After a pretty heavy nonfiction focus on memoirs with cancer and trauma and lots and lots of learning about psychology, medicine, and education, I’m sure you’re relieved for a lighter blog post this week! In this edition, I’ll be highlighting a romance book filled with tropes and a buzzy celebrity book as well as spotlighting some of my favorite places to relax in Guam!
The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas
The Fiancé Dilemma is the sequel to The Long Game: a novel that seemed to draw inspiration from the magic of Hallmark and the buzz of Ted Lasso. A big-city girl is sent to a small town and falls in love with the town and the hunky, cranky local soccer coach who turns out to actually be a celebrity soccer star! After watching all of Ted Lasso with Tom last year, he bought me The Long Game because I was instantly hooked by the summary. It was formulaic and fluffy, and its sequel, similarly, takes the buzzing tropes of the year and mashes them together for a book meant to be read at the beach or in front of a cozy fire. If you can get over that Josie has failed to walk down the aisle four separate times, randomly drags her half-sister’s best friend into a fake engagement after he stumbles onto her doorstep, and believes that faking an engagement will make both her and her famous father (who’s done literally nothing to have a relationship with her for over two decades) look better in the press, you can enjoy this flirty read. The plot is ridiculous, but Matthew is a really likable leading man, and the banter and tension between him and Josie kept me interested. I can’t say this will fall into my list of favorites by any means, but it did make me laugh (especially at some of the more ridiculous plot points). It’s over the top, and it reminds me of watching off-brand Hallmark-style movies with my parents.
What I Ate in One Year: (And Related Thought) by Stanley Tucci
Tucci’s latest nonfiction book is probably the lightest nonfiction read you could pick up this year, and it was such a palate cleanser after reading Whiskey Tender and The Woman in Me. If you’re going to read this, please do it as an audiobook. It is so much better to listen to Tucci narrate all the things he ate and cooked (spoiler, it’s a lot of pasta and pasta sauces and olive oil) and all the celebrities he ate with (spoiler, there’s a lot of them), and I think I would have become bored if I had read it in print. The book is essentially a diary of Tucci’s travels, meals, cooking, family life, and career over the course of the year. You get lots of glimpses into his interactions with his two youngest children, his thoughts on various named and unnamed restaurants, and his running commentary on his travels for vacations and work. There are moments of depth where he thinks about the premature death of his first wife after a battle with breast cancer and he worries for the health of his aging parents and he mourns moving away from the home where he raised his older three children. But, for the most part, it is the day-to-day life of a celebrity who is happiest eating Italian food, making Italian food, being with his wife and children, or enjoying a dinner party with his crew of famous friends and coworkers. I listened to Tucci’s book mostly while I cooked, and I think that’s the exact pairing it was meant for. Is it a book you should rush to read? No, I don’t think so. I agree with other posted reviews that the premise is interesting and starts off with potential, but it is a repetitive read without depth and real substance to it. Like other reviewers, I preferred Taste: My Life Through Food and found it to be a much more worthwhile read.
Work is busy for both Tom and I, so we try to make our weekends feel like a vacation and an escape. After all, we do live on an island! Here’s a list of a few of my favorite places to visit.
Slowalk Coffee Roaster is a truly one of a kind coffee shop. A soaring three stories that feels straight out of an urban hipster’s Pinterest page, the coffee shop features uncountable items related to coffee, like an entire wall of grinders. There are plenty of places to plug in your computer, and we spent every day there while Tom studied for his written boards. Their coffee is good, and I always look forward to ordering their strawberry smoothies, bulgogi fries, and chicken sandwiches. They have croffles (croissant waffles) with various toppings and have even added mini churros to their menu! While Tom isn’t currently studying for an exam, I always have grading to do, so we try to stop by after church every couple of weeks.
Jeff’s Pirate Cove is so close to our house, but because they close at 7PM on weekends and 6PM on weekdays, we haven’t found much time to visit this beloved local bar. We were able to give it a try during our “Guam snow day” when the tropical storm that was projected to hit us missed after both of our works were already canceled. Once the all-clear for the storm was announced, we took a drive and were so excited to see the gorgeous ocean views. The only other beach bar is at one of the luxury hotels, and it is usually packed with tourists, especially when a Navy ship is in port and the sailors have liberty. Because of the storm, there were only a handful of other diners at Jeff’s, and Tom and I enjoyed a quiet dinner with breathtaking views. The fish tacos and virgin pina colada were the best that I’ve had on the island, and we’re determined to make another visit soon.
Carabao Brewing is located just down the hill from the Naval Hospital, and its inviting atmosphere, loaded sandwiches, and hoppy beer make it a favorite of the local community. Tom and I first visited it during their anniversary celebration, and we got to meet Chief the Carabao! This was a top Guam moment for me because I’m obsessed with the carabaos that you can see grazing along the sides of the road. So far, in addition to the big anniversary party, we’ve gone for a Halloween-themed trivia night and to play our travel-size Rummikub. Their buffalo cauliflower is my favorite food item, and Tom, a big lover of breweries, likes to try their different offerings on tap.
Cooking: I made Turkey Banh Mi Bowls from the Skinnytaste Meal Prep cookbook. I made a quick pickle of radishes and carrots to pair with the turkey meatballs, quinoa (I didn’t have brown rice), red cabbage, and cucumbers. As my parents remember from my senior year of high school, I am obsessed with foods that come in bowls, but as evidenced by the cookbook’s photo versus my plating, I clearly need a bigger bowl.
Watching: We’re alternating between watching Say Nothing and Scrubs.
Traveling: We’re traveling to Tokyo for the first time tomorrow, so I've been working hard on our itinerary. I like to have plans, but Tom likes to go with the flow and just explore, so I’m working to strike a balance. I’ll be posting a full blog all about our trip with lots of pictures! As a sneak peek, we’ll be seeing the Imperial Palace, a very, very old temple, an immersive art exhibit, and, of course, eating a lot of sushi.
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