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The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan was a powerful and thought-provoking book that is definitely considered a classic for a reason. The four women of the Joy Luck club meet regularly to play mahjong, eat traditional Chinese food, and share the dreams and struggles they've had leading up to raising their four respective daughters in America. The founder of the club, Suyuan Woo, has recently passed and her daughter, Jing Mei, is taking her place at the mahjong table. In doing so, she learns of the hardships her mother faced to give Jing Mei her life in the US. The impactful stories of the other three women and their daughters are also told - beginning in rural China and ending in San Francisco.
The book reads almost like a collection of short stories that seamlessly shift from light-hearted to deeply impactful and back. A rich and meaningful read no matter where your family comes from. It's a beautiful illustration that the stories that shape us are not just our own. Reading this book was an emotional and moving experience that I wish I could experience again for the first time. I put down the book with more thought towards the stories and struggles of my own family (which sounds kind of dramatic but is totally true lol).
Available on eBook and eAudiobook on eMediaLibrary.
Beautiful Boy (2018, Rated R) tells the real-life story of Nic Sheff, a teen who has a strained relationship with his father David due to his severe drug addiction. Despite Nic's time in rehab, he continues to use drugs including crystal meth. David tries to help his son, but the more he intervenes the worse things get. Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet give stellar performances as the father/son duo, playing their parts with genuine vulnerability. It's a heartbreaking film that sheds light on the harsh realities of addiction and how it can tear a family apart.
You can watch Beautiful Boy on Amazon Prime with one of our Rokus.
This daring adventure follows British Captain Jack Aubrey around the waters of South America during the Napoleonic Wars. He is in pursuit of an elusive French warship which puts his crew to the test. This visually captivating film will transport you to another place and time.
Starring Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, and Billy Boyd.
Master and Commander (PG-13) is available for checkout on DVD.
Watch Ron's Gone Wrong on a Roku with Disney+ .
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The main reason I think The Founder (2016, rated PG-13) is a good movie is because of the spirited discussion it generated between my coworkers and me. There was no debate about Michael Keaton's terrific performance of Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's.
My mistake was assuming Kroc was obviously a bad person for what he did. A debate quickly began as to whether or not in the world of business, was Kroc wrong at all or a genius entrepreneur? After all, "It's not personal Sonny, it's strictly business."
I highly recommend you watch this movie and decide for yourself. Check it out on Hoopla today.
Tracy also liked this film. Check out Tracy's review here.
This dark, four-season remake of the 1978 TV series is full of surprises. Twelve colonies of humans in a distant star system are wiped out by the cylons, a race of metal, humanoid-like machines. The remnants of humanity, traveling aboard a ragtag fleet of ships, including Battlestar Galactica, set off to search for the 13th colony--Earth. But not all cylons are metal. Some look just like humans. In fact, some cylons are programmed to think they are human. Can you tell who is a cylon?
Starring Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, and Jamie Bamber.
What an absolute delight! I loved watching the DVD "Cruella" (Rated PG-13). Emma Stone portrays Estella (Cruella) Deville perfectly. This is the predecessor to the animated Disney movie "101 Dalmatians" and why Cruella is the way she is and why she detests damnations so much. This is the story of how Estella grows up with wanting to become a fashion designer. She grabs the attention of the famous designer the Baroness von Hellman (played by Emma Thompson) and realizes that she more talented than the Baroness. The casting of characters is unbelievable when they truly portray the animated characters. The music and fashion in the movie are exciting and fun. Estelle has a revengeful and nasty personality as she transforms into Curella. I highly recommend this movie.
Set against the backdrop of the financial crisis of 2008, Up in the Air (Rated R) follows Ryan Bingham as he flies around the country doing his job--firing people. His spartan lifestyle, which keeps him almost constantly airborne en route to the next city, suits him just fine. But when a new business model and a romantic entanglement threaten his comfortable existence, his goals shift unexpectedly.
Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick.
Created by Mindy Kaling, this coming-of-age tv series is loosely bases on Kaling's childhood experiences. The story focuses on Devi Vishwakumar, a 15-year-old Indian-American Tamil girl from Los Angeles. Devi endures a traumatic year after the loss of her father, and things aren't much better for her at school. She wants to change her social status, but that proves to be difficult. We follow Devi as she deals with her grief, identity, and various family/friend relationships (including a potential romance with her high school crush). While there are serious aspects of the show, it is also full of Kaling's signature wit and humor. It is utterly charming, clever, and sweet.
You can watch two seasons of Never Have I Ever (2020, TV-14) on Netflix with one of our Rokus.
What a nice story. I truly enjoyed watching this Christian based DVD A Father's Legacy. This is the story of an old man, Billy (played by Tobin Bell), living out in the middle of the woods, on a pond. He is just going about life when he answers his front door to a young stranger Nick (Jason Mac) who has just been shot. Nick pushes his way inside Billy's house and takes him hostage in his own home. Nick is on the run from the police for robbing and stealing about $10,000. Over the next few weeks, they slowly become friends and reveal secrets about their lives and why they are in this situation. Somehow they were brought together to heal and resolve past issues that have haunted them their whole life. Nice heartfelt movie.
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