Hello, Muses!
Not as many new releases mentioned this week, but definitely a few to check out. If you like books about the apocalypse and zombies but want something a little different, you may be interested in
Apocalypse Cow (love the play on words!). In movies,
Beautiful Creatures finally makes it to dvd/blu-ray, based off of the popular YA series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger finally makes his big comeback to movies with the action flick
The Last Stand. In TV series,
True Blood: Season 5 comes out this week in preparation for season 6 which premieres next month!
Enjoy!
BOOKS (21st May)
ADULT
Apocalypse Cow
by: Michael Logan
If you think you've seen
it all -- WORLD WAR Z, THE WALKING DEAD-- you haven't seen anything
like this. From the twisted brain of Michael Logan comes Apocalypse Cow, a story about three unlikely heroes who must save Britain . . . from a rampaging horde of ZOMBIE COWS!
Forget the cud. They want blood. It
began with a cow that just wouldn't die. It would become an epidemic
that transformed Britain's livestock into sneezing, slavering,
flesh-craving four-legged zombies. And if that wasn't bad enough, the
fate of the nation seems to rest on the shoulders of three unlikely
heroes: an abattoir worker whose love life is non-existent thanks to the
stench of death that clings to him, a teenage vegan with eczema and a
weird crush on his maths teacher, and an inept journalist who wouldn't
recognize a scoop if she tripped over one. As the nation descends into
chaos, can they pool their resources, unlock a cure, and save the
world? Three losers.Overwhelming odds.One outcome . . . Yup, we're
screwed.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Apology
by: Jon Pineda
When nine-year-old Tom
Serafino’s twin sister Teagan suffers a debilitating brain injury, a
police investigation implicates his playmate Mario’s uncle—an immigrant,
transient worker known as Shoe. Innocent of the crime but burdened by
his own childhood tragedy, Shoe takes the blame for what is in fact an
accident caused by his young nephew, ensuring Mario’s chance at a future
publicly unscarred.
The lines between innocence and guilt,
evasions and half-truths, love and duty are blurred. Can a lie born from
resignation, fear, and love transform tragedy into hope? And is the
life of one man worth the price of that lie?
Told in vivid scenes alive with imagery and with thematic echoes of John Burnham Schwartz’s Reservation Road and Northwest Corner, Apology explores how the decisions we make in an instant reverberate in the years to come. Apology
further paints a portrait of sacrifice within two immigrant families
raising first-generation Americans. It explores the measure of duty we
have toward one another, and the extent to which abandoning the wreckage
of family and the past often leads to unexpected consequences.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Until Forever Comes
by: Cardeno C.
Ethan Abbatt is a wolf shifter who can’t shift. Plagued by pain and
weakness all his life, he hopes to find an honorable death by joining
his pack mates in a vampire attack. Instead, Ethan learns two things:
draining his blood releases his pain and his wolf, and he has a true
mate—a vampire named Miguel.
Miguel Rodriguez is more than four
centuries old. Strong, powerful, and vicious, he walks through life as a
shadow, without happiness or affection. When a young shifter tells
Miguel they’re true mates, destined to be together, Miguel sends him
away. But Ethan is persistent, and Miguel can’t resist for long. Once
Miguel gives in, being together comes naturally. The challenge is
keeping themselves alive so they can stay by each other’s side until
forever comes.
Release Date: 20st May 2013
YOUNG ADULT
Book of Broken Hearts, The
by: Sarah Ockler
When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.
Jude
has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing
is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the
tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore
an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have
anything to do with one.
Now Jude is the only sister still living
at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father
restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help
out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet?
And a Vargas?
Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with
Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty
little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But
Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat
itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters
were wrong?
Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Website |
E-book |
Hardcover
Dark Shore, The (Atlanteans, #2)
by: Kevin Emerson
BEWARE THE GODS AND
THEIR HORRORS. Owen and Lilly have escaped Camp Eden, but the next step
on their journey to find Atlantis and protect it from Paul and Project
Elysium involves crossing the perilous wastelands of a wrecked planet.
And unlike in EdenWest, where bloody truths were kept hidden beneath the
surface, out here the horrors live bright beneath the poisonous sun.
With
treachery at every turn, Owen has no choice but to bring his wounded
clan to the dark shores of Desenna, a city built from the ashes of
EdenSouth. Desenna's blood-soaked walls may hold the key to Owen's
journey in the form of the third Atlantean as well as a deeper
understanding of the true purpose of the Three, but there are also
secrets lurking in the shadows, waiting to be unleashed, and once they
rise, there may be no escape.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Thousand Words
by: Jennifer Brown
Ashleigh's boyfriend,
Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll
forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool
party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself --
sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of
it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the
full-length mirror, and hits "send."
But when Kaleb and Ashleigh
go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to
his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the
attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her
friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh
feels completely alone -- until she meets Mack while serving her
court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance
at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of
Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look.
Acclaimed author Jennifer
Brown brings readers a gripping novel about honesty and betrayal,
redemption and friendship, attraction and integrity, as Ashleigh finds
that while a picture may be worth a thousand words . . . it doesn't
always tell the whole story.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Transparent
by: Natalie Whipple
Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.
An
invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been
forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on
people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.
After
sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small
town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life
is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.
Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
MOVIES & TV SERIES (21st May)
MOVIES
Beautiful Creatures
Directed by: Richard Lagravenese
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert
When newcomer Lena Duchannes arrives in the small town of Gatlin she
quickly captures the attention of Ethan Wate, who only wants to escape
what he views as a boring and dead end town. He quickly gets more than
he bargained for, as Lena possesses strange powers that have long kept
her at a distance from others in her life. Lena and Ethan are drawn
together, but their budding romance is threatened by the dangers posed
by Lena's being a Caster and her family's Dark powers, for upon her
sixteenth birthday Lena must undergo the Claiming, a process that will
decide her fate forever: Light or Dark.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Last Stand, The
Directed by: Jee-woon Kim
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled
into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town
Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when
Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug
kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape
from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless
mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins
racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted
Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez' path: straight through
Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement,
including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final
opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across
the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then
counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force,
Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own
hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Parker
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
Starring: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez
Parker (Jason Statham) is a professional thief who lives by a personal
code of ethics: Don't steal from people who can't afford it and don't
hurt people who don't deserve it. But on his latest heist, his crew
double crosses him, steals his stash, and leaves him for dead.
Determined to make sure they regret it, Parker tracks them to Palm
Beach, playground of the rich and famous, where the crew is planning
their biggest heist ever. Donning the disguise of a rich Texan, Parker
takes on an unlikely partner, Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a savvy insider,
who's short on cash, but big on looks, smarts and ambition. Together,
they devise a plan to hijack the score, take everyone down and get away
clean. Also starring Michael Chiklis.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Return to Nim's Island
Directed by: Brendan Maher
Starring: Bindi Irwin, Matthew Lillard
The writer and producer of the smash hit NIM S ISLAND brings you the
much anticipated sequel, RETURN TO NIM S ISLAND!, featuring Bindi Irwin
in a wild ride filled with pristine beaches, exotic animals, dastardly
pirates, and all your favorite characters from the original. After his
cruise ship discovery of Nim and her beautiful island, Edmund tries to
explain the wonder of his find to his classmates only to find that
nobody will believe him. Frustrated, Edmund runs away and sneaks aboard
the same fateful cruise ship as his last adventure and steals a row boat
to make his way to Nim s Island. At the same time, Nim s world is
turning upside down, as she s faced with the possibility of having to
move to the mainland for her father to pursue his scientific research.
Left alone for her last weekend on the island, Nim finds Edmund, as well
as the pirate animal poachers that followed him! Soon, Nim and Edmund
are in a stealth battle of cunning and wits to rescue her beloved sea
lion Selkie. With Nim s know-how and Edmund s bravery, they are able to
defeat the pirates and maybe even solve the scientific mystery that
would allow Nim to stay on her beloved Island.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Side Effects
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Channing Tatum, Rooney Mara
From Academy Awardr-winning director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) comes
this suspenseful and provocative tale of intrigue starring Channing
Tatum, Academy Awardr nominees Rooney Mara and Jude Law, and Academy
Awardr winner Catherine Zeta-Jones. After her husband (Tatum) is
released from prison, Emily (Mara) begins suffering from terrifying
anxiety and turns to psychiatrist Dr. Banks (Law) for help. But when
Banks prescribes an experimental drug for her, the side effects have
chilling and deadly consequences.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Stand Up Guys
Directed by: Fisher Stevens
Starring: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken
Val (Al Pacino) is released from prison after serving twenty-eight years
for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates. His best
friend Doc (Christopher Walken) is there to pick him up, and the two
soon re-team with another old pal, Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Their bond is as
strong as ever, and the three reflect on freedom lost and gained,
loyalties ebbed and flowed, and days of glory gone by. But one of the
friends is keeping a dangerous secret- he's been put in an impossible
quandary
by a former mob boss,
and his time to find an acceptable alternative is running out. As the
sun rises on the guys' legendary reunion, their position becomes more
and more desperate and they finally confront their past once and for
all.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Struck by Lightning
Directed by: Brian Dannelly
Starring: Chris Colfer, Rebel Wilson
High school senior Carson Phillips (Chris Colfer, Glee) was destined
for bigger things than his close-minded small town could ever offer. He
was on a path to greatness, but destiny had a different plan when he
was suddenly killed by a bolt of lightning in his school parking lot.
Demonstrating that life is what happens while you re busy planning your
future, Carson recounts the last few weeks of his life via witty,
insightful flashbacks, including a blackmail scheme targeting the
popular kids in school that he concocts with his best friend (Rebel
Wilson, Bridesmaids), a home life that includes a mother (Allison
Janney, Juno, The West Wing) who s more interested in the bottle than
her son s future, and an estranged father (Dermot Mulroney, New Girl, My
Best Friend s Wedding) who suddenly appears with a pregnant fiancée
(Christina Hendricks, Mad Men).
Release Date: 21st May 2013
TV SERIES
Perception: Season 1
Starring: Eric McCormack
Enter the brilliant mind of Dr. Daniel Pierce, and relive every
thrilling case of Perception: The Complete First Season. Experience an
original twist on the classic crime drama as Emmy Award winner Eric
McCormack (best lead actor in a comedy series, 2001, Will & Grace),
stars as an eccentric neuroscience professor whose revealing visions
help him uncover what lies beneath conscious emotion. Though recruited
by the FBI for his masterful understanding of the human mind, Daniel's
odd and offbeat view makes it difficult for him to get close to anyone.
His former student, Agent Kate Moretti (Rachael Leigh Cook), is one of
the few people willing to accept Daniel's peculiarities in exchange for
his imaginative solutions. Two very different personalities join forces
as they try to tackle the Bureau's most complex cases. Own every
thrilling moment of Season One in this sensational DVD collection!
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Saddle Club: Season 3
Starring: n/a
Season three mixes drama and comedy as 12-year-olds Stevie, Carole and
Lisa struggle to support one another through the inevitable joys and
sorrows of adolescence. The action-packed, character-driven stories
focus on the inter-personal relationships among the members of the
Saddle Club and the variety of interesting people they encounter at Pine
Hollow Stables. Each episode features an engaging, high-stakes horse
story with humorous sub-plots, as the girls contend with all the
challenges, setbacks and mysteries of growing up.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Saving Hope: Season 1
Starring: Michael Shanks, Erica Durance
Includes two episodes not seen on television. When tragedy strikes Chief
of Surgery Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks), he leaves Hope Zion
Hospital in chaos and his fiancée and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Erica
Durance), in a state of shock. Now trapped in a coma, Dr. Harris wanders
the halls of the hospital in spirit form, as Alex and the rest of the
staff make courageous decisions to keep hope alive. Bonus Features:
Interviews with Erica Durance, Daniel Gillies, Michael Shanks,
Behind-the-Scenes Footage.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Teen Wolf: Season 2
Starring: Tyler Posey
After an action-packed end to its premiere season, Teen Wolf jumps full
force into season two with even more suspenseful drama. Scott McCall, an
ordinary teenager with a wild secret, continues to find himself caught
in a supernatural war between hunters and werewolves. While navigating
the complicated roadways of high school, Scott must keep his forbidden
romance with Allison a secret and protect himself from new Alpha wolf
Derek. Scott will have to trust his instincts above all else if he hopes
to end the war in Beacon Hills and keep his friends and family safe.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Website |
DVD
True Blood: Season 5
Starring: Anna Paquin, Alexander Skarsgard
Returning for its fifth season, True Blood is HBO’s sexy, scary, wildly
entertaining drama series from Oscar®- and Emmy®-winner Alan Ball (Six
Feet Under) and based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine
Harris. In addition to returning cast favorites – human/faerie waitress
Sookie Stackhouse, her vampire suitors Bill Compton and Eric Northman,
soul-searching pal Tara, shape-shifting boss Sam, rakish brother Jason,
clairvoyant Lafayette and teen-vamp Jessica – Season 5 introduces a
whole new wave of otherworldly characters. There’s Vampire Guardian
Roman, president of the Vampire Authority, who wants co-existence
between humans and vampires; vampire zealot Salome (yes, the Salome),
intent on recreating the world in God’s vampyric image; Authority
Chancellor Nora, who shares the same maker as Eric; werewolves J.D. and
Martha, who want a reluctant Alcide to take his rightful place as
packmaster; and many more. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor,
True Blood Season 5 goes deep into the battle between the Vampire
Authority and “vampire fundamentalists” – a political power play whose
outcome could decide not only the fate of Sookie and her Bon Temps
friends, but of all human existence.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
