The Sunday Post ~3~

Elsewhere News

• Last week we talked about Robin Mellom's debut novel DITCHED (recap here). But this week, we're moving out of YA and into Adult Fiction by celebrating David Nicholl's #1 International Bestselling Novel, ONE DAY. Not sure what it's about? Click on the link to be taken to the Goodreads page of the edition I have in my possession. Still not sure if you want to read it? I'll be posting my review of ONE DAY a little bit later today (shooting for noon-ish... meh...). Honestly, though, I really enjoyed this book. If I had to sum it up into a one-word review, that word would be "BEAUTIFUL." I thought this was a special, and truly unique story, and I can't wait to talk to you guys more about it later. 
• The Livechat this Friday was pretty cool! Although we missed Arianna (yes I use the royal we! Shut up!), Alice and Bella and I had a great time talking about TFiOS, THE HUNGER GAMES, TWILIGHT, and other John-Green-related, and non-John-Green-related shenanigans. You can join us next time by visiting my Livestream channel on Friday at 6 PM PST. We'll be talking about ONE DAY, DON'T JUDGE A GIRL BY HER COVER, and anything else your hearts desire. Think you might forget? Follow me on Twitter to get a link sent right to your Twitter-feed! 
• Today is the last day to enter your pieces for this week's Wednesday Writes challenge! Check out the March Calendar for this week's prompts! 
• Speaking of calendars, I was supposed to post the April Calendar yesterday but was busy studying for finals. SO! I'll post it later today, pinky swear. In the meantime, I still need your book suggestions for books that fall under the category of CLASSIC, GENRE BENDER, or CLASSICAL RETELLING (follow links for examples of books I'm interested in reading with you lot). 

Reviews for Last Week's Releases

So this happened last week...

....And here's what people are saying about...

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF TIME by Ally Carter

1. Mundie Moms Review

2. Nicole's Review

SPELLBOUND by Rachel Hawkins

1. Interview with Rachel at C.J. Redwine's blog 

2. Ticket to Anywhere Review

STARTERS by Lissa Price

1. Book Smugglers Review

2. Mundie Moms Review

3. Reading Teen Review

WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard

1. Muggleborn Review

And one I forgot to tell you came out! 

PRETTY CROOKED by Elisa Ludwig

1. Mundie Moms Review

I even linked the book title to Goodreads so you can check out what it's about. Not a bad turn-out, right, Elsewhere? Last week's book titles were a hit! Now let's see what's hitting the shelves this week, shall we?

New Releases March 19th- March 25th

*All synopses taken from Goodreads

March 20th: A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS by Michelle Zink (looks like a stand-alone with possible series potential)

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel. 

March 20th: LOSS by Jackie Morse Kessler (Book #3 in the Riders of the Apocalypse Series)

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors...and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider—who is lost in his memories. In his search, Billy travels through White Rider’s life all the way to what may be the end of the world. When Billy finally finds the White Rider, the teen convinces the man to return to the real world. 

But now the insane White Rider plans to unleash something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Death look like a summer cold. Billy has a choice: he can live his life and pretend he doesn’t know what’s coming, or he can challenge the White Rider for his Crown. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world? 

March 20th: THE DIVIDE by L.J. Smith (Book #4 in The Secret Circle Series)

For the first time since moving to New Salem, Cassie Blake feels normal.  But between the secret coven of witches she belongs to and the incredible power she holds within her, Cassie is leading a far from ordinary life. When tragedy strikes the Circle, Cassie realizes being extraordinary can be a curse. 

The Circle is being hunted by an unknown enemy and anyone could be the next victim. As they struggle to protect themselves, alliances are formed and relationships are tested. No one knows who to trust or who to fear. Will Cassie be able to save the Circle . . . and herself? Or will her choices break it apart forever? 

March 20th: CASTLE OF SHADOWS by Ellen Renner (appears to be a standalone middle grade debut)

Ever since the Queen mysteriously disappeared and the King went mad five years ago, eleven-year-old Princess Charlie has lived a wild and mostly unsupervised life in the country of Quale—until now. With the discovery of an unfinished letter in the Queen’s handwriting, Charlie embarks on a quest to find her mother and save the kingdom from a revolution. With Tobias, the gardener’s boy, by her side, every step closer to the Queen pulls Charlie deeper into an entangling web of lies and secrets—as twisted as the dark castle—where nothing is as it seems.

 

And I forgot one last week!

March 13th: SEEDS OF REBELLION by Brandon Mull (Book #2 in the bestselling series "The Beyonders")

After the cliffhanger ending of A World Without Heroes, Jason is back in the world he’s always known—yet for all his efforts to get home, he finds himself itching to return to Lyrian. Jason knows that the shocking truth he learned from Maldor is precious information that all of his friends in Lyrian, including Rachel, need if they have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor.

Meanwhile, Rachel and the others have discovered new enemies—as well as new abilities that could turn the tide of the entire quest. And as soon as Jason succeeds in crossing over to Lyrian, he’s in more danger than ever. Once the group reunites, they strive to convince their most-needed ally to join the war and form a rebellion strong enough to triumph over Maldor. At the center of it all, Jason and Rachel realize what roles they’re meant to play—and the answers are as surprising as they are gripping.

 Anything you want to read? Let me know!

In Theaters March 19th-25th

March 23rd: "The Hunger Games"

Director: Gary Ross

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Going to see it?: Haven't read the books, so no. But I'm sure it'll be a great experience. Go for me! Support YA on the big screen!

Description: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister's place to enter the games, and is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy when she's pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

March 23rd: "The Deep Blue Sea"

Director: Terence Davies

MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated

Going to see it?: No. But I want to see the version with Vivien Leigh. I love her!

Description: Hester Page (Rachel Weisz) is rescued in the midst of a suicide attempt by her landlady Mrs. Elton (Ann Mitchell) when she smells gas. As those around her ponder why a beautiful woman would choose such a fate, we learn that Hester is not really Hester at all -- she's actually Lady Collyer, the wife of well-known and well-respected judge Sir William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale). However, Lady Collyer has never known love or satisfaction in her marriage, and she fell into an affair with Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston), a former RAF pilot. Lady Collyer has become hopelessly infatuated with Freddie, leaving her husband and living with Freddie under an assumed identity. But the woman who now calls herself Hester soon discovers she loves Freddie far more than he loves her, and between his drinking and his neglect, she given up her old life for one that has no future. This marks the second time The Deep Blue Sea has been brought to the screen; Vivien Leigh starred in the 1955 version directed by Anatole Litvak.

March 23rd: "October Baby"

Directors: Jon Erwin and Andrew Erwin 

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic material)

Going to see it?: I kinda want to!

Description: As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.

After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted … after a failed abortion attempt.

Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future. In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.

 March 23rd: "Musical Chairs"

Director: Susan Seidelman

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Going to see it?: If and when it goes to DVD. Sounds good, though. Just don't have that kind of cash.

Description: Set against the exciting backdrop of competitive ballroom dancing, Musical Chairs is about Armando a Bronx-bred Latino who aspires to be a dancer but whose only way in is as handyman at a Manhattan dance studio, and Mia, an Upper East Side princess who is the studio's star performer. Though worlds apart, their shared passion for dance promises to bring them together until a tragic accident changes Mia's life forever, and she finds herself wheelchair-bound at a rehab facility, with her dreams of a dance career shattered. Fortunately, Armando has enough dreams for both of them and, when he hears about a wheelchair ballroom dance competition that will soon be held in NY, he sees a way to return something to Mia that she thinks is lost forever. At first she is reluctant--wheelchair dancing, though highly popular overseas, is something she never even knew existed. But, with the help of several other patients at the rehab center, Armando organizes an intense training program that will bring them all center stage and in the spotlight. The prize is irrelevant: what they really stand to win back is their zest for life.

March 23rd: US Release of "Agent Vinod"

Director: Sriram Raghavan

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Going to see it?: It sounds cool! I mean, it was first released in India so I don't know if it's in Hindi or in English... And it's so hard to find info about it. The official site is shut down! So maybe... Maybe...

Description: The story begins with a series of seemingly unconnected events. All over the Globe. Enter Agent Vinod. Vinod (Saif Ali Khan) is the kind of Agent who first kicks the door open and then finds out whats behind it. His unconventional approach puts him in dangerous situations, But he manages to get the crucial leads.Vinod leaves for Morocco, where he meets an elderly Mafiosi Kazan and the beautiful but mysterious or Ruby.

A series of twists and turns take Vinod across the Globe Marakkesh To Riga, Karachi to Delhi and finally London where he discovers the ultimate conspiracy. Agent Vinod... you may not agree with his methods, but you sure are glad he's on your side.

And that's it for this post, Everyone! Hope you all have a lovely Sunday and enjoy an even lovelier week. Let me know what books you bought or movies you watched! This week I saw Sweeney Todd for the first time and I'm dying to discuss! 

Peace, love, and ladybugs!

Deserae

The Sunday Post ~2~

Elsewhere News

• Last week in Elsewhere, we celebrated John Green's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (recap here). This week, we'll be talking everyone's head off about Robin Mellom's debut novel DITCHED. If you like to know about a book before you read it, know that my review will be posted by 10 AM PST today so that you can get a pretty decent idea on whether this is the book for you or not.
• Last week's live chat was fun for me, Arianna, and the anonymous viewer who showed up after I accidentally went offline and then rectified the situation by getting back online and eating a Snickers bar... However, this week will be even better if you join the three of us, or four, if you count my Snickers, as we discuss DITCHED and Ally Carter's CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY. You didn't forget about the optional Gallagher Girl Challenge did you? Well good! The fifth Gallagher Girl book is out this week so you've got to get a move on!
• Today is the last day to enter your original pieces for this week's Wednesday Writes Challenge. Have you had a bad date that went horribly wrong, or can you write a short story set in a convenient store? For the full prompts and how to submit, check out the March Calendar, and enter your story for the chance to win The Book of The Week Prize Pack! We didn't give any out last week, but never fear! We won't stop trying to give you free things. Not unless you want us to, of course.
• REMEMBER! Join us! This Friday at 6 PM PST! Over at my Livestream channel! To actually talk DITCHED and CROSS MY HEART!

Reviews for Last Week's New Releases

So this happened last week...

...And this is what people are saying about:

BALTHAZAR by Claudia Gray

1. Mundie Moms Review

WHERE IT BEGAN by Ann Redisch Stampler

1. Confessions of a Bookaholic

And here's a cool contest you can enter to win a copy of ASHES by Ilsa J. Bick. It has nothing to do with anything, but if you win, let me know so I can tell everyone on Elsewhere of your victory! You'll be just like Arianna. Bookish Warriors of the Epic Battle of Give-away, unite! 

New Releases March 12th- March 18th

***March 13th: OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF TIME by Ally Carter (fifth book in Gallagher Girl series. We're reading this next month on Elsewhere!)

From Goodreads: The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home. 


Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

March 13th: INFAMOUS by Sherryline Kenyon (Book #3 in The Chronicles of Nick Series) 

Nick Gautier’s learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive such a difficulty? But that isn’t the primary skill he has to master. Survival is. And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known. 

Or he’ll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he’ll lose everyone he cares about. 

Even himself.

March 13th: SPELLBOUND by Rachel Hawkins (Book #3 in the Hex Hall Series)

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident. 

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

March 13th: THE GIRL WHO COULD SILENCE THE WIND by Meg Medina (seems to be a standalone)

Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo was born on the night of the worst storm Tres Montes had ever seen. And when the winds mercifully stopped, an unshakable belief in the girl's protective powers began. All her life, Sonia has been asked to pray for sick mothers or missing sons, as worried parents and friends press silver milagros in her hands. Sonia knows she has no special powers, but how can she disappoint those who look to her for solace? Still, her conscience is heavy, so when she gets a chance to travel to the city and work in the home of a wealthy woman, she seizes it. At first, Sonia feels freedom in being treated like all the other girls. But when news arrives that her beloved brother has disappeared while looking for work, she learns to her sorrow that she can never truly leave the past or her family behind. With deeply realized characters, a keen sense of place, a hint of magical realism, and a flush of young romance, Meg Medina tells the tale of a strongwilled, warmhearted girl who dares to face life's harsh truths as she finds her real power.

March 13th: STARTERS by Lissa Price (first in a series)

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. 

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

March 13th: WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard (seems like a standalone)

In a quest for independence, Bria Sandoval's neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. 

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

BEING RELEASED IN PAPERBACK

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Girl Stolen by April Henry

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

In Theaters March 12th- March 18th

Here are the movies that released this past weekend...

...Now here are the movies you should check out this upcoming Friday:

March 16th: 21 Jump Street

Directors: Phillip Lord and Christopher Miller

MPAA Rating: R

Going to see it?: I can wait, but I love both of the actors so... eh! Who knows?!

Description: In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school.

As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier - and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.

March 16th: Casa de mi Padre

Director: Matt Piedmont

MPAA Rating: R

Going to see it?: Um... no. No I don't think so.

Description: Casa de Mi Padre  is an upcoming Spanish-language American comedy film. The film stars Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna and Génesis Rodríguez with Matt Piedmont directing a screenplay written by Andrew Steele. The film has been described to be in the style of an "overly dramatic telenovela" and tells the story of Armando Alvarez, who must save his father's ranch from a powerful drug lord. 

March 16th: Jeff Who Lives at Home

Directors: Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass

MPAA Rating: R

Going to see it?: No, but I'm noticing a male dominance in the box office this week.

Description: On his way to the store to buy wood glue, Jeff looks for signs from the universe to determine his path. However, a series of comedic and unexpected events leads him to cross paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. Jeff just may find the meaning of his life... and if he's lucky, pick up the wood glue as well.

And that's it for this week, Gang! 
Well actually, there's also a Nicholas Cage movie (Rated R) called "Seeking Justice" you could check out if you're interested in revenge plots and, um, Nicholas Cage (I don't judge! I like him too, sometimes!) And a French movie being released here called "Delicacy" should be coming out, although I'm not so sure (but Moviefone says it should be coming out in the US!). I admit, though, there's not much out for anyone under the age of 17. Last week's movies were pretty varied. I hear "John Carter" was good but don't trust my word for it because I'm not going to see it if I can help myself. And there's always "The Artist" if you're into black-and-whites. The end of this month is when all the epic movies are coming out. Get ready, 'cause here they come!