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DVDs, CDs and books hitting shelves, 10/11/11

A look at some of the DVDs, CDs and books hitting stores this week:

DVDS

“The Tree of Life” (PG-13): Maverick “Thin Red Line” director Terrence Malick captured top honors at the Cannes film festival with this visually resplendent tale of an embattled ’50s family — led by a stern father (Brad Pitt) and a loving mother (Jessica Chastain) — and their (literal) place in the universe.

Lighter titles dominate the rest of the recent-release lineup. Ryan Reynolds takes on the title role in the comic-book adaptation “Green Lantern” (PG-13). In “Horrible Bosses” (R), friends (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis) conspire to bump off the employers (Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey) making their lives miserable. Kevin James plays a “Zookeeper” (PG) who gets advice from his animal charges (voiced by, among others, Cher, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte and Adam Sandler). “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” (PG) follows the wacky adventures of title third-grader (Jordana Beatty) and her aunt (Heather Graham). And a misfit teen (Jacob Wysocki ) receives unexpected support from his high school vice principal (John C. Reilly) in the coming-of-age comedy “Terri” (R).

Tuning in to TV-to-DVD transfers (all unrated): “Workaholics: Season One,” “Chuck: The Complete Fourth Season,” “Bonanza: The Official Second Season, Vol. Two,” “Gunsmoke: The Fifth Season, Vol. One,” “Bones: The Complete Sixth Season” and “Ghost Hunters: Season Six: Part Two.”

CDS

Bjork, “Biophilia”: If ever there were going to be an artist to record an album on an iPad, Bjork would be the first to do it.

And so she has, tracking some of this, her first album in four years, on the device.

The quirky Icelandic chanteuse has always been ahead of the game, so much so that, oftentimes, it seems like she’s the only one playing.

Also in stores: Ryan Adams, “Ashes & Fire”; Scott H. Biram, “Bad Ingredients”; Electric Six, “Heartbeats AND Brainwaves!”; Erasure, “Tomorrow’s World”; Evanescence, “Evanescence”; Five Finger Death Punch, “American Capitalist”; Black Francis + Reid Paley, “Paley & Francis”; Mayer Hawthorne, “How Do You Do”; Joe Henry, “Reverie”; Hull, “Beyond the Lightless Sky”; Joe Jonas, “Fastlife”; Ben Lee, “Deeper Into Dream”; Martina McBride, “Eleven”; Radio Moscow, “The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz”; The Ready Set, “Feel Good Now”; Trapped Under Ice, “Big Kiss Goodnight”; Various Artists, “ZZ Top: A Tribute From Friends”; and Dale Watson & The Texas Two, “The Sun Sessions.”

BOOKS

“The Best of Me” by Nicholas Sparks: Former high school sweethearts Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole confront painful memories when they reunite 25 years later for a funeral in their small hometown of Oriental, N.C.

Author Terry Pratchett adds to his popular Discworld series with “Snuff,” in which City Watch Commander Sam Vimes, in the country on vacation from the crime of Ankh-Morpork, just can’t help but get involved in the investigation of a goblin girl’s murder.

Also hitting shelves: “The Death Cure” by James Dashner; “Devoted: An Elixir Novel” by Hilary Duff; “Frost” by Wendy Delsol; “Harbor” by John Ajvide Lindqvist; “The Marriage Plot” by Jeffrey Eugenides; “My Song: A Memoir” by Harry Belafonte; “Trust Me, I’m Dr. Ozzy: Advice from Rock’s Ultimate Survivor” by Ozzy Osbourne; “The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor” by Robert Kirkman; and “Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam” by Lewis Sorley.

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