August 2022 – Book Dust Magic

Movie Monday: The Black Phone #MovieMonday #TheBlackPhone #Horror

Movie Monday is a feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

Today I want to talk about the best movie that I have watched this year (so far): The Black Phone

The Black Phone

Guys, what a great movie I watched recently!! The Black Phone was amazing. I went into it with somewhat high expectations but I was still surprised how good and captivating it was.

In case you didn’t know, it was based on short story written by Joe Hill. I never read the story as I didn’t know about it after after I finished the film, but even though I now know how it goes, I would still take a chance to read it.

This movie is generated as a horror. It was scary at some moments, but I would rather prefer to say that it is a fiction set in late 70s with elements of magical realism.
Still, it was very violent so keep that it mind. There were scenes with brutal bullying and peer violence but also with parent hitting a child (or beat her to blood to be precise).

Otherwise, it was even a relaxing movie when all of the violence and main fabula gets out of the way, the setting was kind of nostalgic.

Actor performances were great and I am sure future big movie stars played in this movie.
As for the already acknowledged actors, Ethan Hawke’s performance was appreciable. To me he gets better and gets better roles as he gets older.

The story was well done and the only thing that was missing was the motive behind it all, but then again it reminded me how evil sometimes doesn’t need the motive. It just is.

Important story done in an unusual way: I am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin #BookReview @WednesdayBooks #Mystery

I am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about the book that was promoted highly before it was released earlier this year. I was lucky enough to receive a copy before the book hit the shelves, but was also unfortunate in sense o that I didn’t have enough time to read it. Now when I finally have more free time on my hands, and am organized better I slowly but surely go through my Netgalley shelf and read/review all of those neglected stories I promised I will talk about here on my blog.
I am Margaret Moore was published on March 15th 2022 and it has 320 pages. I want to thank the publisher Wednesday Books for providing me an ARC.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Each summer the girls of Deck Five come back to Marshall Naval School. They sail on jewel-blue waters; they march on green drill-fields; they earn sunburns and honors. They push until they break apart and heal again, stronger.

Each summer Margaret and Rose and Flor and Nisreen come back to the place where they are girls, safe away from the world: sisters bound by something more than blood.

But this summer everything has changed. Girls are missing and a boy is dead. It’s because of Margaret Moore, the boys say. It’s because of what happened that night in the storm.

Margaret’s friends vanish one by one, swallowed up into the lies she has told about what happened between her and a boy with the world at his feet. Can she unravel the secrets of this summer and last, or will she be pulled under by the place she once called home?

Review:

I am Margaret Moore was different from everything that I have ever read.

The writing style is very poetic and often repetitive. Assuming that it was repetitive so the author would emphasize the blur in MC’s head and also take us on a journey where we would, slowly, but surely, connect the dots that would lead us to big revelation in the end, I appreciate it in whole honesty.

Still, if I am being true to myself (and you guys), the writing style didn’t do it for me.
If anything, it only disconnected me from the main character and although I recognize how important the story is, and that it would be emotionally wracking to some readers, I couldn’t get into it, no matter how hard I tried.

Reading this book was like being in the mist myself, somewhere hidden in an imaginary woods, levitating above the creek and not being able to really see, feel or live the story Hannah Capin made.
Because of that, I feel sorry.

And I feel sorry this novel didn’t win hearts of readers all over the world, because in general, I think it was a beautiful story, written in a way that makes it difficult for readers to connect with, and my opinion is that it would work better as a short story.

Movie Monday: House of Gucci #MovieMonday #FamilySaga #Fashion

Movie Monday is a feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

Today I want to talk about a movie I watched yesterday. It is a drama about Gucci family that features so many great actors, but it also has captivating story.

House of Gucci

Yesterday me and my husband watched House of Gucci. It was available on HBO so we took an advantage of that.

I have heard good things about this film and waited on my chance to see it. It is on a longer side (2h 38m) but it was so entertaining that those two and a half hours passed by very quickly.

To be honest, when it comes to general culture there are still so many things I don’t know. Gucci family are ones I know the surname of because of their famous fashion brand, but anything about them is a great unknown to me.
So basically, I went into this movie completely blind, having no clue what happened to Gucci family members at all.

Overall, the story is sad and unfortunately true. It was a shame that one powerful family went down the hill so fast and how it took one person to wake up the worst in them.
Also, it made me wonder how greedy one can truly be?

The cast was amazing, their performance astonishing. My father who watched this movie months ago still can’t believe that Lady Gaga can act so well.
To me, everyone was perfect, but the one who stood out from them all was Jared Leto. I marvel his acting skills the most, but I can’t turn a blind eye on his capability to change his looks completely for a role. Once again he did it here (but let’s not forget all the costume designers and make up artists who did great work there), and I see, he is doing it again for his next role.

Al Pacino, Adam Driver, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Irons… There were so many good actors that anything but perfect performance would be acceptable.

Overall, a great movie that I even dare to call a family saga and one I recommend wholeheartedly.

A book that stands out: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens #WhereTheCrawdadsSing #BookLovers #Books

Where the Crawdads Sing by Dalie Owns Book Cover US edition

Recently I have read a book that completely blew my mind with it’s brilliance and I want to talk about it. Where the Crawdads Sing first published in 2018, on August 14th. I purchased my own copy, Croatian edition. It was the first time that I have read something in my first language after years of reading exclusively in English.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her.

But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life’s lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world—until the unthinkable happens.

In Where the Crawdads Sing, Owens juxtaposes an exquisite ode to the natural world against a profound coming of age story and haunting mystery. Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens’s debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the child within us, while also subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

The story asks how isolation influences the behavior of a young woman, who like all of us, has the genetic propensity to belong to a group. The clues to the mystery are brushed into the lush habitat and natural histories of its wild creatures.

Review:

As a reader, you come across good and bad books, some of them stand out, some of them touch you irreversibly, some even change your life in a way, and few you dare to call a masterpiece. And there are only few books you read in your life that stand out from others with it’s brilliance, quality and the feeling they gave you. You know you read a book that will stay with you forever, has find it’s place on your “favourite shelf” before you even finish, and you can’t find anything that can be compared to it.
For me, Where the Crawdads Sing was that book.

This novel was on my tbr list for what feels like years now, and although I expected to like it, with so many amazing reviews it also intimidated me.
With the movie coming out in theaters, I decided that it was finally a time to give it a shot, and I also called my friend Amanda to join me on this reading journey.

And what a journey it was! The one, if it was happening in real life, Ben Fogle wouldn’t miss a chance to witness.

The story follows Kya who, ever since she was a little girl, survives on her own, surrounded with nature near the marsh.

Observing the nature, she also compares it to life and people she is familiar with.
I learned so many new things from this book, and I am very grateful for it.

The beautiful writing style is astonishing and incomparable to anything I’ve read before.
The writer captured nature in all it’s rawness and beauty and she also managed to show the beauty and the ugliness of people.
This book touched me dearly, made me care for some characters and hate some too, and what I appreciate the most, it opened my mind to new things and also made me laugh out loud while I was reading a science article about frogs.

One of my friends said this is maybe the best book she has read in her life. Now, when I also read it, I umderstand her statement and couldn’t agree more.

Escepism to Ireland in a novel: A Cosy Cottage in Ireland by Julie Caplin (Book Review) #SummerRead #Books #Ireland

The Cosy Cottage in Ireland by Julie Caplin book cover

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a book that was on my tbr ever since it came out, back in 2021. It takes place in a small town in Ireland and it is presented as a nice book to get away with. The cover is cute and the story inside is the to relax with.
The Cosy Cottage in Ireland was published on Semtember 21st and it has 373 pages.
I want to thank the publisher One More Chapter for providing me a copy for review.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Talented lawyer Hannah Campbell is after a change in her workaholic Manchester life – so on an uncharacteristic whim she books herself a place at the world-renowned Killorgally Cookery School in County Kerry. But on her first night In Ireland, sampling the delights of Dublin, Hannah can’t resist falling for the charms of handsome stranger Conor. It’s only when Hannah arrives at her postcard-pretty home at Killorgally for the next twelve weeks that she discovers what happens in Dublin doesn’t quite stay in Dublin…

Nestled amongst rolling green hills and breath taking countryside, the cookery school throws Hannah and Conor together again–for better or worse.

Review:

The Cosy Cottage in Ireland is the second book by the author that I have read, and it will probably be the last one.
I don’t think her books are particularly bad, I just don’t think they are for me.

This was a buddy read with Amanda. Last year (or maybe in 2020) we read Julie Caplin’s novel set in Croatia (my country) and although we didn’t really enjoy it, we knew we wanted to try her other work.

Just to give you an example how forgettable this story was, I will mention that while we were reading and discussing it, I surely favorited one before the other, and now I don’t even know which one I thought was better: the one set in Croatia or this one set in Ireland (but my bet is on this one).

The writing style was simple but still it wasn’t as easy to read as one would assume.
It felt like we were reading 500+ pages when the book has 373 pages (which is still too long in my opinion).

I didn’t like the guy who was the love interest (and whose name I have already forgot) nor his mother.
He was a sexist full of himself (ok, he had some sexist comments but I don’t think he was a man schwain or anything similar to that) and his mother was cold bitch who didn’t even realize it (and I am not sure the author did either).
If I was Hannah I would ask for money refund and run away.

As for the setting, it was good. Also, it was nice to read about the smaller town from that country.
Do I think I’ve learned something new about Ireland? Not really, but it was still a good escape and I appreciate it.

Movie Monday: Spider-Man: No Way Home #MovieMonday #Spiderman #Marvel

I am pretty behind when it comes to movies, but today I want to take an opportunity to talk about one that blew me away. It is the latest Spider Man movie. In case you didn’t know, Spider Man is my favourite hero, and seeing not one but all of the spiders in one movie was like a dream come true (but not really, I am exaggerating here).

Me and my family are staying at my parents’ for vacation (or our days off would be a more appropriate saying), so me and my husband had to take an advantage of my father’s streaming subscriptions.

I have heard only good things about the newest Spider-man movie, so when I saw it was available to watch it was a done deal.
In case you didn’t know, out of all of the heroes out there, Spider-Man is my no 1. I was a fan ever since that first movie with Tobey Maguire (which is still my favourite til’ this day).

Watching Spider-Man: No Way Home was like walking down the memory lane. At this point I don’t know how much giving away is too much, and if there is a rule for spoilers because the movie came out some time ago. I will say some things, but won’t go into too many details.

I will say that seeing all three of Spider-Men was my favourite part. I know it has been years since the first movie, and when the second Spider-Man first was about to come out, the one with Andrew Garfield I was not thrilled because I couldn’t understand why a young guy has to be bitten again and to me, Tobey was one true Peter Parker.
The first one with Tom Holland was good but all of technology was what turned me off a little, because I liked that old school nature freak spidey.

In this movie I appreciate how all of the universes intertwined and everything made more sense. I respect how creators keep the step with time that we live in, and I hope, with time, there will be more Spider-Man movies and my favourite hero will always have new stories to tell, change along with the world we live in.

As for the movie itself, the only character that didn’t make sense to me to live in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man universe was J. Jonah Jameson, played by J. K. Simmons, as he was originally featured in the first Spider-Man where he was played by the same actor. I loved his character in that first set of movies. He was my absolutely favourite so seeing him was a pleasant surprise. However, I still don’t see the logic why he was in both universes looking the same.

The movie is action packed, entertaining and funny. It does have some sad moments but overall it is so enjoyable to watch and it would be a shame to miss it.

New book in a new series to me: How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan #bookreview @STMRomance #BookLovers #Romance

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I would like to talk about a romance I read twice this year. I enjoyed it the both times I read it, and think it is a series worth checking. However, I would like to warn you to start with the first book in the series, called Ten Rules for Faking It, as the characters and some happenings from that book were mentioned in this novel.
How to Love Your Neighbor was published on January 22nd 2022 and it has 352 pages. I want to say thank you to Sara from St. Martin’s Griffin for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

FROM GOODREADS /

Interior Design School? Check. Cute house to fix up? Check.

Sexy, grumpy neighbor who is going to get in the way of your plans? Check. Unfortunately.

Grace Travis has it all figured out. In between finishing school and working a million odd jobs, she’ll get her degree and her dream job. Most importantly, she’ll have a place to belong, something her harsh mother could never make. When an opportunity to fix up—and live in—a little house on the beach comes along, Grace is all in. Until her biggest roadblock moves in next door.

Noah Jansen knows how to make a deal. As a real estate developer, he knows when he’s found something special. Something he could even call home. Provided he can expand by taking over the house next door–the house with the combative and beautiful woman living in it.

With the rules for being neighborly going out the window, Grace and Noah are in an all-out feud. But sometimes, your nemesis can show you that home is always where the heart is.

Review:

So… I read How to Love Your Neighbor twice this year and even though I forgot so much from the first time I was reading it, I still stand by my rating of 3,5 stars.

The reason I decided to reread this novel was because I realized I forgot too many things and it didn’t feel appropriate to write a review on something I just briefly remember.
How I forgot it so fast and was even surprised I didn’t remember important side characters is a whole another problem and I will call my cards on post covid instead of on book itself.

Still, my main impressions stayed the same: at the beginning I couldn’t stand Noah (the love interest) for the love of me, with his arrogance and expectations to get whatever he wants however he wants. He reminded me of one political party (from Croatia), fathers’ sons who get everything they want in life without ever having to make an effort, that never look back on people they cross over on their way.

Even when Noah had his change of heart (which was purely bc he fell in love with MC, not because he had some epiphany or character development) I still didn’t like him, and if this was a real life and not a romance book, I wouldn’t trust him.

On the other side, our MC Grace was easy to like and to understand.
I even identified with her when it comes to her relationship with her mother in a way (but here I have to stress out our situations are very different).
Side characters were amazing and scenes that involved them were my favourites.

The writing style was good and easy to follow.
The book was entertaining enough to make me want to check other work written by Sophie Sullivan.

If you are looking for a relaxing summer read to pass time and be entertained How to Love Your Neighbor is a good choice.

New book in a series I adore: Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee #bookreview @STMRomance #BookLovers #Romance

Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee book cover

GIFTED / Recently I have read the third book in A Sweet Mess series. As some of you know, I love that series. It is cozy and I always enjoy reading about the small town Weldon and it’s characters, and I hope the series will have many sequels in the future.
Booked on a Feeling has 320 pages and it was published on July 26th 2022. I want to say thank you to Sara from St. Martin’s Griffin for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Jayci Lee’s romcom Booked on a Feeling features an overachieving lawyer. A failing bookstore. A childhood friend. And the chance of a lifetime…

Lizzy “Overachiever” Chung, Esq. has her life mapped out neatly:
* Become a lawyer. Check.
* Join a prestigious law firm. Check.
* Make partner. In progress.

If all goes to plan, she will check off that last box in a couple years, make her parents proud, and live a successful, fulfilled life in L.A. What was not in her plans was passing out from a panic attack during a pivotal moment in her career. A few deep breaths and a four hour drive later, Lizzy is in Weldon for three weeks to shed the burnout and figure out what went wrong. And what better place to recharge than the small California town where she spent her childhood summers with her best friend, Jack Park.

Jack Park didn’t expect to see Lizzy back in Weldon, but now he’s got three weeks to spend with the girl of his dreams. Except she doesn’t know of his decades-long crush on her–and he intends to keep it that way. She’s a high-powered attorney who lives in L.A. and he’s a bookkeeper at his family’s brewery who never left his hometown. He can’t risk their friendship on a long shot. Can he? When Lizzy decides that the local bookstore needs a little revamp, of course, Jack is going to help her bring it back to life. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore there might be more than just friendship among the dusty shelves and books…

Sometimes the path to the rest of your life has been in front of you all along.

Review:

If you keep up with my reading (which isn’t too hard to do since it has been pretty slow this year but I am on a mission to change that) you know I loved The Dating Dare and A Sweet Mess. In matter of fact, I pronounced myself a fan of the series, so when Booked on a Feeling was about to come out I was as happy as one romance lover can be.

I was looking forward to get back to a small town Weldon as I missed that cozy feeling this series provides.

In the third installment, when it comes to that cozy feeling, the author didn’t disappoint.
However, the sense of humour lacked and after I finished the book I realized I didn’t laugh out loud. Not even once, and that realization turned into disappointment.

The writing style was good and I flew through the pages.
Still, even if the chemistry between the two MCs was good and their reasoning for not acting on their feelings made sense at time, after a while all the miscommunication (or the lack of it) and “will they or won’t they” agenda started to get on my nerves, and I just wanted them to find the way to each other and be over with.

The obvious story development without any surprises or the fact that the main “bad guy” was countries away didn’t help either.

Overall, I did like the book but it isn’t even comparable to it’s ancestors.
Yet, I am happy I read Booked on a Feeling and will gladely continue with the series if the author decides to write more books (which I hope she will).

Movie Monday: Orphan: First Kill #MovieMonday #Orphan #Horror

Today I want to talk about the movie Orphan: First Kill. I was really looking forward to see it and now when I watched it I can, with no regrets, say that it is the worst movie I’ve seen in years.

As a dedicated lover of horror movies, I was more than happy when I’ve heard that one of my favourites, Orphan, will get another movie, set in time prior then the original story.

I took the very first chance I got to go to the cinema with my friend and let me tell you, our expectations were high, but the feeling we had after we finished the watching can be described with only one word: disappointment.

However, the execution can be described with many words: lazy writing, plot holes, stupid characters, lack of motives, lack of explanations, cash cow, money and time waste.

The actors weren’t bad, but they couldn’t save the movie that was doomed from the start.

Overall, the movie was so bad it made me want to talk about it so everyone who isn’t sure if they would give it a chance would know that it would take my advice to save some money and skip it.

I was so let down by the movie that I am sure everyone in the movie theater felt the same, and now I wish we picked another movie instead of this one, but it is what it is.

I still am a great fan of the original Orphan and I recommend it with all my heart, but when it comes to Orphan: First Kill I do not recommend it at all.