Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN.com: Now that Maya Davis is engaged to her longtime friend and sweetheart, Jack, there should be no more worrying about the future, no more questioning God. Everything should be perfect, right? Actually, it’s just the opposite: Things are complicated. Where are they going to live? What kind of wedding do they want? And when Jack is offered a once-in-a-lifetime job in Seattle, things begin to unravel even more. Can Maya trust that God is in control even when things seem to be a disastrous mess? In danger of being a Bridezilla? Can't get enough of My Fair Wedding or Say Yes to the Dress? Well if you're in the mood for weddings, this is a great book for you. As the third book in the Maya Davis series, it's finally time for Maya and Jack to start planning their own wedding. There's lots of talk about dresses, flowers, cakes, etc but not in a Bridezilla type of way because Maya is really laid back about everything. I really liked that too because whil...

Summary from BN.com: Watching her parents go through a divorce is devastating for Emma and has turned her life into a tailspin. She’s angry at everyone around her. She’s angry at her siblings because she's always stuck baby-sitting them, her parents for ruining her life, and herself for not measuring up to anyone’s standards. Will she turn her torment over to God and put her trust in Him before it’s too late? Teen angst. I know parents dread it coming. Unfortunately almost every teen is going to face it sometime in their life. It be nerve wracking for everyone as they are on pins and needles trying to avoid be blasted and yelled at from the surly teenager. For the teen, this can be the worse time of their life unless they know how to handle it correctly. Emma is going through that part of her life right now. And not handling it in the right way. Even though I was a big fan of Smith's previous books, this one didn't feel as if it held up as well as its predecessor...

Maya Davis already has many titles—Christian, barista, maid of honor (new), possible girlfriend (newer), aunt (newest)—and her life is about to become even more complicated. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, her ex-boyfriend proposes to her roommate and best friend, Jen. It’s not long until their apartment becomes Wedding Central. As if that weren’t enough, Jen’s obnoxious mom moves in to help plan the wedding, and Maya’s genius brother and sister-in-law announce that they're expecting. Then to top it off, there's the whole matter of Jack—is it love? Who wouldn't need a coffee break! First off, let me start by saying that I LOVE the cover of this book. Why? Because those are the EXACT same bouquets I had for my wedding last year! Well not the bride's bouquet, but I had blue hydrangeas and white roses in mine and my bridesmaid's bouquets too! They're so pretty aren't they? I really enjoy reading about Maya. I honestly think tha...

Lindsey is gorgeous and dresses like a model, but inside she feels alone. She feels as though no one truly understands her—until she meets Noah. Noah possesses a calm self-confidence that Lindsey craves. But what price will she pay to escape to the comfort of Noah’s soft words and strong arms? Drawn into a world where fashion, boys, and popularity rule, will Lindsey discover what truly matters before it’s too late? This book is probably the best Christian based novel that tackles the ever touchy (har har) topic of teen sex. I'm always wary of these types of books because they always end up the same way. Same story, same outcome, same message throughout. Half the problem is that the author doesn't seem to understand how teens think and act, so the characters come off either too adult, too naive or just not cool. However this book is totally different from all the rest of them and I was more than pleasantly surprised when I finished reading. First off, it did not fall int...

Charley’s off to Scotland with her new beau, and Scotty and her dad travel to Maine in search of Scotty’s mom. That’s not all they’re looking for though. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about faith. Scotty’s faced with her bitterness toward Karissa and what it means to live a “Jesusy extraordinary” life. Shouldn’t forgiveness play a role in that? And when Scotty and her dad land on her mother’s last known trail, will their questions finally be answered? Ever since I finished the third book in this series, I couldn't wait to get to this book. I moved up this book to the top of my TBR pile forgoing all other books just so I could read more about Scotty and the rest of the gang in her adventures. This book takes us away from the Hollywood scene and focuses instead on Scotty and Karissa's relationship. Both characters do a lot of growing up in this book from their experiences at the children's home. It's quite interesting at the different ends of the spectrum ...

Scotty and Charley find romance in the Highlands when a couple of cute guys in kilts look their way. How will Seth and Jeremy react when they realize the ladies who were interested in them have captured the hearts of a young bagpiper and a Scottish actor? Meanwhile, as Scotty and her dad look for answers to their questions about faith, they also look for Scotty’s mom. The search takes them deep into mob territory, where someone will go to any length to keep the past a secret. Will Scotty lose everything that’s become important to her? I really adore this series. Scotty is one of the most refreshing and likable YA characters I have ever read. She's just so incredibly mature and responsible for her age yet still can be giddy and excited when she needs to be. Actually she totally could be the spokesperson for the term Young Adult because that's actually what she is. This book takes Scotty, Charlie and her new found dad into Virginia as they are on location for a new mov...

Scotty and Charley are headed for Marshall, Texas, with Biker Guy once more close on their trail. As Scotty tries to come to terms with the reality of her parents’ deaths, she grows friendly with the locals. That makes staying hidden challenging. But there’s got to be more to life than fear, and through new friendships, Scotty learns that this prayer thing might work after all. Will prayer be enough when the situation is life and death? What happens when Biker Guy finally catches up to her? I am going to have to say that this book is part of the probably the best YA series that I have read this year. The Hollywood Nobody series is a fresh step in the right direction for how Christian YA fiction should go into. It's funny, hip, able to talk about faith without being preachy and the author really knows how to speak like a teen and able to write in a way that relates to them. As I said in the first book, what I really enjoyed about this story is how Scotty will talk about real life ac...

Fifteen-year-old Scotty Dawn has spent her young life on the road, traveling to movie sets with her single mom, Charley, a food designer. Yet even though Scotty is wise beyond her years, she still struggles to find her identity. Complicating matters is a mother who offers no guidance and a father she's never met. Now Scotty is determined to discover what she wants from life. She's even documenting the journey on her "Hollywood Nobody" blog. But as Scotty begins to find dark answers to tough questions, will her story have a happy ending? Lately, I seem to picking up YA book after YA book about teens in Hollywood. They've been ranging from teen actors to behind the scenes looks but each has given a unique perspective into what it's really like in the movie industry. Some have been more realistic than others but overall I've found them to be really fun to live vicariously through these characters. What makes this book stand out from the others is that even th...

One of the darkest and bloodiest stories of all time comes not from a medieval battlefield but from inside one of the most opulent palaces ever built. The strategies come not from men eager to extend their influence, but from women bent on exercising their wit and prowess in a kingdom not their own. Treason and murder are fair game. Marriage is manipulation, a means to an end. Children are the enemy. And the days of the House of David are numbered-unless one woman can find the strength to conquer them all. This book really appealed to me because it took a Bible story that is not well known and brought it to life. I actually did not know much about Athaliah other than a small blurb in my children's bible when I was growing up. We didn't talk at all about her in Sunday School. For that matter, we barely mentioned Joash , other than the fact that he was really young when he became king. Pretty much this part of the Old Testament seemed to be taboo in Southern Baptist child...

Clayton's life is stuck in the mud. His wife has been cheating on him for years, his literary career is uninspired, and his job as an editor is mediocre at best. But when he walks into a restaurant and finds a mysterious dark-haired stranger waiting for him, his life dramatically changes. The stranger claims to be Lucian, one of Lucifer's fellow fallen angels, come to tell Clay his story of the angels' dramatic fall from Heaven, Adam and Eve's Eden, and Christ's triumph on the cross - from a demon's perspective. This seems just the thing to get Clay's career jumpstarted, but it could mean his ultimate success or failure as Lucian's story seems to become more and more like his own. Talk about your non traditional Christian fiction novel. This book definitely would have not existed back when Christian fiction started. Writing a book about a demon and telling his story would have been taboo subjects when Christian fiction was just beginning. Now, it...

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...

When a foreign threat invades their comfortable home, Susan and Jake soon find themselves drawn back through the portal to the world of the People of the Verses. Now Susan will struggle to love a people who have become her captors, while Jake suffers a tragic betrayal and discovers his destiny as the next Restorer. I'm still not a fantasy fan but this is one series that I have enjoyed thoroughly. This is mainly due to Sharon Hinck's writing and her ability to suck you into the story even if you are totally unfamiliar with the genre, like myself. The story picks up right where The Restorer's Son left off it's a shocker right from the beginning. Two from the other world have now come into our world and the Mitchell family has to figure out a way to get them out. Mishap and mayhem occur as Mark, Susan and Jake do their best to return to Lyric. I would have liked a bit more time seeing how the outsiders fared in our world but it's not really an issue. When returni...

Katie Parker is having a bad day. First she's dumped by her boyfriend, Charlie! And then her former convict, current addict mother reappears and wants to take Katie away from her foster family, friends, and church. How will Katie's life change as she struggles to understand what home and family really mean? The third book in the Katie Parker Production series brings us back to the small, quaint town of In Between. It would also be a quiet town if not for the adventures that Katie brings to it. From trying to save the local drive-in to dealing with the ex-girlfriend who seems to be trying to win back the guy Katie currently likes to finishing up her junior year, Katie's seems to be all ready for another summer in In Between. Unfortunately, her mother comes to take her away from her foster parents and the life she's grown to love. However instead of giving Katie the life she needs, her mother returns to a life of drug addiction and neglect. I was appalled and disguste...

Teen girls need to read this book Melissa is just your typical teenage girl who likes hanging out with her friends, hoping to catch the new guy's eye, and trying out for the dance squad. However behind her happy facade likes a dark secret that she's hidden from everyone else. Melissa has an eating disorder which she denies to even herself. She's doing everything to stay thin, even to the point of justifying that the Bible preaches that God doesn't want her to eat. She thinks she'll be able to control it but soon finds out that being too skinny just isn't worth it. It's frustrating to read about girls who have eating disorders. You want to tell them, you don't need to lose weight, you're fine just the way you are. It pains you to see someone hurt themselves. However as uncomfortable as this topic can be, it's a serious issue that needs to be brought into the open. This book perfectly captures the life of a teenage girl with an eating disord...

Now that I found love, I want to help you find yours Now that she's found the love of her life, Sydney Alexander has found the next best thing to looking for love: looking for love for your friends and family. She tries to help out her sister, her best friend and her boss find true love for themselves. Unfortunately too many cooks spoil the broth. Meddling is not always the best way to help out someone as Sydney soon finds out. Along the way characters learn the hard way about finding love which may or may not always include heartbreak, regret, and even finding love when you least expect it. I absolutely adored this book. I wish this book could come to life so I could interact with these characters. Seriously, if I could live in a book, I would pick this series. Sydney and Gavin have one of the best and healthiest relationships I have ever read in a book. They genuinely love and trust each other and they enjoy having fun together. There's no conflict between them yet ...

Life In Between Katie Parker's still hanging around In Between with her foster parents. She's managed to finally start to settle down and get used to things. However just as she's starting to relax, news comes that her foster mother has cancer. Then she has to deal with the snobby girlfriend of her science partner. Her archenemy has declared war on her and accuses her of stealing. The Scott's daughter returns and tries to reclaim her place at the family home. Then to top it off, Katie hears that her mom wants her back. Will life ever go back to normal? Just like the first Katie Parker book in the series, I totally had a blast reading this book. It brought me back to my high school days (not necessarily a good thing lol ). I think Katie is one of the best characters for teen readers these days. She is going through everything a regular teen faces and she handles them totally realistic. I laughed over the scenes with Charlie and his girlfriend because I know exactly ...

Not Sweet 16 Maggie is not the most popular in school. Since her mother committed suicide when Maggie was four, she's been the female head of her household. For years she's been in charge of most of the family affairs, leaving very little time for her to enjoy being a teenager. Then her father brings home another woman, who threatens to usurp Maggie's position in the house. There is also other things happening in her life: she discovers a girl from school in the woods who was raped, a dog is gruesomely killed near their house, and one of the youth group leaders is making her feel extremely uncomfortable. This is not what beeing 16 is supposed to be like.... This was an extremely powerful and moving story. The whole book you can completely relate to Maggie and feel for her. The opening scene is shocking with Maggie as a young child witnessing her mother's suicide and the effect it has on her for the rest of her life. I think a lot of girls will be able to relat...

Spiritual Confusion Heather is spiritually curious. The death of her mom has caused her to be unaware of where to turn to. Her stepmother influences to open her mind and become more aware of her aura. This leads to Heather becoming interested in Wicca. After going to a bookstore which specializes in the Occult, Heather is now studying spells, buying idols and is thinking about becoming a witch. Attending a seminar about Wicca only encourages her more to learn about this new way of thinking. But while her Christian friends are urging her to turn away from this, Heather is only more drawn to a way of thinking that can help her get over the pain and guilt of losing her mother. I like to learn. And I like it when I read a book and learn new things. This book was very fascinating to read because for once I was clueless about the subject matter. Other than my Harry Potter geekness, I have no knowledge of Wicca, the Occult or magic in general. So while reading this book I managed to l...

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, December 17. Good luck! I date and I like it Yes, Sydney Alexander is a Christian that dates. And she likes dating. She has dated many men, and she is still trying to find the one. When the story picks up, she is set up with a blind date, who happens to also start dating her best friend, who doesn't know that he's dating the both of them. Then her ex comes back into her life wanting to start things over again. But first she has to go to England and see where she wants to be in life. Also her sister gets dumped by a car who compares her to a car, her guy best friend is in love with her, but she doesn't know this. Yes dating is a fun time in the life of single 20something Christian woman. I keep gushing about Christian chick lit, I know. But I can't help it! The genre is getting be...

I nearly cried from laughing! Adda Sinclair is a best selling romance novelist who's hit a stumbling block. She's due to publish a new novel but she can't come up with anything new to write. Her lack of inspiration may be due to her writing nemesis "Stick Woman" stealing her husband away from her. She does however manage to catch the eye of a new publisher who may have more than just a novel interest in her. With a new potential boyfriend and a new contract in the works, Adda seems to be able to start writing again. But then Stick Woman accuses her of plagiarizing her works (when really it's the other way around) and Adda is forced to lay low. Will this be the end of her writing career and her new relationship? This was one of the funniest chick lit books I've read. Tamara Leigh has definitely made her mark in the Christian chick lit scene and she's become one of my new favorite authors. The story is wonderfully written, fresh, hip and inform...