Shadowhunter - The Child of an Angel and a human.

Downworlder - the child of a demon and human.

Both walk our streets and have ordinary lives; but in the shadows a war rages.  Members of Valintine's Circle seek to rid the mundane (ordinary human) world of anyone with demon blood. What would you do to save innocent people whose only crime was to be born different?

Captain Marvel - 2019 features a US Airforce Pilot who crashes and is restored by the Kree. As Virs accepts a mission back to earth she discovers the enemy before her is less dangerous than the one at her back. 

This is a wonderful metrage of Maria Callas's interviews and performances highlighting closeups of her face providing a unique glimpse not only of her vocal prowess but her skills as an actress, as someone who really lived her role as an Opera star and a clear telling for the un-aquainted of what went into those relationships and what worked and when some of them stopped working how she dealt with the demands on her. Great musical score.

Here is a true story about a naturalist turned elephant connoisseur struggling to put together an Eco-tourist reserve in South Africa. Lovingly told true stories of how the African elephants came to thula thula and all the efforts ongoing daily to ensure a safe livelihood for future generations of elephants. There are seldom few books devoted exclusively to elephants; and while Lawrence’s dog Max features slightly at one point this book is in a class by itself...not only does it offer the reader a James Harriot style view of animal husbandry but it is adapted for all ages and treats delicate subject matter such as death, neglect, poaching, and human error in an educational manner. Not only are you certain to love The Elephant Whisperer; you will be ready for your first nature conservation tour whenever it comes.

This is the movie based on the best-selling novel by Angie Thomas telling the story of Starr Carter who lives in two worlds: the neighborhood where she resides and the mostly white prep school she attends. This uneasy balance is shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend by a white police officer. Facing pressures from all sides, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what's right. There are multiple heros in this film. It is so powerful to me the scenes where the dad cares about his kids and is lining up his family military style for a speech demonstrating that unique style of fatherly love and his presence is also powerful stereotype bashing which can and should be shown in film.

Dr. Axe explains that 70% of our immune system is located in the gut; when it's under attack, our health suffers. Leaky gut syndrome is thought to be the ground zero for many of the most confounding health crises including but not limited to allergies, asthma, food sensitivities, diabetes, digestive diseases, arthritis, chronic fatigue, and even autism. By ditching hand sanitizers, and supplementing with more essential oils for personal products, reducing antibiotics usage, managing stress, and incorporating more pro and pre-biotic-rich foods into our diets we can conquer the over-exposure to toxins in our lives. I really like the individual recipes, and candida gluten-free supplement recommendations, and all the solutions at the end of the book. The only downside is that many authors do not accentuate the importance of proper label reading and sticking to exclusively organic products to avoid trace amounts of transfats and other toxins so I am not sure this book by itself is a good detox book; but very relevant and informative.

Samantha Irby has a very distinct voice. Deftly crafting a narrative of her awkwardest moments in life, what stood out to her and what will likely appeal most to you is her best skill. The dexterity with which she explains the perverse situations she finds herself wading through in the modern social media fueled era. Admired the jacket art because this is quite possibly the cutest book cover that will ever go to print.

You might have trouble imagining life without social media but virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier insists you are better off without them and after reading his book I am inclined to agree. Whether it's because its poisonous grip tends to bring out the worst in us, tends to make politics terrifying, and disconnects us from other people we are starving for real contact with; I am certain you will find the strength to reduce or cull your previously incessant usage of social media. Lanier manages to be uplifting while including a well-organized argument, dry wit, and novel acronyms to drive home his point. Do you really want to put an algorithm in charge of what you see all the time? Good, I thought not. Happy Reading.

In One Million Followers, Kane will teach you how to gain an authentic, dedicated, and diverse online following from scratch; create personal, unique, and valuable content that will engage your core audience; and build a multi-media brand through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. The in-depth personal interviews with celebrities, influencers, and marketing experts create a sort of memoir effect which is captivating and impressive. If you are quitting social media or taking a break in the hopes of better options in the future this is not the book for you. This book is about dominance of the industry irregardless of the zombiefication of your soul. This book is for you if you are willing to invest the time money and energy it takes to grow digitally.

YouTube sensation Lilly Singh wants to share the lessons she learned while taking the world by storm, and the tools she used to do it. How to be a Bawse is the definitive guide to conquering life. Make no mistake, there are no shortcuts to success, personal, or professional. Just consider Lilly a personal trainer for your life as she divulges fifty rules to up your game.

Ancient European language, hunting, nomadic tribal culture is explored in all it's probable forms in this tantalyzing boyhood to manhood coming of age story. No film has ever been made about this time period in history and it is alone in it's genre but loosely comparable to Dances with Wolves and possibly The Eagle Huntress. It's a little dark and heavy at times but overall uplifting about the triumph of different species, exploring the family unit, and man and wolf. For the film to hold my attention I had to choose a language I am familiar with and I chose French. The context of the action is super understandable even with the Ancient European so feel free to try it just as is! A great indigenous Tribes/ First Nations genre film.
 

Myanmar (Burma) has been off limits to foreigners ever since the British returned power to the Burmese military who has held totalitarian control over the nation for the past over 50 years. Home to lush verdant tropical areas, millions of Buddhists and Temples, and a hard working people this largely illegal and difficult to obtain footage will impress you with equal parts examination of cultural wonders and the conditions under which the populace continues to stretch it's meager means to self-educate and survive. This is equal parts travelogue and sociological examination of the current childhood labor industry. Instead of traveling to Greece this year, consider applying for a Burmese visa at the border and supporting the local economy with your tourism.

In a Post-Apocalyptic age, Barons rule and the strongest take all. Clippers are the military might by which the Barons hold their territories or settle disputes.  Sonny is the best at what he does. His back is a testament to the numbers of lives he has clipped short in his Baron’s service.  He is content with his position and fate until the woman he loves in secret shares news that will end her life. She is carrying Sonny’s child. Will they be successful in making a bold escape into the Badlands where no man rules and mutants roam?

Warning: Voilence, Strong Language and mild Adult content

Vani Hari is a wonderful author offering nutritional guidance. Here is her newest FDA whistleblowing guide to surviving all things modern-day food pollution, water pollution, etc. If you are interested in getting your toes wet and detoxing from all the sodas, burgers, keto diet fads, etc starting with her first book The Food Babe Way which includes a 21-day cleanse that builds gradually may be just for you. The oil from the food truck could be making you sick and the soda you are drinking contains chemicals found in your yoga mat. 

I cannot say enough positive things about this book and Vani Hari in general. She has literally made a 180 degree swivel in her career and become a full-time FDA whistleblowing activist and is really trying to change Americans' eating and purchasing habits to save us all from annihilation cancer and what is essentially starvation from lack of healthy food source options.

This is her original book before she came out with Feeding You Lies. Words of caution: this book is not a fad diet book this is literally a how not to eat chemicals, save your liver, colon and other organs and how to view labels, sodas, and packaging in a whole new light book. My only argument is that who has the time to implement all of her ideas into their busy work week in a calender year let alone in the space of 21days? 

The Other 8 Hours is a total lifehack book; it has enough information on how to self-revise where your free time is going/being mis-spent by evaluating what truly matters and motivates you. Whether you are a creative, or a therapist, or wish you could become a professional blogger on the side, this book will help you do the grunt work of self analysis and say "If only I were doing this this and this differently I would have time to work on my real lifes work." 

Why watch a Bollywood movie with too much dancing and singing when you could be watching a deeper psychologically motivated film examining what it means to be human, lovable, genuine, or 'Alien'. Totally hilarious scenes, clothing faux pas, and surrealism.

Namaste.

This is a really great film. A rare coming of age story showing the lives of two brothers set in LA. The camera follows a 13year old who looks much younger and we feel for his young manhood, his invincibility, his coming of age innocence being broken and the bond of the skaters and all the time and energy they put into a sport that doesn't really pay off. Also; a great surprise ending and an anti-drinking / driving warning message will empower many viewers to do the right thing; make better decisions, recognize that all the little decisions do matter.

Who doesn't want to see Dwayne The Rock Johnson at the height of his fitness take down an evil king, seduce Kelly Hu and enjoy modern day special effects thrust onto the contextual battlefield of ancient Accadian civilization? If you missed this film when it came out, or are any kind of aspiring professional performer take notes because this is how you own your character. Mesopotamia Styles.

Without giving directly prescriptive advice to any aspiring future First Lady’s, here Mrs. Michelle Robinson-Obama Esquire and former First Lady, and Ivy League career woman extraordinaire not only tells all about her private life as a woman, as a mother, as a hardworking American but captures our hearts with managing to be the first to instill a large garden at the Whitehouse, the first to invite school children over for development activities, the first person to publically hug the Queen of England. What is most becoming about Mrs. Robinson Obama are her roots and parentage; her quick wit regarding exposing behind the scenes career hurdles that her husband overcame, and her ability to craft the number one selling memoir of all time. She does not offer a "happy Hollywood ending" as she wraps up the difficulties yet to be dealt with in future generations but so much hope is conveyed. Written in the style of My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsberg the reader is privy to accurate behind the scenes family moments as they played out during and before her husband’s campaigning as well as insight into Chicago in the 1990s and what it means to be FLOTUS; it's limitations and it's setbacks. We do not have a female POTUS yet but here is someone worthy of the role. Mrs. Obama is a poetic, verbose, and heartfelt writer and alongside every great man standeth a strong woman.