Beautiful on the outside

Beautiful on the outside / Adam Rippon, read by the author, 246 pgs.

America's sweetheart delivers!  Funny, heart warming, honest, and sassy. Olympic medals could be in your future too.  Adam gives up the details on how to be a successful athlete.  It boils down to having talent, working your ass off and banishing your mental demons. See how easy?  Along the way, it helps to have support from your family and friends and a sense of humor to help you cope.  Rippon was the first out gay athlete to compete in a Winter Olympics for the U.S. thus also the first to win a medal.  He has overcome some obstacles but his story is mostly a testament to hard work. Fun listening to hear about everything in his own voice.

Spinning

Spinning by Tillie Walden, 395 pages

For 12 years, Tillie Walden was a competitive figure skater. Spinning is her memoir of that time in her life. I'd say that it's the memoir of her figure skating career, but I'd be lying. Figure skating is merely the backdrop for this beautifully drawn, soul-bearing memoir of growing up, not fitting in, coming out, falling in love, and dealing with heartbreak. It's intimate, it's beautiful, and I can't believe the creator was only 21 when it was published last year. I can't wait to see what other gorgeous works she creates in the future.