When it comes to choosing a birthday present for a friend, it can be difficult to know where to begin. If you're going to a party to celebrate their big day, you know you need to bring something, but you may worry that it's not the right sort of item. If you're not going to a birthday party, you might want to get something nice for your friend, but don't want to put them in an awkward position. However, you shouldn't neglect your friend just because you're unsure of yourself.

First of all, think about your friend's hobbies and interests and try to get them something tangentially related. This shows that you've been paying attention to the things that matter the most to them, but it also keeps you from trying to find something in a field that you know little about. So, if they are avid golfers, get a humorous mug about golfing, but don't try to buy them the latest golf club. Similarly, if your friend loves to swim, find something clever like personalized hooded towels from a respected company like Purple Pumpkin Gifts, which they'll enjoy every time they go swimming.

An alternative to buying your friend a traditional present is to get them an experience instead. Recent studies show that people remember and value experiences more than physical gifts most of the time. Find an adventure that you can do together, or get your friend something they can enjoy alone or with family. Consider a wine-tasting trip, river rafting, or tickets to a museum exhibit your friend has been wanting to see. These are gifts that your friend will get to enjoy twice, once while given and once while used.

If an idea of making a fireplace part of your home has got your attention, chances are that you already worked out a few choices. However, the truth is most of them require heavy financial spending, giving up a good amount of your living space, and needing building permits.

You must be fascinated to see lifestyle magazines and TV programs hailing fire pits and fireplaces to make a living space the best area of the home. Undoubtedly, they add sophistication and elegance to any space; however, the limitations that come with traditional fires may restrict you from getting one.

A wall mounted electric fireplace, on the contrary, can prove to be a genuinely practical solution for your indoor living. In winters, these fireplaces will illuminate and heat up even those confined areas where you cannot safely install a traditional fireplace; and they will function just as well in a bigger space of your house.

In addition to these stunning patterns of electric fires, you will gain other benefits too. They are safe, hassle-free, and easy to install, and are a viable fix for all types contemporary indoor living.


In case you are considering installing a traditional fireplace into your wall, there’s a great deal to handle. Some of the issues you will face are:

• Cutting into the wall;

• Re-strengthening the wall;

• Abiding by the restrictions to ensure safe installation;

• Weakening the structural integrity of your home;

• Needing clearance for wood-burning fireplaces

In addition, you might have limited choices for the type of fireplace you can select, depending upon the capability of your walls to allow blows to the extent required for various inserts. Giving up on a considerable floor space is another downside of installing a traditional fireplace.

On the other hand, getting a wall-mounted electric fireplace means you will not be making irreversible structural alterations to your home. With an electric fireplace mounted on your wall, you will not only enjoy the actual heat and environment offered by electric flames, but there won’t be any permanent installation occupying your space.

Marvel; PG-13; 136 minutes; Walmart

Available now on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD from Marvel Studios is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It's already available on Digital HD and Digital 4K Ultra HD.

Directed by James Gunn, the film stars stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock, with Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell.

Based on the Marvel comic books of the same name created by by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 picks up shortly after the first film, where Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Baby Groot are now known around the galaxy as the Guardians of the Galaxy. After retrieving valuable batteries from a inter-dimensional monster, the leader of the Sovereign race agrees to hand over Gamora's estranged sister Nebula. Everything goes as planned, well, until Rocket insults the Sovereign race and steals a few batteries. The Guardians barely have to time hop into their spaceship, before the Sovereign unleashes their drones upon them.

After crash landing their starship, Quill, Gamora, and Drax are rescued by Quill's long-lost father, Ego, and an alien named Mantis, who take them to his "home" planet while Rocket and Groot both stay behind to repair the starship. Well, that is until a group of Ravagers tracks them down and takes them hostage

BONUS MATERIAL (may vary by retailer):
Blu-ray:

• The Making of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” – A four-part, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, done in the style of classic-rock album liner notes. 

• Visionary Intro – Director James Gunn provides context on how he continues and expands the storylines of these beloved characters in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.”

Scholastic; 152 pages; $6.99; Amazon

Now available from Scholastic is Goosebumps SlappyWorld: Attack Of The Jack! written by the bestselling author R.L. Stine.

The original Goosebumps book series debuted in 1992 with "Welcome To Dead House." The books quickly became popular with middle graders. Sixty-two titles were published between 1992-1997, before a spinoff series Goosebumps 2000 took over in 1998. The books were adapted into a low-budget live-action anthology television series that aired on FOX Kids from 1995 to 1998. Several other spinoff book series were released during the late 1990s, titled Give Yourself Goosebumps, Goosebumps Presents, Goosebumps Triple Header, and Tales To Give You Goosebumps.

The Goosebumps franchise was resurrected in 2008 with a brand-new book series called Goosebumps Horrorland. More spinoff series followed - Goosebumps Hall of Horrors, Goosebumps Most Wanted, and Goosebumps SlappyWorld.

"Attack Of The Jack!" is the second book in the Goosebumps SlappyWorld series. Unlike the other spinoffs, this series features an introduction by the #1 favorite Goosebumps villain Slappy, the ventriloquist dummy. "Attack Of The Jack" centers on twelve-year-old Violet Packer and her ten-year-old brother Shawn being sent to a little New England seaside village, Sea Urchin Cove, for the summer; where they will stay with their uncle Jim for the summer while their parents are traveling for work.

Uncle Jim, an old admiral, lives in a lighthouse with his talking cat named Celeste. While Violet and Shawn were a little nervous about staying with an uncle they barely knew, their attitudes change as they get settled into the lighthouse. They can explore the lighthouse all they want, but Uncle Jim told them never to open one specific door. Of course, Violet and Shawn get bored and open the door to the room, where they find a chest full of jack-in-the-boxes. However, what they didn't know is that the evil Captain Jack and his crew are locked up in the boxes.

Revell; 398 pages; $14.99; Amazon

Now available from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is the thriller Fault Lines by Thomas Locke. The novel is a prequel to Trial Run and Flash Point.

Fault Lines centers on Charlie Hazard, who leaves his post as a security expert at the Satellite Beach community center for a more exciting job after meeting the lovely and mysterious Gabriella McLaren, an experimental psychologist. She works for a group of scientist who are measuring unseen experiences. Basically they are studying how the human conscious can leave the physical body, which will hopefully lead to out-of-body experiences, and maybe even the possibility for the mind to see the future.

Another group called the "Combine" are trying to destroy Gabriella's group, as they want to take a more "global conquer" approach.

Revell; 336 pages; $14.99; Amazon

Now available from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is the suspense thriller Chasing Secrets, book four in the Elite Guardians series, by Lynette Eason.

Chasing Secrets centers on Haley Callaghan, a young woman who works as a bodyguard for the Elite Guardians agency. Her deadly past catches up with her when a photo leads investigators in West Ireland to open up a twenty-five-year-old cold case, which could be possible be connected to Haley's family.

As Haley investigates her own past with the help from her co-workers, her life is put in danger. This is when she turns to Detective Steven Rothwell, who is determined to help her unravel the mystery.

Revell; 335 pages; $15.99; Amazon

Now available from Revell ( a division of Baker Publishing Group) is the Amish romance tale The Return, book three in the Amish Beginnings series) by award-winning, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher.

Inspired by true-events, The Return is set in the prerevolutionary Pennsylvania and mostly centers on Betsy Zook, a seventeen-year-old who is captured by an Indian tribe during a surprise attack. During her captive, Betsy's Amish faith is put the ultimate test. Later, upon returning to her family, she must deal with mixed feelings she has between her Amish family and the Indian man she met while she was captive.

Are you looking for a roofing company in Southeast Michigan? Do your research and don’t settle for less. There are several roofers in Southeast Michigan. Choosing one might seem a backbreaking task to you. Below are some considerations that you must pay attention to other than their expertise and pricing.


The most straightforward approach to assess work quality of a roofing contractor is to review his previous jobs. When you approach roofers, many will welcome you and give a list of past references to convince you. However, you should search for references that are some years old in order to assess the durability of their construction work. In addition, you must choose a roofer/contractor whom you can carry candid communication with to resolve issues on a prompt basis. If you consistently hear negative reviews about a certain contractor from his references, do not overlook them. Everyone is in the market to sell their offerings. So you may find someone nice at first, yet you should only proceed after trusting the facts and legitimacy.


While you need to be careful of those contractors who avoid furnishing references, you will find some roofers who have just landed in the industry. If they are unable to provide references, do a background check on them yourself? Make an internet query about their company; see if their name appears on any negative review. You can also visit the locale they are based in and ask the neighboring people if they have had a roofing experience with them. In any case, make sure that the roofing contractor, whether a starter or experienced, is insured including liability coverage and worker’s compensation policy. Otherwise, you will be held liable for any injury that may occur within your residential premises.

It's natural for human beings to have an interest in psychology. After all, it's our brain that controls pretty much everything we do in life. Human behavior, depression, psychiatry in neuroscience, and other such topics have been of interest to human beings since before these things even had names. Neuroscience is a branch of psychology that looks at the nervous system. It's one of the most complex systems in the body and requires years and years of study to acquire a degree in neuroscience. Other people prefer to stick to behavioral subjects in psychology, as neuroscience is much more science-focused and less humanities focused.


In recent years, online courses in psychology have become more popular. It isn't difficult to see why. After all, attending a class physically can be stressful and can even interfere with work hours. Many people prefer to learn from the comforts of home. Advances in online psychology courses have come quickly and efficiently. They vary in nature.

Arriving this week from Pocket Books eBook is the e-novella DONNA, book two in the Girls of Spindrift series, by V.C. Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic and My Sweet Audrina. CORLISS, the first book in the four part series, was released earlier this summer. The series is a prequel to the standalone novel Bittersweet Dreams (available on paperback).

The second book in The Girls of Spindrift series is DONNA (Pocket Star EBook; August 14, 2017; $1.99). Being gifted is not something Donna ever wanted. It’s difficult enough to have a Latino father and Irish mother, and her genius only separates her even more from the other girls. They don’t say it, but they blame her for everything that goes wrong, just because she’s different.

And on the precise day she tries her hardest to fit in, everything turns out a disaster. A fight breaks out, and somehow Donna ends up in the middle. It’s not her fault, but it’s her word against theirs, and this time, the other girls aren’t going to stay quiet. The only solution might be to escape to the mysterious school her counselor is telling her about: Spindrift.

 
NOTE: I already reviewed CORLISS and DONNA in June, which you can read the review here. I had reviewed Bittersweet Dreams in 2015 (read my review here).

Disney; TV-G; 111 minutes; Walmart

Available today on DVD from Disney Home Entertainment is Descendants 2. Directed by Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical" franchise), the film stars Dove Cameron ("Liv and Maddie"), Cameron Boyce ("Jessie"), Sofia Carson ("Adventures in Babysitting"), Booboo Stewart ("X-Men: Days of Future Past"), Mitchell Hope, China Anne McClain ("A.N.T. Farm"), Thomas Doherty ("The Lodge"), Dylan Playfair ("Some Assembly Required"), and Anna Cathcart ("Odd Squad"). The DVD comes with a FREE Necklace with 5 Villain Icons.

Descendants 2 is the sequel to the hit musical fantasy television movie, Descendants, that aired on the Disney Channel in 2015. The original film centered on the teenage children of Disney's villains leaving the Isle of the Lost, so they can start anew in United States of Auradon. The sequel picks up several months later, where Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, (played by Dove Cameron) is having trouble adjusting to being a celebrity as King Ben's girlfriend. She's also having problems living a princess-like life. Eventually, she gives up, packs her bags, and runs away back to the Isle of the Lost. With a little help fro Dizzy Tremaine, Mal restores her purple hair, and returns to her villainous ways.

After learning Mal has left Auradon, Evie - the daughter of The Evil Queen (played by Sofia Carson), Carlos de Vil - the son of Cruella de Vil (played by Cameron Boyce), Jay - the son of Jafar (play by Booboo Stewart), and King Ben - the son of Beast and Belle (played by Mitchell Hope), sneaks into the Isle of the Lost to find her. Unfortunately, King Ben is spotted and is later kidnapped by Uma, the daughter of Ursula (played by China Anne McClain), and her gang of villains, who ransoms the king in exchange for the Fairy Godmother's wand.

Mal and her pals must come up with a way to save King Ben and defeat Uma and the other forgotten villains.

Bonus Features are:

• Cast Secrets - Personal secrets are revealed by cast members Dove Cameron (Mal), Cameron Boyce (Carlos), Sofia Carson (Evie), Booboo Stewart (Jay) and China Anne McClain (Uma) during the filming of the movie. 

• Bloopers - The cast cracks up on set during some crazy takes.