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Buzzworthy Book, DVD, and Blu-ray releases for the week of September 26

Here are some of the hottest, most buzzed-about books this week. Download them on your Kindle, read them on your iPad, or go to a bookstore if you like to keep things old-school.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

This historical narrative takes a look at the dramatic life of James A. Garfield, who was nominated for President against his own will after coming from a background of severe poverty, only to be the subject of a failed assassination attempt a mere four months after his inauguration. What happened after the bullet entered, but didn’t kill, Garfield held the real drama. After the struggles of a civil war, America was left with a wounded President and behind-the-scenes struggles over power and Garfield’s own medical care. The book investigates the shocking twists and turns that surrounded Garfield’s Presidency and illness.

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

While the original version of the book came out years ago, we imagine that many of you will want to pick up a copy now that the Brad Pitt-led film is making headlines. The New York Times Bestseller sees Michael Lewis chronicle the Oakland Athletics, a Major League Baseball team that has managed to have a stellar record despite having one of the lowest payrolls. In a sport where money usually wins, this California team has figured out how to create a successful, low-budget team with General Manager Billy Beane at the helm. This book will be of interest to baseball enthusiasts, the business-saavy, and those who just want a fascinating non-fiction read.

Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney

Longtime followers of the Design*Sponge blog will be delighted with the coffee-table style book of the same namesake. The blog, started by Bonney, is a haven for design lovers and DIY fiends, with posts from before-and-after projects to kitchen recipes. The book includes 700 color photographs, inspirational home tours of 70 designers and artists, 50 DIY projects, 50 before-and-after projects, and step-by-step tutorials on things like putting up wallpaper, stripping paint, and working with upholstery. If you’re the type who likes to put a little work into making your home feel like you, look no further. The upscale craft designs in this book will have you smiling and your home sparkling.

If you’re looking to add to your movie collection, we’ve selected a few of the best titles coming out this week on DVD and Blu-ray.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

While most people agreed that the second film in the Transformers series failed miserably, not in profit but in content, the franchise bounces back on its third try with the best film yet. Shia LaBeouf returns to the series with stunning Brit Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at his side as he must protect the planet from huge outer-space robots when the Decepticons attack. This film isn’t winning any awards, but as far as destructive, action-filled moneymakers go, Michael Bay didn’t get it all wrong.

How I Met Your Mother: Season Six

This long-running comedy continues with the release of its 6th season, which is full of hilarious one-liners and character-driven plot twists. If you’re not a fan of the show, we can only describe it as something similar to (but not quite as good as) this generation’s Friends. Typical sitcom characteristics are at play here, but the combination of laugh-out-loud moments with sincere character development makes the show successful. This season sees Ted find a new lady, Lily and Marshall consider becoming parents, and Barney try to find his real father.

Ben-Hur 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Set in Ancient Rome, this AFI Top 10 movie set the standard for epic filmmaking and took home 11 Academy Awards in 1959. The four-hour-long film stars Charlton Heston as Prince Judah Ben-Hur, a noble Palestine Jew who is enslaved by the Romans and engages in an arena Chariot race to seek vengeance. The classic film has been remastered in beautiful 1080p HD for the ultimate in epic movie-watching greatness.

Kelly Montgomery
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelly Montgomery is a magazine journalism graduate from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications…
Usually $300, this Roomba robot vacuum is discounted to $189 today
iRobot Roomba 692 Robot Vacuum.

It's not always easy to know how to choose a robot vacuum, especially since there are expensive models that cost nearly $1,000. Luckily, we've spotted a pretty great deal on the iRobot Roomba 692, an entry-level robot vacuum that's great if you want to dip your toes without spending a ton of money. With this deal from Amazon, you can get the Roomba 692 for $189, rather than the usual $300, which is an impressive 37% discount.

Why you should buy the iRobot Roomba 692
Even though the Roomba 692 is an entry-level device, that doesn't mean it isn't packed with features, such as the 3-stage cleaning system that makes sure there's no leftover dust or dirt wherever the Roomba passes. It also has multi-surface brushes for both carpets and hard floors, so you don't have to worry about it not being able to handle carpets, which can be a legitimate issue with other budget robot vacuums. It also manages to clean corners with its special brushes, so you don't have to worry about missing out on certain spots. We also appreciate that it can handle pet hair, so if you have pets, the Roomba 692 will get that shed hair without issue, making it one of the better budget-friendly Roomba deals.

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This smart sous vide cooker is $200 off in 1-day flash sale
anova wifi precision cooker pro deal best buy september 2023 sous vide

For today only, you can buy an Anova Wifi Precision Cooker Pro for a massive $200 off the regular price at Best Buy. It normally costs $400 but for the next few hours, it's down to $200 which makes it very tempting for those who love to cook. This is one of Best Buy's deals of the day which means when the day ends, the offer ends so you really only have a handful of hours to take advantage of this deal. Here's what you need to know about it before you go for it.

Why you should buy the Anova Wifi Precision Cooker Pro
The best sous vide machines truly revolutionize how you prepare food. By placing vacuum-bag-sealed foods in a pot of water, you really do get great results despite how unconventional it may sound. With the Anova Wifi Precision Cooker Pro, you get 1200W of power along with a flow rate of 12L per minute, and the ability to precisely heat 100L of water.

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Reolink’s 4K Solar Camera series is changing smart home security for the better [Sponsored]
Reolink 4K Solar Camera series product image with the whole lineup.

This content was produced in partnership with Reolink.
For a while now, it seems like smart home security cameras haven't been utilizing the most of our modern advancements. For example, so many cameras are only compatible with 2.4GHz WiFi networks, the lower band. Moreover, many cameras aren't wireless, and when they are, the battery isn't all that great, so they have to be charged often. Reolink, a world-leading and professionally high-tech company, understands these setbacks and is committed to bringing innovation to everyone through the exploration of new smart home security technologies and best-in-class solutions. They’re doing this with the launch of their new 4K Solar Camera series, a lineup of excellent and smart home-friendly cameras with innovative features incorporated.

Consider the Argus PT Ultra, which offers two options for a better and more seamless connection. First, it works with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi networks for improved connectivity, but it is wire-free to add an incredible degree of flexibility. Included with the camera is a non-removable, rechargeable 21.6-watt-hour battery -- it lasts anywhere between one to four weeks per charge, depending on usage. And if you want a more sustainable option, you can pair it with the Reolink 6-watt solar panel to charge the camera – and power it – via renewable energy, with no added electricity bills. Here's the real kicker. It's a smart camera with 4K and 8-megapixel resolution support, pan and tilt functionality, and spotlights. It has person, vehicle, and animal detection onboard, too, so it will send alerts if anyone is moving around your property. It's impressive, to say the least, and ups the ante on smart home security, but that’s true of the entire 4K Solar camera series. Let's take a closer look at the entire lineup.

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