Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from Christianbook .com: Jenna and Andi Tikaani -Gray are hoping for a fresh start. Though Twelve-year old Andi has long struggled with a rare medical disorder, she and her mother have finally received good news from out-of-town specialists. Its news they desperately needed, especially after the recent death of Jenna's husband (Andi's dad) in a car accident. But as they were flying home to Alaska, ready to begin again, the unthinkable happens. The pilot sabotages their small plane and crashes into Sultana, one of the most remote and dangerous mountains in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Even worse, a winter storm is headed their way along with someone who wants to kill them. It's always fun to come across a new story about subjects you don't know about. I find that a lot of fiction stories that use actual events or situations are the best places to learn about new things. In this book, I learned a lot about Alaska, survival and a disease that many people suffer...

Summary from BN.com: A dusty carved box containing two locks of hair and a century-old letter regarding property in Switzerland, and a burning desire to learn about her biological family lead nurse-midwife Lexie Jaeger from her home in Oregon to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. There she meets Marta Bayer, a mysterious lay-midwife who desperately needs help after an Amish client and her baby die. Lexie steps in to assume Marta's patient load even as she continues the search for her birth family, and from her patients she learns the true meaning of the Pennsylvania Dutch word demut, which means 'to let be' as she changes from a woman who wants to control everything to a woman who depends on God. I shouldn't have been surprised at how much I enjoy this book. Every Mindy Starns Clark book that I've read includes such a good mystery story that I find myself completely sucked in as I try to solve it along with the characters. Lexie's search to find out w...

In case you didn't know, I'm a HUGE Ted Dekker fan. I discovered his books a few years ago and have been in love with them ever since. I've read pretty much ALL his books and I even got to speak with him during a call in interview. So I was excited to hear that Center Street is putting together a blog tour for his newest book, THE PRIEST'S GRAVEYARD. Sarah from Hachette contacted me to see if I knew of any bloggers who would be interested in being on the tour. Calling All Bloggers We’re looking for participants for a blog tour promoting THE PRIEST’S GRAVEYARD, by prolific thriller writer, Ted Dekker. For more information on the book, check out http://www.getthisbook.com . We’re looking for Dekker fans AND those of you who have never picked up a Ted Dekker book before. We want old fans and new fans alike. The tour will run from April 8 through pub day of April 19 until April 22. What You’ll Get: Early review copy of The Priest’s Graveyard Book trailer Excerpt Countd...

Over the following weeks, I plan on reviewing some of the movies that were nominated for Best Picture at the 2011 Academy Awards. I won passes to the Best Picture showcase hosted by AMC Theaters. This meant that for 24 hours straight, ALL TEN of the Best Picture nominees were played back to back, from 10 am Saturday to about 9 am Sunday. It was totally awesome. We got gift cards for concessions and people were there with blankets and pillows. One of the best experiences of my life and I hope to do it again next year. I only stayed for 6 out of the 10 because 1) it was getting late and 2) I had already seen 3 out of the 4 remaining movies. I only have not seen Black Swan. This also marked the FOURTH time that I saw Toy Story 3 in theaters, a feat that no other movie I have seen in theaters has even come close. And it was just as good/sad/funny/moving as the first time I saw it (yes I bawled like a baby). I have to say that this year, the nominations were all extremely well dese...

Summary from BN.com: The elegance of Madame Forza's gown shop is a far cry from the downtrodden North End of Boston. Yet each day Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana enter the world of the upper class, working on finery for the elite in society. The three beauties each long to break free of their obligations and embrace the American dream—and their chance for love. But the ways of the heart are difficult to discern at times. Julietta is drawn to the swarthy, mysterious Angelo. Annamaria has a star-crossed encounter with the grocer's son, a man from the entirely wrong family. And through no intent of her own, Luciana catches the eye of Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Forza's most important client. Their destinies intertwined, each harboring a secret from their families and each other, will they be found worthy of the love they seek? I have been a HUGE fan of Siri Mitchell's historicals (as well as her other books) so I was so excited to hear about her new book. I always re...

Summary from BN.com: Scarlet Santana is never happier than when creating fabulous fashions for women of all shapes and sizes. Now, after years of hard work, she finally has the chance to live her dream and study under the hottest designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, teaching a type-A working mom whose rigid parenting style is causing her family to unravel and an enigmatic seamstress with a mysterious past. But as stitches give way to secrets and classmates become friends, the women realize an important truth: There is no single pattern for a good life. Happiness is always a custom fit. I loved reading this book. It was so fun and full of life. Even if you're not a sewer or into any sorts of crafts these books are really fun to read. But for those who are interested in that sort of trade, there are lots of little tidbits that will keep you intrigued while you read. I don't think that I co...

Summary from the publisher: It’s been months since Darina has seen her undead boyfriend and her heart is breaking all over again. The wait is slowly driving her crazy. All she wants to do is be with Phoenix, to feel his arms wrapped around her. But to earn the pleasure of that embrace, Darina must track down the crazed killer that shot Summer Madison. Was it a random shooting? Or was the gifted singer the victim of an obsessive fan? As time runs out, Darina will risk her own life to discover the truth. But if she solves Summer’s murder, Darina knows it only brings her one step closer to losing Phoenix forever… Every time I read one of the books in this series, I am always amazed at how much I enjoy them. I normally stay away from this type of YA but for some reason I really do get into these books and have a grand old time while reading. Maybe it's because even though the undead is involved in this book, they aren't the typical zombie-type. I will say that while I did enjoy...

Summary from BN.com: The future should be bright for Deborah Vandermark, who is now pursuing her interest in medicine alongside Dr. Christopher Clayton, who is courting her. But the lumber town is resistant to the idea of a woman physician, and she feels thwarted at every turn. A more devastating blow occurs, however, when Christopher breaks off their relationship to return home to his troubled family. Despite her own love life going awry, Deborah is still intent to be a matchmaker for both her widowed mother and her brother, who has caught the eye of the spit-fire daughter of the local pastor. But what will Deborah do when faced with the truth about Christopher's family? Is there hope for the two of them...or will Jake Wyeth's attentions finally catch Deborah's eye instead? While I had enjoyed the first book in the series tremendously, I felt this one to fall a bit short. The story is nothing new in Christian fiction, it's typical inspirational historical romance. T...

Summary from Christianbook.com: Kaylee's mother is gone. And it seems she took Kaylee's voice with her. Now, ten-year old Kaylee must fend for herself with her mother's abusive boyfriend. Her days are spent collecting words she may never speak. Sierra Dawn is alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter's death, God begins wooing her back to Himself.Brought together by Divine design, the relationship between Kaylee and Sierra begins a healing process in each of them as they dare to let the Truth, Jesus Christ, set them free. There are very few books in Christian fiction that leave me speechless after reading. I find this book to be one of them which is rather ironic since the purpose of this book deals with using words to express oneself. It is also rare of me to consider the plot of a Christian fiction book to be highly on par with general market reads. This is not because the quality of w...

Long live the king! I wanted to wait until after the Oscars were over before I FINALLY put up my review of this movie. In case you hadn't heard, The King's Speech won four Academy Awards last Sunday: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay. This is probably the first time since Return of the King won back in 2004, that I have been SO excited for a Best Picture winner. First the story. It's WONDERFUL. It's a period drama. It's about the British royalty. It's an underdog story. It brings attention to those who face stuttering in their lives. There is so much emotional energy in this movie. It will bring tears and laughter. This is one of the best movies that I have ever seen, and definitely the best movie of 2010. It totally deserves the Oscar for Best Picture. Colin Firth is absolutely perfect in this movie. First off, Colin Firth is practically perfect in every movie he's in. Ok , there may have been a few snags (n...

Summary from BN.com: Bobbie McIntyre dreams of running a ranch of her own. Raised without a mother and having spent most of her time around men, she knows more about wrangling than acting like a lady. The friendship of her new employer awakens a desire to learn more about presenting her feminine side, but ranch life keeps getting in the way. Ranch owner Jace Kincaid figures the Lord is testing his faith when a female wrangler shows up looking for work. Bobbie has an uncanny way of getting under his skin, though, and he's surprised when she finds a home next to his heart. But when his cattle begin to go missing and his wranglers are in danger from some low-down cattle thief, can Jace trust God, even if it may mean giving up on his dreams? I am probably not the right audience for this book. This was one of those books that I just didn't really enjoy. I couldn't get into the story, I didn't feel anything for the characters and I pretty much found myself not really conne...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Bond Never Broken Bethany House (March 1, 2011) by Judith Miller ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A Word from Judith: Most readers want to know how authors 'got started' writing. My first novel, Threads of Love , was conceived when I was commuting sixty miles to work each day. I wanted to tell the story of a pioneer girl coming to Kansas and the faith that sustained her as she adjusted to a new life. When the book was completed, I tucked it away. I had absolutely no idea how publication of a book occurred and had given no thought to the concept. However, through a co-worker, I was directed to Tracie Peterson who, at that time, worked down the hall from me. Having never met Tracie, I was totally unaware of her writing career, but God intervened. The rest is, as they say, history... With a graciousness that continues to amaze me, Tracie agreed to read my story, directed me to a publisher, and gave me infor...

Summary from BN.com: War correspondent Jennie King thinks she’s just a temporary guest in her grandmother’s Amish community while she recuperates from the devastating injuries sustained in a car bomb attack that changed her world. But when she meets Matthew Bontrager, the man she had a crush on as a teenager, she wonders if God has a new plan for her. Jennie has emotional and physical scars and though she feels she has come home to this man and this place, she's not sure she can bridge the difference between their worlds. I'm a rather torn with this book. If you've read any of my previous reviews involving Amish books, you know how conflicted I am about them. I really like the ones that embrace the lifestyle without romanticizing it. I am interested in them and I would like to know more about their culture. However at the same time, I don't like books that are preaching at me for not being a part of their lifestyle. It's a fine line to walk on and I feel like s...

Summary from Christianbook.com: Just outside of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Detective Sergeant Maddox Bishop works in the Criminal Investigative Department, Homicide Division. When the dead body of a building inspector is found in a burnt "Homes of Hope" house, Maddox gets the case. The trail of evidence will lead him into exposing one of the biggest scams of modern day. Layla Taylor is a contractor in Calcasieu parish, who loves God, her family, and what she does. When Detective Bishop's investigation leads him to her sister's drug-rehab retreat, every defense in her rises to the surface. To prove her sister's business isn't involved with anything illegal or immoral, she joins forces with the man who is against everything she believes in. Romantic suspense novels really need to draw me in with the beginning of the story. Once you've got me hooked, the suspense needs to continue at a good pace and to not sacrifice it for romance. An equal blend with a tad ...

Summary from BN.com: Life is heating up for the four Lindas—and it’s not just hot flashes! Abby’s losing sleep over her husband’s health and neglecting her bed-and-breakfast dreams. Caroline may have waited too long to put her Alzheimer’s-afflicted mom in a care facility. Marley’s hard-won independence is threatened by her grown son’s neediness. And Janie’s having a hard time being everyone’s rock as the relationship she counted on falters. Add to that a house fire, a missing set of dishes, a bully brother, plus a half-crazy blonde named Donna, and things get really complicated. But with each new twist their lives take, the Lindas are learning that good friends are the best family a girl can have. Out of all the books in the series so far, this one I felt was the best at finally giving each woman their own storyline that was unique and interesting. The Four Lindas spend time together and help each other out, yet each has a distinctive voice and character that sets them apart from eac...

Summary from BN.com: Boone Drake has it made. He’s a young cop rising rapidly through the ranks of the Chicago Police Department. He has a beautiful wife and a young son, a nice starter house, a great partner, and a career plan that should land him in the Organized Crime Division within five years. Everything is going right. Until everything goes horribly, terribly wrong. His personal life destroyed and his career and future in jeopardy, Boone buries himself in guilt and bitterness as his life spirals out of control. But when he comes face-to-face with the most vicious gang leader Chicago has seen in decades, he begins to realize that God is a God of second chances and can change the hardest heart . . . and forgive the worst of crimes. The book is pretty much split in two sections. The first half deals with Boone dealing with the tragic accident that took his young family. This half most resonated with me because of the raw emotions that are presented here. I wanted to weep with Bo...

My Library Reads is a spotlight on the library books that I have read during the previous week. This is not a post on what books I borrowed but books that I read. Since I don't review library books, this is a way to still be able to showcase them on my blog. BTW, if anyone knows of another meme that is like this on another blog, could you please let me know? I don't know of any myself, but if there is one already in place, I'd like to give credit where credit is due! Library Books read from 2/20/11 - 2/26/11 Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 10/12/10) YA - This is another of those books that I picked up simply because of other book bloggers and all the talk on twitter. It's a split contemporary and historical fiction book, taking place in modern day New York and France and then during the French Revolution. The book starts off with Andi who I found to be incredibly annoying. Seriously, she was such a brat. I understan...

Summary from BN.com: Katie McKenna has never loved any man but one: billionaire Luc DeForges. He was her first love. But there are a billion reasons why she's engaged instead to Dexter Hastings, a solid and stable man who wants the same things she does: marriage and a family but all of the things that she wants without the deep-seeded pain and fear of being abandoned that Luc brings. Dexter and she have worked an arrangement that's akin to faith without action, love without deeds -- a dead faith. Going home to New Orleans to sing for her childhood friend's wedding, Katie must search her heart to find out if any of her reasons for being with Dexter are stronger than love. Only when Katie steps fully into faith and jumps off the cliff of life into the arms of Luc does she understand the fullness of God's grace. I haven't been able to find a lot of good romances lately. I'm not into the whole bodice ripper type deal nor am I a fan of guy meets girl, they fall in ...