Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN.com: Carrie Carter’s small café in Seaside, New Jersey, is populated with a motley crew of locals … although Carrie only has eyes for Greg Barnes. He’s recovering from a vicious crime that three years ago took the lives of his wife and children—and from the year he tried to drink his reality away. While her heart does a happy Snoopy dance at the sight of him, he never seems to notice her, to Carrie’s chagrin. When Carrie’s dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries … and into her life. But when Carrie’s own painful past becomes all to present, her carefully constructed world begins to sink. Will the fragile relationship she’s built with Greg implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry? It's been a while since there has been a new original book from Gayle Roper so I was anticipating this book very much. It's been a while since I've read a good mystery and I know ...

Twin sisters Libby and Tori have never been close---so when they're forced to share an old house as they await their Aunt Stella's inheritance, neither is thrilled. Then an unexpected visitor changes everything: a corpse clutching a crossword full of deadly messages! Can they work together to solve the puzzle before time runs out? Stories about sisters never seem to grow old especially with twins sisters who the polar opposite with each other. This book features that storyline but with an added twist of a corpse! It's not all happy times for twins Libby and Tori as they are forced to live in the same house in order to receive their inheritance. The two are as different as night and day and the distance throughout the years has made the gap between them almost uncrossable. I felt sorry for Libby throughout the entire book and the way her entire family treated her. I honestly wanted to smack her mother, grandmother and even her sister at times for being so mean to her. T...

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...

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She's even "engaged to be engaged" to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler. Now all of Piper's hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle's bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations' worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks' secrets, including Piper's. The reasons why people leave home vary and are numerous but many times it's to escape the past that hurt us. That's the reason why Piper Wick has left her hometown and shed her true name. Her past has been painful and she wants to do anything to remove herself from that environment. Unfortunately for her, she g...

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...

This rerelease of Randall Arthur's bestselling novel presents the hypocrisy of Christian legalism and a man's search for the only surviving member of his family. The story's hero, Pastor Jason Faircloth, embarks on a journey that lasts eighteen years and takes him through four countries in a quest to find the granddaughter who is being hidden from him. In a process that mirrors our own spiritual journey, he discovers a rich relationship with God and the peace that finally comes with true faith. Legalism in Christianity has always been such an interesting subject to me. This is just my personal opinion but I just always wonder where these rules came from and who decided that they were right. What's even more interesting is that a lot of times when someone describes Christianity, legalism rules are always brought up as the stereotype of the religion. This book brings up the topic and questions it and shows that it's not always the right way to follow. One topic t...

For the first time that she can remember, Maya Stark is beginning to feel like a "normal" teenager. Even with her mother in jail for drug possession and her pop-star father away on his comeback tour, Maya's new life with her uncle Allen and cousin Kim is coming together. Summer vacation's just beginning, and with a new job, a new boyfriend, and a new car (hybrid, of course), things are finally starting to look up. But that doesn't mean life is about to get any easier. Maya's still devoted to living Green, and her uncle offers her a Green column in his newspaper. With the opportunity to make a difference in the town's attitude toward the environment, Maya wonders how this fits with her newfound commitment to Christ. And if she can really consider herself a Christian when her feelings toward a fellow youth group member are anything but loving. The Diary of Teenage Girl series is, in my opinion, one of the best series out there for teens, Christian or not. Th...

Maizy Grace Stewart dreams of a career as an investigative journalist, but her last job ended in disaster when her compassion cost her employer a juicy headline. A part-time gig at a Nashville newspaper might be her big break A second job at Steeple Side Christian Resources could help pay the bills, but Steeple Side only hires committed Christians. Maizy is sure she can fake it with her Five-Step Program to Authentic Christian Faith–a plan of action that includes changing her first name to Grace, buying Jesus-themed accessories, and learning “Christian Speak.” If only Jack Prentiss, Steeple Side’s managing editor and two-day-stubbled, blue-jean-wearing British hottie wasn’t determined to prove her a fraud. When Maizy’s boss at the newspaper decides that she should investigate–and expose–any skeletons in Steeple Side’s closet, she must decide whether to deliver the dirt and secure her career or lean on her newfound faith, change the direction of her life, and pray that her Steeple Sid...

When a mammogram result comes back abnormal, midlife mama Summer Finley makes a snap decision to relegate fear to the back burner and fulfill a lifelong dream. Summer heads for Holland where she meets up with tulips, wooden shoes, and her best friend, Noelle. Pen pals since fourth grade, Summer and Noelle have never met face-to-face. Through decades of heart-level correspondence, they have sustained a deep friendship. A week of adventure helps both women trade anxiety for a renewed and deeper trust in God. When Summer confides in Noelle about the abnormal medical report, Noelle finds the freedom to share a long-held heartache, and both women discover they needed each other more than they realized. Women ages 35 and up, readers of Christian Boomer Lit, and fans of books such as The Yada Yada Prayer Group will enjoy Robin Jones Gunn’s humorous and uplifting style. True-to-life characters and moments of poignancy bring a deeper understanding of the value of life and the gift of true frien...

Back When Baseball Truly Was America's Game Baseball is America’s pastime and one of the most recognizable trademarks of the country. In Stealing Home, Allison Pittman takes America’s game and shows readers the history of the sport, back when men played the game because they enjoyed it. This was a time before multi-million dollar contracts and the shadow of drug use. This was a time when “Take Me Out to Ball Game” was how people lived. The book is set up like a baseball game. There are nine sections in the book, like nine innings in the game. The headings of each section correspond to different actions that take place during a game. It’s a very creative yet subtle way to bring the book to life. The characters in this story reach out to you and the reader immediately becomes attached to them. There is Duke, the baseball player who comes to a small town with a hidden secret. Ellie Jane is the town spinster who harbors a sad past. Ned is an injured man who has a secret love....

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Sisterchick Go Brit Multnomah Publishers (May 20, 2008) by Robin Jones Gunn ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robin grew up in Orange County, California and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawaii. Robin’s first novel was published in 1988, and she has continued to write between two to five books a year. Her 63 published books include 47 novels, all of which are still in print. Sales of her popular Christy Miller Series, Glenbrooke Series and Sisterchicks Series, including Sisterchicks in Gondolas and the new Katie Weldon Series including Peculiar Treasures all of which are approaching four million copies sold, with translations in nine languages. Robin’s passion for storytelling and travel are evident in all her books, especially the Sisterchicks novels, and she has received thousands of letters from readers around the world who have come to know Christ through her writing. She sees this as her dream come...

I 'm giving away a bran d new copy of today's book! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Monday, February 25. Good luck! Deals and coupons won't help out this bear The Bargain Hunter girls are back and this time they're in Calamity, NV for some major bargain shopping. Before they can get started on sales at the World's Largest Garage Sale, they have to encounter problems at their overbooked, non air conditioned hotel. There they run into a menagerie of characters including the hotel manager, his show girl ex wife, a former aging child star, and a college guy who dresses up as a teddy bear who becomes interested in Kindra. Plus Ginger can't locate her husband Earl who was supposed to be setting up his booth at the Inventor's Expo which is competing with the Squirrel Lovers Convention. But just when things couldn't get crazier, a man in a teddy bear suit is murdered a...

I 'm giving away a bran d new copy of today's book! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Monday, November 19. Good luck! PK does not mean Perfect Kid Harriet was a rebel. She's done everything that Pastor's Kids AREN'T supposed to do. But now she's repented of her ways and is the women's director of her church. To make sure she doesn't fall back to her old ways, she lives in a trailer park surrounded by elderly folks, doesn't hang out with anyone her age, and reads a different version of a Bible every year. With Jelly Bellys to keep her company, her dream is to own the cafe near the church after the owner retires. She's got her life planned out. But all that changes when Maddox, a church consultant, comes roaring into town on his motorcycle with plans to disrupt all of Harriet's neat plans. What will she do when the church stops being a safe haven and Madd...

As part of the Melody month blog tour I'm giving away a brand new two book set of today's book and Notes from a Spinning Planet -Mexico! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Thursday, August 30. Good luck! Where There's Smoke Samantha McGregor's brother, Zach, has come home after being in drug rehab. She thinks that everything will be alright now and her family can begin to live a normal life again. However she starts to see signs that Zach is backtracking and not following steps to a full recovery. Plus there are rumors of drug uses running rampant in her high school and Ebony, her police contact, wants her help to try to find where the teens are getting their meth supply from. Sam even gets accused by the police of being a drug user. Then she has a vision of a burning cabin and her brother being dead as a consequence of his actions. She doesn't want to involve the police becaus...

Don't Stand So Close to Me Samantha MacGregor feels drained from the visions she's been getting from God and prays for a break. But then Ebony, her police contact, tells her about a cold case where a suicide looks to be more suspicious that what was investigated. Samantha can't figure out how she can help out with this case until she gets a vision of a guy jumping off a bridge. The problem is that every guy she meets seems to fit that description. She begins to look into reasons of why someone would contemplate suicide and realizes that the answers may be closer than she thinks. This is another superior novel from Melody Carlson. The book starts off with an action packed scene in a airplane involving terrorists and it doesn't stop there. Suicide is a topic that no one likes to talk about but that teens face everyday. The topic of the violence in video games was very much appreciated. I cannot understand how parents knowingly allow their kids to get games with so much...

God is there, there's no denying, It's supernatural Samantha McGregor is your normal, average, everyday teen girl. Except for one thing: she gets visions from God. She uses her unique spiritual gift to help out others in need. In this book, Samantha sees visions of one of her classmates who has been missing for several weeks. Everyone seems to think that Kayla has just run away from home, but Samantha sees her being tied up and in danger. She turns to the police for help to save her friend. But what if this is just her imagination working overtime? First things first. This is not a Christian version of "Medium." Yes Samantha can see supernatural visions of the present and glimpses of the future. But she is very quick to defend that this is as a spiritual gift from God. I really enjoyed this book. It's a unique type of teen fiction and Melody Carlson handles it superbly. The storyline was excellent. I didn't know what was going to happen and was really aw...

Shopping for a Murder Ginger, Kindra, Suzanne, and Mary Margaret all love garage sales. To them, there's nothing more satisfying in life than finding a really good bargain. Clearance racks and midnight sales are their best friends. When one of the group doesn't show up at her own house for a meeting and turns up dead, the other three turn their bargain hunting skills into crime solving ones. Their detective work introduces them to new friends and very suspicious characters. Combing for clues becomes as easy as searching for cheap prices. The Bargain Hunters Network soon uncovers past secrets that want to stay hidden by those that will kill to stop them. I love going to garage sales. Those are some of the best places to get really good deals on clothes, old records and best of all, books! I also like shopping for a good bargain. So I immediately connected with the characters in this book with their bargain hunting masterminding. I loved Sharon's Ruby Taylor mysterie...

Art Smart Desiree Jacobs works as an art security adviser that has been trained in the ways of an art thief by her father. She knows everything about how to get around security systems in museums and how to tell a genuine piece of art from a fake. Then she gets the news that her father has been murdered and he has left behind to her a container full of stolen paintings. Desiree needs to return the paintings to their rightful owners before anyone notices. Meanwhile special agent Tony Lucano is hot on Desiree's trail, trying to find out what her plans really are. They have a sketchy relationship where he doesn't trust Desiree and she can't stand him. However the two will have to set aside their differences to find out who her father's murderer is and to stop the art thieves. I think that Desiree had an awesome job. I really liked Desiree's ability to disguise herself enough to fool people for her job. I enjoyed the scene where she almost got caught even thou...

Don't forget to enter the contest to win a copy of Afton of Margate Castle. Click here to enter . I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Tuesday. Straight from the evening news Liz and her sister Julie are two Americans that live in Lebanon. When the building that Julie was attending a party at is destroyed by a bomb, Liz goes on a mission to find her after finding evidence that she may still be alive. Meanwhile John is a member of a special ops team sent to Beruit to find Palestinian extremists who have discovered a new way to threaten terror in the region. John and Liz's lives intertwine as they try to find Julie and prevent the terrorists from instigating more fear into the lives of the people there. The story is non stop action throughout, an edge of your seat reality read. While reading this book, I felt like I was watching the evening news. Everything seemed so real and action packed. The situations the characters got themselves in could be ripped right ...