Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

My Friend Amy , who brought us Book Blogger Appreciation Week has a new carnival in the works, the Faith 'n Fiction Saturday . Each week she will post a blogging prompt, which participating bloggers will an swer on their own blogs. Then they head back to the original post and sign Mister Linky! This way we can all come to know each other more closely. Today's Discussion Anne Rice became quite famous for her books about vampires but when she converted back to her Christian faith, she left her vampire stories behind much to the dismay of her fans. She felt there were no redemptive stories to tell about vampires. Meanwhile, Christian fiction has been releasing a few more books about vampires. So my question for you today is...what do you think about these kinds of stories? Do you enjoy the fictional vampire stories or the fictional stories about angels? Are you more likely to read a story about an angel than a vampire? What do you think is the appeal of these books? (For further r...

It is August 1944 and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich. When Joseph Engel, a German physicist working on the atomic bomb, finds that he is actually a Jew, adopted by Christian parents, he must flee for his life to neutral Switzerland. Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss-American woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) close to Nazi Germany. When she is asked to risk her life to safely "courier" Engel out of Germany, the fate of the world rests in her hands. If she can lead him to safety, she can keep the Germans from developing nuclear capabilities. But in a time of traitors and uncertainty, whom can she trust along the way? This fast-paced, suspenseful novel takes readers along treacherous twists and turns during a fascinating--and deadly--time in history. If you know me, then you know I'm a grad student majoring in history. If you know me really well, then you know I detes...

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: Brandilyn & Amberly Collins and the book: Last Breath (Rayne Series #2) Zondervan; 1 edition (October 1, 2009) ***Special thanks to Lindsey Rodarmer of ZONDERKIDZ for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brandilyn and Amberly Collins are a mother/daughter team from northern California. Brandilyn is a bestselling novelist, known for her trademarked "Seatbelt Suspense". Amberly is a college student in southern Cali...

Yep, I'm joining yet ANOTHER challenge. But the funny part is was that I was thinking about doing something with this book as well for a challenge but I wasn't really sure how to do it. So I'm really glad Julie from Bookingmama came up with this one! Details: The Shelf Discovery Challenge will run for six months (November 1, 2009 - April 30, 2010). To join me in this challenge, all you need to do is grab a copy of SHELF DISCOVERY and pick out what six books you want to read (of course, you can read more than six!) Then, after you read a book, just write a "book report" to share your thoughts with others! Sign Up: Grab the challenge button at the top of this page and write a post detailing what six Shelf Discovery books you are going to read within the next six months (you always have the option to change your original list -- I'm flexible like that!) If you don't already have the book, you can browse the table of contents here . Once you have posted ...

It’s spring and Candace is busy working at the Zone’s Candy Counter while struggling to make decisions about her future. She’s been accepted to two different colleges, but family and friends are pressuring her to stay local. Her coworkers, however, are urging her to follow her God-given dreams no matter how far away they take her. The Sweet Seasons series has been one of my favorite YA series from the time I picked up the first book. Debbie Viguie writes in a perfect teen voice and really gets you into the story. There's no label dropping and teens come across as very real. It's also one of the funniest and just plain enjoyable YA series that's out there. It's Christian YA but it's not preachy at all. This book features Candace in her last season working at The Zone amusement park. She's been working there for almost a year and it's about time for her to leave not only the park but make plans to leave for college as well. This time the mission for the park...

On the rolling plains of Lancaster County, PA., Lillian Miller is searching for her grandparents' house...and so much more. After years of neglect and abuse, she's turning to a lifestyle of simplicity among the Amish to find herself. As she discards the distractions of her former life, she befriends the young boy working on her family's farm and his attractive widowed father, Samuel Stoltzfus. Despite Lillian's best efforts to the contrary, her feelings for Samuel--and his for her--deepen. Will Lillian find her faith in Plain living, or will she be forced to return to her former life? I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Lancaster County this past summer and finally got to experience what the Amish lifestyle really was about. It was wonderful to see all the books I've read come to life. I was able to fully appreciate and understand everything I had read about the culture. Therefore I was excited when I read this book because I recognized the settings because I h...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing eye of the god Abingdon Press (October 1, 2009) by Ariel Allison ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Allison is a published author who lives in a small Texas town with her husband and three young sons. She is the co-author of Daddy Do You Love Me: a Daughter’s Journey of Faith and Restoration (New Leaf Press, 2006). Justin Case , the first of three children’s books will be published by Harvest House in June 2009. Ariel is a weekly contributor to www.ChristianDevotions.us and has written for Today’s Christian Woman. She ponders on life as a mother of all boys at www.themoabclub.blogspot.com and on her thoughts as a redeemed dreamer at www.arielallison.blogspot.com . From Ariel: I am the daughter of an acclaimed and eccentric artist, and given my “unconventional” childhood, had ample time to explore the intricacies of story telling. I was raised at the top of the Rocky Mountains with no running water or electricity (think Laura Ingles meets ...

This rerelease of Randall Arthur's bestselling novel presents the hypocrisy of Christian legalism and a man's search for the only surviving member of his family. The story's hero, Pastor Jason Faircloth, embarks on a journey that lasts eighteen years and takes him through four countries in a quest to find the granddaughter who is being hidden from him. In a process that mirrors our own spiritual journey, he discovers a rich relationship with God and the peace that finally comes with true faith. Legalism in Christianity has always been such an interesting subject to me. This is just my personal opinion but I just always wonder where these rules came from and who decided that they were right. What's even more interesting is that a lot of times when someone describes Christianity, legalism rules are always brought up as the stereotype of the religion. This book brings up the topic and questions it and shows that it's not always the right way to follow. One topic t...

Security cameras, surveillance of private financial transactions, radio frequency spy chips hidden in consumer products, eavesdropping on e-mail correspondence and phone calls, and Internet tracking. No one is protected, and privacy is a thing of the past. An ultra-secret global elite, functioning as a very real shadow government, controls technology, finance, international law, world trade, political power, and vast military capabilities. These unnamed, unrivaled leaders answer to no earthly authority, and they won’t stop until they control the world. In Shadow Government , prophecy expert Grant Jeffrey removes the screen that, up to now, has hidden the work of these diabolical agents. Jeffrey reveals the biblical description of Satan’s global conquest and identifies the tools of technology that the Antichrist will use to rule the world. Readers will have their eyes opened to the real power that is working behind the scenes to destroy America and merge it into the coming global govern...

Congrats to the winner of Angels: A Pop Up Book (your email has been sent, please respond within a week)! Vasilly

Zoe is used to being overlooked. As the youngest and shyest Miracle Girl, she was happy to fade into the background last year. But when she sheds her baby fat and shoots up four inches the summer before her junior year, everything changes. Now she's turning heads at school, and this new attention is beginning to strain her relationship with her sweet, serious boyfriend, Marcus. Pressure builds when Zoe's assigned partner for history class is Dean Foster--a handsome New York transplant who isn't afraid to show her how he feels. .. Zoe's character has somehow always stood in the background for me in this series. It's probably because she's soft spoken and shy which made me not really notice her too much in the other books. The other three Miracle girls have such loud personalities that they tend to overpower Zoe. Therefore I was glad that she got her own book with her own storyline so we could focus on her because I think her life was really interesting. He...

Somehow I totally omitted another book in my final totals. I blame it on lack of sleep. Forget About It by Caprice Crane was read and finished throughout the night. I "forgot about it" in my totals. So final totals should be 23 books and 7250 pages.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? 4-5 am, I had to take a break and walk around, watch TV, eat, almost nearly gave up. 2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? books written in email format! ie. Holly's Inbox, The Boy series by Meg Cabot, The SAHM series by Meredith Efken. Seriously, they are addictive and you can't stop reading. Great for early morning hours! 3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? none, it's great the way it is! UPDATE 3:02 PM (when i'm a bit coherent) i was a bit disappointed that during the wee hours there weren't any mini challenges. i know that there were a bunch of us still up and the mini challenges were good to keep you from falling asleep while reading so the fact that there was nothing to do was a bit sad. 4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? twitter! great community to see all the tweets about it,...

Number of books finished: 22 Title of book(s) finished: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star , The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth , Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck , Cyber Cinderella by Christina Hopkinson, Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham , Love Finds You In Sister, Oregon by Melody Carlson, Buried Sins by Marta Perry Total of pages read: 6882 Runnin...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Love Finds You In Sister, Oregon by Melody Carlson Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star , The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth , Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck , Cyber Cinderella by Christina Hopkinson, Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham Number of books finished sinc...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham (still reading) Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star , The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth , Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck , Cyber Cinderella by Christina Hopkinson Number of books finished since you started: 19 Pages read since l...

I took my second hour long break during this hour, as I've found this is my crutch hour. I just pitter pattered around the house doing things to keep me awake. 3 more hours to go!!!

Title of book(s) started since last update: Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham (still reading) Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star , The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth , Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck , Cyber Cinderella by Christina Hopkinson Number of books finished since you started: 19 Pages read since l...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star , The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth , Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck , Cyber Cinderella by Christina Hopkinson Number of books finished since you started: 19 Pages read since last update: 276 ...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Cyber Cinderella by Christina Hopkinson Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star , The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth , Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck Number of books finished since you started: 18 Pages read since last update: 302 Running total of pages read since y...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star , The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth Number of books finished since you started: 17 Pages read since last update: 297 Running total of pages read since you started: 5040 Amount of time spent rea...

Well I decided to take an hour break during Hour 16. What did I do instead of reading? Fold Laundry Put Fresh Sheets on Bed Take a Shower Blow Dry Hair Read US Weekly Go through some posts in my Google Reader Watch SNL until we realized it was a very unfunny repeat of the Megan Fox episode Did Dishes Drink Some Diet Coke Feel refreshed! I'll probably take another hour break during the wee hours when I feel myself drooping. I totally recommend it.

Title of book(s) started since last update: The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar , Carpool Diem by Nancy Star Number of books finished since you started: 16 Pages read since last update: 293 Running total of pages read since you started: 4743 Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 minutes Ru...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Carpool Diem by Nancy Star Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford , Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar Number of books finished since you started: 15 Pages read since last update: 283 Running total of pages read since you started: 4450 Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 minutes Running total of time spent reading since y...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett , Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford Number of books finished since you started: 14 Pages read since last update: 286 Running total of pages read since you started: 4167 Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 minutes Running total of time spent reading since you started: 650 minutes ...

1. What are you reading right now? Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky 2. How many books have you read so far? I've finished 14 3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? have no idea...i just grab from my TBR as i go! 4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? well we were supposed to go to bonfire tonight but luckily it rained so now I don't feel bad for missing it! 5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? no, not really. husband gets me food and I take breaks every 50 minutes to do stuff 6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? I'm really amazed at my pace! I'm on track to pass my mark of 19 books from the April readathon 7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? nope! love it just the way it is, but if you guys think of other things, will gladly accept them! 8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a ...

Title of book(s) started since last update: Sins of the Mother by Patricia Rushford Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker , Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett Number of books finished since you started: 13 Pages read since last update: 291 Running total of pages read since you started: 3881 Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 minutes Running total of time spent reading since you started: 600 minutes

Title of book(s) started since last update: Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle by Beverly Bartlett Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand , Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker Number of books finished since you started: 12 Pages read since last update: 382 Running total of pages read since you started: 3590 Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 minutes Running total of time spent reading since you started: 550 minutes

Title of book(s) started since last update: Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand Number of books finished since you started: 11 Pages read since last update: 341 Running total of pages read since you started: 3208 Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 minutes Running total of time spent reading since you started: 500 minutes

Title of book(s) started since last update: Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand Title of book(s) finished since last update: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh, The Elevator by Angela Hunt, Confessions of a Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Why the Sky is Blue by Susan Meissner , Red and Lowering Sky by Lynn Morris , Ready to Wed by Melody Carlson , Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer , Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick , Forget About It by Caprice Crane Number of books finished since you started: 10 Pages read since last update: 363 Running total of pages read since you started: 3230 Amount of time spent reading since last update: 50 minutes Running total of time spent reading since you started: 450 minutes