The Sinner's Garden
By William Sirls
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: December 17, 2013
ASIN: 978-140168738
Pages: 416
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/WSirls
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Last year, I reviewed The Reason by William Sirls, so I eagerly accepted to review his newest novel, The Sinners' Garden, which I received a free copy from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Sinners' Garden focuses on fourteen-year-old Andy Kemp, a young boy whose life has been in chaos due to his scared face. His father was very abusive, resulting in his disfigurement. Due to his low self-esteem, Andy hides himself from the world; huddling himself in a corner reading a book; trying to hide the fact that  he suffers from anger issues buried below the surface.

Andy has distant himself from everyone, including his mother, whom is forced to seek help from the boy's Uncle Rip, who spent some time behind bars, to set the boy straight. Uncle Rip wants to become a father figure to him, but easing Andy's pain is going to take a miracle from God, which is exactly what happens when Andy begins hearing odd music through his iPod.

The Three Stooges: 6-Movie Set
Starring: Larry, Moe, Curly, Curly Joe
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Retail: $9.98
ASIN: B00HFWETIK
Running Time: 8 hours 6 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

Last year, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to release Sony Pictures Home Entertainment titles including those released under Columbia Home Entertainment, which happens to own the rights to The Three Stooges franchise. Earlier this month as two-disc set containing six of The Three Stooges films were released on DVD, featuring Have Rocket Will Travel, The Outlaws Is Coming, Rockin' in the Rockies, Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules and Time Out for Rhythm.

Released in 1941, Time Out for Rhythm features Moe, Larry and Curly as co-stars in this musical comedy. Similar to a few of their shorts, they play out-of-work actors begging for a job, which happens to be for an agency owned by Danny Collins and Mike Armstrong. The trio don't get center-stage in this film, but they pop into the film every little bit. The film has been currently unreleased for fans until it was released as a manufactured-on-demand through the Columbia Choice Collection series in 2012.


Rockin' In The Rockies was released in 1945 with Moe, Larry and Curly in starring roles, but unlike their other films and shorts, Moe Howard doesn't play Moe, instead he plays Shorty Williams while Larry and Curly continue to play their regular roles. The film was considered a flop in 1945, but is now adored by fans. It was finally made available on DVD in The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection.

After the deaths of Curly and Shemp Howard, Joe Besser filled in as the third stooge to finish out the final sixteen shorts. While the last short was released in 1959, the older shorts made their way onto black & white television screens, exposing a new generation to the Stooges' antics. With the newly found appeal to their slapstick humor, Moe, Larry and Curly Joe (played by Joe DeRita) stepped into the big-screen with several feature films throughout the '60s, as well as a animated television series.

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!

 

How do you handle unsolicited books that appear in your mailbox? Do you add them to your queue? Do you write to the sender and explain you didn't ask for the book and are not sure when you will be able to read and review the book? Or do you simply not read the book at all?

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: 

On the rare occasion I do receive an unsolicited book in my mailbox. Typically, it is from either a publisher or agent I have previously worked with before. Since they're unannounced, they are placed on the bottom stack of the TBR review pile; sometimes it takes months or even a year for me to get to the book. If the book doesn't interest me, then I'll contact the author/publisher/agent and tell them I'll post a book spotlight instead of a review. 

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone; besides from sending a few cards to family and friends and giving my grandmother a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a teddy bear, I don't actually celebrate the holiday. I'm single, so I don't see the point of it. I spent tonight watching a couple of episodes of Leverage on DVD and The Outlaws Is Coming! with the Three Stooges.

My weekend plans involves me doing a few errands in the morning, which hopefully I'll be back home to watch the new Power Rangers (Yes, I still watch kids' shows). I need to get a few books read this weekend, so hopefully I'll have time to start reading tomorrow. I also have a few reviews I need to write get posted by Monday. Plus, I have the old Batman serial DVD and the Killing Kennedy Blu-ray to watch and review.

I'm trying to stay ahead of the holidays this year by buying presents ahead of time. For example, I already have my mom's Mother's Day present. With the falling economy, I'm well aware my wallet is going to be stretched this year, though I did splurge a little on myself (I'll talk about that in a few minutes). Its easier to buy little bitty things during the year, so when December rolls around most of shopping is already finished.

Of course shopping ahead of time isn't exactly easy, as some people are just hard to buy for. I have no clue what to get my grandmother for Mother's Day this year. I would get her a DVD, but she can never figure out how to use the DVD player. I could buy her a music CD, but she most likely already owns it. Sure, I could get her a new book, but she doesn't care much for reading anymore because of her eyesight.

I do have a few ideas on what to get her.

Free Birds
Director: Jimmy Hayward
Voice Cast: Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 4, 2013
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00GRZPQX8
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rating: PG

Review:

Landing on Blu-ray and DVD last week was the computer-animated Free Birds from Twentieth Century Fox featuring the talented voice cast of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler. Bonus Features include Birds Flipping History, Animating Free Birds: The Main Course, Winging It: Animators in Action, Talking Turkey with Composer Dominic Lewis and "Shake a Tail Feather" Music Video.

In Free Birds, Reggie the Turkey (voiced by Owen Wilson) is aware that the turkeys on the farm are the main course for Thanksgiving dinners every year, but he seems to be the only one on the farm with the intelligence to understand what is going on. He is life is completely changed with the President of the United States arrives on the farm to save one turkey's life. The President's young daughter picks out the skinniest turkey - Reggie.

Reggie is now the White House turkey, spending his days and nights watching cable and ordering pizzas that is until he is kidnapped by Jake (voiced by Woody Harrelson), who claims he is the only member of the President's Turkey's Liberation Front. Jake claims that the "Great Turkey" told him to find Reggie and take him back in time to stop the first Thanksgiving.

Getting family pictures is a wonderful event. Unfortunately, it’s almost always stressful, too. Coordinating a number of different people would be difficult for anyone. When you think about all the things that could go wrong—sickness, grumpy children, naptimes being interrupted, mealtimes being pushed off, stains on clothes, wrinkles, bad weather, etc., it’s indeed overwhelming. One way to lessen the stress is to find ideas on photography sites like www.lastingexpressions.com to give yourself a head start when you are ready to take pictures. Also, it’s good to have some other tips outlined below about family picture poses and outfits ready to go so you are not scrambling last minute.


This is true for both clothing and poses. Try not to be too “matchy-matchy.” Instead, find a myriad of different shades of blues (or any other color) and work within a larger parameter. It will look more natural and less staged. Speaking of more natural, that’s exactly what you should seek out for poses. Look for ideas of things you would do naturally, like walking, playing, etc. Candids always make the best pictures.


This can also be applied to the wardrobe selection as well as the scenery, poses, and background. It’s always fun to make an announcement or tell a story or send a message of some kind. It doesn’t have to be