It's August and we're still in the triple digits down here in Southern California. With our trip to Joshua Tree canceled to do inclement weather, we're staying close to home to watch the Perseids Meteor Shower this year. I thought since we'll be sitting around a fire ring instead of basking on giant desert rocks underneath the stars, that I should make something fun...like Churros.
Ok, hear me out. Churros are the perfect outside dessert. Warm, sweet, and super dunkable in hot cocoa, what more can you ask from a campfire treat? I found an amazing vegan churro recipe complete with chocolate sauce and tried it. So yummy! If you'd like to try them out yourself, here's the link: Easy Vegan Churros.
If you have the chance to check out the Perseids this year, I hope you do! The gorgeous meteor shower peaks in mid-August and it's a sight to behold. The Smithsonian has a wonderful article on How to Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower if you want to join in the fun! We throw out an inflatable mattress and just stargaze as we chat into the night. It is such a lovely time.
Book Review
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a slow-burn Gothic Mystery that truly delivers the bizarre and brilliant. Written along the vein of Victoria Holt, this story takes place in a secluded mountain manor in the hills of Mexico. Set in the 1950s, it has a great sense of isolation and helplessness for both the reader and the heroine.
Socialite Noemi Taboada has a carefree life of wealth and prominence in the city but when her father receives a strange letter from Noemi's recently married cousin, Catalina, things take a dark turn.
Something seems to be very wrong with Catalina and her life in the country and Noemi is sent to figure out if it's newlywed nerves or real trouble. Moreno-Garcia fills the chapters with odd staff, atmospheric dread, dark portents, and snappy dialogue.
Unlike original gothic mysteries where the heroine is an ingenue with almost no ability to stand up for herself, Mexican Gothic gives us a fiery main character who drives the story with her wit and bravery.
The ending is something else, too. Unexpected, bizarre, and absolutely awesome, it is the perfect ending to a harrowing story. A trigger warning for scenes of assault and horror, it is a great read for anyone who wants a creepy tale that delivers.
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I share news on tech innovations and how they affect us, publishing industry news, updates on my near-future thriller books, and recipes from my characters.