Category Archives: Geekness

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What Good Books Have You Been Reading Lately Vol 6

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To newcomers of this blog, this is a semi-regular feature on my blog. I have no set date on when these posts will go up. It all depends on how much I read and how good the books are that I read. Lately, I have been picking good books so it’s been good reading times for me. I’m now standing at 211 out of 225 books read for my 2014 goal with about 3 weeks left to go!

The Regal Rules for Girls by Jerramy Fine (Berkley Trade, 2012)

My blurb: Prince Harry is still up for grabs and this book showed me how to get him. No, but seriously as an Anglophile and very interested in the Royals, this book gave a great insight to what it’s like to learn to BE British. It’s sort of like an etiquette book but not as proper or formal. I highly doubt it will happen to be but still very fun to read.

Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen (Viking Adult, 2014)

My blurb: It’s like the story of my life! Being the daughter of Asian immigrants and reading Little House on the Prairie! This story gives a “what if” to the story of Rose, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter as well as the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants. It really was like reading a story about me.

The Walking Dead: Volume 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore (Image Comics, 2006)

My blurb: I’ve been watching the show for several years and finally decided to cave and read the comics since we have all of them at the library. I’ve been reading one a week. And they are quite different from the TV show. I keep expecting Daryl to show up even though I know he never will. Characters are totally different and there are some changes in the plot. But otherwise it’s still really good and I’m enjoying it.

The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, 2014)

My blurb: I’m a huge Julie Klassen fan. (I was even published as a blurb in one of her books!) Her stories are set in the Austen time period. This is her best. It’s like Northanger Abbey, the gothic mystery romance. I honestly had no idea what was going to happen until the end. It’s rich and descriptive as well as a darn good story.

Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay (Thomas Nelson, 2014)

My blurb: Food and Jane Austen references and a sister story? Yes please. LOTS of food. Two sisters who have grown apart reunite due to cancer. It’s not a retelling of Pride and Prejudice which I had been a little worried about but instead it just talks about Austen a lot. It is a cancer story, so there’s that in here but I thought it was portrayed very realistically. I really loved all the characters as they are flawed and not perfect and never become so. Also interracial marriages. FTW.

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose You Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris (Crown Archetype, 2014)

My blurb: I’ve been waiting for this one for a while. I mean it’s NPH and a Choose Your Own Adventure book. I however did the thing where I just read it straight through. I know. But you really can flip around and choose NPH’s destiny. It’s an extremely funny book as well as very enlightening as to what went into the real Doogie Howser/Barney Stinson’s life. I don’t normally read celeb memoirs but this one was extremely well done.

That’s what I’ve been reading. What good books have YOU been reading lately?

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Fandoms I just can’t get into: The Anime Version

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This is a typical conversation that seems to come up fairly often in my life.

Person: What kind of anime do you like?

Me: I don’t watch anime.

Person: But….you’re ASIAN!!!! How do you not watch anime?

Me: #notallAsians

It’s true. I’m not into anime.

It’s weird because I do enjoy animated movies and TV shows. Some of my very favorite movies are animated.

Yet for some reason, I just cannot get into anything Japanese animation.

I feel though that I have given it a try.

I have seen episodes of Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Cowboy Bepop, as well as other shows/movies that I do not know the name of . They did nothing for me. I wasn’t bored or disgusted. I was just very apathetic towards them. I have seen other titles that I don’t recall the names for but again I just didn’t really like them.

It’s not that I go into watching these things with a negative view set in place. I really do try to have an open mind and hope that maybe I can still somehow become a fan. I actually did go pay to see My Friend Totoro in theaters and I did enjoy it. I did have many questions about why certain things were drawn in the way they were. I think that seems to be frowned on and I should just accept it.

But overall I just can’t get into it. I don’t know exactly what it is. I’ve watched both dubbed versions in English as well as in the Japanese version with subtitles. I know it’s the style and this will sound odd but I can’t stand how the motions of the mouth don’t fit with what the person is saying no matter what they say. I’m also not a fan with the style of drawing used. It is just not aesthetically pleasing to me. I realize that it is the norm for this genre but it does nothing for me.

Overall it’s just not pleasing to me at all. And I feel like it should be.

I have huge respect for the artists and they do a fine work. It’s just not for me.

I have many friends who are HUGE fans of anime. Their DVD collection is filled with many TV series and movies. They are always trying to get me to watch some. I feel bad that I can’t get into it and I feel like I should be a fan. I feel left out when I hear others talk about it and I can’t join in.

I’m not going to ask for recommendations for what you think I should watch. It’s not that I don’t think you’d give me a good one. I’ve just come to accept this fact about that this is a world that I will never be a part of. And that’s ok.

Credit for image: http://loldwell.com/?comic=japanned-by-critics

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It is now safe to listen to Christmas music

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Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving is my lowest readership day of the year. Who can really blame folks? No one wants to sit around on the computer reading blogs.

But since it’s the day after Thanksgiving, it is now officially appropriate to listen to Christmas music and start getting excited for the holiday season. I refuse to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. I cannot stand radio stations that switch to the “all holiday music all the time” prior to Thanksgiving. I mean seriously, if you can’t wait one more week then you’re just as bad as opening on Thanksgiving day.

Anywho, since it’s finally permissible I’ll just go ahead today and share with y’all some of my favorite versions of Christmas music. I realize that I have not included any religious Christmas songs on this list. It’s not because I don’t like those kinds of Christmas songs (because I do) but it’s more so that I don’t have any specific favorite versions of them. I just like them all especially when sung at church.

Baby, Please Come Home by Hanson

Last Christmas by Jimmy Eat World

All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by ‘N Sync

All Alone on Christmas by Darlene Love

I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Josh Groban

Heh. I realize a lot of these songs have to do with being single on Christmas or wanting to be with someone on Christmas. Completely not intentional at all.

Welcome to the Christmas season.

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Books + Movie = Happiness

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This week, one of my highly anticipated movies of the year comes out: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 comes out. (Don’t get me started on the fact that they broke up this book in half. It was my least favorite book of the series and it wasn’t even that long! $$$$$$$) Then next month The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies arrives in theaters. (OMG. Don’t even get me started on how there are THREE movies for one book) I’m super excited for both of them.

I don’t know the exact statistic but it’s safe to say that a lot of movies made are based on books.

I love when books I really enjoy turn into GOOD movies. There is something both very satisfying and slightly disappointing about seeing your favorite book turn into a movie. The thing is that reading a book is a very personal experience. Everyone has their own view of how they visualize the story, the characters, the settings, etc. Even how you would pronounce things and names can vary from person to person. So a movie basically takes the movie creators’ interpretation of how they viewed the book and puts it on the big screen. It doesn’t mean that what is shown is canon but it does become the main visual guide of how the story will be remembered.

The hardest part with book to screen adaptations is how faithful the movie will be to the book. I understand that the two are completely separate entities. You will have people going to see the movies who have no interest in reading the book or have no clue that the movie they are watching is even based on the book. The movie makers have to make these people happy so they have to make the movie so that this audience is able to follow and enjoy the story without being lost. At the same time, the die-hard fans want to see EVERYTHING and they will know when you messed up something or included things that make no sense at all.

There are some movies where I was ok with the changes because it makes sense. Sometimes there are scenes that cannot be transferred from words to screen. This also helps when the actual author is either the screenplay writer or is consulted for help with the script. Then there are times when it makes absolute no sense at all why things were added or left out. It’s almost like the people making the movie forgot that it was a book that made it possible for them to do this and that fans of the book are the reason why it was popular in the first place.

I will say that I absolutely cannot stand when a film reviewer bashes a movie based on a book for doing a certain thing….and it happened EXACTLY like that in the book. Again, as I stated I realize that the book and movie are two different things. But if Harry Potter is annoying you because he’s all teen angsty and you give the movie low marks for it because it doesn’t fit with the other whimsical movies, then sorry for you. That’s what happened in the book! Read the book!

I’m not going to talk about the bad movies based on books I loved because it just makes me sad that they destroyed what could have been really good (Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader *cough cough*).

Instead I’m going to just give a very brief list of books that I have read and the movies (not TV miniseries or shows) based on them that I really enjoyed. (I’m sure I’m missing out on TONS but then this list would super-duper long considering how many books I’ve read.)

The Joy Luck Club

Both are equally moving and I tear up EVERY DAMN TIME I read or watch. There are some things changed but as Amy Tan was involved with the screenplay I am ok with this.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

pride_and_prejudice

Yes, I know that the 5 hour TV miniseries may be better. But MOVIE wise, I adore this version. Yes things are shortened but for me this is a beautiful adaptation. I love the scenery, the music, the camera work, and I ADORE Matthew MacFadyen’s Darcy.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1&2 

harry_potter_and_the_deathly_hallows_part_i

The first Harry Potter movie was great (I actually watched it BEFORE reading the book, I know I know) but the last two movies for me REALLY got to the heart and soul of movie. It is the only time I fully endorse splitting into two movies because there is so much they couldn’t leave out.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I adore everything about this movie. It is exactly how I wanted this movie to turn out (Sorry old BBC production). Sadly it went downhill afterwards but this one is just glorious.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

great_gatsby_ver15

Almost everyone had to read this book for high school. And this version does a sensational job of capturing the Roaring 20s. And who better to play Gatsby then Leo? The scene of him with the champagne/fireworks alone is worth it.

Little Women (1994)

little_women

Words cannot describe how much I love this movie. Everything about it is perfect (other than the fact that Jo rejects Christian Bale. WHO REJECTS CHRISTIAN BALE??) and it is one of my favorite adaptation of ALL TIME. I am looking forward if/when I have a daughter and we can read the book and then watch this together. SO GOOD.

What are some of your favorite book to movie adaptations? What’s a good book that should be turned into a movie?

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What Good Books Have You Been Reading Lately Vol 5

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To newcomers of this blog, this is a semi-regular feature on my blog. I have no set date on when these posts will go up. It all depends on how much I read and how good the books are that I read. Lately, I have been picking good books so it’s been good reading times for me. I’m now standing at 181 out of 225 books read for my 2014 goal with about 1.5 months left to go!

Wildlife by Fiona Wood (Poppy, 2014)

My blurb: It’s a story set in a wilderness high school experience in Australia. So it’s pretty much like a story about camp. And I love camp stories. I feel the US cover is a bit deceiving because it looks like it’s all about a girl and a guy but it’s really more about two girls and told from their points of view.

Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae (Bloomsbury, 2014)

My blurb: I love stories that take place in other countries because if I can’t go there yet, I love reading about it. At first I was super annoyed with the main character because she was complaining about how she was being sent away to Italy to study and all she wanted to do was stay at home. But her adventures in the country really made me want to go travel there myself one day. If you liked Roman Holiday, you’ll enjoy this.

A Cry From the Dust by Carrie Stuart Parks (Thomas Nelson, 2014)

My blurb: I didn’t know what to expect when I read this because the cover seems very non descript and not at all like your typical Christian fiction cover. Well basically, it’s about historical Mormons that massacred innocent travelers and then in the modern day, a cancer recovery woman who tries to stop it from happening again. That on the cover my friends is a death mask.

The Well by Stephanie Landsem (Howard, 2013)

My blurb: I’ve always be fascinated by how many different interpretations there are of the woman at the well from the Bible. A lot of stories portray her in a horrible light because she had 5 husbands. But they never seem to consider the circumstances of why she did, they just automatically assume she’s a skank. This book however doesn’t immediately assume this. Also, the ending wasn’t what I was expecting. That’s all I will say.

Camp FoxTrot by Bill Amend (Andrews McNeel Publishing, 1998)

My blurb: FoxTrot to this day is my favorite comic of all time. I love the adventures the family has, the fact that they tied in pop/geek culture references all the time, and just how good the story is. I’ve read this collection many times but it always brings a chuckle and I love all the tiny details you don’t notice at first go round.

Cake Wrecks by Jen Yates (Andrews McNeel Publishing, 2009)

My blurb: If you’re familiar with the blog of the same name then you know what to expect. I’ve actually been waiting for 5 years to read this book! Long story short, it was everything I hoped for. There’s stuff in there that (as far as I know) wasn’t on the blog and it really makes you wonder what on earth these bakers and cake decorators were thinking. It’s always good for a laugh and then it makes you just want to eat cake.

That’s what I’ve been reading. What good books have YOU been reading lately?

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Music of the Heart

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I was listening to the radio the other day and a “beatccr” came on – when a Beatles song is followed by a Creedence Clearwater Revival song. Actually it was doubly exciting because it was a Two for Tuesday and therefore two Beatles songs were followed by two CCR songs. As I was enjoying my two favorite classic rock bands, it got me thinking.

A lot of my music tastes have been influenced by boys that I liked. Whether it was because they got me interested in a band or type of music because they liked them or because of what happened between us caused me to discover the music on my own, the majority of the music I listen to can be traced back to a guy.

Now I preface this all to say that when I listen to these songs or bands, I don’t think about these guys and spend all that time reminiscing. Far from it. I’m also not one of those girls who only becomes interested in things just because the guy she likes does and fakes being a fan. If I had never heard of these bands beforehand, then I did my research to find out more stuff about them afterwards.

I just want to give credit where credit is due.

I was already a big Beatles fan (who I discovered on MY own, for MYself) when the guy I crushed on throughout high school introduced me to CCR. It didn’t take long for me to fall hard for the roots/swamp rock band and my relationship with them outlasted my high school crush.

I liked a couple of guys who were in a band together. They liked a bunch of pop punk bands a lot. I ended up LOVING New Found Glory a lot.

Alkaline Trio was the absolute favorite band of the main guy I liked during college. Yeah that was a thing.

I discovered Saves the Day by way of a guy I met in an online group for another band that I actually had listened to (and I actually I don’t think I still have to this day).

This song was a random stumble upon song find for the guy. I ended up liking it for the music as well as the lyrics which I find to be true about how I view my faith sometimes.

After that brief trip down musical memory lane, I have to say that even though the relationships with the guys didn’t work out, I’m glad that the musical ones did. These are all fantastic songs and while I’m forever grateful to those that introduced me to the awesomeness, I’m also glad that time has healed the wounds and I can enjoy them in peace.

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I don’t always watch scary movies but when I do….

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So today’s Halloween. And I’ll let you in on a little secret.

My family didn’t celebrate Halloween growing up. Part of it was due to my parents being new immigrants to the country and not knowing the customs. The other part was that since we were Christians (and Southern Baptists to boot), it didn’t align with our beliefs. So I never got to go trick or treating and the only time I ever dressed up in costume for the day was the Halloween parade in kindergarten. My costume then was a white girl. I was actually supposed to be a princess but the mask literally was a blonde girl with a pale pink face so therefore I became a white girl for the day.

I am 99% positive this was that mask. Isn’t that terrifying?

My views on Halloween have changed since I’ve gotten older and if/when I have kids, we’ll probably take them out trick or treating (AS LONG AS KNOW THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS).

Keeping in with the theme of the holiday, it make come as quite a bit of a shock that…I actually do enjoy a good scary movie every now and then. I know, that’s a surprise isn’t it. We all know how much I love spoilers and I hate not knowing what’s going to happen. Scary, suspense movies are THE WORST at making me jump. But honestly? As long as I’m not by myself, I enjoy a good scare.

Now, gory movies are a different thing altogether. I cannot stand gore for pleasure. War movie gore is acceptable because I know that actually happened and as a historian I applaud authenticity. But movies where it’s just used for entertainment? No. You will never see me watching movies like Saw, Hostel, or anything like that. Seriously if you trick me into watching a gory movie, we will not stay friends very long.

I also know that I have not seen a lot of what is considered classic scary movies like Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist, etc. And I never will. And you know, that is ok. I like not having nightmares.

That being said, here are some scary movies that I have enjoyed over the years.

The Ring – I remember my friends and I had missed this in theaters and rented it during the summer. We knew it was going to be scary but had avoided all the spoilers. I still built a pillow fort around me to protect myself. I vividly remember one of my friends start cursing during that TV scene at the end. My least favorite part? Amber Tamblyn in the closet. Crap, is my nose bleeding?

28 Days Later – I was coerced into going to see this movie by my friends and I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to watch a zombie horror movie. I thought it was going to be all gory and jumpy and I hated that I had paid money to watch this. And then I saw the movie. AND LOVED IT. It’s probably my favorite horror movie of all time. If you still haven’t seen this movie yet, WHY  NOT?

Scream – This was a high school sleepover movie favorite. Confession: To this day, I still have not completely watched the opening scene with Drew’s character and her boyfriend. I always have and will continue to cover my eyes in this scene. The rest of the movie however is good to go.

The Birds – I preface this to say that I hate swarms of birds flying in the air. Migration season is the worse. SO MANY BIRDS IN THE AIR AND IT NEVER ENDS. So out of all the Hitchcock horror movies, this one is my favorite. Because it’s basically one of my nightmares come true.

The Haunting – This movie is surprisingly liked by my family as one of our favorite scary movies. (The rest of the family was scared to death by What Lies Beneath but I skipped out on that viewing.) I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but we found it quite scary. Also, Owen Wilson’s head.

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Having fun isn’t hard, when you got a library card!

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Full disclosure: I work in a library.

My love affair with the library started when I was about 3 years old. My mom had taught me and my sisters to read when we were super young so we loved books pretty much all our lives. The library was the best thing ever because it was a place with ALL the books. I remember loving going to church every Sunday as a small child because it meant I could check out books from the church library.

I got my first library card when I was 7. Back then there was a book limit of 20 books. To a 7 year old that seemed like a huge amount of books and I had visions of walking out with stacks of books 20 feet high. My parents never banned us from reading things from the library though they did make us read non fiction books to level out the Babysitter Club and Sweet Valley books we were also reading. We also had to read a number of classics as well. This was fine with me as I could usually find a bunch of non fiction books I enjoyed. We also participated in the summer reading program every year and ROCKED those things. We had to xerox the log in sheets because we read so much.

Fast forward a decade and a half later and I found myself working in the library I grew up in as a shelver. It was a dream come true. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got to learn the ins and outs of working in a library and got to know the collection so much better. I learned that working in a library isn’t as easy as it seems and there are some not so fun parts but I really enjoyed it. I moved up to the part time library assistant where I got to interact more with the patrons and found that challengingly fun as well. Now I currently work again in a library and it’s pretty awesome.

Now I know that some people don’t use the libraries and I respect your decision. But if you pay taxes, you really should take advantage of your local library. There’s so many free resources besides just books. I’m not going to go all into that today.

But I will say take advantage of your library if you can. Read this article here to find out 6 ways to be a power library user.

Just remember to bring back your stuff to the library. Or this guy will come after you.

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Another one to cross off my list

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I found out this week that Josh Groban is dating Kat Dennings.

While I am understandably heartbroken at the fact that he didn’t choose me, it is ok. I am happy that he is finally publicly dating someone again and he seems happy as well.

I’ve had many celeb crushes over the years and I’ve just gotten used to the fact that I will never end up with any of them.

So today, I will just feature my celeb crushes that just were not meant to be.

Adam Banks from The Mighty Ducks (Vincent LaRusso)

Spot Conlon from Newsies (Gabriel Damon)

Benny ‘The Jet’ Rodriguez from The Sandlot (Mike Vitar)

JTT

Devon Sawa (Casper, Little Giants, Now and Then)

Mark Paul Gosselaar

Who were your crushes growing up?

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What Good Books Have You Been Reading Lately Vol 4

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To new comers of this blog, this is a semi-regular feature on my blog. I have no set date on when these posts will go up. It all depends on how much I read and how good the books are that I read. Lately, I have been picking good books so it’s been good reading times for me. I’m now standing at 159 out of 225 books read for my 2014 goal with about 2.5 months left to go!

The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen by Tosca Lee (Howard, 2014)

My blurb: As far as I can remember, the Queen of Sheba gets a blip of a mention in Sunday School but I don’t know that much about her other than she came to visit King Solomon and they had a lot of wise talks. This book takes her character and creates a whole story for her that is incredible. You can tell there was a lot of historical research that went into the book. Tired of safe fiction coming from the Christian fiction publishers? This one has lots of sex. Good stuff. Heh.

An Accidental Life by Pamela Binnings Ewen (B&H, 2013)

My blurb: This book is about woman lawyers and abortion. But lest you think it’s a preachy pro-life book, it actually isn’t. It’s more about the legal issues surrounding the pro-life/choice debate and makes for a very compelling read.

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas (Bethany House, 2014)

My blurb: To sum up this word in just a few words: West Virginia and food. Seriously there is a ton of food in this book. And the best part is that one of the characters has the gift of making more food come. But people think she’s a witch! Like I said…..West Virginia.

Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon (Putnam Adult, 2014)

My blurb: I LOVED this book. I’ve read all the Mitford books and this one was just like going home again. You know how when some authors go back to their most popular books and they just cannot recreate the magic? Not this time. Everything and everyone was there. I also haven’t laughed so much while reading a story in a long time. This is wonderful comfort reading. I don’t know if there will be more books but even if there isn’t, this was a joy to read

Blur by Steven James (Skyscape, 2014)

My blurb: Confession: Even though I LOVE Steven James’s books, I nearly avoided this one because it wasn’t published by a mainstream publisher. (I’m snobby about that.) I’m glad that I went against my normal way of thinking because this was a really great read. It’s a YA suspense with some paranormal elements and it is GOOD. James writes the story from a first person teenage boy’s POV and I believed it.

The Miracle Thief by Iris Anthony (Sourcebooks Landmark, 2014)

My blurb: This book is an amazing historical fiction read set during France during the 900s which is a time period you don’t see a lot of these days in books. Stuff about miracles and witches and nuns and royalty. All good stuff. Also even though I know what the word means, this was the first time I’ve actually seen the word “palfrey” used in a book and multiples times at that.

Sing for Me by Karen Halvorsen Schreck (Howard, 2014)

My blurb: Interracial relationships! Jazz music! Immigrants! The 1930s during the Depression! This book was fantastic. There is a serious lack of interracial couples in Christian fiction so I’m really glad that this book happened. Lots of soul in this one.

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron (Thomas Nelson, 2014)

My blurb: Not your typical WWII Christian fiction book. It doesn’t romanticize the time period at all. But if you have a love of music and European history, you will definitely enjoy this book. Out of the box.


Overwhelmed: Winning the War Against Worry by Perry Noble (Tyndale, 2014)

My blurb: We all know I worry a lot. And how I’m really trying not to. I’ve watched sermons from Noble’s teachings online and I’ve read excerpts from this book in an online devotional and really liked his style of teaching. I basically devoured this book in a day. There’s a lot of what goes through my mind in this book and he really touches at the heart of the manner. I don’t read a ton of non fiction normally but this is one that I needed and definitely recommend.

That’s what I’ve been reading. What good books have YOU been reading lately?