Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN.com: Centuries ago, Raphael was a blasphemous knight who fought in the Crusades purely for his own mercenary benefit, and to satisfy his taste for killing. Now, condemned for his evil passions and hypocrisy, he wanders the earth a vampire, cursed with first-hand knowledge of the supernatural world he once denied existed. The powerful relic he still possesses from his days as a Crusader has been stolen by a rival vampire who has recruited an army of soulless underlings to aid him in spreading evil. At the time he learns this, Raphael has been hunting this vampire for nearly a century, and it seems the final battle is destined to take place in Prague. For help in this quest, Raphael must enlist the aid of two humans, David and Susan, who suddenly find themselves immersed in a world they never imagined, entangled with supernatural forces they can't control. Susan, in particular, finds herself conflicted as she struggles with her inexplicable attraction to Raphael. In ...

Summary from BN.com: A widow with two small children, Amelia Beiler is struggling to make ends meet. She is running her late husband's business, but it's not what she was raised to do, which is run a home. When she gets an offer for the business from Eli Fischer, she's only too relieved to consider it-especially when it looks like Eli's interest might include more than just the shop. But when she begins to experience strange physical symptoms and is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it's difficult not to question God's will. If she pursues the treatment she believes in, she risks going under the bann. But how can she allow Eli to court her when she can't promise him a future? I was a bit surprised when I started reading this book. I was expecting the book to be heavily focused on quilting since I thought that's how the book was being advertised and was surprised that it wasn't. There is focus on Amish at the end of the book where you can make a q...

Summary from Christianbook.com: Dedicated to raising her son since her divorce, Hilary views Seth's high school graduation and full college scholarship as evidence of her success. But when an accident at a post-graduation campout lands Seth in jail, his stepmother, Pam, blames Hilary. Is Hilary's love strong enough to join forces with Pam to redeem Seth's future? Infidelity is another subject that keeps creeping up in the books that I read. I swear I don't mean to keep choosing books like this. The interesting part is that I am getting hit with it from all the angles so the different perspectives are quite interesting. If my husband cheated on me, told me he had stopped loving me, left me and remarried the other woman, there is no way that I am going to be friends with him and his wife. If there were children involved, I would stay civil for the sake of the child but I am not going to be friends with him. I could not do what Hilary did and have them stay over ...

Summary from BN.com: Widowed at 34, amateur harpist Marie "Angel" Buchan realizes at 40 that her life and dreams are slowly slipping away. A summer in Scotland turns out to offer far more than she ever imagined! Not only does the music of her harp capture the fancy of the small coastal village she visits, she is unexpectedly drawn into a love triangle involving the local curate and the local duke. The boyhood friends have been estranged as adults because of their mutual love of another woman (now dead) some years before. History seems destined to repeat itself, with Marie in the thick of it. Her involvement in the lives of the two men, as well as in the community, leads to a range of exciting relationships and lands Marie in the center of the mystery of a long-unsolved local murder. Eventually she must make her decision: with whom will she cast the lot of her future? It's been a while since I've read a Michael Phillips book. I was all about the Journals of Corrie Be...

Summary from Christianbook .com: Plagued by hallucinations, writer Tyler Harrison covers a rock concert in Chicago, where he's told by an "angel" that he'll be dead before his next birthday. Terrified, Tyler reaches out to a famous DJ, who leads him on a downward spiral of temptation. Will he find the peace and redemption he seeks before he turns 40? There are many people who dread turning 40 because it signifies that you've reached middle age. For Tyler, it means that he when he turns 40, he will die. What would you do if you were told that you only a few months to live and then was taken back on a journey of your life? I found it interesting at how willingly Tyler chose to believe what was being told to him. Yes, there were times when he had doubts but I thought he gave in rather quickly. Then again, he did see a lot of visions so I suppose if I was in his situation I probably would have as well. Tyler's relationships with others a big part of the stor...

Summary from BN.com: "But Mother is always dying," is Gillian Ormsby's sarcastic response when her younger, favored sister tells her that she has to go take care of their hypochondriac mother. Much against her will, since she and her mother never have gotten along, Gillian arrives in California to find the garden and yard dead, the blinds all drawn, and her mother indeed in bed—waiting to die. But when Gillian talks with the doctor, he assures her there's no medical reason behind her mother's state. Now on a mission to restore her mother to health, Gillian insists Mother get out of bed, eat, exercise and hopefully, choose to live. She also sets about reviving the garden to its former glory, enlisting the help of Adam, a handsome man who owns a family gardening business with his father. Gillian is delighted when a pair of hummingbirds appear, and her friendship with Adam grows. Soon, Mother's health improves, and one day she announces she and her friend Enzio ...

Riley McGee has the whole world open before her. She could get into any college, major in any subject, become whoever she wants to be. . . . But the truth is, Riley has no earthly idea what to do. She's paralyzed by indecision, afraid of the changes she faces, and as graduation day inches closer, it feels more and more like a threat. Meanwhile, her autistic brother, Michael, is struggling to fit in at Marina Vista and stay on top of his classes. Riley tries to keep an eye out for him, but when Ms. Moore suggests pulling Michael out of school, Riley has to fight for her brother—and against her favorite teacher. And things take another turn when her ex-boyfriend, Tom, arrives, hoping to give their relationship one more try. On top of that, an ambitious new pastor makes her question everything she thought she knew about faith. Oh high school. Boy am I glad those days are over. There was so much I hated about high school - the drama, the worrying about whether I was part ...

Lissa Mansfield has come a long way since transferring to Spencer Academy two years ago. She's made a great group of friends in Gillian, Carly, Mac, and Shani. She's strengthened and grown her relationship with God. She's even gotten over the Callum McCloud "incident" from her first semester. Now, she's ready to graduate and take on college life! Or is she? With her parents' relationship still on the rocks and the girls about to separate as they head to different colleges, Lissa is faced with some of her biggest challenges yet in her last term at Spencer. Will Lissa put her faith in God to carry her through these difficult times? *Sigh* All good things must come to an end and we all have to grow up and move on right? That's what the girls at Spencer Academy have to face in this last book the All About Us series. Senior year has come and everyone is preparing to go their separate ways. The five friends will be soon split up and must get ready for a ...

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...

Finals week is approaching and Mac is still undecided on where to spend the holidays. Normally she'd go home to Scotland, but spending two weeks alone in the castle with her dad isn't as appealing as it used to be. So she invites Carly, Lissa, Gillian, and Shani to join her for the holidays! Mac is determined to make this the best Christmas ever. She even decides to organize the traditional Hogmany dance for New Year's Eve. If she can get her mother involved in the dance, maybe her parents will finally get back together. But when Mac and the girls arrive in Scotland, they are faced with bad news: the castle is falling apart and Mac's parents are struggling financially. Not only that, but Shani is in big trouble with Prince Rashid's royal family. Can the girls find a way to celebrate the holidays, get Mac's parents back together, save the castle, and rescue Shani from her relentless pursuers? There's only one way to find out. . . . I have loved this series si...

Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves--especially her son, Mitchell, and her husband, Joe--but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family. One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah's car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is pronounced clinically dead to those on the "outside," but Sarah's spirit is still very much alive. What she discovers on the other side transforms everything about Sarah's view of life--past, present, and future. When Sarah is revived, she is a changed woman. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again. This book reminded me very much of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." The message is that we don't know how much time we have left, and that any minute we could be taken away. Cherish the time you have with your family and don't take them for granted. Throug...

For years Dennis Shore has thrilled readers with his spooky bestselling novels. Now a widower, Dennis is finally alone in his house, his daughter attending college out of state. When he's stricken by a paralyzing case of writer's block and a looming deadline, Dennis becomes desperate. Against better judgment, he claims someone else's writing as his own, accepting undeserved accolades for the stolen work. He thinks he's gotten away with it . . . until he's greeted by a young man named Cillian Reed--the true author of the stolen manuscript. What begins as a minor case of harassment quickly spirals out of control. As Cillian's threats escalate, Dennis finds himself on the brink of losing his career, his sanity, and even his life. The horror he's spent years writing about has arrived on his doorstep, and Dennis has nowhere to run. Ghostwriters are interesting characters as it's hard to imagine the thought of working hard on something and then letting anoth...

Shani Hanna returns to Spencer Academy for her senior year after an amazing summer spent with her friends Lissa, Gillian, and Carly. But the best part about summer was meeting Danyel Johnstone . Danyel is cute, smart, cool, and super nice. All Shani has to do is get him to see her as more than just one of the gang. But when the girls return to school, they find a new addition to the distinguished student body: Prince Rashid al Amir of Yasir , an oil-rich desert kingdom in the Middle East . Prince Rashid moved to California to prepare for an eventual MBA at Stanford . . . and to romance his future wife: Shani Hanna! It turns out, Shani's family and the prince's go back for generations, entwined in tradition, obligation, and family honor. In each generation, members of the two families have expanded their business interests through arranged marriage. Will Shani put aside her feelings for Danyel to pursue her family's wishes? Or will God answer her prayers for an in...

After spending spring break in Mexico with her grandparents , Carly Aragon can't wait to get back to school at Spencer Academy in San Francisco. With Lissa Mansfield and Gillian Chang by her side, she's ready for anything . . . except a new roommate. Lady Lindsay MacPhail, flamboyant daughter of the Earl of Strathcairn, quickly becomes Carly's worst nightmare. "Mac" not only swoops in and steals Carly's privacy, she's also dating Brett Loyola--Carly's biggest crush! But when Mac starts receiving strange, threatening e-mails, she and Carly must come together to figure out who's behind them and why. In the end, the fate of one girl will lie in the other's hands. Will the two learn to trust one another and trust God? Everytime I read a book in this series, I really wish I could have gone to boarding school for my high school years. At the very least, I wish I could have lived the live the girls at Spencer Academy get to enjoy. It sounds majorl...

New Yorker Gillian Chang starts her second term at posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco prepared to focus on her studies, her faith, and her friends. She plays a dozen musical instruments and can recite the periodic table of the elements backward. She's totally prepared for everything--except love! She's falling hard for Lucas Hayes, who isn't even a senior yet and is already aiming at a Ph .D. in physics from Stanford. The problem is, she never seems to be able to measure up and be the girlfriend he wants. He's under a lot of pressure from his parents to achieve--maybe that's why he's short-tempered sometimes. But ev en a thick-skinned girl like Gillian can only take so much. With her heart on the line, Gillian conceals more and more from her friends. So when she's accused of selling exam answer sheets, even her girlfriends, Lissa Mansfield and Carly Aragon , wonder if it can be true. Gillian will need the power of honesty--with hersel...

Tall, blonde Lissa Mansfield is used to being one of the "in" crowd--but being accepted by the popular girls at posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco is turning out to be harder than she thought. And then there's her New-York-loudmouth roommate, Gillian Chang, who's not just happy to be a Christian herself--she's determined to out Lissa, too! If Lissa can just keep her faith under wraps long enough to hook Callum McCloud, the hottest guy in school, she'll be golden. But when Callum pressures her to go all the way with him, Lissa has to decide for herself how far is too far. How can she see that line when he's so gorgeous and popular and she's so dazzled? And besides, she's too busy shopping for a Valentino and booking the hottest celeb for the Benefactors Ball. Who knew finding a place at Spencer Academy would be so complicated? Fresh, realistic, hip Christian YA This book (and the other books in this series) has got to be the h...

All....by...myself.... Christine has finally found a group of friends with the Miracle Girls. Instead of being a loner, she's learn to bond and trust Anna, Riley and Zoe. These girls become her lifeline as she tries to adapt to her father dating a women she doesn't like and the changes that come with that situation. Unfortunately the other girls seem to be drifting away from each other, no matter how hard Christine tries to keep them together. Will this be the end of the Miracle Girls? The problem with a lot of YA books these days are that they try to be too trendy, with constant label dropping and made up slang. It gets to the point where these things take away from the story and become so distracting that the reader gets turned off. However, this book does not follow that formula. As always, Anne and May have turned out an amazing work that is a hard-to-put-down page turner. This book brings me back to days in high school where you want to stick close to your group of ...

An Old Fashioned English Christmas Miranda Carson has returned to England for another Christmas. This time she has someone to return to with her boyfriend Ian. Also she's hoping to reconnect again with her newly discovered family and praying that she will be accepted at last. She's worried most about the matriarch of the family, Margaret because she knows that her very presence will hurt her. Meanwhile Ian's father suffers a heart attack which puts worry that the traditional Christmas play will not be able to be performed as planned. Will someone else be able to fill Father Christmas' shoes? Are you lover of Christmas, an Anglophile and happen to be a Robin Jones Gunn fan as well? Well this book is perfect for you then. If you've always wanted to experience a British Christmas but funds are tight, this is the next best thing. I could totally picture myself in England, driving in the small town, seeing the play and having tea. The details in the description...

Good girl lit for the YA set Ana Dominguez is the new girl in school. Just trying to blend in, she unfortunately finds herself in detention for trying to do the right thing. As luck would have it, she's stuck along with Riley the most popular girl in school. Their assignment is to group up with two other girls, Christine and Zoe, and write an essay on "The Day That Changed My Life." That's when Ana discovers that this group was meant to be together as they wouldn't be sitting there if a miracle hadn't happen in their life. Four very different girls who would normally never be friends find out that they have more in common than they expect. However friendship doesn't come quick and easy, there is high school drama that must ensue first.... I have always enjoyed Anne and May's books. They write for the the Christian girls that do enjoy living in a secular world. They know that there are Christian girls who like designer shoes, dating guys and going ...

Contest is closed - see first post for the winner! I'm giving away THREE books today: The Entire Drama Queens Series by Tracie Bateman ! This includes today's books plus the first two books in the series Catch a Rising Star and You Had Me at Goodbye. 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 Wednesday, August 20. US addresses only. Good luck! This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing That's (Not Exactly) Amore FaithWords (August 14, 2008) by Tracey Bateman ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tracey Bateman published her first novel in 2000 and has been busy ever since. There are two other books in the Drama Queen Series, Catch A Rising Star (#1) and You Had Me At Goodbye (#2) She learned to write by writing, and improved by listening to critique partners and editors. She has sold over 30 books in six years. She became a member of American Christian Fiction Writers in the early months of it...