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• Book Review- Maybe in Another Life- Taylor Jenkins Reid
  Today I am reviewing, ” Maybe in Another Life”- Taylor Jenkins Reid This book was brilliant but heartbreaking. It made me reflect about my own relationship with Ryan.   This book is about the choices we make in our lives all lead to our ever after and in both scenarios YOU can be happy.  The story (each chapter) toggles back and forth between two different scenarios that Hannah (Main protagonist) goes through in life. It is about what would happen if you go this route or if choose a different route. Hannah has been moving between city to city after graduating from college. She does not know what she wants to do with her life or even which city to settle in. Her best friend lives in L.A. where Hannah was also raised, her best friend invites her to come live with her and her new husband. Even her best friends life ends up different. The weird thing about this book is in both scenarios  the same thing happens to her best friend so basically the author is implying our lives can end up the same no matter the route we end up choosing.  The main character Hannah though both scenarios are different and that is why the book is so amazing because both routes make sense. The end of the book wraps it up nicely and i loved it but also it was a bittersweet tug at the heart.  It made me reflect on my relationship with Ryan. I was thinking that if I did something slightly different that maybe I would have never met Ryan. It feels like one thing needed to happen so the rest can unfold like the butterfly effect. I don’t know but reflecting on my own relationship after reading this book made me think the what if’s. If I would have never met Ryan then how else would my life end up. Would I still be happy with someone else probably because honestly how can you miss someone or a relationship when you never had it anyways.  I am so happy and glad I never have to find out but that is what makes life so amazing. You just never know how your life will unfold but also it is up to you to be happy under your individual circumstances.  This book has many different meanings and it all depends how you view it and your own life. Is our life pre-determined or is it fate? I guess we will never know because it is impossible to do the same experiment that the book was so brilliantly and flawlessly able to do. Seriously this book had a huge impact in my life and how I view fate and “meant to be”.  Yes it is chick-lit and yes you can still feel a huge impact on a book such as this. Like I said the author did such a great job on pulling it all together at the end and throughout the book.  A five stars out of five!  I am reading two books at the same time right now. The next book I will give a review on is the “The It Girl” by Ruth Ware & “The Last Love Note” by Emma Grey. Both great books for different reasons. I have read one other book by Ruth Ware years ago and I enjoyed her style of writing in the past. Hoping I can make this a regular thing reviewing books because I love reading. Leave any comments if you have read this book or any other book suggestions you might have send them my way!  -Valencia 
• Make ahead Breakfast Sandwhiches
     
• Book Review- The Warsaw Orphan
  Happy Wednesday!!  Today I have a book review. This year I am trying to read more. I love reading but so often  do not have the time or energy after working all day.  I want to read more because there are so many books that I want to read. Today’s book review is on The Warsaw Orphan- It is a historical fiction based during War World II in Warsaw, Poland.    This book was amazing but it is very sad. If you’re not particularly fond of morose literature I would advise finding a different book.    In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality—and that it’s the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, a nurse who shares her apartment floor, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism. Using Sara’s credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara’s cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm’s way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.   The narrative is told from two different perspectives; a storytelling device I find particularly inventive here.  Elzbieta is a great character and she grows throughout the book, she is very ambitious and stubborn. Roman is the oldest brother in the Gorka family. The Gorka family is imprisoned in the “ghetto” and Elzbieta traverses through the neighborhood to save thousands of innocents who are trapped there.   This book made me sad, cry, smile, have faith in humanity, but also begrudge humanity.  You will be cheering for these two characters and hoping and wishing they make it through the war. Sadly millions were killed during War World II but you have people like Elzbieta who took risks to help the people that live in the ghetto particularly babies who they can easily smuggle out of the ghetto.. It is a love story but it is not obvious and does not take over the whole book. As a trigger warning, it contains rape scenes so that might not be your preference, but it doesn’t consume the whole book and I promise you said chapter is essential to the plot of the book.  It has a happy ending though and the ending wraps it up quite nicely. Well as nice as it can get with an Historical novel with the background of WWII.  I recommend reading it.  I rate it 5 stars.  Let me know what you think of, “The Warsaw Orphan” in the comments below.  -Valencia   
• Recap January 2024-February 2024 Goals
  Last Month I made a list of my January 2024 goals.  Today I will go over all my goals for January 2024 and I do feel I did pretty good on them.  Then I will be making a new set of goals for February. February is such a short month and we are already half way through.  January 2024 Goals Read 5 books Currently Reading, “The Warsaw Orphan” At the end of the month I will review all the books I read that month.  I only read one book. I finished the Warsaw Orphan. On Wednesday I will do a full review of that book. It was really good but also sad as most Historical Fiction is.  Only have take-out and/eating out twice this month.- We did really good on this one. Went out once and got takeout once.  Cook two new recipes this month.- We cooked three new recipes- We ordered Hello Fresh and got three new recipes from there.  Schedule my dental procedure for April/May.- Did not do. I have a co-pay for that and trying to pay that first before scheduling the appointment Schedule my appointment with my Urologist- Called my Urologist but I am on the waiting list for the procedure I need.  Write a blog post at least three times a week.- I did good at first but then fell by the wayside. So hoping I can blog the rest of the month at least three times a week.  I feel like I did okay. Could do better.  My Goal list for February is small since it is a short month.  Read 2 books. Halfway on The Last Love Note. It is really heartbreaking and sad.  Cook Three new recipes. Write here at least three times a week. My goal for February is small but we are almost finish with this month so it is just makes sense to have a small list.  See you back here on Wednesday for my January Book Review. 
• Friday Favorites (January 19, 2024)
  Happy Friday!!! I am so glad that today is Friday! It has been a crazy week but it has felt very long also.  I have so much fun favorites to share this Friday. ONE On Sunday we went to the Jelly Belly Factory located in Fairfield, California. It was really cool and fun. We went to the actual factory then went to the Museum, then went to the gift store. Ryan’s mom bought us so many things. She always spoils us. After we went to go have lunch at this place called Chez Soul. It has southern food. I am from the south so I love southern food. It was Louisiana style. I got Ribs because I love be some barbeque style ribs. Had so much leftover including dessert. We got dessert to go and I got Peach Cobbler. So good!! TWO Next month Ryan’s mom is taking us to Sacramento for the day via Amtrak! I have never been to Sac so I am excited to explore another city and it being the capital of California is extra special.      THREE Current Favorites in Entertainment- I am falling behind on reading books but hope to be done this weekend with my 2nd book.  I am hoping to read 4 books this month. Fingers crossed.  Also I am currently watching RHOM- Binge watching. I work from home so it is my background but also been watching it after work also. Ryan has been working late so I been watching trashy reality show.  It is my me time. I am on the 5th season and currently watching the reunion.  It is so good, and I heard that the 6th season is even better. I can’t wait watch it.  Ryan is watching Shameless. I watched shameless years ago but Ryan has never watched it so I am showing it to him and watching it again. I highly recommend watching it.      FOUR Last but not least…. My whole life all I ever wanted to be is an attorney and I have applied to law school twice before and did not get accepted. Terrible test taker therefore my LSAT score was horrible. When I moved to California I started thinking and researching the different ways I could be an attorney in this state.  One of the ways is I could attend an online law school and take the bar and be a licensed  attorney in the state of California. I could practice in federal court anywhere in the country. But I am satisfied with that. Anyways all that to say is I got accepted in to Law School!!!! I will be working full-time so I needed a school that worked with my schedule.  It will take four years but I already am a legal assistant so I work around legal issues all the time.  I hope to start in March the other cool thing is the tuition is only 4k a year. I can also do payment plans. I got my book list. Books are expensive. I am glad I will not have any student loans to payback. I don’t think it has hit that I will be starting law school soon. I hope to document as much as I am able too on my blog.    Have a great weekend!  Today I am linking up with A Little Bit Of Everything and Momfessionals for Friday Favorites!