June 2019 – Book Dust Magic

A Modern Family by Helga Flatland (Blog Tour)

GIFTED / Today it’s my stop for A Modern Family blog tour.
I want to say thank you to Anne Carter for inviting me.

About the book:

When Liv, Ellen, and Håkon, along with their partners and children, arrive in Rome to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday, a quiet earthquake occurs: their parents have decided to divorce. Shocked and disbelieving, the siblings try to come to terms with their parents’ decision as it echoes through the homes they have built for themselves, and forces them to reconstruct the shared narrative of their childhood and family history. A bittersweet novel of regret, relationships, and rare psychological insights, A Modern Family encourages us to look at the people closest to us a little more carefully, and ultimately reveals that it’s never too late for change

Review:

This review will be short and simple.

A Modern Family is a general fiction story that took me over 10 days to finish. I don’t mind it though, because I feel like you get most out of this novel by taking your time with it.

You see, it is a thought provoking story that makes readers think about human relationships and how they shape people, not only those that are in those particular relationships, but also those close to them.

It is also book that will probably make readers analyse their own lives and how their parents status shapes them into humans they are.

The story follows a family who goes together on a trip to Italy, where parents of three grown children announce that they are divorcing.

The story is written in first person, following three perspectives: Liv, Ellen and Hakon who are children of Sverre and Torrill.

Reading their POV’s, we see how Sverre and Torrill by being in a marriage for 40 years accidentally put pressure on their children to have happy marriage and successful life, and how their relationship affected them.

The writing style is good. I feel like it was even better in it’s original language, even though the translator did a great job.

The book was easy to read even though it did took me some time to finish.

I think this book is perfect for readers who like slow, everyday stories that make you think about life.

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Magical middle grade: Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows by J.M. Bergen #BookReview #Fantasy #MiddleGrade

GIFTED / Today I am bringing you (finally) my review of a fantasy novel Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows. This book was published in February 2019 by Elandrian Press and the paperback version has 352 pages.
I want to say thank you to Kelsey Butts from Book Publicity Services for sending me a copy of this book.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / Thomas thinks he’s an ordinary twelve year old, but when a strange little man with gold-flecked eyes gives him an ancient text called The Book of Sorrows, the world he knows is turned upside down. Suddenly he’s faced with a secret family legacy, powers he can hardly begin to understand, and an enemy bent on destroying everything he holds dear. The more he reads and discovers, the deeper the danger to himself and the people he loves. As the race to the final showdown unfolds, Thomas must turn to trusted friends and uncertain allies as he seeks to prevent destruction at an epic scale.

Review:

I’ve been a bad blogger. A very, very bad blogger, I admit.
I read Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows in early May, and it took me over a month to write my review.
The thing is, this book was my next-to-review pick last month before I had a bad experience considering my blog and reviews, so I took a step back from everything and stopped blogging for a while, so I could decide whether I want to continue with it at all.

So unfortunately, this little fantasy paid the price without it’s fall.

The good thing is, I am back and Thomas Wildus is now getting the review it deserves.
Unfortunately, since it has been a while since I finished it, this review will be short and simple.

Here are my feelings in five words: I really, really liked it.
My favourite part of the story was the humour. I find Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows to be funny and I can imagine it could make so many middle graders fall in love with reading if it finds it’s way to their hands.
When I better think about it, it could remind older generations why they fell in love with reading in the first place.

The main character, Thomas, was my favourite and at some points his sense of humour and the way he acted reminded me of Gio from Hard Love, who is one of my all time favourite book characters. They are very different, but still I could see the similarities.

I loved Thomas relationship with his best friend Enrique and every scene with them was a blast.

The book is written in third person and it is really easy to follow.
I’ve seen someone complaining that the dialogue was outdated, but to be honest, I didn’t notice. I guess I’m outdated too!

Anyway, I would recommend this book to every middle grader who likes fantasy, but also to adults that would like to read an urban fantasy novel that’s simple and fun.

An amazing crime novel: The Whisper Man by Alex North #BookReview #BlogTour #Crime #TheWhisperMan

GIFTED / Today I am proud to be the host for The Whisper Man blog tour.
I want to say thank you to Jenny Platt from Michael Joseph for inviting me.

About the book:

In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.

But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.

Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.

And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window…

My Review:

When it comes to thrillers, I have to admit I was very lucky this year. I didn’t read a lot of them, but I liked almost all of those I read.

The Whisper Man is a thriller that stands out, and I dare to say that there’s a big probability that it will end up on my “favorite books of 2019” list. My guts tell me I won’t forget this story any time soon.

The story is set in a small town and it has that small town vibe that I love so much, with few but very impressive characters and a plot that make you read long after you had to turn the lights out.
At least, that’s what happened in my case.

I was surprised how fast I flew trough the story, and how easy to read it actually was.
I ascribe it to the fabulous writing style that pulled me in and kept my attention until the very end.
I liked the way the writer led me through the story without many philosophicall thoughts about life, but he still made me think about life and people anyway.

This novel also played with my mind (just a little bit) because at some point I wasn’t sure whether there will be a paranormal aspect to it or was it all just the twist of words to make me think that way.

I can proudly say that I am satisfied with every part of The Whisper Man. It was intense and thrilling until the very end I recommend it to lovers of good stories.
If you like crime fiction, make sure to read The Whisper Man. I hope you will love it as much as I did!

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