The Friday 56 - Week 205

Welcome to Week 205!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post to the Linky at Freda's Voice. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.



I had picked this one up as a freebie back in November.

Angelina could see why they all flocked to Vince. As if his dark, wavy hair and coffee colored eyes weren't enough, his generous spirit, sense of humor, and gourmet chef abilities made him an even more terrific catch. 

Mailbox Monday - January 13

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

My mailman was kind to me last week and only sent catalogs. He knows I've got a lot of catching up to do. My Kindle Inbox, however, added a few new titles.

Eleanor Parkhurst is determined to get in the way of Nathaniel Naverly seducing her sweet cousin Rose. Nate has a history of treating girls badly and Ellie suspects his intentions are far from honorable. Getting Nate to switch his attention to her seemed like a good plan, but Ellie didn’t foresee that she might have to protect her own heart from his schemes as well. The game is proving a challenge. Midnight meetings, fighting or kissing, it’s all part of the fun of flirting. Set in an English boarding school, Ellie discovers that boys are more complicated than classes, and you have to play the game well or you might just get played!

Suitable Age Range: 12 - 18 yrs

After spending hundreds of years as a familiar to an abusive witch, Surla runs away to find freedom. But there's one catch! The Black Cats' Curse states she will have to switch bodies with the first lonesome soul to cross her path.

Painfully shy Cathy Phillips can't muster the courage to ask hot water polo player, Craig Nelson, on a date. Neither can she stand up to the three biggest snobs at Washington High. What's a girl to do? Could switching lives with a sassy, magical cat be the answer to her wishes?

The "curse" of being "BeSwitched" may just be the most purr-fect secret these new best friends could ever have!

Living on her own for her first time, Bible school student Jane cleans houses to make ends meet. But being independent brings big trials, like falling for a handsome professor, dealing with an obnoxious roommate, and then there's the dead bodies...

Who knew being housekeeper to wealthy owners of a Roly Burger franchise would mean sweeping up clues to their death, while ministering to the needs of their heirs?

This is one big mess that Jane is intent on cleaning up before things get even worse.

"I know it's a Bigfoot," Belle said. "It even smelled different. I hightailed it for Sam's when I saw shadows in the brush."

The 1918 holiday season brings mystery and adventure for orphaned eleven-year-old Belle and her Indian friend, Summer. Belle has adapted to her new home at Uncle Arden's fish camp at Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Known as the last wilderness territory in the United States, this water-filled landscape is populated with snakes, alligators, wild hogs, and now...a hairy outsider. At the Bone Field, she finds clues of a Bigfoot, but her uncle dismisses the signs. Belle and Summer set out to befriend the mysterious stranger with food gifts, but he has reason to stay hidden. Is he a real Bigfoot? How does Belle solve the mystery?

PG-RATED FUN

BAH, HUMBUG! (A Romantic Comedy Christmas Novella)

Lexi Anderson is an up-and-coming, Martha Stewart-type TV hostess whose two kids love the Jared Strong adventure novels, which happen to be written by their new neighbor, Kyle Miller.

For the first time in his writing career, Kyle has writer’s block--until he sees the snowman on his lawn and realizes it’s the perfect solution to his plot problem. He digs in and discovers two things: one, his villain’s weapon will fit inside a snowman's body, and two, this particular snowman was supposed to be the backdrop for Lexi’s next show.

From this improbable beginning comes friendship, but can there be a happy ending for a woman who is afraid to get close again and a man who has shadows from his childhood?

Families join together and hearts are healed as this couple goes walking in a winter wonderland.

TV Movie Review: Window Wonderland (2013)

Photo credit: Hallmarkchannel.com

Chyler Leigh plays Sloan Van Doren, a driven young woman determined to become the next window dresser at McGuire's Department Store. Also interested in the job is artist Jake Dooley (Paul Campbell). Mr. Fitch, who heads up advertising and promotion, challenges Sloan and Jake to create a series of seasonal storefronts. The creator of the window that gets the most attention from passersby will get the job.

As the competition moves along, a mutual attraction develops between the serious and professional Sloan and the happy-go-lucky Jake, which is hampered by the contest and Sloan's rich boyfriend. With support from the store's window washer, Mac (Terence Kelly) and bathroom attendant Rita (Naomi Judd), it's anyone's game to win.

This romantic seasonal comedy is another new movie in Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas lineup. I loved every minute of it. Sloan and Jake work for an extravagant department store in the city vying for a chance to become the new window dresser. Sloan has the college education, but Jake has natural artistic ability, which irritates Sloan to no end.

Sloan's boyfriend, Kenneth (Cameron Mathison) is a wealthy businessman. He doesn't take Sloan's job seriously and can't understand why she does either. It doesn't help that Sloan is so embarrassed by her family that she can't even bring herself to introduce them to Kenneth.

Window Wonderland has all the trademark elements of a great Hallmark Channel movie: romance, conflict, humor, a great setting, and a cast of actors who play their parts superbly. This seasonal movie would be nice to unwind with by the fireplace or to watch while trimming the tree. The storefront windows definitely inspire. And the surprise ending is a nice treat.

You can catch it again on Christmas Day at 6/5C.

I recorded this movie through my cable provider. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Movie Review: Pitch Perfect (2012)

Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick) is an aspiring DJ who is sent to Barden College by her father (John Benjamin Hickey), where she seems not to fit in with any group. Muscled by Chloe (Brittany Snow) into joining the Barden Bellas, an all female a cappella singing group, the independent thinking Beca quickly knocks head with the group's leader, Aubrey (Anna Camp).

As Beca works to lead the Bellas out of their traditional songs and perfect harmonies into new mash ups, Aubrey is determined to remain in control so they can beat the college's all male a cappella group, the Treblemakers, at the college music competitions.

The Lil' Diva (11) and Lil Princess (9) have been bugging me for weeks to see Pitch Perfect. The classic, "Everyone else has seen it" argument has been used several times. I finally conceded that I would watch it first, and then allow them to see it if I felt it was appropriate. It's not. How some things manage to come away with a PG-13 rating is beyond me.

I loved the premise of the movie. The acting is superb. And though Rebel Wilson, who plays Fat Amy, annoys me to no end with her vulgarity, she had some funny moments in Pitch Perfect. The thing that bothers me most about this movie is that over half of it is wasted by discussions of sex, venereal disease, the girls trying to figure out which one of the Bellas is a lesbian, and inappropriate gestures. I can see why the movie is so popular. It's outrageously funny. Overall it's about a young woman finding her place in the world. There's the intense rivalry between the two a cappella groups. Pitch Perfect has so much to offer, that it's a shame I can't let my girls watch it because of the sexual content and vulgarity.

Here are a few examples:

• The two remaining Bellas (Aubrey and Chloe) are trying to regroup at the start of a new year at Barden after a crushing loss at last year's competition. Beca wants none of it and claims she can't sing. In a later scene, Beca goes to take a shower. As she walks by, she notices two sets of feet in a shower stall, but minds her own business and finds an empty stall. She begins singing and the shower curtain is pulled back by Chloe in the buff. The girls continue having a conversation, though Beca is busy trying to hide her naked body behind the curtain and telling Chloe to "cover her junk." When Chloe says she won't leave until Beca sings, they sing together, and a naked guy wanders in and tells Beca she has a nice voice. Though you don't see any private parts, it's obvious they are all naked.
• A disgruntled girl talks about being told her boobs look like bologna, and her cream colored shirt clearly reveals abnormally large nipples underneath.
• Stacie (Alexis Knapp), one of the Bellas, admits to the girls she has a lot of sex. In addition, she is often seen fondling her own breasts. It's a running joke as they try to prepare for competition to try to keep Stacie's hands off them.
• Two of the new Bellas are kicked out for having sex with boys from the Treblemakers.
• When Chloe admits she has nodules on her vocal cords, Fat Amy makes a crack that at least she doesn't have herpes.

These are just some of the things I don't wish my pre-teen girls to see. And though some of the dance numbers had girls gyrating, if that was the worst it got, I could have relented. The latter half of the movie focuses more on the competition and reinventing the Bellas, in addition to Beca's trouble with allowing people to get close to her. There are some truly great elements to this movie that were ruined by trying to make it edgy.

Pitch Perfect is available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Release date: October 5, 2012

Runtime: 112 minutes

Rating: PG-13

I rented this movie from Redbox. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way. 

Seasonal Movie Review: The Christmas Pageant

Photo credit Hallmark Channel

Director Vera Parks (Melissa Gilbert) has a career that is going nowhere fast. Labeled as difficult, she gets fired from several jobs in a row. Her manager, Peter (Steve Lawrence) manages to get her a job directing a small town Christmas pageant.

Things go from bad to worse quickly. While some are eager to work with her, others are destined to fight any change Vera suggests. Vera has problems adjusting from her glamorous life in New York City to the simple life in Ashton Falls. Then she runs into her ex-fiancé, Jack Harmond (Robert Mailhouse). Vera is soon considering whether she should return to New York or stick it out in Ashton Falls.

If ever there was a movie that Melissa Gilbert was born to star in, it's The Christmas Pageant. If Little House on the Prairie was set in modern times, then the storyline from this movie would be a perfect fit. A woman whose life centers around her career and posh city life, ends up in a simple town where there is one mail carrier and everyone knows each other. It's not long before Ashton Falls and its people begin to grow on Vera.

A blend of funny and sweet, this is a classic Hallmark romance. With a superb cast and quaint setting you can't go wrong. If you are looking for a story that will touch your heart and remind you of the joys of being home, be sure to catch this movie on the Hallmark Channel in December. The next showing is Wednesday, December 21st at 10/9 Central.

Women's Fiction Month: The Best Bad Date by Addison James

When is a bad date good? Susan Wells finds out when a bachelor auction leads to a date with handsome Doctor Roger Lane, and a night to remember. What could go wrong? Everything. Will love find a way through this comedy of errors? Absolutely.

Read an excerpt!

“It’s for a good cause.”

Dr. Roger Lane repeated this mantra over and over again as he was dragged onstage in front of several hundred screaming women.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Roger knew today was the day of the bachelor auction fundraiser for Saint Albans Hospital. Marge, the head of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, even sought him out specifically to participate--“Our own Doctor McDreamy” she was quoted saying).

Roger purposely arranged to be out of the hospital today, but there was an emergency surgery that required his attention. After the surgery Nurse Williams decided to show him a super secret shortcut back to the physician’s parking lot, which somehow managed to reroute him so that he ended up in the auditorium on the stage where hundreds of women were yelling, “Take it off! Take it off!”

COMING FROM MUSEITUP PUBLISHING IN DECEMBER 2011!

Addison James spent her childhood with her nose in a book, ignoring the natural beauty of her native Vermont. She went to the right schools, got the right jobs, and spent her early adult years being responsible and stable. Then, her long repressed urge to write emerged and she has been feeding it ever since.


Visit Addison online at http://addisonjwriter.com/


Twitter: @addisonj_writer

Perfect on Paper Virtual Book Tour '08 & '09

Anything can look perfect...on paper.

When her fiance calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she though it would...or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said.

"Perfect on Paper" is a humorous tale of Waverly's efforts to cobble the pieces of a broken yesterday into a brand new tomorrow. What does the future have in store for her? Will she finally find what she's looking for?

Her dates? Cringe-inducing at times, definitely entertaining.

Her friends? Often amused, definitely supportive.

Her new crush? Possibly intrigued, definitely a catch.

The results? Hardly perfect, definitely just right.

AUTHOR'S BIO:


Maria Murnane is currently an independent business writer and works mostly with technology and financial services companies, but like the main character in her book, she used to work in sports PR. One day she quit her job and ended up in Argentina for a year, where she played semi-pro soccer and also wrote the first draft of what would eventually become "Perfect on Paper". She has dedicated the book to any woman who has ever been on a really bad date or realized halfway through the workday that her skirt is on backwards.

Maria graduated with high honors in English and Spanish from UC Berkeley and received a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Visit Maria's website at http://www.mariamurnane.com/

TO SEE WHERE MARIA AND WAVERLY ARE STOPPING NEXT, VISIT http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/