Reviews – Book Dust Magic

Sunday Post (Weekly Wrap Up October 3rd-9th) #SundayPost #Blogging #WrapUp #Reading

Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

This meme was created for bloggers to spotlight posts they published in the week, as well as to talk about what they plan to write in the week that’s coming.

Sunday post is also great opportunity to showcase books we got in the week behind us.

Hi guys,

Can you believe that I have been successful when it comes to keeping up with my blogging and have been posting for 9 days in a row? Me neither, but it is true. I guess hosting blogtober was a good step to get me back to blogging routine.
Now I just have to find a way to keep up with comments and visiting other blogs in a pace that I’d be happy with.

In my personal life it wasn’t the best week ever. My favourite colleague and a friend was let go from the job and working atmosphere was dull. In other words, going to a job is little bit harder ever since. But I guess I will get used to this with time.

We are spending this weekends in my parents’ house. We decided to visit them this weekend instead of next one when we should have gone, because my husband realized it would work better with his schedule that way.
Today we plan to watch The Luckiest Girl Alive which I am sooooo looking forward to because I remember I loved that book (even though I don’t remember much of it anymore).

I know it is Sunday and tomorrow is Monday, but I can’t wait for the next weekend to start again. Does it tell you something or what?

Last week on Book Dust Magic:

Monday: I talked about a movie called Me Time
Tuesday: I reviewed The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Wednesday: I posted my review for The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer
Thursday: I gave my two cents on The Summer I Turned Pretty show
Frieday: I reviewed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Saturday: I posted my review for My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Next week on Book Dust Magic:

Upcoming reviews:

Book Lovers by Emily Henry book cover US edition

My Epic Spring Break by Kristin Rockaway

One Thousand Stars and You Isabelle Broom book cover

Currently reading:

Monsters among us by Monica Rodden book cover

I picked this book because I was in a mood for thriller, but I didn’t know how dark themed it actually is.
It is very good so far but reading it is somewhat an emotional rollercoster for me.

That is it!
Let me know what’s been going on with you, what you’ve been reading or watching this week and feel free to leave your links so I can visit you.
Have a lovely Sunday!

So… Blogtober begins!

Blogtober vector Book Dust Magic Halloween

Hi Guys!
Few days ago I have been thinking how irregular my posts have been this year, and how, this year, it has been more days without anything new written on Book Dust Magic then days when I had something to say.
One of the results of me being absent from the blogosphere is my English started to deteriorate and, in all honesty, I hate it.

Therefore, I decided to host Blogtober this month. That means, there will be new posts almost every single day during October. My goal is to keep up with all the book reviews I am behind with (so I can have a clean start in November) and to also improve my English at least a bit. I also want to participate in blogging community now when I finally think I have more time for myself, now when my son is two and a half years old.

So… What can you expect on Book Dust Magic for Blogtober?
At least one movie review per week, 2-3 book reviews every week, Sunday Posts every single Sunday and my two cents for at least few shows.

The only thing that will make this not so Halloweenish Blogtober is that I won’t focus on horrors, but on every genre I tend to like. However, there will be some spooky, witchy and gory content for sure.

I am looking forward to share my thoughts with you and am glad to have you here.
These next few days I will go through all of the lovely comments that you left me in the last few weeks and will visit all of your blogs too. The new chapter for Book Dust Magic starts now!

Image by Freepik

Three ya novels I read lately #BookBloggers #BookLovers #Reading @PRHGlobal #partner

Gifted / Today I am bringing you three short reviews for ya books that I’ve read while I was on a blogging vacation (we can call it that from now on).

Two novels I’ll talk about were given to me by the publishers (Killing November and A History of Glitter and Blood) and one I purchased myself (Strange the dreamer).

I hope you enjoy reading my reviews and let me know if you’ve read any of these novels.

Killing November

Killing November was intense, fast and fun. I pretty much devoured this story, because it is written in such a good style that the reader flies through the pages.
The story follows November who comes to new school where everyone hides their true identity and she doesn’t know who she can trust.
This was a fast paced novel, and it left me confused multiple times while reading. November wasn’t the most likeable character but I liked some side characters very much.
Even though I had much fun while I was reading this, I don’t think that the story will stay with me long after I finished it.
The sequel Hunting November comes out next year, but I am not sure if I’ll read it.

A History of Glitter and Blood

It pains me to say this, but A History of Glitter and Blood is officially the worst book I’ve read this year, and one of the worst novels I’ve read in my entire life. The only reason I didn’t DNF it is because I got it for review way back when it was new, and I already felt guilty for taking so long to read it.
Now this is what I call pure mess. It is an apocalyptic, post-war mix of fantasy and dystopia, with NA characters and side story.
There were a lot of whore shaming that I didn’t like, but the worst part was how messed up in a stupid way these faeries and gnomes were.
They were in war and gnomes (tbh I’m not even sure if they were gnomes in the first place or some other creatures, so don’t quote me on that) ate faeries, but they were still somehow alive. Like, there were faeries with parts missing, or just parts of bodies that were considered as faeries, and everyone slept with everyone, even gnomes with faeries.
The only thing I liked about this book were some photos in the book, and that is it.
I don’t recommend this book to anyone!

Strange the Dreamer

Strange the Dreamer was pure perfection. This book is so hyped, and there’s a good reason for it. I loved everything about this novel, and it is now one of my favourite books of all time.
The world is phenomenal, the characters were so interesting and alive, they were almost real. I loved them all so much, the good ones and especially the bad ones. They were all more dimensional and I appreciate every single one of them.
The writing was beautiful, lyrical but at the same time simple to read. I flew through this book and I can’t wait to read the sequel, Muse of Nightmares.
If you’re into fantasy, you have to read this book, it would be a sin to miss it!

Three Short Book Reviews: The Unexpected Everything, The Nearly-Weds and Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There

Recently, my good Goodreads friend and a blogger, Lola from Hit or Miss Books , gave short reviews to multiple book in the same post. You can read it here.

I really liked that idea and because of Lola I got an inspiration to do similar thing.

I decided to post three short reviews for book I read but didn’t feel like writing full lenght reviews about them.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything was a really fun summery read. It follows the story of Andie who is a politician’s daughter. Because of the scandal behind her father’s name, her summer plans changed and she finds herself a job as a dog walker.
Along the way, she meets a cute guy and you can all guess where the story goes from there…

The story also focuses on friendship and how, with time, we can just grow apart.
With some cute scenes, swoony moments and some predictble situations handled in an unimaginable way, this book is one that should be on your tbr list for this summer.
I highly, highly recommend it to every ya contemporary lover.

Who could say no to this adorable cover anyway?

The Nearly-Weds by Jane Costello

I had some fun time reading this book.

The story takes place in Boston where our main character Zoe goes as an English Babysit.

If you didn’t know, this book is a winner of Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Award.
That being said, I don’t think I have to tell you it is full of funny situations and toughts.

Zoe was a great narrator and I think it would be awesome if there was movie based on this book.
Who knows, maybe one day we’ll have a chance to see it.

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

I had the strangest dream.
I dreamed I found myself in Wonderland, went there trough the looking glass, but while I was there, I couldn’t remember what Wonderland looked like.

After I woke up, I decided it was the best time for me to finally read this book and find my answers.

When I was growing up, I liked watching Trough the Looking Glass animated movie better then Alice in Wonderland, even if it wasn’t Disney’s.

Now when I was reading it, some pictures from that movie came to my mind, I was reminiscing about some scenes I complitely forgot about.

What took me by surprise was how I knew some quotes even though I couldn’t have know them from that very movie.

Also, I noticed how some characters that weren’t in the first book, but were in Disney’s movie for the first time showed up here, in Trough the Looking Glass.

When I look at them only as books, I can’t say I’m sure which story I like better.
I think this one made me smile more often, even if I think that Alice in Wonderland has better quotes in it.

Bullet Short Stoy Review: The Summer I Met You by Victoria Walters

Title: The Summer I Met You

Author: Victoria Walters

Publisher: Headline Review

Date: February 11th, 2016

Pages: 65

Format: ebook

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Escape to Cornwall and meet the characters of Talting in this wonderful digital short story and prequel to Victoria Walters’ captivating debut novel, THE SECOND LOVE OF MY LIFE.

This is a summer romance that will last a lifetime…

Review:

„In that moment he made me as if we had lifted off from the ground and were dancing amongst the stars.“

What you need to know about this short story:

It is a prequel to Victoria Walter’s debut novel The Second Love of My Life, that comes out this April.
It is written in first person, from the perspective of a young girl called Emma.
Emma is telling the story in two different time periods: now and then, which are separated by the three months period.
The Summer I Met You is a story of falling in love.
Although Emma and her love interest, John, are main characters in this story, they are not main characters in the full-leight novel that follows this story.
Main character in The Secon Love of My Life is Rose, Emma’s best friend, and we get to meet her in this prequel.

What you should be warned about:

It contains insta-love (which is not a bad thing, from my perspective).
Not all 65 pages of this ebook are an actual story, some of them are a part of an exclusive extract from The Second Love of My Life.

What I liked about this book:

The writing style is worth to be commended
The way the writer describes places is just so realistic and beautiful at the same time. I could’t help but imagine Emma’s room, the view to the sea and the smell of pigs and cows in the air, it was like being there partly.
Both setting were just amazing.
Characters were likeable, especially Rose and her husband Lucas.

What I’d like to change in this piece of work:

I only wish it was a bit longer so we could watch how Emma and John’s love was developing and how they spent time that Summer.

Overall, the purpose of this short story is to introduce us to characters from The Second Love of my Life. In that purpose, it succeeded.
When I say I can’t wait to read Walter’s debut novel, I mean it wholeheartedly. I really enjoyed this story and find the writing style so beautiful and appealing that I just can’t wait to see what the writer is going to present us in her full-leight book.

Even though this is a prequel, it can be read on it’s own and I think if you decide to give it a try, you will probably enjoy it. I know I did.