Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Congrats to the winner of Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguie:

Summary from BN.com: She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist of tent revivalist David Terrell, and before long, Donna Johnson was part of the hugely popular evangelical preacher's inner circle. At seventeen, she left the ministry for good, with a trove of stranger-than-fiction memories. A homecoming like no other, Holy Ghost Girl brings to life miracles, exorcisms, and faceoffs with the Ku Klux Klan. And that's just what went on under the tent. As Terrell became known worldwide during the 1960s and '70s, the caravan of broken-down cars and trucks that made up his ministry evolved into fleets of Mercedes and airplanes. The glories of the Word mixed with betrayals of the flesh and Donna's mother bore Terrell's children in one of the several secret households he maintained. Thousands of followers, dubbed "Terrellites" by the press, left their homes to await the end of the world in cultlike communities. Jesus didn't show, bu...

Summary from BN.com: A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily. Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer...or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined? My first thought when I started reading this book was I am so happy that Bethany House released two books on the same day that both have Asian characters in them. It's actually a bit sad that I'...

Summary from BN .com: Her heart seeks sanctuary in the deep woods. But will trouble find her even here?The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway's Georgia home, conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a north woods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. I wasn't a fan of the cover and I was deathly afraid that it was going to fall into the historical romance pitfall I seem to find myself in. Luckily, that was not my fate this time. I think it was because the focus of the story was on life in the camp and not on romance. Oh, romance is in t...

Summary from BN.com: After returning home from teaching English at a refugee camp in the Philippines, Samantha Bravencourt enjoys her quiet life working at her mother's clothing boutique in Falls Church, Virginia. When she receives an invitation to a wedding in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she looks forward to reconnecting with her college friend. Instead her life collides with Carson, a fellow teacher and the man who broke her heart, and a young Amerasian refugee named Lien who needs Samantha and Carson's help to find her mother before Lien's own wedding. When the search for Lien's mother reveals surprising secrets from the past, Samantha must reevaluate her own memories and decide whether to continue to play it safe or take a risk that could change her life. This book had win written all over it. One, I love the simplicity, beauty and uniqueness of the cover. Two, Alice Wisler is a fantastic writer. Three, the story is set (well half of it) in Northern Virginia near...

Summary from BN.com: For Donia Bijan’s family, food has been the language they use to tell their stories and to communicate their love. In 1978, when the Islamic revolution in Iran threatened their safety, they fled to California’s Bay Area, where the familiar flavors of Bijan’s mother’s cooking formed a bridge to the life they left behind. Now, through the prism of food, award-winning chef Donia Bijan unwinds her own story, finding that at the heart of it all is her mother, whose love and support enabled Bijan to realize her dreams. From the Persian world of her youth to the American life she embraced as a teenager to her years at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (studying under the infamous Madame Brassart) to apprenticeships in France’s three-star kitchens and finally back to San Francisco, where she opened her own celebrated bistro, Bijan evokes a vibrant kaleidoscope of cultures and cuisines. And she shares thirty inspired recipes from her childhood (Saffron Yogurt Rice with Chicken and E...

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A Girl and Her Books and is being hosted by Savvy Verse and Wit this month. Here are the books I got this week. After the past couple of weeks, this was a very small week in comparison. For Review: Her Sister's Shadow by Katharine Britton Contest Win: I Never Thought I'd See the Day by Dr. David Jeremiah

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: When her father orchestrates a surprise trip to the summer house of her childhood, Bailee Cooper is unprepared for what follows. What is intended to be a happy reunion for Bailee and her sisters, Geena and Piper, quickly becomes shrouded by memories from the past. Together again, the three sisters sift through their recollections of fifteen years ago...of an ill mother, and of their father making a desperate choice. They vowed, as children, to be silent--but one sister believes the truth must now be revealed. Yet can they trust their memories? Mark Delahunt arrives in the wake of this emotional turmoil. Determined to win Bailee's affection, Mark becomes the strong fortress for her in this time of confusion, and what was once a tentative promise begins to take root and grow. Caught between the past and an uncertain future, can Bailee let God guide her to heal the past and ultimately to embrace love? Tracie Peterson's contemporary books are few and fa...

Summary from BN.com: When it comes to love, one thing's for sure--it doesn't follow a script! Athena Pappas is the head writer on Stars Collide, one of the most popular sitcoms in television history. But when Vegas comedian Stephen Cosse is brought in to beef up the show's suddenly sagging ratings, she starts to worry about her job. Sparks fly as the competition--and attraction--between the two writers heats up. Athena has never had a problem writing the romances of her characters. So why is her own love life so hard to script? With humor and a Hollywood-insider viewpoint, Hello, Hollywood! delivers lots of laughs as Athena and Stephen discover that not being in control of the plot of their lives might just be the best thing that ever happened to them. As a fan of all things entertainment, I have fun reading stories that take place in Hollywood. I also enjoy reading stories that deal with a lot of food. Thirdly, I appreciate seeing a story where a woman is working i...

Congrats to the winner of The Wounded Heart by Adina Senft: Sandra from The Musings of a Book Addict

Summary from BN .com: Rose Kauffman pines for prodigal Nick Franco, the Bishop's foster son who left the Amish under a cloud of suspicion after his foster brother's death. His rebellion led to the "silencing" of their beloved Bishop. But is Nick really the rebel he appears to be? Rose's lingering feelings for her wayward friend refuse to fade, but she is frustrated that Nick won't return and make things right with the People. Nick avowed his love for Rose--but will he ever be willing to sacrifice modern life for her? Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, is living in her parents' Dawdi Haus . Her estranged "English" husband, injured and helpless after a car accident, has reluctantly come to live with her and their young daughter during his recovery. Can their marriage recover, as well? Is there any possible middle ground between a woman reclaiming her old-fashioned Amish lifestyle and thoroughly modern man? So, this probably was not my favo...

Summary from BN .com: When two women—one Amish, one English—each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town's reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer. As an Amish story, this book puts a different spin on the genre as it involves a murder mystery. That's not something you ever hear about in "peaceful paradise". What I did like best about this book is that the Amish interact with those who are not Amish, on their turf. Sure in the book Shipshewana there is a big Amish population. But there are lots of Englishers who live in the area and the Amish come to them and not really vice versa , in this book at least....

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A Girl and Her Books and is being hosted by Savvy Verse and Wit this month. Here are the books I got this week. For Review: The Survivors by Will Weaver Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr If I Tell by Janet Gutler Havoc by Jeff Sampson I'm Not Her by Janet Gutler Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M. James Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block Incarnate by Jodi Meadows You are So Not Smart by David McRaney Black Boy White School by Brian F. Walker Lovetorn by Kavati Daswani Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi A Wedding Invitation by Alice Wisler The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson Sunrise on the Battery by Beth Webb Hart

Summary from BN .com: When Catharine Olsen leaves Holland for Wyoming as a mail-order bride, she brings some extra baggage with her: two sisters, her mother's set of Blue Willow china, and a tragic past. As she steps off the train, Peter Andersen is glad to see that she is everything her letters showed her to be. But he is a bit perturbed by her unexpected companions. How will he support them all? And what other secrets might Catharine be keeping from him? Filled with sweet romance and vivid characters, Deeply Devoted highlights a clash of cultures as a highborn European and a simple wheat farmer learn to love one another and trust God with the past--and the future. I really don't think I am a romance reader anymore. While I was never a huge fan of the genre, I found most Christian historical romances enjoyable in the past. Lately though, I feel like the stories are making me jaded. I'm not enjoying them the way I used to. Unfortunately this book falls into that cat...

Summary from Goodreads : When Ellie Kendall tragically loses her husband she feels her life is over. But eventually she’s ready for a new start – at work, that is. She doesn ’t need a new man when she has a certain secret visitor to keep her company... Zack McLaren seems to have it all, but the girl he can’t stop thinking about won’t give him a second glance. If only she’d pay him the same attention she lavishes on his dog. Moving to North London, Ellie meets neighbour Roo who has a secret of her own. Can the girls sort out their lives? Guilt is a powerful emotion, but a lot can happen in a year in Primrose Hill... Ever since I discovered Jill Mansell's books a few years ago, I cannot get enough of her. I love her style of writing. I love how she makes you get invested in her characters and you fall in love with everyone and want to know their story. That's just what she does in her newest book with Ellie, a young widow who is finally beginning to start her life over aft...

Summary from BN.com: In the steamy city of New Orleans in 1974, Amalise Catoir sees Phillip Sharp as a charming, magnetic artist, unlike any man she has known. A young lawyer herself, raised in a small-town Christian home and on the brink of a career with a large firm, she is strong and successful, yet sometimes too trusting and whimsical. Ama's rash decision to marry Phillip proves to be a mistake as he becomes overly possessive, drawing his wife away from family, friends, and her faith. His insidious, dangerous behavior becomes her dark, inescapable secret.In this lawyer's unraveling world, can grace survive Ama's fatal choice? What would you do when prayers seem to go unanswered, faith has slipped away, evil stalks, and you feel yourself forever dancing on shattered glass? I have been waiting a LONG time to read this book it seems. Ever since I finished reading Pamela Ewen's The Moon in the Mango Tree over three years ago, I knew that I would want to read more fro...

So in case you missed it, I posted a survey last week asking my readers their thoughts and opinions on my blog. I was looking forward to seeing the responses and yes, I geeked out every time I got a new response. How long have you been reading my blog? 4-5 years 21% 2-3 years 46% 1 year or less 21% This is my first visit! 4% I was expecting this number. It's only in the past few years that I've really become more involved with the book blogging community outside of the Christian fiction blogosphere. Where are you from? US 88% Canada 4% Europe 4% Asia 0% Australia 4% Other 0% Again not surprising. But I am glad for my foreign readers! How are you reading my blog? Came straight to website 4% Through RSS Feed (ie. Google Reader) 50% Through Email 8% Link on Twitter, Facebook, GetGlue or other social media network 7 29% I have no idea how I got here 0% The majority of readers read the blog through RSS feed which is something I do with other blog...