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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
MOVIES
Beautiful Creatures
Directed by: Richard Lagravenese
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
