Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Whew! I just finished my FINAL book of 2009 for a grand total of 530 books and 162, 656 pages ! The above picture is pretty much how I feel now! But I enjoyed this past year of reading and am looking forward to another year in 2010 (albeit with a smaller amount!)

2009 is over. (Well almost considering this is the last day of the year.) I totally surpassed myself in terms of reading amounts. As of this morning, I have read 528 books this year. I'm hoping to finish at least two more before 11:59pm tonight. This amount of books will never been seen again in my lifetime. I figure that starting with this upcoming year, I will no longer have the time to read as much as I do. Therefore this past year after I hit the 300 book mark I just read as much as I could because I knew I would never be able to do it again in my lifetime. And I did that while attending grad school AND got married! These were my top 10 reads of the year. Believe me it was very hard to only pick ten and I was tempted to fudge and say top 15 or even top 20. But I decided to finally stick to the rules (with one exception at the very end) . I VERY HIGHLY recommend all these books. In no particular order: Scared by Tom Davis ( Review ) Someday My Prince Will Come by Jer...

FINISHED! I have been meaning to sign up for this swap forever from S. Krishna but I had to wait til I went back to my parents' home and see my TBR pile over there to make sure I had the books for the swap! And I do..well at least 2 but I can get more at the library. So this is yet ANOTHER challenge I'm signing up for! And it'll be my last challenge sign up for the year...well until next year at least. What is the South Asian Author Challenge? This challenge is to encourage people to read books by South Asian Authors – South Asia being India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka . Please not that it does not include the Middle East! The books can be from any time period, contemporary or classic. If you want to talk about the challenge on Twitter or tweet your reviews, use the hashtag #saac. What are the dates of this challenge? January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010 What books qualify for the South Asian Author Challenge? There are two requirements for a book...

Maggie lives life on the edge, seemingly unafraid of anything. But the image she so carefully constructed is coming undone. Maggie's job as a videographer takes her around the world. She tells people's stories, especially those of impoverished children. That's when she feels most alive, like she's making the world better. But when a secret from her past resurfaces, Maggie gets a call that sends her home. Her dad desperately needs her help. Her estranged sister has run off, leaving 8-year-old Riley in his care.She returns reluctantly, hoping to help her niece. There she reconnects with Cooper--a once awkward and shy, now handsome, veterinarian. Her feelings skyrocket when she's with him, but she's afraid if she shows him her true self, he'll reject her. An honest, hilarious journey that will transform Maggie--if she just learns to trust more and fearless. I am a HUGE fan of Jenny's YA books and have been for the past few years so I was totally eager to re...

Raised by a father who was a former Special Forces officer, Taylor is beautiful and brilliant and knows how to take care of herself. But she is haunted by her past and the sacrifice her father made to save her from a brutal rape when she was seventeen. After a controversial stint in the Secret Service, she has become the most prominent private security specialist in America. When she discovers the body of a former client's top assistant, all the evidence points to embezzlement and suicide. But Taylor has no way of knowing that her mother, who ran out when Taylor was nine, is about to reappear and lead her down a twisting path of danger and deceit. It's a road that won't end until they reach the spot where Taylor's father died-where Taylor learns some sacrifices can never be earned. I had a blast reading the first book featuring Taylor's character, Forsaken , and was eager to read more about her adventures. I had really liked Jordan's style of writing in the fir...

Graced with physical beauty, though shallow of heart, Charity O'Connor is a woman who knows what she wants. She sets her sights on the cantankerous Mitch Dennehy, editor at the Irish Times, who has unwittingly stolen her heart. And although the sparks are there, Mitch refuses to fan the coals of a potential relationship with his ex-fiancee's sister. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat and she always gets what she wants--one way or another. Is revenge so sweet after all? Or will Charity get burned? When I finished the first book in this series, A Passion Most Pure, I hated Charity. Honestly, I wanted to slap the sense out of that girl. I honestly haven't really hated a character so much in my life. I guess it was mainly because she reminded me of girls I knew in school, who got away with everything especially the guys that you happened to like. I was told that with this book however that my feelings for her would change because Charity would get what's coming ...

This is the reason why I personally celebrate Christmas. Hope your day is filled with joy and peace. Link:

Advertising executive Marta Zinsser is no poster child for her wealthy Seattle suburb-and nothing could please her more. This former New Yorker wears combat boots, not Manolos , and drives a righteous Harley hog instead of a Mercedes SUV. Now she's launching her own agency in this land of the Microsoft elite, even though her ten-year-old daughter wishes she'd put on a sweater set and just be normal. Can this ex- urbanite remain uniquely herself without alienating the inner circle of smug, cookie-cutter executive wives? And when push comes to shove, can she stop being the proud odd mom out and take a chance at something frighteningly-and tantalizingly-new? Like I said in my previous review, I accidentally read Mrs Perfect before reading Odd Mom Out. However, I am glad I did because it allowed me to understand Taylor's character better in this book. I really liked Marta. She shared the same views that I have about not wanting to change the way you are just to fit in....

As a young California girl growing up in a blue collar neighborhood, Taylor Young dreamed of being popular, beautiful, and acquiring a wardrobe to die for. Not to mention marrying a handsome, successful man and living happily ever after in a gorgeous house with three wonderful children. Now, at 36, Taylor has reached the pinnacle of her dreams, but is it all about to unravel? As the new school year approaches, Taylor prepares herself for playing the perfect alpha mom: organizing class activities, fund-raising, and chairing the school auction. But the horror! Her archrival , bohemian mom Marta Zinsser , is named Head Room Mom of Taylor's daughter's fifth grade class. As tensions rise at committee meetings and school activities, the two rivals seem to be destined for a final confrontation. But as Taylor plans her next move, she is floored by a more serious blow at home-her husband has been secretly unemployed for the past six months. With her posh lifestyle crumbling, Taylor stru...

You ARE going to be listening tonight are you not? *waves hand and forces Jedi Mind Trick* Video killed the radio star....well radio's making a comeback didn't you know? Nicole from Linus's Blanket has a Blog Talk Radio show called That's How I Blog where she interviews super cool bloggers like Amy from My Friend Amy and Trish from Hey Lady Whatcha Reading . On the show she chats with the bloggers about how they started blogging, their favorite books, what they enjoy best/worst about being a blogger, all sorts of stuff. My show will be next Tuesday 12/22 at 8pm EST. I know that it's the holiday season and things might be a bit rushed and hectic but if you do have the time, please stop in and listen. I'll try to sound somewhat charming and I might even throw out some Star Wars trivia. You can call in and ask me a question if you want to, or you can email Nicole your burning questions that you've always wanted to ask me. The book we'll be discus...

He got the second home and the Porsche. She got the kids and a broken heart. Now Jackie Laurens, post-divorce and heading toward the big four-oh, is on vacation in sunny Hawaii and facing her upcoming birthday-alone. But not for long. She's soon falling for Kai, her gorgeous, much younger surf instructor, and their wild passionate fling becomes the biggest surprise of her life. Back home in Seattle, Jackie has to struggle with single parenthood and her memories. Kai hasn't forgotten her, yet thousands of miles of ocean and an age difference that feels even bigger lie between them. And, of course, Jackie's friends disapprove. When a choice must be made, can she, will she risk everything for her chance at happiness? I want to go to Hawaii so bad. I've been there once for a layover on the way to Malaysia but that doesn't count. Therefore, I adore books where I get to armchair travel to this spot. Luckily for me this book allowed me to travel several times througho...

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment. In Primal , Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life. As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.” Primal will help you live in light of what mat...

Well all good things must come to an end. And the Fall Reading Challenge is now over. How'd I do? Well I've gone absolutely bonkers this past year and reading WELL over my norm (I'm currently at up to 521 books for the year). I read all the books (33) on my list PLUS 142 more for a grand total of 175 books in 3 months !!!!! Here's the official list of books (click) I read for the challenge. Here's a breakdown of the OTHER books that I read during the same time: Christian Fiction • A Prisoner of Versailles by Golden Keyes Parsons • Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper • The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren • Plain Promise by Beth Wiseman • Bo's Cafe by John Lynch, Bill Thrall and Bruce Nicol • Red, White and Blue by Laura Hayden • Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio by Lisa Harris • A Gift of Grace by Amy Clipston • Widows and Orphans by Susan Meissner • Reading, Writing and Riddles by Jolyn and William Sharp • The Price of Fame by Carolyne Aarsen • The Start o...

Holly Bishop is the proverbial, small-town good girl. She always follows the rules, thinks of others first, and she never, ever makes mistakes. Until she marries the man she thought was her Prince Charming, who confesses on their honeymoon that he’s not sexually attracted to her. Now, 14 months later, Holly’s marriage is in the toilet, along with her self-esteem. Determined to start over, she moves to San Francisco, where she must navigate the landmines of dating in the big city. In the shadow of the Golden Gate and amid a population of wacky Bay Area eccentrics, Holly will discover that nice girls don’t always finish last. In fact, they sometimes end up with everything they’d ever wanted. Holly's love life is not happy. She's going through the final stages of divorce from her newly married husband Jean-Marc. Her marriage pretty much crumbled right from the beginning when during the honeymoon Jean-Marc tells her he doesn't love her anymore and can't really give her a ...

Well less than two weeks until January 1 and the start of the Nancy Drew challenge. I don't know about you but I'm really excited to start reading. I own the first 3 books, and then I'll be getting the rest from the library. If you haven't joined yet (and you can click here to sign up), I hope this will give you more incentive to join! Thanks to Jessica at HerInteractive , I'm able to offer prizes for the challenge! In case you didn't know HerInteractive makes computer games for young and teen girls, and are best known for their Nancy Drew adventure mystery game series. There will be 5 prize sets all together given away to those who participate in the challenge. Grand Prize (1 name drawn from all those who finish all 56 books) will win 5 games: Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger First Prize (4 winne...

All in all, Hannah Johnson is pretty happy as a missionary kid. In Papua New Guinea, no one worries about fancy clothes or credit card limits--everyone has other things to think about. But when Hannah visits her cousin Vanessa for a summer in America, everything changes. All that glitters isn't gold. Vanessa and her friends try to catch Hannah up on all the latest fashion trends, but in the end, Hannah feels hopeless. She doesn't think she'll ever be able to keep up with the rich girls--but that doesn't stop her from trying. In the process, Hannah is forced to come to grips with what she values most: beauty on the inside, or beauty on the outside. This is a topic that almost any high school girl can totally relate to. Clothes are almost the biggest factor of what makes you part of the in crowd and what leave you on the outskirts. These days especially, labels are the ticket to popularity. Having lots of money almost guarantees being in the in crowd. Why are we so fascin...

For Ty Buchanan, defending a suspected drunk driver named Carl Richess seems routine enough. But when his client ends up dead, an apparent suicide, there's nothing routine about it. Because the cops suspect it's murder, and arrest Eric Richess, Carl's brother, for the crime. Now Ty, at the desperate urging of Eric's mother, agrees to defend him. But it won't be easy. Because there's DNA on the gun that matches Eric's, and a history of conflict between the brothers. Then Ty, assisted by Sister Mary Veritas, begins to uncover tentacles of corruption that reach into the citadels of city power. But he's being watched. Because somewhere in the dark labyrinth of LA is someone who will do anything to keep from being found out, someone who believes that when warnings don't work, try fear. There are many things I've liked about this series. The quirky characters. The gritty plot lines. The unlikely relationships. The no nonsense attitude. These books have...

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Susan Page Davis and the book: The Sheriff’s Surrender Barbour Books (December 1, 2009) ***Special thanks to Angie Brillhart of Barbour Publishing for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Award-winning author Susan Page Davis is a mother of six who lives in Maine with her husband, Jim. She worked as a newspaper correspondent for more than twenty-five years in addition to home-schooling her children. She writes historical roman...