Books

• The House of Tomorrow by Jean Thompson

Movies

• Bella - Go see “Bella”, winner of the coveted ‘People’s Choice Award’ at the Toronto Film Festival and a top rated movie in the U.S. ‘Bella’ is the first production of Metanoia Films, created by Eduardo Verastegui, a young Mexican actor who experienced his own metanoia - turning from darkness to light -, Alejandro Monteverde, an award-winning University of Texas film student, and Leo Severino, a Los Angeles Lawyer. The three friends shared a vision of producing films ‘that make a positive impact.’ Written by Alejandro Monteverde, the story centers on Nina, (Tammy Blanchard) a young single waitress in New York who discovers she is pregnant and believes her only choice is abortion - and her friend Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), chef at the restaurant where she works, who wants to help her. Jose was once a rising soccer star whose career abruptly ended when he drove over a little girl and killed her. Haunted by the memory of the dead child and the grief of the young single mother, Jose hopes to change Nina’s mind about the abortion and consider adoption instead. The result is a powerful movie - as one observer noted, “Bella, like real life, surprises you with a subtle, yet profound story of exceptional grace.” We found it unforgettable, beautiful, heart-breaking and heart-warming; a true story of metanoia. Bring a box of Kleenex; Bella will make you cry and laugh.