Lionsgate; PG-13; 127 minutes; Amazon

Now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the emotional drama The Glass Castle. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film stars Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts, and Max Greenfield.

Based on the memoir of the same name by Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle tells the story of Walls' real-life troubled childhood. Her father, Rex (played by Woody Harrelson), is an alcoholic who can't keep a job and her mother, Rose Mary (played by Naomi Watts), is an eccentric artist. Jeannette and her siblings (Lori, Josh, and Maureen) never had a normal life. They lived in poverty and were dragged from place to place, as their parents squatted in abandoned homes.

The film flips back and forth from the '80s where an adult Jeannette is trying to have a normal life in New York and then it flashes back to show what life was like during her childhood.

While the cast received great reviews for their performances, the same cannot be said for the film itself, as it was heavily criticized for the mishandling of the source material.

Special Features include:

• Deleted Scenes
• The Glass Castle: Memoir to Movie
• A Conversation with Jeannette Walls
• Making of "Summer Storm" by Joel P West
• Scoring The Glass Castle

RLJ Entertainment; Not Rated; 109 minutes; Amazon

Available today on DVD from RLJ Entertainment is the British horror-mystery The Limehouse Golem. Based on the book Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem by Peter Ackroy and directed by Juan Carlos Medina, the film stars Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Douglas Booth, Daniel Mays, Sam Reid, María Valverde, Henry Goodman, Morgan Watkins, and Eddie Marsan.

Set in Victorian London, the film centers around Elizabeth Cree (played by Olivia Cooke), who is accused of poisoning her husband John (played by Sam Reid). At the time of John's death a coincidence occurs - the Limehouse Golem murders stop.

Someone has been brutally killing random people all over Limehouse and has been leaving behind cryptic messages written in the victim's blood. Scotland Yard has no clue to who is behind the killings. Due to pressure from the public, Scotland Yard assigns Inspector Kildare (played Bill Nighy) to solve the case.

After finding a diary at a library that is believed to have been written by the Golem, Inspector Kildare narrows the Golem down to four suspects - Dan Leno (played by Douglas Booth), Karl Marx (played by Henry Goodman), George Gissing (played by Morgan Watkins), and John Cree. Now it's a race against time to prove which suspect is the murderer, before Elizabeth Cree is hanged.


Special Features include:

• Behind the Scenes Featurettes about the Cast, Locations, Look, and Making of The Limehouse Golem
• Photo Gallery

Now available on Amazon and Smashwords from Devildog Press is science fiction horror novel Prey by Tim Majka.

The Other Side Has Broken Through

Following the mysterious death of his parents, Detective Eric Archer goes home to the idyllic Western New York town of Chadwick Bay. There, he joins old colleagues and makes new acquaintances in Jessica Benitez, Eliseo Gomez, and the enigmatic Dr. William Dirk.

They uncover decades-old family secrets that shakes the foundation of their reality.

Alliances are formed, friends become foes.

An ancient entity’s plan to enslave the people of Earth is about to be unleashed. With the fate of humanity at risk, Eric Archer and his friends must race to unravel the mystery of how to defeat a God-king.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

My seventh grade English Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Lynn Clarke got me hooked on storytelling. We had a unit of study in creative writing during which I wrote an episode of STAR TREK (the original series), she gave me an A on it and many positive accolades about pacing and characterization. I didn’t write much creatively for many more years, but as a history teacher I need to be able to tell a story to hook the students, as veteran teacher once said to me, “You have to perform five shows daily and you need to have as much energy in the last as you do in the first.”

What was your first book/story published?

Prey from Devil Dog Press in June of 2017 was my first published work.

What inspired you to write Prey?

I was having a conversation online with an old high school friend, who happened to be writing some horror short stories. I had recently hung up my whistle after 13 years of coaching high school football and didn’t know what to do with myself (it is all consuming if you want to do it the right way). I had always wanted to write, as we talked I got more excited at the prospect of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys, as it were). Searching through my desk, I found an CD-ROM with no label, I popped it in my desktop tower and it contained one Microsoft Word document titled PREY. It was three lines of a story I had started to write back at the beginning of my teaching career, how and why that disc was in the drawer at that time, I have no idea. I started writing from there.

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

The main character of Prey, Eric Archer, loves his family and always wants to do right by them. He is intelligent, tough, sarcastic, and funny, but when there is work to be done, it’ll get done. In many respects he’s the most like me.😀

I am least like Sheriff Pontillo, that bastard. 😀

What is your favorite part in Prey?

Jimmy Patterson; 310 pages; Buy Link: Amazon

Since this is November, I'm 100% positive that all kids are back in school by now. I had originally planned on posting one more Back to School Read several weeks ago, but due to all the Halloween posts/articles that were scheduled, I had to delay my review for Laugh Out Loud until today!

Anyhow,  now available from JIMMY Patterson (an imprint of Little, Brown, and Company) is the "laugh out loud" middle grade book Laugh Out Loud by bestselling author James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein.

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is only three weeks away, which means you better start putting together your meal prep grocery list right now and start buying whatever ingredients you need this weekend. While the big turkey dinner is the main attraction for Thanksgiving Day, as well as pumpkin pie, make sure to get all the essentials that will make your day go by more smoothly - aka, less stressful.

Trust me when I say that finding ways to make Thanksgiving Day go perfectly can be a life saver. Last year, I volunteered to do most of the cooking/baking, which I didn't mind taking on the task, but between getting up really early, cooking/baking, cleaning, and practically babysitting my little cousins, I was already worn out by the time I went to the Black Friday sales (well, Thanksgiving evening sales).

I'm once again going to be doing the majority (if not all) of the cooking and baking, but I'm going to be more prepared this time. This year, I'm teaming up with the great people at Oriental Trading to bring you this post, titled "Clever Items to Simplify Your Thanksgiving!



Cleaning up after a Thanksgiving meal can take a bit of time and energy, so this year I'm going the paper plate route! Oriental Trading has a big selection of different paper and plastic plates, and I went with the "Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Plates." The sturdy paper plates measures 11" and retails for $2.99 for one package containing 8 plates, but it's currently on sale for $1.98. Additionally, I got the matching "Thanksgiving Turkey Dessert Plates," which comes in a package of 8 paper plates (7") and retails for $1.79 per unit. I also got the 5" "Thanksgiving Turkey Beverage Napkins." There are 16 napkins in one package, which retails for $1.99, but it's currently on sale for $.98.

Of course, the last thing I want to do on Thanksgiving is to wash a bunch of silverware, so the next item on my list is the "Chocolate High Count Cutlery Set." The set contains 70 plastic forks, 70 plastic spoons, and 70 plastic knives, which retails only for $9.99! If you don't like the chocolate color, don't worry, as the set is available in other colors.

Lastly, I picked out the "Clear Plastic Cup Set," which retains for $5.99. That's a great price for 50 cups!


A small centerpiece or decoration can go along way on a dinner table, coffee table, or just about anywhere in a home. Oriental Trading has a big section of DIY craft kits for children and adults that can be used for a centerpiece, or you can buy a decor to display. I picked out the "Carved Thanksgiving Pumpkin Set" (look at the picture above). The set includes three decor pumpkins with metal leaves and wire vines. The pumpkins are between 5" to 6" tall. Each one has a printed saying - "Give Thanks," "Be Joyful," and "Be Thankful."

While the pumpkins are small, they are adorable and will look great as a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Pocket Books; 422 pages; $7.99; Amazon

Now available from Pocket Books is Shattered Memories, the final installment of The Mirror Sisters Series, by V.C. Andrews.

Well, technically, the real author is Andrew Neiderman , aka the ghost writer who started writing under the name V.C. Andrews after the real V.C. Andrews died in 1986. Mr Neiderman finished writing "Garden of Shadows" and "Fallen Hearts." The rest of the V.C. Andrews novels after "Fallen Hearts" were either inspired or attributed to V.C. Andrews.

The Mirror Sisters Series are by-the-book (no pun intended) young adult stories. Book One, The Mirror Sisters, centered on identical twins Haylee and Kaylee Fitzergald, who both struggled to have an actual life due to their control freak mother. The novel ended with Haylee planning on meeting an older man she had chatted with online. After she gets sick, she convinces Kaylee to take her place, which results in Kaylee being kidnapped. Book Two, Broken Glass, picks up the storyline exactly where it left off with a twist towards the ending (Spoiler Alert!) - Haylee set her sister up, so Kaylee would be kidnapped, because she wanted to be an only child!

The third and final entry (well, I think it's the final the book), centers on Kaylee being sent to a private high school after her mother had a nervous breakdown. Where's Haylee? Well, she's locked away, well, sort of, as she does return in the latter half to once again try to ruin her sister's life.

RLJ Entertainment; Not Rated; 94 minutes; Amazon

Now available on Blu-ray and DVD from from RLJ Entertainment is the action thriller Bushwick. Directed by Cary Murnion & Jonathan Milott, the film stars Dave Bautista (Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy) and Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect).

Bushwick is set in a world where Texas have decided to secede from the United States, which brings the country to the brink of a second civil war.

The film centers on a college student named Lucy (played by Brittany Snow) traveling home with her boyfriend. Almost as soon as they step off of the subway train in Bushwick, New York, they enter into a world full of chaos. Her boyfriend is murdered right in front of her, but she doesn't have time to mourn, as she must out run a group of Texas mercenaries.

In order to survive, and possibly find her family, Lucy must rely on a war veteran, Stupe (played by Dave Bautista), who's trying to way out of the city, so he can travel to Hoboken, New Jersey to find his son. Unfortunately, getting pass the local residents and the militia is going to be a major problem for them.

Special Features include:

Now available on Amazon, Pronoun, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, and Google Play is the young adult supernatural novel Flesh by Laura Bickle.

There's no better way to get yourself in the mood for Halloween than reading a spooky novel; which is exactly what I did early this morning when I read the eBook Flesh.

Since I'm short of time today (and the rest of the week), I'm going to copy & paste the official blurb of the novel instead of writing my own synopsis.

Charlie Sulliven thinks she knows all the secrets of the dead. Raised in a funeral home, she’s the reluctant “Ghoul Girl,” her reputation tied to a disastrous Halloween party. But navigating her life as a high school sophomore is an anxiety-inducing puzzle to her. She haunts the funeral home with her parents, emo older brother, Garth, their pistol-packing Gramma, and the glass-eyeball-devouring dachshund, Lothar.

Chewed human bodies are appearing in her parents’ morgue…and disappearing in the middle of the night. The bodies seem tied to a local legend, Catfish Bob, who has resurfaced in the muddy Milburn river near Charlie’s small town. When one of Charlie’s classmates, Amanda, awakens in the cooler as a flesh-eating ghoul, Charlie must protect her newfound friend and step up to unravel the mystery…and try to avoid becoming lunch meat for the dead.

Disney/Pixar; 102 minutes

Now available Digital HD and 4K Ultra HD is Disney/Pixar's Car 3. The film will be arriving on Blu-ray 4K Ultra and Blu-ray on November 7th!

Directed by Brian Fee, the computer-animated film features the talented voice-cast of Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Armie Hammer, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, Nathan Fillion, Lea DeLaria, and Kerry Washington.

Cars 3 centers on an aging Lightning McQueen being beaten on the race track by a rookie named Jackson Storm. After several months of resting in Radiator Springs, McQueen plans on making his big return to the world racing in Florida, but first he must be retrained.

With a new sponsor, Sterling, and a young new trainer, Cruz Ramirez, McQueen tries his best to use the latest technology to help improve his speed. However, he slow learns that the only way to win the race is to rely on the help of Doc Hudson's old crew.

Digital Special Features are:

• Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool (Exclusive new mini-movie) – Enjoy blindsided testimonials from the Crazy 8’s, touting the transformative impact Miss Fritter’s Racing School has had in reshaping the direction of their lives Theatrical Short: “Lou” – When a toy-stealing bully ruins recess for a playground full of kids, only one thing stands in his way: the “Lost and Found” box.
• Let’s. Get. Crazy. – Get schooled in the world of demolition derby, the “rules” of figure 8 racing, and how Pixar puts the crazy in the Thunder Hollow Crazy 8 race. This piece is hosted by Lea DeLaria.
• Legendary – a close, historical look at the racing legends Wendell Scott and Louise Smith, whose tenacity and perseverance got them into the race even when they weren’t invited.
• Ready for the Race – Disney Channel’s Olivia Rodrigo and NASCAR Racer William Byron check out the Hendrick Motorsports campus to showcase how real-world race training influenced the filmmakers.
• World’s Fastest Billboard – Blink and you will miss all of the graphics and “car-ified” advertisements created by Pixar’s Art team to make the ”Cars 3” world as believable as possible.
• Cruz Ramirez: The Yellow Car That Could – Join Cristela Alonzo and the filmmakers on their journey to create a race-car trainer turned champion racer.
• Generations: The Story of “Cars 3” – For the story team, creating Lightning McQueen’s next chapter didn’t involve just a tune-up, but a complete overhaul.
• My First Car – A collection of illustrated first-car stories as narrated by members of the “Cars 3” cast and crew. “A Green Car on the Red Carpet with Kerry Washington,” “Old Blue,” and “Still in the Family.”
• 5 Deleted Scenes – Each deleted scene is set up with an introduction as to why it was removed from the film. Deleted scenes include “The Boogie Woogie,” “The Jars of Dirt,” “Lugnut,” “The Bolt,” and “More Than New Paint.”
• Cars To Die(cast) For – Take a look at the phenomenon of die-cast toy collecting and the more than 1,000 unique designs that exist in the Cars universe.
• Commentary – Brian Fee (Director), Kevin Reher (Producer), Andrea Warren (Co-Producer) and Jay Ward (Creative Director)
• And more…