Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN.com: Grace Graham is back in Tennessee with her four-year-old son on a short unpaid leave from work, helping her father recover from surgery and spending time with her sister. Shoal Creek seems more backward than ever after her years in California, and it's hard to find organic food anywhere. When the unthinkable happens and her son is diagnosed with measles, Grace's fears over modern medicine take a dangerous turn. Worse, the town has fallen into quarantine and its residents focus their anger and blame on Grace. She is alone and scared, until one brave woman chooses to reach out a hand of forgiveness and mercy. But when the outbreak takes a life-threatening turn, will Grace be able to forgive herself? This book is extremely relevant and realistic. You can turn on a news program, open a magazine or go on an online message board to read about the debate between vaccinations and the role they play in autism. There are many different views on this and some peopl...

Ann Fletcher has returned to Charleston to see her younger sister Sarah receive her master's degree. But she soon finds herself riding in the back of an ambulance, watching helplessly as Sarah fights for her life. As they race to the hospital, Sarah talks to someone who is not there...and hums a melody Ann has never heard before. That unfamiliar, unearthly beautiful melody keeps finding Ann--first in the hospital chapel, then in her dreams, and finally in Sarah's empty house. Two neighbors have a profound effect on Ann. Ethan McKinney lends her a shoulder to lean on. And as a carpenter, he volunteers to help Ann get the Fletcher family home into shape for selling. His strong presence is a pleasing distraction. Ann's twelve-year-old neighbor, Keith, has Down Syndrome and the guile to believe he can actually see and hear angels. In fact, he insists they are looking out for her in ways she's never imagined. God begins to reveal himself to Ann--both in her new found friend...

Alisa Stewart feels like she's lost two sons: her youngest to a terrible tragedy and her eldest, Kurt, to a life ruined by addiction. But now Kurt has checked himself into rehab and found a healing faith that seems real. It's like he's been raised from the dead. But then a detective arrives at Alisa's door asking questions about a murder--the death of a drug dealer before Kurt entered rehab. Alisa fears losing her son again, and when she finds evidence linking him to the killing, she destroys it. Her boy is different now. He's changed and deserves a second chance. But when another man is charged with the crime, Alisa finds herself facing an impossible choice: be silent and keep her son or give up everything for the truth. Bethany House has been on a roll with their contemporary literary fiction lately. They have been putting out books that directly touch you without being preachy or over dramatic. This latest book by Kathryn Cushman is no exception. Since I am n...

Who needs doctor drama when you have pharmacy crisis? Paige and Clarissa are two women who work in a small town pharmacy. Both have different goals and pasts they are trying to hide. Paige wants to erase her past that cost her previous job while trying to help out her mother who is very sick. Clarissa wants to move away to the big city and open her own pharmacy but is stuck in the small town. When Clarissa's grandfather hires Paige, Clarissa deems her to be too good to be true and tries to find out Paige's secret. Determined to get away from the family business and into the big city, Clarissa tries to set up Paige and bring her down. After working in a doctor's office, I have the greatest respect now for pharmacists and this book cemented my respect. I have no clue how they are able to interpret doctors' handwriting. It looks like illegible scrawl done by a chicken sometimes and for the pharmacist to translate it into something that goes into a human body is just am...