One Fun Movie, Two Can’t Put Down Books!

Guess Who (DVD)

Summary:
Theresa (Zoe Saldana) is a young woman who is about to introduce her fiancé to her father, Percy Jones (Bernie Mac). Percy is eager to meet his African-American daughter’s businessman beau, but is shocked to learn that she is engaged to Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher), a white man. Staying with the Joneses to celebrate Percy and his wife’s 25th wedding anniversary, the accident-prone Simon makes a terrible first impression and faces an uphill battle to win over his future father-in-law.

Gush Sesh:
This is one of my all time favorite comedies.  It stars Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac, both of whom I did not like before this film.  I just re-watched it on our family road trip over Christmas break.  My teen boys enjoy it as well.  It is a great story of people overcoming their first impressions and learning to accept others as they are.  My favorite scenes: Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac sleeping together on a sofa bed and Ashton teaching Bernie to dance the Tango. 

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The Family Upstairs | Lisa Jewell

Summary:
Some family secrets should never see the light of day. In Lisa Jewell’s thrilling, addictive new release, a surprise inheritance sends a young woman on a journey into her own personal history—and what she discovers might be deadly. One day, not long after turning 25, Libby comes home to find an envelope waiting for her, its contents revealing the true identity of her birth parents… and the fact that she has inherited their vast mansion in a posh London neighborhood. Libby’s life suddenly seems to be changing for the better. But by claiming this inheritance, Libby is claiming a darker inheritance, too: a connection to an unsolved crime and an obscure, cult-like society, one which has been waiting, biding its time, until Libby makes herself known. 

Gush Sesh:
This book is a lot of fun!  I could not put it down.  I’m gonna warn you, it gets pretty weird.  There are some cult like occurrences and some very odd characters, sprinkled in with some homosexual thoughts in a pretty young person, some abuse, and even a dash of incest.  But I just had to keep reading it.  I had to see how it all played out.  It is definitely worth it, if you’re up to it!  Enjoy.

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One by One | Ruth Ware

Summary:
When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech startup, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper hadn’t made it back from the slopes when the avalanche hit. As each hour passes without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further — one by one. 

Gush Sesh:
This book was so enjoyable.  If you’re tired of being stuck at home this book reminds you of how much worse things could be.  At least there isn’t a killer on the loose picking you off one by one!  It is very cleverly written and suspenseful until the end.  There are also some good life lessons about self forgiveness in here.  Have fun and stay safe!