Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

To Catch a Husband Essie is determined not to become the town spinster. She's made a list of all the eligible men in her town and is set on becoming the Mrs. of one of them. But Essie is not your normal stay at home woman, she's a tomboy who loves riding her bike, picking up snakes, and wearing outlandish hats. The town doesn't know what to do with her. With each prospective husband that Essie meets, she gets into all sorts of adventures. Will Essie get her man or is there something more important than marriage for her? This was my first Deeanne Gist book that I have read. I have A Bride Most Begrudging sitting on my shelf but I haven't gotten around to it. But now I definitely will have to make room for it in my TBR pile. First things first, this was one of the edgiest Christian fiction books I have ever read. Most other stories just hint about sex but never really talk about it. Wow this one nearly made me blush while reading certain scenes! Of course they are...

Dead Dates Tell No Tales After finally getting over being left at the alter Jo has decided to move on by joining a blind dating service. Her first date isn't at all what she expected him to be and then even worse: he dies during their date! Suddenly Jo finds that she's the target of kidnapping, stalking, and death threats. She has no idea why but clues seem to lead back to her deceased date. Along with best friend Danny (who is now hopelessly in love with Jo) the two set out to find out why Jo is being victimized. Once again Mindy Starns Clark has written a winner. I absolutely adore Jo, she is one of the best recent female characters I have read. Just like in Trouble With Tulip, you can find household hints sprinkled throughout the book (now in email format!) and which also help to solve the mystery. I'm really glad that Danny was able to talk to Jo, now the ball's in her court. It'll be interesting to see how all that happens. I found the blind dating servi...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing THE HEIR (Bethany House March 1, 2007) by Paul Robertson ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and former independent bookstore owner in Blacksburg, Virginia. This is his first novel. ABOUT THE BOOK: Jason Boyer Just Got an Inheritance to Die For The fortune wasn't supposed to befall him. Jason Boyer had known all along his father's business empire would pass to different hands. Which suited him just fine. The money was crooked and the power corrupt. But when an accident claims the old man's life, everyone is stunned by the unveiling of the will. With the passing of the Boyer crown, power-hungry politicians and shady business partners all try to force Boyer's hand. Fighting the temptation of influence and riches, he simply wants to be a better man than his father--but attempting to stand for what’s right soon brings murderous co...

I'm going to go on hiatus this week. This is finals week and it's my last week of school before I graduate from college (finally!!!). Except for the CFBA post on Wednesday, my blog will be dark until April 30. I do have reviews for some books, but they are halfway written and I don't have time right now to finish them. So please check back on next Monday for new posts and keep me in your prayers so I can get through this last week of school! Thanks!!!! -Deborah

I will admit my main reason for wanting to see this movie was because Jack Black was paired off with Kate Winslet. I mean the guy who was Nacho Libre and in Tenacious D is being coupled with one of the best young actresses in this generation (PLEASE GIVE KATE WINSLET AN OSCAR!)? This sounded impossible. So of course I had to see it. And Jude Law can be quite cute at times as well. Personally I found Amanda and Graham's story to be boring. Their relationship was based purely on sex which is NOT how it should be. They keep secrets from each other, having nothing in common, and do nothing BUT have sex. Except for the scenes involving Graham's daughters, which I did find touching, I wanted to fast forward through their story. I never connected with the couple and I did not buy the whole never crying bit. I also felt that Amanda never grew as a character. She was pretty much Cameron Diaz acting as Cameron Diaz and Jude Law is playing himself. No surprises there. On the othe...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A BIGGER LIFE Navpress Publishing Group (January 15, 2007) by Annette Smith ABOUT THE AUTHOR: In 1997, Annette was working as a home health nurse. She traveled the back roads from house to house, caring for ill and injured, homebound people. Because of her unique position in the lives of relative strangers, she often found herself bearing solitary witness to intimate behind-the-scenes situations full of grace and meaning. The desire to honor both a particular patient and a poignant scene involving the woman and her husband prompted Annette to write a fictionalized story, The Anniversary. That first story appeared as a column in the Houston Chronicle newspaper and as an essay in Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Later it became a chapter in Annette’s first and best-selling book of short stories, The Whispers of Angels , that has sold more than 100,000 copies Since then, Annette has penned four more books of stories, two volum...

Please keep the students and faculty of Virginia Tech in your prayers today. As a former student of Virginia Tech this hits close to home.

Wild Wild West Jori Hayden's family has lived a comfortable lifestyle. She herself is pretty much a Daddy's girl, getting everything she's wanted. But then due to an economic depression, her father loses all his money forcing the family to have to move out west. To find their way on the Santa Fe Trail, the family must have a guide. Jori finds one in Chad Rocklin, a prisoner she bails out of jail. The two clash over everything but the Haydens must listen to him if they want to survive in the harsh conditions of the road West. As much as I enjoyed this book, why do I feel deja vu when reading it? Is it because I've read this plot in several of Gilbert Morris's other books? I guess after over 200 books things start to blend together. I am 100% certain there have been characters named either Praise God or Revelation that go around asking people if they are believers in Jesus in other Morris books. And I know that the story about the guy who can't read, the wom...

Title : Promises Author : Peggy Darty Copyright : 1997 How long was the book languishing in your TBR pile ? About a month What made you buy/borrow the book in the first place ? I had also been going through all the Palisades romances at my library and I first discovered Peggy Darty through her first romances. I enjoyed her tremendously and have also read her current cozy mysteries. So I was looking forward to reading her older works as well. I've read her other books and Promises is the 5th Palisades title she wrote. What were your thoughts on the story ? Now this was a good book. I really enjoyed the writing, the plot, the characters, everything. This isn't just a romance novel, it's a romantic suspense where there is more suspense with just a touch of romance which I prefer. Elizabeth is a strong lead, and Michael finally learns to let her be one. The suspense part of the book is really good, you wouldn't have realized the ending unless you peaked. All the chara...

Talk about a blast from the past. Thank goodness for the invention of TV on DVD. Because of it, I have been able to discover two of the best TV shows that came out of the 80s, Murder She Wrote and Magnum PI. While Murder She Wrote is something that the whole family can enjoy, Magnum is more edgier. And just plain cool. For those unaware, Tom Selleck plays Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (or PI as he hates to be called) who lives in the guest house on the estate of author Robin Masters in beautiful Hawaii. Jonathan Higgins is the caretaker of the estate and puts up with Magnum and his use of the house and Ferrari. Magnum's two best friends who fought in the Vietnam War with him, Rick who runs the King Kamehameha Club and TC who runs a helicopter service, "help" with out with his cases. The best thing about the show is that the chemistry is just terrific. Magnum and Higgins have a love/hate relationship which the two actors portray superbly. (FYI: Did you know th...

Don't be skared Skary , Indiana has one claim to fame: being the home of recluse horror novelist Wolfe Bane. Everywhere you go, you see signs of his writing in the small town, from the local restaurant to the bookstore. Everyone is happy with this arrangement except for the sheriff's daughter, Ainsley, who is disgusted by the way the author (known as Boo) has transformed the town into a tourist trap. Then news comes that Boo has become a Christian and will no longer write horror. What will happen to the town? Is this just another media ploy? The townspeople all try to figure out the real story behind the news, getting everyone into a bunch of adventures that make for a good fun comic read. I read that this book was described as "The Mitford Series on steroids." I totally have to agree with that description! The characters in this book are really eccentric and quirky. The small town seems to be isolated in their own little world. It's a place where everyone s...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing CORAL MOON Zondervan (April 27, 2007) by Brandilyn Collins ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brandilyn Collins' is the bestselling author of Violet Dawn, Web Of Lies, Dead of Night, Stain of Guilt, Brink of Death, and Eyes of Elisha just to name a few. Brandilyn and her family divide their time between the California Bay Area and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. She also maintains an informative blog called Forensics and Faith where she daily dispenses wisdom on writing, life, and the Christian book industry. ABOUT THE BOOK: The figure remained still as stone. Leslie couldn't even detect a breath. Spider fingers teased the back of her neck. Leslie's feet rooted to the pavement. She dropped her gaze to the driveway, seeking...what? Spatters of blood? Footprints? She saw nothing. Honed through her recent coverage of crime scene evidence, the testimony as last month's trial, the reporter in Leslie spewed warnings: Notice everythi...

Deena at A Peek at My Bookshelf has recently posted her 100th blog post! In honor that she's listed doing a book meme "I'm listing 100 books I've read. Once you've read my list, copy it, and then highlight the books you've read, underline the books you've heard of but haven't read" so here's my answers: 1. The Bible, by God 2. The Secret Life of Becky Miller, by Sharon Hinck 3. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkein 4. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis 5. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers 6. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult 7. Murder of a Sweet Old Lady, by Denise Swanson 8. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, by Joanne Fluke 10. Loves Music, Loves To Dance by Mary Higgins Clark 11. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling 12. The Negotiator, by Dee Henderson 13. The Guy I'm Not Dating, by Trish Perry 14. Lost in NashVegas, by Rachel Hauck 15. Heaven, by Randy Alcorn 16. Believing God, by Beth Moore 17. Battlefield of...

A penny well spent Callie Webber works for the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation, checking out charities to make sure they are practicing what they preach. If she finds them to be in good standing, she awards them with a check for their hard work. Her boss is a man named Tom, who Callie knows very little about. As she prepares to take a well earned vacation, Tom asks her to do a favor for an old friend of his and check out his charity. Callie obliges and postpones her trip, only to visit the guy and have him turn up dead minutes after she arrives. As a former PI, it's in her nature to find out who the murderer is and also as a favor to Tom. There are many suspects with many motives making this a challenge for Callie while also testing her relationship with Tom. I had enjoyed Mindy's SmartChick series so I wanted to go back and read the rest of her books. I had heard really good things about this series, and boy I was not not disappointed. This was a top-notch mystery with a strong,...

Congrats to Ingrid for winning a copy of Miss Invisible. Stay tuned for more book giveaways in the future! Rich with detail Frederique Farmer is a widow who lives in France and is the owner of an exclusive bed and breakfast. She is picky about who she chooses to stay there, offering the best service, but keeping her distance from her guests. But then all that changes when an American writer comes to stay longer than Frederique had originally intended. Robert Cromwell begins to chip away at Frederique's shell trying to draw out who she was before her husband died. The 200 year old diary of the former comtesse of the chateau brings in history with a touch of mystery into Frederique's life. I had read and enjoyed The Cubicle Next Door so I wanted to go back and read the rest of Siri's books. I picked up this one because I love books about France. Something about that country is just so magical to me. The descriptions in this book about the country really make me wan...

Don't forget to enter the book giveaway to win a copy of Miss Invisible. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Monday. All Tied Up in Knots They're baaaack. The Yada Yadas are having some major troubles happening their group. Ruth is finally having her baby, but her husband wishes it never had happened. Avis's daughter and her abusive husband are shaking things up with Avis's new husband. Chanda wins the lottery and is spending it left and right. Flo's son is ruining their chances of starting a new life in a new house. Nony and Mark are beginning the long hard process of rehab. And then there's Jodi who's watching it all and having her own incidents involving a lemonade stand. One thing's for sure, it's never ever boring with these friends around. In my opinion, this was my favorite of all the Yada Yada books. By this book, all of the characters have really developed and have been given their own spotlight. T...

Don't forget to enter the book giveaway to win a copy of Miss Invisible. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Monday. Money (That's NOT what i want) Cassia has always lived a life of frugality. She's learned to live cheaply and not worldly. In fact, money is the last thing on her mind. So it's a shock for her when she finds out that what she thought was a $5 donation for an office present is really her share in a multimillion dollar jackpot lottery ticket. Now she's being bombarded by everyone, those who want her money, to give her advice, even those she barely knows. Plus now she has 2 guys are who are vying for her attention. Cassia wants nothing to do with the money, but it's everywhere she goes. Money's not just the root of all evil, it also makes a normal life practically impossible! Ok, who hasn't dreamed about winning the lottery? Everyone, no matter what they believe in, has had thoughts about what they ...

Don't forget to enter the book giveaway to win a copy of Miss Invisible. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Monday. This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing IN HIGH PLACES (Bethany House March 1, 2007) by Tom Morrisey ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Morrisey is the author of four previous novels and numerous short stories, a world-renowned adventure-travel writer whose work has appeared in Outside, Sport Diver (where he serves as Executive Editor) and other leading magazines. He holds an MA in English Language and Literature from the University of Toledo and an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University. He lives in Orlando, Florida. ABOUT THE BOOK: For Patrick Nolan, every climb tells a story. And now maybe it's his own …. He's right at the rim, staring over the cliff's knife edge and wondering how things went wrong so quickly. It all started after arriving home from a weekend climbing trip with his fathe...

BOOK GIVEAWAY! I have a new copy of Miss Invisible to give away. Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Monday, April 9. (US entries only, sorry!) Good luck! One of the best chick lit books EVER! Freddie is a just your regular almost 30 something woman, who has a job she enjoys, with a boss she hates, trying to find that special guy. Oh and she's also on the bigger side which ironically makes her easy to miss. She's learned to blend in the crowd, pleasing society by eating carrot sticks in public and then going home and downing a pint of ice cream. She's learned to keep her anger inside and stay hidden. Then she meets Deborah, a caterer who gets Freddie to release her true self and become a new person. Once Freddie finds her voice, her life changes- for the better. Oh I loved loved LOVED this book! The story is excellent, the characters are great, there's so much food in the book! I co...

It is April 1st , time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter! This month's feature is: Mary E. DeMuth and her book: Wishing on Dandelions ( NavPress Publishing, 2006) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This month's feature is very special. The author is one of the FIRST Day Blog Alliance Members!!! Click here for her Blogspot ! MARY E. DeMUTH has spent the last fifteen years as a writer. Winner of the 2003 Mount Herman Christian Writers Conference's Pacesetter's Award, she now splits her time between writing and planting a new church with her husband, Patrick, and two other families. Wishing on Dandelions is the second book in the Maranatha Series. The first was the critically praised book, Watching the Tree Limbs . She has also written two parenting books. Building the Christian Family You Never Had and a new one called Authentic Parenting in a Postmo...