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Spring Musings
This week I finished reading a book called What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama. A book I had gotten over a year ago at Waterstones when I was in London. I remember carefully packing it in my carry on, making sure the layers of clothes would act as a protective barrier between my precious book and whatever else would eventually be stuffed in there. Once back at home, I placed the book on my vanity table, right within sight and with every intention to read it, but I never did. Of course, there were times I picked up the book, skimmed its pages, debating whether I finally should read it, but I never could. It was as if my mind was blocked, unable to comprehend the words I was seeing, a feeling of now isn’t the time stopping me each time.
Until this month.
The Book What you are looking for is in the library is about five people in very different life stages but dealing with similar sentiments and questions about life. They’re at an age where school is already years behind them, yet they find themselves unhappy in their current circumstances and somewhat lost. One is unsure of what they want to do in terms of a career, the realization she’s working with the company she’s at only because it’s the one place that offered her a job out of all the ones she applied to. Another has a safe and respectable job as an accountant yet deep down simmers with a someday dream of opening an antiques shop. Then we have the one who lost a promotion at work that was within her fingertips and worked hard for, all because she had a baby. Then there’s the unemployed artist who still lives at home, disillusioned because he expected more from life. And finally, the retired one, who is unsure of his place in society now that he doesn’t have a job.
Five stories all interconnected who find the answer to what they are looking for at a library and with the help of a wonderful librarian and her book recommendations. Life changing lessons that struck a chord with me since it corresponded to where I am in my own life. It gave me a new perspective, a reminder that the job I have may not be my dream position, but it allows me not only to go back to school for that film and television degree I want but also be able to pay for my classes. It points out how we are all part of society, contributing in ways we don’t even realize in this grand thing called life. Which begs the question: Had I read this book when I initially got it, would I have been able to relate to it the same way? Would it still have meant so much to me?
I’ll never know.
It’s akin to how I wonder if everything that holds my attention now (Korean dramas, K-Pop, Chinese dramas), well, what would have happened had I discovered those interests earlier? Years ago? Would it have changed the trajectory of my life? Would it have changed who I am today? Who I might have become?
Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Again, I’ll never know.
And. That’s. Okay.
Why? Because there are things in my life that feel just right. Moments in time unable to be replicated under any other circumstances. An awareness that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. And I guess books, just like people, come into your life when you’re ready for them. So, I’ll continue in the routine I’ve set that gives me purpose each day knowing I’m also working towards my dreams. I’ll also continue listening to podcasts, reading books and watching my dramas. Which brings me to my top recommendations. The shows, books and even an audiobook I really enjoyed this spring.
- Pursuit of Jade
Photo Credit: Google This was the ultimate romance, and I know I said that about the previous Chinese drama I suggested (Shine on Me), but this historical one really takes the prize. It’s about a strong-willed orphan girl who slaughters pigs for a living. She’s a butcher’s daughter and yeah, basically a butcher herself. A profession uncommon for a woman in that time and obviously not well perceived. But she doesn’t care, she has a little sister to support, and when the scholar she expected to marry (mind you her family financially supported him throughout his studies) breaks off their engagement because his mother doesn’t think she, Fan Changyu, is worthy of her son, our girl doesn’t cry. No, she holds her head up high against the humiliation. And life definitely rewards her when she finds a handsome man in the snow, on the brink of death, and rescues him despite barely having enough food on the table to feed herself. She brings him to her home and nourishes him to health. And who is he exactly? None other than a fallen noble, THE MARQUIS OF WU’AN (and yes, I did have to capitalize that because come on, my man is a freakin marquis!) But of course, our Fan Changyu doesn’t know that and when she proposes to him to be her live in husband so she can keep her house from the hands of a greedy uncle, telling him the famous line “If you stay, I’ll slaughter pigs to support you“, the Marquis agrees. And slowly, they fall in love amidst war and gore and it’s just epic, their love story that is. Best drama ever. Be warned thou: you will become obsessed with it like I did and literally have no social life until you finish the last episode.
2. Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan
The Book Okay, so truth be told, I bought this book entirely because I saw a reel on Instagram recommending it if we weren’t over Pursuit of Jade (which I obviously wasn’t, cue the withdrawals) and wanting to read a book with similar vibes. So, despite it being a fantasy novel, a genre I typically don’t tend to read, I took a chance on it because I still wanted to live inside that historical world of Pursuit of Jade and everything it gave us. And Never Ever After delivered. It had everything from royalty to magic and politics, all wrapped up in a spectacular love triangle. Yes, multiple love interests! We have the crown prince soon to be King of the Iron Mountains who is feared by all and indifferent to everyone except our heroine, Yining, who is an orphan, a skilled thief and a liar. Then we have Jin, the mysterious, handsome boy that saves our dear Yining from the police, in spite of knowing that she’s no real fortune teller and it’s all just a ruse to rob people, including him. However, Jin is secretly a lord, the ruler of Thorn Valley (guys, a future King and a lord vying for her love? She is one lucky gal) yet at first Yining has no idea until she does and makes a deal with him that she stakes her very life on. Never Ever After is a book so beautifully crafted that you’re immediately immersed within its pages and anticipating its sequel that comes out later this year. Go out and read it, especially if you just finished watching Pursuit of Jade.
3. Perfect Crown
Photo Credit: Google One of the most anticipated dramas of the year starring two of Korea’s most precious stars: IU, the talented actress who made us all cry in When Life Gives You Tangerines and Byeon Woo-Seok who stole everybody’s hearts in Lovely Runner as Sun-Jae, and now he’s back as a royal PRINCE. Guys, you are missing out on Fridays and Saturdays if you’re not watching this Korean drama. I mean, what else are you guys doing if not cheering for our ambitious chaebol heiress who decides to marry into Korea’s modern day royal family just so she can obtain the one thing money can’t buy her? A title. Nobility. So, yeah, wanting to marry the best of the best, instead of some simple businessman her father chooses (like, as if, right?) she asks for an audience with none other than Prince I-An to propose a marriage of convenience. Unfortunately for our heroine, Sung Hui-Ju, he says no, but she’s not deterred. She sets out to win his heart and once he agrees, a heart swooning, feet-sweeping romance begins. But danger lurks within the palace walls and there are some who want to see Prince I-An’s downfall and so our two lovebirds will have to fight against all odds while unraveling each other’s scars as they get to know each other and fall deeper in love.
4. Love, Sivvy, by R.L Toalson
Photo Credit: Hoopla One of the things I remember most about this audiobook is that I’d listen to it while doing the most mundane things like folding my laundry and eating breakfast. I even listened to it once while taking a stroll through the park. Yet, it was the perfect distraction to pass the time. I used to wonder how people were reading so many books in a span of weeks and now I realize they’re listening to the audiobooks. And it’s so convenient because it’s right on your phone (in my case: Hoopla app) that allows you to stop and resume whenever you have time. And those minutes, let me tell you, they add up and before you know it, you’re finished with the book. Anyways, this book chronicles the high school and college years of Sylvia Path (keep in mind a very fictionalized account) and just how much she wants to be a writer. In a society that expects her to get married young and have children, Sivvy desire more. She wants a higher education; to see the world and experience new things so she can be a better writer. It’s her highs and her lows with her writing, doubts of ever getting published and even mental health struggles that I think will resonate. It did with me which is why it was an absolute five star listen for me. I can’t recommend it enough.
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New Years Eve
In the grand scheme of things, I don’t feel as if my life has really changed. When the clock strikes midnight, I’ll still be at home wishing I wasn’t, just like the previous year. I also didn’t find the love of my life, nor make new friends or even get a better paying job. And the manuscript of the story idea I’ve been working on sits unfinished, my dreams of being a published author unmet. I have failed to achieve the invisible milestones that society dictates a woman should have at my age.
Yet despite it all, I don’t feel defeated. If anything, I’m happier, somewhat wiser and braver than before. And for the first time, I’m able to look back on a year with no regrets. To me 2025 defines the year I did some pretty cool things like make champagne chocolate truffles in Switzerland and share a crêpe in Paris with my sister, meet my online friend of eight years for the first time in Germany and walk around rainy London with my best friend and our friendship bracelets. I also went to the walk of fame in Hollywood; took a spontaneous trip to Mexico and friends who had moved out of state came to visit me.
There were lots of K-pop fangirl moments this year too and along the way, the understanding that dreams can change, and it’s okay if the future I initially wanted never came to be, something I talked about more in detailed in my previous post, Turn Your Life into a K-drama, since it led me to find myself again, a version that exists now only because I didn’t stay in my comfort zone. And here are the books that became my top favorite reads in this year of self-reflection:
And I can’t end this post or year for that matter without mentioning my current obsession, a certain Chinese drama that premiered on Netflix and truth be told, I only clicked on because I saw Song Weilong starred in it, and I had seen him in another c-drama and loved it, so I figured, why not?
Yet, I had no idea how captivated I’d be by this drama. Shine on Me is top tier romance and has everything from workplace romance, unrequited love, college nostalgia, and my favorite trope, friends to lovers. It features a handsome tall love interest (Lin Yusen) who’s a neurosurgeon turned businessman with a heart of gold that does everything to help our heroine (Nie Xiguang) and win her affection as she navigates adulthood after graduation.
Photo credit: Google Images Am I just a hopeless romantic? Maybe. But I’d like to call it optimism. And that’s exactly the feeling I’m going into 2026 with.
See you next year.
Champagne Chocolate Truffles
My online friend, a talented artist
Friendship bracelets
A crêpe in Paris
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New Author Alert
There’s beauty in a life disrupted. Don’t believe me? Then read The Ex-Perimento by Maria J. Morillo. It’s an absolute five-star romcom set in none other than Caracus, Venezuela. A place the author invites us to get to know as we follow Maria or better known to her friends as Marianto, in the aftermath of a breakup with the man she planned to marry.
Rating: A GAZILLION FREAKIN STARS
The Ex-Perimento is the perfect book to binge read. If the cover isn’t enough to entice you, then the heroine’s laugh out loud list of experiments – later edited by up-and-coming Columbian singer Simón Arreaza from her favorite band- to win back her ex, Alejandro, after he unceremoniously puts a pause in their relationship, certaintly will. But wait, first let’s take a second because like,
Excuse me, Alejandro? Our girl Marianto has waited for you to finish med school, being there with you every step of the way, discussing plans for the future that included a ring and wedding after your graduation, not to mention a move to a fancier zip code, all which you knew about, and you go and break up with her? In the words of Olivia Rodrigo:“Guess you didn’t cheat, but you’re still a traitor.”
But that’s okay since that one decision sets in motion a whole new adventure for our reluctant Marianto as she makes one last attempt to not lose the life she’s dreamed of. And who can blame her? Why easily give up what you’ve invested your best years into? It’s scary, uncomfortable and downright unfair to have to start over. The reason why, as the saying goes, when push comes to shove, a lot of times we decide to fight. Who wouldn’t? Who hasn’t? I certainly have.
Yet in doing so, we risk missing out on the possibility of a whole new life. One that could very well be a thousand times better and more exciting than the existence we’re clinging onto. And in The Ex-perimento, our dear Marianto will have to decide whether to hold on to her initial dreams she’s staked her entire future on or take a chance on a version of it she didn’t plan on that comes with some slight surprises, like a blossoming new romance with none other than Simón, her favorite artist.
Set against the backdrop of Venezuela’s capital, author Maria J. Morillo blends a scenic atmosphere of Caracas’ mountains and neighborhoods that’ll make you feel like you’re there. You won’t be able to put this book down. It has ALL THE FEELS. Not to mention, this book is a love letter to the author’s home country of Venezuela, and she’s also an Army. That’s right, she’s a BTS fan and you cannot imagine my delight in reading a certain scene where the boys are mentioned. But I won’t spoil that, you guys will just have to read it for yourselves when the book comes out.
And as a fellow army and Latina, all I can say is that I’m rooting for you Maria J. Morillo. And I will read anything you write. You’ve won my loyal readership with what I consider is going to be one the best debut novels of 2026.
Thank you for giving us The Ex-Perimento.
Now everyone, go pre-order this book. You will not regret it.
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Life Goes On & March Favorites
March ended with the bittersweet realization that the past is gone, and life goes on. That try as I might, some things cannot be mended. They are like shards of broken glass. Painful to look at, dangerous to pick up and impossible to put back. So, what can I do but accept what has been done.
Opportunities pass. Friendships end. Promising relationships die an instant death. That is life. So, what can I do but recognize the facts and move on.
I’ve heard the saying when one door closes, another one opens, but what about the time in between? That period of uncertainty when the past is still so fresh it stings, the present mundane with routine, and the future out of reach. Some days I feel so hopeful it’s like I can soar and accomplish all my dreams, but other times absolute dread it’ll all amount to nothing. So, what can I do but take the next step.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Getting out of my comfort zone hasn’t been easy. To be blunt, sometimes it’s so hard I want to quit and retreat to the familiar. To go back to the before. But I don’t turn back. No matter how I feel or how the world is, I take that next step forward, hoping it’ll lead to a beautiful life.
Life goes on, and so I must too.
A sentiment perfectly described in what I watched and read this past month. So, here are my March favorites and recommendations.
- When Life Gives You Tangerines
Google Pic This Korean drama premiered on Netflix in March and literally brought everyone to tears. And for very good reasons because contrary to most K-dramas, this wasn’t a series where you had the standard handsome CEO or chaebol falling for his employee, or even the famous heiress or actress with a normal bloke, no, this was closer to reality. Set in Jeju Island in the 1950’s to Seoul and spanning generations, it tells the story of a bookish girl named Ae-sun, raised in a humble home by her hardworking haenyeo mother who wants nothing more than to see her daughter live a better life. Ae-sun wants this too, aspiring to be a poet, go to college in the mainland and marry a rich a man from Seoul. Yet she chooses the nice boy from the island, who loves her beyond measure. Together they form a family and Ae-sun realizes, she’s not that different from her mother. It’s what made this show a hit. To see a series depict life as it is, with all its ugly and beautiful moments and highlight the sacrifices parents, who were once also young and with dreams, make for the sake of their children. And to leave you with the understanding that despite all the hardships you’ll face in this world, with love and the right people at your side, it can still be a good existence. A beautiful life.
P.S: You’re going to need a lot of tissues for this show.
2. I’ll Be Right There by Kyung-Sook Shin
Library book This book was a gem. Set in 1980’s Korea amidst student protests and unease, it tells the story of Jung Yoon as she recounts the formative years of her university days after she receives a call from the past. We follow her as she meets a professor, friends and her first love, the very people that will change her life. It’s a story filled with haunting tragedies yet also hope. A lesson within the pages that no matter how bleak the world is, love and friendship will continue to blossom in spite of everything. This book is also a great piece of literature that highlights a significant moment in Korea’s history and fight for democracy. I highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to learn more about this period in time.
3. Rosa By Any Other Name by Hailey Alcaraz
Kindle Arcs I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley, so thank you to the publisher for approving my request. It’s the first book I’ve ever read from author Hailey Alcaraz and it certainly won’t be my last because I absolutely loved this book. I read it in two days. And while the story itself is set in 1950’s Arizona, based on actual historical events, I couldn’t help but feel the similarities to what is happening today. And that’s heartbreaking. This book may be about a Mexican American girl keeping her true identity a secret and passing off as a white girl to make it in a society that doesn’t favor immigrants, and the Romeo and Juliet like tragedy that changes everything, but at the heart of it all, it’s a story about hope. The universal truth that life goes on, people move on, and change may not happen overnight but perhaps someday. And in the meantime? We carry on. It’s the message this book flawlessly delivers. I’d recommend this book to anyone who needs a bit of that. And to all the Mexican American girls like me who love seeing their culture and language represented in YA and guys like Marco as the love interest. Thank you, Hailey Alcaraz, it means the world.
Additional Notes: If you’re like me and vaguely recall learning about the Chicano movement in school or the 1950’s, it might be helpful to read about it just briefly before starting the book to get an idea of the setting but if not it’s okay, the book does an excellent job bringing you into that period of time and by the last page you’ll have learned a lot.
Other Worthy Mentions and all the Books I read in March:
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Turn Your Life into a K-Drama
In my twenties, I chased a dream that in the end, all I had to show for it was pieces of shattered goals and a crushed soul. I had failed at what I wanted to do, to be, and the realization of it took me to my lowest point in life. A decade wasted. The weight of it all and the shackles anxiety and depression trapped me in, completely paralyzed me. I shut the door on the world outside and isolated myself within the four walls of my bedroom. Fear, regret, tears and a deep sense of loneliness became my new best friends.
But I found solace in Korean dramas, rediscovering them and falling in love with their heartwarming tales and swoon worthy scenes about the poor girl who catches the eye of a CEO millionaire, the down on their luck characters who rise above their circumstances or the heiress who falls for a North Korean solider. These stories were my escape, bringing me joy when very little else could. A change that didn’t go unnoticed by my family. In fact, when they began to see me laugh again, they decidedly kept their subscriptions to nearly every streaming platform so I could watch these dramas. I’ll never forget the day I asked my sister why she cancelled her HBO when she used it to watch her shows during dinner, and her answer? “Because I had to choose between HBO and Netflix, and I know you use Netflix to watch your Korean dramas.”
Can you say best sister ever?
It was the world of K-dramas and K-pop, a music genre I’d discover along the way, specifically a group called BTS, that gave me back my joy for life and new dreams to chase. In these two worlds I found myself again. It’s the reason I cried reading this book:
Love is in Seoul 
This graphic novel, illustrated by the talented artist Paulina Márquez and written by Tania Navarrete (otherwise known as HelloTaniaChan on social media) tells the real-life story of how Tania managed to make all her dreams come true despite the obstacles and circumstances she faced. Who, in the end, turned her life into one of the very K-dramas she grew up watching.
Now, I had known about Tania’s story before she released this book. Anyone who has watched her YouTube videos or follows her on Instagram can somewhat tell you about her journey. I remember when she made the Storytime video about how exactly she got to live in both Korea and Japan, it immediately became my go to video whenever I was feeling particularly down. So, I was beyond excited to finally get my hands on this book, especially after an unsuccessful attempt to find a copy when I visited my mom’s hometown in Mexico last year.
And I really thought I knew her entire story, until I started reading El amor está en Seúl, that goes more in depth about her origin story, giving us details that weren’t mentioned in her Storytime YouTube videos. Or perhaps they were, and I just can’t recall. Don’t quote me on this.
It’s also worth noting that the tones used for the illustration of the book were deliberately picked as pink is Tania’s favorite color while her husband’s (Hayato) is blue and when mixed together, those two colors make purple. Pretty neat, right? Well, so was her decision to incorporate the actual outfits she wore into the story and then sharing the actual photographs on her Instagram for us.
Anyways, El amor está en Seúl, is a book I know I’ll cherish forever and reread again. It’s been days since I finished it and I’m still thinking about it. Why? Because I resonated with Tania, the girl who moved away after high school only to find herself back in her parent’s house, in a dead-end job, in her twenties, and feeling like she had failed at life. Tania, the girl passionate about Asian culture, in love with Korean dramas and who dreamed of going to Korea but finding it seemingly an impossible dream. The girl who, despite her fears, got on that plane to Asia.
And while no two lives are alike, at the core we have all felt disappointment in life or feelings of inadequacy because we find ourselves at an age where we don’t have what society and even those around us like to point out that we should have.
Tania’s story is a reminder that at any point, our lives can change. And interestingly enough, this book came to me at the perfect time. I’d gotten this book before I left on my trip to Europe with my sister but didn’t have a chance to read until I came back. And once I did, it only confirmed to me what I had quickly realized upon returning to the country I had been obsessed with in my twenties.
It was no longer my dream. The spark was gone.
In going back to the place I was sure my destiny rested in, I was able to make peace with the past and look towards the future. To give my one hundred percent to a new dream simmering in me for the past year but that I had been hesitant to pursue or give considerable attention to, unwilling to let go of what had been my first dream for so long.
But really, I was just scared to start over. To make the wrong decision because I wasn’t that fresh out of high school kid with her whole twenties in the horizon anymore, no, once I hit thirty, life started to resemble an hourglass for me, with the sand moving at an alarming pace, inching closer to the end of another decade.
I was terrified to wake up one morning, in my forties, and be in the same place. I knew the first step to making sure that didn’t happen was to make a decision. To take a risk.
El amor está en Seúl inspired me to go after my dreams, or in my case, new ones. To take that risk. Turn my life into a K-drama. And I hope it does the same to you.
It’s never too late to start again.
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Dying a Virgin, How Not To
Imagine you die without having been truly in love.
Imagine dying without ever having had sex.
Now picture a life not lived to the fullest to top it all off.
Pretty bleak, huh? Tragic, I’d say.
Well, that’s exactly what happens to twenty-seven-year-old Delphie in Kirsty Greenwood’s novel, The Love of My After Life, who dies choking on a cheap microwaveable burger, alone in her apartment in London. And when she finds herself in Evermore, being shown the movie of what was her life, comically played to the soundtrack of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely”, she realizes her last years were a cycle of working a job she didn’t love but at least paid the bills, and evenings doomscrolling on her phone or watching T.V.
Day after day.
Month after month.
Years resembling nothing out of the ordinary.
A wasted life.
To make matters worse, the handsome man she briefly encounters in the afterlife who she has an instant connection with and thinks could very well be her soulmate, is abruptly sent back to Earth because oops, turns out it wasn’t actually his time yet. Luckily for Delphie, her afterlife therapist takes pity on her and offers her one last chance to return to Earth, but with a catch. She must find the man she just met (knowing only his first name and that he lives somewhere in London) and get him to kiss her out of his own free will or be stuck at Evermore forever.
10 days. Find the guy. Get the kiss. Save her life.
On my desk Okay, I’ll confess, the reason I loved this book was because I saw myself in Delphie. The homebody who preferred an evening in rather than out, who kept work colleagues and neighbors at a distance and made no attempt to date. Who was perfectly content in her own world, however small and somewhat solitary it seemed. Delphie didn’t know what life could be like until her quest forced her out of her apartment and comfort zone, and into a different way of living. One where she’s making friends, rediscovering her passion for art and falling for the unlikeliest of people. An accumulation of new experiences that makes her love her life. It made think about the infinite possibilities I might be missing out on in my own life. The adventures, friendships and probability of finding love that exists yet I’m not choosing to explore.
And the reality is, unlike Delphie, we won’t get another chance at life. This is it. So, all I can say is let’s live it to the fullest. Whether that’s going to gym (but like, for real this time) to get into better shape, taking up a new hobby, or packing your bags and moving to a different country altogether, let’s do it. We’ll never know what could be, who we’ll meet or even become if we never give ourselves the proper chance.
And if your keen on reading other witty, well-written and so fun to books from Kirsty Greenwood, who has become an instant favorite author of mine for writing about introverts like me and giving them the biggest and wildest adventures, here are two more recommendations:
- He Will Be Mine by Kristy Greenwood
About an English girl named Nora who works as an admin assistant and leads a rather introverted existence, that is, until she sets off to Los Angeles, California to meet Hollywood’s hottest new star after seeing him on the big screen. Believing this celebrity is her soulmate, she is determined to somehow find a way into his inner circle, get to meet him and make him realize they’re meant to be. Talk about a crazy adventure waiting to happen.
2. Big Sexy Love by Kirsty Greenwood
Olive’s best friend is literally dying and her last wish? For Olive to head to the big apple, as in America, to track down the man she considered her first love. The only problem? Olive doesn’t do spontaneous things like that. In fact, she’s never taken a single risk in life or even left her hometown. Yup, she’s happy with the same routine, living in her childhood home, and with no resemblance of a love life. But to fulfill her best friend’s dying wish she’ll have to overcome her fears and be brave for once.
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Book Adventures in Mexico
This year I had the opportunity to travel to Jalisco, Mexico in the month of September and experience El Grito de Mexico and all the patriotic festivities. Growing up, I remember my mom telling me about these celebrations, specifically about the time she left a then boyfriend at the plaza and ran all the way home once the fireworks started because she got scared. I thought about that as I too found myself racing back to my family’s home, on the verge of a panic attack, from the same plaza my mom had decades earlier on the night of El Grito, expect of course, minus a boyfriend.
The awareness that I was retracing my mom’s footsteps was quite surreal, and I finally understood her deep-rooted fear of pyrotechnics, because the fireworks in Mexico are no joke. In fact, my cousin pointed out the ice cream parlor we were to run for cover to avoid the fireworks that chase your feet. It should have been my first sign to leave.
Aside from that, September was also the time of year when the corn crops were ready to be harvested and the hills all around town displayed a vibrant green, paving way to scenic nature drives and open star filled skies at night. It was beautiful.
Nature at its finest behind me. And the one thing I made sure to do this time around was check out the local bookstores. On my previous visits I hadn’t bothered to do so. Why? I’m not sure but I vaguely recall a book stand at the plaza where I purchased the Spanish edition of Nick Vujicic’s Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action book, along with a book I’d gotten at the airport as I awaited my flight home. And because I remembered the lady running the book stand had a vast collection of bestselling books, I asked around when I didn’t see her post and was told by the locals it’s because she goes to other towns, and no one knows when she’ll be back until they just see her at the plaza with her book stand.
So, I did the next best thing and googled searched the nearest bookstore to me and to my surprise, only one result came up. Nevertheless, I was determined to go and thankfully, with the help of the friendly locals in town, my sister and I were able to find the store before the rain started pouring. Ahh, taking refuge in a bookstore, I love it. Even when said safe haven was a bit on the smaller side with no windows and had a large display of cellphone cases for sale along with other random miscellaneous items. But I had the best time browsing the bookshelves that had a decent selection of YA books, mostly Wattpad Originals, but also a few other well-known books like Rebecca Yarros’ bestselling Fourth Wing, or as it’s titled in Mexico, Alas de Sangre. Fun-fact: The literal English translation of that would be Wings of Blood.
Other books I saw were Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of being a Wallflower and a lot of Jane Austin classics and some self-help books in the mix. What’s interesting is the books were all sealed and wrapped in plastic so you couldn’t necessarily skim through it or read the first pages as you would at a Barnes & Noble. Another thing I noted was they were all dusty, as if no one had picked up any of the books in ages or dusted the bookshelves. No matter, I ended up spending the equivalent to forty dollars on three books and was delighted to be informed by the lovely store owner that should I request any book in particular, she would try her hardest to get it for me as she frequently did whenever someone asked. I was searching for Gilraen Earfala’s Letter’s that were not sent book that I was told had been recently requested by another person.
One of three books I got Next up, let’s talk about the libraries in town as I was fortunate enough to visit one thanks to my amazing aunt who, knowing my love for reading, took me to the local library so I knew where to check out books if I wanted to. Unfortunately, the employee there said I could only do so if I had a valid Mexican identification card, but if not, I was still welcome to come and read there anytime. He also emphasized that the library was currently undergoing renovations, the reason for the piles of boxes in the back and empty spaces. He let me browse the shelves and when I asked him if they held events, he said sure, that the teachers bring their classrooms, and they read stories to the kids.
The library wasn’t that large and had a scarce selection of Young Adult books. However, copies of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series were all available but what stood out to me were the white covers that had only the title. No Edward Cullen’s hand holding the famous red apple or tie in movie poster cover. It was basically a white canvas with book title and author name printed. I wondered the reason behind this and if that was the case for all Spanish editions or I just stumbled onto a peculiar version.
Another thing that was interesting about this library was the lack of books in the foreign language section, but I can say that they did have an abundance of literature from Shakespeare to Mexican authors. The science and history sections were also plentiful so that was pretty neat.
The other library in town was the one located at the university about a ten-minute drive away, but as I wasn’t a student and it was gated, I wasn’t able to check it out. Maybe if I had asked, they would have let me tour their library but alas, I didn’t.
Then, something remarkable happened, by sheer luck, during my last few days in Mexico, I saw the book stand at the plaza! I was beyond excited to see the familiar tent and its table overflowing with books which as you can see in the photo below, had a vast selection consisting of even Ali Hazelwood’s latest novel, Check & Mate along with other popular books. I was thrilled to see that.
All in all, I really had the best time in my mom’s hometown. A place I’d have called home had my mom not immigrated to the United States. At times I wonder how different my life would have been if that were the case. If I had grown up in this small town instead of California. Would I have still found a love for reading? Want to be a writer?
I’d like to think so. That in no matter what lifetime or country, I’d have still discovered my passion for reading and writing. It’s so engraved in me that I simply can’t imagine a world in which I’m doing anything else.
But I can, however, envision a life in Mexico. It’s a country rich in culture and wonderful people and in my short time there, I was inspired to someday write a novel set there. I’m not going to lie, I even started taking notes already!
I just wish books would be as accessible as they are in the states. How with a simple click of a button, you can place a book order on Amazon and have it delivered at your front door the next day. Or drive to any Barnes & Noble or local indie bookstore and be confident they’ll have the book you want in stock to purchase and take home that same day. Heck, even the large grocery stores would be sure to carry some books.
Of course, I can’t speak for all of Mexico, and I’m sure in the bigger cities it’s easier to find a large variety of books, but as for my mom’s hometown? Where the nearest cinema is approximately three hours away and the international airport even further? And where I was told that having Amazon deliver is not that simple? And vendors who do carry books to sell try to get what they can?
I wish it were.
On another topic, BTS’s popularity knows no bounds as I stumbled upon a store selling K-pop posters and cups and obviously I had to get a BTS poster.
On my bedroom wall. Well guys, that concludes this post and until next time.
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Let’s Skip to the Good Part
The good part in life. Where you’re living out your wildest dreams and finally have that picket white fence house with the garden you always talked about, filled with homegrown tomatoes, an orange tree and heck, even bananas, why not? Or living it up in a spacious flat in New York City where you get to read books for a living and travel to Germany for the Frankfurt Book Fair because you have a thrilling career in publishing. Instead of putting up with a threatening letter from your landlord because you placed a houseplant outside your overpriced flat’s patio for some much-needed sun and you’re so broke and far from having any resemblance of a career, you begin wondering if you need to be born again to start over. Or wait, is that just me?
Whatever your dreams, I’m sure if you were offered the chance to rewind time and fix your mistakes to drastically alter your present, you’d take it. I know, I would. But what if you have no desire in the past or present moment and simply want to skip to the part of your life where you have everything you’ve ever fantasized of? The ideal career, partner, and a gorgeous bookshelf to house all your lovely books?
A dream come true, right?
I’d say so. Why not? In a heartbeat, I’d trade my current reality for a future one where I never have to swipe through another soul crushing dating app. But Sophie Cousens, being the brilliant writer that she is, shows us in her 338-page latest novel ‘The Good Part’, why it might not be the picture-perfect solution regardless of how shitty your life is that you’re begging a wishing machine for a change.
And to be careful what you wish for.
Photo Credit: Maria E. Lucy Young is twenty-six years old and her life sucks. No, really, it does. She lives in a crowded flat in London (but hey, at least it’s London) with inconsiderate roommates who use her hidden stash of toilet paper and a leaking ceiling coming from her upstairs neighbor’s faulty bathroom floor tiles that has her waking up in a drenched bed. At work, things aren’t any better. She’s underappreciated and while she’s technically been “promoted” from runner to junior researcher at When TV, she’s still fetching croissants and at the bottom of the TV chain. Life is definitely not going according to plan. So, when her best friend and roommate Zoya, the one person who makes her living conditions bearable announces she’s moving out and Lucy has yet another depressing date, she finds herself wishing on a wishing machine to skip to the good part in her life. The part where she’s got her shit together, a career and someone who loves her. And the next day, she wakes up to find her wish has been granted.
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In love with your Best Friend? Read these books this Summer
Another year, another summer. How many more until your heart decides to love another? Preferably one who isn’t the best friend you’ve been in love with since forever? I don’t know. But what I do know is that it’s a losing game to try to forget them. To replace them with another knowing they’d have to compete with someone who was there before them. Who holds more memories than you can count spanning years, if not decades with you. A friendship bond that only gets stronger with time. It’s a race they’d never win.
Feelings don’t disappear overnight or in a week. And the reality is, sometimes they never do. You could spend years watering down those emotions, pretending you are happy just being friends, or maybe even go without contact only to realize down the road the connection is still there.
So, if you’re the friend secretly pining for a friends-to-lovers trope miracle to happen in your life, you’re in luck because I have the perfect summer books to have you reminiscing about that friendship. Three stories that will keep the hope alive because as you’ll soon read about, odds are they love you back. Yes, in that way. And no one else stands a chance.
- Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Google Pic Percy and Sam. Follow them in this epic read as they meet and fall in love on the glittering lakeshore of Barry’s Bay when they’re just thirteen years old. Paving the way to six entire summers filled with endless movie nights, friendship bracelets, lazy days by the water and almost kisses. Until a colossal mistake costs Percy her friendship with Sam and has her trying to bury the past for a decade. But as life would have it, out of tragedy comes a chance to reunite and make things right. Alternating between two different timelines, read what happens when two former best friends reunite and discover the connection is still there.
2. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Google Pic Poppy and Alex are total opposites. They should never have met let alone become best friends, but they did. Thanks to a fateful night at the University of Chicago and Poppy’s extroverted nature to talk to strangers or in this case, the only other person alone at orientation. Alex is shy and prefers to be at home with a good book whereas Poppy lives for adventure. A coincidence puts them together to carpool home to Ohio, solidifying their friendship that continues after they’re no longer students. Despite living in different states for most of the year, they come together every summer to vacation somewhere new. From Nashville to New Orleans and a small island off the coast of Florida, they’ve done it all. Then one ill-fated summer in Croatia ruins everything and they don’t speak for two years. Poppy, determined to right what went wrong, convinces Alex to take one last vacation, for old times’ sake. A trip to Palm Springs that neither knows what to expect.
3. The Summer I turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han
Google Pic Belly has loved Conrad for as long as she can remember. It’s one of the reasons she’s always been excited to spend every summer at Cousins Beach. Three months of swimming, the beach, Fourth of July parties, and of course, the Fisher Boys. There’s Jeremiah, the youngest Fisher who Belly gets along with unlike his older brother, Conrad, whose emotions are hard to decipher. Sometimes it seems he reciprocates her undying love and other times it seems he just hates her guts. But a lot can happen in many summers and soon Belly finds herself in a love triangle with the two brothers, for which she will ultimately have to break one of their hearts.
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The Prince & The Apocalypse by Kara Mcdowell
I’ll be honest, I had my doubts about this book. I had no idea how Kara Mcdowell was going to pull this off. An apocalypse? Falling in love at the end of the word? Sci-fi? And on top of all that, she sprinkles in a British prince (royalty!!) set against a devastatingly beautiful European backdrop. Like, what? I couldn’t wrap my head around this. I kept thinking she was going to bring the book of revelations to life.
How wrong I was.
The Prince & The Apocalypse far exceeded my expectations. I mean, just look at that gorgeous cover. At first glance, it’s enticing but once you read the book, you realize it’s perfection. It single handily captures everything in the story, down to the little details like the scar on our prince’s eyebrow. The only thing missing that now I’m thinking would have been awesome to include was Comet, the Apocalypse dog, but you know what? I get it, not enough room.
So, by now you might be asking yourself, what’s this book about? Well, it’s about this American girl named Wren, who travels to London, England, and hours before she is set to fly back home, she encounters none other than the freakin crown prince of England. Talk about fate. And she saves this prince in distress from the paparazzi and ever grateful, he gives our heroine his number, telling her if she needs a favor, he owes her one. Wren is sure she’ll never need to until she misses her flight back home, gets stranded at Heathrow airport, and to her horror, discovers a massive comet is spiraling toward earth. It will wipe out 90% of the world with no hope for survival. It’s the apocalypse as she knows it. The world will end in 8 days. And Wren, devastated and frantic to get home to America, to at least see her family once more, calls Prince Theo to recruit his help, and together they end up on this whirlwind of a road trip across Europe to get to Greece, where the dashing fugitive Prince has promised Wren, he’ll have a private jet with a pilot ready to fly her home…if she can get him to Greece.
REASONS TO PREORDER THIS BOOK:
- THE WRITING: My God, it’s wonderfully written, right down to the dialogue. I don’t know how many British films Kara had to watch, or the number of hours she spent hearing a posh English accent, but she nailed the British slang and pronunciation. This isn’t an author who simply reminds us throughout the story that her character had a lovely accent, no, she made sure we didn’t forget it with Theo’s every word syllable and mannerisms. It’s why Prince Theo felt so realistically…well, British. Doesn’t also hurt that I was laughing throughout the whole book from the banter between Wren and Theo and certain scenes during their epic road trip.
- A PRINCE AS THE LOVE INTEREST: Hello, need I say more? Who wouldn’t want a dashing, wealthy, next in line to the British throne to madly fall in love with you?
- MENTAL HEALTH RESPRESENTATION: One of the reasons I love Kara’s books is she doesn’t shy away from this topic and in this particular story, she surprised me.
- EUROPE AS THE SETTING: Did I mention the story takes place in Europe? Talk about road trip wanderlust.
- THAT ENDING: Okay, I don’t want to spoil anything but that ending has to be one of the best epilogues I’ve ever read. I was shocked. Literally had to pick my jaw off the floor and then giddy with excitement. That ending deserves an Oscar.
THINGS I’M STILL WONDERING ABOUT:
- The ten-day study abroad trip Wren took with her best friend/school. I don’t think I’ve heard of such a short progam, typically they run for a month at the very least.
- Who was the inspiration behind Prince Theo? Was it Prince William or Harry? I kept getting a sense of both.
- Did Queen Alice…because of Theo? Did she know what Prince Theo did? I have my theories.
Side Note:
After failing to win an arc from giveaways, I decided to request one on Netgalley and miraculously got approved. So HUGE thanks to them, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and the person from their staff responsible for reviewing all the requests who decided I should be given one.