Update from Mexico + Finding Books to Read

Hey guys! So... I'm back from my brief hiatus! I'm currently in Mexico where I'll be working 'til the end of August. I don't know if I had mentioned this, but I'm working with sea turtles and let me tell you, it's so freaking awesome! If you ever get the chance to go see sea turtles nesting or a hatchling release, DO IT! They're so cute and I'll definitely make you appreciate these creatures more.

Anyway, today I was supposed to post a book review but I've been super busy and getting used to my new schedule (I work from 8pm to 4-5am and sleep during the day) so I didn't have time to finish a book or write a review, so I'll leave you with this short post about how I find books to read. Hopefully, I'll get used to the change in schedule soon and post more often because I definitely have a few things I want to post about while I'm here!

I don't know about you but I usually had a hard time when choosing what books to read next, that is until I found Goodreads. I mean, how to you usually find out about books? The New York Times bestsellers list? Recommendations from friends and family? Books advertised at your local bookstore or library?

I think those are all pretty good options but I feel that the NYT list, bookstores and libraries advertise mainly new books. So what about older books? Then, some people only tend to read a certain genre, so when you ask them for recommendations they might only recommend from that specific genre, which might not be what you're interested in. For example, if I were to ask my dad for a book recommendation, he would probably recommend a book about politics, crime or the military but if I were to ask my sister, she would most likely recommend a historical fiction or a biography book. So what do you do then?

Well, this is where Goodreads comes in. Now, I'm not saying you always get good recommendations from Goodreads because I've definitely read some books I found out about through that website that were not that great. I think that the best way to find out about books through here is to join a book club. I joined a book club on Goodreads, called College Students! And although I'm no longer a college student I definitely feel like I can relate to the people in this club because mostly every one is in their late teens or twenties, in college, recent grads or grad school but most importantly, they all love reading. I'm really glad I joined this book club because they come up with a Reading Challenge about every 6-7 months, where they include a list of tasks and a description for that specific task. For example, one of the tasks is called "Blind Date" and the description says: Go to the library and pick a book from the shelves at random. Without reading the summary or anything from the book, check it out from the library and then cozy up with your "blind date" at home. Being in that book club just really motivates me to read and encourages me to read books I had never even considered reading before such as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Book Thief (which by the way is AMAZING!!), Thoughtless, Perks of Being a Wallflower and so on.

How do you find out about books and choose what books to read? Also, if you have any recommendations feel free to leave a comment!
 

My Week in Pictures: Boston Edition Part 2

Hello everyone! I'm back from Boston! I actually got in today at about 3am because my flight home from Dallas was delayed for 5 hours due to bad weather, which totally sucked because I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was sleep. Anyway, I'm back but this week is going to be hectic because I'm taking the GRE on Wednesday and I'm leaving for Cancun on Saturday so I might not post anything next week. But before I go on my brief hiatus, here's my week in pics!

 Sunday: My sister's Commencement!

Monday: Helping my sister move out from her dorm. This is the view from the top of her building.

Tuesday: Dancers by Renoir at the Museum of Fine Arts

Wednesday: Taking a walk at Boston Common/ Public Garden.

 Thursday: Salem Witch Trials Memorial/ Cemetery. Each stone that's sticking out of the wall represents a person that was executed "for being a witch."

Friday: At Logan Airport waiting to catch our plane to Dallas.

Book Review: The Edge of Never

 

Title: The Edge of Never

Author: J.A. Redmerski

Genre: New Adult/Romance

Hello lovely ladies, greetings from Boston! Since knew I was going to be on vacation when I posted this, I decided it would be appropriate to write a review about a book whose characters go on a trip and this book immediately came to mind. I actually read this book earlier in the year and I really liked it so I wanted to share it it you guys. (Also, I couldn't think of any other books about trips... ha!)

Camryn Bennett is a 20-year-old girl who's tired of not knowing what she's doing with her life. One day, she hops on a Greyhound bus, determined discover herself and see where life will take her. It is on this bus she meets Andrew Parrish, a nice, carefree guy (who happens to be ridiculously good looking). They soon become travel buddies. When it's time for them to part, they find it hard to do so and decide to go on a road trip together. While on the road trip, Andrew makes Cam live life like there's no tomorrow and experience things she wouldn't have otherwise. Eventually, they end up falling in love. But there is something Andrew is keeping from Cam that can tear them apart forever...

Whew! Where to start? This book was amazing! I must admit it was a bit slow at first but as soon as Cam hops on that bus and meets Andrew, the pace picks up. It was just so sweet and romantic... and even a bit steamy. You'll definitely like it... I'm not really into these types of books and I really enjoyed it. I loved Andrew's character. He was sexy (according to the book description), musically talented and overall a really nice guy. I definitely wouldn't mind having a friend (or boyfriend ;) ) like him. It was also a very emotional story- I laughed, got mad, might or might not have shed a couple of tears, you know... the whole spectrum of emotions. I highly recommend this book!

Rating: 4/5

My Week in Pictures: Boston Edition Part 1

Greetings from Boston! I'm having a lovely time here with my family. I've been pretty busy while here but since I've been taking a lot of pictures I wanted to share some with you. Enjoy!

Sunday: My mom and me on Mother's Day! :)

Monday and Tuesday: Skipped.

Wednesday: Getting my carry-on ready for Boston.

Thursday: Up in the air.

Friday: Me and my sister at Boston Common.

Saturday: Quincy Market (where we ate) and pirate ship at the wharf (ahoy mates!).

What's In My Carry-On Bag: Boston Edition

Hello! For those who don't know, I'm going to Boston today! I'm mainly going for my sister's graduation, which is on Sunday, but we're staying there for a whole week so that my brother, aunt and grandparents who've never been to Boston before, get to know the city and do some touristing. Since I'll be away til next Friday, I prepared some travel- related blog posts that I'll be posting while I'm away. I hope you enjoy them!

 

So you see that pink bag on the top left corner? Well, that's my carry-on bag. It's not the bag I usually use to travel but this time I didn't need my little rolling luggage and I don't feel like hauling a huge tote so this bag was the perfect size for my needs. Now, on to what's inside! (In no particular order).

1. A sweater. It's always cold on the plane so a sweater is a must.

2. A change of clothes. Just in case. You never know what's going to happen or when you're going to get stranded without your luggage. Been there, done that.

3. iPhone and Kindle Fire chargers. To charge my iPhone and Kindle.

4.Kindle Fire (the thing in the green case) and iPhone (not pictured because I took this picture with it). To read and stay entertained during the 3.5/4 hour flight to Boston.

5. Tinted moisturizers. Just in case my lips get dry.

6. Kleenex. I always carry some with me. 

7. Earphones. If I want to listen to music or watch a movie on my iPhone or Kindle these are always useful.

8. Pen. Just in case I need to jot down something.

9. Hand lotion. In case my hands get dry.

10. Wallet. To carry my ID, some cash and debit/credit cards

11. GRE vocabulary list. Just in case I decide to study during the flight.

12. Small cross-body bag. I carry my wallet, tinted moisturizer and iPhone in here.

13. Tylenol. Just in case I get a headache while on the plane.

So that's pretty much it!

Book Review: Gone Girl

 

Title: Gone Girl

Author: Gillian Flynn

Genre: Mystery/ Thriller

Nick and Amy Dunne have the perfect marriage... or at least that's what everyone believes. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy disappears from their mansion on the Mississippi River. Initially, it all points to a random kidnapping but everything changes when the police discover Amy's diary. In it, they find that Nick and Amy's marriage was not as solid as everyone thought it was and it points to Nick as the prime suspect for the kidnapping and possibly murder of Amy Dunne. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is his wife?

Overall, this is a good mystery/ psychological thriller. I really wish I could say more about it but it's one of those books that's incredibly difficult to discuss without revealing major spoilers. But here's something I can say: Gone Girl has so many twists and turns you won't know what to expect next! However, there were two things that really bothered me. The first was Nick (That's all I'm saying. If you want to know why, read the book!). The other, was the ending. From the reviews I read on GoodReads, it was either a hit or miss and for me it was the latter. But don't let this discourage you from reading it! I'm not saying anymore so I won't ruin it for you guys. Definitely check it out!

Rating: 3.5/5

Cheesecake with Strawberry Glaze

Hello lovely ladies! Today I wanted to share with you a simple recipe so you can surprise your mom with a delicious homemade cheesecake for Mother's Day! It's a pretty simple recipe that anyone can make.

Since it was my first time making a cheesecake I wanted a simple, straightforward recipe that was pretty much foolproof. After searching for quite a while, I found Kraft's Best Cheesecake Recipe and adapted my recipe from that.

Cheesecake Recipe 

Ingredients:
1 package Maria cookies (found in the Hispanic food aisle) OR 1 3/4 cups graham crackers
1 stick of butter
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
3- 8oz. packages cream cheese at room temp.
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Put the cookies in the blender of food processor to make cookie crumbs. Mix the crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter and add to the crumb- sugar mixture and mix everything together. Press firmly onto the bottom and about 1 inch up the side of a springform pan.

3. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Pour mix into crust.

4. Bake for 1 hour and 10 min. Turn oven off and let cheesecake set in oven for 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
***I recommend making this cake the day before and refrigerate overnight. 

The only problem was that it browned on the top and it wasn't very good-looking but I wasn't even on planning on leaving it like that anyway. Here's what it looked like.
 

Strawberry Glaze Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup of strawberries, mashed (about 1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:
1. Mash the strawberries to make 1 cup of pulp.

2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water.

3. Place the pulp in a saucepan and add the sugar and the cornstarch- water mixture.

4. Cook over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens.

5. Remove saucepan from heat; add the butter and lemon juice while it's still hot. Stir.

6. Cool to room temperature.

7. Pour over cake and garnish with extra strawberry slices.

This is what the glaze looks like.

And voila, the cake!! It was super delicious. Enjoy!