Tip for Tuesday - Books: That's What She Said; The Road to Tender Hearts and Julie Chan is Dead; Movie: Wingman

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: That's What She Said

             The Road to Tender Hearts

             Julie Chan is Dead

Me -  I went into That's What She Said by Eleanor Pilcher expecting a heartwarming story about a strong female friendship. Unfortunately, while the book did deliver a female friendship, the execution left me wanting much more. 

For starters, the two protagonists, Serena and Beth, had no personality or motivation beyond how each felt about sex. Additionally, they were both very immature and often acted like teenagers despite being in their late 20s. These factors contributed to their friendship falling flat. On top of that, they didn't communicate very well. Serena continuously pushed Beth into doing things without asking her if she actually wanted to, and pretty much every time, Beth buried her frustration or anger and went along with it. Considering how close they were supposed to be and how long they had been friends, this constant poor communication felt unrealistic and frustrating to read.

Outside of Beth and Serena's friendship, each woman had a romantic subplot, with Beth's love interest being her former coworker/crush and Serena's being her friend with benefits. These relationships had a few cute moments, but there was hardly any focus on them so it was hard to care about them too much.

Despite the issues mentioned, this was not a bad book. The writing was fine, the pacing was relatively quick to get through, and there was some nice, casual queer representation. There was also a decent amount of entertaining angst and high school-esque drama. If you like messy characters and relationships, you might love this book. That said, it wasn't for me.

Mom - Today, I am recommending The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett.  This story about a 63-year-old lottery winner, his estranged daughter, two orphaned children, and a stray cat who embark on a cross-country journey is incredibly moving. It is full of extremely quirky, yet delightfully endearing characters who get themselves into all kinds of crazy, unbelievable situations. It is hilariously funny and also very sweet.

The relationships that develop between the characters are so sweet and touching.  The book is full of heartwarming moments that will make your heart sing and fill you with the kind of warm, happy feelings that usually only come when you get near the end of a really good book. It's just a complete joy to read. 

Mom again: Today I am talking about Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang. Julie and her twin sister were separated when their parents died in an accident. Julie grew up with nothing. Chloe grew up with everything, including wealthy parents and a thriving career as an influencer. Then, after a strange call from her twin, with whom she has had very little interaction over the years, Julie arrives at Chloe's apartment and finds her sister dead, presumably of a drug overdose, and she impulsively decides to step into her sister's life. However, she soon finds that Chloe's life may not have been as perfect as it seems, and she may even be putting herself in grave danger by stepping into her sister's shoes.

This book is about our obsession with social media. It shines a glaring spotlight on those living their lives almost entirely online and those who blindly follow them. The book has extremely dark undertones, which get even darker as the book goes along. Julie starts out as a likable, relatable character, but eventually, the character goes totally off the rails and is no longer either.  Thus, in the end, there is no one to really root for. The book works well as a cautionary tale about the dangers of social media and of being obsessed with the online world over the real world. However, if you are more interested in a lighthearted, fun, happy read than a morality lesson, you may prefer reading something else.

That's What She Said is out now. The Road to Tender Hearts and Julie Chen is Dead will be published next Tuesday. 

Movies: Wingman

Today, we recommend Wingman. This is a fascinating documentary about a man on a quest to paraglide from Colorado to Wyoming. It is interesting to learn about the sport and follow his journey. 

At just over an hour long, it is short enough to keep it from dragging on and getting boring. It is also fairly family-friendly, although we wouldn't recommend it for very young children who get bored easily. However, older children who want to see a man fly might enjoy it. 

Wingman is now available for purchase or rental digitally.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

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