Monday, August 12, 2013

My Picks of the Week! (13th August 2013)

 Happy Monday, Muses!

 Lots of releases this week, so I will leave you to it. However, the ones I am personally looking forward to checking out are: in Adult books, Bikers and Pearls by Vicki Wilkerson , Blood of Tyrants (book #8 in the Temeraire series) by Naomi Novik, and From the Ashes by Daisy Harris. In Young Adult, I've been anxiously awaiting Matthew Quick's Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock.

There's a little bit of everything in Movies this week. If you are looking for action, check out Olympus Has Fallen starring Gerard Butler. If you want to laugh, add The Big Wedding to your list. The flick I can't wait to watch is What Maisie Knew starring Julianne Moore and the hunky Alexander Skarsgard. In TV, Once Upon a Time: Season 2 finally arrives.

Enjoy!





BOOKS (13th August)


ADULT


Abel (5th Street, #4)
by: Elizabeth Reyes

Coming off the worst divorce in the history of marriages, Nellie Gamboa’s looking to let loose and make up for years of neglect. When months of building sexual tension between her and the young hot boxing stud, Abel Ayala, finally peak, she makes him an offer no man would refuse.

No promises. No demands. Just pure unrestrained passion.

Abel’s training for the biggest fight of his career. He has no time for a social life, much less a relationship. So this arrangement couldn't be more perfect. A beautiful woman asking him to help her alleviate her neglected desires—no strings attached. What more can he ask for?

As the lines between lust and something much deeper, begin to blur, Abel finds himself in an even bigger fight.

The fight to regain control of his now demanding heart.


Release Date: 13th August 2013


Adorned, The
by: John Tristan

My name is Etan, and I am Adorned.

A living piece of art, I exist to please the divine rulers of Kered. With nowhere to turn after my father died, I tried my luck in the capital city. Little did I know how quickly I would be robbed, beaten and forced to sell myself into servitude. But I was lucky enough to gain the attention of Roberd Tallisk, an irascible but intriguing tattoo artist who offered to mark me with enchanted ink for the enjoyment of the nobles. I was given a chance to better my station in life, and I could not refuse.

But the divine rulers want not only the art but the body that bears it. In their company I can rise above the dregs of society and experience a life most only dream of, at the cost of suffering their every desire as a pawn in games of lavish intrigue. Their attention is flattering, but I find I'd rather have Tallisk's.

Caught between factions, I learn that a revolution is brewing, one that could ruin Kered—and Roberd and myself along with it…


Release Date: 12th August 2013


Artifact
by: Shane Lindemoen

When an operational mining detachment uncovers an ancient artifact three miles below the Martian surface, Lance Kattar, one of the most respected particle physicists in his field, accepts a request to examine the find. The moment his hand touches the object though, Lance sets off a series of cataclysmic events that threaten the very fabric of human existence. With help from a diverse group of survivors an orphaned young girl, an anthropologist from SETI, a low-voltage electrician and a baseball-bat wielding biology teacher, Lance embarks on an odyssey of revelation and self-discovery, as he finds himself racing to unravel the mystery of the ancient artifact from Mars, before it collapses into a singularity of world-ending possibilities.

Release Date: 13th August 2013




Bikers and Pearls (Summerbrook, #1)
by: Vicki Wilkerson

Who said tempting a sweet Southern belle would be easy?

When rebel biker Bullworth Clayton gets tangled up with pastel-and-pearls-clad April Church, sparks fly. Sure, April would clearly rather work with anyone else, but if teaming up with Bull means a successful charity event for a sick little boy they both care about, then so be it.

April is baffled at how drawn she is to the leather-wearing, tattooed Bull—he just doesn’t fit with her simple, safe, country-club life. And as much as the handsomely rugged man tempts her, she still can’t shake the images of the tragic motorcycle accident from her past, which left her scarred and her father broken.

Bull tempts her to don a pair of leather pants and go for a ride with him, while April desperately tries to resist her attraction to the wild side and keep her exploits hidden from her small town. Will they be able to navigate their differences and find a middle road to love?


Release Date: 12th August 2013


Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire, #8)
by: Naomi Novik

Shipwrecked and cast ashore in Japan with no memory of Temeraire or his own experiences as an English aviator, Laurence finds himself tangled in deadly political intrigues that threaten not only his own life but England’s already precarious position in the Far East. Age-old enmities and suspicions have turned the entire region into a powder keg ready to erupt at the slightest spark—a spark that Laurence and Temeraire may unwittingly provide, leaving Britain faced with new enemies just when they most desperately need allies instead.

For to the west, another, wider conflagration looms. Napoleon has turned on his former ally, the emperor Alexander of Russia, and is even now leading the largest army the world has ever seen to add that country to his list of conquests. It is there, outside the gates of Moscow, that a reunited Laurence and Temeraire—along with some unexpected allies and old friends—will face their ultimate challenge...and learn whether or not there are stronger ties than memory.

Naomi Novik’s beloved Temeraire series, a brilliant combination of fantasy and history that reimagines the Napoleonic wars as fought with the aid of intelligent dragons, is a twenty-first-century classic. From the first volume, His Majesty’s Dragon, readers have been entranced by the globe-spanning adventures of the resolute Capt. William Laurence and his brave but impulsive dragon, Temeraire. 


Release Date: 13th August 2013


Come Hell or High Desire 
by: Misty Dietz

Torn between dangerous desires…

Framed for a series of brutal murders, rebel-turned-CEO Zack Goldman must go to ground. When he discovers that sexy boutique owner Sloane Swift has a shocking gift—terrifying visions that connect her to his mentor’s missing daughter—he can’t believe her refusal to help him. Nor can he believe he’s actually falling for the frustrating woman.

Their chemistry will either find its perfect equation…

Helping an accused killer ranks low on Sloane’s to-do list, no matter how hot the attraction burns between them. But putting to rest her overwhelming guilt over the missing girl’s fate proves more difficult than she ever imagined...that is, until her heart and conscience begin to align.

…or detonate everything in its path.

As the real killer locks in on Sloane, Zack will stop at nothing to keep her safe. And as they earn each other’s trust—with danger in hot pursuit—they may just lose their hearts in the process…


Release Date: 12th August 2013


Crave (Billionaire Bachelors Club, #1)
by: Monica Murphy

Billionaire Archer Bancroft always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Ivy Emerson, his best friend’s sister, for far too long. Being forbidden and untouchable only makes her more tempting. When a million-dollar bet with his friends throws down a challenge—last bachelor standing takes all—Archer knows he can win. That is, until one enchanted evening with Ivy takes his heart for a ride.

Ivy knows Archer is nothing but bad news: Infuriating, arrogant…and completely intoxicating. But despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to keep away. When a stolen kiss leads to a night of heated passion, Ivy realizes she’s in trouble and in head over heels.

But in the light of day, everything seems clearer and Archer’s not so sure a one-night stand is all he wants. Concocting a plan to keep Ivy by his side, Archer might just be willing to lose this bet…and win the jackpot instead.


Release Date: 12th August 2013


From the Ashes (Fire and Rain, #1)
by:  Daisy Harris

He wanted a boyfriend. What he got was a hero.

Fire and Rain, Book 1

When an accident burns down Jesse’s apartment, he’s left broke and homeless, with a giant dog and a college schedule he can’t afford to maintain. And no family who’s willing to take him in.

Lucky for him, a sexy fireman offers him a place to stay. The drawback? The fireman’s big Latino family lives next door, and they don’t know their son is gay.

Tomas’s parents made their way in America with hard work and by accepting help when it was offered, so he won’t let Jesse drop out of school just so he can afford a place to live. Besides, Jesse’s the perfect roommate—funny, sweet and breathtakingly cute. He climbs into Tomas’s bed and tugs at his heart. Until Jesse starts pushing for more.

Their passion enflames their bodies but threatens to crush Tomas’s family. Tomas is willing to fight for Jesse, but after losing everything, Jesse isn’t sure he can bear to risk his one remaining possession—his heart.


Release Date: 13th August 2013
 

Losing Control (Babysitting a Billionaire, #1)
by: Nina Croft

Four years after escaping her abusive ex-husband, Kim finally believes she’s in control of her life and her emotions and she's determined to never risk either again with a man. She has a great home, a job as a security specialist which she loves, and Jake for a best friend. But things are a tad lonely in the sex department, so she decides to embark on a no-strings-affair with one of her hot co-workers. And who better to help her remember how to lure a man than her best friend?

Jake has wanted Kim from the moment he first saw her, but four years ago, she was too young and too damaged. So he kept her close and he kept her safe, offering her a job in his security company and the training to feel safe again, and he bided his time. But now, after the long wait, if she imagines he’s going to stand by while she seduces some other guy...

Never going to happen.


Release Date: 12th August 2013

Lover Enraptured (Thieves of Aurion, #2)
by: Jodi Redford

Avily Donahoe has dated way too many losers trying to get over Jerrick Hunter, the man who taught her everything about the life of crime she left behind. Now he has the balls to show up and ask her to pose as his sub, complete with skimpy leather outfit, to get inside a no-faes-allowed sex club?

Oh, hell no. If anyone's going to be wearing next to nothing, it's going to be Jerrick...as "her" bitch.

Five years ago, Jerrick realized the lonely kid he'd taken under his wing had grown into a tempting, desirable woman-and he'd cut her loose. If gaining her help now means hitting his knees with a leash and a collar, so be it.

But soon their front escalates into an all-too-real erotic game where the prize is the one thing that tantalizes him beyond reason. Their hearts aren't the only thing they'll lose if they fail. It could mean the end of everything-and everyone-they know and love.

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Skies of Gold (Ether Chronicles, #5)
by: Zoe Archer

Two Lonely Hearts . . .

Kalindi MacNeil survived the devastating enemy airship attack that obliterated Liverpool, but even her engineering skills can't seem to repair her broken heart. Seeking to put her life back together, Kali retreats to a desolate, deserted island--only to discover she's not alone. Captain Fletcher Adams, an elite man/machine hybrid, a Man O' War, crashed his battle-damaged airship into the island after the destruction of Liverpool, never expecting to survive the wreck. But survive he did.

One Desire . . .

Believing he is nothing but a living weapon, Fletcher is wary of his newfound companion--a pretty, damaged, but determined young woman. Together they are stranded on the island, and it is only a matter of time until desire gets the best of them both. Soon Kali and Fletcher each find that they may be just what the other needed. But a danger from beyond the island puts them to the test. Will it rip them apart or bond their hearts forever?


Release Date: 12th August 2013


Stealing the Wind (Mermen of Ea, #1)
by: Shira Anthony

Taren Laxley has never known anything but life as a slave. When a lusty pirate kidnaps him and holds him prisoner on his ship, Taren embraces the chance to realize his dream of a seagoing life. Not only does the pirate captain offer him freedom in exchange for three years of labor and sexual servitude, but the pleasures Taren finds when he joins the captain and first mate in bed far surpass his greatest fantasies.

Then, during a storm, Taren dives overboard to save another sailor and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by Ian Dunaidh, the enigmatic and seemingly ageless captain of a rival ship, the Phantom, and Taren feels an overwhelming attraction to Ian that Ian appears to share. Soon Taren learns a secret that will change his life forever: Ian and his people are Ea, shape-shifting merfolk… and Taren is one of them too. Bound to each other by a fierce passion neither can explain or deny, Taren and Ian are soon embroiled in a war and forced to fight for a future—not only for themselves but for all their kind.


Release Date: 12th August 2013

Summer School
by: Tam Ames

Jeremy Decker’s recent split with his long-distance boyfriend has left him lonely with a mountain of debt. His only practical source of extra cash is to teach summer school, even if it means teaching history—not easy for an English teacher. To support him, the school hires Lucas Van Sloan, a much-younger college history student.

Lucas, with his swimmer’s physique and optimism, not to mention his determination to get what he wants, both attracts and annoys Jeremy… and what Lucas wants is Jeremy. The heat flares between them, but when Jeremy’s ex, a high-powered attorney with plenty of experience turning things his way, shows he wants Jeremy too, it threatens to snuff out the flame of passion and new love.


Release Date: 14th August 2013

Taking the Stage (Soulgirls, #2)
by: Heather Long

Roseatre takes one look at the white tigers that the stage manager has brought in to shake things up at the Midnight Mystery Lounge, and nearly has a heart attack. It doesn t matter that the beautiful creatures handler raises her pulse and makes her want to purr. The tigers are sure to recognize her and arouse her need for the hunt.

Pride outcast Anthony diNapoli wasn t expecting to encounter an Amazon princess when he brought his white tigers to the lounge. The lucrative show will go a long way toward securing his future, but not if he gives in to the urge to make her submit to his dominance, and claim her as his mate.

No matter how desperately her body aches for the sun-kissed stranger and his completely lickable abs, Roseatre is no man s prize. Yet she finds herself hungering for Anthony to defeat her and take her for his own.

It s show time in the Arcana Royale s Midnight Mystery Lounge and all bets are off.


Release Date: 13th August 2013


Talking Dirty With the Player (Talking Dirty, #2)
by: Jackie Ashenden

Up-and-coming photographer Judith Ashton is pretty sure she has everything in her life under control. That is, until a blast from the past comes back to taunt her, in the shape of Caleb Steele, her older brother's best friend...and the man who broke her heart eight years ago. Their chemistry is combustible, but she's been fooled once by this player, and she's not going there again. To pro rugby player Caleb, Judith has always been his Kryptonite. But his former playboy lifestyle is the last thing she wants to be involved in. In the midst of her brother's threats to back off, and the deal of his career sending him far away from her, he knows he's playing with fire. And this is one game he's going to lose.

Release Date: 12th August 2013


Trusting Tomorrow
by: PJ Trebelhorn

Logan Swift has spent her life at her father’s side learning the family business—Swift Funeral Home. She’s seen how the death of a loved one affects the people left behind and has promised herself she’ll never experience that kind of pain. But being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Brooke Collier believes she’s responsible for her relationship failures. After a particularly bad breakup, she moves in with her aged grandparents in order to care for them. The last thing she expects—or wants—is the attraction she has to her new next-door neighbor, Logan Swift.

As Logan and Brooke find themselves growing closer with each passing day, Logan realizes that trusting in tomorrow isn’t always easy when you deal with death for a living…


Release Date: 13th August 2013

Two Wrongs, One Right (Come Undone, #3)
by: Katee Robert

Eight years ago, former Army sergeant Nathan Schultz let the love of his life disappear without a fight. After watching everyone around him find happiness while he slipped further away, he’s finally ready to fight for Chelsea Callaghan—and he’s not afraid to play dirty.

Chelsea has always followed her conservative family’s rules—with one heartbreaking exception. When she receives an invitation to an old high school friend’s wedding, she knows who’s to blame. Though she goes solely to give Nathan a piece of her mind, he blackmails her into staying the entire week. With him.

There’s no way she’ll bow to Nathan’s will without making him pay. Unfortunately, revenge is a dish best served fully clothed, and they can’t be in the same room without losing theirs. As insatiable, anger-fueled lust shifts into something more, they begin to lose sight of why they can’t be together. But with so many unforgivable wrongs between them, can Nathan and Chelsea ever make things right?

Release Date: 12th August 2013




YOUNG ADULT



Armageddon (Fallen, #5)
by: Thomas E. Sniegoski

Only Aaron and his fellow Nephilim can protect the world from Satan’s wrath in this riveting finale to the New York Times bestselling The Fallen series.Satan is determined to create his own Hell on Earth and has unleashed unfathomable chaos into the world. Cut off from Heaven, humanity’s only hope for salvation rests with eighteen-year-old Aaron and the other Nephilim who fight by his side. These angelic warriors will protect civilization and restore God’s favor no matter the cost. But there can be only one champion—and defeat is eternal.

The battle lines have been drawn. Armageddon is here. 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


False Sight (False Memory, #2)
by: Dan Krokos

All Miranda wants is a normal life. She's determined to move past the horrible truth of her origin as a clone so she can enjoy time with her boyfriend, Peter, and the rest of her friends at school. But Miranda quickly learns that there's no such thing as normal - not for a girl who was raised to be a weapon. When one of her teammates turns rogue, it begins a war that puts the world in jeopardy. Now Miranda must follow her instincts - not her heart - in order to save everything she's fought so hard to keep. with the image of a terrible future seared into her mind, what will she have to sacrifice to protect the people she loves?

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between, #1)

by: April Genevieve Tucholke

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.


Release Date: 15th August 2013


Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy
by: Elizabeth Kiem

A new breed of spy novel combines classic thrills (The Americans, John Le Carre, and Alan Furst), Bolshoi intrigue, and elements of the paranormal. Marina is born of privilege. Her mother, Sveta, is the Soviet Union's prima ballerina: an international star handpicked by the regime. But Sveta is afflicted with a mysterious second sight and becomes obsessed with exposing a horrific state secret. Then she disappears.

Fearing for their lives, Marina and her father defect to Brooklyn. Marina struggles to reestablish herself as a dancer at Juilliard. But her enigmatic partner, Sergei, makes concentration almost impossible, as does the fact that Marina shares her mother's “gift,” and has a vision of her father’s murder at the hands of the Russian crooks and con artists she thought they'd left behind. 

Now Marina must navigate the web of intrigue surrounding her mother's disappearance, her ability, and exactly whom she can—and can't—trust.


Release Date: 15th August 2013

Fire With Fire (Burn for Burn, #2)
by: Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian

Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.

Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.

It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn.


Release Date: 13th August 2013


Fire & Ash (Rot & Ruin, #4)
by: Jonathan Maberry

In the gripping conclusion to the action-packed “standard bearer” (Booklist) of zombie series, the threat of death is given new life.

Benny Imura and his friends have made it to Sanctuary, they've found the jet and they've discovered that civilization is struggling to regain its foothold in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Scientists are on the verge of finding a cure for the zombie plague. It should be time for celebration, but it's not. Benny's best friend, Chong, has been infected by an arrow dipped in the flesh of a zombie and he hovers between life and death and Dr McReady, a researcher who may have the critical formula for a cure, has gone missing. So Benny convinces Captain Ledger to mount a search and rescue mission to find the doctor and help Chong. But with the Reapers still pursuing their plan to turn all zombies into super-fast shock troops even if they can save Chong, can they save themselves? In the fourth book of the thrilling and emotionally charged Rot & Ruin series, the battle to end all battles is about to begin.. 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
by: Matthew Quick

In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was—that I couldn't stick around—and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault.

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school's class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.


Release Date: 13th August 2013

Hover (The Taking, #2)
by: Melissa West

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan.

Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth's atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems...and no one can be trusted


Release Date: 13th August 2013

Meme Plague, The (Memento Nora, #3)
by: Angie Smibert

It begins with the name JONAS W. on the side of a cardboard coffin—right before the funeral procession blows up. Then it’s the whisper in the back of Micah’s head: Your father betrayed his country. You can’t always trust your own brain. Not when you have one of the mayor’s mandatory chips in your skull. Micah knows that the chip developed by TFC (the corporation that runs the Therapeutic Forgetting Clinics) does more than just erase unpleasant memories—it implants new ones. The MemeCast warns citizens to “fight the hack.”

Micah and his friends have each lost something—a parent, a relationship, a home, maybe even their own identities as they remembered them to be. But together, they can make sure some things are never forgotten.

Election Day is coming, and Mayor Mignon is set to be elected to Congress. It’s time to build a new electronic frontier, one that’s not controlled by the mayor and his cronies. It’s time to get out the vote and shake up the system. It’s time to finally say enough.


Release Date: 15th August 2013

On the Right Track
by: Sam Kadence

Ryunoski “Ru” Nakimura knows all about the trappings of fame. Expelled from a boy band for coming out as gay, he still wants to continue his career in music. Too bad his ex finds nothing better to do than exploit their relationship in the press, so Ru leaves California behind to lie low in Minnesota for a while.

Adam Corbin attends a Minnesota high school and wants to coast through as a typical student. He’s friends with an openly gay student, Bas Axelrod, but while Adam plays football, he also stays away from much socializing. Blending in and not outing himself has been easy because he’s never really been seriously interested in any of the guys he’s encountered.

When Adam meets Ru in a library, Adam begins to think he’s found that special young man who might make it worthwhile to just be himself. And for Ru, Adam looks like someone he might trade his fame for, if they could be together. Ru and Adam will both come to realize that courage and love must go hand in hand if they are to have a future


Release Date: 15th August 2013

Shade of the Moon (The Last Survivors, #4)
by: Susan Beth Pfeffer

The eagerly awaited addition to the series begun with the New York Times best-seller Life As We Knew It, in which a meteor knocks the moon off its orbit and the world changes forever.

It's been more than two years since Jon Evans and his family left Pennsylvania, hoping to find a safe place to live, yet Jon remains haunted by the deaths of those he loved. His prowess on a soccer field has guaranteed him a home in a well-protected enclave. But Jon is painfully aware that a missed goal, a careless word, even falling in love, can put his life and the lives of his mother, his sister Miranda, and her husband, Alex, in jeopardy. Can Jon risk doing what is right in a world gone so terribly wrong?


Release Date: 13th August 2013



MOVIES & TV SERIES (13th August)



MOVIES


Werewolf Boy
Directed by: Sung-Hee Jo

Starring: Bo-yeong Park

An unexpected phone call summons an elderly woman, who has lost interest in life, back to Korea and the remote cottage in the countryside where she spent a tumultuous time in her youth. Memories overwhelm Suni of a feral and mute orphan who the family took in ... only to discover that he was a creature never meant to exist. But damaged by life s struggles herself, the beautiful, young Suni is patiently determined to tame the wolf boy and teach him to live among people. In return, he repays her uncommon kindness with unparalleled devotion. When a threat to Suni brings out the boy s bestial instinct, he abruptly becomes the target of the villagers fears. To safe his life, Suni must abandon him, but promises that she will return ... Is it possible that he continues to wait for her?

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Big Wedding, The
Directed by: Justin Zackham


Starring: Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton

A charmingly modern family tries to survive a weekend wedding celebration that has the potential to become a full-blown family fiasco. To the amusement of their adult children and friends, long-divorced couple Don and Ellie Griffin (De Niro and Keaton) are once again forced to play the happy couple for the sake of their adopted son's wedding after his ultraconservative biological mother unexpectedly decides to fly halfway across the world to attend. 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Company You Keep, The
Directed by: Robert Redford

Starring: Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf

A wanted man and former member of the revolutionary militant group the Weather Underground goes on the run after a journalist (Shia LaBeouf) outs him in this political thriller based on Neil Gordon's novel. Robert Redford stars and directs this Voltage Pictures/Wildwood Enterprises production.

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Emperor
Directed by: Peter Webber

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox

Based on true events inspired by General Douglas MacArthur's (Tommy Lee Jones) days in post- WWII Japan. Detailed Synopsis: A gripping tale of love and honor forged between fierce enemies of war, inspired by true events and starring Matthew Fox and Academy Awardr-winner Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur. Immediately after Emperor Hirohito's World War II surrender, General MacArthur (Jones) suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation. He challenges his expert on Japanese culture - General Fellers (Fox) - to provide evidence in 10 short days to decide if the Japanese Emperor, worshipped as a god by his people but accused of war crimes, should be punished or saved. The fate of a nation awaits... 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Extraodinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec 
Directed by: Luc Besson

Starring: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric

From revered filmmaker Luc Besson (Taken, The Fifth Element, Le Femme Nikita) comes the extravagant and wildly vivid adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, the coolest author and adventurist in all of Paris.

The year is 1912. A 136 million-year old pterodactyl egg, housed on a shelf in the Natural History Museum, has mysteriously hatched, unleashing a prehistoric monster onto the Parisian streets. But nothing fazes Adele, when she finds a connection with the ancient bird and reveals many more extraordinary surprises. Based on the acclaimed historical fantasy books by Jacques Tardi, The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec follows this intrepid adventurer as she uncovers mysterious Egyptian treasures, attempts to tame a wild pterodactyl, eludes dangerous enemies and braves a formidable phenomenon to save her ailing sister.

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Hatchet III
Directed by: BJ McDonnell

Starring: Danielle Harris

Beloved horror icons (re-)unite in HATCHET III, the epic third installment of Adam Green's modern slasher franchise, as Marybeth (Danielle Harris, Halloween) uncovers the true secret to stopping the voodoo curse that has left the ghost of deformed maniac Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder, Friday the 13th) haunting and stalking the New Orleans bayou for decades. An entire police department, paramedic response team, and heavily armed S.W.A.T. unit face off with the iconic slasher in this action packed and explosive film full of stunts and jaw dropping gore effects that raise both the bar and the body count of the previous two films put together. Also starring genre favorites Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Caroline Williams (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), and Derek Mears (Friday the 13th, Predators).

Release Date: 13th August 2013



Olympus Has Fallen
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua

Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart

When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning's inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger crisis. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) directs an all-star cast featuring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Ashley Judd and Rick Yune.

Release Date: 13th August 2013



What Maisie Knew
Directed by: David Siegel

Starring: Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgard

With What Maisie Knew, filmmakers Scott McGehee and David Siegel (The Deep End) invest a custody battle with thriller-like dimensions. Six-year-old Maisie (composed newcomer Onata Aprile) lives the good life in Manhattan, but her parents are going through the kind of ugly divorce that can scar a child for life. Her high-strung mother, Susanna (Julianne Moore in Savage Grace mode), is a chain-smoking rock star, and her father, Beale (Steve Coogan, drily cruel), is a big-shot art dealer with a cell phone permanently affixed to his ear. Just as Susanna is prepping for a U.S. tour, Beale is jetting off to his native London on business, and the competitiveness that fuels their careers transforms Maisie from an object of affection into a weapon of war. Fortunately, she has Margo (Joanna Vanderham), a compassionate nanny, to look after her, but when Beale and Margo marry, her world fractures further. Then, sweet bartender Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgård in his finest performance to date) enters the scenario, and a decision that seems hasty and vindictive on her mother's part yields unexpected benefits. In setting Henry James's 1897 novel in the present, cowriters Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne have made significant changes to his text, but the central narrative stays the same.

Release Date: 13th August 2013




TV SERIES


 Enlightened: Season 2

Starring: Laura Dern

Created by Mike White and Laura Dern, this half-hour HBO comedy series centers on Amy Jellicoe (Dern), a well-intentioned employee of a Southern California corporation who, after flipping out and going to anger-management rehab, emerges with a singular, if at times hilariously misguided, mission to make her company more responsible. When we last saw her, Amy finally presented her research outlining Abaddonn Industries’ toxic sins, but after being laughed out of the room, she became even more determined to expose the company not only as a polluter, but a bastion of corporate greed and corruption. Having convinced co-worker Tyler (White) to let her use his IT password to retrieve incriminating emails, Season 2 picks up with Amy immersed in gathering evidence against Abaddonn. In this season’s eight episodes, Amy enlists the help of journalist Jeff Flender (Dermot Mulroney), and as they work together on a searing exposé, she dreams of a “bigger” life and develops romantic yearnings for the handsome, well-travelled reporter. Meanwhile, Amy’s ex Levi (Luke Wilson) is still at Open Air Treatment Center in Hawaii, but it remains to be seen whether he will embrace recovery and return as the man she always wanted him to be. Touching, earnest and laugh-out-loud funny, Season 2 of Enlightened follows Amy along her personal journey to make change – and the unexpected impact it has on those around her. 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Girls: Season 2

Starring: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams

Following the urban adventures of a group of 20-something women, the series focuses on Hannah Horvath (Dunham) and her complicated web of NYC friends, ex-friends, boyfriends, and ex-boyfriends. This season, Hannah forges ahead with her dream of being a bestselling author and begins seeing someone new, but her enthusiasm is tempered by the responsibility she feels for her now-ex Adam (Adam Driver), convalescing after his S1-finale accident. Let down by work and still lonely after calling things off with Charlie, Marnie (Allison Williams) needs her best friend and former roommate more than ever, but lingering awkwardness – and some surprising turns – only drive a wedge further between them. Meanwhile, still-married Jessa (Jemima Kirke) returns from her honeymoon, supplying Hannah with surprising new ideas. Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) takes charge of her new identity as a sexually active woman – and copes with the emotions that come along with it – as Ray (Alex Karpovsky) has an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude toward their relationship. The girls may have their ups and downs, but the show’s raw poignancy and fresh humor remain constant. And Season 2 of Girls is as addictive as ever. 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


 Mindy Project, The: Season 1

Starring: Mindy Kaling

She's smart. She's successful. But when it comes to finding true love, she's a work-in-progress. Meet Mindy (Mindy Kaling), a single OB/GYN who wants her life to be like a romantic comedy, but just can't find the right leading man. As she attempts to balance her unpredictable workplace with some truly offbeat dating situations, Mindy soon discovers that the prescription for happiness is filled with comical side effects. Guest starring Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Ed Helms (The Hangover), and Allison Williams (Girls), watch all 24 Season One episodes back-to-back and uninterrupted of the quirky new series that is 'just plain awesome' (Entertainment Weekly). 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Once Upon a Time: Season 2

Starring: Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin

Relive every thrilling moment as ABC's Once Upon A Time: The Complete Second Season casts its tantalizing spell. The curse is broken, magic has arrived, and there's no telling what - or who - will be unleashed! Now the exiled fairytale characters must grapple with a flood of awakened memories as they come to grips with their new "reality." Old loyalties will be tested, new heroes will emerge, and vengeful villains will wreak havoc - including ruthless pirate Captain Hook and the relentlessly wicked Cora. Amidst the backdrop of previously unexplored lands and a newly magical Storybrooke, love and sacrifice will set the stage for the ultimate battle between good and evil. For, in the words of Rumplestiltskin, where magic is concerned, only one thing is certain: it always comes at a price. From Storybrooke to Fairy Tale Land and beyond, experience the mystery, romance, action, and adventure of Once Upon A Time's remarkable second season. Complete with all 22 unforgettable episodes, plus exclusive bonus features, this must-own 5-disc boxed set is pure enchantment on an epic scale. 

Release Date: 13th August 2013


Southland: Season 5 

Starring: Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy

A tourist flattened by a Hollywood tour bus. Rival gangs at a drug dealer's funeral. Victims cooked by their killer. Welcome to sunny Los Angeles, where LAPD beat cops and detectives work 24/7 doing jobs that require an arsenal of razor-sharp instincts and quicksilver reflexes. The fallout seeps into the personal lives of the flawed but dedicated officers, who must also cope with new motherhood, a penchant for painkillers, domestic drama and corruption's temptation. But even heroes need heroes, and when two cops are kidnapped, the entire department scrambles to save their own in an explosive series finale. This 2-Disc set contains all 10 provocative, action-packed episodes of The Complete Fifth and Final Season of the highly acclaimed, brutally authentic Southland. 

Release Date: 13th August 2013

1 comment:

  1. I'm super excited for most of those Young Adult books! Some of those adult also look interesting. I have a feeling my TBR list is about grow a lot lol.

    Brianna @ Listful Booking

    ReplyDelete