Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN.com: Following her mother’s funeral, and on the verge of her own midlife crisis, widow Anna Larson returns to the home of her youth to sort out her parents’ belongings, as well as her own turbulent life. Her relationship with her daughter is in shambles, and the tension between Anna and her vicious mother-in-law escalates daily. Anna's unique family home sits on a picturesque coastal tributary and is filled with years of memories. For the first time since childhood, Anna embraces her native heritage and river roots. But Anna soon learns that more than just her past resides along the banks of the Siuslaw River. By transforming her old family home into The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna hopes to create a place of healing—a place where guests experience peace, grace, and new beginnings. Starting with her own family . . . There comes a time when even your most favorite author writes a book you just don't like. As most of you know, I adore Melody Carlson's books...

Summary from Christianbook.com: Madison Van Buren is fed up with Ivy League pressure, her parents' marital problems, and her boyfriend's neglect. So she hops in her car and drives west. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Anna Bronner wants to escape her tedious "simple" life. What will happen when a Manhattan socialite and an Amish girl switch places for a week? If you have been reading my reviews for a while, then you know how much of a fan of Melody Carlson I am. I've read about 99% of all her adult and YA books and have been thrilled with almost all of them. She is one of those authors that I love to recommend, to both readers of Christian and general market fiction. I pretty much think she can do no wrong in terms of writing. That is until I read this book. I felt like this book is trying to get into the whole Amish craze that has swept the Christian publishing industry lately. The way it's written is geared more towards older women who are fans of Amish fictio...

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: All Elise wants is to have her first kiss before she turns sixteen. Is that so bad? But when a friend's poor advice and the powers of electronic technology combine, Elise heads down a dangerous road. She is accused of "sexting" and gets kicked out of school. But is she really the one to blame? This powerful and realistic story from beloved author Melody Carlson shows teen girls the impact of their choices when it comes to respecting themselves and their integrity. Honest and relevant, Never Been Kissed will make girls laugh, cry . . . and think. This book took me by surprise. While the description above mentions the main plot of the story, the back of the book doesn't mention it at all. Therefore I was expecting a rather bland story of a girl who's never been kissed and gets her first kiss in high school and how magical and wonderful it was. I should have known better. Melody Carlson is known for pushing those racy and usually unmentionable...

Christmas is approaching, and Lena Markham finds herself penniless, friendless, and nearly hopeless. She is trying to restart her life after false accusations landed her in prison, but job opportunities are practically nonexistent. When a secondhand red coat unexpectedly lands her a job as Mrs. Santa at a department store, Lena finally thinks her luck is changing. But can she keep her past a secret? What's one of the ways I know that the holiday season is soon upon us? By reading a Christmas novella from Melody Carlson. For the last few years, she's written a new Christmas read each year to help readers get into the holiday spirit. They've all been different but all achieve the same goal: bringing a little Christmas cheer and letting the reader know what is the true spirit of Christmas. This was a sweet Christmas story. I thought it was a nice spin to focus on people who play Mrs. Claus as opposed to reading about Santas all the time. Reading about former FEMALE...

After decades out of touch, four fifty-something childhood friends have returned to the little coastal town of Clifden, Oregon, where they grew up. They look forward to supporting one another as they reinvent their lives. But second acts can be a challenge, and each woman feels the stretch. Widowed lawyer Janie struggles to leave the past behind and move forward. Emerging artist Marley wrestles with “painter’s block.” Empty-nester Abby fears no one takes her seriously, while beautiful Caroline has all she can do to keep her Alzheimer’s-patient mother at home…and wearing clothes! Plus, old resentments and new misunderstandings are beginning to strain the friendships they all count on. Can the Four Lindas sisterhood continue to thrive in the close quarters of one little hometown? There aren't many books in Christian fiction that showcase women over the age of 50 being extremely active and fit. Most books tend to display them as being close to elderly, wanting to be grandmothers, ...

Having learned some hard lessons about the costs of recklessness and fame, sisters Paige and Erin Forrester feel ready to take their fashion-focused TV show on location to Paris. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for many of their good intentions to get lost in translation. An unplanned week of filming at runway model Eliza Wilton's family estate leads to romance, jealousy, and surprises. With cameras rolling, both girls have to be careful or the future of On the Runway could end up as wobbly as Paige's stiletto heels. Once again, it's time to enter the world of fashion with Erin and Paige Forrester. In this book the girls get to travel to Paris, the heart of the fashion world. There they become transformed into classic beauties reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Seriously it was just divine reading about the girls' adventures with bags, shoes and all those clothes. I really have enjoyed learning about fashion through these books. Carlson ma...

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...

A recipe for success or a design for disaster? Although they're sisters, Paige and Erin Forrester are like oil and water, night and day, denim and silk. Paige is an outgoing fashionista who loves to be the center of attention, while Erin is more comfortable sporting vintage garb and recording the action around her. When a near disaster turns into the opportunity of a lifetime, these two very-different sisters are given the chance to star in their own fashion-TV show. A guest spot on a hot teen-reality series and their first big red-carpet assignment give this unlikely partnership plenty of room for success-and even more for failure. I swear Melody Carlson's YA books keep getting better and better with each new series she comes out with. I don't know how she manages to write so many and keep coming up with new ideas in each one but they have all been fantastic. What I really liked about this book was the fact that the story portrays two girls who are Christians Y...

Once upon a time in the little town on the Oregon coast, there were four Lindas —all in the same first-grade classroom. So they decided to go by their middle names. And form a club. And be friends forever. But that was 47 years and four lives ago. Now a class reunion has brought them all—the New York lawyer, the empty nester , the frustrated artist, and the aging starlet—together again in their old hometown, at a crossroads in their lives. They’re about to explore the invigorating reality that even the most eventful life has second acts…and there’s no statute of limitations on friendship. Unlike the characters in this book, I never had the privilege of sharing my name with anyone in my classes. Deborah has been a popular name in the 50's, it seemed to die down by the time I entered this world. Even though the characters are in their 50s, I still enjoyed reading about their experiences. Class reunions are always fun to read about because it's interesting to see how t...

Sophie is starting a new school year. Shopping for it with her best friend should be fun, but nothing seems to fit, which is a major issue to a high school girl. But her biggest problem is the secret she's keeping. And she's about to find out that she won't be able to keep things under wraps for much longer. This page-turning novel explores the tangled web of choices, secrets, and love that all teen girls navigate. Teen pregnancies seems to be a very popular topic with the media these days. Movies like Juno or the TV show 16 and pregnant are prevalent in our society. It's also interesting how Christians tend to handle this subject. Usually it's done the same cookie cutter way in every book I read. This time however, Melody Carlson puts her edgy spin on this familiar topic. This book made me think a lot about what I'm going to tell my kids next time about sex when they are teens. I can see the dilemma that a lot of parents have. While you don't want the...

The six teenaged Carter girls travel to Florida for a "quiet" spring break. But when Eliza's ex-boyfriend rents a condo nearby, the vacation is anything but quiet. Hoping to win Harry back, Eliza's partying spins out of control---and she goes missing! Is she safe, or has the quicksand of her wild behavior consumed her? I swear these Carter House girls live the life I wished I had when I was in high school. Not having to live with parents, hanging out with awesome friends, going on trips all the time. I totally would relive my high school years again if I could be in their shoes. This time the DJ and the other girls are invited to join DJ's grandmother in Florida for spring break to do a photo shoot. What should have been a nice vacation getaway, ends up being a nervous disaster thanks to one Miss Eliza "I think I know better than anyone else". Eliza seems to have taken Taylor's place as resident party girl now that Taylor has gone to rehab and t...

All in all, Hannah Johnson is pretty happy as a missionary kid. In Papua New Guinea, no one worries about fancy clothes or credit card limits--everyone has other things to think about. But when Hannah visits her cousin Vanessa for a summer in America, everything changes. All that glitters isn't gold. Vanessa and her friends try to catch Hannah up on all the latest fashion trends, but in the end, Hannah feels hopeless. She doesn't think she'll ever be able to keep up with the rich girls--but that doesn't stop her from trying. In the process, Hannah is forced to come to grips with what she values most: beauty on the inside, or beauty on the outside. This is a topic that almost any high school girl can totally relate to. Clothes are almost the biggest factor of what makes you part of the in crowd and what leave you on the outskirts. These days especially, labels are the ticket to popularity. Having lots of money almost guarantees being in the in crowd. Why are we so fascin...

The New Year promises to be lively for the Carter House girls. No sooner does the calendar page turn and the girls are forced to confront a whole load of difficulties. There is constant pressure from Mrs. Carter as the household prepares to participate in the high stakes Spring Fashion Week in New York City. Competition flares from all directions as the girls vie for top billing, premium outfits, and attention from favorite guys. Stresses mount and some personal challenges grow into serious problems. Will the girls survive the big city experience and the even bigger trials that come along with it? It's time for another adventure with the Carter Girls and this is time we get to visit New York City and discover the fashion world. This book is perfect for those who watch shows like America's Top Model or Project Runaway as the reader is taken behind the scenes of fashion shows and runway models. Since the story is from DJ's perspective, she's not really interested in thi...

Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. There's church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care whether or not she pulled out the Christmas decorations? Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He's doing home improvements that don't appear to be improving much of anything. These days when Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, lots of blue tarps, and--horror of horrors--an old pink toilet. But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about. This contemporary Christmas story is a timely yet gentle reminder that God can work miracles through something as seemingly insignificant as a little brown dog. You know it's Christmas time, when Melody Carlson has a new book just for the holidays! I've been a fan of Melody's Christmas time stories through...

In a whirlwind, DJ accepts “lonely” Taylor’s invitation to join her mom’s tour in Las Vegas during Christmas break. DJ soon discovers that the unsupervised Taylor is focused on one thing only—partying with a capital “P.” She’s invited Eliza, too, and DJ is quickly overwhelmed by the behavior of the wild duo. Desperate, she calls on Casey for help and prays for a miracle to help Taylor before she self-destructs. This book pretty much is the downfall of Taylor. It's been foreshadowed since the day we met her in the first book. Seriously, this girl is totally uninhibited and just out to have a good time. However she goes for the extreme in whatever she does and doesn't seem to care about the consequences. I really could not stand her condescending attitude towards DJ just because she doesn't want to drink or anything else Taylor does. It had nothing to do with DJ being a Christian, she just knew that it wasn't healthy and it was dangerous. Yet Taylor keeps acting l...

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything. To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most. I have enjoyed Maya's story since she was first introduced in the Kim books of this series. She has struck me as a character that is very real, very down to earth and someone who is trying to figure out life each day at a time. Her story is different from other t...

Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone. Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it's too late to change. I swear, there is no one that can write like Melody Carlson. Each of her books have been totally distinct and unique and just simply written wonderfully. This book is no exception. We're taken this time to the story of a former It Girl from the Golden Age of Hollywood who's suddenly found herself to be old, lonely and not knowing how to live life for herself. Claudette has to ada...

In the final installment in the 86 Bloomberg Place series, Melody Carlson follows the girls in a crazed competition for bridesmaids, wedding locations, and showers. Newly engaged Lelani has returned from Maui to Bloomberg Place and is trying to book her wedding date. Unfortunately there are scheduling conflicts for that same weekend. For starters, Megan and Marcus have a family wedding commitment. Anna and Edmond have promised to attend his younger stepbrother’s Bar Mitzvah and, to everyone’s surprise, Kendall has just accepted her “Maui Man’s” proposal of marriage and also wants to be wed on that first weekend in June. Wedding madness ensues at 86 Bloomberg Place, yet at the same time friendships are being forged that will last a lifetime. Wedding bells are ringing at 86 Bloomberg Place as Lelani begins to prepare for her wedding to Gil. As someone who's recently finished with her own wedding, I totally understand the importance and struggle of trying to have a small wedding. ...