PG-13; 115 minutes; Amazon

Available today on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD from Marvel Studios is the fantasy comic book adventure Doctor Strange. Directed by Scott Derrickson, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton.

Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, Doctor Strange debuted as a comic book supernatural superhero in 1963. The film adaptation stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, a brilliant (but arrogant) neurosurgeon who loses the use of his hands after a terrible car crash. After having several unsuccessful surgeries to restore the nerves in his hands, Strange travels to Kamar-Ta to seek out the Ancient One (played by Tilda Swinton), who has been known to help others heal from wounds.

Shortly upon arriving, Strange learns that the Ancient One is a powerful sorcerer, who shows him that magic is real, as well as the astral plane and other dimensions. He learns there are are three buildings called the Sanctums (one in New York City, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) that protects the world from the other dimensions.

Under the guidance of the Ancient One and another sorcerer named Mordo (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), Strange begins his training as a sorcerer, and hopefully he will one day be able to regain control of his hands. Using his photographic memory, he easily learns their ways and starts to gain magical powers, such as bending time with the mystical Eye of Agamotto.

Unfortunately, Strange also learns there are evil sorcerers, lead by Kaecilius (played by Mads Mikkelsen), who are going to destroy the Sanctums and summon Dormammu of the Dark Dimension.


Blu-ray Bonus Extras includes:

Adingdon Press; 288 pages; $14.99; Buy Link; Blog Tour

If you live in the Midwest, it doesn't currently feel like winter, but we're still technically in a winter month; therefore, I'm still including this review as a "Winter Reads" post.

Home to Paradise is the third installment in the Coming Home series by author Barbara Cameron, and as you can see from the cover art, it's an Amish-romance story, which is one of my favorite genres to read.

The novel centers on Rose Anna Zook, a young woman who has always wanted to marry the third Stoltzfus brother, John. However, her dreams of marrying him become in jeopardy when John refuses to leave his Rumschpringe years behind him. He's enjoying living in the Englisch world and has no plans of returning to the Amish community.

Now available from J.K.Publishing is the paranormal romance A Call to Heaven by author Jo Kessel.






When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’ve loved writing since I was a little girl. I didn’t just enjoy writing stories at school – I was always writing them at home too, letting my imagination run riot. When I became a journalist for my ‘day job’ it was like I wasn’t working at all because I enjoyed it so much. And then a friend of mine in the UK (also a journalist) got a two-book deal with a major publisher from out of nowhere and that made me think: “I wonder if I could do that too?” And so I started to write my first novel…

What was your first book/story published?

Lover in Law was my first published novel and actually, at the moment in both the US and the UK it’s still my bestselling book! I’m hoping that my current release A Call to Heaven will do better still, because this one is definitely the one that’s most special to me.

What inspired you to write A Call to Heaven?

My mother (who sadly died way too young) came to me in a dream a couple of years ago. In that dream she gave me the premise for A Call to Heaven as well as its title. It was the most brilliant and inspiring way to come up with an idea and I really hope I’ve done my Mom proud.

What character in A Call to Heaven is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I identify with the lead female character Amy in this book, but she really isn’t anything like me. How we’re similar is in our love for our lost mothers and how we’d do anything to be able to speak to them again. Amy’s also a great mom and I like to think that I am too. After that, Amy’s nothing like me. She married a man so odious that I don’t think I could have stayed with him. She’s also a great cook whilst I, by contrast, am woefully incompetent in the kitchen!

What is your favorite part in A Call to Heaven?

Mill Creek Ent.; 1038 minutes; $14.98; Amazon

Now available on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is Strange Things: 11 Movie Collection, featuring eleven weird flicks from the 1980s on three discs.

As you can tell by the title, the release is taking advantage of the critically acclaimed Netflix horror series Stranger Things; though the cover art represents the film Pulse, which is on the first disc in the set.

The films in the set includes:

Pulse (1988; 91 minutes; PG-13) - A forgotten horror gem starring a young Joey Lawrence as a kid who travels to Los Angeles to spend his vacation with his father and stepmother in their suburban home, which happens to be occupied by a vengeful electric pulse.

"Pulse"

Spacehunter: Adventure In The Forbidden Zone (1983; 90 minutes; PG)  - A campy science fiction adventure that was originally released in 3D in the early 80s. The plot, dialogue, and acting is pretty horrible. However, it has some cool sets and costumes.

"Spacehunters: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone"

Krull (1983; 121 minutes; PG) - Considered a flop in 1983, the science fiction fantasy is now considered a cult classic. The plot involves the planet "Krull" being invaded by the "Beast" and it's "Slayers" in a mountain-shape spaceship called the Black Fortress.

"Krull"

My Mom's a Werewolf (1989; 88 minutes; PG) - This horror-comedy became popular when it was aired countless times on Showtime in the early 1990s. The plot involves a housewife turning into a werewolf after having a brief affair.

"My Mom's A Werewolf"

Revell; 352 pages; $15.99; Amazon

Now available in bookstores from Revell (a division of Baker Publishing Group) is the crime thriller Justice Delayed, book one in the Memphis Cold Case series, by author Patricia Bradley.

I have a habit of picking out new books to read just by their cover arts alone, but this isn't the case with Justice Delayed, as I don't think the cover art is very good for it. To me, it looks very bland. The only reason I signed up to review the novel is because I had read a couple other titles by the author in the past.

The novel centers around Andi Hollister, a crime reporter who's sister was murdered eighteen years ago. After a letter surface with evidences that suggests the murderer might be innocent, Andi teams up with Will Kincaide, a detective at the Memphis Cold Case Unit, to seek out the truth.

With the accused murderer's execution date looming just around the corner, Andi and Will race against time to unravel the mystery and track down the real killer.