Mackenzie Carose

As The Page Turns: July Edition

By Mackenzie 18 Comments

Hey all! I am back with some book reviews for ya! Let’s do this 🙂

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

I enjoyed reading this particular mystery although it is contemporary and I usually stick to mysteries that take place pre-technology. Definitely a good lazy weekend kind of read.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

So, so good! A psychological mystery about a mother/daughter relationship that is seriously off-the-chain crazy. You are going to want to read this one!

Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Excellent book. I am at a loss for words on how to adequately explain this book while also explaining how good it truly is. I will say this though: if you are looking to expand your reading regarding #BlackLivesMatter and want to read more books by Black authors, then you will want to pick up this book.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Oh my word, this book. I am sure many of you have read this book and know all about how good this book really is 🙂 Glennon’s writing makes you laugh, makes you cry, and most importantly, makes you think. Amazing, amazing book!

Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert

Awful, awful book. You would think that a book about a locked-room mystery taking place on an island would be good. A brutal storm traps everyone on an island off the coast of New York and two detectives who are called in to a missing persons case there, must try and figure out what happened. I almost DNF this several times and part of me wishes I had. Terrible narrator, bad character development, horrible use of metaphors that makes your eyes hurt. Awful book, like I said. Do not read.

As The Page Turns: May Edition

By Mackenzie 14 Comments

Last month I did not have a reading post because mama’s reading was sporadic at best and I was lucky if I finished a paragraph. I am slooooooowly getting my reading mojo back. Also, I realized that there were two books that I had finished pre-quarantine, that I never did a get a chance to share, so that is on here as well 🙂

To Shake The Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins

This book was really interesting although I realize it might not be for everyone. Jenkins rode his bike all the way from Oregon down to Patagonia which is the very southern end of South America. Yes, you read that right. On a bike. With only what he could carry on his person. This book is his account of the trip and I found it to be a good read. It had some laugh-out-loud funny moments but also some deep soul-searching ones as well. Crisis of self is real. Some go to therapy. Some take a bike ride.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

I have read this one before but I am participating in the Agatha Christie book of the month reading challenge on Instagram and for May, it is this book.

It’s not every day that an elderly couple wakes up and finds a dead body in their library with no idea who the person is or how they got there. If you haven’t read this Miss Marple mystery yet, go check it out!

The Fall of Richard Nixon by Tom Brokaw

Yes, my reading was/is all of the place. I finished this particular book pre-quarantine, but heck, it sure is relevant to all the craziness going on right now.

This book is not a play-by-play of how the break-in went down. It does however, go in to the subsequent chaos that became “Watergate” and it details Brokaw’s remembrances of that particular era and his time as a reporter, specifically a White House reporter. It passed the time just fine. If this is a subject that interests you, you might want to look into this book. But if not, don’t worry, you’re not missing anything.

That’s it from me! Any good books that you can recommend? 🙂

In The Quarantine Kitchen

By Mackenzie 2 Comments

Not sure what day of quarantine we are currently on, but it seems like baking and just making something from scratch are one of the cures in not losing your mind 🙂 I find that baking takes my mind off of whatever is going on and I just focus on what I am making.

Before I get to the sweet stuff, I did make two more healthy items 😀

I made Black Bean Hummus which is one of my favorites. You can just literally eat it by the spoonful. Or with chopped up veggies, whichever you prefer 😉

The other healthy item was Simple Oat Bars. Only five ingredients and easy to make. Both of these recipes are from Deliciously Ella.

Now on to the slightly more decadent items! I made both Blueberry Muffins and Strawberry Muffins 🙂

YUM!!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies anyone?

For those wondering if I am able to zip up my jeans, I am! I didn’t make all of these in one week 🙂 Quarantine has been in effect for almost two months over here in my neck of the woods, so this is just what I have made during that time.

Have you been creative in the kitchen during all this hoopla? Let me know in the comments! 🙂