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: The Phoenix Keeper & My First Book Part 2
Aila was an enjoyable protagonist and relatable for anyone who finds it easier to talk to animals than people. The friendship she shared with her best friend, Tanya, was very sweet and the romance plot-line that came into play later in the book was tension-filled and cute, though the love interest was difficult to care for at first.
Now, cozy fantasy is obviously intended to be low-stakes and not too heavy on the plot. However, for a large portion of this book, nothing at all was happening. The first 130 pages primarily consisted of Aila going through a single day of work at the zoo. If you're interested in reading about all the details of her routine as she fed the animals, cleaned their exhibits, and avoided other people as much as possible you'll love it. Otherwise, you– like me– will likely find it boring.
The odd thing is, the story does have stakes. Aila is attempting to make her lifelong dream a reality and also help save an entire species. Yet, the extremely long and detailed descriptions of her completing completely mundane tasks to achieve those goals made it hard to remember or care. There is hardly any relationship building or character development until far into the book either, so there was nothing to keep my attention.
This book is very magical. There isn't necessarily a lot of world-building but the author paints a fascinating and unique portrait of the many fantastical animals cared for at Aila's zoo. Some of them were the typical magical animals we see in fantasies like unicorns, dragons, and phoenixes. Then there were also animals that I believe the author created for this story, such as archibirds and disappearing ducks. The variety and complexity of these animals was unlike anything I've seen before so if you love magical creatures you might love this.
Overall this book has many merits– a fleshed-out main character, a lovely friendship, a creative use of fantasy elements, and an ultimately cozy and sweet story. Unfortunately, it was far too slow-paced and lacking in action for me personally but if you don't care about plot or action at all and you just want pleasant vibes and to follow the day-to-day life of a phoenix keeper, you should definitely give it a try.
=Mom- Today I am recommending My First Book - Part 2 by Julian Schlossberg. Schlossberg is a motion picture theater and television producer. Among other things he has hosted a nationally syndicated radio show called Movie Talk and owned a film production and distribution company. In 2023, he published his autobiography titled Try Not to Hold It Against Me.
This book is a sequel to that book. It is full of juicy tidbits and anecdotes he left out of the first book. There are plenty of fun and fascinating stories about some of the famous people with whom he has worked. He is not afraid to name names and tell it like it is. For instance, there is a whole section on what a prima donna Leslie Anne Warren was when she appeared on Broadway and how difficult she was to work with. If you enjoy celebrity gossip, you will definitely love this diverting and engaging book.
Movies: Dance Rivals
Today we are recommending the movie Dance Rivals. When her family is forced to move to California for her mother's job, Lex is drafted to become a dance teacher for her younger sister and her sister's dance troop. At the same time, she joins a dance troop herself where she meets a guy named Travis. Both her budding relationship and her dance skills make her a powerful enemy in fellow dancer, Skyla.
This is a nice family film. While it is not entirely free from cliches, there is enough originality to keep it interesting. Plus the story is uplifting and pleasant and full of touching family and found family vibes. They include the relationship between Lex and her sister, the relationship between the girls and their mother, and the relationships between Lex and her sister, respectively, and each of their dance mates. These relationships show that in both families and friendships, girls can be supportive of each other. They don't have to be rivals despite the title of the film. Lex's relationship with Travis is very sweet as well. All in all, it's just a lovely film.
Dance Rivals is available now on DVD or for purchase or rental digitally.
And that's our view.
Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.
The first book image is our own. All other Images used in this post have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or PR firms and are used by permission. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, contact us here, and we will look into the matter.
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