Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Monday, September 30, 2019

Monday Morning Madness: The Institute, Stranger Things, and Buckskin

This year has went by extremely fast. I can't believe tomorrow is October 1st. However, if you step outside you wouldn't believe it's already autumn. I'm hoping the weather will eventually cool off!!

Anyway, I believe it's been two weeks since I'd last participated in Caffeinated Reviewer's Sunday Post and it's been many weeks since I last posted a It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (a weekly meme hosted by The Book Date), so I'm combining the two into a "Monday Morning Madness" post.

What Am I Currently Reading?

I placed a bookmark inside The Institute by Stephen King last Friday but I haven't started reading it yet. Hopefully, I can read a few pages of the novel tonight after I watch Lodge 49 on AMC.

Last night, I read a few pages of the eBook The Ghost Hunter's Daughter by Caroline Flarity. It's been on my Kindle for a few months so I thought I should finally get around to reading it. I'm liking it so far. Once I finish it, then I'll be reading Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux, which is also on my Kindle.

Recent Reviews

Prey

(Midnight Horror Review)

Unearthed: A Death Seeker Novel

(Fall Reads)

Damages: The Complete Series

(Blu-ray Review)

The Witch Port Video Game

(Fall Reads)

Library Finds

Midnight Horror Review: PREY (2019)

Billy Burgess midnight horror , movies

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Over the weekend, I watched the new thriller PREY (PG-13; 85 minutes). Produced by Hyde Park Entertainment, ImageNation and Blumhouse Productions, the film was distribute to theatres (Los Angeles, Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas and Houston) and VOD by Cinedigm on September 27th.

Directed by Franck Khalfoun (Amityville: The Awakening), who co-wrote the film with David Coggeshall, the film stars Logan Miller (Escape Room, “The Walking Dead”), Kristine Froseth (Apostle), Jolene Anderson (“Harrow”), Jerrica Lai (Crazy Rich Asians), Phodisdo Dintwe (“The Cul De Sac”), Anthony Jensen (Nazi Overlord, The Gallows Act II) and Jody Mortara (“Blood Relatives”). Executive Producers include Couper Samuelson, Jeanette Volturno, Alix Taylor, and Priya Amritraj.

PREY centers around Toby Burns (Logan Miller), a millennial who joins a "Lost and Found" program after his father is murdered. The program involves him being left on an “uninhabited” jungle island for three nights and three days. With only a Swiss Army Knife at his disposal, Toby is supposed to find a way to survive on the island. To his surprise, he's not the only person there.

Shortly after Logan's arrival, he runs into Madeleine (played by Kristine Froseth), a teenage girl who's living on the island with her mother. It seems that her parents moved to the island for a missionary mission when she was just a child but due to a "creature" that hides in the darkness, she and her mother are the only inhabitants on the island. Well, that is until Toby was left there!

To survive the island, Toby must find away to forgive himself for his father's death and find a way to defeat the "creature" before he becomes its next victim.

Final Thoughts

Review - Unearthed: A Death Seeker Novel

Billy Burgess book review , Caffeinated PR

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * iTunes

With October just days away, there's nothing better to get me in the mood for the Halloween season than reading a supernatural tale, which is exactly what I did this week.

What title did I read?

I read the supernatural fantasy Unearthed: A Death Seeker Novel by Cecy Robson. It centers around Olivia Finn, a pixie who's hiding on Earth from Death! Yes, I said Death! Pixies are from a paradise realm called Fae that was destroyed by Death itself. The survivors of Fae took refuge on Earth. Olivia, like many pixies, tries her best to blend into society so she can avoid the death hounds.

However, she cannot hide forever!

Eventually, Death discovers Olivia's location and learns she might be immune to its deadly grip. Word gets out about Olivia's power over Death and, now, other Faes see her as a savior.

No longer able to run and hide from Death, the only way Olivia can survive is for her to embrace her true self.

“Death is only the beginning.”- Unearthed, Cecy Robson

Final Thoughts

I have a poor habit of wanting to review books based only on their covers, so I chose to read Unearthed without even looking at the actual blurb. As a result, I didn't realize this book was about Faes (also known as fairies and pixies) until I had already begun reading it. I have nothing against Fae stories, but I haven't read a novel concerning mythical beings in a long time. But this is the first time I've ever seen Faes coexisting with dragons, gargoyles, elves, and the Grim Reaper!

Fortunately, the two main problems I've always had with the genre—narrative and pacing—are not present in this story, so it's a good thing the writing is excellent. Olivia, the protagonist, is a very likable person, and I found it easy to relate to her right away. I thought the dialogue was pretty mediocre; nothing revolutionary, but adequate nonetheless.

Unearthed: A Death Seeker Novel is a fascinating beginning to a new fantasy series. Mythical creatures that exist in our world have been included in the author's distinctively imagined universe.╌★★★★✩

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Cecy Robson is an international and multi-award-winning author of over twenty-five character driven novels. A registered nurse of eighteen years, Cecy spends her free time creating magical worlds, heart-stopping romance, and young adult adventure. After receiving two RITA® nominations, the Maggie Award, the Award of Excellence, and a National Reader’s Choice Award nomination, you can still find Cecy laughing, crying, and cheering on her characters as she pens her next story.

Connect with Cecy online at:

Book Blogger Hop: September 27th - October 3rd

Billy Burgess book blogger hop ,

Book Blogger Hop

Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

If you want to schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

The Book Blogger Hop now has its own Facebook Group! Please join the group to get all the newest Book Blogger Hop updates. Also, you can communicate with your fellow book bloggers in the group.

What To Do

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

This week's question is submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books.

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below. Please enter your Name/Nickname @ Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Here's an example: Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer

3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading a few 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.

The Friday 56: The Institute

Billy Burgess The Friday 56 ,

Rules

Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it).
Post it.
Add your (url) post below in the Linky at: www.fredasvoice.com
Add the post url, not your blog url.

He even wondered about the way the trashcan had moved—that stuff was eerie.

page 56, The Institute by Stephen King

My Thoughts

Blu-ray Review: Damages: The Complete Series

Billy Burgess Blu-ray , television

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

I spent the last few weeks binge watching Damages: The Complete Series ($99.98; 46 hours 17 minutes) which was released to Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment earlier this year. I believe it's also available on DVD.

Created by Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman, the series starred Glenn Close and Rose Byrne. The series aired from 2007 to 2012 and won four Emmy awards. The first three seasons aired on FX and the last two seasons were on Direct TV's Audience Network.

The series centers around a fresh out of law school Ellen Parsons (played by Rose Byrne) who gets a job at the law firm "Hewes & Associates" which is owned by Patty Hewes (played by Glenn Close). During the first season, she's assigned to work on the Arthur Frobisher case. The only reason she was hired in the first place is because of her soon-to-be sister-in-law, who's connected to Frobisher (played by Ted Danson).

Each season centers around a different case with a slew of cast members and guest stars, including William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Timothy Olyphant, Martin Short, Lily Tomlin, John Goodman, Ryan Phillippe, Dylan Baker, Janet McTeer, Jenna Elfman, and John Hannah.

Final Thoughts