Mackenzie Carose

As The Page Turns: December Edition

By Mackenzie 2 Comments

Hello to all of you in this last month of the year! I just wanted to let everyone know here that I am temporarily placing a pause on my book round-up posts. While I have enjoyed doing them, it has lately begun to feel like something I have to do as opposed to something I want to do, if that makes sense. I would like to get back to writing them again at some point but for now, this one will be my last for a bit. I appreciate everyone and anyone whoever commented on my book reviews. Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚

Let’s get to it, shall we?

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St James

Gah, this book was so good! I don’t know how this author does it, but she is able to weave a really good mystery with the supernatural and just make it work. It truly is a gift! I hadn’t heard of this book before until I heard someone on Instagram raving about it and it turns out that this is St James debut novel, before The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel and all the others. Definitely add this to your TBR!

Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards

A 1930’s mystery set in Britain, surprise, surprise ๐Ÿ™‚ I wanted to like this book more than I did. There were parts that dragged which had me putting the book down several times and eventually coming back to it. Also, the supposed main character was not in the book that much which begged the question of why they were listed as the main character. I am however still somewhat interested in the journalist who uncovers what is going on in these mysteries so I will read another book in the series to see if it is worth staying invested.

Locked Room by Elly Griffiths

Loved, loved, loved this book! This tome is the latest in the contemporary mysteries featuring Ruth Galloway and it did not disappoint. There’s many in this series that I haven’t read yet, so a trip to the library is in order ๐Ÿ™‚

That’s it from me! Happy December everyone ๐Ÿ™‚

As The Page Turns: November Edition

By Mackenzie Leave a Comment

Mysteries mixed with some non-fiction reads; let’s get to it! ๐Ÿ™‚

What She Found by Robert Dugoni

This is the latest book in the Detective Tracy Crosswhite series, and it was such a good mystery in and of itself, but I didn’t like how one part of the case involving the actions of another detective, did not get resolved. It wasn’t a cliffhanger per se in the normal workings of that word, it was just… unresolved. Other than that, this series is still brilliant and worth all the reads!

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

You know me and my British mysteries! I can’t not read them ๐Ÿ™‚ The Marlow Murder Club revolves around a trio of women who are strangers but eventually come together to solve a string of murders taking over their village of Marlow. It was just okay, nothing to write home about. It felt like it was trying to be a bit like The Thursday Club Murders in having a geriatric woman lead the way in solving the murders and having secrets in her past that get uncovered. That being said, it certainly didn’t put me off Thorogood’s books and I will be reading the next one in the series when it becomes available at my library.

Things That Matter by Joshua Becker

Joshua Becker runs the popular blog Becoming Minimalist and has written several books regarding the topic of minimalism which I have read. I find his books easy to digest and I really enjoyed this book. My favorite chapter in the book had to do with the concept of fear and why we are afraid to do the big things that will make our lives better. He had a lot of great quotes but one I wanted to share here was this: “When your fear of not achieving your purposes is greater than your fear of trying, you’ll begin to overcome the distraction of fear”.

Still: Slow Home by Natalie Walton

Absolutely beautiful coffee table style book showcasing people around the world making the choice to live an intentional and slow life. The photographs in this book were just stunning. Very inspirational and apparently many people thought so; it took a few months for my turn to read this from the library, the queue was so long!

That’s it for me! Looking forward to next month and the last book round-up for the year ๐Ÿ™‚

As The Page Turns: October Edition

By Mackenzie Leave a Comment

New month of book reviews ๐Ÿ™‚ Let’s get to it!

Disconnected by Emma Gannon

I actually meant to add this to last month’s book round-up but completely forgot. The subtitle to this book is “How to Stay Human in an Online World” and Gannon shows how to do just that. I have really been interested this year, in how we use social media to connect with each other but also how social media leaves us feeling awful at times and we wonder why we even use it. The influencing and advertising culture is at an all-time high and people are starting to feel the effects of it all and are unhappy. I found this book so interesting, and I definitely recommend giving this one a read.

Minimalista by Shira Gill

It is marketed as a step-by-step guide to a better home, wardrobe, and life, but it is so much more than that. This book really helps you to understand why we hold on to things and shows you really and truly how much easier your life will be if you have a place for everything. Life moves so much smoother when you know exactly where your keys are when you need to leave each morning. Little things like that and so much more are in this book, and I just loved it.

The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams

I have really been into cozy mysteries this year which used to not be my thing. I think I have been drawn to them because the real world is so awful at times, I think I need an escape. The Vanishing Type is the latest book in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series and I absolutely loved it ๐Ÿ™‚

Village Affairs and Trick of the Mind by Cassandra Chan

Same series, two different books, two different reviews. Village Affairs was just okay. I figured out who did it and then had to slog through most of the book until the denouement which was a let-down as far as mysteries go. Trick of the Mind however was so, so good and I literally stopped everything I was doing, just so I could finish it and find out who the culprit was. Definitely night and day regarding these books but I enjoy this series which revolves around Scotland Yard Detective Jack Gibbons, so much.

That’s it from me! Anything interesting you have read lately? Let me know ๐Ÿ™‚