2018 – Book Dust Magic

Book Review: One Thousand Stars and You by Isabelle Broom #Bloggers #Fiction #Blogtober

One Thousand Stars and You Isabelle Broom book cover

GIFTED / Today I bring you my review for a backlist written by one of my favourite authors: Isabelle Broom. Becoming a mother slowed me down in my reading and pretty much stopped me from reviewing/blogging for so long that now I have so many books that I am late with when it comes to reviewing. Good thing is I still am very interested in every single one I received and I am making my way through them. One Thousand Stars and You was a good book to spend time with and even though I am kind of late with my review for it, I still hope my review will makw you notice this novel and maybe will get it some atteintion. After all, when it comes to backlists, chances are they are traslated in more languages by now and available in more libraries.

One Thousand Stars and You was published on August 23rd 2018 by Penguin and it has 400 pages. I want to thank the team from Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for sending me an eARC via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Alice is settling down. It might not be the adventurous life she once imagined, but more than anything she wants to make everyone happy – her steady boyfriend, her over-protective mother – even if it means a little part of her will always feel stifled.

Max is shaking things up. After a devastating injury, he is determined to prove himself. To find the man beyond the disability, to escape his smothering family and go on an adventure.

A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice’s last hurrah – her chance to throw herself into the heat, chaos and colour of a place thousands of miles from home.

It’s also the moment she meets Max.

Alice doesn’t know it yet, but her whole life is about to change.

Max doesn’t know it yet, but he’s the one who’s going to change it.

Review:

Are you familiar with the case when you like the author and enjoy their writing, but you just don’t click with the story?
That is what happened to me with One Thousand Stars and You.

I usually love Isabelle Broom’s work. Ever since she started publishing her stories back in 2016 I fell in love with her writing and the way she would describe places her characters visited, and she found her spot on my favourite authors list.
Unfortunately, although I still enjoyed her descriptions of beautiful Sri Lanka, I didn’t fall in love with this novel.

I think the main reason I was put off was the way one of her characters was presented to us, through other characters’ (and what it felt like through author’s too) eyes.
I am talking here about Moureen who was perfect the way she was, but for some reason our MC and her love interest looked down upon her, like they are for some reason better then her.
Like Alice was pure and inocent when in reality she was emotionally cheating on her boyfriend since the moment she met Max, and Max who for some reason acted like he deserves better then Maur.
It was just really hard to love the story with hard-to-like characters.

I also wasn’t a fan how the novel reminded me of Me Before You in some parts and I am still not sure would I loved it better if it went all the way there or do I like it that it took a different turn.

In the end I appreciate the message behind this whole journey, and think that the book is good and would still recommend it.
I just wish I liked it little bit more.

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.

My two cents on The Hunting of Hill House – season 1 #Netflix #Horror #TheHuntingOfHillHouse

I know I am a whole year late, but as they say, better late then never!

The Hunting of Hill House was on my to-be-watched list since it first came out in 2018, but somehow I never had enough time to really commit to it.
You see, when it comes to horrors, I like to watch them alone, to make the most of them.
Since this series has 10 episodes, I didn’t want to have long periods between episodes, in wait to have that perfect setting to enjoy the show.

However, now when I’m pregnant and don’t go to work, I finally have some time on my hands and I take advantage of that, to finally keep up with everything I wanted to watch.

The Hunting of Hill House was recommended to me by my colleagues who’ve seen it, and also by many people who happen’ to have Netflix and gave it a go.

I was told it was pretty scary, and from what I understood, the book this series is based on is taken to be one of the scariest books out there.
So scary was what I expected.

However, since I grew up watching horrors, it takes a lot for me to get scared, so if I said that the series fulfilled my expectations, I would lie.

It is a great show, though!
I just didn’t find it as scary as I hoped it would be.

The story follows family of five siblings and their father who lived together in the Hill House for a summer. The house was hunted and it impacted the rest of their lives.
There are two storylines, one that follows them as children, while they were living in the house, and the other that shows them as adults.

My favourite character was Luke. I think his story was the most interesting one.
My least favourite character was the oldest sister, called Shirley.

I know it’s not usual to put trigger warnings in reviews of tv shows or movies, but I think people should be warned that some scenes in the show could be triggering.
There is a storyline about drug addiction, with graphic scenes that show drug use.
Also, there is a storyline about child loss that, in my opinion, could also be triggering to some.
I believe there are also some parts of the story that could be considered as such, but these two are the ones that I caught.

The best episode, in my humble opinion was the fifth one.
On the contrary, sixth episode was so boring that I had to fight sleep while watching.

Overall, I think The Hunting of Hill House is a good story with good ending (although there was one thing I found illogical, but if I tell you what it is I would spoil you).
I liked this Netflix show more for it’s story then for the scary elements, but I am so glad I watched it and I will definitely watch the next season as well.

2018 End of Year Bookish Survey #BookBloggers #BookLovers #Reading #Refelection #2018

Welcome to the 2018 End of Year Book Survey hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner!
Recently I saw this Survey on blog The Candid Cover which I read on regular basis and I highly recommend you to check it out.
I really liked it so I wanted to do it myself, to reflect on 2018 as a reading year, and to give you all my stats and opinions.

2018 READING STATS

Number Of Books You Read: 75
Number of Re-Reads: 2: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Deepest Cut by J.A. Tempelton
Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary Fiction

BEST IN BOOKS

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

The Olive Branch by Jo Thomas. It was perfect chick lit book that made me happy.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I was really looking forward to read The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney and in the end I didn’t like it.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

I was surprised by how much I loved Good Me, Bad Me. I read it only because it circled around my coleagues and in the end I loved it more then anyone who works with me.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I’d say The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton. At least in my real life. I recommended this book to so many people. and I even borrowed my own copy to some. By the end of 2018 it got Croatian translation so now I’ll recommend it even more.

5. Best series you started in 2018?

I started only few series this year, but Give the Dark my Love is the one that really captivated me. I can’t wait for the sequel.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Jo Thomas. I can’t believe I discovered her only last year. She writes funny contamporaries with lots of food and positive vibes, and her books are perfect to read on vacation.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I feel like I read every genre, except sci-fi, but in 2018 I didn’t read any sci-fi.
So for this answer I will choose one book I forgot to mention in my best books of 2018 post, that I really enjoyed, but it’s non-fiction, and I do read non-fiction, but nearly as much as fiction.
It is What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami.

8. Book You Read In 2018 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I’m re-reading this book as soon as I finish the book I’m curently reading, as it’s sequel, Wicked King, is already on it’s way to me.

9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

I just love these cartoonish chick lit covers. They are my favorite covers ever.

10. Most memorable character of 2018?

Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass series. You just can’t forget how kick-ass and beautiful she is, even if you wanted to. I mean, it is meantioned in every other page of the book!

11. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land. I have to admit I didn’t read many beautifully written books in 2018, but the way this book was written really fascinated me.

12. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney and in the end I was disappointed.

13.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Shortest: Maša i putovanje is a children’s book from the series I adore. This one has only 38 pages.

Longest: The Well of Ascension is second book in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn original trilogy and it has 781 pages.

14. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

OmG, I laughed so hard while reading Darcy Burdock. I recommend this book to everyone!!

15. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?

I didn’t cry while reading in 2018, but While I Was Sleeping blurred my eyes many times.

BLOGGING/BOOKISH LIFE

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I didn’t have any challenges except goodreads challenge that I set for 60 books, and in the end I read 75.

LOOKING AHEAD

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018, But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is the one that I saw on many bloggers’ lists for best books of 2018. As I already have a copy, but didn’t read it in 2018, I started it two days ago, and I really, really enjoy it!

2. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao. I can’t even tell you how strongly I feel that this book is written for me to read. I’t like it screams at me to grab it already (but I’ll have to wait until June).

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019?

There are more then one things I’d like to accoplish. First, upgrade my Netgalley ratio to 95%+, then read backlited ARCs because at this point it is just rude from me that I haven’t reviewed them yet, branch out when it comes to my blog, so I want to become lifestyle blogger and not just book blogger, read 77 books and each month read one 500+ pages book.

4. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone?

The Chestnut Man by Soren Svenstrup. It comes out on January 10th and it was such a good book, with vibes similar to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

That is it!

Tell me how many books have your read in 2018 and what are your goals for 2019, reading or/and blogging wise?
Also, if you have any kind of similar post to this one, feel free to leave your link.

Best books I read in 2018 #BookBloggers #BookLovers #reading #BestOf2018

2018 was a good year for me reading wise. I managed to read 75 books which I’m pretty satisfied with.
When I look back at all the books I read, there are some I rated 5 stars that I don’t remember much about, but there are also some I rated 3 stars that left a huge impact on me.

I was thinking about doing my Top 10 books I read in 2018 list, but in the end I decided to go with 13 that now seem like the most important ones I read. I just couldn’t force myself to leave behind any of those books.

Not all of them were 5 stars, but they all left a big impression on me, and I am very thankful that I had a chance to read all of them.

1. The Olive Branch by Jo Thomas

This year I was fortunate enough to discover Jo Thomas, and out of all of her books I read, The Olive Branch was my favorite.
This book was perfect in any way, and it made me happy. It was well structured, with good story, great characters and so many positive vibes.
A chick lit novel at it’s best!

2. One Day in December by Josie Silver

You know a story is good when it makes you feel all kinds of emotions and you think about it again and again, even days after you finished it.
This is the book I finished two months ago, so it is the “freshest” in my memory, but I feel like it will stay with me for a long, long time.
If I could recommend only one festive book to my followers, it would be this one.

3. Darcy Burdock by Laura Dockrill

This middle grade comedy made me laugh out loud so many times that I lost the count. It won my heart and it is now one of my all time favorite books. It’s the one I recommended the most when it comes to middle grades, and I am so happy to know that there are so many sequels with Darcy to enjoy.

4. Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land

Good Me, Bad Me surprised me, because I never expected to like it that much. What I liked the most when it comes to this novel is it’s writing style. I wish more psychological thrillers were written in a similar way.

5. While I Was Sleeping by Dani Atkins

If I should pick only one book that put me on an emotional rollercoaster, While I Was Sleeping is the one. It made me sad in ways I didn’t even know was possible, and it made me care about one character like I knew her from my real life.
Even though I was mad the story didn’t took a path I was hoping for, I am still so in love with this novel because I remember the feels, and it is the book I will be coming back to.

6. Five Years from Now by Paige Toon

Speaking of emotional stories, this list wouldn’t be complete without Five Years from Now. It made me cry, and not many books can do that.
It contains my favorite theme: two people who love each other but can’t be together, finding their ways to each other.
It is also very realistic, especially with the way it ended.
This novel is also one I want to re-read many times during my lifetime.

7. The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

The Perfect Girlfriend is definitely the most unique story I have read in 2018. Written from the perspective of a psychopath, it made me understand and even root for the main character, even though I knew what she was doing was wrong.
This book is the one I recommend to everyone who likes thrillers, and I am so happy that it was also translated into Croatian.

8. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Going into The Cruel Prince my expectations were very high, but I was not disappointed. In fact, I was kinda surprised how good it was. I already knew I would like it, because I liked books by Holly Black before, and since my favorite creatures, faeries, were involved, I knew I would love the world too.
I fell in love with the characters, the story and of course, with the world.
This book is next on my to be re-read list, because the sequel comes out in a few days.

9. Give the Dark my Love by Beth Revis

Another ya fantasy I fell in love with, another series I can’t wait to continue. What I liked the most about Give the Dark my Love was character development, the dark atmosphere and the unique world.
I hope next books in the series will also be good, because there’s a big chance this could become one of my all-time favorite book series.

10. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

I feel like everyone and their mothers read this book already, and in 2018 I joined the club. Everyone from my colleagues also read it, and we discussed it many times. This book stayed with me, and even today I caught myself thinking about one scene.
I feel like books that you go back to again and again in your thoughts deserve to be on the best one’s list.
I can’t even count how many times I recommended this book to people around me, and to clients at my work.

11. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Of all the Mistborn books I read this year, I decided to feature the last one from the original series in this list, because of it’s conclusion.
This series is probably the best fantasy series I have read, it is certainly the most unique and Brandon Sanderson is an incredible writer. I love the creatures he created in this universe, called kendra. I am not sure if kendra is his own creation, or was it inspired by some mythical creature, but it is worth of admiration in any way.

12. Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Surprise Me was one of my most anticipated books of 2018. and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it even surprised me, because it took a turn I didn’t expect. I liked how different it was from Kinsella’s other books, and it is now in my top 3 of her novels.

13. I See You by Clare Mackintosh

I read this novel back in January, but it stayed with me the whole time. I certainly didn’t expect what a huge impact on me this book will have, not even after I finished it. Sometimes we are not immediately aware of the quality in front of us, but time shows us what our subconsciousness recognized. This book is the proof, and it is now one of the best books I read.

That is it!

Please tell me what are your favorite books that you’ve read this year?
Also, if you have similar post to this one, feel free to leave your links.

Book Review: Our House by Louise Candlish #BookReview #THATlastline #Suspense

Title: Our House

Author: Louise Candlish

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Date: September 1st, 2018

Pages: 448

Format: Paperback

Source: from Publisher for a review and to give away

Synopsis (from Goodreads): On a bright January morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they’ve just bought in Trinity Avenue.

Nothing strange about that. Except it is your house. And you didn’t sell it.

When Fiona Lawson comes home to find strangers moving into her house, she’s sure there’s been a mistake. She and her estranged husband, Bram, have a modern co-parenting arrangement: bird’s nest custody, where each parent spends a few nights a week with their two sons at the prized family home to maintain stability for their children. But the system built to protect their family ends up putting them in terrible jeopardy. In a domino effect of crimes and misdemeanors, the nest comes tumbling down.

Now Bram has disappeared and so have Fiona’s children. As events spiral well beyond her control, Fiona will discover just how many lies her husband was weaving and how little they truly knew each other. But Bram’s not the only one with things to hide, and some secrets are best kept to oneself, safe as houses.

Review:

I feel like Our House took our blogging community by the storm. Ever since it first came out in April, all the amazing bloggers who review adult titles rave about this novel.
Some reviews are very positive, but there are also ones that do not think Our House is the best book written.
Me?
I think this novel is very good and I am so grateful that I had chance to read it.

I would like to thank Sara-Jade Virtue for sending me a paperback copy of Our House to read and pass on to someone else in the #ibelieveinbookfairies project, where people leave books in different places for other people to find it.
I left mine on the Model of Zagreb in Kaptol, Zagreb, Croatia.

Every now and then I would come across a review for this story. You can’t help it when you read blogs and book reviews on regular basis. However, I was good when it comes to avoiding spoilers, so I still found myself surprised while reading.

First thing that surprised me was that Our House is actually more of suspense then a thriller.

Second thing was the way it was written.
You see, this novel does not have that regular, every day way of storytelling.
In fact, it is told from two POVs, one written as podcast and the second one written as documents (that actually sound more like a diary or confessions to me).
There is the third way of storytelling that unites those two POVs into one whole.
Never before have I ever read anything similar to that, so I welcomed it.

The story follows Fiona who lost her house and her husband Bram who is the reason why she lost it.
I don’t want to tell you too much about it because I feel like the less you know the more interesting reading experience you’ll have.

I have to stress out that during the reading process I didn’t have anything to think too much about, like, there was no mystery to be solved.
The story itself was interesting enough, but was is not puzzling as I assumed it would be.

The characters of the story were pretty memorable but not one of them was likeable. However, I feel like that was author’s goal, to give us unlikeable, realistic characters that we can not trust.

The story itself has some dull and boring moments, but I highly encourage you to keep reading because once you get to the end, it is all worth it!
The end is the best part of this novel, so unique, and one of the best endings I read in a very, very long time.