book review – Page 19 – Mackenzie Carose

As The Page Turns: September Edition

October 10, 2016 By Mackenzie Leave a Comment

For readers of my old blog, you know what this post is about 😉

For readers of my new blog, I am a huge bookworm and every month I will share what I read for the previous month and link up to my good friend Jana’s link-up about all the good, the bad, and the ugly, that we #booknerds read. So without further adieu…

What I Read in September:

The Summer Before The War by Helen Simonson

I have been wanting to read this book for everrrrrrr, and the waiting list at my library seemed to be crawling at a snail’s pace, but then I realized why. This book, even though it really is good, took forever and a day to read. No wonder it took ages for it to finally become available!

This novel, about the summer of 1914 before World War I started and subsequent events after, is definitely a good read and the story does draw you in. But just be prepared for this book’s longevity. It is for real…

The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie

Can’t go wrong with my favorite author! 🙂 A group of friends decide to meet and they each bring up a case of murder where they know the identity of the perpetrator but the other people in the group have to guess who they think did it. They meet on Tuesdays hence the original name of the book, The Tuesday Club Murders. A+ in my book!

The Raven and the Nightingale by Joanne Dobson

This book is one of my faves because I love how the author intertwines the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, with a murder on a college campus in present day, and the case ends up being solved by an English professor, who part of her teaching curriculum is the work of Poe. In fact, a Poe poem helps her figure out who did it!

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

The original alphabet mystery book with one of my favorite heroines, Kinsey Millhone 🙂 Great weekend read with a cup of hot cocoa.

The Shattered Tree by Charles Todd

I wanted to enthusiastically give this book two thumbs up but I cannot. Let me preface that by saying that Charles Todd is my second favorite mystery author behind my beloved Agatha Christie, so I don’t go into my “meh-ness” lightly.

I felt like with the character of Bess Crawford, the author has already explored this territory before with Bess traipsing across World War I battlefields and cities therein, looking for a murderer and cases of mistaken identity and the like. They’ve done this before with this character and having to go through this again with a new person Bess has to search for, just felt repetitive.

The other Bess Crawford mysteries that came before The Shattered Tree are really good, so don’t let this one deter you if you are looking for a good series to dive into.

By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie

Mwah, ha, ha, ha!!!! Creepy cover, creepy book, perfect for fall♥

Strange things are going on at an English nursing home and well… read the synopsis for yourself:

“Tommy and Tuppence Beresford decide to pay a duty visit to Tommy’s elderly and unpleasant aunt in her nursing home. That visit results in a strange inheritance, black magic- and danger”. And murder…don’t forget murder.

By the way, most of my book pictures are from my Instagram account, so if you want to follow along with what I am reading in October, come say hi!

What books have you guys read lately? I am open to some awesome suggestions!

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget: A Review

August 2, 2016 By Mackenzie Leave a Comment

“Frugality is more than just saving a few pennies and becoming debt-free. It is about pursuing your dreams and not letting someone else define your success”.

This little gem, like so many others, make up the multi-layered awesomeness that is the book 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget by the writers of Wise Bread. Wisebread is a website that has frugal living and money-saving tips and as they state on their “about” page, they are a community of bloggers who are “here to help you live large on a small budget”.

This book was such a great read and I wrote down so many nuggets of information because I just loved what these writers had to say! 🙂

“Frugal discipline does not have to mean deprivation. It is possible to have a life of abundance without spending more money that you’d care to”.
“The fundamental rule of personal finance: Spend less than you earn. There are 2 avenues to achieving this goal: spending less and earning more. By working on either (or both) of these areas, you can increase the gap between those 2 numbers- and that gap is your ticket to freedom. The harder you work on either spending less or earning more, the bigger that gap will become and the quicker that train to your dreams will arrive at that station”.

We’ve all heard it before but it bears repeating: Spend less than you earn. Simple words that pack a wallop of truth, but at times difficult to follow. But with spending less than what we earn, we gain freedom. Freedom to pursue what is important to us.

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget also talks about minimalism and getting rid your junk:

“We often hold onto things that simply remind us if a nice memory”.
“You’ll probably be surprised how much stress is relieved by parting with your junk. It can be hard to part with things that you’ve owned for a while, but frankly, any potential monetary sacrifice can be compensated for by having a clean livable abode. When they say you can’t take it with you, they aren’t kidding”.

They even have a section about Roth I.R.A.’s, bonds, and investments which I found interesting even if I didn’t understand all of it 🙂 The writers recommended to put away at least $1,000 for emergencies or into what is commonly known as an “emergency fund”, and to pay off all your credit card debt before opening a Roth I.R.A. or at least make significant headway on that debt and have a plan for paying it off.

All in all, if you are looking for some tips to up your frugality game, by all means, head to your local library and check this book out. Like I did 🙂 #frugalforthewin

Organized Simplicity

July 26, 2016 By Mackenzie Leave a Comment

Simple living is a journey, not a destination.

And there you have it; the beauty of Tsh Oxenreider’s book summed up succinctly. Organized Simplicity, The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living from the founder of the blog Art of Simple, is a lovely book about organization, simplicity, and nourishing and appreciating your home. It is about slowing down and enjoying life’s pleasures. Living simply is one of Oxenreider’s principles and her pages are filled with action plans, quotes, and little nuggets of wisdom that make this such a great read.

“What is simple living? Living holistically with your life’s purpose. Holistic living means that your spiritual, relational, emotional, intellectual, physical, and financial lives are working together. They’re not competing with one another. These parts exist to complement and strengthen one another”. -Tsh Oxenreider

I love that she talks about time being a tool and that we’ve all got a limited amount and that we need to use our time wisely. She talks about how everyone always complains that they do not have enough time to do the things we want but we all have the same amount of hours in a day; we just need to choose how we use them, wisely.

“If you don’t put in the hours to transform your life into something meaningful and holistic with your life’s purpose, it will never happen. Simple living doesn’t happen automatically”. -Tsh Oxenreider

Minimalism is also a topic weaved beautifully throughout the book. Some gems that I found helpful:

When you own fewer things, those things retain a higher value for you.
When your home runs efficiently and when it is free of all but the essentials, you are more free to enjoy life.
May your life be filled with only the necessary and the beautiful.

She reminds us that seasons of life come and go and that we can’t accomplish it all. But with Oxenreider’s book, I feel like I can come pretty close 🙂