hard Rock’s racy Provocateur suite—an S&M wet dream that’s occupied by an honest-to-God porn star. Ethan Silver’s reputation should put her off, but his naughty charm and wicked-sweet smile have her agreeing to a night on the town. Then wishing for a night in, as well.
Ethan knew the instant he stepped through the door that this wasn’t the Samantha Hart he was almost desperate to see. Yet he can’t help it. He wants to ease the blushing bookseller out of her shell and show her a good time…and not just in the bedroom.
As a hot night on the Strip turns into a hotter night at the hotel, Ethan begins to prove there’s a good guy under his bad-boy façade. There’s a loan shark hot on his tail, though, and only Sam can help keep his movie-star face intact. But telling her the truth could cost him something he needs more than money. Her love.
Release Date: 16th December 2013
Dragon Awakened (Hidden, #1)
by: Jaime Rush
Not quite human. Far from normal.
And never, ever safe…
Playing With Fire
Ruby Salazaar wants answers…and revenge. Her uncle has just been murdered before her eyes and the name he utters with his final breath—Cyntag—leads Ruby into a world beyond her wildest imaginings. She soon learns that the dark, sexy Cyntag Valeron knows more about her than she does herself.
Burned By Love
Ruby changed Cyn's life before she even knew who he was. Now she charges into his life, a beautiful woman full of fire and questions. Cyn knew this day would come, yet he couldn't foresee the danger—and desires—Ruby would bring with her. He can teach her how to harness her newly awakened powers. But there is one force neither of them can control…
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Must Be Magic (Spellbound, #4)
by: Sydney Somers
She’s prepared to grit her teeth and play nice with the arrogant, infuriating Bryce Lancaster. Then a moment of weakness reawakens their scorching chemistry…and suddenly she can’t decide if forty-eight hours is too much to ask, or not nearly enough.
Bryce was looking forward to a Caribbean getaway to get his life back on track, but his still-fierce attraction to Darby drags him headlong into the past. Family feud be damned, he can’t stop craving the rival witch’s touch, and soon he’s breaking every no-Darby rule in his book.
When their too-hot-to-handle reunion blows up in their faces, a long, awkward flight home awaits them…until the plane goes down. Stranded with nothing between them but hurt and bitterness, their lives could depend on overcoming their complicated history—and rediscovering a love that’s more than magic.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Perfect Lie
by: Teresa Mummert
That’s why Brock and I never had a chance. I had to start my life over. College was my chance to become someone new. I changed everything about myself to fit in, but one person saw through my facade.
The attraction between Abel and I was undeniable, but I still hadn’t healed from the painful secret I carried around with me. Abel struggled to get me to face my past in order to move forward. In doing so, he revealed a secret of his own; one that changed everything I thought I knew.
A secret that would bring Brock back into my life and force me to face the truth of what really happened the day I lost him.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Reaver (Lords of Deliverance, #5)
by: Larissa Ione
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he's agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before...to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.
ANGEL OF HELL
Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she's been doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan's lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld's darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel's blood...
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Redhead Plays Her Hand, The (Redhead, #3)
by: Alice Clayton
Grace has landed the lead in a new TV series—but when the director asks her to lose fifteen pounds, she goes public with her weight struggles and suddenly develops a huge fan club who support her right to have curves. But between that and the public’s continuing fascination with her “are they or aren’t they” relationship with Jack, Grace begins to wonder if anyone’s really interested in her because of her upcoming TV series, or if it’s all speculation about the size of her ass and her bedroom partner.
Meanwhile, Jack is voted the Sexiest Man Alive and becomes a little too enamored with the party-hard lifestyle. Grace vows to give him the space he needs to find himself, but then he begins to spiral down from lovable Brit to Hollywood brat. People are talking, but are Jack and Grace? Her career is on the rise, and his continues into the stratosphere, but will she be able to catch him if he falls? Will they ever be able to just be a couple who can hold hands when they walk down the street?
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Shadowdance (Darkest London, #4)
by: Kristen Callihan
Life has been anything but kind to Mary Chase. But the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals has given her purpose. Now she's been tasked with catching a vicious murderer dubbed the Bishop of Charing Cross. But someone is already on the case—and the last thing he relishes is a partner.
Only someone who lives in darkness can find it.
Jack Talent has been alone with his demons for many years. He never expected to have the willful Mary Chase assist him on the Bishop case. Their age-old rivalry reaches new heights—even as their desire for one another reaches a fever pitch. Though he aches to bring her close, Jack's dark secrets are a chasm between them. With dangerous enemies closing in, Jack must find the strength to face the past...or risk losing Mary forever.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Take On Me (Ross Siblings, #4)
by: Cherrie Lynn
Gabriella Ross suffered every bride’s worst nightmare: a no-show groom. Now summer stretches before her with nowhere to go but home, at least until it’s time to go back to medical school.
Determined to prove she might be down but definitely not out, she chucks all her old plans in favor of having a good time—starting with giving herself a pair of wings. Tattooed wings, that is, in the form of a phoenix on her back.
When everyone else at Dermamania chickens out at the prospect of putting the gorgeous, perfect skin of the boss’s big sister under the needle, Ian Rhodes finds himself stepping up. Then unexpectedly connecting with her through tears that have nothing to do with the pain of getting inked.
Attraction flares into one hot night that was supposed to stay that way—single, and secret. But best laid plans have a way of getting blown out of the water. Now two perfect strangers must plan for a very different future…beginning with whether there’s enough common ground to spend it together.
Warning: Contains explicit sex, graphic language, Ross family drama, reuniting with beloved old friends…and a hot tattooed, Harley-riding hero who doesn’t mind being robbed from the cradle.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Thrown
by: Colette Auclair
In THROWN, professional trainer Amanda Vogel dreams of riding jumpers in the Olympics, but after seeing her best friend die in a riding accident, she’s so traumatized she can’t show. Broke and desperate, she takes a summer job in Aspen teaching some big-shot widowed movie star’s spoiled daughters to ride—even though she hates teaching kids. She braces herself for three miserable months. But by Labor Day, she has to choose between capturing a gold medal…and the man who has captured her heart.
Release Date: 16th December 2013
YOUNG ADULT
Beyond Our Stars
by: Marie Langager
Hope’s dreams of freedom turn into nightmares when the Locals trap the humans and mark groups for observation. At any moment she can be called into a holographic observation room for testing. Some days she’s drowning in a strange dark ocean, some days she’s locked up without food, and all with the one boy she can't seem to forget.
As the Locals study Hope, she studies them. She wants to believe the tall grey creatures could be peaceful, but as the simulations become more dangerous, Hope is about to become the human race’s last chance for survival.
Release Date: 19th December 2013
Cy in Chains
by: David L. Dudley
And then hope begins to grow in him, along with strength and courage he didn't know he had. Cy is sure that a chance at freedom is worth any risk, any sacrifice. This powerful, moving story opens a window on a painful chapter in the history of race relations.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Fracture Me (A Shatter Me Novella, #2.5)
by: Tahereh Mafi
As Omega Point prepares to launch an all-out assault on The Reestablishment soldiers stationed in Sector 45, Adam's focus couldn't be further from the upcoming battle. He's reeling from his breakup with Juliette, scared for his best friend's life, and as concerned as ever for his brother James's safety. And just as Adam begins to wonder if this life is really for him, the alarms sound. It's time for war.
On the battlefield, it seems like the odds are in their favor—but taking down Warner, Adam's newly discovered half brother, won't be that easy. The Reestablishment can't tolerate a rebellion, and they'll do anything to crush the resistance . . . including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about.
Fracture Me sets the stage for Ignite Me, the explosive finale in Tahereh Mafi's epic dystopian series.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Last Stand of the New York Institute (Bane Chronicles)
by: Cassandra Clare
In the time of the Uprising, Valentine’s Circle goes after Downworlders in New York...and the Shadowhunters of the Institute must decide whether to join him, or fight with Magnus and his kind. This is the first time Magnus sees Jocelyn, Luke, and Stephen—but not the last. It is not long before Jocelyn seeks him out...
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Misbehaving (Sea Breeze, #6)
by: Abbi Glines
Jason is sick of living in his rock star brother’s shadow. So when he ships off to Sea Breeze, Alabama, he’s looking for a much deserved escape and a chance to blow off some envious steam. Falling for the local bad girl was definitely not the plan. But as the new duo enjoys some naughty fun in the Alabama sun, Jason learns that even though Jax is the musician in the family, he’s not the only brother who can rock someone’s world.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
What We Lost in the Dark (What We Saw at Night, #2)
by: Jacquelyn Mitchard
Allie knows why Juliet killed herself: to escape the clutches of Garrett Tabor, whom the trio saw committing an unspeakable crime. Garrett is untouchable; The Tabors founded the world-famous XP clinic that keeps Allie and Rob alive and their small Minnesota town on the map.
Allie can’t rest until Garrett is brought to justice. But her obsession jeopardizes everything she holds dear. Not even Parkour can distract her; nothing reminds her more that Juliet is gone. When Rob introduces Allie to the wildly dangerous sport of nighttime deep diving, Allie assumes he’s only trying to derail her investigation... until they uncover the horror terrible secret Garrett Tabor has hidden under Lake Superior.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
MOVIES & TV SERIES (17th December 2013)
MOVIES
Ain't Them Bodies Saints
Directed by: David Lowery
Academy Award Nominees* Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Side Effects) and Casey Affleck (The Killer Inside Me, Gone Baby Gone) star as a pair of doomed lovers separated by prison bars and miles of desert wasteland in AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS, a moody collision of love and crime in the tradition of Bonnie and Clyde. Four years ago, impassioned young outlaw couple Bob Muldoon (Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Mara) were apprehended in the Texas hills during a shootout that left a local officer wounded by a bullet from Ruth's gun. Taking the blame, Bob was sentenced to 25 years in prison. After having engineered a daring escape, Bob is now determined to reconnect with the love of his life and meet the daughter who was born while he was incarcerated. But the journey back won't be easy, and the powers that be threaten to keep the two lovers apart forever. Co-starring Ben Foster (The Messenger) and set against the gritty landscape of 1970s Texas Hill Country, AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS is a breathtaking and exquisitely photographed meditation on the fragility and transience of love.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Elysium
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes, a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Family
Directed by: Luc Besson
Academy Award Winners Robert De Niro and
Tommy Lee Jones star in this dark actioncomedy from executive producer Martin
Scorsese and acclaimed director Luc Besson. A Mafia boss and his family are
relocated to a sleepy town in France under the Witness Protection Program after
snitching on the mob. Despite Agent Stansfield's (Jones) best efforts to keep
them in line, Fred Blake (Robert De Niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer),
and their children Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D'Leo), can't help
resorting to old habits by handling their problems the 'family' way. Chaos
ensues as their former Mafia cronies try to track them down, and scores are
settled in the unlikeliest of settings.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Kick-Ass 2
Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Self-made superhero Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and sweet-faced, foul-mouthed assassin Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) try to return to life as "normal" teenagers, but soon they are faced with their deadliest challenge yet. To seek revenge for his father's death, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has re-invented himself as the leader of an evil league of super-villains. To defeat their new nemesis, Kick-Ass and Hit Girl must team up with a new wave of masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), in this battle of real-life villains and heroes.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Lone Ranger, The
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer star in THE LONE RANGER, from Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Director Gore Verbinski. It's a wild ride of high-velocity action, explosions and gunfights that brings the famed masked legend to life through brand-new eyes. The Lone Ranger (Hammer), the last of his kind, teams with Tonto (Depp), a dark and mysterious vigilante, to seek vengeance after justice has failed them. It's a runaway train of epic surprises, as these two unlikely heroes must learn to work together before the ultimate showdown between good and evil explodes.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Directed by: Thor Freudenthal
The magical, mythical adventures of teenager Percy Jackson - son of the Greek god Poseidon - continue in this heroic, action-packed thrill ride! Out to prove he's not just a "one-quest wonder," Percy and his demigod friends embark on an epic, cross-country journey into the treacherous Sea of Monsters, where they battle terrifying creatures, an army of zombies, and the ultimate evil. With time running out, Percy must find and bring home the fabled Golden Fleece, which has the power to save his world...and save us all!
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Prisoners
Directed by: Dennis Villeneuve
Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is facing a parent's worst nightmare: His young daughter and her friend are missing, and panic has set in for both families as hours turn to days. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests the only suspect - the driver of a dilapidated RV on which the girls had been playing - but a lack of evidence forces his release. As pressure mounts, Loki's team pursues multiple leads while a frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Toad Road
Directed by: Jason Banker
A different kind of American independent horror film, Toad Road from Executive Producer Elijah Wood (star of ''Lord of the Rings'') and his genre-themed production company SpectreVision is a hallucinatory and hypnotic odyssey through mutating realities, drug use, urban legends, and nightmares. Imagine a fusion between the sexually candid naturalism of Larry Clark or Harmony Korine, and the backwoods creep-out of The Blair Witch Project, and you'd be halfway there. Stuck in a dead end town, young James kills time with his druggie friends, engaging in debauched chemical intake to the point of unconsciousness, until he meets Sara, a sweet new arrival to their group. However, Sara wants James to take her further into the world of narcotics experimentation (just as James was contemplating abandoning this lifestyle)...and she also wants him to introduce her to the sinister local legend of Toad Road, a spot deep in the forest that is apparently home to the Seven Gates of Hell. Writer-director Jason Banker's fiction feature debut is an enigmatic and unique fusion of improvisational realism undoubtedly influenced by Banker's work as a documentary filmmaker, and otherworldly, haunting rural terror. Unlike any other film you'll see this year, Toad Road is mesmerizing.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
TV SERIES
Burn Notice: Season 7
It all comes down to this-the thrilling final season of one of television's hottest shows, where everything is finally revealed. Separated from his friends and family, and on the verge of losing it all, Michael Westen goes deep undercover, joining forces with a mysterious woman and infiltrating a sinister terrorist network. With time running out, Michael must do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect his loved ones; but now, he may be forced to go too far. Packed with explosive action and exciting plot twists, Burn Notice Season Seven comes fully equipped with exclusive bonus features available only on DVD.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Family Guy: Volume 12
Family Guy reaches new heights of hilarity in this outrageous collection of 22 uncensored episodes, including fan-favorite Into Fat Air, where the Griffins rock Mount Everest, plus the comedy jackpot Roads to Vegas and the milestone 200th episode Yug Ylimaf, in which Brian and Stewie develop a curious case of reverse aging thanks to a time machine foul-up. It's a complete season of laughs with celebrity guest voices Johnny Depp, Jon Hamm, Sofia Vergara and more!
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Justified: Season 4
Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens will start to pick at the thread of a cold case of 30 years in the making, unraveling a riddle that echoes all the way back to his boyhood and his criminal father's bad dealings. Meanwhile, Boyd Crowder finds his grip on Harlan loosening due to a Pentecostal preacher with a penchant for theatrics and a knack for manipulation to rival his own.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
Shameless: Season 3
The Gallaghers are a Chicago family trying to live the American Dream the only way they know how: one scheme at a time! Season Three picks up 137 days since we last spent time with the Gallaghers. Jimmy has moved into the house. Fiona's scrounging for cash. Lip is sentenced to community service. Frank is missing. And although no one else seems to mind, Debbie's worried about him. Everything seems status quo - except for the mysterious Town Car parked out front. When it comes to family drama, the Gallaghers don't set the bar... they raze it.
Release Date: 17th December 2013
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