Beauty's Kingdom
by Anne Rice
writing as A.N. Roquelaure
Publisher: Viking
Pub. Date: April 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-0525427995
Pages: 368
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Anne Rice is known for blood thirsty Vampire Chronicles novels and the bewitching Mayfair Witches, but she also wrote the Sleeping Beauty trilogy under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure. Now the trilogy wasn't a Disney fairy tale, as the author put an erotic twist to the story. It's been 30 years since the third book, Beauty's Release, was published and now Anne Rice has returned to her erotic BDSM world with the long awaited sequel Beauty's Kingdom.

Beauty's Kingdom takes place 20 years after the trilogy. Queen Eleanor is presumed dead, leaving Beauty and her prince, Laurent, to take control of the kingdom. Beauty's plan is to continue the same sensual surrender that made Queen Eleanor's reign a legend, but with a slight twist - all erotic servitude must be voluntary only.

While the new kingdom's rules might be shocking to some, others (princes, princesses, lords, etc.) travel across the lands to witness and participate in the erotic paradise.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and WWE Studios present the latest installment of the popular franchise The Marine as THE MARINE 4: MOVING TARGET arrives on Digital HD now and on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD April 21.

Enter to win a Blu-ray copy of THE MARINE 4: MOVING TARGET below and take a look back at some of the most popular wrestlers with careers in film and television.

WWE’s Michael Gregory "Mike" Mizanin, first gained fame as a cast member on MTV's The Real World: Back to New York, which first aired in 2001, and its spinoff series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge.


One of the most famous wrestlers of all time, Hulk Hogan has also dedicated some of his time to making movies. He was part of numerous movies in the ‘80s and ‘90s like Rocky III, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, and Suburban Commando. From 2005 through 2007, Hogan had his own reality show that introduced him to a new generation.

We cannot start off a list of wrestlers-turned-actors without naming Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. With his handsome good looks, physicality, and charming and kind personality, an acting career came easily to Dwayne Johnson. He has built a successful career (and an extremely supporting fanbase) from films such as The Mummy Returns, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6, Pain and Gain, and Hercules.


Apart from a prolific career in the wrestling world, John Cena is also an actor and rapper who has been described as “the face of the WWE for a long time.” He has starred in several feature films such as The Marine and 12 Rounds.

Not Cool
The Hipister Elite And Their War On You
by Greg Gultfield
Publisher: Crown Forum
Pub. Date: March 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0804138550
Pages: 272
Buy Link: Amazon

About the Book:

Behind every awful, dangerous decision lurks one evil beast: the Cool.  

From politics to the personal, from fashion to food, from the campus to the locker room, the desire to be cool has infected  all aspects of our lives. At its most harmless, it is annoying. At its worst, it is deadly, on a massive scale.  The Cool are the termites of life, infiltrating every nook and cranny and destroying it from within. The Cool report the news, write the scripts, teach our children, run our government—and each day they pass judgment on those who don’t worship at the altar of their coolness.  The cool fawn over terrorists, mock the military, and denigrate employers. They are, in short, awful people.

From what we wear and what we eat, to what we smoke and who we poke, pop culture is crafted and manipulated by the cool and, to Greg Gutfeld, that's Not Cool.

How do the cool enslave you? By convincing you that:
- If you don't agree with them no one will like you.
- If you don't follow them you will miss out on life.
- If you don't listen to them you will die a lonely loser

How do you vanquish the cool and discover your own true self? Read this book.


Review:

I tend to ignore political-humor titles as they don't really intrigue me; however, I do occasionally catch a few minutes of The Five on the Fox News Channel, which the author, Greg Gutfield, here happens to be one of the hosts. That being said, I thought I would give his newest book, Not Cool, a try.

The Cobbler
Director: Tom McCarthy
Starring: Adam Sandler, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Ellen Barkin, Melonie Diaz, Dan Stevens
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Retail: $27.97
ASIN: B00T6QFMUW
Running Time: 98 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

While funnyman Adam Sandler hasn't impressed film critics with his acting abilities (minus Punch-Drunk Love) or any of the comedies he releases yearly, he still has a loyal fan base. For some odd reason, the 2014 comedy-drama The Cobbler flew under the radar; only appearing at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival before receiving a very limited release in theaters last month.

Directed by Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent), the film centers on a bored shoe repairman, Max Simkin (played by Adam Sandler), whom took over the family's business when his father (played by Dustin Hoffman) walked out on his mother years ago. Max's only friend is the next-door barber, Jimmy (played by Steve Buscemi).

After the electric stitching machine breaks down, Max has no other choice but to use the old-fashioned stitching machine that once belonged to his grandfather. While waiting on his customer (played by Cliff "Method Man" Smith) to pick up the shoes, Max gets bored and slips the shoes on his feet, which leads to a startling revelation - he can transform to look like his customers!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth!

Ending a book I loved is sad and beginning a new one is apprehensive for me. What about you?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

It all depends on how emotionally connected I am to the characters. Though I never get sad about a book, I have been somewhat disappointed when a good book series ends. Then again, I can always reread the book(s).

 

As the long weeks of the year become more and more stressful, every family looks forward to letting lose and relaxing on the weekends. Most families want to get outside of the house and enjoy all of the great activities their city has to offer.

Even though this lifestyle sounds ideal, families who are trying to save money or work with a small budget might find this mentality a little difficult to maintain. Here are six cheap ideas for family weekend fun that everyone can enjoy in any city on any budget.


Watching TV is typically the boring activity that families do when they cannot think of anything else to do. It seems so boring often times because families will watch the same TV shows over and over again. To switch things up while still doing something relaxing, families can watch weekend reruns of a new TV show from California TV packages that will make things more interesting.


Getting outside and enjoying the fresh air is always a weekend activity that families look forward too. Instead of paying a lot of money to go to an amusement park or other expensive place, families can hit the local trails and enjoy a family bike ride or hike together. Stop wherever the kids want to play and explore the great outdoors.


Learning does not have to halt on the weekends just because school is out. Parents can keep the good habits going by taking their kids to a museum. Many small locations have low admission prices and allow families to explore and learn at their own pace.


Most local communities will have a seasonal calendar of events that are open to the general public. These little classes can range from anything like a beginner’s yoga class to a workshop in pottery. Families can choose what interests them and sign up for a fun and inexpensive weekend day.

Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Perfect Storm
Starring: Andrew M. Gray, John Mark Loudermilk, Azim Rizk
Studio: LionsGate / Saban Brands
Release Date: April 14, 2015
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00T94R4FW
Running Time: 115 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Now available to own on DVD and Digital Copy is Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Perfect Storm, featuring five exciting episodes from Super Megaforce season that aired on Nickelodeon last year. There are no extras or special features!

Power Rangers Megaforce debuted on Nickelodeon in early 2013 as part of the Power Rangers 20th anniversary celebration. The series centered on five teenagers (Troy, Noah, Emma, Gia and Jake), whom are all given powers from the supernatural guardian Gosei, so they'll be able to protect Earth from an alien invasion. Season Two was renamed Super Megaforce and had the Rangers receiving upgrades; giving them ability to transform into any past ranger. With the help of the sixth Ranger, Orion, the Rangers continue their quest to protect Earth.

The episodes include:

Power of Six - After an energy-draining monster, Skeltox, attacks the rangers, Orion must access his new powers that will give him the ability to use all the past sixth rangers' powers!

The Perfect Storm - The Rangers search for the missing Tensou, who has amnesia.

Love Is In The Air - Jake has major problems when a love spell makes Levira fall in love with him.

A.D. The Bible Continues: The Book of Acts 
by Dr. David Jeremiah
Publisher: Tyndale Publishing
Pub. Date: April 14, 2015
ASIN: 978-1496407184
Pages: 184
Buy Link: Amazon.com

Review:

Arriving in bookstores today is the religious book, A.D. The Bible Continues: The Book of Acts by Dr. David Jeremiah, which ties in with the NBC's event series, A.D. The Bible Continues (the sequel to History Channel's 2013 miniseries, The Bible), that airs on Sunday nights.

While the Bible is the #1 bestselling book in the world, not everyone has read it and some people have a hard time following it. The author of the Book of Acts was never referred to, though many experts is pretty sure that Luke, a companion apostle Paul, was the author; written around 61-64 A.D.

The NBC miniseries began with the crucifixion of Christ and his resurrection three days later, which inspired his disciples to spread the Word of God across the lands.This book rewrites the Book Of Acts into a story-style formula (taken from the The New Living Translation of the Holy Bible), so readers can have a better understanding of what life was like for the Jesus' apostles after his resurrection.

Throughout the book there are one-page biographies of the apostles and disciples, such as Peter, Luke, Mary Magdalene and many others; profiling their strengths and weaknesses. The book also features 8 pages of photos from the miniseries.