Thursday, February 13, 2020

Review - Out of the Attic by V.C. Andrews

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.
Available on Paperback and Kindle!

The newest V.C. Andrews' book, Out of the Attic, was released last week from Gallery Books, which is the 10th book in the Dollanganger Saga/Family series that originally began in 1979 with Flowers in the Attic. That story involved four children being forced to live in an attic by a greedy mother and their crazy grandmother. Toss in a bit of incest into the mix, the novel turned became a bestseller despite being challenged by schools and libraries due to its dark themes. Three sequels were published before V.C. Andrews' death in 1986. A ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman, was hired to finish writing the prequel novel, Garden of Shadows, and to continue the Casteel series, as well as penning all future V.C. Andrews' titles.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Blu-ray Review - Swamp Thing: The Complete Series (2019)

Available on Blu-ray and DVD!

Swamp Thing: The Complete Series will arriving on Blu-ray (+ Digital Code) and DVD today from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. There are no special features or bonus extras.

Based on the DC Comics series by Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, Swamp Thing was created by Gary Dauberman and Mark Verheiden for the DC Universe streaming service. Originally, the first season was given an order of 13 episodes but it was later cut down to 10 episodes. Just after the season premiere aired on May 31, 2019, the series was canceled. While there hasn't been an official reason announced for the cancellation, it most likely had to do with the fact that the promised $40 million tax incentive from North Carolina turned out to be only $14 million.

Set in Marais, Louisiana, the series centers around CDC doctor Abby Arcane (played by Crystal Reed) returning to her hometown to investigate a deadly virus, dubbed the "Green Flu," that has infected several locals, including a young girl, Susie Coyle (played by Elle Graham). Shortly after her arrival, she meets Alec Holland (played by Andy Bean), a disgraced biologist who was hired by her adopted father, Avery Sunderland (played by Will Patton), to study the marsh. After being attacked by Sutherland's hired hands, Alec is shot and left to die in the swamp. The swamp mutates Alec into a plant-like creature — Swamp Thing (played by Derek Mears)

The rest of the cast includes Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Beals, Kevin Durand, and Ian Ziering.


Final Thoughts

After binge-watching all 10 episodes of Swamp Thing over the weekend, I wish the series had continued with a second season. Sure, there are many problems with the story, which I'll get to in a minute, but overall I enjoyed watching it.

Derek Mears gives a great performance as Swamp Thing, who should have been the center character but instead was forced into the background while secondary characters took the spotlight. Crystal Reed does an alright job playing Dr. Abby Acrane but the writers spent too much time focusing on her story arc.

The big baddie, Dr. Anton Arcane, from the '80s Swamp Thing movies and the '90s television series doesn't appear in this adaptation. In his replacement is Avery Sunderland (played by Will Patton) and Dr. Jason Woodrue (played by Kevin Durand), which their characters were left in limbo thanks to the series cancellation.

The Blue Devil subplot was poorly written and felt pointless, especially when you add in Ian Ziering's bad acting.

The picture and sound qualities for all the episodes on the 2-disc set were topnotch. It would have been nice if there were a few special features.

Overall, despite some storytelling problems, Swamp Thing had the potential to improve if the series was allowed to continue. Here's hoping Swamp Thing: The Complete Series does well enough on Blu-ray and DVD so it won't be the last time we see the Swamp Thing on-screen.



Sunday, February 9, 2020

Sunday Post - Out of the Attic, Swamp Thing, and a Bookmark

Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer!

Good Afternoon, Everyone!


 Here's my new favorite bookmark!



What Am I Reading?


I've a lot of reading planned for this coming week, starting with Out of the Attic by V.C. Andrews (Andrew Neiderman), which I will start reading later today.

Next, I'll be reading an ARC that I almost forgot about. It's called The Chill by Scott Carson. I will read it as soon as I finish Out of the Attic. I want to finish reading it by Tuesday, which is also being released on Feb. 11th.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Review - Walking the 10 Paths of Self Healing


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

I don't read very many self-help titles. However, I'm attempting to make a few healthy changes in my life so I thought I would give Walking the 10 Paths of Self Healing (382 pages) by Nadav Ben Yehuda a chance.

After being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and cancer, Nadav decided to make many life changes which resulted in being cured from his illnesses.

Friday, February 7, 2020

Book Blogger Hop: February 7th - 13th


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:


What are some of the most memorable books you read as a child? What made them memorable?

This week's question is submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer.


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.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

DVD Review - A Psycho's Path



Yesterday, I wasted 84 minutes of my life watching the dumbest movie ever filmed― A Psycho's Path.

The film is produced by Entangled Entertainment, Hourglass Pictures, and Stroboscope Studios, and written and directed by Rocky Costanzo. Mill Creek Entertainment and ITN Distribution released the movie on DVD last month. There are no special features or bonus extras besides a trailer. The DVD does come with a movieSPREE Digital code.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Review - Bloodborn by Sydney Winward

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

Add to Goodreads

Adam Degore's personal need to find a cure for vampirism drives him to ensnare a vampire, but the creature he captures is Dracula's daughter. Worse yet, he's drawn to her—a monster he's vowed to kill.

Despite her father's wishes, Willow chooses to live among humans instead of the vampire conclave where she would be safe. She wants a life filled with more than shadows. Being captured by a human, not to mention falling in love with one, is not part of her plan.