Monday, February 17, 2014

My Picks of the Week! (18th February 2014)


 Hello, Muses!

I will keep this short and sweet! Here are the releases for this week! Also, keep an eye out for my Wednesday or Thursday post which will be a review, author Q&A, AND 2 giveaways! Until then, I hope you all have a great week. Happy President's Day!

Enjoy,






BOOKS (18th February)

 ADULT BOOKS

Before You Break (Between Breaths, #2)
by: Christina Lee

A sexy, emotional New Adult romance about a bad boy on the edge and a good girl about to lose control…

The star catcher of the college baseball team isn't supposed to have skeletons in his closet. But Daniel Quinn is hiding a guilty past so dark he refuses to let anyone get close. Except there’s something about gorgeous, studious Ella Abrams that goes beyond the electric attraction between them—something that makes him want to open up.

Ella has suffered enough heartache and guilt to fill one of her psychology textbooks, but she keeps that part of herself hidden behind a bubbly exterior. Until she receives an anonymous call while working the suicide helpline and the voice on the other end touches something inside of her that she can’t ignore.

Soon Ella and Quinn’s physical connection heats up, even as their deep and revealing hotline talks intensify. But by the time Ella realizes that her seductive jock and her sensitive caller are the same guy, it might be too late to save him—or to stop herself from falling too far.


Release Date: 17th February 2014



Darkest Joy, The (Darkest Joy, #1)
by: Marata Eros

A sexy and poignant new adult novel from New York Times bestseller Marata Eros, about two lost souls who find each other in the wake of tragedy, only to learn that love may not be enough to heal the wounds of a dark and tortured past...

Twenty year-old Brooke Starr has escaped the aftermath of a brutal tragedy by abandoning her music studies and moving north to take a summer position as a part-time deck hand on a deep-sea fishing boat. When her survivor’s guilt becomes unbearable, Brooke realizes there's only one thing she can do to finally erase the pain.

Deep sea fisherman, Chance Taylor, has just wrapped his guitar set at the local saloon when he sees the silhouette of a young woman in repose, the full moon highlighting her shadow as she plummets from a pier too high for diving... into water too cold to survive. Without thinking, he plunges in after her, saving Brooke from drowning.

As Chance works to save her from her own emotional fragility, Brooke finally begins to learn how to save herself. But when their chemistry begins to consume them, Brooke withdraws. She’s determined to be the master of her own destiny... until the past catches up with her in a cataclysmic plan so dark, so final... it threatens their love and their very lives.


Release Date: 18th February 2014


Demon By My Side (Netherworld, #2)
by: Victoria Davies

Darcy Snow is a demon hunter and a damn good one at that. She's never hesitated when faced with monsters preying on humans, but the rules changed when the Lord of the Spirits married a mortal. While spirits used to be able to cross into the human realm only on Halloween, they're now passing freely through a mysterious portal.

Jaral is a demon with a mission. As the heir apparent in the demon realm, he's been waiting for a chance to finally prove himself to his father. When he's ordered to solve the mystery of how their enemies are infiltrating the human world, he expects to run up against mortals. One thing he didn't plan on, however, is crossing paths with a beautiful demon hunter.

Together, they'll need to seal the portal and ensure that balance is returned to the realm. But loving an enemy is not an option for Darcy. If she can't trust Jaral, she can't be with him. To prove his intentions, Jaral will need to make the ultimate sacrifice.


Release Date: 17th February 2014


Dungeon Royale (Masters + Mercenaries, #6)
by: Lexi Blake

An agent broken

MI6 agent Damon Knight prided himself on always being in control. His missions were executed with cold, calculating precision. His club, The Garden, was run with an equally ordered and detached decadence. But his perfect world was shattered by one bullet, fired from the gun of his former partner. That betrayal almost cost him his life and ruined his career. His handlers want him to retire, threatening to revoke his license to kill if he doesn’t drop his obsession with a shadowy organization called The Collective. To earn their trust, he has to prove himself on a unique assignment with an equally unusual partner.

A woman tempted

Penelope Cash has spent her whole life wanting more. More passion. More adventure. But duty has forced her to live a quiet life. Her only excitement is watching the agents of MI6 as they save England and the world. Despite her training, she’s only an analyst. The closest she is allowed to danger and intrigue is in her dreams, which are often filled with one Damon Knight. But everything changes when the woman assigned to pose as Damon’s submissive on his latest mission is incapacitated. Penny is suddenly faced with a decision. Stay in her safe little world or risk her life and her heart for Queen and country.

An enemy revealed

With the McKay-Taggart team at their side, Damon and Penny hunt an international terrorist across the great cities of Northern Europe. Playing the part of her Master, Damon begins to learn that under Penny’s mousy exterior is a passionate submissive, one who just might lay claim to his cold heart. But when Damon’s true enemy is brought out of the shadows, it might be Penny who pays the ultimate price.

Release Date: 18th February 2014




Flashes of Me
by: Cynthia Sax

Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly, using his network of cameras, and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, along with his scarred hands and huge size, have resulted in his being feared by everyone … almost everyone.

Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss's wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses … and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.

Kat likes to be watched. Henley can't look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?


Release Date: 18th February 2014


Game of Love (The Remingtons, #1)
by: Melissa Foster

Ellie Parker is a master at building walls around her heart. In the twenty-five years she’s been alive, Dex Remington has been the only person who has always believed in her and been there for her. But four years earlier she came to Dex seeking comfort, and then disappeared like a thief in the night, leaving him a broken man.

Dex Remington is one of the top PC game developers in the U.S. He’s handsome, smart, and numb. So damn numb that he’s not sure he’ll ever find a reason to feel again.

A chance encounter sparks intense desires in Ellie and Dex. Desires that make her want to run—and make him want to feel. A combination of lust and fear leads these young lovers down a dangerous path. Is it possible to cross a burned bridge or are they destined to be apart forever?


Release Date: 17th February 2014


His Obsession Next Door (In the Line of Duty, #1)
by: Cathryn Fox

"Once the fuse is lit, there s only one way to extinguish the flames."

Years ago, Cole Sullivan made a battlefield promise sealed in a dying man s blood to take care of his best friend s little sister. Now he s forced to live with the fact that Gemma Matthews is completely off limits.

Though Gemma s always had a crush on the darkly handsome, far-too-serious explosives expert, she can t forget the sting of his rejection. Now here they are, ten years later, with Cole still stubbornly in the role of protector. But when she catches him watching her from his house next door, she jumps at the opportunity to show him "everything" he s been missing.

Cole can barely keep his cool at Gemma s bedroom window performance. He s never been a risk taker, but her all-out campaign of seduction ignites a fuse that can only blow up in his face.

All thoughts of backing off are swept away in the heat of reckless passion. Leaving him wondering how he will live with himself amid the razor-sharp shards of his broken promise.

Release Date: 18th February 2014

Vampire Most Wanted (Argeneau, #20)
by: Lynsay Sands

For Basha Argeneau, anything is better than facing her estranged family. Even hiding out in sweltering southern California. But when a sexy immortal in black shows up determined to bring her back to the clan, she'll do anything to keep far, far away from the past she can't outrun.

Marcus Notte isn't here to play games—especially not with someone as crazy as the infamous blonde. Asked by Lucian Argeneau to bring her back for questioning, Marcus is determined to carry out Lucian's request—no matter how the seductive little mind-reading vamp feels about it.

Basha doesn't mind fighting fire with fire, especially with a hot immortal involved. But if he wants to take her away, he'll have to catch her first . . .


Release Date: 18th February 2014



YOUNG ADULT

Bright Before Sunrise
by: Tiffany Schmidt

When Jonah is forced to move from Hamilton to Cross Pointe for the second half of his senior year, "miserable" doesn't even begin to cover it. He feels like the doggy-bag from his mother's first marriage and everything else about her new life—with a new husband, new home and a new baby—is an upgrade. The people at Cross Pointe High School are pretentious and privileged—and worst of all is Brighton Waterford, the embodiment of all things superficial and popular. Jonah’s girlfriend, Carly, is his last tie to what feels real... until she breaks up with him.

For Brighton, every day is a gauntlet of demands and expectations. Since her father died, she’s relied on one coping method: smile big and pretend to be fine. It may have kept her family together, but she has no clue how to handle how she's really feeling. Today is the anniversary of his death and cracks are beginning to show. The last thing she needs is the new kid telling her how much he dislikes her for no reason she can understand. She's determined to change his mind, and when they're stuck together for the night, she finally gets her chance.

Jonah hates her at 3p.m., but how will he feel at 3 a.m.?

One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.


Release Date: 18th February 2014


Divergent Companion, The: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series
by: Lois Gresh


The first companion guide to the blockbuster bestselling Divergent trilogy—soon to be a major motion picture

Written by the New York Times bestselling author of The Twilight Companion and The Hunger Games Companion, the book takes fans deeper into the post-apocalyptic world created by Veronica Roth—a dystopian Chicago in which humanity has organized itself into five factions, each with its own core value to uphold. At the age of sixteen, Beatrice Prior must choose to which one she will devote her life.

The Divergent Companion includes fascinating background facts about the action in all three books—the third book, Allegiant, publishes in October 2013—a revealing biography of the author, and amazing insights into the trilogy's major themes and features. It’s everything fans have been hungering for since the very first book! This book is not authorized by Veronica Roth, Katherine Tegen Books, or anyone involved in the Divergent movie.

Release Date: 18th February 2014



Insanity
by: Susan Vaught

Never, Kentucky is not your average scenic small town. It is a crossways, a place where the dead and the living can find no peace. Not that Forest, an 18-year-old foster kid who works the graveyard shift at Lincoln Hospital, knew this when she applied for the job. Lincoln is a huge state mental institution, a good place for Forest to make some money to pay for college. But along with hundreds of very unstable patients, it also has underground tunnels, bell towers that ring unexpectedly, and a closet that holds more than just donated clothing....When the dead husband of one of Forest's patients makes an appearance late one night, seemingly accompanied by an agent of the Devil, Forest loses all sense of reality and all sense of time. Terrified, she knows she has a part to play, and when she does so, she finds a heritage that she never expected.

With her deep knowledge of mental illness and mental institutions, Susan Vaught brings readers a fascinating and completely creepy new book intertwining the stories of three young people who find themselves haunted beyond imagining in the depths of Lincoln Hospital.


Release Date: 18th February 2014


Maybe One Day
by: Melissa Kantor

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.
Release Date: 18th February 2014


Perfect Lies (Mind Games, #2)
by: Kiersten White

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.


Release Date: 18th February 2014



They Call Me a Hero: A Memoir of My Youth
by: Daniel Hernandez

Daniel Hernandez helped save the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and his life experience is a source of true inspiration in this heartfelt memoir.
"I don't consider myself a hero," says Daniel Hernandez. "I did what I thought anyone should have done. Heroes are people who spend a lifetime committed to helping others."

When Daniel Hernandez was twenty years old, he was working as an intern for U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. On January 8, 2011, during a "Congress on Your Corner" event, Giffords was shot. Daniel Hernandez's quick thinking saved Giffords's life until the paramedics arrived and took her to the hospital. Hernandez's bravery and heroism has been noted by many, including President Barack Obama.

But while that may have been his most well-known moment in the spotlight, Daniel Hernandez, Jr., is a remarkable individual who has already accomplished much in his young life, and is working to achieve much more. This memoir explores Daniel's life, his character, and the traits that a young person needs to rise above adversity and become a hero like Daniel

Release Date: 18th February 2014


Third Strike (Slayer Chronicles, #3)
by: Heather Brewer

Heather Brewer, the New York Times bestselling author of THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD, brings this spin-off series to a thrilling conclusion.

All secrets will be revealed as Slayer Joss McMillan tracks a murderous vampire terrorizing his hometown of Santa Clara. During his investigation, Joss comes head to head with old enemies seeking revenge and faces the truth about his sister Cecile’s murder. Joss must use all of his skill to protect his loved ones, even if it means paying the ultimate price.


Release Date: 20th February 2014





MOVIES & TV SERIES (18th February)
MOVIES

Afternoon Delight
Directed by: Jill Soloway

Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Josh Radnor

A provocative comedy about sex, marriage and finding yourself again, AFTERNOON DELIGHT follows Rachel (Kathryn Hahn, Step Brothers, We re the Millers), a quick-witted, yet tightly-coiled, thirty-something bored with her daily routine of preschool auctions and a lackluster sex life and career that has gone kaput. Looking to spice-up her marriage, Rachel takes her husband Jeff (Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother, Liberal Arts) to a strip club and meets McKenna (Juno Temple, Killer Joe, The Dark Knight Rises), a stripper she becomes obsessed with saving. Rachel adopts McKenna as her live-in nanny, wreaking havoc on her friends, family and herself.

Release Date: 18th February 2014


Battle of the Damned
Directed by: Christopher Hatton

Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Matt Doran

When a deadly virus is accidentally released into a major city, its population is quarantined by military blockade. And for a wealthy industrialist desperate to rescue his daughter from inside the rabid chaos, his only hope is former commando Max Gatling (Dolph Lundgren). Now Gatling has one day to bust in, blast through hordes of the undead, find the girl, and hunt for a way to get them both out alive. But will a small band of survivors and an army of killer robots turn his mission into maximum slaughter? Matt Doran (The Matrix) and David Field (Chopper) co-star in this intense action shocker!

Release Date: 18th February 2014


Cal
Directed by: Christian Martin

Starring: Wayne Virgo, Tom Payne

Set in the economically depressed England of today, Cal is a startlingly powerful drama of a young gay man lost and the visceral follow-up to the hit 2009 film SHANK.

Twenty-year-old Cal (Wayne Virgo, reprising his role from the original film) returns from France to Britain after receiving news that his mother is ill. His finds his home city of Bristol facing hard economic times brought on by the global economic crisis - with poverty and crime on the rise and rioting and looting almost a nightly occurrence. It is not a warm homecoming as Cal finds it difficult to fit in. Unable to get a job, he is confronted by his sick mother who remains stubbornly homophobic and wants nothing to do with her gay son.

While navigating his way across this new landscape, he meets Jason, a young student in need of Cal’s help. However, his act of kindness brings him into contact with a drug dealing pimp and a race against time to make peace with his mother and get out of town as quickly as possible.

Release Date: 18th February 2014


Mortal Enemies
Directed by: Asun Mawardi

Starring: Robin Shou

Fellow orphans Sunny and Verdy are like brothers, but are separated when Verdy is adopted by a wealthy couple. Their paths cross again when Verdy (now a successful businessman) and his fianc‚e are kidnapped by a crew of pirates while on vacation. With the ransom set, the pirates' intentions become clear and Verdy is reunited with his long lost friend - who, it appears, has joined the pirates. Will they be able to come together to prove that brothers don't always have to share blood?

Release Date: 18th February 2014



Zaytoun
Directed by: Eran Riklis

Starring: Stephen Dorff

In 1982, amid the Lebanese Civil War, Israeli pilot Yoni (Stephen Dorff) is shot down over Beirut and is taken prisoner by inhabitants of a Palestinian refugee camp. Among the captors is ten-year-old Fahed, whose father obsessively tends to his prized, but sickly olive tree, refusing to replant it until they return to their ancestral land. Despite his deep-rooted hatred for Yoni, Fahed realizes he can use him to get past the border and into Palestine to plant his father's olive tree. The two embark on a harrowing and dangerous journey one that tests the very boundaries of humanity. ZAYTOUN is a story of survival, reconciliation and friendship.
Release Date: 18th February 2014



TV SERIES

Game of Thrones: Season 3

Starring: Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington

In the third season of the hit HBO drama series Game of Thrones, the Lannisters are barely holding onto power after a savage naval onslaught from Stannis Baratheon, while stirrings in the North threaten to alter the overall balance of power in Westeros. Robb Stark, King in the North, is facing major calamity in his efforts to build on his victories over the Lannisters while beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder and his huge army of wildlings continue their inexorable march south. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen - reunited with her three fast-maturing dragons - attempts to raise an army to sail with her from Essos, in hopes of eventually claiming the Iron Throne.

Release Date: 18th February 2014



Nurse Jackie: Season 5

Starring: Edie Falco

NURSE JACKIE returns for a fifth season with Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, a role that has earned Falco her third consecutive Primetime Emmy nomination. After leaving rehab early, Jackie finds sobriety and relative happiness -- but that is the calm before the storm. With her marriage coming to an end, a careless accident sends Jackie to her own All Saints Hospital for emergency care. While recovering, she meets NYC policeman Frank Verelli (Adam Ferrera), whose flirtatious advances may lead Jackie into uncharted territory: dating. Stepping out of her usual comfort zone, challenged by new colleagues, Jackie faces her one-year sobriety anniversary.

Release Date: 18th February 2014

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the lovely comment on my blog. I love your layout, new follower via GFC. :)

    ReplyDelete