The Boleyn Reckoning
by Laura Anderson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pub. Date: July 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-0345534132
Pages: 416
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Now available in bookstores is the final chapter in the Boleyn Trilogy that started with The Boleyn King and The Boleyn Deceit from author Laura Andersen.

I've never read the first two books in the series before I reviewed The Boleyn Reckoning last week. Actually, I didn't even know about the previous books when I agreed to review this one from the publisher. Though the third installment does continue (I'm guessing here) the storylines from first two books, it didn't bother me a bit, as I jumped right into reading this and easily figured out who was who and what was going on. I don't really read very many books set in the regency era, but as I have worked on my family's genealogy over the years, I have a newfound interest and respect for the era and genre.

I wouldn't call this a "historical fiction" novel, as there are plenty of fictional character throughout the novel, so it is more like an alternative timeline featuring the Tudor family. There is a lot of drama gong on with love triangles, backstabbing and several twists & turns behind every curtain; so basically it is a soap opera set in the 1500s.

Disneynature Bears
Directors: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey
Narrator: John C. Reilly
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00GPWERCO
Running Time: 78 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving Tuesday August 12, 2014 is the documentary Disneynature Bears from directors Alastair Fothergill (Earth, African Cats, Chimpanzee) and Keith Scholey (African Cats). The film is narrated by John C. Reilly. Bonus Features on the Blu-ray are Welcome to Alaska, The Future For Bears, A Guide To Living With Bears and How Did They Film That?. The DVD features the "Carry On" Music Video by Olivia Holt.

The documentary centers on a female grizzly bear (Sky) and her two cubs (Amber and Scout) in the Katmai National Park in Alaska, as the family leaves their den on a mountain scope in search for food. Leaving a mountainside is not an easy task for a bear, as there can be an avalanches at any second.

As the trio head into the valley, they encounter other bears, which some have tempers and can attack the cubs at any minute, especially the bear Magnus. Sky always has her eye on her cubs, especially when the grey wolf, Tikaani, is near them.

Muppets Most Wanted
Director: James Bobin
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
ASIN: B00HNX28TI
Running Time: 113 minutes (original theatrical), 120 minutes (extended version)
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray on August 12, 2014 is the international crime caper Muppets Most Wanted, featuring the Original Theatrical, The Unnecessarily Extended Edition and the Statler & Waldorf Cut. The film is directed by James Bobin (The Muppets) and stars Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Tina Fey. Bonus Features include The Longer Longest Blooper Real in Muppets History, Rizzo's Biggest Fan and "I'll Get You Want you Want" Music Video.

Picking up exactly where the 2011 The Muppets left off, Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang are approached by Dominic "The Lemur" Badguy (played by Ricky Gervais), who claims that he is the CEO of a talent agency, when in fact he is the world's 2nd best criminal. He talks the Muppets into going on a world comedy tour, which gives Kermit an excuse to avoid Miss Piggy's wedding plans to him.



Shortly after arriving in Berlin, Kermit is attacked by his look-alike Constantine, who slaps a fake mole on him. Constantine takes Kermit's place on the Muppets tour. Kermit is mistaken for Constantine and is sent to prison at Gulag 38B. Despite not sounding or acting like Kermit, Constantine is able to convince the Muppets that he is Kermit, well, all except Animal. Constantine is the world's #1 criminal and along with his partner, Dominic, they plan on stealing the crown jewels in Dublin, but they must somehow avoid Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon (played by Ty Burrell) and CIA Agent Sam Eagle, whom are tracking them.

Dark Shadows: Year One
by Marc Andreyko, Guiu Vilanova, Patrick Berkenkotter
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Pub. Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1606904954
Pages: 128
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Ever since the original dark soap opera, Dark Shadows, ended in 1971, the franchise has continued to live in other medias, such as feature films, remakes, novelizations, merchandises, DVD sets, etc. The Collins family has even found their way into the comic book world over the years.

Last month, Dynamite Entertainment released the Dark Shadows: Year One graphic novel (featuring issues 1-6), which tells the origin of the vampire Barnabas Collins, who caused his family to suffer for generations. It only took one night of passion with the witch Angelique to ruin his life forever.

If you have ever seen the original series or the Tim Burton movie, then you know that Barnabas was engaged to Josette, but the maid Angelique was in love with him, leading Barnabas to have a fling with her, unknowingly at the time that she was in a fact a witch. Barnabas rejected Angelique, so she cursed him to become a vampire.

Rage
Director: Paco Cabezas
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Danny Glover, Rachel Nichols, Peter Stormare
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $29.96
ASIN: B00KBZZI10
Running Time: 98 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon


Review:

Arriving on DVD this Tuesday, August 12, 2014, is the crime-thriller Rage from Image Entertainment. The film is directed by Paco Cabezas and stars Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), Danny Glover (the Lethal Weapon films) Rachel Nichols (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) and Peter Stormare (Fargo). Special features include: The Making of RAGE, deleted scenes and an alternate ending.

Nicolas Cage plays Paul Maquire, a businessman, husband and loving father, who has a deadly past. Late one night, the unthinkable occurs - his teenage daughter, Caitlin (played by Aubrey Peeples) goes missing. What looks like a kidnapping, turns into murder when his daughter's body is found near Tokarev Russian gun.

Paul shoves his wife (played by Rachel Nichols) away, as he reunites with his old buddies, Kane (played by Max Ryan) and Danny (played by Michael McGrady) to seek out who murdered his daughter, which includes starting a war with the Russian mob.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad / Fun and Fancy Free
Directors: Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske, William Morgan
Voice Cast: Eric Blore, Pat O'Malley, Cliff Edwards, Edgar Bergen, Luana Patten, Walt Disney, Clarence Nash
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00K7BCWLW
Running Time: 68 minutes (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad), 73 minutes (Fun and Fancy Free)
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack (3-discs) this Tuesday August 12, 2014 is the 2-movie collection featuring The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and Fun and Fancy Free. As an added bonus on the Blu-ray is The Reluctant Dragon feature film.

WWII put a financial strain of film companies, as they created "war effort" short film projects. Walt Disney's next big blockbuster, Cinderella, wouldn't come out until 1950 and until then the company needed to create fast films that would make them money. Out this era came "packaged films," which featured two or three shorts compiled into one film.

Fun and Fancy Free was released to theaters in 1947, featuring Bongo and Mickey And The Beanstalk. Bongo is based on the story "Little Bear Bongo" by Sinclair Lewis and is narrated by singer Dinah Shore. It centers on a circus bear named Bongo, who dreams of being free in the wild. Mickey And The Beanstalk is Disney's version of Jack and the Beanstalk, which features Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as poor, starving farmers, whom happen to acquire a magic bean that grows a beanstalk. It is is the last theatrical to feature Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks: Special Edition
Director: Robert Stevenson
Starring: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, John Ericson
Ian Weighill, Cindy O'Callaghan, Roy Snart
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00K5ZXKFM
Running Time: 117 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack this Tuesday August 12, 2014 is the 1971 Disney classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks, with an all-new digital transfer. Bonus features include Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers, Five Enchanted Deleted and Extended Songs, Eight Magical Deleted and Extended Scenes, David Tomlinson Recording Sessions, Song Selections and The Wizards of Special Effects.

Based on the book by Mary Norton, Bedknobs and Broomsticks was released to theaters in 1971, but was edited to fit into a 2-hour slot. The film was heavily edited for the 1979 re-release. In 1996, the film was reconstructed on VHS in its original intended 139 version.

Set during WWII, the film centers on Eglantine Price (played by Angela Lansbury) taking in three orphans, Charlie (played by Ian Weighill), Paul (played by Roy Snart), and Carrie (played by Cindy O'Callaghan). Just after arriving, they learn that Miss Price is an apprentice witch!

When I Fall in Love
by Susan May Warren
Publisher: Tyndale Publishing
Pub. Date: June 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1414378435
Pages: 400
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/swarren
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/z5Ijj

Review:

I think all my blog readers have heard me say that I don't care for reading contemporary romances, but on a rare occasion I do read a book with a contemporary setting. Sometimes the settings doesn't matter to me, as it is the author that draws me in. When I Fall in Love is written by the bestselling and award-winning author, Susan May Warren, which is the newest installment in the Christiansen Family series. I have loved reading her historical setting titles, therefore I gave this novel a chance. Plus, I did read the previous book in the series, It Had to be You, a few months back and enjoyed it.

When I Fall in Love centers on Grace Christiansen, a young woman who desires to have her own catering business in Deep Haven, but first she needs to go to culinary school. After not hearing a thing from the school she applied to, her family sends her on a culinary vacation in Hawaii. 

Pro hockey player, Maxwell Sharpe, happens to be going on the same three-week cooking retreat, where he gets paired up with Grace for a cooking competition. Of course there are sparks between the two, but their past fears and troubles may block the two of them from being together.