Haunting of Orchid Forsythia

Inside Out Directed by: Pete Docter Genre: Animated Comedy-Drama Running time: 94 minutes Released: 2015 Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animated Studios Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is a happy, hockey-loving 11-year-old Midwestern girl, but her world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Riley's emotions -- led by Joy (Amy Poehler) -- try to guide her through this difficult, life-changing event. However, the stress of the move brings Sadness (Phyllis Smith) to the forefront. When Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley's mind, the only emotions left in Headquarters are Anger, Fear and Disgust. Review Pixar’s latest film Inside Out puts an interesting twist on internal conflicts by depicting them through anthropomorphized emotions. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear take the form of little colored people that influence human actions through a panel in our heads. Each emotion believes that it serves a pivotal role ...

I'm delighted to feature author James Morris here on the blog today to talk about his experiences as a writer and a little about his latest novel What Lies Within . What Lies Within James Morris Genre: YA  Thriller Kindle: 226 Pages Publication: Junes 2, 2015 by Kindle Press "You’re going to die." A single text message and Shelley Marano’s world is upended. A normal high school senior, Shelley discovers she is adopted. She goes on a journey to uncover her past, only to find she was part of a horrific experiment to test the theory of nature versus nurture. In a culture of violence committed by young people, she may be one of these killers. With the lives of her and her friends in the balance, one thing is certain: she will never be the same. Author Interview Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into writing. I grew up outside of Chicago in a small farm town, and I always loved reading and movies. After college, I moved to Los Angeles and tried my hand in the ent...

Jurassic World Directed by: Colin Trevorrow Genre: Science Fiction Adventure Running time: 124 minutes Released: 2015 Produced by Amblin Entertainment Located off the coast of Costa Rica, the Jurassic World luxury resort provides a habitat for an array of genetically engineered dinosaurs, including the vicious and intelligent Indominus rex. When the massive creature escapes, it sets off a chain reaction that causes the other dinos to run amok. Now, it's up to a former military man and animal expert (Chris Pratt) to use his special skills to save two young brothers and the rest of the tourists from an all-out, prehistoric assault. Review The dinosaur amusement park that John Hammond dreamed of setting up has finally been created, and Jurassic World is a real spectacle. While the characters feel flat and the writing is nothing special, the film brings incredible scenery, great camerawork and visuals, and thrilling action. It does a great job of breathing life back into the Jurassic P...

Persuasion Jane Austen Genre:  Historical Paperback: 334 Pages Publication: March 29, 2012 (originally December 1817) by W. W. Norton & Company Eight years before the story proper begins, Anne Elliot is happily betrothed to a naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but she precipitously breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. When later Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain, he finds Anne's family on the brink of financial ruin and his own sister a tenant in Kellynch Hall, the Elliot estate. All the tension of the novel revolves around one question: Will Anne and Wentworth be reunited in their love? Review During my junior year of college, I signed up for a British Lit class where we read nothing but Jane Austen. Since the assignment of this book came so dangerously close to the end of the semester, I didn't have the chance to finish the nov...

The Jesus Cow Michael Perry Genre: Humor Hardback: 304 Pages Publication: May 19, 2015 by Harper Life is suddenly full of drama for low-key Harley Jackson: A woman in a big red pickup has stolen his bachelor’s heart, a Hummer-driving predatory developer is threatening to pave the last vestiges of his family farm, and inside his barn is a calf bearing the image of Jesus Christ. His best friend, Billy, a giant of a man who shares his trailer house with a herd of cats and tries to pass off country music lyrics as philosophy, urges him to avoid the woman, fight the developer, and get rich off the calf. But Harley takes the opposite tack, hoping to avoid what his devout, dearly departed mother would have called “a scene.” Then the secret gets out—right through the barn door, and Harley’s “miracle” goes viral. Within hours pilgrims, grifters, and the media have descended on his quiet patch of Swivel, Wisconsin, looking for a glimpse (and a percentage) of the calf. Does Harley hide the famous...

Remember Me Romily Bernard Series: Find Me #2 Genre: YA Mystery   Crime Hardback: 368 Pages Publication: September 23, 2014 by Harper Teen Wick had thought her troubles were over. But she should’ve known better. Not only is she embroiled in a new murder case, which starts with a body with “Remember Me” carved into it and doesn’t stop there, but she also discovers new evidence surrounding her mother’s suicide…which leads her right back to her imprisoned deadbeat dad. And she has to deal with her flirty new hacker friend, Milo, sniffing around—which her boyfriend, Griff, isn’t too happy about. The pressure might be too much as secrets—including Wick’s own—climb to the surface. Remember Me is an edge-of-your-seat thrilling read that’ll have readers turning the pages at lightning speed! The paperback of Find Me is on sale simultaneously, and a digital original novella from Romily, featuring Griff, is on sale just a few weeks before! Review Upon the discovery of a body with the words “R...

Deception's Pawn Esther Friesner Series: Deception's Princess #2 Genre: YA  Historical Fiction Hardback: 368 Pages Publication: April 28, 2015 by Random House BFYR Maeve, princess of Connacht, seems to have won her freedom. Her father, the High King, is finally allowing her to explore the world beyond his castle. But Maeve soon discovers that being the High King's daughter doesn't protect her from bullying or the attention of unwelcome suitors. Struggling to navigate a new court, she must discourage the advances of her father's rival, who is vying with her host's son for her hand in marriage. Maeve is a pawn trapped between these two boys. Her bold defiance will bring her to the brink of disaster, but her clever gamble may also lead to her independence. Though she faces danger and intrigue, Maeve will also discover what kind of person-and queen-she's destined to become. Review Warning: contains some spoilers from the first novel in the duology. I loved Decep...

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Directed by: Isao Takahata Genre: Animated Fantasy Drama Running time: 137 minutes Released: 2013 Produced by Studio Ghibli A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors to prove their love by completing a series of near-impossible tasks. Review Based on the old Japanese folktale "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,"  The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is yet another amazing Studio Ghibli film directed by Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki’s less well-known partner. While it lacks the bravado of some of the more iconic Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away , the film has a haunting beauty and evokes a melancholy mood in the viewer. Given some patience, it gives a heartfelt message on the meaning of love and finding happiness. Princess Kaguya is based on the old folktale in which a poor and elderly bamboo cutter discovers a magical princess in a bamboo stem that he cuts. He further discov...

In a Dark Wood Joseph Luzzi Genre: Memoir Hardback: 224 Pages Publication: May 26, 2015 by Harper In the aftermath of a heartbreaking tragedy, a scholar and writer uses Dante's Divine Comedy to shepherd him through the dark wood of grief and mourning--a rich and emotionally resonant memoir of suffering, hope, love, and the power of literature to inspire and heal the most devastating loss. Where do we turn when we lose everything? Joseph Luzzi found the answer in the opening of The Divine Comedy : "In the middle of our life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood." When Luzzi's pregnant wife was in a car accident--and died forty-five minutes after giving birth to their daughter, Isabel--he finds himself a widower and first-time father at the same moment. While he grieves and cares for his infant daughter, miraculously delivered by caesarean before his wife passed, he turns to Dante's Divine Comedy for solace. In a Dark Wood tells the story of how Dante helps...

Compulsion Martina Boone Series: The Heirs of Watson Island #1 Genre: YA Mystery ,  Paranormal Hardback: 433 Pages Publication: October 28, 2014 by Simon Pulse Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse. All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead—a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions. Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a l...

Fat Girl Walking Brittany Gibbons Genre: Memoir Hardback: 288 Pages Publication: June 2, 2015 by Dey Street Books Brittany Gibbons has been a plus size her whole life. But instead of hiding herself in the shadows of thinner women, Brittany became a wildly popular blogger and national spokesmodel--known for stripping on stage at TedX and standing in Times Square in a bikini on national television, and making skinny people everywhere uncomfortable. Talking honestly about size and body image on her popular blog, brittanyherself.com, she has ignited a national conversation. Now in her first book, she shares hilarious and painfully true stories about her life as a weird overweight girl growing up in rural Ohio, struggling with dating and relationships, giving the middle finger to dieting, finding love with a man smaller than her, accidentally having three kids, and figuring out the secret to loving her curves and becoming a nationally recognized body image advocate. And there's sex, lot...

Kingsman: The Secret Service Directed by Matthew Vaughn Genre: Spy Action Comedy Running time: 129 minutes Released: 2014 distributed by 20th Century Fox Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Taron Egerton), whose late father secretly worked for a spy organization, lives in a South London housing estate and seems headed for a life behind bars. However, dapper agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth) recognizes potential in the youth and recruits him to be a trainee in the secret service. Meanwhile, villainous Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) launches a diabolical plan to solve the problem of climate change via a worldwide killing spree. Review Kingsman: The Secret Service was a pretty interesting take on the spy film genre. I found it to be a nice middle ground between James Bond and Austin Powers. Kingsman has its fair share of humor as well as some more serious thriller action scenes. However, I found that the film’s comical violence did not mesh well with a spy film. The protagonist Eggsy is ...