Book Banter Café

Most people who read a novel and then watch the movie say, "the book was better." It makes sense.  An author gives the reader a peek inside the minds of each character.  With a movie, we are only bystanders.  A novel provides ample time to set each scene and offer explanations, but a movie, with time constraints, doesn't have that luxury. One thing is certain--you expect the movie and the book to share more similarities than differences. The Christmas Town  novel by Donna VanLiere is an inspiring story about hope, but how Hallmark's 2019 movie is "based" on this story is a mystery. Hallmark's Christmas Town Is A Different Story If you watched Hallmark's 2019 premiere of Christmas Town starring Candace Cameron Bure, you will remember she played Lauren Gabriel, a teacher who sets off for a new job in a new state, only to land in Grandon along the way.   Lauren's mom dies when she is little, and her dad also dies by the time she ...

Men Write Romances Too I was a bit skeptical about reading a romance novel by a male author. I didn't even realize there were men out there who tackled this genre.  I never stumbled across one when browsing through romance titles. When I delved into The Mistletoe Promise on my Kindle, I could immediately hear the male voice in the writing.  I wasn't sure if I could adjust.  Initially, the more clipped and less flowery language wasn't reconciling with my expectations. The book is written in the first person, which is also less common, and told from the female lead's perspective, making it even more challenging for a male author to effectively communicate what the female psyche holds. I'm glad I took a chance on this one, and you will too, if you love romance stories, Christmas, and Hallmark! The Mistletoe Promise Plot Elise Dutton works at a travel agency in the same mall complex where Nicholas Derr's law office is located, where he is a partne...