Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

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...

There are two things twenty-nine-year-old Jackie Donovan asks God for: an honest, wonderful man to marry, and to own a bed-and-breakfast in the Outer Banks region. In the meantime, Jackie works for Lighthouse Views magazine, writing articles about other local business owners, and intrepidly goes on the blind dates set up by her well-meaning but oh-so-clueless relatives. There's one specific property Jackie dreams of purchasing: the Bailey Place, a fabulous old home where Jackie spent many happy childhood afternoons, a place that has now fallen into disrepair because of its outrageous price tag. When Jackie meets handsome Davis Erickson, who holds the key to the Bailey Place, Jackie is sure God has answered both her prayers. But as Jackie learns some disturbing details about Davis's past, she begins to question her own motivation. Will she risk her long-held dreams to find out the truth? I grew up in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia,which includes Virginia Beach. The Outer Ba...

A Stirring Debut Nicole does not remember her past. She is living in North Carolina with members of her extended family, planning reunions and making pineapple chutney. Then one day, through a website she created, she meets a man named Harrison whom she has a connection to. Through talking they discover that they knew each other growing up in Japan. Soon Nicole begins to discover the secrets of her childhood, the story of her mother and discovers a love she never knew existed. This book was nothing at all what I was expecting. The cover, while unique and inviting, does not begin to hint about the depth of this story. I was drawn immediately into the mystery of the story as Nicole takes us along to figure out her past. The finding of her website by Harrison just makes the story even more amazing. Some may see situations like this as coincidence but it's more about a plan that God always had in mind. I loved reading about the Japanese culture throughout the book. I felt ...