Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Don't be so quick to judge Amy Halbert changed her name, took her share of the family money, and left home for good. Kathy Halbert stayed home, taking care of her ailing parents, giving up her dreams to keep the family together. 12 years later, Amy now called Sunny, returns to find the home she left changed dramatically. Kathy harbors angry feelings towards her sister and vows never to forgive her. However when she finds out what really happen to her sister, the judgment she had previously passed seems too harsh. This is not just another retelling of the prodigal son story. When I first started reading this book, I felt a sense of de ja vu. Didn't I just read a book this year with a version of the prodigal son story? I figured that this story would be the same like all the others where the prodigal gets treated like royalty while the older sibling is humbled and regrets feeling jealous. Boy was I wrong. This story is hard hitting and very heart wrenching. You can see where...

A Pirate's Life for Me Lady Isabel Ashton's illegitimate baby boy has been kidnapped. She finds out it's because of the baby's father, Captain Kent Carlton, a pirate who left her before she had the baby. When he vows to help her rescue their son, Isabel is wary about this because she doesn't trust him. But after finding out that her parents will have nothing to to with getting back their grandson, she realizes that this is the only way to get him back. It's off to a high adventure on the seas with sword fights, storms, attacks from natives and deadly battles. Arrgh mateys! Ok I had been putting off reading this series for unknown reasons. I don't know why, I just never got around to the books in my TBR stack. Now after reading this book, I'm going to have to go back and read the first two. This is a highly addictive book about one of my favorite subjects. Pirates have become so "in" in the last few years thanks to Johnny Depp and Orlando ...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing REMEMBERED (Fountain Creek Chronicles, Book 3) (Bethany House, 2007) by Tamera Alexander ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Alexander’s books have won multiple awards, including Romance Writers of America’s 2007 RITA® for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, 2007 Bookseller’s Best, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction of 2006. Her books have received acclaim from Library Journal, True West Magazine and Historical Novels Review, and Rekindled debuted on the CBA fiction bestseller list. She has a professional background in business management and conference coordination. A leader of women's ministries for over twelve years, she is currently active in music ministry, facilitating small groups, and mentoring other women. A graduate of Harding University, Tamera ...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing BLESSED ASSURANCE Avon Inspire (October 1, 2007) by Lyn Cote ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lyn Cote's journey to becoming a published author was a long one - she started her first book when her daughter was 13 months old and her first novel was published when her daughter was about to enter high school. But Lyn was writing for a market that hadn't taken shape yet - the inspirational fiction market. In 1996, Lyn Cote's first inspirational historical manuscript was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Contest. This became her first historical novel, Whispers Of Love , in her BLESSED ASSURANCE series. Most recently, Chloe , the first novel in Lyn's "Women of Ivy Manor" historical series was a 2006 RWA Rita Award finalist for Best Inspirational, as well as a finalist for the Holt Medallion and the National REaders Choice Contest. Lyn also writes contemporary romance and romantic suspens...

I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! 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, October 1. Good luck! Bon Appétit! Lexi Stuart needs to find a job. She's graduated from college with a degree in French culture and literature but unfortunately there are no jobs that will pay highly with that degree. After turning in numerous resumes, the only job she finds is at a French bakery . While it is a step down for her, Lexi finds the job to be exactly what she wants. She can combine her love of cooking while being able to use her knowledge of the French language. She soon finds working there to be an adventure, from being with her cute French boss, dealing with her non Christian coworker, messing up orders and trying to find a place to live. It's enough to make anyone quote Marie Antoinette when they're about to lose their head! Do not read this book on an empty stomach, esp...

Today is my one year anniversary since starting this blog! (In case you're wondering about the dates, I actually wrote that first entry on the 21st but dated it the day before. Please don't think I can't read a calender!) I wrote my first entry just for the fun of it. I had been scanning other blogs online, like Camy Tang's and decided I wanted to try one of my own. My main goal was to blog about the books I read because I figured I'd like others to know about the good books that were out there. I didn't think though that it would last that long, since most things on the internet tend to fizzle out quickly. Was I wrong! Since then I've written almost 150 book reviews, 33 movie reviews, interviewed 5 authors, had 25 book giveaways and made a TON of new friends. I've joined several blog alliances that have introduced me to lots of new authors I would have never discovered before. And blogging has opened up the window to lots of opportunities to read and ...

I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! 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 Thursday, September 27. Good luck! In Guardian of the Veil , the long-awaited sequel to The Welkening , Dr. Gregory Spencer has created an alternate reality that is at once fantastic and hauntingly familiar, framed in a cataclysmic conflict between Good and Evil. Four misfits of Weyerhauser High—Angie, Lizbeth, Len, and Bennu—are each blessed, or cursed, with unique characteristics. Angie has an ethereal quality about her; Lizbeth is physically plain but athletic; Len is impetuous and strong-willed; Bennu takes off on flights of poetic fancy. These gifts count for little in their small town. But when the foursome is drawn into the parallel world of Welken, they become the keys to save that world from the jaws of Morphane, the soul-eater. The ve il between the worlds is thinning, and once again the misfits...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Ex Files (Touchstone June 19, 2007) by Victoria Christopher Murray ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Christopher Murray always knew she would become an author, even as she was taking quite an unlikely path to that destination. A native of Queens, New York, Victoria first left New York to attend Hampton Institute in Virginia where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating from Hampton, Victoria attended New York University where she received her MBA. Victoria spent ten years in Corporate America before she decided to test her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA where she managed the number one division for nine consecutive years. However, Victoria never lost the dream to write and when the “bug” hit her again in 1997, she answered the call. Victoria originally self published Temptation. “I wanted to write a book as entertaining and compelling as any of the books on the ma...

How strong is your faith? Angelica has married Antonio, the immigrant worker from Mexico. While there are still many kinks to work out in this unique marriage, there is still great love between the two. Angelica still wants to be fulfill her dream of becoming a public defender but all that changes when she becomes pregnant. Suddenly everything becomes a challenge with worries about the baby's condition to Antonio's grandmother arriving from Mexico. This will test not only their relationship but Angelica's and Antonio's faith as well. I was eager to pick up the story of Angelica and Antonio where the first book ended. I wanted to know how their relationship would survive because of the radical differences between the two. I was not let down. The book describes how they had to accommodate to not feel like they were letting the other down. Their many adventures held both laughter and tears. There were at times however when I felt very frustrated with Antonio and his w...

I'm giving away a TWO BOOK set today: a hardback copy of today's book plus a paperback copy of the first book in the series, The Begotten! (For my review click here ) 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, September 24. For this giveaway, the winner must have a US mailing address. Good luck! The next LOTR? The book starts off right where The Begotten left off. It is the year 1340. The members of the Gifted are searching for clues to help understand more about their gifts. Daria, the healer and leader of the group, is being watched by the evil Lord Amadei who wishes for her to use her powers for him. He tries to use her former ally Vincenzo to get her to bow down to his wishes. However her faith is too strong to allow her to bend towards his will. Unfortunately this causes not only her, but all the members of the Gifted to suffer and question exactly how strong their faith really is....

Think Magnum PI, minus the Hawaiian shirt Colton Parker is a former FBI agent turned private investigator. He and his daughter are on shaky terms after his wife died following a heated argument with him. He's been called on the case by the girlfriend of the accused murderer of a beloved high school teacher. She claims that he is innocent and wants Colton to prove it. At first it seems that all evidence points to the accused but Colton delves deeper and with just a paper clip for a clue he finds a seedy shady world of pornography and sex. Non stop action makes this gritty mystery novel hard to put down. When I think of a PI, Magnum comes to mind. The Hawaiian shirt with the fancy car going to exotic places in Hawaii and having a fun time. So I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. Well it turned out to be an unexpected awesome read. Normally I wouldn't have picked up this book because it's not in the genre I normally read. However I am so glad that I ...

I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! 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 Thursday, September 20. Good luck! Ok honestly I hate sushi but I loved this book! Lex Sakai is being tortured by her grandmother to find a husband or else her volleyball team will have to suffer. So now Lex has to find a boyfriend in a mere matter of weeks or else suffer the wrath of having no funds for the team. Everyone seems to want to set her up, from the losers her brother keeps pointing her towards to the guys who only want to get her because of her insider info to the latest game. Lex decides there must be a guy who meets every one of her requirements and plans to stick to her Ephesians list. Then she meets Aidan, who is everything NOT on her list, but seems to be everything that she wants. A wonderful story blending chick lit with Asian culture. I have been dying to read this book since I first start...

I"m totally psyched to have author Camy Tang here on my blog today. Little bit of blog trivia: her blog was one of the first blogs I started reading and inspired me to start this blog. Any who, she's just released her first book and you need to go out and buy it. Look above for a review of Sushi for One? and a giveaway! And without further adieu, an interview with Camy Tang! You're in restaurant that features an All you Can Eat Chinese Buffet. Let's say calories, fat, carbs, etc don't exist. What's the first food you run to? Those deep fried lobster balls they serve at Chinese wedding banquets. The ones I’ve had were balls formed around crab claws so you could hold the claw while you bite into the lobster mix. That stuff is sooooo good! You've suddenly been transported in an alternate Jane Austen universe where you've become Elizabeth Bennett. Who would play your Mr. Darcy? Richard Armitage!!!!!! Have you seen the BBC Miniseries North a...

Bethany House is having a survey to pick a cover for Michael Landon Jr and Tracie Peterson's new book "One More Sunrise" Click here to take the survey you'll also get a chance to win of 10 different new Bethany House releases just for completing the survey Let me know which one you picked and see if it's the same as mine!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing LIFE, LIBBY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (Harvest House Publishers March 1, 2007) by Hope Lyda ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hope Lyda has always wanted to write. Ever since she was a young tyke with a spiral notebook in hand, she had the urge to fill it. Sadly, Peggy Meets the Midgets did not cause Hope to be deemed a child prodigy, so she continued her path of education. She was grade-obsessed but also truly enjoyed sharing laughs with her circle of creative friends. Hope attended the University of Oregon and graduated with a double major in Journalism: Advertising and Telecommunications and Film. With aspirations to write screenplays or teleplays, she of course ended up doing public relations for non-profits until she entered the publishing field in which she has worked for 10 years. Her passions are quiet ones—she loves a good read, an afternoon of free thinking time, writing, journaling, road trips, travel, and pondering life from...

Becoming a believer in today's world Mayla has just become a new Christian. Everyone in her church is surprised because her dyed hair and piercings don't make her look like a normal Christian. However Mayla is eager to know more about God's word and to grow in her newfound faith. She has to battle grumpy church members who prejudge her because of her appearance and old friends who prejudge her because of her new faith. She is also becomes friends with a guy with AIDS and helps him to live out his last days with hopes of reconciling with his estranged family. Then there's finding her niche in church and her growing relationship with Pastor Paul. If you ever wanted to know what it's like to be a new Christian in today's world, read this book! I really enjoyed reading this book. Mayla was such a refreshing, realistic character. I could really relate to her. She's my age, going through the same problems that I am. I loved the fact that she had piercings an...

I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! 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, September 17. Good luck! Imagine living a life of security and comfort while traveling throughout central Europe with a famous professional gymnast--who just happens to be your father--with just one twist. You were born in 1926, and at the age of fourteen your entire world changes because of the Nazi invasion. Anni Adams survives the poverty, humiliation and uncertainty of the refugee camps and eventually returns to her home, where life is not the same. She quietly resists the submissive lifestyle of the Nazi rule for four years. Here she becomes a Catholic war bride to her American GI husband, following the liberation of her country. The Meeting of Anni Adams: The Butterfly of Luxembourg shows how family and faith fuel Anni's survival through her evacuation into France and the years of Germ...

Thanks to TV on DVD I can discover new shows I missed the first time around. I don't really like the later seasons of Roseanne. I felt it got too crass and extremely edgy as the years went by. I never really watched the show but I do remember that I didn't really like what I saw. But in the first few seasons with the children being younger, the show is really quite funny and touching. So I decided to go back and watched what I had missed. There are some really laugh out loud moments with this show. The Halloween episode is a riot, with both Dan and Roseanne trying to fake each other out. The decapitated thumb scene is really gross. The episode also when they're trying to lose weight is a hoot as well as they both keep trying to sneak food. I do like Roseanne's personality, at least in these earlier seasons. She cares a lot about her family but she doesn't want her life to be too serious. There are times when it seems that they don't care about their childr...

The Things we do for love Johanna Holland is 40 years old, a librarian, takes care of her elderly parents and has steady routine with her life. Then her parents decide they'd rather live in assisted living which causes Johanna to rethink her routine. Suddenly her life is really shook up when she meets Sam Littleton who could possibly be her soul mate except for one small thing: he's going to Papua New Guinea to be a medical missionary. Thinking all is lost Johanna begins to withdraw when Sam invites her along with him. This is a journey of faith as Johanna has to step wayyy out of her comfort zone for the man she loves. I really enjoyed learning about the mission field from this book. I would like to go on a mission trip myself one day but I too am like Johanna, worried about missing the simple comforts of home. I have great respect for missionaries not only for spreading the Gospel but just for being able to sacrifice their wants to help out others. I think that this book r...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Sushi for One? (Zondervan, September 1, 2007) by CAMY TANG ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Camy Tang is a member of CFBA and is a loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick-lit. She grew up in Hawaii, but now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious poi-dog. In a previous life she was a biologist researcher, but these days she is surgically attached to her computer, writing full-time. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. Sushi for One? (Sushi Series, Book One is her first novel. Her second, Only Uni (Sushi Series, Book Two) comes out in February 2008! ABOUT THE BOOK: Lex Sakai’s family, big, nosy, and marriage-minded, is ruled by a crafty grandmother. When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the OLDEST SINGLE COUSIN in the clan, a loathed position by all single female family members. Lex has not da...

No parent should have to bury their child Pam and Michael have just received the worst news that no parent ever wants to hear. Their only child has been killed. The estranged couple now must deal with coping with their son's death, and their feelings toward the man who killed him. Their relationship together also requires a second outlook. Everything in their lives must be reexamined from past battles with cancer, to affairs, to matters of faith, to dealing with Jacob's "second family." Then there is the matter of Jacob's list- the things he wanted to do before he died and how they will now accomplish these tasks for him. This was a really thought provoking and sad book. It shows all the parties that are affected by an accidental death, from the parents to the man who caused the accident, to his wife, to the officer who found the accident, to his family, to even the grave keepers. The characters really stay with you after reading. You feel their struggles and...