Movie Review: Killing Them Softly

"In America you're on your own"

Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

Cast:
-Brad Pitt
-Scoot McNairy
-Ben Mendelsohn
-James Gandolfini
-Richard Jenkins
-Vincent Curatola
-Ray Liotta
-Trevor Long
-Max Casella
-Sam Shepard
-Slaine

IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes - Amazon - Official Site

Release Date: November 30, 2012
DVD Release Date: February 27, 2013

Most awkward situation ever. I was the third wheel on a venture to see the newest Brad Pitt film. The good thing about being a third wheel is that you don't have a date to worry about entertaining during the film. I could actually pay attention and examine what I was seeing. It was a guy film. One of those gangster 'lets kill him cause he stole our money' type flicks. I was wondering for the longest time, what had happened to Brad Pitt? His luscious wife had been making films and working, but I hadn't seen much from him. Busy being a good father and sex symbol I suppose. Either way, the break was worth it because Brad Pitt was back in a big way. 

His character in the film is pretty baddass, in a way that only he could play. He goes around reaping vengeance for the higher ups and does it ever so smoothly. If shooting a man in the face through his car window several times at a stoplight can be considered smooth. After several first class ass kickings and assassinations I started to realize that this film was much more clever than it lets on. Underneath all that hard and gritty guy film exterior it is a public service announcement. It is a truthful commentary on the state of the American government and economy. This is made clear in the final moments of the film when Brad Pitt speaks these epic words:

"My friend, Thomas Jefferson is an American saint because he wrote the words 'All men are created equal', words he clearly didn't believe since he allowed his own children to live in slavery. He's a rich white snob who's sick of paying taxes to the Brits. So, yeah, he writes some lovely words and aroused the rabble and they went and died for those words while he sat back and drank his wine and fucked his slave girl. This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community? Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business. Now fuckin' pay me. "

That right there summed up the whole film for me and then the screen smashed to black. Very few movies nowadays leave you feeling complete at the end, like there was a purpose. This one did. I went into this movie with no expectations because I hadn't heard anything about it. When I left the film, it had a warm and fuzzy spot in the politically centered riot zone in my mind. This movie made me think, it made me mad. Because nothing that Brad Pitt said in those last moments was false. And suddenly the title of the film made so much more sense. We, the people, are 'them' and we are being 'killed softly'.

Screenshots :)

Have you seen Killing Them Softly?

Is it on your 'to go see' list?

Book Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers.

Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand.

But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe.

And as if if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor.

She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

Goodreads - Amazon - iBooks - B&N

My Thoughts:
I first saw this book on iTunes  I had never heard of it, but it was #1 on the list of iBooks. So I decided to go ahead and get it. And for $3.99? I'd say it was definitely worth it.

I really loved the synopsis. I could tell immediately that I was going to like this book. And when I started reading it, I thought I had it all planned out, like I knew what was going to happen. But it changed, which I liked.

I'd say this book is a romance. Not erotica in anyway for those who are wondering. It's all about Bliss and Garrick and what is going on. Because nobody really knows, not even them. And it's just an all around good story.

As far as characters go, I liked them all. Bliss was very likable  She was a regular college student with dreams and ambitions. Even though she was a virgin, it was believable. Her character just seemed like a virgin. So inexperienced and everything. I also liked Kelsey & Cade, her best friends, their friendship was easy. And since they were all studying acting it made their bond even closer.

Let's talk about the love interest: Garrick! Oh. Oh my. Him and all his hotness and his British accent. The way that he is described just makes me want him. And then the fact that he turned out to be her teacher, wow. Lifetime fantasy right there! Bliss is too lucky to have lived it! I liked how there was an epilogue from Garrick's point of view. And we got to see what happened after her graduation and with them.

Overall I gave it 3 stars, I think it would be more like a 3.5. The only reason it didn't get 4 is because the book wasn't really about anything else besides what was going on with Bliss and Garrick. It had stuff to do with her friends, but nothing else was mentioned. And I felt like I would have gotten a better picture of her life if other things had been put in there.

Have you heard of this book?

Have you read it yet?

Are you planning on it?

Leave me a comment 

and let's chat about it :)

Book Blitz: The Boys of Summer

The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan
Book #1 in Summer Series

It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him ... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins. To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember.

Goodreads - Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AOA4VMO

Available Now!

About the Author:

C.J is an up and coming Australian Author. Her debut novel, a YA Romance 'The Boys of Summer’ is a coming of age love story set in a mythical small Australian Town in the mid 90's.

Whether juggling the pressures of a stressful day job, or be it the many realms of mundane reality? C.J has earned a name for her ballistic imagination and witty banter in her blog. Offering an honest, refreshing account with her daily rants of the world and her personal journey in being an Aspiring Author.

Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
 Author Facebook
Boys of Summer Facebook


Have you read Boys of Summer?
Is it on your to be read list?

Book Review: Anything He Wants by Sara Fawkes

First published as a five-part e serial novel, Anything He Wants inflamed imaginations everywhere and became a national bestseller.  Now available for the first time ever as a complete book, this edition contains never-before-released scenes and special bonus material. Don’t miss this erotic tale of  a powerful billionaire who always gets what he wants and the young woman who’s about to enter his exclusive realm--a world of glittering opulence and all-consuming passion, where she’ll explore the darkest reaches of her own desire.

Lucy Delacourt's temp position isn't quite her dream job but it pays the bills. The highlight of her day is riding the elevator in the mornings with a handsome stranger. Tall, dark, and sexy as hell, Lucy knows he's way out of her league, but a girl can look, right?

Everything changes the day the stranger seduces her. Completely out of character, she yields without a fight, but she has no idea her wanton acts with a man whose name she doesn't know will change her life forever. Because the sexy stranger is none other than Jeremiah Hamilton, billionaire CEO of Hamilton Industries, and one taste isn't nearly enough to satisfy his need.  As the billionaire pulls Lucy deeper into his world of high stakes business deals and ruthless takeovers, he demands nothing less than her complete surrender.  But even as enemies seek deadly revenge against him, she’ll discover that her greatest threat is falling for her fiercely guarded boss…and yielding to her own darkest needs.

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

My Thoughts:
This book was good, I didn't love it unfortunately. The sex scenes were hot, but nothing compared to Selena Kitt or Sylvia Day. They were on the shorter side and just weren't really that descriptive. And it was straight and to the point. Not much foreplay which obviously sets the mood for the whole scene. I would definitely read another book by Sara Fawkes simply because she thought outside the box and it really did make a difference in my overall opinion.

About 50% into the book I really wanted to give up on this book. Not because it's bad because it's not but because every other 'bdsm' book is going the same now days. Some bottom of the line worker is seen by the million or billionaire or even bajillionaire and he instead has to hire her for some outrageous, essentially stupid position and have sex with her. So she's technically a fancy hooker. and then he likes her. But he can't love her for some random reason. And then some threat is involved and he has to keep her safe. And then its all over and he still can't love her. Sorry about the rant, but you know its true. So I was really thinking this book was going to follow that path....

It did somewhat, but it was very different at the same time. There was a whole lot more threat in the whole somebody's trying to kill us part. And way more deep and detailed. There was so much drama I almost couldn't keep up. The ending is what really made me give it a 4 star rating. I was incredibly relieved that it didn't end like fifty shades. With the whole marriage and happy ending bullshit. The ending to this book was really amazing. I can't picture it ending any other way.

And I just want to say sorry its been taking me forever to read one book and I've been posting mostly movie reviews, but since its the holidays and I work in retail, I've been working like crazy. And its so much faster to watch a movie and it helps me wind down. But have no fear, it'll be over soon.

Have you read Sara Fawkes?

What about this series?

If so, what did you think?

If not, are you going to?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Darkest Minds

Waiting On Wednesday #15!  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week my pick is:

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken Expected Publication: December 18, 2012
Goodreads - Amazon - B&N
Synopsis: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

This one sounds crazy good.  I haven't heard much about Alexandra Bracken, but I  know a lot of people are  excited for this book.  What are you waiting for?
Have a great day guys!

Movie Review: Hope Springs

IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes - Amazon - Official Movie Site

Release Date: August 8, 2012

DVD Release: December 4, 2012

Plot Summary:

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are a devoted couple, but decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a renowned couple's specialist (Steve Carell) in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy. 

Just convincing the stubborn Arnold to go on the retreat is hard enough - the real challenge for both of them comes as they shed their bedroom hang-ups and try to re-ignite the spark that caused them to fall for each other in the first place.

Cast:

-Meryl Streep

-Tommy Lee Jones

-Steve Carell

My Thoughts:

This is a must see for Meryl Streep fans. I really love her, I think she is one of the most amazing actresses ever. This movie was however pretty sad because their marriage is getting boring and she desperately wanted to spice it up and help it out a little, but he is so old fashioned. He didn't want to go to therapy, he didn't want some random guy telling him what to do in his marriage. But it really worked out for the best.

It had it's serious moments and lots of funny moments. I think everyone should watch this movie. 

Reasons To Watch It:

- It has Meryl Streep.

- Who doesn't love old people in love?!

- Tommy Lee Jones still has it.

- It's a feel good film.

Screenshots :)

Are you a Meryl Streep fan?

Did you watch Hope Springs?

If not, is it on your list?

Waiting on Wednesday: From Ashes

Waiting On Wednesday #15!  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week my pick is:

From Ashes by Molly McAdams

Expected Publication: Dec 11, 2012

Synopsis: When Cassidy Jameson's best friend Tyler took her to Texas with him when he left for college, she was expecting his cousin, their new roommate, to be a Stetson-wearing cowboy since his family owned a ranch; not this incredibly gorgeous guy with a husky Southern drawl that seemed to make the world stop whenever she looked at him. Because of her past, she's only ever trusted two men in her life, Tyler and her dad whom passed away when she was six. But there's something about Gage that draws her to him in a way she can't explain, only problem? He's always telling Tyler that he doesn't want Cassidy living there and sees her as nothing more than his little sister.
Gage Carson was excited his cousin Tyler was coming to live with, and go to college with him. When he'd called to ask if he could bring his friend Cassi with him, Gage didn't care. Gage had heard about this mysterious friend since they were kids and felt like he already knew her. Nothing would prepare him for watching her jump out of Ty's Jeep though. Not only was Cassi the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, but there was something about her that within seconds of meeting her, made Gage want to protect her, and make her his. Too bad Tyler made it a point to remind Gage on a daily basis that he was dating her and she was completely off limits.
For a year and a half, Gage and Cassidy dance around their feelings for each other as Tyler continues to keep them apart; until one day Tyler unknowingly pushes her right into Gage's arms. With Tyler unable to keep lying to them, they finally start a relationship both have been craving since their first meeting. But when an accident and disaster sends her back to Tyler and California, will Cassidy be able to come face to face with the demons from her past to live a life she and Gage deserve; or will the fact that she once again ran to Tyler be the final push that ends Cassidy and Gage for good?
Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

I haven't heard much about this book, I just happened to see it on  B&N.com and it sounds really good. What are  you waiting on? 

Book Blitz: Flee by Miranda Kavi

I can fly.

I have to keep it a secret.

Everything was fine, 

until I met him.

I can’t stay away…

Aurora Lockette has a supernatural ability she hides from the world. Gavyn Dhaval is a newly famous actor that shies away from the spotlight. When Aurora and Gavyn literally collide in a fender bender on her first day of law school, they are irresistibly drawn to each other.

When Aurora’s secret is revealed, she has no choice but to abandon Gavyn to go into hiding to escape the media frenzy. A secret society of gifted humans contacts her to warn of dark forces that seek to destroy her and everyone she loves.

Aurora must try to understand who and what she is while she fights to protect herself and her loved ones from a hidden, sinister force.

Available Now!

My Thoughts:
Flee was a really good and quick read. It was predictable in some parts, but had enough surprise left for me to discover. It had the appropriate amount of romance and action and suspense.

I enjoyed Aurora as a character, she seemed like a good person trying to make something of herself. And I loved her new friend Bree, they were definitely meant to be friends. I was sad at the end because they didn't say whether they stayed friends or not. I'll just assume they did.

I did enjoy the love interest and their romance. I felt that Aurora and Gavyn's love was kind of insta-love. They did go on a lot of dates, but it was a little quick for me.

I wish the author would have took a little bit more time to describe the "things" coming after her. Like why were they so scary. Why did they want her? Why did they chase her kind? It wasn't properly answered. You just knew that that's how it was.

I gave this book four stars. It was a good story, but wasn't amazing. I definitely recommend it.

Goodreads - Amazon - Paperback

A Little About the Author:
Miranda Kavi is a YA and Paranormal/Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.

Find Miranda:

Website - Twitter - Facebook - Goodreads

Is Flee on your tbr list?

Movie Releases: December 2012

So I've done a few of these and I think I will make this a regular thing. I'm gonna show you all the upcoming movies I'm excited to see this month. Here are my choices for December. I have them broken up into the different weeks. If you want to check out Novembers list, you can do that here. Enjoy! 

December 7

December 14

December 19

December 21

Christmas Day

Are any of these on your

"must go see" list? 

If you've seen any of them

already? Were they good?