The Resurrection of the Weekend Book Review

Remember when I actually posted on this blog? You have a good memory.

Remember when we actually read on this blog called Eat, READ, Move? Then you have a very good memory.

Let's read again! Brew some coffee or tea, whatever floats your boat.  Get a warm brownie, cookie, or slice of cake, curl up on your couch or bed or window seat (I wanted one of those SO BAD when I was little!), put on some music, and read. 

And don't worry, because I have a book already picked out for you! It's called Lost Laysen by Margaret Mitchell. Now, if you're most of the world, you're thinking, "Wait-Margaret Mitchell only wrote one book-Gone with the Wind!" I thought that, too. But at the library the other day, I glimpsed a copy of this short love story Margaret wrote as a teenager. And I was like, "OH MY GOSH!! I HAVE TO READ THIS!", because I'm completely obsessed with Gone with the Wind, and it always made me sad that Margaret Mitchell had no other books. And no, Lost Laysen is not even close to being as good as Gone with the Wind, but I still enjoyed it very much.

Questions: If you were really going to read right now, what would you read? I really want to read Let Darkness Come by Angela Hunt.

What would you eat? A brownie; I baked some yesterday that were SO GOOD!

Would you like coffee, tea, or cocoa? Coffee all the way

And what music would you listen too? I don't really have a favorite song, but some bands/singers that I like are: Third Day, Switchfoot, Sarah Bareilles, David Crowder, Taylor Swift, Francesca Battistelli, and Adele. That's kind of a strange combination.

Don't judge.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mellie

A Weekend Book Review

Hey! Hope everyone's first week of June was better than mine. Well it wasn't all bad, I guess. It was the first week out of school, after all.  But, let's just say it better not be an indication of how the rest of the summer is going to go.

Anyhow! This week's book review is for a very exciting, suspenseful, thrilling book called And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Wow. It was so good! It gave me shivers! It is about ten people who go to an  island, and there's no way off, and each person is murdered, one by one. Squeamish people shouldn't read it, not because it has gory details about the bodies, but because of the sickness of their minds. Not just the killers mind, but all the victims, as they go crazy, thinking: "I could be next." "Who can I trust" "Oh my gosh i'm going to die!"

I wish authors today would write more suspenseful stories instead of gruesome ones. And Then There Were None is a page turner in a way that today's stories about vampires and that stuff just can't top.

Question of the day: Do you like suspenseful murder mysteries or gruesome ones? Or do you read sappy love stories? I must admit, I love those too, but we need excitement in our lives. I get bored reading the same things.

Have a good week!

Mellie

A Weekend Book Review

Yay! It's summer! And guess what? I made a 91 on the math EOCT!! I was sure I had made no more than a high C but I didn't! And now I finally have an A in the class! :)

 

 And now for the real post:

There are three kinds of good books-the ones that are really good and you enjoy them and when you're done you go on with your life. And the ones that have "that thing" which sets them apart from all other books, and you're really sad to finish them,, and you can't stop thinking about them no matter what you do, and they make all other books seem really, really bland. And then there are the books in-between. 

The last book I reviewed, Innocent Traitor, was in the in-between category.It wasn't my all-time favorite book, but I was still sad to see it end.

But, I'm sorry to say, the next book I read, The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, wasn't as good.  It was  good...sad, sweet, and well-written, just like all his books. If you are a fan of him, or romances in general, you should read it. However, it didn't have "that thing" that makes good books great or great books amazing. I did enjoy reading it because it was an interesting story, and the characters were very alive and seemed so real. It just wasn't amazing. It was sweet and good, but kind of stale- like a day-old cupcake.

Right now I'm reading Nights in Rodanthe, which is also by Nicholas Sparks. I'll let you know how it is!

Have a great afternoon everyone! Happy Memorial Day! 

Mellie

A Weekend Book Review

Hello! I really hope your week was better than mine. I wouldn't wish a week like this on my worst enemy. I had a terrible migraine last week, and this week I still did not feel quite right. And i have a sinus infection. I want to sleep all weekend long. 

Wait! I'm 14. I spend weekends partying. Not BAD partying, just partying. I would NEVER make pizza, read a good book, or read food blogs on a Friday night. I don't even know why I'm doing this right now, I mean, I need to go in the other room where the party is! So I'll make this quick.

I love reading. You may have noticed. Recently, I finished Innocent Traitor, by Alison Weir. It is about Lady Jane Grey. I loved it! But I'm a nerd and I like long, historical fiction books. With deep thoughts. Well, sometimes. I love sad, romantic girl books, too. But if you like reading about the old kings and queens, then I really recommend Innocent Traitor. It was very well written; sometimes history is boring but Alison Weir's characters are just so...alive. And believable. And unlike a school history textbook. 

Questions of the day: What are your favorite books to read? Which historical eras/people do you think are interesting?

And now, I really must get back to my cave. PARTY! Because all teenagers party.

Have a good weekend!

Mellie

Today

Hello! It's been awhile since I posted, I have many things to share!

First, this morning I made chocolate sauce from a Teenage Gourmet.  I put it in my coffee and added skim milk and a bit of extra sugar for a delicious mocha!

I enjoyed it with a really good book  on the porch, basking in the sunshine. I don't know about y'all, but I'm having more and more visions of myself, looking tan and lovely, lying on the beach in my new sunglasses, sipping lemonade or sweet tea or maybe some sparkling grape juice. I don't know, I haven't given it that much (cough) thought. 

Except I'll never be tan and lovely, just pale and freckly. Whatever.

Lunch was a salad:

Swiss Chard and Romaine Lettuce, chopped

3 strawberries, sliced

1 tbsp walnuts

1 tbsp almonds

1/2 tbsp feta 

1/2 tbsp parmesan

1 tbsp dried cranberries

freshly ground black pepper (I just recently discovered how good it is on salads!)

balsamic vinegar (I'm normally not a dressing girl but this was good)

 Jenna @ eat live run posted something similar the other day. I'm not a spinach lover, though.

Then I made some banana bread from Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader:

1/3 c vegetable oil

1 1/4 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten 

3 large very ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 c self-rising flour (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 c all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt)

1/3 c buttermilk

3/4 c chocolate chips (My own addition)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream oil & sugar till light and creamy.  Beat in eggs. Add bananas, mix well. Add 1 c flour and mix well, then add half the buttermilk and mix well. Add remaining flour, then add remaining buttermilk till just blended.  Pour batter into greased 9x5 in loaf pan, bake 45 min.

To spread on the bread, I made peanut butter cream cheese from teenage taste. Sooo creamy and delicious!

Oh, I also did a Pilates workout today. Who do you think I am?

Overall, it's been a delicious day. Thank you to Jenna, Erika, Sami, and Jan Karon for the recipes!

Have a good rest of the weekend!

Love,

Mellie

PS I know colored words are a poor substitute for pictures; it's not my fault the computer won't read the memory card!

A Recipe and a Book Review

I haven't posted in forever, but that's OK since no one's reading yet. =[

Still, I've missed posting. I like writing my thoughts, and I like the thought that, one day, someone will read my blog and find something they enjoy.

Anyway! Last weekend I went to an all-weekend event at my church, and while I've filled my heart and head with the Bible, I've filled my body with golden Oreos, chocolate, soda, and golden Oreos. I'm pretty sure I've gained like 5 or more pounds and I want to eat ridiculously healthy for a month.

(Well, I'm going to Asheville in a couple weeks, so I'll eat ridiculously healthy until then.)

When I'm ready to eat junk food again, I'm making these brownies. They're the best thing ever. They come from Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. Dad likes them and he supposedly hates brownies! The secret is beating the heck out of the eggs and sugar, so don't skip that step. It's definitely worth the extra time!

And since the brownies are good, the batter, obviously, is AMAZING!

4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

3/4 c unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

4 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c all purpose flour

1 1/2 c mini chocolate chunks or Hershey's kisses

1 c chopped pecans or walnuts, opt.

Preheat oven to 350. Place unsweetened chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave 5 to 8 minutes. Stir and let cool completely. In a bowl, beat eggs, salt, and sugar till light and creamy, about 10 min.  Add chocolate mixture. Stir in flour till just combined.  Add chocolate chunks and pecans and stir till just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 in pan, bake 20-25 min.  Cool before cutting.

NOW, for the book review:

One of my all time favoritest books is The Mark of the Lions Series by Francine Rivers. If you haven't read it, then you should. There are 3 books : A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn.  I read them last February/March.  They're a bit time consuming, even for me, and I'm a fast reader. 

They are Christian historical fiction, set in ancient Rome. They tell the story of a young Jewish girl named Hadassah who is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a family of Roman aristocrats, and falls in love with Marcus, the son of her owner. And they also tell the story of Atretes, a German soldier who is captured, taken to Rome, and forced to be a gladiator. 

It is very hard to explain the rest without giving stuff away, so just trust me, these books are the most sad, sweet, suspenseful, and wonderful books you'll ever read! Go read them today!

Warning: These books have lots of adult content, even though they're Christian, so if you are immature then don't read these.

Well, I'm off to make granola. Good night!

 Love, 

Mellie