Hey everyone!
Sorry for posting this late, but I had a busy weekend and work was crazy today! Before moving on to the releases this week, I just wanted to thank everyone that participated in my "Book-to-Movie" E-book Giveaway! It ended on Saturday, and I am in the process of contacting the winners. I will name the official winners on Wednesday once I have heard from everyone!
There are quite a few interesting book releases this week. In adult, I can see
White Horse by Alex Adams getting on a few "Must Read Books of 2012" lists. I want to know what the significance of the "white horse" title and cover art is... In Young Adult, Norwegian author Johan Harstad may just be someone to watch out for with his novel
172 Hours on the Moon, which thankfully has been translated in English by Tara Chace.
The big release in movies this week is
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol starring Tom Cruise. But there are quite a few indie films that can't be ignored and have been getting a lot of buzz. Ladies, we get to to see Michael Fassbender completely naked in
Shame and veteran actor Michael Biehn loose his mind after a group of people are trapped together in
The Divide.
Finally, animated television seems to be the popular releases in the TV Series category this week:
American Dad: Volume 7 and
Bob's Burgers: Season 1 to name a couple.
Enjoy!
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BOOKS (APRIL 17th)
ADULTWhite Horseby: Alex Adams
Thirty
-year-old Zoe leads an ordinary life until the end of the world arrives. She is cleaning cages and floors at Pope Pharmaceuticals when the President of the United States announces that human beings are no longer a viable species. When Zoe realizes that everyone she loves is disappearing, she starts running. Scared and alone in a shockingly changed world, she embarks on a remarkable journey of survival and redemption. Along the way, Zoe comes to see that humans are not defined by their genetic code, but rather by their actions and choices. White Horse offers hope for a broken world, where love can lead to the most unexpected places.
YOUNG ADULT172 Hours on the Moonby: Johan Harstad, Tara F. Chace (Translator)
It's be
en decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever.
Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune.
Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan.
Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.
It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.
In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.Glimmerby: Phoebe Kitanidis
What if
you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?
And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?
When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.
Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.
Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.Liberator (Worldshaker, #2)by: Richard Harland
Equality
remains elusive in this stunning steampunk sequel to Worldshaker.
In the aftermath of the events of Worldshaker, the Filthies control the massive juggernaut, now called Liberator. Many members of the former upper class, called Swanks, have remained behind to help teach them how to operate the juggernaut and to build a new society together. But all is not idyllic aboard Liberator.
A saboteur seems determined to drive up anti-Swank sentiment among the more volatile Filthy factions. And the Swanks are finding that their best efforts to work with the Filthies are being tossed aside. Even Col, who thought his relationship with Riff was rock solid, is starting to see their friendship crumbling before him. As tensions run high and coal supplies run low, Liberator is on the verge of a crisis. Can Col and Riff unify their divided people before disaster strikes?The Chaosby: Nalo Hopkinson
An acc
laimed fantasy author navigates the world between myth and chaos in this compelling exploration of identity, told with a Caribbean lilt.
Sixteen-year-old Scotch struggles to fit in—at home she's the perfect daughter, at school she's provocatively sassy, and thanks to her mixed heritage, she doesn’t feel she belongs with the Caribbeans, whites, or blacks. And even more troubling, lately her skin is becoming covered in a sticky black substance that can't be removed. While trying to cope with this creepiness, she goes out with her brother—and he disappears. A mysterious bubble of light just swallows him up, and Scotch has no idea how to find him. Soon, the Chaos that has claimed her brother affects the city at large, until it seems like everyone is turning into crazy creatures. Scotch needs to get to the bottom of this supernatural situation ASAP before the Chaos consumes everything she's ever known—and she knows that the black shadowy entity that's begun trailing her every move is probably not going to help.
A blend of fantasy and Caribbean folklore, at its heart this tale is about identity and self acceptance—because only by acknowledging her imperfections can Scotch hope to save her brother.MOVIES & TV SERIES (APRIL 17th)
MOVIESA Heavenly VintageDirected by: Niki Caro
Starring:
Jeremie Renier, Vera Farmiga
From the acclaimed director of Whale Rider and North Country comes the story of a young winemaker who rises to prominence through the unlikely guidance of a mysterious angel. His talents make him the object of desire of a beautiful baroness who tempts him to stray from his loving wife and children. Featuring inspired performances from Academy Award nominees Vera Farmiga and Keisha Castle-Hughes, A Heavenly Vintage is a beautiful and sensual tale about what it takes to create the perfect vintage.
Crew 2 CrewDirected by: Mark Bacci
Starring
: Andres Londono
Inspired by true events. Lucas Santoro longs for more in his life than what his small town has to offer. After joining a break dancing troupe and traveling the world, he finds himself torn between his family, his girlfriend, and the life he knows for the chance to do something more. Luca struggles to choose between his love for dancing and the love of his life.
Mission Impossible: Ghost ProtocolDirected by: Brad Bird
Starri
ng: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner
No plan. No backup. No choice. Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his elite team (Jeremy Renner,
The Avengers and Simon Pegg,
Star Trek) go underground after a bombing of the Kremlin implicates the IMF as international terrorists. While trying to clear the agency's name, the team uncovers a plot to start a nuclear war. Now, to save the world, they must use every high-tech trick in the book. The mission has never been more real, more dangerous, or more impossible.
Roadracers (Blu-ray release)Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Starrin
g: David Arquette, John Hawkes
Robert Rodriguez delivers more action-packed thrills with ROADRACERS! It's the wild story of a rockin' rebel (David Arquette) racing through life with a fast car, a loud guitar, and a sexy girlfriend (Salma Hayek). But when a confrontation ends with deadly threats, this young rebel finds himself speeding head-on toward a showdown that will settle the score for good! With hot stars and an energetic style all its own, ROADRACERS is fast-paced entertainment that never slows down!
ShameDirected by: Steve McQueen
Sta
rring: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan
Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a New Yorker who shuns intimacy with women but feeds his desires with a compulsive addiction to sex. When his wayward younger sister (Carey Mulligan) moves into his apartment stirring memories of their shared painful past, Brandon's insular life spirals out of control.
The DivideDirected by: Xavier Gens
Starring:
Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia
In this graphic and violent, post-apocalyptic thriller, nine strangers-all tenants of a New York high rise apartment-escape a nuclear attack by hiding out in the building's bunker-like basement. Trapped for days underground with no hope for rescue, and only unspeakable horrors awaiting them on the other side of the bunker door, the group begins to descend into madness, each turning on one another with physical and psycho-sexual torment. As supplies dwindle, and tensions flare, and they grow
increasingly unhinged by their close quarters and hopelessness, each act against one another becomes more depraved than the next. While everyone in the bunker allows themselves to be overcome by desperation and lose their humanity, one survivor holds onto a thin chance for escape even with no promise of salvation on the outside.
TV SERIES
American Dad: Volume 7Starring: n
/a
It's time once again to let it all hang out with an all-new volume of animated outrageousness! From the disturbed comic minds of Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman, and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, comes the always insane adventures of CIA operative Stan Smith and his wonderfully twisted family. In the 100th episode, Hayley elopes with Jeff! Other episodes include Stan on jury duty, Steve walking in on his amorous parents, Roger dating Steve's best friend, and yet another AD Christmas classic. Plus, there are serial killers, Turkish amphetamines, and evil clones - so, you know, the usual!
Bob's Burgers: Season 1Starring: 
n/a
Smart laughs and irreverent fun are always on the menu at Bob's Burgers. Bob Belcher's family-run restaurant would be a big success if not for one thing - his family! Oldest daughter, Tina, can't control her raging hormones. Middle son, Gene, promotes the restaurant by wearing a burger costume, but forgets to take it off to pee. And little Louise tells her class that Bob's burgers are made from human flesh! This quirky comedy will leave you hungry for more.
Conan the Adventurer: Season 2, Part 2Starr
ing: n/a
Conan The Adventurer follows Conan and his friends on their quest to rescue Conan's family from an evil spell, cast by the Serpent Man wizard Wrath-Amon. These episodes find Conan helping out a mysterious city led by an evil ruler, falling under an evil spell, and learning how to read! Conan The Adventurer originally aired in Saturday morning syndication beginning in 1992 transitioning to a daily airing throughout 1993 in the second season. Hasbro also launched a branded toy line in 1992. The comic book line has been in print 40 years.
Eight is Enough: Season 1Starring: 
Dick Van Patten, Betty Buckley
For fans of 70's dramas such as Family and The Waltons, here is the first season of the top-rated dramedy Eight is Enough on a 2-disc DVD! Based on the book by Thomas Braden, the series chronicled the lives of a columnist Tom Bradford, his wife and their eight children, and their sometimes-comic, sometimes-dramatic exploits.
Treme: Season 2Starring: 
Steve Zahn, Wendell Pierce
Fourteen months have passed since Hurricane Katrina, but residents of the Crescent City are finding it harder than ever to rebuild their lives, much less hold on to their unique cultural identity. Some have become expatriates in distant cities. The insurance checks that never arrived for homeowners were followed by the bureaucratic nightmare that was the Road Home program, and a land-grab is underway as developers and disaster capitalists press their advantage. Crime and drug use are up, and corruption and graft are endemic, with civic institutions unable to counter any of it. And yet the culture of New Orleans somehow endures.
