Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Unboxing: Once Upon a Dream

Hey guys! So I've decided to start sharing unboxings on my blog here, because I feel guilty about sharing them on Instagram for fear of spoiling for people who didn't receive it yet... and nobody reads my blog anyway. ;)

The theme for the October 2016 box was "Once Upon a Dream," which was already enticing enough for me. The additional hints OwlCrate gave us leading up to delivery were that a) the book would be a new YA release inspired by Russian folklore, b) there would be a never-before-included item from Whosits & Whatsits, b) there would be an exclusive piece of jewelry from The Geeky Cauldron, and c) items in the box would be inspired by Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, and the Wizard of Oz. Of course, with hints like these, and being a big fan of fairy tales, I of course had to buy this box! Some people really go out of their way to try to determine what the book will be each month. Myself, I don't keep up to date on new releases, so I really had no clue and didn't want to know! I like surprises! Unfortunately, there were a lot of spoilers this month on social media. I guess it's to be expected, but it kind of stinks for those of us who really enjoy the element of surprise.

So, here are the actual items, with terrible photos, and my opinion of them:


Monthly postcard and matching button
A few months ago, OwlCrate started producing collectible buttons which match the monthly postcard in the boxes - the one that describes what's in the box. The postcard image represents the theme. It was mentioned that items in the box were inspired by Sleeping Beauty, the Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan, as well as the book being inspired by Russian folklore. So my interpretation of the image, then, is that we have a Dorothy-type girl following a sort of yellow-brick road toward a big gothic castle. Near her is a boy wearing green (Peter Pan?) touching a spinning wheel (Sleeping Beauty), and a little fairy (Tinkerbell?). To the other side is a shipwreck... this either represents the Russian folklore, or perhaps also Peter Pan... So, I haven't decided yet what I will be doing with the collectible buttons. I thought about maybe just sticking them in my bulletin board... For now they are in their respective boxes...


Paperclip Bookmark
These adorable paperclip bookmarks from My Heart My Tribe are super cute! The postcard says there were many different fabric designs used, and so far I haven't seen two the same. Mine is a mint green with tiny roses on it - so me! I've never actually used a paperclip for a bookmark before, I would be afraid of denting the pages. But even if I don't use it as a bookmark, it's a super cute clip I could use in my agenda or just to prettify some ordinary documents. :)
There was also a promotional bookmark for a series called The New World. I don't really like this kind of promotional material, but those are the bookmarks I actually end up using, because I don't want to use the really pretty ones.



The Wizard of Oz inspired item
I love this little Oz Passport from The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild. It's just a notebook, but it has some really great Oz details. The front cover art has an awesome image of the Emerald City with yellow brick road leading up to it; the back cover has the quote "There's no place like home." I find this particularly appropriate for a passport. Inside the front cover is a real-looking ID page, just like you would find in an actual passport. I just love the Traveler's Tips printed on the inside back cover, so cute! Oh, and every page has a little image of our friends the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man.


The Peter Pan inspired item
This was the never-before-included item - a beanie from Whosits & Whatsits! Beanies or toques really aren't my style and rarely look good on me, and this one appears to be a slouchy design, which I can never make look right... But I think I'll hang onto it for now. It's a dark green knit with a red feather embroidered on the side.


The Sleeping Beauty inspired item
This exclusive bracelet from The Geeky Cauldron is by far my most favourite item from this month's box, and possibly of all OwlCrate boxes I've ever purchased (apart from the Funko figurines). It's gorgeous! This Sleeping Beauty inspired bracelet features a lovely silver adjustable bangle with three charms: a spinning wheel, a sapphire crystal, and a quote charm which says "Once upon a dream," which totally makes the bracelet. I love, love, love it! I've worn it twice already.
Beware, the quote charm nearly came off the second time I wore it! Luckily the bracelet was inside my sleeve while shopping at the mall, so I felt the charm sliding around in my sleeve and was able to retrieve and reattach it. I never would have found it if it had fallen out! How sad would that have been?!




Russian folklore inspired new YA release
The book included in this month's box was.... Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter! I had seen the cover posted to the OwlCrate Society page earlier in the month, but hadn't looked into it at all. There was also a letter from the author, signed bookplate, and Vassa in the Night tattoo. The synopsis from Goodreads is as follows:
In the enchanted kingdom of Brooklyn, the fashionable people put on cute shoes, go to parties in warehouses, drink on rooftops at sunset, and tell themselves they’ve arrived. A whole lot of Brooklyn is like that now—but not Vassa’s working-class neighborhood.
In Vassa’s neighborhood, where she lives with her stepmother and bickering stepsisters, one might stumble onto magic, but stumbling out again could become an issue. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters—and sometimes innocent shoppers as well. So when Vassa’s stepsister sends her out for light bulbs in the middle of night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission.
But Vassa has a bit of luck hidden in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother. Erg is a tough-talking wooden doll with sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach, and a ferocious cunning. With Erg’s help, Vassa just might be able to break the witch’s curse and free her Brooklyn neighborhood. But Babs won’t be playing fair…
I like the cover: the colours and the magical night-time theme remind me so much of The Night Circus, which has got to be one of my top 5 favourite books of all time. So I was pretty excited about this book and decided to start reading it right away. I've just finished it and it's different. I liked it, but it's definitely not for everyone.

And that wraps up this month's OwlCrate unboxing! This was definitely one of my favourite boxes so far!

"Once Upon a Dream" October 2016


Earlier in the month there was a five-day photo challenge contest on Facebook & Instagram. One photo is picked from each site for each day's prompt. The prompts require you to have bought the previous month's box. The ten winners win a free OwlCrate box, and one of my photos on Instagram won! I had the choice to either have my October box refunded, or get a free November box. After finding out the theme of the November box, which is "Wonderland," I decided that since I had already paid for the October box, I'd take the November box for free! Yay! This also meant that I could try a different subscription box in November, and it just so happens that Loot Crate has partnered with J. K. Rowling's The Wizarding World to create a really fantastic box (you'll get it if you look up the box). The original batch of boxes sold out really quickly, so I added my name to the waiting list, and managed to buy one in the second batch, which has also sold out. I'm really excited for it! It's going to be a bi-monthly box, but I don't think I'll be able to afford any more, unless they're really especially spectacular (and then I'll have to take that instead of OwlCrate... tough call!). It cost me quite a bit more than I was anticipating, but I have very high expectations. I will happily share an unboxing of that as well, when it comes in December!!

Let me know what you thought of my October OwlCrate unboxing. Which were your favourite items, or which items do you wish you could buy for yourself?

Book Reviews: The Buckshaw Chronicles #2 & Little Bee

from Indigo.ca

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag is the second book in the series by Canadian author Alan Bradley (sometimes known as The Buckshaw Chronicles). The stories, set in the 1950's, are about a young girl detective, Flavia de Luce, who has a passion for chemistry and, when she's not terrorizing her older sisters, solving mysteries (especially murders). She also gets herself into all sorts of mischief along the way. I happened upon the series when I was given The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (book #1, which I adored!) in a box of books. Since then I found books #2 and #3 in second-hand book sales, so I continue to keep an eye out for the rest of the books!
I recently learned that Alan Bradley has co-written an intriguing book called Ms. Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock, and just released a new Flavia de Luce mystery (September 21, 2016), which means there are now eight books in the series. I love the cover art of these books, and the poetic titles - combinations that are sure to catch my attention! The fact that the main character is a strong-willed young girl makes them even better; and add to that a Canadian author = hopeless case for me!

In The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, a TV puppeteer, Rupert & his assistant, Nialla, come to town. Rupert appears to have old ties to the Ingleby's - the strange couple whose son died five years earlier in an apparent, but suspicious, suicide. As the oddities begin to pile up, Flavia befriends Nialla, and investigates the Ingleby's son's death, as well as the shocking death of the puppeteer in front of the whole town. True to form, she also gets herself into a few tight spots. Ultimately, however, Flavia is instrumental in solving both cases.

Loved the book, and would definitely recommend it. :)



from Amazon.com

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

The number of books in my room, and all around the house, which make up my To Be Read "pile" is enormous... but, as true book nerds know, that doesn't mean you stop buying & collecting books. I went into my local new & used bookstore a few weeks ago (it's right beside where I work - a very dangerous work hazard!) and Little Bee was being featured at the front of the store, as a promotion for lesser-known books. The cover art and back cover blurb are what drew me in, and when I went to check out with it, the clerk told me she had also been intrigued by it and hoped I would let her know if it's good.
We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

I mean, who wouldn't be intrigued be that, right?!

Well... it certainly was an interesting read. There's this unspeakable shared past that keeps being referred to throughout the book, which you think must be just terrible... but it's really not as bad as they make it out to be, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, it's disturbing and unpleasant, but not the great horror I was expecting... The last, probably, 1/2 to 1/3 of the book was rather weak and not very interesting. It has a relatively happy ending, but it doesn't feel like it ended well. It was in no way "extremely funny," although I enjoyed Little Bee's dialogues and found her view of the world to be beautiful and amusing. It was a book that I couldn't put down at times, had me crying at times, had me chuckling to myself at times... but I really didn't love it, and would not recommend it.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Book Reviews: Harry Potter - Part 1



So my plan to review the books I read before reviving my blog before reviewing the books I've read since... it's not working out. But here goes a continuation...

I believe I've mentioned it already, but I started reading the Harry Potter series this year, for the first time. It's magical and beautiful and exciting, and I love it. I sort of regret not reading them as a kid and getting into it from the start... But had I tried to read them, I know I wouldn't have liked them - I just wasn't really into that kind of story at that point in my life.

Anyway, because I'm running behind on the reviews, I've decided to review the books together in a two-part post. I haven't finished the series yet, so I won't be posting part two for a while.

Also, I'll try not to give too much away, but seeing as I'm reviewing the whole series, there may be spoilers - fair warning!

***


Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone
This is where the magic begins. Harry Potter, a mistreated, orphaned boy, discovers on his 11th birthday that he is a wizard and gets swept off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he meets his best friends Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Rubeus Hagrid, and learns all about this hidden world he's never known anything about. He also learns about his past, and Voldemort, the dark wizard who was responsible for the deaths of his parents, as well as the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. In this first adventure, Harry single-handedly saves the Philosopher's Stone (which has the capacity to grant the owner/user immortality) from Voldemort.

I had seen the movie years ago and thought it was cute. I recently acquired my own copy, which I watched again after reading the book, and it was even better than I had remembered. It is a really great interpretation of the book.

***


Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
In this second adventure, Harry and Ron are astonished to discover they've somehow missed the Hogwarts Train, and so they steal Mr. Weasley's charmed Ford Anglia, which they end up crashing into the Whomping Willow. Strange things continue to happen... mysterious, cryptic words begin appearing on walls of the school (messages about the "Heir of Slytherin" and the "Chamber of ecrets"), and people are being found "petrified." There is, of course, suspicion that Harry might be the Heir when it is discovered that he is a parsel-tongue (one who is able to communicate with snakes), and there is fear that the school may have to be closed for the safety of the students. Harry and his friends investigate the attacks, which leads to Harry finding the Chamber of Secrets in order to save Ginny Weasley (Ron's younger sister) from a basilisk.

I waited to watch this movie until after I had read the book. As with the first movie, I found it entertaining and to be another fairly good interpretation of the book.

***


Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
At the beginning of Harry's third year at Hogwarts, we find out that the wizard Sirius Black (believed to be one of Voldemort's followers, a mass-murderer, and responsible for the deaths of Harry's parents) has escaped from the high security magical prison called Azkaban, and everyone believes he is coming after Harry Potter. Dementors (the dark creatures who guard Azkaban) follow the Hogwarts Express and surround the school, terrifying students in their search for Black. But no-one is more affected by the Dementors than Harry, causing the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (Remus Lupin) to help him learn how to defend himself against them by mastering a very advanced charm. Black does find Harry, but he's not what Harry was expecting.

This movie was also pretty great. I found that it remained pretty true to the book.

***

You can find Part 2 here, where I review the last 4 books of the series. Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I'd Name a Pet After

Hey all! I'm back again with another Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and the Bookish, this time we're listing our Top Ten characters to name something after. Since I don't have children (nor plans to have any in the near future) I'll stay away from that one, and I'd rather keep it broad with pets in general, rather than one specific type of pet, just to make it easier for myself. I'm going to be using mostly literary characters, but possibly TV/movie characters as well. Here we go...

1. Katniss Everdeen: The Hunger Games
I would totally name a girl cat Katniss. I might even stick with the Everdeen, or maybe switch it to Everclean or Everdream or Evermean... depending on the personality. ;)

2. Charlie Brown: The Peanuts
I've always thought Charlie Brown would make a pretty cute name for a dog... Especially a little terrier or spaniel of some sort. D'awww. :)

3. Sheldon Cooper: The Big Bang Theory
I'm sure it's been said before many times, but as antisocial and anal as Sheldon Cooper is, it would be so appropriate to name a cat after him, right? A "grumpy cat" breed would be even funnier.

4. Professor Albus Dumbledore: Harry Potter
Picture this... a floppy-eared, droopy-eyed Basset Hound comes hobbling into the room to the calls of "Dumble-D! C'm'ere boy!", or, said Basset Hound tracks mud through the house and his disgruntled human scolds "Professor Dumbledore!" *chuckles to self*

5. Marilla Cuthbert: Anne of Green Gables
Marilla is one of those characters who appears gruff and mean on the outside, but is really a big old softy. I think hers would make a great name for either a cat or a dog, particularly a big old teddy bear. :)

6. Todd Spencer: The Christy Miller series / Tod: The Fox & the Hound
The Fox and the Hound was one of my favourite movies growing up (loved the name Tod after that!) and then later on I read the Christy Miller series and fell in love with Christy's boyfriend Todd Spencer... So between the two, I think Todd would have a pretty good shot at being a name for a dog of mine (even though Tod is the fox in the movie). So, obviously, if I ever had a pet fox, it would be named Tod, however if I already had a dog named Todd, then the fox would have to be Copper, which seems like the more appropriate name assignation anyway... Sorry, bunny trail...

7. Ojo the Lucky: the Oz series
I don't recall reading any other of the Oz books, but I do remember reading The Patchwork Girl of Oz. I could not, however, remember the character names, so I had to look it up. :) Ojo is a munchkin who starts out as "Ojo the Very Unlucky" but through his adventures becomes "Ojo the Lucky." So obviously, this would make a superb name for a runt dog adopted from a shelter!

8. Mary Poppins
I think Mary Poppins is a pretty obvious name choice for a pet. At least Poppins would... or some variation thereof...

9. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Come on... you can't tell me that these wouldn't make great names for a pet duo! Particularly if one happened to be a little mischievous and the other timid...

10. Flavia de Luce: The Buckshaw Chronicles
I'm not 100% sure that I would actually give a pet this name, but I do love the name, and the character... so I just might. Also not sure if I'd use the whole thing, "Flavia de Luce," or just "Flavia."


Well, that was fun. I wasn't sure I would make it, but I pushed through and got 10. So proud o' myself. *wipes a tear* Well, until next time...

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

The OwlCrate Society

I mentioned in one of my recent posts that I have been subscribed to OwlCrate for about a year, and it's been pretty awesome. I love being exposed to new books that I had not previously heard of, and would never have picked up on my own (because, honestly, there's only 1 out of the 12 I've received so far that I would have gone out and bought new). So it's been good for that, plus the book-related swag has been very cool. Some of it isn't necessarily useful or interesting to me, but I can re-gift those items. Most everything has been fun and interesting and I've also discovered new Etsy artisans along the way because of OwlCrate.

In addition to these discoveries, I've also fallen into a beautiful community of readers and writers who share my love of all things books, and OwlCrate! OwlCrate's creator Korrina Ede decided to start an official "book club" Facebook page called The OwlCrate Society where we can all share about books we're reading, deals & sales currently on, book hauls, TBR lists, OwlCrate stuff (of course), and several other topics. Not that I need to learn about or buy any more books, but it's so rewarding to see what other people are reading; to find out if that book that everyone's talking about is actually any good; to make suggestions of books I love to others; to have a sense of community that I don't necessarily have in my life otherwise.

Along with all the fabulous book talk, there are also several book bloggers in the group. It is through the sharing of their amazing blogs that I was inspired to re-establish my own blog. Not that mine will ever be anywhere near as in-depth or interesting as some of theirs, which I felt bad about for a minute... But then I remembered what I wrote in my "first" post, from early last month... That this blog is really just for me. If other people read and enjoy it at the same time, that would be so great!

I will not, however, let myself feel bad about not being a professional reader and blogger. I read a lot, compared to others in my circle, but I can not read several books in a week. I enjoy reading, but to read that much, it would almost be a chore. When I love a book, I can get through it in about a week, maybe a weekend if there's nothing else going on. But there have been very few books I've loved enough to do that, or very few weekends that have been slow enough to allow me to do that. And that's ok! I have other hobbies and interests to occupy my time, I don't need to read at every break in my day.

So anyway, I just wanted to share with you the spectacular-ness that is The OwlCrate Society. It is one of the most encouraging, accepting, and positive Facebook groups I have ever seen. Which just goes to show that book-lovers are the best people, amiright?

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I've Read Because of a Recommendation

Hi there! So this is my first time following a Top Ten Tuesday post (as hosted by The Broke and the Bookish). I really want to try to get more involved in these kind of things, but... well... it's hard enough to do regular review posts, if you know what I mean. Anyway, here's my first attempt, in no particular order: books I've read because of a recommendation.

1. Kisses from Katie
I sponsor and correspond with kids through Compassion Canada. I love it. I love developing a relationship with these kids through letters and prayer. And Compassion made it possible for me to visit one of my sponsored kids, and one of the kids I correspond with, which is so so special! Anyway... through these trips, and meeting like-minded people from across Canada, this book was recommended to me. I don't typically read biographical/non-fiction books, but I made an exception for this book, and I was not disappointed. It's the story of the amazing Katie, who decided to be a missionary to Africa straight out of high school. Once there, she fell in love with the children, and so (after a long story), at 20 years of age, far far from home, Katie becomes an overnight mother of 13. It's such an amazing story... I adored Katie's story and was totally inspired by it - I'm so happy I listened to this book recommendation!

2. Unshaken
Again, a book recommendation through my friends at Compassion. I went to Haiti to visit my correspondence child in 2012, just two years after the massive 2010 earthquake. We visited the memorial at the Hotel Montana (a big hotel at the heart of the city which collapsed in the quake), our guide was a man who had been there just moments before everything happened... it was an incredibly overwhelming emotional moment. Even now, thinking about it, I've got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Unshaken is another biographical non-fiction, but I am definitely not sorry I read it, and have recommended it to several people. It's written by Dan Woolley, who was there and trapped in the rubble for 65 hours, and due to a last-minute hotel change, only a handful of people even knew that he was at the hotel. It is a chilling story about Dan doing his best to remember all the survival skills he'd ever known and keep his spirits up; the hope and despair of hearing rescuers speak to him, but not being able to reach him and therefore moving on to other survivors; communicating with other trapped survivors through the rubble... A really incredible story.

3. The Uglies trilogy
It wasn't exactly a recommendation, per se, but several years ago, a friend was asking around on Facebook to see if anyone had read the books because she was interested. After looking them up, I was totally intrigued, and quickly found the books and devoured them - love these books and the world they're set in!

4. I Am Number Four
Way, way back in 2011, I was visiting my best friend (we don't live in the same province). We were going to see I Am Number Four in theatres, and she made me promise that if she bought me the book for my birthday that I would read it. I promised, we watched the movie, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I read the book after I got home, and loved it. I have subsequently bought and read almost every other book in the series, but it's starting to get old, and I'm anxious for it all to be over.

5. Still Alice
I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but I think it was my cousin. It's a really emotional story about a woman going through the stages of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease, and the effect on her family and those around her.

6. The Legend Trilogy
This series was recommended to me by an online algorithm, because I had read The Hunger Games and Divergent trilogies. It's a similar YA series, set in a dystopian futuristic world. I enjoyed the books, but not quite as much as the Hunger Games or Divergent. It's about the Republic's sweetheart June, who crosses paths with the Republic's "villain," known as Day, after her brother is murdered and Day is the main suspect.

7. 1984
I know a lot of people read this book in school, it was not a part of my curriculum. My mother and brother, however, read it and both enjoyed it, so I decided to read it on their recommendation. I liked the book, I liked that it was sort of prophetic... but I definitely didn't love it, and did not enjoy as much as anybody else I've ever known who has read it. It was interesting, but just didn't appeal to my preferences.

8. Arranged
My cousin recommended this book to me (actually, she gave me a copy) because she knew the author, and had really enjoyed the book. It was a really fun story about a woman who subscribes to what she thinks is a dating service, but is actually a marriage service! I liked it. :)

9. Harry Potter series
So obviously, these books were recommended to me innumerable times in my youth, but I never listened. As a kid, I just really wasn't interested in magic. This year I finally got around to starting the series, and I absolutely love everything about it! Love the characters and the world Rowling has created, which I find to be quite complete. I've just finished the 5th book, and I'm so looking forward to acquiring and reading the rest of the series in the next few months!

10. Worlds of Ink and Shadow
So this book was "recommended" to me in the sense that it was featured in OwlCrate (I wrote a review about it here). It is not a book that I would have picked up on my own. It was an interesting read, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Well, there you have it. It was actually pretty difficult for me to come up with 10 books I read because of a recommendation... There are only a few people in my life who read very much, and as a rule, I read books because they interest me, not because anyone told me I should. And when I see "Because You Looked At" or "Other People Also Bought" on book buying websites, I don't necessarily consider that a recommendation.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Book Reviews: Brand New Friend & Wedding Night


I have been trying to review the books I previously read this year, before starting up the blog again, so this is a continuation of that. I decided to review these two books together as they were both quick, romantic, fluff reads.


When Rob's girlfriend asks him to leave London and live with her in Manchester not only will it mean moving cities, it'll also mean leaving behind his best mate in the entire world. Believing that love conquers all and convinced of his ability to make new friends, Rob takes the plunge.
Six months in, and yet to find so much as a regular drinking buddy, Rob realises that sometimes making friends in your thirties can be the hardest thing to do. With drastic action needed, his girlfriend puts an ad in the classifieds for him. Three excruciatingly embarrassing "bloke dates" later, Rob begins to truly despair. Until his luck changes . . .
There's just one problem. Apart from knowing less than nothing about music trivia, football, and the vital statistics of supermodels, Rob's new friend has one huge flaw . . .
She's a girl.

Brand New Friend is one of those stories that, if made into a movie, would be your typical rom-com, along the same lines as Made of Honor and Just Friends. It's a fun little adventure that explores the relationships between men and women, and asks us the question, Can men and women truly just be friends? The triangle between Rob & Jo & Rob's girlfriend is as cringe-worthy as one would expect. Because he thinks she would overreact, Rob lies-by-omission to mislead his girlfriend into thinking that his new friend Jo is a man. He also misleads Jo into thinking that his girlfriend knows all about her and is totally fine with the situation. Awkward humour follows...

I enjoyed this book, it was a fun sort of fluff read. It's a bit longer, I think, than a typical girly book, but not too long. The story progressed at a fairly comfortable rate. It was funny and awkward and sweet. I give it 3.5/5.






Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose, but then his big question involves a trip abroad—not a trip down the aisle. Completely crushed, Lottie reconnects with an old flame, and they decide to take drastic action. No dates, no moving in together, they’ll just get married... right now. Her sister, Fliss, thinks Lottie is making a terrible mistake, and will do anything to stop her. But Lottie is determined to say “I do,” for better, or for worse.

I went through a phase several years ago where I read a whole bunch of Shopaholic books, and then collected as many other books by Sophie Kinsella (as well as Madeleine Wickham) as I could get my hands on. But nowadays I can only read Sophie Kinsella's books in small doses, and I really must be in the right frame of mind. Wedding Night was an amusing fluff read, but there's just something about her characters that annoy me. That being said, I did like the book and all the silly shenanigans the characters get up to.

Fliss is the responsible sister. With a career and raising a young son on her own, she also manages to find time to look out for (and clean up after) her younger sister Lottie. Lottie is the carefree, flighty, happy-go-lucky sister. They didn't have an easy childhood, but Fliss always made sure that Lottie was happy and cared for. And Fliss feels like she can predict Lottie's next moves, because she always does the same things. So when Lottie's boyfriend doesn't propose when she's just sure he is, Fliss is completely prepared for the meltdown and the rebound hunt. What she isn't prepared for is for Lottie to make a promise of celibacy and accept a marriage proposal from a near stranger! Hilarity ensues as Fliss tries to stop her sister's wedding, and above all, prevent its consummation!

As I mentioned, there's something about Sophie Kinsella's characters that annoys me; maybe it's how completely air-headed they are, or the fact they're not very believable. But they are almost always amusing, and make for a quick, funny read. I give this one 3.5/5 as well.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Tag: Newbie Book Blog

So I'm pretty new to this whole book blogging thing. I was sort of doing it a couple years ago, but wasn't very good, or consistent, so when I started back up last month, I considered a new birth rather than a rebirth... if that makes any sense...

Anyway, so I have been investing some time into reading other people's blogs and looking up ideas for blog content. Right now, I'm mostly just trying to get into a rhythm of publishing posts at regular intervals, that being every Wednesday. I have sporadically shared posts on other days, but I'm trying to be consistent with Wednesdays right now, and sticking mostly with reviewing the books I had read this year before starting the blog. So, in my nosing around the interwebs, I found Love and Other Bookish Things and her post entitled Book Blog Newbie Tag, in which she takes it upon herself to bring BookTube tags and such over into the book blogosphere. I love making up words. :)

So the following is my Newbie Tag, using Kirsten's version:

1. Why did you start this blog?
Well, basically, I have a terrible memory. So this is my little memory keeper, to remind me that yes, I did, in fact, actually read that book, and whether or not I liked it. When I first started blogging a couple years ago, I was literally talking about everything that happened in the book - spoilers much? I don't want to spoil anything for anyway, but at the same time, I do want to be able to remind myself what a book was about. So hopefully in the near future I'll figure out a way to balance the two to make everyone happy. :)

2. What are some fun and unique things you can bring to book blogging?
Uh, well... that's a pretty good question. I don't know. I'd like to think that I have kind of a quirky writing voice... When I was a teenager, I identified myself as being weird and bubbly... so I don't know, guys. I guess... I'm honest, and weird, and sometimes kind of fun and bubbly? I hope?

3. What are you most excited for about this blog?
Um... That's another good question. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for lots of readers and people to love me and all that, which I know is quite unlikely but there's still that hope... But I think really I'm just excited to be able to share the books I've read, and my love of books, with like-minded people!

4. Why do you love reading?
I love being able to fall in love, go on an adventure, learn magic, solve crimes, etc, without even leaving my bed. I love escaping into another world for a little while, meeting new people (even if they are fictitious), learning things...

5. What book or series got you into reading?
I've always been a reader and story-lover. I don't remember exactly how old I was when I learned to love to read, and I don't remember the first book I read on my own, so I can't really say what got me into reading. All I know is that I've always loved books, imaginary things, and stories.

6. What questions would you ask your favourite authors?
You know, I don't really think about things like this, meeting authors and asking them questions. I guess something I would ask a couple of authors would be, "Why did you choose to write in the voice of the opposite sex, and was it a challenege for you?"

7. What challenges do you think starting a blog will be the hardest to overcome?
The consistency of posting new content, for sure. That, and no spoilers. :)

8. When did you start reading?
I don't remember. First grade, probably, so like 7 years old? I mean, I was only reading little books that first graders read, but I remember being so proud of being able to read on my own, and adding books to my "have read" list.

9. Where do you read?
I have a favourite Lay-Z-Boy chair in the living room where I like to curl up to read, that's my preferred spot. I do read in bed, but I don't find it particularly comfortable, and sometimes on the deck or in the kitchen, wherever there's a chair... But I don't typically read other places outside my home. I have taken books with me places, but I find I get interrupted too much and end up having to re-read the bits I "read" while I was out.

10. What kind of books do you like to read?
Fiction, definitely fiction. I love me some Young Adult fiction, especially dystopian, and don't care who knows it! I also love murder mysteries, crime novels, and fluffy chick reads. And the (very) occasional non-fictional biography. But very rarely. :)

Well, I guess that's it! I hope you enjoyed my tag post. Let me know if you write one too! In the meantime, I'd like to tag my friend Paige at Paige From Book Club to do this!