Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

At thirty-three, talented chef Georgia Gray has everything a woman could want—the top job at one of Manhattan's best restaurants; a posse of smart and savvy gal pals who never let her down; and a platinum-set, cushion-cut diamond engagement ring courtesy of Glenn, the handsome entertainment lawyer who Georgia's overbearing mother can't wait for her to marry. The table is set for the ambitious bride-to-be until a scathing restaurant review destroys her reputation. To add salt to her wounds, Glenn suddenly calls off the wedding. Brokenhearted, Georgia escapes to the Italian countryside, where she sharpens her skills at a trattoria run by a world-class chef who seems to have it all—a devoted lover, a magnificent villa, and most important, a kitchen of her own. Georgia quells her longings with Italy's delectable offerings: fine wine, luscious cheeses, cerulean blue skies, and irresistible Gianni—an expert in the vineyard and the bedroom. So when Gianni tempts G...

Deep in the heart of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains, shy Sarah King is happiest when working in her vibrant Amish kitchen garden, but new family responsibilities lead her into the confusing world of the Englisch. Sarah finds her life turned around when she encounters the community's new Englisch veterinarian, Grant Williams. His blue-gold eyes and his obvious concern for her people attract her immediately. Sarah seeks solace and direction from the Lord as she creates a quilt pattern which details her struggle between two worlds. The Lord is guiding Sarah to follow His will, but will she listen? Yes, another Amish book to add to the multitude. I approached this book with apprehension. Would it fall in the same line as other Amish books that are predictable and preachy or would it give a new spin to the already over-saturated genre? Well this book managed to fit both of those expectations. Sarah is a 20-something Amish woman who finds solace working in her garden than working...

Things are finally going Holly Denham's way: she's in love, she's getting the recognition she deserves at work, and her friends and family have graciously opted to avoid disaster for the moment. Just when Holly is starting to settle into her new life, scandal erupts and Holly finds herself-and her in box-at the center of a gossip whirlwind that threatens everything she's worked so hard for. This book has been on MUST READS list ever since I finished reading Holly's Inbox last year. That book was one of my top 10 reads of 2009 and it was one I could not put down. When I finished that one, I went online to find out if there was a sequel and was estatic to find out there was but then disappointed to to discover it was only available in the UK. I was going to think that I would never be able to read it until I found out that Sourcebooks would be publishing it in the US this year. I did a little happy dance then. When I started reading, at first I was a little lost getti...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Gathering Storm Summerside Press (August 1, 2010) by Bodie and Brock Thoene ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Bodie and Brock Thoene (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 50 works of historical fiction. Over twenty million of these best-selling novels are in print. Eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered—the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts. Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journali...

Congrats to the winner of Waxed!

Big Apple. Bigger Problems. The success of the Forrester sisters' On the Runway TV show lands them a hot ticket to Fashion Week in New York City. Paige is determined to garner the attention of New York's top designers, but her newfound fame threatens to go to her head. Erin wants to help promote the work of some eco-minded designers, but struggles to be taken seriously. Can Paige keep her prima donna behavior in check? Will Erin's involvement hurt the people she's really trying to help? Success in the big city comes with even bigger challenges, and as the pressure grows, so does the drama. I really am starting to think that this is Melody Carlson's best YA series to date. As with the first book, Premiere , I really think that these books are great to pass along to any reader who enjoy the girly type of YA. The characters are realistic but put in fun situations that everyone dreams of. Who wouldn't want to be able to host your own TV show and get to tr...

Dexter College is a small liberal arts college in the quiet town of Home, Maine. But it won't stay quiet for long with this group of freshmen. There's Shipley—blonde and beautiful, the object of envy and more than a little lust. Determined to assert herself and to shed her good-girl image, she buys cigarettes and condoms, because that's what every self-respecting college girl does. Her edgy roommate, Eliza, came to Dexter to get noticed, and she has the attitude and the mouth to prove it. Then there's Tom. Handsome, privileged, used to getting his own way, he's a jock-turned-artist who thinks his paintings will change the world. Sensitive Nick, Tom's wake-and-bake pot-smoking roommate, wants to follow in the footsteps of his boarding-school hero. And then there are brother and sister Adam and Tragedy Gatz. The freckle-faced farm boy lives at home with his parents and his little sister, who does all she can to stop him from being a wuss. As Shipley, Eliza, Tom, N...

Amid the glitter and glamour of musical and court life in 18th century Vienna, fifteen-year-old Theresa Maria Shurman is trying to solve a brutal mystery. Who killed her father, an acclaimed violinist, and stole his valuable Amati violin? When Haydn himself offers her a position as his assistant, it gives Theresa access to life in the palace–and to a world of deceit. Theresa uncovers blackmail and extortion even as she discovers courage and honor in unexpected places: from a Gypsy camp on the banks of the Danube, to the rarefied life of the imperial family. And she feels the stirrings of a first, tentative love for someone who is as deeply involved in the mystery as she is. As a history major, I adore historical fiction. It's what turned me on to history in the first place. While some of my fellow classmates may disagree, I think that historical fiction is a wonderful way to introduce the average person to a historical time period or even they would never have learned ab...

Today I finished reading my 400th book of 2010. (A review of this book will be forthcoming) And believe it or not, I'm ahead of my pace from last year. It wasn't til the middle of October that I read my 400th book in 2009. So I'm pretty much well on pace to read about 600 books this year, but we shall see. Well, now that I've finished graduate school, while I'm looking for a job, I can read as much as I can in my spare time without feeling any guilt that I should be studying or writing papers!

FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers's cutting-edge 21st-century geospatial investigative techniques and impeccable logic have helped him track some of the country's most grisly killers. But those skills are pushed to the limit in this new installment of the highly-acclaimed, award-winning The Bowers Files series. This time it's a congressman's daughter who is found dead even as her killers launch a spree of perfect murders in the Northeast. With nothing to link the crimes to each other, Agent Bowers faces his most difficult case yet—even as his personal life begins to crumble around him. I am a HUGE Steven James fan. When I picked up his first book, THE PAWN, I could not put it down. It was literally one of the best suspense/thriller books I have ever read in my life. Seriously, he knows how to write and grab a reader. This may be due to him having a master's degree in storytelling (something all writers would definitely benefit from) and how he knows the craft o...

Britta Lindquist left Sitka six years ago in an attempt to distance herself from the love of her life, Yuri Belikov. Upon her return, she finds Yuri absent and his wife about to deliver a child. When tragic circumstances ensue, Britta suddenly finds herself caring for Yuri's children--and her life intertwining with the man she's tried so hard to forget. But Britta's other great love is for the violin, and her talent is recognized by Brenton Maltese, a conductor from England. He proposes she accept the coveted first chair position in his orchestra and also his hand in marriage. At a crossroads, Britta must determine what her heart truly longs for--and if she's willing to fight for it. Before I begin this review, I would to note that I only just not realized that I have not read the second book this series. I have no idea how I did this, as I normally try to read all books in a series before reviewing the newest addition. As such, this makes a lot of sense when I look bac...

Waxed is the story of three relationship-challenged sisters working together at New York’s hottest waxing salon, catering to socialites, actresses, and regular folk alike. Yank. On the surface, glamorous Carolina Impresario---big sister and owner of Impresarios---unapologetically wants it all, but secretly she is caught between her successful boyfriend and the only man she has ever truly loved. Pluck. After a painful divorce, middle sister Anna reluctantly reenters the workforce and puts on a brave face while attempting to raise her children, one of whom is decidedly different. Tear. Newlywed Sofia is a hybrid of her two older sisters: She loves the idea of a domestic life like Anna’s, but is entranced by New York nightlife and a new best friend, resulting in some major complications at home. Amid the sticky confines of a perfectly manicured world, these three sisters search for love, friendship, and better versions of themselves. Waxed is a funny and heartfelt novel tha...

Just as Katy is feeling settled in her new school, everything falls apart at home. Her father, believing she needs a mother, starts courting a woman Katy refuses to accept. Tensions rise as Katy schemes to send the woman packing. Meanwhile, the pressure builds at school as Katy joins the debate team, encounters a teammate's scorn, and faces her growing feelings for a boy her father will never accept. Can Katy prove she doesn't need a mother's guidance even as she discovers more of what the world offers? I was looking forward to this book as I had enjoyed the first book in the series. This is due to the unique perspective of a teen who is normally not allowed to pursue higher education being allowed to do so. Katy is from a strict Mennonite family but she is allowed to attend a public high school which is giving her a whole new look at life. She's still following the strict background she's grown up in as she doesn't wear makeup or even watch TV when st...

The Nancy Drew Challenge is a reading challenge for 2010 for readers to attempt to read all 56 original yellow hardbacks that were in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. Click here for more information or to sign up for the challenge. At the end of each month, I will put up a post where participants of the challenge can recap how they did during that month. Well, I am personally almost done with the challenge! In July I read 8 books, #s 44-51. So only 5 more books to complete my goal! Well the books I read for this month really had me getting annoyed with George. In every book she keeps mocking Bess for eating. Well you know what? It's nice to see a girl with a healthy appetite and so what if Bess is slightly plump? She is doing just as much as Nancy and George is doing. I'm not quite sure if that is what the authors intended but it seems to be a subliminal message saying it's not ok for girls to eat. The stories lately have been rather forgett...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Dark In The City Of Light Bethany House (July 1, 2010) by Paul Robertson ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and the author of The Heir. He is also a former Christian bookstore owner (for 15 years), who lives with his family in Blacksburg, Virginia. ABOUT THE BOOK What Evil Haunts the Shadows of 1870s Paris? Baron Ferdinand Harsanyi — After his wife's mysterious death, this Austrian attaché holds control over mines whose coveted ore could turn the tide of war. Therese Harsanyi — Swept up in new romance and the spectacle of Paris, the Baron's daughter is blind to the dangers stalking her family and the city she loves. Rudolph Harsanyi — Unsure whom to trust, the Baron's son's grief over his mother's death twists into growing anger and a desire to break free. As France and Prussia plunge toward war, one family is...

How to Be an American Housewife is a novel about mothers and daughters, and the pull of tradition. It tells the story of Shoko, a Japanese woman who married an American GI, and her grown daughter, Sue, a divorced mother whose life as an American housewife hasn't been what she'd expected. When illness prevents Shoko from traveling to Japan, she asks Sue to go in her place. The trip reveals family secrets that change their lives in dramatic and unforeseen ways. Offering an entertaining glimpse into American and Japanese family lives and their potent aspirations, this is a warm and engaging novel full of unexpected insight. As the first generation daughter of Asian immigrants to the US, I am always on the lookout for books that tell the stories of immigrant parents and their American born children. It doesn't matter what culture the people are from. The stories end up all being the same of people having to adapt to a new culture and wanting what's best for the...

Charlotte Vance is a young woman who knows what she wants. But when the man she planned to marry joins the Shakers—a religious group that does not marry—she is left dumbfounded. And when her father brings home a new wife who is young enough to be Charlotte's sister, it is more than she can bear. With the country—and her own household—on the brink of civil war, this pampered gentlewoman hatches a plan to avoid her new stepmother and win back her man by joining the Shaker community at Harmony Hill. Little does she know that this decision will lead her down a road toward unforeseen peace—and a very unexpected love. This book starts off with your typical evil stepmother story, where the father is clueless and bewitched by his younger new wife. He seems ignorant to his adult daughter's feelings and doesn't seem to realize that his new wife is trying to get rid of anything from the old household including his own daughter. Charlotte is caught between her devotion for he...

Senior year is over and Skylar Hoyt is ready to forgive and forget. Or at least forget. She wants a fresh start where people don't know about her partying past or her younger sister and her baby. A place where she won't run in to her ex-boyfriend every time she leaves the house. When she gets the chance to spend the summer in Hawaii with her grandparents, Skylar jumps at the chance to get out of town. But when her sister needs her, Skylar has to swallow her pride and come back home. Will she be strong enough to rise above the gossip and live the life God wants for her? I've read a lot of young adult fiction, both Christian and general market. Even though I'm not a complete expert on the subject, I feel that I am one of the few readers who has read both kinds and can do a fair comparative. Sometimes general market YA has too much sex, language and drinking for Christian readers. Sometimes Christian YA is too clean and unrealistic for general market readers. I...

Pam and Mark Walker are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary with a week-long family reunion and a ceremony renewing their vows. But when Mark's brother-in-law starts broadcasting his radio talk show from Montis Inn, his disparaging remarks about small-town life cause immediate rifts that only widen when he sides with a real estate developer who wants to turn Lumby into an asphalt Aspen. As the controversy pits family against family, and neighbor against neighbor, will the spirit that defines Lumby triumph once again? A return trip to Lumby can never come too soon. This time the townsfolk are looking to see the family reunion of the Walkers at Montis Inn. Lots of preparations must happen to make sure this goes off without a hitch. Of course, this story would not be complete without traditional Lumby fare such as Mark making impractical decisions or Hank the flamingo showing up in unexpected places. There is a lot to like in this book. I love the humor in this book...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Stars In The Night Summerside Press (July 1, 2010) by Cara Putman ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A Word From Cara: I graduated from high school at sixteen, college at 20, and completed my law degree when I was 27. My writing journey started in 2005 when I decided to write my first novel. Now I have eleven books published with more on the way. People say I've accomplished a lot and that I must have life by the proverbial tail. Hardly! I grew up as a home schooled kid when home schoolers were misunderstood and oddities. I struggle with balancing my writing and law career, plus being a good mom and wife. I often fear people won't like my books. I've walked through the deep pain of miscarriage. Really, I'm just like you – I don't have it all together and have gone through tough times. But in His strength, I've discovered a strength I never knew I had. A strength I want you to discover, too. In the end I...