Reviews #2

Lucky for you all, I started reading TWO new books this week. Although I haven’t finished either of the books, I am already very into both of them. I also finally flew an airline that isn’t American (f*ck you American Airlines), discovered a new East Village sushi shop, and didn’t adventure outside of my favorite music genre. I’m so happy to be back in NYC!

I started reading American Royals by Katharine McGee. I am beyond pissed I didn’t finish it before my rental expired. I waited for 6 weeks to get it and now have to wait yet another 6 weeks. I’m not sure why so many adult women are reading this book considering it is like every YA book I read growing up, but I’m not mad about it. American Royals is weirdly long and weirdly entertaining. The book follows the life of the fictional royal family of the United States, the Washingtons. Characters include the soon-to-be first queen, her rebellious little sister, the sister’s plebeian best friend, an Army man, and many socialites. Think Scandal meets The Clique books. With fun plot twists, creative settings, and corny romance, this book is bound to entertain anyone that’s looking for an end of summer read. 

I decided to pick up Untamed by Glen Doyle when I could no longer read American Royals. I like to switch between book genres - self-help was next on my list. Untamed is quite different from other self-help books because the lessons are taken from Glen Doyle’s real life. In the first couple of chapters, she tackles the concept of societal cages, how to listen to your inner feelings, religion versus spirituality, and the importance of removing yourself from situations that don’t serve you. I read a review on Goodreads that criticized the book for being written from an extremely white and privileged point of view, making it not very applicable to many people. I completely see where the review is coming from because Doyle’s “big changes” stem from her inherent privilege to be able to make big changes. But I don’t think the book’s point of view distracts from the main lessons. I think I’d have to finish it to really see how much of Doyle’s privilege seeps through the book. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book if you’ve read it or are reading it!

On Thursday, I flew to NYC on JetBlue. I really had such a great experience flying with this airline. I rarely fly JetBlue and will be doing it more often. The flight boarded exactly on time, the JetBlue team enforced social distancing during the entire boarding and deplaning process, and all middle seats were left empty. I’ve flown a couple of times during the pandemic, and this was really the only time I felt completely safe traveling. It also helped that everyone on the plane fully cooperated with the rules set in place by JetBlue. Every single person wore a mask which is shockingly a miracle. I’m so happy that I already booked a flight home for Thanksgiving and will be flying JetBlue again.

I usually place a Prime Now order for my groceries within minutes of landing back in NYC. It saves me from coming home to an empty fridge and aids my passion for home cooking. Even after years of ordering groceries, I always forget something and end up having to go out for groceries again. My method is not bulletproof. I just like minimizing the amount of bags I have to carry and spending too much time at the store. I have been LOVING cheese on my salads, so I decided to try something new and ordered Violife vegan mozzarella cheese. I’ve only used it once so far as a topping for my breakfast bowl and I actually really liked it. Warning, it tasted more like a queso blanco (salty white cheese) than mozzarella. I would recommend it if you want to minimize your dairy intake but still want a cheesy texture. It is definitely NOT the same as mozzarella cheese.

Even though I had a full fridge, I couldn’t resist an invitation to go to dinner with my sweet Sebas. Friday date nights are my weakness. I was really in the mood for sushi, so I searched on Google Maps for sushi options by his apartment. We decided on Takahachi on Ave A, which offers plenty of outdoor seating and delicious, affordable sushi. We put our names down and ordered drinks at the restaurant next door, where they were also playing live music! It was such a nice, last day of summer vibe. We ordered the tuna tartar to start and share. I ordered two sushi rolls for my main course and Sebas ordered a sushi roll and shrimp tempura.

Last but not least - music! I have been loving TikTok music. No surprise here. I’m a sucker for pop and mainstream music. “Mood” by 24kGoldn and “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion has been on repeat. Do yourself a favor and learn the TikTok dances to these songs. You can definitely catch me sitting on the bus, listening to these two songs, and doing the dances. I also have been listening to Jaden Smith’s new album, Cool Tape Vol. 3. My favorite song is Falling For You with Justin Bieber. Quite a predictable music week for me. 

I hope you guys like this week in review! I’d love some new music suggestions, so let me know what you’re listening to below!