Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

All Camilla Deardon knows of the Mormons camping nearby is the songs she hears floating on the breeze. Then she meets one of them—a young man named Nathan Fox. Never did she imagine he would be so handsome, so charming, especially after Mama and Papa’s warnings to stay away. Though she knows she should obey her parents, Camilla can’t refuse her heart. But even Nathan’s promises cannot prepare her for what she will face in Utah. Let me start out by saying, this book was very difficult for me to read. This is not saying that the book is not written well. It is written beautifully and extremely well. I was caught up in the story and I couldn't stop reading. But it focuses on one of the subjects that I have difficulty in reading - polygamy. (In case you were wondering, I also feel uncomfortable reading about rape and child molestation.) And because of this, it took me a while to finish the book because I had to keep putting it down because I would feel uncomfortable. I...

So, if you've been a longtime reader of my blog, you know how much of a fan I am of GetGlue.com. Well, since I've gotten an IPod Touch (well technically it was my husband's but I've since confiscated it) and downloaded the GetGlue app, it's been even more fun. I've enjoyed earning stickers by checking in to movies and TV shows (although I don't watch any of the big shows that get stickers...). And I'm even more excited because now there are going to be more stickers for books! "We have teamed up with Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster, Random House, and Penguin for exclusive stickers for both the biggest titles of the fall and perennially bestselling authors." - Laura from GetGlue So if you haven't already, get the free GetGlue app and start checking in and earning stickers for the books you read starting October 5!

Maya Davis already has many titles—Christian, barista, maid of honor (new), possible girlfriend (newer), aunt (newest)—and her life is about to become even more complicated. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, her ex-boyfriend proposes to her roommate and best friend, Jen. It’s not long until their apartment becomes Wedding Central. As if that weren’t enough, Jen’s obnoxious mom moves in to help plan the wedding, and Maya’s genius brother and sister-in-law announce that they're expecting. Then to top it off, there's the whole matter of Jack—is it love? Who wouldn't need a coffee break! First off, let me start by saying that I LOVE the cover of this book. Why? Because those are the EXACT same bouquets I had for my wedding last year! Well not the bride's bouquet, but I had blue hydrangeas and white roses in mine and my bridesmaid's bouquets too! They're so pretty aren't they? I really enjoy reading about Maya. I honestly think tha...

For the first time, Euna Lee—the young wife, mother, and film editor detained in North Korea—tells a harrowing, but ultimately inspiring, story of survival and faith in one of the most isolated parts of the world. On March 17, 2009, Lee and her Current TV colleague Laura Ling were working on a documentary about the desperate lives of North Koreans fleeing their homeland for a chance at freedom when they were violently apprehended by North Korean soldiers. For nearly five months they remained detained while friends and family in the United States were given little information about their status or conditions. For Lee, detention would prove especially harrowing. Imprisoned just 112 miles from where she was born and where her parents still live in Seoul, South Korea, she was branded as a betrayer of her Korean blood by her North Korean captors. After representing herself in her trial before North Korea’s highest court, she received a sentence of twelve years of hard labor in the country’s...

Olivia Peters is over the moon when her literary idol, the celebrated novelist and much adored local priest Mark D. Brendan, offers to become her personal writing mentor. But when Father Mark’s enthusiasm for Olivia’s prose develops into something more, Olivia’s emotions quickly shift from wonder to confusion to despair. Exactly what game is Father Mark playing, and how on earth can she get out of it? Wow. Seriously, this story was just...wow. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I was reading this book while eating at a restaurant by myself and I ate my food slowly because I didn't want to get up and interrupt my reading. I don't think I've ever read a book like this before. It's an uncomfortable read. You are not going to walk away from this book feeling happy go lucky. But you will be moved. Olivia is a high school student who's just won a prestigious writing award and will get to study with a famous author mentor. She's ver...

As promised, here is the second half of my blogiversary celebration: answers from questions that were asked plus a special surprise at the end . Thanks to everyone who left a question! Anything new on the horizon? Plans, dreams, etc., for your blog? - Wordlily I really would like in the future to get my own domain name but since I went and bought all those business cards, I'll wait til I run out of those first! Short term, I really want to be able to go back and fix all the old things on my blog that need fixing - formatting issues, creating a review database, fixing images. I've semi-seriously said that I will stop blogging when all my review books have been reviewed. At this rate that won't be for several more years so I'm good. Have you read any of the Enchanted, Inc. series by Katie Chandler? (Chick lit/fantasy) - Shadow Boxer No, I haven't BUT I hopefully should be receiving these in the mail soon from another blogger. I heard about these books a few year...

Ruth Livingstone's life changes drastically the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her to a small village in New Jersey under an assumed name. There Ruth pretends to be a widow and quietly secludes herself until her father is acquitted of a crime. But with the emergence of the penny press, the imagination of the reading public is stirred, and her father's trial stands center stage. Asher Tripp is the brash newspaperman who determines that this case is the event he can use to redeem himself as a journalist. Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of the Toms River--a place where she can find a measure of peace in the midst of the sorrow that continues to build. It is also here that Asher Tripp finds a temporary residence, all in an attempt to discover if the lovely creature known as Widow Malloy is truly Ruth Livingstone, the woman every newspaper has been looking for. Love begins to slowly bloom...but is the affection they share strong enough t...

Just finished reading my 500th book of 2010. I'm about 2 months ahead of this time last year. Maybe I can break 600? We shall see...

The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman--smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jake fits all of her criteria for a husband--good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jake? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever? While I am a big fan Julie Lessman's past books, I am NOT a fan of Charity O'Connor. Seriously, I just could not stand that girl. Have you ever had a character that just feels like you're hearing fingernails on a chalkboard all the time? Yep that is her for me. Even though the story is written beautifully, Charity just rubbed me the wrong way every time I read about her. Lucky ...

Congrats to the winner of the Ted Dekker T Shirt giveaway! I'll be sending your info directly to the publicist. Congrats again!!

FINISHED! Well it's that time of the year again! The Fall Reading Challenge is here! Katrina at Callapidder Days is issuing out the command to get our reading lists out and done! I started these twice-yearly challenges because I thought it would be fun to share my love of reading with other bloggers and to push myself to read some books I might not otherwise read, or to finish some books I had started and then abandoned & stashed under my bed. I thought there were probably others out there who would appreciate the accountability and encouragement that a challenge can provide. And along the way, I discovered there were lots of people who — whether they needed the extra push or not — loved to share what they planned or hoped to read during the upcoming months. So that’s the point: sharing some reading goals with all the other participants and doing it in a way that works for you. If you want to push yourself, go for it! Or if you just want to share what you’re hop...

As three friends who grew up in the same orphanage head off to college together, they each harbor a special plan for the future. Libby Conley hopes to become a famous journalist. Pete Leidig believes God has called him to study to become a minister. And Bennett Martin plans to pledge a fraternity, find a place to belong, and have as much fun as possible. But as tensions rise around the world on the brink of World War I, the friends' differing aspirations and opinions begin to divide them, as well. When Libby makes a shocking discovery about Pete's family, will it drive a final wedge between the friends or bond them in ways they never anticipated? I honestly don't know why I don't normally put Kim Vogel Sawyer's books on my wish list. Every one of her books that I have read, I have really enjoyed. The story is engaging and the characters are really interesting. This story was no exception. I found myself drawn in right from the beginning and enjoyed my entir...

Having learned some hard lessons about the costs of recklessness and fame, sisters Paige and Erin Forrester feel ready to take their fashion-focused TV show on location to Paris. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for many of their good intentions to get lost in translation. An unplanned week of filming at runway model Eliza Wilton's family estate leads to romance, jealousy, and surprises. With cameras rolling, both girls have to be careful or the future of On the Runway could end up as wobbly as Paige's stiletto heels. Once again, it's time to enter the world of fashion with Erin and Paige Forrester. In this book the girls get to travel to Paris, the heart of the fashion world. There they become transformed into classic beauties reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Seriously it was just divine reading about the girls' adventures with bags, shoes and all those clothes. I really have enjoyed learning about fashion through these books. Carlson ma...

Well guess what today is? Ok, yes The Hobbit was published today in 1937. And in 1981 Sandra Day O'Connor was confirmed as the first female justice of the Supreme Court. It's the birthday of Stephen King, Bill Murray, and the actors who played Joey from Full House and Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. But more importantly...today is my FOUR YEAR BLOGIVERSARY! Yep, that's right, I've been around for FOUR years! I was in my next to final semester of my undergrad when I started this blog. As al ways, the reason why I started blogging was thanks to Camy Tang's blog which inspired m e to write my own blog. 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 ou t there . I honestly can't believe that it's lasted this long and I hope to keep going strong. I had no idea that there was a book blogging community when I first started this thing. I didn't know about getting AR...

A strange and wondrous friendship ignites the fire of love in May Seymour's life. Lovely and winsome May Seymour graduated from college with the world at her feet… and no idea what to do with it. A spontaneous mission trip to Africa brought a great surprise—love—and a strong sense of purpose. But in loving others there, she encountered a severe tragedy that left her deeply wounded. She comes to heal at the farm of Claudius Borne—a sweet, kind old man who understands plants and animals far better than people. And his farm becomes May’s home. There on the farm, May renews a friendship with an old college flame named Eli whose path has taken unexpected turns too. As May tries to convince Eli to grab hold of life once again, he begins to pull May from her sheltered existence. Like old Claudius’s farm in spring, May begins to blossom back into life. But no resurrection ever comes without sacrifice—and this sacrifice will forever transform May. Lisa Samson is one of those ...

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: Maureen Lang and the book: Whisper on the Wind Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (August 4, 2010) ***Special thanks to Maggie Rowe of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Maureen Lang has always had a passion for writing. She wrote her first novel longhand around the age of 10, put the pages into a notebook she had covered with soft deerskin (nothing but the best!), then passed it around the nei...