We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.
Books: Arya's Bollywood Moment & Unstoppable
Today we are recommending Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat. Arya is forced to work on the student council with her worst enemy and the person she lost the council presidency to Dean Merriweather. At the same time, she is dealing with her sister's impending wedding and the rift that has grown between them. Working with Dean turns out to be the easy thing especially when she discovers what they feel for each other may not be hate after all.
This is a great example of the enemies-to-lovers trope. The story is cute, and the characters are sweet and likable. Even Dean turns out to be a much more admirable character than he appears at first. Aside from Arya and Dean, there are a lot of other interesting, well-drawn, and mostly likable characters in the book as well including Arya's sister, Alina, and various other friends and family members.
The book is full of great family vibes. There is plenty of real family as well as the found family of deep friendships. The author does a good, realistic, and relatable job of showcasing the highs and lows of both familial and friend relationships and how they can go wrong and still manage to be salvaged in the end.
The author also shares a lot of information about Indian traditions, customs, etc., particularly those regarding weddings throughout the book. While this information is interesting, it is not very well explained, and it leaves the reader wanting to know more which takes away slightly from enjoyment of the book. It would be better if there was a glossary of terms for readers who might not be at all familiar with these traditions, customs, etc. Other than that the book is a delightfully engrossing read.
Today we are recommending Unstoppable by Maggie Nichols. Maggie Nichols was an elite gymnast on track to make the 2016 Olympic team but when she was one of the first accusers of Larry Nasser, the doctor at the center of the gymnastics abuse scandal, that dream was derailed. However, this book is not only about that. It is about what it takes to be an elite gymnast in the first place, and about perseverance and strength of character and what it takes to keep going when not only have you lived through the horrendous experience of being literally abused you also have to deal with how that experience led to the crushing of your dream.
The book which was written with Hope Inelli draws you in immediately and really holds your attention throughout. It is in part extremely inspiring and in part outrageously horrifying. The part of the book that deals with Maggie's life before and after what happened to her is inspiring. She is a great role model for anyone not just young female athletes and not just because of her athletic prowess. Her character, inner strength, and courage in the aftermath of what happened to her and beyond, and how she was able to carry on with extreme grace and fortitude is something anyone can learn from.
The part of the book that deals with Larry Nasser's horrendous abuse and how it was mishandled by those in authority allowing him to continue his abuse and in fact, abuse many more innocent young girls long after his abhorrent actions were first reported is both outrageously shocking and completely terrifying, The way so many people in authority whose first priority should have been to protect these young girls and others like them failed so miserably in this duty is both disgusting and horrifying. Knowing that people like Maggie are now out there advocating for people like themselves, gives one the tiniest glimmer of hope.
Movie: Waiting for the Light to Change
Today we are talking about Waiting for the Light to Change. This film is appropriately named because watching it is about as exciting as waiting for a light to change. The movie has very little plot, but what there is of it revolves around a group of angsty twenty-somethings staying in a beach house. Nothing really happens in the movie, and there is no real character development. Plus, the majority of the film is very dark not in subject matter but as if it were all filmed in the middle of the night with very little light.
Waiting for the Light to Change is available for purchase on DVD or for purchase or rental digitally.
All pictures used in this post are our own. If there is a problem with any image, please contact us here and we will look into the matter.
And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.
All pictures used in this post are our own. If there is a problem with any image, please contact us here and we will look into the matter.
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