Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Blu-ray Review - CELL


Rated R; 98 minutes; $24.99; Amazon

Arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD (plus Digital HD) today from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the horror-thriller CELL, based up n the novel by Stephen King.

Directed by Tod Williams, the film stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Owen Teague, Clark Sarullo, Anthony Reynolds, Erin Elizabeth Burns, and Stacy Keach.

CELL centers on a graphic novel artist Clayton "Clay" Riddell (played by John Cusack) who is on a business trip in Boston when "The Pulse" is released, an unknown signal that spreads across all cell phones around the world that turns humans into mindless zombie-like killers. After barely escaping Boston Common from the "phoners," he crosses path with a subway worker Tom McCourt (played by Samuel L. Jackson), and later a teenager named Alice Maxwell (played by Isabelle Fuhrman).

Clay, Tom, and Alice travel together, trying to avoid the "phoners" as they make their way to Maine to search for Clay's estranged wife and son.

From left to right: Samuel L. Jackson ("Tom McCourt," left), Isabelle Fuhrman ("Alice Maxwell," center) and John Cusack ("Clay Riddell," right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment's CELL.

Special Features on the Blu-ray includes:

  • Audio Commentary with Director Tod Williams
  • To Cell and Back: The Making of the Film


Saturday, September 24, 2016

Review - Hand Built Coffee Maker Kit



Cold or iced coffee isn't something that I don't normally drink very often, not unless I'm just too lazy to reheat the old coffee I had brewed earlier in the day.

Nevertheless, the idea of a Hand Built Coffee Maker intrigued me, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to review this product.

The Hand Built Coffee Maker Kit is basically just an ordinary Kerr wide-mouth glass jar with a lid that you use for canning. The only difference is that it comes with a 304 stainless steel mesh filter.

How do you make coffee with this?

All you have to do is fill the mesh filter with whatever amount of coffee you want to use (up to two cups), place the filter inside the mason jar, pour a desired amount of water into the jar, and tightly secure the lid. Then you need to patiently wait for the coffee to slowly brew, which takes between 6 to 24 hours.




Review - Robert B. Parker's Slow Burn by Ace Atkins


G.P. Putnam's Sons; 320 pages; $27; Amazon
A few of you might remember me reviewing Robert B. Parker's Blackjack, book eight in the Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series, earlier this year. Well, shortly after I posted my review, out of nowhere I received an advanced copy of Robert B. Parker's Slow Burn, which is part of the "Spenser" book series. At the time I had other books to read & review, so this title got put on the back-burner until I could squeeze in some time to review it.

The "Spenser" book series began with The Godwulf Manuscript in 1973. It centered on the character named Spenser, a Boston private detective. The books were adapted into a short-lived series in the '80s called Spenser: For Hire; later followed by a short-lived spinoff, A Man Called Hawk, and four made-for-television movies. Small Vices, Thin Air, and Walking Shadows were adapted into made-for-television movies for A&E from 1999 to 2001. After Robert B. Parker's death in 2010, author and an American journalist Ace Atkins took over writing the "Spenser" novels, including Slow Burn.

Slow Burn centers Spenser, his buddy Hawk, and Sixkill (sorta like his apprentice) tracking down an arsonist throughout Boston. Jack McGee, a firefighter and an old buddy of Spenser's, had asked them to look a church fire that occurred a year ago. Three fireman were killed in that fire and Jack suspects foul play, but he doesn't have any proof!

Of course this is where Spenser and crew get involved; taking their investigation into the underworld of Boston, where they learn that the arsonist/killer has already planned his next target - Spenser.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Book Blogger Hop: Sept. 23rd - 29th




Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

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 @ Silver's Reviews!

How many years have you been blogging? Anything special you want to tell everyone about your experiences?

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: 

 I've been blogging since April 1, 2009! Experiences? Nothing I wanting share comes to mind.


Linky List:

Fall Reads: One Small Donkey: A Christmas Story


Tommy Nelson; 32 pages; $14.99; Amazon
Though Halloween is a lot closer than Christmas, I'm more in the mood for the Yuletide season than I am for All Hallows Eve, which might explain why I'm once again reading another Christmas title.

What did I read this time?

Well, yesterday I read One Small Donkey: A Christmas Story by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens. Published by Tommy Nelson (a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers), the book will be available to purchase on September 27th in either a hardcover or a board book for "little ones."

One Small Donkey: A Christmas Story centers on a small donkey (the donkey's name is never mentioned) who wants to be tall and brave like the horse he sees marching in the grass each and everyday.

Then one day his master, Joseph, calls for him. It seems Joseph and his pregnant wife, Mary, are planning a trip to Bethlehem and it's the small donkey's responsibility to help carry Mary across the land.

When Mary goes into labor, Joseph knocks on the doors of every home in the city, hoping to find shelter. However, nobody will take them in. Luckily, they do find a manger just in the nick of time. 


Q&A with Kathy Kulig, author of Secret Destiny




Now available to purchase from Burnt Stilettos Press is the sexy contemporary romance “Secret Destiny” by the USA Today & NY Times Bestselling Author Kathy Kulig. The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

Since I was pretty young, my storytelling skills got me in trouble a few times where I was scolded for making up stories. I wasn’t trying to lie; my imagination just got carried away. Later, I tried writing short stories a few times for Science Fiction magazines and gave up when I felt I had no idea what I was doing. (I didn’t back then) I took some creative writing classes, read books about writing, got encouragement from a teacher who said I should write a book.

What was your first book/story published?
I first had an erotic contemporary romance novella published in a small print press publisher in 2004, then I published a few short stories. My first novel was in 2007 with Ellora’s Cave. It was a paranormal adventure romance. I’ve published over a dozen novels and novellas, plus and number of short stories.

What inspired you to write Secret Destiny?

A couple things inspired me to write this book. I lived in South Florida where the book and series takes place. I remember years ago when they were filming the movie Striptease with Demi Moore. Someone pointed out the mansion along the Intercoastal where she lived during the filming. In that movie, the heroine is in a desperate situation—a single mom who needs money to regain custody of her daughter. In Secret Destiny, my heroine is in a desperate situation. She’s a law student and about to lose the home she’s inherited from her parents. She accepts an indecent proposal from a billionaire to entertain wealthy and powerful men. During my research I actually met a stripper who also did a similar side job to what Destiny and her boyfriend does in my book.

What character in Secret Destiny is the most/least like you, and in what ways? 

I think we can’t help to include some aspects of ourselves in our books. I do like complicated characters. Ones who are good in some ways and bad in others, but are motivated or are placed in difficult situations to act in not so appealing way. It makes for interesting characters and stories and they have to deal with the consequences don’t they? Destiny is like me in that she’s tenacious and won’t give up when she sets her mind to something. She’s kind-hearted and hard working. But she’s not like me when she crosses a number of lines to get what she wants and has to decide if the risks and consequences are worth it.

Cover Artist: Seneca Featherstone
What is your favorite part in Secret Destiny?

Review - Fraying at the Edge by Cindy Woodsmall


Waterbrook; 352 pages; $14.99; Amazon
I know I have written about when and how I became interested in reading the Amish fiction genre several times on here, but I don't believe I ever mentioned that Cindy Woodsmall was the second author I had read in the genre. For some reason or another, her titles have been hard to find in my area (There's only a small Walmart in my town!), so it has been awhile since I have read any of her works.

When I saw her newest book, Fraying at the Edge, was available to review, I eagerly signed up to review back in early July. The book must have got lost in the mail as I never received a copy; though I did receive replacement after I contacted the publisher about the situation.

Fraying at the Edge is actually book two in The Amish of Summer Grove series. And, no, this isn't a standalone series as from my understanding it does continue with the same characters and storylines from the first novel (Ties That Bind); so it took me several chapters to figure out who was who and what was what.

Anyhow, Fraying at the Edge centers on Ariana Brenneman, a young woman who raised in the Old Order Amish, but recently learned she had been switched at birth twenty-years-ago. She had left her home and ventured into the real world (known as the Englischer world to the Amish) to get to know her biological parents. While her new life is full of wonders, she has a difficult time adjusting to the Englischer's way of life.

Meanwhile, Skylar Nash (aka the girl Ariana was switched with at birth), is determined to reject her Amish biological family. Well , that is until she is given a choice of spending time in the Amish country or being sent to rehab for illegal prescription drug addiction.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

DVD Review - The Lion Guard: Unleash The Power


TV-Y; 137 minutes; $19.99; Amazon

Now available to own on DVD from Walt Disney Home Entertainment is The Lion Guard: Unleash The Power, featuring six exciting episodes from the hit Disney Junior animated series. There are no special features or bonus features on the two-disc set, but it does come with a free Power Necklace with changeable discs.

The Lion Guard is sequel series to the classic animated film The Lion King. The series centers around Kion, the son of Siba and Nala, After learning Kion has the ability to channel the roars of his ancestors, Siba makes him the leader of the new Lion Guard, a position that once held by Siba's evil uncle. Kion's first assignment was to enlist other lions to join the Lion Guard, but instead he choices other animals to join - Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippopotamus, Fuli the cheetah, and Ono the egret.

The episodes on this disc are:

"Fuli's New Family" -The rest of the Lion Guard feels sorry that Fuli doesn't have a family, so they keep inviting her to activities; though all Fuli wants is to be left alone.

"Bunga The Wise" - After averting a flood, the animals of the Pride Lands believe Bunga is the wisest animal.

"Eye Of The Beholder" - After defending a herd against the hyena clan, Ono loses the vision in his left eye.

"Follow That Hippo!" - Beshte gets his very own fan - a young elephant named Mtoto, who follows him everywhere he goes.

"The Search For Utamu" - On their way to find Utamu grubs, Bunga tells the story of how he met Timon and Pumbaa.