Recommendations



RECOMMENDED MOVIES 

October Baby - Drama
The Vow - Romantic Drama
The Help - Based on the novel, The Help
Lincoln - Historical Drama
Christmas for a Dollar - Christmas
The Blind Side - Biographical Drama

RECOMMENDED MUSIC

Beethoven at Bedtime  - Classical
Debussy for Daydreaming - Classical
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Sound Track
Home for Christmas - Celtic Woman
Live... We Come Rejoicing - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

RECOMMENDED READS

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
     This is a fascinating true story that reads much like a novel. For me it was a "couldn't put it down" book.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
     Quiet affirms the value and contributions of introverted thinkers in a society that values the extroverted personality. If you enjoy quiet reflection and are energized by alone time, you will appreciate Cain's insights. They were affirming for me.

Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush
     Spoken From the Heart is a personal memoir written by a gracious and soft-spoken First Lady. I very much enjoyed reading about her life.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
     The focus of The Help, set in the pre-Civil Rights era, is on the plight of blacks in Mississippi.  The movie made from this novel closely parallels the book.

Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George 
     George creates the fascinating life of Mary Magdalene, from girlhood to womanhood. This historical novel is based on Biblical research.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
     This short novel by Evans is emotionally charged and teaches a lesson often forgotten during the busy Christmas season.

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
     This riveting story recounts the life and adventures of Judah Ben-Hur who was a Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century. A best-selling novel in the 1800's, it is considered by many scholars to be the most influential Christian writing of the nineteenth century.

Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl
     Excellent mystery and keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
     This is a great read that includes action, drama, romance, and mystery. Guterson is a skillful writer.

Israela by Betya Casper
     Set in the land of Israel, this novel depicts the lives of people who struggle in the midst of violence and constant fear of war.

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
     "It's a fascinating, gritty glimpse into an intersection of unlikely worldviews." (Review by author, Mike Duran)

Patient H. M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets by Luke Dittrich
   The machinations of scientists and researchers - their personality and ambition, power and hubris - are of equally vital (and cautionary) importance in Dittrich's unusual and compelling mix of science and family history." (Review by Booklist)