The Sunday Post ~1~

Elsewhere News

• Today is March 4th, and our fellow Wanderer, Sonal's, birthday. Because I've been trying to learn how to make videos and use Paint, I put together this clip. Happy Birthday, Dear. We're all wishing you a good one! 

• Also in Elsewhere, the Wednesday Writes challenge for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS has been posted in the March Calendar and entries are due tonight by midnight PST! Want a chance to win The Book of the Week Prize pack? Write us a short story! Submit your entries to myticketsomewhere@gmail.com per these guidelines, and then get started on the one for next week! You can start submitting DITCHED Writes on Friday. A head start never hurt. :)
• My review for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS will be posted later today. Check it out if you still haven't decided whether or not you're going to read it, and then hurry up and devour it so you can join us this Friday over at Livestream. Our chat will be at 2 P.M. instead of 5 this week because our friends across the pond would like to join our shenanigans. :]

New Releases March 5th- March 11th

March 6th: BALTHAZAR by Claudia Gray (Spinoff of Evernight Series)

From Goodreads: Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own. 

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray’s New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

March 6th: DEAD IS A BATTLEFIELD by Marlene Perez (The 6th book in the "Dead Is" Series) 

From Goodreads: Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother’s graduation. She wants to have a normal high school experience. But that’s easier said than done in Nightshade. 

When a new boy shows up at school, the girls are infected with a case of seriously creepy crushes. But when their obsession turns to violence, Jessica and her friends start to wonder if there’s more going on than just a little friendly rivalry. Are the smitten girls turning into love zombies? 

And Jessica has other worries—like her crush on Dominic Gray, the cute but moody new singer for Side Effects May Vary, and the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her arm one day and lets her know whenever there is trouble brewing. Jessica learns she's a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to fight evil whenever it threatens her hometown. But does a lowly freshman really have what it takes to keep Nightshade safe?

March 6th: EMBRACE by Jessica Shirvington (US release--- already published in AU. First book in series)

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…” 
Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before. 

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her. 
A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

March 6th: RIVALS by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur (Book #3 in "The Ivy" series)

You’ve survived your first semester and captured the interest of not one but two of the hottest guys on campus. Now who are you going to choose? 

Callie Andrews returns for her second semester at Harvard determined to do better than the previous fall, where those Bs on her report card seemed pretty good compared to the state of her extracurriculars (F, as in if at first you don’t succeed, you should probably stop trying), friendships (C-minus, since she and former BFF Vanessa are still on thin ice), and love life (D, as in don’t even go there). But various campus rivalries soon threaten to thwart Callie’s resolve. Will Callie ever be a match for— 

-Grace Lee the take-no-prisoners managing editor 
-Alessandra the gorgeous transfer student 
-Clint the guy who might just be too perfect 
-and Gregory the guy who may never be perfect enough. 

Callie will face some of the toughest choices imaginable: in friendships, in loyalties, and in love. The pressure to pick a side—and a suitor—has never been higher. But will she and her friends choose well?

March 6th: WHERE IT BEGAN by Ann Redisch Stampler (Looks like a standalone! What do you think? Should we read it?)

Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss...Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there. 

And Billy's nowhere to be found. 

All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few danger signs along the way. It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes. Especially if it means everything changes.

**March 6th: SISTERHOOD EVERLASTING by Ann Brashares (a fifth book in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series! We're definitely reading this. In May.)

On the cusp of turning thirty, Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget are now living separate lives, out on their own. Yet despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness. Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

In the Theaters March 5th- 11th

March 2nd: DR. SUESS' THE LORAX

Director: Chris Renaud

MPAA Rating: PG

Going to see it?: I hope so!  

From the creators of 'Despicable Me' and the imagination of Dr. Seuss comes the 3D-CG feature 'Dr. Seuss' The Lorax,' an adaptation of the classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old boy as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world. 

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic youth who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted's dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O'Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted's wise Grammy Norma.

March 2nd: BOY

Director: Taika Waititi

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Going to see it?: Probably not, but it sounds cute.

Taika Cohen, director of the international success Eagle Vs. Shark, returns with this offbeat coming of age story adapted from his 2003 short subject Two Cars, One Night. It's 1984, and Boy (James Rolleston) is an eleven-year-old Maori boy growing up in a community of the coast of New Zealand. While Boy's village feels a bit cut off from the rest of the world, contemporary pop culture makes itself known here, and Boy and his pals are all enthralled with Michael Jackson and have nicknames drawn from popular TV shows. Boy and his younger brother Rocky (Te Aho Eketone-Whitu) -- who likes to believe he has superpowers -- are being raised by their grandmother after their mother died and their father abandoned the family. Boy likes to believe that his father is someone remarkable and has spun impressive fantasies about his adventures, but he has to adjust his expectations when Alamein (Taika Cohen) actually shows up, and Boy learns Dad spent several years in prison on charges of armed robbery. Alamein has come back to his hometown to recover some money he hid after one of his rare successful robberies, but both he and Boy are in for a surprise once they set out to find it. Boy was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

March 9th: JOHN CARTER

Director: Andrew Stanton

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Going to see it?: My sisters want to, but I'm reluctant. Probably. But I can wait.

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes 'John Carter'--a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars. 'John Carter' is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

March 9th: FRIENDS WITH KIDS

Director: Jennifer Westfeldt

MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated

Going to see it?: Not sure. It sounds alright, but... not sure.

'Friends With Kids' is a daring and poignant ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends at that moment in life when children arrive and everything changes. The last two singles in the group observe the effect that kids have had on their friends' relationships and wonder if there's a better way. They decide to have a kid together -- and date other people.

There are big laughs and unexpected emotional truths as this unconventional 'experiment' leads everyone in the group to question the nature of friendship, family and, finally, true love.