October 2019 – Book Dust Magic

My Spookathon TBR #Spookathon #Readathon #Reading #BookTube

Hi guys!

So, after my failure in Contemporary-a-thon I decided to give myself another chance and I will be participating in Spookathon, a readathon hosted by booktuber Lala from BooksandLala, that takes place from October 14-20th.

I already knew I wanted to participate in one readathon during October, but I couldn’t find one that wasn’t too specific with challenges, and since I don’t have lots of books with ghosts, werewolfs or vampires, Spookathon really stood out to me, because of simplicity of it’s challenges.

There are 5 challenges and I chose one book for each, in hope I’ll finish at least three of them (but I feel like I could finish all 5).

Here are my picks for the challenges:

Read a thriller:

Read a book with red on the cover:

Read a book with a spooky word in the title: (Wicked is my spooky word)

Read a book with a spooky setting: (since there are vampires I assume there will be spooky setting as well!)

Read something you wouldn’t normally read: (I’m counting this because I haven’t read the popular prequel).

That is it!
Wish me luck! Let’s hope this time the readathon will be a success!

Tell me do you take part in Spookathon?
If you have TBR, feel free to leave your links so I can visit you!

The one that surprised me: I Know You Remember by Jennifer Donaldson (Book Review) @PRHGlobal #partner #thriller #Halloween

GIFTED / I recently read one ya thriller that really impressed me, and I want to tell you all about it (without spoiling you).
I Know You Remember was published today (October 8th 2019) by Razorbill and it has 336 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / Zahra Gaines is missing.

After three long years away, Ruthie Hayden arrives in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska to this devastating news. Zahra was Ruthie’s best friend–the only person who ever really understood her–and she vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Zahra vanished from a party just days before Ruthie’s return, but the more people she talks to, the more she realizes that the Zahra she knew disappeared long before that fateful night. Gone is the whimsical, artistic girl who loved books and knew Ruthie’s every secret. In her place is an athlete, a partier, a girl with secrets of her own. Darker still are the rumors that something happened to Zahra while Ruthie was gone, something that changed her forever…

As Ruthie desperately tries to piece together the truth, she falls deeper and deeper into her friend’s new world, circling closer to a dangerous revelation about what Zahra experienced in the days before her disappearance–one that might be better off buried.

In her stunning follow-up to Lies You Never Told Me, Jennifer Donaldson once again delivers a propulsive thriller with a masterful twist, skillfully creating a world where nothing is quite as it seems.

Review:

When it comes to ya books, I usually go for contemporary or fantasy, but rarely do I chose mystery/thriller.
I Know You Remember was sent to me as pre-approved Netgalley widget, and as soon as I read it’s premise, I knew I had to give it a try.
I am so thankful it appeared in my email because otherwise I wouldn’t give it too much attention. If I’m being honest, when I first saw it, I thought it was a part of the series, when in reality, it is a standalone.

Since I Know You Remember is a mystery/thriller, I think it would be the best to know as little about it as possible, so I will try to keep my review short, because I don’t want to ruin your reading experience.

The story takes place in Alaska, and I really enjoyed that aspect. I could really imagine myself there along with Ruthie, but I have to stress out that I know little about that country and can’t say if the representation of the place/people in it were accurate.

This book also talks about race and how POC are treated differently, but without that in-your-face approach.
I really liked that because it covers serious topic, gives you a message but is not aggressive.

Ruthie was an interesting character, I enjoyed being in her head, and that is everything I’ll tell you about her.

The story is written in first person, mostly from Ruth’s perspective.

The writing style is easy going and I flew through this novel. I finished in a day, which is very rare for me.

As for the mystery, I’ll just say that I have guessed one, minor mart of it, but all the other revelations surprised the life out of me!

As I already stated, I don’t usually read ya thrillers, but this book showed me what I’m missing out.
Maybe avid ya thriller readers will not share the same opinion, but to me this book was top.

I highly recommend it! It’s a perfect pick for the fall.

The one that hits hard: How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow (Book Review) @PRHGlobal #partner #BookLovers

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a book that really made me emotional, and was not an easy read, but at the same time it was comforting in a way.
How to Make Friends with the Dark was published by Delacorte Press on April 9th 2019 and it has 421 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / Here is what happens when your mother dies.

It’s the brightest day of summer and it’s dark outside. It’s dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.

That’s how it feels for Tiger. It’s always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger’s mother dies. And now it’s Tiger, alone.

Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.

Review:

Going into How to Make Friends with the Dark I knew I was dealing with heart hitting, emotional prose that will leave me feel low, but nothing prepared me for the amount of emotions I feltl.
This book was heart wrenching in all it means!

I picked this book during a readathon, which was a HUGE mistake. You see, because so many bad things happened to our main character Tiger, it was really hard for me to speed through the story.
So I failed the readathon, but I got so much from this novel, that I’m not even sorry.
Some book just take time, and this is one of those books.
I wouldn’t have it any other way, because even though it was emotionally hard for me to process everything, by taking my time I think I got the most out of it.

The story follows Tiger who’s mother died suddenly. There were only two of them, so without the other parent, Tiger became the property of state, and not only does she grive her mother, but her life also completely changed.

The story talks about grief, friendships, family relationships, foster care and all kinds of domestic violence.
It is really an eye opening book and it makes reader question the system and justice.

The writing style is beautiful. There are many quotes I saved in my notes, that I’ll reread from time to time.
It is written in first person, following Tiger’s POV.

There is no romance in this young adult contemporary, so be aware of that (some readers will be happy about it I guess)!

In the end, I want to recommend How to Make Friends with the Dark to ya contemporary lovers who are looking for an emotional story without romance in it.

Let’s talk: I am pregnant! #Pregnancy #LifeStyle #Bloggers #MummyBloggers

There is something I want to talk about for some time now, but I kept putting it off because of, to me, valid reason.

I am pregnant!

I am so happy about it. It was planned, but not expected, if it makes any sense.
In other words, me and my fiance really wanted to be parents, but as I come from a family where infertility is big issue, I didn’t want to have high expectations, to avoid disappointment.

Right now I am 19 weeks pregnant, and the reason why I didn’t announce it sooner is because I have been diagnosed with high risk of miscarriage.

It was not easy to deal with all the symptoms, but that is another theme, and I don’t want to spoil this happy post with it.

My diagnoses are also the reason why I don’t go to work anymore (I’m safekeeping my baby) and why there were no other posts then reviews on my blog for the couple of months now.
When all you have to do is rest and can’t go anywhere near children (a theme for another post) there’s not much to do then read and watch movies.
I also can’t travel or go to places I planned to visit and write about them in my lifestyle posts.

However, now when I announced my big news, there will be some lifestyle posts about my pregnancy here on my blog (and other things that come to my mind).
I understand it is not something that interests everyone, so I completely understand if you want to skip them, but it is something I do want to express my feelings about.

I still don’t know the gender of the baby, but as soon as I find out, I will announce it here, on my blog.

I am so excited about this new chapter of my life and am looking forward to see what our future will look like.

Background photo created by jcomp – www.freepik.com

Books I read in September (Monthly Reading Wrap Up) #BookBloggers #BookLovers #Reading #September

Hi Guys,

I had pretty awesome month in September, reading wise. I got slumpish closer to the end, but I am still happy with the amount of books that I have read.
I managed to finish 12 books, and three of them were chapter books. Nine were novels.

So here are the books I read:
(Click on the covers to read my reviews)

Favourite book of the month:

That is it!

Tell me what awesome books have your read in September?
What was your favourite one?

Feel free to leave links to your wrap ups, so I can visit you.

Funny, spooky and moral: The Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah Jean Horwitz (Book Review) #Halloween #MiddleGrade #Paranormal

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about paranormal middle grade novel that I have read recently. It is perfect pick for October, when we prepare for the Halloween.
The Dark Lord Clementine was published today (October 1st 2019) by Algonquin Young Readers and it has 336 pages.
I have received a Netgalley invitation to read and review this book, and I willingly accepted it.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / The new face of big evil is a little . . . small.

Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day her father is cursed by a mysterious rival.

Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. But when it’s time for her to perform dastardly deeds against the townspeople—including her brand-new friends—she begins to question her father’s code of good and evil. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be a dark lord after all?

Review:

When I got an invitation to read and review The Dark Lord Clementine I was pretty happy because it sounded like a funny, paranormal middle grade book.
This turned out to be a perfect novel to open Halloween season with, because it has magical and spooky elements, but it is still pretty light and funny. A perfect middle grade in that genre, if you ask me!

The Dark Lord Clementine follows the story of a cursed Dark Lord’s daughter who would do anything to cure her father.
Clementine is only 12 years old, but in my opinion she is representation of a strong female, and could be a great role model to girls all over the world.
Even though her fate is to be The Dark Lord one day and to scare people from her village, she learned to think critically and question events around her, and she cares about people who are close to her and would risk her own life if it matters to save them.
I also like how her hair changed color while she was sleeping.

The moral of the story was on top, and with all the side characters who gave the light to this dark and spooky tale, this book talked about friendship that is more important than roles that society expects from us.

The writing style is similar to the one fairy tales were written in. There are lots of descriptions, equal dose of shows and tells, but very little dialogue.
In all honesty, it is the part of the book I couldn’t click with.
I just wasn’t a fan of this type of storytelling, and even though the more I read the more I got used to it, it still never settled with me.

Overall, I think The Dark Lord Clementine is a great book for the younger audience, and it would be a perfect pick to read during Halloween season.
It has good moral of the story, amazing heroine and I highly recommend it to middle graders.