It's Almost Time for Delivery!

I’m almost 36 weeks pregnant, and my due date is beginning to feel very real. After so many weeks of small movements, our baby girl is stretching and rolling and very much making herself known. While there’s still more cleaning and organizing I want to get done before she arrives, I feel less stressed knowing her clothes are all washed, her bassinet and stroller are assembled and ready, and we have a good stash of diapers, wipes, and other essentials to get us through the first few weeks. We’ve had so much support from friends and family to get our nursery set up, and we are so grateful for it.

Today I’ll be discussing two of Rebecca Yarros’s contemporary romance novels, a chef’s memoir, and a light and fluffy exploration of the phenomenon of “Disney adults.” I’ll be adding more travel writing to this space soon as I finish catching up on our European honeymoon trip and our visits to San Diego, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Alexandria. Travel has been a significant part of our experience this year, and I love getting to document our memories and recommendations.

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The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

If you like modern romance that deals with real-life issues and don’t mind absolutely bawling at a very late-stage event that gutted me to my core (I literally was crying on a train in Japan), you’ll love The Last Letter. If you wish that Purple Hearts had actual chemistry between the characters and you wanted to believe they could last beyond the final scene, this might be the story calling for you. If you’re looking for fluff and Hallmark happiness, steer clear.

The premise feels cliché and overwrought originally: while out in the field, Ryan connects his best friend, Beckett Gentry (Chaos), with his sister, Ella, through letters. Beckett has no support system in his life outside of Ryan and the military, and Ella is struggling to run a business while raising her young twins as a single mother. Ella only knows Chaos by his nickname (an important and convenient plot point to hold onto), and she feels comfortable and confident sharing her personal life with him. The two feel a romantic connection without ever meeting, but, of course, good things cannot last. Tragedy strikes when her daughter is diagnosed with cancer and then BAM Ryan is killed in combat and then DOUBLE BAM Ella believes Chaos is dead because she doesn’t hear from him or see him. Flash forward and none other than Beckett Gentry shows up at the hotel that Ella owns and runs, and he’s booked a ridiculously extended stay to “help Ella out.” Ella, not knowing that he’s Chaos, is resistant to accepting this apparent stranger’s help and puts up all her walls. Through the power of persistence, Beckett’s adorable working dog, Beckett’s undeniably attractive looks, and a series of selfless acts of service, Ella is eventually won over.

It’s a story of sacrifice, family, grief, parenthood, and trust. It’s a story of the lengths we’ll go to protect and care for the ones we love. It’s a story of finding and fostering love in the darkest of times.

I’m not going to lie to you; this book is heavy, and while there are beautiful moments of romance and connection, the losses and stresses and traumas pile up and are emotionally gutting. As a soon-to-be-parent, some of the scenes were emotionally draining and too tragic for me, and I’d caution you that this does not have a straightforward happily ever after. If you have a young child, this is very much not the book for you.

In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros

Time for another military hero pining for the girl who’s out of his reach! In chapters that flash through time, we watch the slow-burning love story of Izzy and Nate unfold. After surviving a plane crash together, Izzy and Nate feel a real and lasting connection, but his military career pulls him away before they can take their relationship further. However, through good fortune, they continue to cross paths until the tension and stresses of life pull them apart for what seems like the final time…until Izzy unexpectedly turns up in Afghanistan on a mission to save her sister, and Nate is tasked with protecting her after years of yearning. Of course, things can’t go smoothly. They have years of history to unpack, Izzy has a flashy engagement ring, and they’re no longer the people who boarded that fateful flight. The world is burning around them (literally), and with their safety constantly at risk, it’s more than just their love at stake.

It’s a slow-burn book filled with small moments of connection that develop over many years. Is the plot a little far-fetched and overdramatic to keep the tension and stakes high? Absolutely. Does lack of communication and “right time/right place” play a major role? Yep! Is there a twist? Yes, but given the dramatics of her other books, this one didn't feel as shocking or consequential to the plot. If you like second-chance love stories, a bodyguard character, and dual timelines and narration, this could be a winner for you. Of the three Yarros books I’ve finished, it’s my least favorite, but it wasn’t a turn off book for me. I just needed a pause to read some different themes.

Eat a Peach by David Chang

I ate ramen for the first time at Momofuku when I was a senior in high school, and I remember how cool I felt visiting the City and eating at this trendy spot. I am still obsessed with Milk Bar’s crack pie and have to try making it myself. The foods coming out of Chang’s various kitchens felt cool, timely, and inventive, and his reputation as a pioneering chef and leading entrepreneur piqued my curiosity. I wanted to learn how he rose so quickly to such prominence in such a competitive field, especially when Asian foods often aren’t represented in traditionally high-end kitchens. However, I was a little disappointed to learn that Chang is a hard man to admire, and his memoir didn’t fully reveal the secrets to his culinary success.

Throughout his memoir, Chang does provide some helpful insights into how his restaurant empire began, was run, and found popularity, and some of it ultimately does boil down to being the right place at the right time. I am not by any means discounting his culinary experiences and vision, both of which show that while his timing was lucky, he did have the skills, hard work, and know-how to make his dreams a reality.

The cooking and entrepreneurial spirit, however, ultimately dimmed in comparison to his candid stories about how bipolar disorder has impacted his life and the lives of those around him. From coworkers to his wife, Chang’s anger, paranoia, depression, and workaholic tendencies hurt his relationships. Being a chef in a celebrated kitchen comes with heaps of stress and expectations, and there’s been too many celebrities that have promoted and ignored toxic work environments. Chang is in a constant battle with his demons, and while we can have great sympathy and empathy for his mental health struggles, it’s also difficult to see how they’ve manifested in explosive outbursts. Chang does seem aware of and sorry for his behaviors, but it’s hard to tell how much genuine change and contrition he’s practiced.

Disney Adults: Exploring (and Falling in Love with) a Magical Subculture by AJ Wolfe

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, I love Disney and the sweet nostalgia, happily ever afters, and immersive world building it provides. It’s by no means a perfect company, but I have so many memories tied to its theme parks and stories.

I began watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts about all things relating to Disney Parks (especially its many, many restaurants) as a form of escapism during this pregnancy, and AJ Wolfe’s consistently enthusiastic commentary on Disney Food Blog quickly became a favorite and trusted source of inspiration for me. She had been promoting her book for a while, and I knew I had to listen to it on audio to get the full experience. I’m so glad that I did.

Wolfe’s book is a deep dive into the people (including her) who love Disney and why they have such a passionate relationship with this massive corporation. While I don’t rise to the level of superfan that some of her interviews portray, I can relate to many of the themes and stories of wanting to escape to an immersive and happy place that feels safe, familiar, and supportive. Disney sparks joy, and Wolfe makes an impassioned defense that adults shouldn’t be belittled, mocked, infantilized, and thought of as “weird” and “cringe” for having an interest that makes them happy, sparks their creativity, and helps them to find community and comfort. Yes, there is an addicting element where people invest too much time and money chasing that happiness high, but those extreme examples are what has become the distorted stereotype rather than the reality for many fans. It's anecdotal and feels like a cozy podcast. If you're a Disney fan in any capacity, it's an interesting insight into the fan culture and the company's recent strategy and direction.

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Cooking: After being gone for two weeks, it was time to restock the fridge and focus on meals that are nutritious and quick to make. We found some individually packaged frozen salmon filets at the Commissary, and I’ve loved baking them and adding them to my salads. I recently made a one-pan orzo, spinach, and chicken sausage dinner that was effortless and delicious. Linguine and clam sauce has become our Friday in Lent staple, and we’re always generous with our Parmesan cheese. I miss the wide variety of takeout that we enjoyed in Alexandria and the family dinners in Disney, but it’s been nice to find our routine at home again.

Baking: When I couldn’t sleep through the night because of jet lag, I tried my hand at making Irish soda bread. Love and Lemons continues to have just one winner after another, and their easy-to-follow recipe made cranking out a loaf at 4AM simple and satisfying.

Listening: I’m cycling back through audiobooks again and find romances and memoirs to be reliably good listens. I finished one by Erin Hahn, an author I used to enjoy but haven’t read in years. Per usual when it comes to romance, I ended up starting the series not with the first book, so I definitely need to circle back and catch up. I remembered one of my students enjoying Matthew McConaughey’s memoir, and while it’s certainly capturing my attention, it’ll take me some time to decide how I really feel about it. Memoirs are tricky like that; whether you want to or not, you judge. the storytelling, the story, and the storyteller.

Watching: I started watching Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars on the flight from Newark to Tokyo, and I am fascinated by the perfectionism and paranoia that the Michelin inspectors inspire in high-performing chefs around the world. Being a chef means exposing yourself to criticism and a million things that can (and do) go wrong at every moment, and the anxiety and pressure the documentary portrays is intense. If you’re a foodie, it’s a fascinating glimpse into the minds and businesses behind the greatest kitchens in the world.

Doing: In an attempt to stay physically, mentally, and emotionally well in these last weeks of pregnancy, I’ve been adding long walks outside into my weekly routine. Are these walks particularly fast? At this point, absolutely not. Am I still super sweaty by the end of them? Yep. It’s easy for me to get cooped up in the house and doom scroll, especially when I don’t have anything scheduled for work, so giving myself the non-negotiable to get out of the house has been a gamechanger. I love being outside and exploring somewhere new, so I try to rotate between a park, the track on base, and the university down the road.  I’m either tuned into one of my Disney-related podcasts or working on an audiobook; I cannot just walk in silence by myself. I’m looking forward to stroller walks with baby girl in a few weeks, but we’ll have to get out early to avoid the worst of the sun.