In My Mailbox (May 31st, 2010)

This weekly meme is hosted by The Story Siren
I will show the books that came in my mailbox, that I bought, borrowed from the library, or any other way a book comes in my home. :) This is probably one of my favorite memes on other people's blogs!

A Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury



This week the only book I got was from swaptree. It is the 2nd in a series and I already have the other 2, so hopefully I'll read these soon.

My Second Award

Thank you Amber @ Seasons of Humility for my second award!!
"The rules to the award are: link to the person who nominated me for this award; share seven interesting things about myself; and nominate seven other beautiful bloggers."

Seven interesting things about me:
1. I've been a vegetarian for almost 12 years. (I've tried to be a vegan several times, but can't seem to give up the cheese pizza)!
2. I have a major sweet tooth, which cancels out any "healthiness" of being a vegetarian.
3. I'm left handed.
4. My great(x3) grandfather was a Cherokee chief. (I know this isn't technically about me). :)
5. I used to do Native American dancing.
6. I'm probably the shyest person you've ever met or would meet.
7. I strongly believe in the power of prayer! My son was born weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces. 3 1/2 months later, he got to come home with us. :)

I'm passing this award on to:
Julia @ Dark Glass Ponderings
Melissa @ Clothed With Scarlet
Lindsay @ Crazy Books and Reviews
Abi @ 4 the Love of Books
JudyLynn @ Carpe Libris
Elise @ Bookish Delights
Esther @ Esther's Blog

Sweet Movie Madness

Movie ideas with a sugar boost!!








Children's Pick: An American Tail(1986)
I'm assuming this is Rated G, but I couldn't find for sure
I loved this movie as a kid! I even collected the trading cards.:)

Classic Pick: Holiday Inn(1942)
Not Rated
I have both the black and white version and the color version, and for this movie I highly prefer the color. It's gorgeous!

Historical Pick: Pride and Prejudice(2005)
Rated PG
I know everyone's already seen this, but this is one of my all time favorites. (I also know most of you prefer the Colin Firth version) :)

Contemporary Pick: You've Got Mail(1998)
Rated PG
I always wanted to open up my own little book store, so this movie always reminds me of my dream.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Bananas
Ingredients:
3 medium bananas
6 wooden pop sticks
1-1/2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats (I like the one with Almonds)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. your favorite jam

Peel bananas.
Cut bananas in half crosswise.
Insert 1 pop stick into end of each banana.
Place cereal in shallow dish or pie plate.
Combine peanut butter and jam and then spread evenly onto bananas.
Roll in cereal, coating all sides.
Press cereal into peanut butter mixture to secure. Place in single layer on wax paper-covered baking sheet.
Freeze 4 hours or until frozen. Remove from freezer about 15 min. before serving.
Makes 6 pops.

My Review: A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman

Revell (January 1, 2008)
A passion most pure
I had never heard of Julie Lessman until I saw her books on Renee’s blog. (Thank you!!) I now know that I was missing out greatly! They had such high reviews that I got all three of them, and I’m so grateful, because now I have the second one ready to dive into!
I have to admit, sometimes I’m pretty picky with the writing style of the authors I read, but I loved Julie’s writing style. It was a beautiful story, and I enjoyed every aspect of this book. I love to read books that inspire me to be a better person and a better Christian, and this book did just that. I completely fell in love with the O’Conners. My heart broke with theirs and I cheered (to myself, of course) when they were happy. Julie even throws in a nice surprise, so have some tissues nearby!
At almost 500 pages, it’s longer than most books I read. I usually think that the long books start getting “wordy” and I’m ready for it to just end, but this one was so great, you don’t mind the length at all.
I’ll admit I’m a little worried if the second book will even come close to the first. I didn’t like Charity’s character in the first. I’m hoping there’s more of Faith, though. I’m assuming there will be more of Elizabeth considering she is the focus of book three. I guess I’ll find out soon, though.
I absolutely loved this book, and HIGHLY recommend it!

My First Blog Award

Thank you, Amber, for my very first award!! Amber, at Seasons of Humility gave this award to me, and now I get to pass it on as well.

These are the instructions for this award: If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don’t forget to tell them they have a blog award!

The Last 5 books I've read:
1. The Chronicles of Faerie: The Hunter's Moon
2. A Constant Heart
3. Tithe
4. The Measure of a Lady
5. Lonestar Homecoming

I'm passing this award on to:
Carman @ A Sequence of Continuous Delights(http://continuousdelights.blogspot.com/)
Megan@ Inspired by Fiction(http://inspiredbyfiction.blogspot.com/)
Emily@ Homespun Light(http://homespunlight.blogspot.com/)
Casey@ Writing For Christ(http://enjoyingthewritingcraft.blogspot.com/)
Renee@ Black n' Gold Girl's Book Spot(http://www.steelergirl83.blogspot.com/)

My Review: The Chronicles of Faerie: The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling

Desciption from book cover: Gwen and her Irish cousin Findabhair share an obsession for all things magical, especially the ancient fairy myths of beautiful creatures who lure humans into danger. Still, when Gwen arrives in Ireland for a summer of backpacking with Findabhair, she expects only the usual road trip excitement: late nights, interesting strangers, and no parents. She does not expect to do battle with the King of Faerie himself.
On a lark, the two girls camp inside a sacred grave mound on the mystical hill of Tara. That night Findabhair is kidnapped by the King, and it is up to Gwen, alone in a different country, to save her. With the help of friends she meets along the way, including a leprechaun with bad driving habits, a girl farmer, and a gorgeous eighteen-year-old Irish king, Gwen chases the fairy court across Ireland, trying to outwit the masters of trickery. But all her bravery and resourcefulness may not save her cousin or herself, for it's the time of the Hunter's Moon and the fairies need a sacrifice.
(April 1, 2005)
Positives: This story is set in Ireland, so there’s lots of new words. There’s a dictionary in the back of the book, though, so that definitely helps. This book was written beautifully!! It had a very magical quality to it and the author is very descriptive! It was a sweet, romantic "fairy" tale.
Negatives: Although I really liked the story, it wasn’t until the last 3rd of the book that I really got into it and couldn’t wait to finish it. I like those books that I’m drawn in from the beginning.
Parental Concern: There was light profanity, but I don’t think it was meant to be profanity, if that makes sense. The language of the book is different. One of the characters smoke a couple of times, but she does quit. One hitchhikes a couple of times, and the two girls lie to the aunt and uncle about where they are going. Overall, it was very clean and had a good message.

Movie Review: Mail Order Bride

Con-woman Diana McQueen (Daphne Zuniga) decides to skip out of town and leave her boss, Tom Rourke (Greg Evigan) behind. To avoid the conflict that would result by her quick disappearance, she switches places with a dying friend, who had planned on becoming a man's mail-order bride. Seeing that this is her only chance to escape, she takes on the role and lies to the unsuspecting frontiersman (Cameron Bancroft).

Mail Order Bride ranked as the network’s most-watched November non-holiday original movie ever. The movie scored a 2.2 household rating, delivered nearly 1.9 million homes, 2.5 million total viewers and 3.9 million unduplicated viewers. It also ranked as the second-highest-rated cable movie of the day and fourth-highest-rated movie of the week. This performance boosted Hallmark Channel to rank #2 in Prime Time for the day, and #10 for the week.[2](2008)
(This info from wikipedia).

My Review:
Parental concerns: There’s a few cuss words and some violence. There’s a couple of scenes in a saloon, so there’s drinking and smoking. Other than that, it’s fine.

I had never heard of this movie, but saw it while browsing in the library, so I figured I’d give it a shot. The acting is at times just awful, and very corny. I can say the same thing about some of my favorite movies, though. There seemed to be more action than romance. While this did not turn out to be a favorite of mine, it is an entertaining movie for a rainy day. Just don’t expect too much out of it.

Sweet Movie Madness

Movie ideas with a sugar boost.

Every Friday, I will list 3-4 movies that I will review and/or recommend. I will try to use the general guideline of a children's movie, a classic, a historical, and a contemporary. I will also include a recipe, so get ready to curl up on the couch with a movie and a snack.

Children's Pick: Nanny McPhee

Description: (from back of DVD case)

In this wickedly charming tale, Emma Thompson portrays a mysterious woman with special powers who enters the household of the recently widowed Mr. Brown(Colin Firth) and attempts to tame his seven very naughty children. The children have managed to drive away 17 previous nannies, but as Nanny Mcphee takes control, they begin to notice their misbehaving has magical and startling consequences.

(This is a very cute movie!!! Rated PG)

Classic Pick: Some Like It Hot

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon dress up as women. Very funny and cute!

Historical Pick: The Young Victoria

Description: (from back of DVD case)

Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend star in the lavish historical drama, The Young Victoria. Resolved to establish her authority over those who rule in her stead, a young and inexperienced Queen Victoria draws strength from the love of Albert, the handsome prince who's stolen her heart. Based on the courtship and early reign of England's longest-serving monarch, The Young Victoria is a magestic tale of romance, intrigue and power.

(So sweet!!! Rated PG)

Contemporary Pick: See Jane Date

It's been awhile since I've seen this movie, but I don't recall anything inappropriate about it. Not Rated

Chocolate Cobbler

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 T cocoa

1 T flour

1/2 stick margarine

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups milk

Mix sugar, flour, and cocoa well. Add milk, margarine, and vanilla. Bring to boil.

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup water

Mix into dough. Divide in half. Roll half of the mixture thin and cut into strips. Drop into the chocolate mixture and cook until "dumplings" are tender. Stir often to keep them from sticking together. Pour choc. mix. and dumplings in a greased pan. Roll the rest of dough thin and cut into strips. Lay these strips on top of the mix. in pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy!!

The New Father Tim Novel by Jan Karon: Only 5 More Months!!

I've been on a countdown for this book for almost 3 years now! I'm so excited that the new Father Tim novel will soon be here! In the Company of Others(October 19, 2010)The Mitford Series is my all time favorite series. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it! Beware if you're dieting, though. You can smell the food as you read. I even have the cookbook. (I checked it out from the library, but my dog knew how much I wanted it. He chewed up the covers, not the pages-those are fine. I had to buy a new copy for the library, but now I have my own copy).

A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell

Bethany House (October 1, 2008)Christian Fiction
Marget has trained to be a countess for twelve years, and her chance has come to put into practice all she has learned. She is to be married to the Earl of Lytham, who is a courtier to Queen Elizabeth. Marget saves her best friend, Joan, from an unwanted marriage and brings her to be a maid.
Lytham’s first marriage was annulled due to infidelity, so he automatically distrusts Marget, and acts as if he hates her. When Lytham brings her to meet the Queen, she is so jealous of her beauty that she calls Marget a gypsy. The story tells of how Marget tries to win the favor of her husband, the Queen, and the other ladies of the court.
Positives: I never liked history in school, but I love learning it through books. I was constantly looking up things and words I hadn’t heard before, so I learned a great deal from this book! That is always a positive for me. It was a very interesting read. I’m so glad not to have lived in this time period, and have been a wife that couldn’t be loved. It would have been horrible to watch my husband show so much affection and attention to another woman, and work so hard for exactly that to happen.
Negatives: I was expecting more of a story with Joan. I thought as the story went along, more of her life would be revealed. She’s there through the whole story, but through the middle, she’s just more of a side note. I was also hoping for more at the end. It left me wanting to know more, but I guess a lot is implied.
I definitely recommend this book. (I know all you other bloggers have already read this book. I’m reading it late)!

My First Giveaway: Lonestar Homecoming by Colleen Coble

This contest ends June 11th, 2010
There are several ways to get entries:
One entry for leaving a comment saying you want to win the book.
One entry for becoming a follower.
One entry for posting my giveaway on your blog.
One entry if you recommend someone to my blog, and they become a follower.
One entry for any advice/ recommendations for a new blogger. :)
Leave your e-mail in the post, please, and let me know if you post it or recommend my blog. (I know these two are somewhat the same, but kind of different, so I separated them).

My Review for Lonestar Homecoming by: Colleen Coble

Thomas Nelson(April 13, 2010) Christian Fiction
If you like contemporary marriage of convenience stories I really think you will like this book. It has romance, of course, and some action. Gracie is the leading lady. She has a daughter, named Hope. On her wedding day, the FBI shows up hunting her fiance, Cid. They suspect him of working with the Mexican cartel. Gracie and Hope are suddenly in great danger. They jump on a train and run. She and her daughter need a new name, so Hope can enroll in school without being discovered. Michael is the leading man. His ex-wife(she cheated on him), has recently died, given him the sole responsibility of their two children, Jordan and Evan. Since he is gone from home a lot with his job( a dangerous job), he needs the help of a wife. A marriage of convenience is born. Gracie battles her urge to run from problems, while Michael struggles with his stubbornness. I’ll let you discover the rest from here. I don’t want to give away any spoilers! J
Positives: I loved watching each person’s growth as an individual and with each other throughout this book. It was especially sweet to watch the relationships grow in connection with the children . When given the opportunity, Gracie and Michael prove their love not only to each other, but also to each of the children, showing no favor towards a certain child. They become a wonderful little family.
Negatives: I’m not really fond of contemporary marriage of convenience stories. It seems so unrealistic, that I wasn’t drawn into the story or the characters as much as I would have liked. In the historical books, which I love, the women didn’t have many choices, and I love reading about the successful ones. These days, there are so many options. No one should take such a huge commitment so lightly! (I know! It wasn’t any less of a huge commitment back in the day, but still). Gracie almost got on my nerves at times, but like I said in the positives, there is lots of growth for each character.
Overall, this was a good book. It is very enjoyable.

Tithe by Holly Black

McElderry(March 23, 2004)Young Adult Fiction
Kaye is the main character. She seems to take care of her mother, who is in a band and very immature, to a great degree. At the beginning of the story, they move to Kaye’s grandmother’s house. Kaye ends up meeting a Faerie Knight, and saves his life, resulting in the gift of answers to any 3 questions she wants to ask him. She stumbles upon the answer to a very important question, which ultimately saves her life. (We all know the main character lives, so that’s not a spoiler).
She eventually learns from some childhood friends that she is to give her life as a Tithe. There are many secrets and discoveries along the way from there.
Holly Black wrote the Spiderwick Chronicles. I have never read the book, but watched the movie, so I thought this series would be family friendly. I was shocked. There was lots of cussing, drug use, sexual content(not detailed, but implied and referenced to ), violence and deaths, skipping school, disrespect of parents and the grandmother involved. The story was ok, but I was extremely disappointed! I will admit I sometimes expect more from the "popular" books that get great reviews. If all the "parental concerns" don't bother you, you will probably enjoy this book, but it's hard for me to ignore those things.

Welcome to my blog. It’s been hard for me to find the kind of book reviews I prefer. I want to know if there are sexual scenes and cussing, because I don’t want to read those types of books. My goal is to review some of the young adult books out there, and help out with the weeding process. I know a lot of parents monitor what their children read, so I hope I can be of some assistance. I also read Christian Fiction, mostly Historical, but also some Contemporary here and there, so I will review those books, too, along with some movies.