August 2019 – Playground of Randomness

Month: August 2019

23
Aug
2019

Fiction Friday: The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa

The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked this up expecting a nice, fun, light-hearted read. And it was. Until it wasn’t.
Bontle Tau is a twenty-something (her age changes throughout the book so I don’t even know if she knows her real age) who is living “the life”.
She has a business, lives in a penthouse, drives an expensive car and uses designer clothing. As she mentions throughout the book, she may not have a degree but she has street smarts.
She also has several blessers.
I loved how over the top Bontle’s life was. I flew through this book in a few hours. However the second part of this book turns a bit darker and Bontle’s picture perfect life starts to show more than a few cracks.
I immensely enjoyed this book but the ending left me chilled. I had grown fond of Bontle and it was tough for me to NOT root for her throughout the way.
Yes, she is self-absorbed and vain but she was clever in her own way (with her street smarts and MENcology).
Definitely give this book a try. It’s hilarious, it’s moving and it’s entertaining.

SPOILER ALERT
If there was anyone who could be in her situation and wear it without any shame, it would be her. The ending devastated me
SPOILER ALERT**

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16
Aug
2019

Life Update: I Just Got Put on a Diet

categories: Uncategorized

If you ever told me I would have to go on a diet for health reasons, I would have accepted it. I knew my eating habits were bad and I would probably have to go on a meal plan at some stage. However I expected that to atleast be in my thirties.

So imagine my shock when my dermatologist suggested that I might be insulin-resistant. And the even bigger shock when I found out that yep, my insulin levels were high and I needed to cut out sugar and carbs.

You know how they say you don’t know how strong you really are? Yeah, well it’s been four weeks exactly and I’ve been doing relatively well. I have been having carbs now and again (maybe once or twice a week) but for the most part, I have been sticking to the meal plan.

I’m pretty excited to actually see some (really small) changes.

I cannot wait to see what the results look like in another 4 weeks.

16
Aug
2019

Fiction Friday: Book Review- There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

categories: Books, Reviews

There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When smooth and suave Ashish Patel is dumped by his hot long distance girlfriend, his self-confidence and basketball skills take a nosedive. Previously so popular with the ladies, Ashish is now self-conscious and a mess.
His parents assure him it is just a part of being young and when the times come, they will find him someone better. So Ashish challenges them to do it now- find a girl that will interest him AND meet all of his parent’s strict requirements.
So they do. They match him with Sweetie Nair, an Indian-American athlete who is fat. Sweetie doesn’t mind that she is fat. Neither does Ashish.
However her mother can barely seem to look past that fact so Sweetie decides that she is going to show her that she is more than her weight.
But as Ashish and Sweetie start to spend time together they eventually find that there is a connection between the two of them.
This was a sweet read that I adored immensely. Sweetie and Ashish were a great match (at this point, as an Indian, I’m convinced I should enlist my family members to find me a match) and I was surprised that they suited so well.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a light YA read.

Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.

Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other

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09
Aug
2019

Fiction Friday: The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

categories: Books, Reviews

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam receive an SMS on a Friday evening about a mandatory team-building escape room challenge, they all rush to attend.
These competitive, cut-throat employees cannot afford to upset the company board while there are rumors of people being laid off.
However this escape room is unlike any other. It is an elevator with questions posed based on the teams personal life and the dirty deeds they have done to get ahead at work.
This book had me entranced till the very end. I could put it down and found myself reading while walking around the office (almost walked into a door too) and throughout my lunch breaks.
This is a well written book with an intriguing plot and several twists and turns that I most certainly did NOT see coming. Definitely read this. You will not regret it

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