PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book by or about a journalist

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it, A book about or involving social media, A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins, A book with at least a four-stay rating on Goodreads, A book with a three-word title

TW: Self-harm, violence, death, hazing games, misogyny, unclear consent



The premise for The Guest List is so interesting, as is the book itself. It's been all over bookstagram, and was a Book of the Month pick for April.


When magazine creator, Jules, and tv show survivalist, Will, are plan to get married, they do so somewhere no one else has before - a private folly on a tiny island off the coast of Galway, Ireland. But there are secrets and lies between the happy couple and their guests. When a horrible accident takes place the night of the wedding, they'll all have to question who held the biggest grudges, and why.


This book was good, and I enjoyed the story, but I didn't feel like I loved it as much as many other folks did. I thought the story was mysterious and engaging, and the majority of the characters incredibly well-developed. I was definitely pulled in and I needed to know just what was going to happen next. It's absolutely a page-turner.

But here's where things went wrong for me: I figured out the killer from the get-go. It was set up in a way the makes it not-obvious, but that somehow made it more obvious. There was also this weird mistake in the book that really irked me and I couldn't get past it. There are so many different guys in the boy's club group from boarding school that even the author couldn't keep them all straight. There was a scene a couple of the guys were in, and then they later talked about that scene, but they mixed up the characters. It bothered me so much.

I also felt like it would have been nice to had more perspective of the victim at the end of the book when it comes to what happened. I just felt like something there was missing from that scene overall, but also there was something missing from the entire novel... something I could never quite put my finger on, and it definitely lowered my overall thoughts about the book.

Lastly, I was surprised by the lack of queer characters. I truly thought there'd be at least one. I actually thought one of the main characters was a gay man until about halfway through the book when I first noticed that character described as a woman, so that was a bit of a letdown.







I expected more from this book. Overall, it was thrilling and dark. I did enjoy it. But, again, I just felt something was missing. There was more that could've been told from the perspective of the victim during their death scene, and I would've liked more information and organization in terms of the boys from boarding school. I'd still recommend The Guest List. It's a good book, with a good plot, and an interesting format that I enjoyed.



Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book about or involving social media

TW: Violence, death, abduction, stalking, bigotry



I've been waiting for the release of This Coven Won't Break since I finished These Witches Don't Burn back last summer.  I really enjoyed the first book in the series and found a strong connection to the characters, so I was excited to see the continuance of the story and to follow up with Hannah after such a traumatic ending to book one.


After Hannah's near-death experience due to witch hunters, she's lost most of her magic and is only able to feel her elements when her girlfriend, Morgan (a blood witch), is around. But the hunters are still around, and they're worse than ever. They've developed a drug that will get rid of a witch's magic, and it's up to Hannah and her clan to save magic.



I really like the books in this series because the representation of so many queer characters, both witches and nonmagical. In the first book, I really liked the development of the characters and getting to know each of them, however I was disappointed by the lack of POC characters. In book two, This Coven Won't Break, there are a couple of POC characters, but they weren't main characters. So again, I would like to see more representation in terms of race and ethnicity. Coven is different than Witches, because instead of the story focusing on developing each of the characters, it moreso focuses on action and adventure. We know the characters at this point, and while we're introduced to a few new characters, there's a lot more story driving this plot, as opposed to a more character-driven plot like Witches.

I was so immersed in the story, and unlike the first book, this book hit the ground running. There were things happening from the get-go, and I needed to know what was going to happen next - the entire magical community depended on what happened next! And the ending was such a complete shock. I absolutely didn't see it coming.






I love this series and I love the characters. I know some books within series can work as standalones, but these are not those kinds of books. You absolutely need to read Witches before Coven, or you'll be missing critical information that's very necessary to be invested in the book and to understand what's happening. Coven does mention some background information, but it doesn't have quite the effect that reading book one has. I definitely recommend these books, and if "queer witch YA" doesn't grasp your attention, then this book probably isn't for you anyways.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆













*Thanks so much to the publisher for the review copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a three-word title

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book with a great first line, A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins (wrath), A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads


TW: Child death, variations of abuse (child, domestic, relationship), mentions of harm/death to animals, graphic violence, sexual assault/rape, mentions of suicide, pedophilia



I was so excited to hear about and have the chance to read The Familiar Dark. I absolutely loved Engel's last name, The Roanoke Girls, and I recommend it to folks all the time. Roanoke was beautiful, poetic, and immensely disturbing, and I was expecting much of the same with The Familiar Dark.



In the smallest and poorest part of the Ozarks, Eve Taggert was born, grew up, and had a daughter of her own. As a young, unwed mother, she did her best to raise Junie to be her own woman in a happy and safe environment. So when Junie is found brutally murdered in the park alongside her best friend Izzy, Eve must venture back into her own past to find the grit and darkness she had in her youth, and assert vengeance for her daughter's death. 



I was expecting a lot of very lyrical prose and maybe more switched perspective. I wanted a book and story that felt as beautiful and haunting as The Roanoke Girls, but I guess nothing good ever comes from comparison. Familiar is certainly haunting. It's brutal and hard to read straight from the start. It's violent and graphic, and not for the faint of heart.

The story was good, but unfortunately seemed predictable in many ways. There was a big twist I didn't see coming that was very shocking. I just felt like, overall, the story was fairly short (less than 250 pages), and it all seemed too rushed. I felt like there was just something missing, and I needed more to the story. I also felt like the wrap-up was incredibly rushed. For how the story ended, there should've been more time in the story to process. There was closure, in a way, but it didn't feel as satisfying as I had hoped.

This entire book is about Eve, but I personally wanted more information about her brother, their relationship with their mother, and I really wanted to know more about young Junie. Maybe that would have made it all sadder somehow, but I think it would have also had me more invested as a reader.




There's absolutely no doubt that Amy Engel is an extremely talented writer, and I'm sure I'll pick up any other novels that she releases. I just wasn't as satisfied by this one as The Roanoke Girls.



Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆














*Thanks so much to Netgalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a pink cover

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book with an upside-down image on the cover, A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads, A book with more than 20 letters in its title (adv), A book with a main character in their 20s (adv)


TW: Death



When I saw The Two Lives of Lydia Bird was a Book of the Month pick in March, I about lost it. I was so excited to read it because it sounded so. freaking. good. I didn't realize it was the same author that wrote One Day in December, which I haven't read, but I know people had really liked that book, too.


On Lydia Bird's 28th birthday, her fiancé gets into a fatal car accident. This novel follows the next year and half-ish of her life. During that time, she begins taking a trial sleep agent because her grief prevents her from sleeping. Surprisingly, the pill she's testing allows her to enter into a parallel universe where her fiancé (Freddie) is still alive and well. She's able to live her sleeping life with Freddie, while simultaneously continuing her waking life without him. 


Wow. This book is so good. I mean, I expected to like the book, but it exceeded my expectations. Lydia was such a relatable character, and I really appreciated following her through grief journey. This novel is immensely sad, and that's something to note going in, because it's sad from the get-go.

This book is hopeful in many ways, but it's full of grief. It's about having to choose between what's good for you and when it's time to let go or give in. And about allowing the memories of someone you've loved and lost to live on.

The writing was fun and easy to read, but at times I found some of the verbiage and descriptions a bit tricky and confusing. But it was nothing major, so I was able to move past that pretty easily.






I loved this book so much. Lydia reminded me so much of Louisa from Me Before You and the story itself reminded me very much of After You. If you're looking for a sappy, sad, and sweet romance story, then I'd definitely recommend The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.





Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book you meant to read in 2019

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book about or involving social media, A book with a main character in their 20s


TW: Polygamy, abuse, violence, mention of self harm, mental illness, some vulgar language, loss of child, 



When I was choosing my December 2019 Book of the Month pick, there were so many good options, but ultimately I went with The Wives because the reviews were really phenomenal, and it seemed like such a unique story.


Thursday is happily married to Seth. She's crazy about him. Their relationship is strong, but there's one, well two, things that make their marriage so unique. Seth's a polygamist and has two other wives, referred to as Monday and Tuesday. In their arrangement, Thursday knows nothing at all about the other wives, other than the days of the week Seth spends with each of them. But she begins to feel insecure, and breaking the rules of their relationship, she begins to search for more information about her husband's other wives. And what she finds out is not what she expected. 


I was so excited to read this book, sold on the reviews from other famous authors and Bookstagrammers alike. And there was so much potential. The premise of the story sounds so unique and enthralling. But the plot fell flat and the writing a bit inconsistent.

During the first half of the book, I was pretty interested and wanting more information. But in a lot of ways, I feel that I didn't get the information I was looking for throughout the story. I never truly connected to any of the characters, and felt like there was virtually no character development, and not enough background information for the majority of the characters, making it really difficult to empathize or care about anyone within the entire novel.

There were a lot of twists within the book. I found the first one to be pretty predictable, and while the others were a bit more twisty, they were just so. damn. messy. The entire second part of the book went downhill and really impacted my overall thoughts on the entire novel.






This was my first time reading a Tarryn Fisher novel, though I know she's a fairly veteran author. I really wanted to love The Wives, and I actually shared with my husband after reading it that it was a pretty insane ride of a story, and his response was "Well, why did you only give it 3 stars?" (My Goodreads reviews post to Twitter.) My problem was the execution and the wrap-up. The plot took a very unexpected, yet predictable turn, and that was upsetting. I expected more from the story than some half-assed plot twist. The story could have gone in a completely different direction and been phenomenal, but alas, it didn't. And I was left feeling disappointed.



Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book by a WOC

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics, A book about or involving social media, A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads, A book with more than 20 letters in its title (adv)


TW: Some violence, death, sexism



When I was asked to review Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, I was a bit hesitant at first. It seemed very historical fiction-y, which I have nothing against, but don't thoroughly enjoy. But I was sold by the main character and the alternating timelines. I mean, I knew Samira Ahmed is pretty popular in YA because Internment got a lot of praise, and it's definitely one I'll add to my list now. Mad, Bad & Dangerous was partially historical fiction, but it was also much more than that.


Khayyam is a 17-year old American, French, Indian, Muslim girl in Paris with her parents for their regularly scheduled summer holiday. Though she should be embracing her time in a city full of art history (her ultimate goal!), she's full of discontent. She may have ruined her chances at an amazing opportunity, her boyfriend (maybe ex?) is being super shady, and she really just wants to be home in Chicago getting her life back on track. But she meets a mysterious boy who may be the key to discovering key art history, she feels her luck may be about to change. In a parallel timeline, some 200 years prior, Leila is fighting for survival and love - mixed in a love triangle with a powerful Pasha and her true love. As Khayyam works to uncover irreplaceable art history, she begins to learn more about the mysterious Leila and must decide between history and herstory. 


I really struggle with historical fiction. I want to enjoy it, but I just don't. I find the language, I think, the be the most challenging, so it feels less like pleasurable reading and more like academics. So realistically, I will say that the chapters from Leila's perspective were not my favorite. I enjoyed the learning aspect, but I often had to google some words and such, which took away from the fun part of reading a bit. But by the end and overall, I really appreciated Leila's story too.

What I really enjoyed was Khayyam's perspective, which truly is the majority of the book. She's so modern, and facing modern problems, but she's phenomenally smart and brave, while also being flawed, misled, and indecisive. I really loved her character, and really connected with her. I also liked that so much of her story and experience were based on her identity, specifically in terms of culture and ethnicity. I say it so often about YA books, but I really do love reading about diverse perspectives that are different than my own, while being so similar in so many ways.

There's definitely lots of conversations about race and women's rights, which were themes I loved so much. Ahmed did a really great job tying together so many different things - history (there are lots of fun, true tidbits), equality/equity (in lots of ways), a really good YA storyline, some romance, family ties. There's just so much going on and happening within the story, but it isn't messy at all.





This entire book is quotable. I had taken pictures of so many different quotes within the book, but I felt the one above really encapsulated so much that the book itself was about, while also just being such a good, true statement. I think my biggest complaint with the book is purely personal preference. The historical chapters were just too historical for my tastes. This is still a really fantastic book for a YA lover who may not enjoy historical fiction, and I totally went into it realizing it would be there. But it just made my feelings a little more complicated about the readability of the book, if that makes any sense whatsoever.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆















*Thanks so much to the publisher for providing this review copy free in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a great first line ("I spent the last hour wondering if I would die tonight.")

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book about or involving social media, A book featuring one of the seven deadly sings (greed, envy), A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads, A book with more than 20 letters in its title


TW: Bullying, suicide, drug use, body hatred, underage drinking, death, violence



Holy crap. I had no idea how much I was going to love All Your Twisted Secrets when I picked it up, but I was hooked from page one - which is pretty rare for me. And I truly had such a difficult time putting it down. I literally stayed up until 2 am on a work night to keep reading, and this woke up two hours early to finish the book before work, which is literally unheard of for me.


Aspiring film scorer Amber is invited to a local scholarship dinner alongside some friends and frenemies - her jock boyfriend, her queen bee bff, her loner ex-best friend, her valedictorian childhood friend and crush, and the school stoner. But when they arrive at the dinner, they get locked in a room with a syringe full of poison and a live bomb. They have an hour to decide one person to die, or the bomb will go off and they'll all be dead. As the countdown begins, secrets start to come out and tensions rise. 


This book was seriously written so well. I love YA and I love thrillers, but I haven't read many YA thrillers. If All Your Twisted Secrets is any indication of the genre, then I have totally been missing out. The characters are all flawed, but they're mostly easy to connect with and relate to as well. They're teenagers, so things aren't black and white. Each is well developed and so it's easy to get infuriated at their mistakes and to also empathize with their struggles.

The chapters switch from the chaos of the scholarship dinner to previous year and a half. So throughout the novel, you're learning backstory for the characters and their relationships to each other, which then fuels the fire of the dinner. I was so damn wrapped up in the book and just had to know what was going to happen next. I found myself being shocked throughout, and though there were lots of twists and turns, I didn't find the story to be too completely unbelievable.

And the big twist... I didn't see it coming, but it totally made sense.






Seriously, this book is incredible. The writing is sharp and the story is easy to follow. The characters are flawed but relatable in a lot of ways. It's Breakfast Club meets Saw, and it's a hell of an exciting ride.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★★














*Thanks so much to Epic Reads for providing this review copy free in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book you picked because the title caught your attention

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book that passes the Bechdel test, A book with more than 20 letters in its title


TW: Violence, blood, death, misogyny



When I compiled a list of 2020's Must-Read YA titles, you best believe Girls Save the World in This One was on the list. Zombies. Teen girls fighting for feminism. Teen girls fighting actual zombies at a zombie convention. Omg - sign me up immediately.


June has been looking forward to this day for months. Her favorite show, Human Wasteland, is hosting its inaugural convention ZombieCon, and it just happens to be taking place in her tiny hometown. She saved up for this event and can't wait to spend the entire day with her best friends, worry-free, no thoughts of the upcoming SATs or being college-bound. She'll even have the chance to commemorate her day with her biggest celebrity crush. But when a fine line crosses between cosplayer and actual zombies - June and the gang must fight to survive, and save the world. 


Let me start by saying that I love The Walking Dead... well, the older seasons anyways. It's one of the only shows that I started watching when it came on, and watched it every Sunday night when it aired. It's filmed fairly local to me, in a small town called Senoia in Coweta County, close to Atlanta. In GSTWINTO, the setting is Senoybia and the show is Human Wasteland, but I know what was really up. I just envisioned Walker Stalker Con that's in Atlanta each year. So, I had the setting downpat, and I was immediately on board, because it felt so real to me immediately.

I also liked June so much. I also really enjoyed her friends, but being in June's head was so realistic. It's the real types of things we feel as humans - silly thoughts in scary times, vulnerability, insecurities but spurts of confidence. I just felt like June was me, but you know, way more badass than I'll ever be.

The cast of characters in this story is unique and diverse, all with their own flaws and redeeming qualities. I found myself rooting for certain folks while rolling my eyes at others. Not to mention I started (and finished) reading this a few days into COVID-19 getting really scary, so as I was reading I was sucked into my own little fear factory. Not to mention this story was ultimately pretty believable in terms of the outbreak. I will always put my faith into a teenage girl, because they're always bound to know how to save the day.

There's also sweet bits of romance and friendship entwined throughout this story, which made it even more lovable.

But here's what brought my rating from five stars down to four. The entire novel was really strong until the ending. I felt that the ending was really rushed and not at all wrapped up. I had a lot of questions that likely could've been answered in a nice 10-ish page epilogue. I felt dissatisfied and underwhelmed with the ending, and I needed more. It wasn't a bad ending by any means; it just didn't feel complete.






Overall, I really loved this book. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the setting (so much!). It's a great novel for fans of conventions, zombies, and other geekery. Or it's a great option for readers of other supernatural YA like Undead Girl Gang or These Witches Don't Burn. 



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆














*Thanks so much to the publisher for providing this review copy free in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins (lust)

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book about or involving social media, A book by a WOC


TW: Heavy drug and alcohol usage, overdose, talks of suicide, animal death, some violence, death, mention of abortion, infidelity, racism, sexism, classism, heavy sexual content (teenagers), unclear consent



February was one of my favorite months ever for Book of the Month. The picks were amazing, and for the first time ever I filled my box up with three picks - one being Anna K, a modern day retelling of Anna Karenina. I've never read Tolstoy's classic, but I was sold with a YA novel about rich teens with a Gossip Girl meets Crazy Rich Asians vibe.


Anna K is rich, beautiful, and about as perfect as can be. By her side, she's got the perfect boyfriend, Alexander W (the Greenwich OG). But when she meets Alexia Vronsky (Count Vronsky), it flips her love life upside down. Meanwhile, Anna's brother Steven is cheating on his girlfriend Lolly. And Lolly's little sister Kimmie is in love with Vronsky. And Steven's tutor Dustin is in love with Kimmie. It's all basically a teenage modern day soap opera. 


I kind of underestimated how much I would love this book. I've never read the original Anna Karenina, and truly had no idea what it was even about. I'm not one to read much classic literature, but I really love YA lit, and I'm particularly fond of Korean-American YA. For some reason, it's in a league all its own. It's a little outlandish at times and very much nothing like my life (Anna K and Permanent Record, off the top of my head, are both based on insane situations that would never happen to someone like me), but there are also so many realistic, emotional elements that immerse you into the story because you connect with the characters even though their lifestyles are so different.

I was also really pleased with the representation in the book. The main characters are Korean-American, Black, and White. Most of the characters are very well-off, upper-class Manhattanites, but there are also characters who are more middle-class and also astounded with the people their surrounded with. The characters are heartbroken, confused, flawed, forgiving, manipulative, addicted, etc.

Yes, there are a lot of trigger warnings listed above, but that's because the book handles a lot of different and difficult situations, though throughout most of the book, characters develop and grow based on their indiscretions (mostly). A lot of the issues brought to light in the book are not necessarily portrayed positively - that is to say, even though they happen often in the story, the writing doesn't condone them. For example, I typically really dislike a book when cheating on a SO is a heavy or main theme, and it is one of the largest themes in this book. But I didn't hate this book. I loved it. And I think it's because Jenny Lee's writing is done so well, and is so phenomenal. Anna K is actually her debut novel, as she has a background in screenwriting, which is pretty obvious when reading this novel.

My biggest complaints - the book is quite hard to get into at first. It starts with a character list, so immediately I was like "Oh, geez. This will be confusing," and the first quarter of the book was very confusing. There were so many characters being introduced and they're all connected in different ways and I thought I would never get it. But eventually, it just became natural to know everyone and who they were in relation to everyone else. I'm telling you, the character development and their individual stories are so enthralling, that even without necessarily liking them, you'll connect with them. It's glorious.

My second complaint is a bit more serious. For a book about teenagers galavanting around with virtually no supervision, and the glorification of sex (which is totally fine), there's hardly mention of safe sex, which I found to be concerning. This book is YA, about teenagers, and likely to be read by teenagers, but the sex piece should bring more focus to birth control, condoms, etc. The drug and alcohol issues are addressed, but the safe sex is important, and I wish it was more prevalent within the story.





Overall, I really loved this book. I've never read Anna Karenina, and probably never will (hello, it's as long as a Stephen King-er), but that didn't take away from Anna K AT. ALL. In fact, maybe it made my experience better? The characters were hard to keep track of at first, but once I was into the story, I was able to figure it out no problem. Though the situations and individuals were far from my real life, I really connected with and learned to enjoy them, flaws and all. This story is slightly smutty, and super fun, but also really deep and dark at times. There's definitely more than meets the eye when it comes to this novel. The book didn't end how I wanted, or how I expected, but it ended really well and I felt a sense of satisfaction, if not happiness, when I closed the final pages, sobbing. I would encourage readers to be mindful when reading Anna K (based on trigger warnings), but if it's something you can handle, I would say "Go for it!" It's one wild ride of a book.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

*This is a collaborative post.


The world is a very scary and uncertain place right now. We're all going through a shared trauma and each finding different ways to cope that make us feel some semblance of okay. If you're a front-line working in the medical field, a grocery store, a delivery driver, or any other essential business, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you're doing. Realistically, essential workers don't have a choice, because they need to be able to pay their bills and put food on their own tables. But know that you are so very appreciated.

Right now, maybe you're not an essential worker, or maybe you're fortunate enough to have the ability to work from home. But if you're stuck in the house, it's possible you're looking for new ways to pass the time. I've been surprisingly busy over the past few weeks, as we purchased our first home (YAY! More on that in a later post.) just before everything got really bad here in the States. So we've been gradually moving between two houses over the past few weeks, and we've also been able to work from home. So we're not quite as bored as most folks are.

Maybe right now, you don't want to be productive, but you want to focus on the here and now, and spend time loving and appreciating yourself and those you're with. And that's okay. You do not have to be a productive human right now.

But if you’re looking for ways to pass time during the COVID-19 lockdown and you don’t know where to begin, hopefully this post will be a helpful tool in finding something to do. Although this is an incredibly difficult time for everyone, finding ways to help pass the time can help ensure you’re staying away from all of the negativity that surrounds us. Though it may be difficult to take your mind off of things, there are lots of things you can do to try and help put your focus elsewhere. From starting a new hobby to learning a new skill online, if you need something to do to pass the time, check out these five ways to pass time during a lockdown:



Try A New Hobby

One of the best things you can do when it comes to passing time during your time indoors is to take up a new hobby. Whether that means you start creating cross stitch patterns or you take an interest in a particular game, having something that you can do each and every day will definitely help. If you had a hobby that you no longer had the time for, now might also be a good time to pick it back up. Check out this site for inspiration when it comes to taking up a new hobby.


Learn A New Skill Online

Another great way to pass time during the COVID-19 lockdown is to learn a new skill online. Whether you’re doing an online course or watching YouTube videos, there are lots of different ways to learn new skills online. In some cases, you may find that you’re able to find free courses due to the current situation.


Consider Improving Your Baking Or Cooking Skills

If you have always wanted to improve your baking or cooking skills, now might be the perfect time to try. Whether you’re baking for yourself or cooking meals for your family at home, you may find that now you have a lot more time you’re able to be a little more adventurous. Whether that means perfecting your banana bread or trying a new broccoli cheddar quiche recipe, you may be surprised at what you can come up with.


Take The Time To Read

If you find you have a lot of downtime during the COVID-19 lockdown, I'm a huge advocate for taking more time to read. It helps you escape and you can do it while being lazy. Whether you have a huge TBR (to-be-read) pile or you buy a couple of new books to get you started, it’s a great way to take your mind off of what is going on. I'd encourage you to try out Book of the Month ($5 for your first month!) to get some brand new books. Or check out my reviews for some ideas of where to start.


Start An Exercise Routine

Finally, it’s important to try and get some physical activity in each day. Exercise may seem overwhelming right now, but studies show it releases endorphins, which is totally good for your well-being (physically and mentally). Lots of gyms are offering online classes now, but Yoga With Adriene will always be my favorite way to add some calming movement to my day. Or maybe you've been wanting to deep clean your home for a while, but could never find the time. Cleaning is a great way to get in some movement. You can get get a five-piece Mrs. Meyer's cleaning kit by making a $20 purchase through Grove Collaborative. It took me forever to sign up and I was really reluctant,  but there's truly no catch. I ended up with like $150 worth of stuff for like $40. And if you don't want to be a VIP member, just cancel the VIP subscription - you can still order stuff regularly. But I've been able to get a lot of stuff through Grove that I can't find at the store right now. Plus shipping is fast (even when it's delayed), and they always write kind little notes on your packages.

Today, I want to share my very last box of FitSnack. I'm stepping away from the ambassador program, just for the fact that I feel it no longer has much of a place on A Paper Arrow. I definitely enjoy the boxes (hubby too!). We love getting to try new, healthy snacks that we may not find otherwise, and still have several favorites that we buy often because we first tried them in the in a FitSnack box. I'll just no longer be receiving boxes for free to post on the blog. But you can receive FitSnack monthly by signing up here. It's the perfect time to subscribe, because they'll likely only up the ante from here. They were just awarded USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice travel award for Best Food Subscription Box.

FitSnack, like many other businesses right now, has adjusted their business model a bit to make more sense in today's challenging time. Some things that they're doing are totally new to their model, but some are continuations of what they've been doing in the past.



How are they managing their model during COVID19?

Home delivery - Each month, subscribers get a box full of healthy snacks that are hand-selected by their nutritionist on-team. Most snacks are sourced from small and local businesses. During this time, the nutritionist is focusing on immune-boosting snacks recommended by WHO.

Wholesome snacks - The snacks that come in these boxes are not empty calories. Instead, subscribers will find snacks with nutritional benefits with lots of protein, vitamins, natural grains, and gluten-free items.

Live Mindfulness & Meditation - Currently subscribers can find shaman and meditation experts providing live mindfulness and meditations via Facebook live, which can help subscribers practice good self-care.

Helping those in need - A percentage of FitSnack's available inventory will be shipped to those facing food insecurity and/or financial difficulty for just the cost of shipping. If needed, those interested should order through this link. *While supplies last only.



So, what was in my March box?

Why bar | cherry chia

Weeks Honey Farm honey spread | cinnamon

Backpackers Pantry | vegetable medley

Kibo Foods | Himalayan sea salt chickpea chips

Teaonic wellness shot | brain mojo

Flap Jacked cookie bar | chocolate chip

Foods Alive | nutritional yeast

Moon Cheese | get pepper jacked 















Piqued your interest? Get started with a discount by clicking the picture below.





How do you snack healthy?

















As an ambassador for FitSnack, I receive a complimentary subscription each month. All opinions are 100% my own.

*This is a collaborative post.


In your "lockdown diary," you may begin to repeat yourself over and over until you turn into Jack Torrence from The Shining. Something along the lines of ‘stuck inside, all day, no fun’ will become your mantra (fun fact: that famous line wasn't in the book). But before you allow cabin fever to consume your mind, there may be a way to make lockdown more bearable. And for you, maybe that's cooking! You may be stuck inside your home, but it shouldn’t become your prison. Being creative and making something that you would enjoy eating, could be the cure to your endless boredom. I tend to order a Dinnerly box each week, which helps by only needing to grab necessities from the grocery store, but all the other ingredients are shipped straight to my door.







The classic carbonara

The carbonara may seem like an easy pasta dish that anyone can make. But it's much more complex than you might think. It's not the number of ingredients, but how you put the dish together. And no, stop using cream! The original dish is from ancient Rome and was very popular among the poor and the army’s soldiers. Here is the trick to a great carbonara.

Don’t use bacon, use pancetta. You may sigh at reading this, but pancetta is not the same as bacon so you shouldn’t use it if you can help it. (But if it's easier for you to find bacon, I've made it that way, and it's been quite yummy. Who doesn't love bacon?)
Use whole eggs. Don’t sift out the whites of the eggs. The whole egg will add to the creamy texture, so don’t just use the yolks.
The pancetta goes in first! Don’t pour the eggs over the pasta as this creates a slippery shield that prevents the pancetta from flavoring the dish thoroughly.
Only parmesan or pecorino cheese. Don’t use cheddar!
Finally, be very generous with the black pepper if you want to eat it as the Romans do.








Making a roast

The classic English roast has many different parts to its process. You need to have all your stovetop free and ready to be used at maximum effect. If one part of your oven isn't working, then buy some spare parts which you can use to fix it by yourself. More likely in my case, I'd just call in a handyman to come out with parts and fix it for me.

You need a Boston cut for the true cut of roast-worthy beef. Tenderloin is a special cut that you can use, but it doesn’t have as much fat.
Get your potatoes, peas, carrots, broccoli and parsnips (or whatever veggies you want) boiling.
Make a lot of gravy and let it sit on the stovetop until it thickens.
Make sure you’re buttering your Yorkshire puddings, even so often. They should have at least 3 glazes.
The roast should be coated in gravy before you carve it. This is something not many people do, but it's honestly the best part of the dish.


Take your time to get all the ingredients, so you can then have the best possible opportunity to make the best quarantine meal in your entire neighborhood (but probably not share it, because you know, social distancing).