Author Archives: Jessica

Jasper Jones – I was so excited to see this pop up on Netflix at the end of last year. I am a huge fan of Craig Silvey’s writing so was keen to see one of his books transformed into film. I love films set in Australia, and this did a great job of capturing the feel of a sleepy country town in Western Australia. This is worth a watch if you enjoy Australian film, or if you were a fan of the book and would like to see it translated to screen.

Adrift – I love disaster movies and survival movies. Any situation where characters are forced to battle the elements to survive? I’m there. This was based on the true story of Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp, who faced a hurricane while sailing across the Pacific Ocean. This was a fascinating story of resilience and survival, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys films of that nature.

George of the Jungle – This is a judgement free zone, okay. I’ve been loving the Brendan Fraser resurgence over the past few months due to his portrayal in The Whale. It’s been nice to see him back in the limelight because he was a huge part of my childhood/teenage years. This was as ridiculous as I thought it would be, but it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with a childhood favourite.

The Voyeurs – I’m a big Euphoria fan and I really like Sydney Sweeney as an actress so when I saw this pop up on Amazon Prime I thought I’d give it a go. This had a lot of potential to be a great thriller, but ultimately fell quite flat with the ending. If you’re in the mood for a bit of mindless entertainment on a lazy afternoon, maybe check this out.

Headland by John Byrnes – “The small beachside town of Gloster is on the edge of disaster. After constant rain, floodwaters are rising fast. Detective Constable Craig Watson, exiled to Gloster from Sydney, is a young man with a damaged past and an uncertain future. Constables Ellie Cameron and Larissa Brookes are young women struggling to show their worth as police officers under a misogynistic sergeant. The drowning town holds a secret that someone is prepared to murder for, and as the floodwaters cut Gloster off from the world the three young police officers begin to understand that it’s not just them left stranded. Somewhere out there in the floodwaters is a killer. And he needs them dead.”

The House Of Now And Then by Jo Dixon – “Olivia is hiding from vicious media and online scrutiny in a remote Tasmanian house when an unknown man knocks on her door, seeking Pippa, a woman who once lived there. His father, Jeremy, has died, leaving behind a letter for the unknown woman. Olivia wants to help, but can she risk revealing her own sordid past and exposure to the world once more? Thirty years earlier, bohemian wild-child Pippa and her best friend Jeremy spend a perfect summer in the house. Pippa falls deeply in love with local boy Leo, and they begin to plan a life of adventure together, much to the displeasure of his conservative and controlling family. One night Leo leaves the house to confront his parents… and is never seen again. As Olivia is drawn into solving the mystery, the unexpected and tragic story of Pippa, Jeremy and Leo is slowly uncovered. At the same time, a path to reclaiming her own life opens, if only she has the courage to take it.”

Wildflowers by Peggy Frew – I was lucky enough to start the month with a book I really enjoyed, and it was a great way to kick start my reading for the year. This book had a lot of elements I love – family drama, it was set in Australia, well developed characters, a touch of intrigue, and it was beautifully written and captured me from the first chapter. I’ve come to realise over the last few years that I really enjoy Australian literature, and I’ve been lucky to discover so many Australian authors that I love. This was the first book I’ve read from Peggy Frew but it sparked my curiosity to check out the rest of her work.

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz – This was the first book of the year for my work book club, and was picked by a fellow member of the club. I don’t think I would have picked this book up of my own accord, but I ended up loving it. I’ve seen a lot of comparison to The Lovely Bones, and I can see why. A lot of the themes are similar, and the book left me with the same sort of bittersweet anger. I had expected it to be a run-of-the-mill thriller novel, but it ended up being a beautiful story that brought me to tears.

The Accident by Katie McMahon – I just realised every author I read this month is an Australian author. Looks like I am really committing to my newfound love for Australian fiction 👀 This also had a lot of themes I enjoy – more family drama, well-developed characters, and an element of mystery. It gave me Liane Moriarty vibes. This was another great read, and another Australian author I will be checking out more from in the future.

I have a few personal financial goals this year, and as a part of my budgeting to achieve that I’ve allowed myself a certain amount of money per month for shopping. We have overseas travel planned later in the year and we still have some big ticket items to purchase for the new house, so I’m trying to keep my personal shopping to a minimum and only buy things I need (or really want 👀). Here are the key items I bought for myself this month:

▷ CoProducts Annual Budget Spreadsheet
▷ NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Mont Blanc
▷ Soap & Glory Scrub Gloves
▷ Taylor Swift Folklore Vinyl LP
▷ Nike Free Metcon 4 Training Shoes

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Gummy Bear – Regardless of whether you need a lip sleeping mask, if you liked grape Hubba Bubba as a child, you need this. I absolutely bought into the hype of this product after seeing it everywhere on social media. It’s something I look forward to using at night before I go to bed, the smell makes me so happy and it makes my lip feel very plump and glossy (perfect for sleeping with a CPAP machine 💀). If you’re in the market for a little skincare treat, I’d recommend picking this up.

Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF 50+ – I’ve always been pretty good about wearing sunscreen but I go through phases of feeling like it doesn’t wear well under my foundation which can put me off wearing it. This is problematic, because I don’t want to look like I’ve aged a single day of my life. This is a beautiful sunscreen, it wears like a lightweight serum and sits well under my foundation without caking or causing too much of a white cast (disclaimer: I am very pale so this is potentially just a coincidence). It also has a lovely light rose scent which does not last on the face but is pleasant while applying the product.

Mecca Cosmetica Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Serum – I was surprised to receive two full-sized products from Mecca as a birthday treat last year, and this was one of them. I have a lot of skincare products that contain Hyaluronic Acid as an ingredient, but not a targeted serum so I was really excited to try this. I have been loving this product, and have now integrated it into my weekly skincare routine.