Sunday, January 29, 2017

Book Review: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery



Oh Anne with an e! How I love you and your passionate, quirky, dreamy ways!

Sometimes it comes as a complete surprise to me when I realize that there are books I know all about, but have never actually read. This was one of them. I am very familiar with Anne of Green Gables. We had recordings of the TV mini-series at home that we would watch when I was younger; in college, there was a family who opened their doors to students nearly every weekend, beginning in October, to watch the mini-series and subsequent movie(s?); my mother had a box set of the first 3 books of the series that I always thought was so neat and liked to play with, even though I wasn't supposed to; I have been to PEI and to Avonlea village and the Green Gables house... I'm kind of a fan... but I had never actually read the books!

Then in the fall, when I made this realization, I came across the books at the thrift store for $1 (for the entire series, in box set!), and then a few weeks later, I found an online book club that planned to read the whole series in 2017 and I decided to join in! My mom is joining me on this adventure as well, or attempting to. She doesn't read nearly as much or as fast as I do, but even at her current pace, she should be able to finish the series this year if she wants to.

Illustration by Gaia Bordicchia

I remembered and anticipated most of the happenings in this first book from the TV show. Oh, how well Megan Follows played that spirited little redhead! I had not realized how many years were spanned in that first book - about six, I think! And, to be honest, I didn't really know that there were more books. At the end of my copy of Anne of Green Gables there is a little blurb about each of the next books and I really had no idea! It basically covers most of Anne's life!

Anyway, I don't really feel the need to say much more, except perhaps to recap some of Anne's more notorious antics: falling off the roof, smashing her slate over Gilbert's head, the hair dye incident, getting Diana drunk, nearly drowning in the river, and winning the award at Queen's but giving it up to be able to help out with the farm. 💚

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Book Review: Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter



I'm not sure how I let this one slip by un-reviewed, seeing as it was one of my more recent reads, and I was sure I had written one...
Anyway, since I didn't, here I am. But since it has also been a while since I read it, things are not as clear in my mind and I may make some erroneous remarks about plot/characters.
Ok, so I received this book in the October "Once Upon a Dream" OwlCrate box. Overall, this was a pretty dark book. I kind of liked it, but I know a lot of people who didn't and who were completely turned off by the weirdness, to the point of not finishing the book, and I can totally understand that. Here's the synopsis:
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 away 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...

The story is the retelling of Russian folklore about Vassilisa (which would be strange enough), and takes place in modern-day Brooklyn, but with weird, magical twists. It almost felt like a Cinderella retelling in the beginning, as Vassa lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters (one nice, one mean). But then the weird things start. To begin with, the nights in Brooklyn seem to last forever and keep getting longer. People can't explain it, but one hour of night seems like 2 or 3, so people don't really sleep because it's too long.

Most of the story and it's action takes place inside Brooklyn's BY store, which is a magical convenience store on dancing chicken legs. Yes, you read that right, dancing chicken legs. Honestly, that's only the beginning of the weirdness.

Nobody really shops at BY's: everyone is afraid of the store because (if you actually manage to get inside) shoplifters are beheaded, and their heads posted on stakes around the perimeter of the parking lot. Oh yes, we're talking gruesome. And the thing is, barely anybody makes it out alive because nearly everyone is accused of shoplifting. How is that possible, you may ask? Well that would be thanks to Babs' henchmen, two animated severed hands called Sinister and Dexter. They don't talk, obviously, because that would be too weird (yes, that was sarcasm). They do, however, communicate with Babs and with one another, and they work together to plant incriminating evidence on unsuspecting shoppers.

Vassa was encouraged by her mean stepsister to go to BY's to get lightbulbs because all of the lightbulbs in the apartment are missing/burned out. Knowing it is basically a death sentence, Vassa goes to BY's. She is caught supposedly shoplifting, but makes a deal with Babs to work at the store for three nights to work off her debt. Thus ensues the story and adventure to save her friends.

There's a lot of metaphors and hidden meanings that I'm sure I didn't even catch. There is a "motorcyclist" being held captive by Babs, who represents Night, one of the friends that Vassa tries to save, along with her doll Erg. But in order to save her human friend, Vassa has to learn some difficult truths and make a sacrifice to lose one of her other friends.

As I said, it's been a while, so I probably messed some of that up, but that's the overall gist of the story. I don't think that I would recommend the book to others, unless they were specifically looking for a weird, dark read.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Q&A: Flawed featuring Paige From Book Club

Hello again friends! Today we're doing things a bit differently. My best friend Paige (Paige From Book Club) and I decided way back in April that we would read Flawed (by Cecelia Ahern) together, and possibly do something together with our blogs. It took us until the end of December until we were both in a position to read it, and then a couple weeks to come up with a plan & question set for our blogs, so this has been a long time coming. What we finally decided on was to each answer the same 12 questions on the other's blog. So, below you will find Paige's answers, and you can find mine on her blog, right over here. Please also check out my full review of Flawed, which I posted last week.


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How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to get into it? It did take me a while to get into this book actually.  The whole “Perfect” system really bothered me, and I found myself putting the book down in frustration a lot.  I was about two thirds through before I found myself truly getting into the story.
How did you feel reading it - amused, sad, disturbed, confused, bored? This book made me so angry and frustrated.  The injustices and unfairness of the whole story really affected me.  There were only rare moments where I could settle and simply read.  The majority of the time, the themes of the book would not let me rest.  Each time I picked up the book the frustration came back with a vengeance.  It was a continuing feeling, right up to the end.
What are your feelings regarding Celestine, the main character? Do you admire her? Disapprove of her? She never intended to take a stand.  She just reacted out of basic human decency and compassion, and for that I admire her.  Beyond that I didn’t have much respect for her character or her way of thinking.  She was narrow minded and naive and arrogant, even as the story progressed.  I did like that she didn’t have a complete change of character just because this big event happened.  It was realistic in that her base character remained the same, even as her world views shifted. Over all though, I didn’t care for her too much, except for in those few moments that she chose the right thing.  In those moments she endeared herself to me.
What did you think of her family’s reactions to her stand, and then her sentencing?
When something is happening to my family, it is happening to me.  We tend to stick together and stand together.  We are always on each other’s side.  So for her strong-willed outspoken sister to remain silent?  I felt utterly betrayed for Celestine.  I appreciated her father’s blustering and yelling on her behalf, as he showed his love in his own way.  It bothered me that she dismissed her grandfather so easily at first, and I was glad when they came to an understanding and she grew to respect him.  Her mother’s quiet defiances were sweet, and while in keeping with her character, I did wish she’d done more.

The part that bothered me the most, however, was her younger brother’s reaction to her.  The disgust and fear he suddenly showed toward her was heartbreaking.  He was so brainwashed into society’s thinking that he couldn’t form a thought for himself. I wanted to shake some sense into him, and make him understand!  Show him why it was society that was wrong, not his sister.  And the fact that there was nothing his family could really do to teach him otherwise, without being seen as “aiding a Flawed” was beyond devastating.  I do wonder how that storyline will develop in the next book.
What are your thoughts on the romance aspect? Did the potential romance take away from the story or add to it? When I thought that Carrick was going to be a solid part of this first book, I was all for the romance.  I am a sucker for romance, no matter the genre I find it in.  When Carrick was absent for most of the book, I was confused.  Why introduce a character that is obviously meant to be a love interest, when he’s not even going to be present?  Why was Celestine suddenly putting so much emphasis on this character that disappeared when she needed him the most?  I would have liked to see him introduced as a comrade and friend first with no hint of deeper feelings on Celestine’s part.  Then perhaps in the next book - when he is actually present - the author could work on developing the romance.  There was a lot of implication, and not a lot of follow through in that particular part of the story.  It was unnecessary in this first installment.
What passages stood out to you? Did anything strike you as particularly profound or insightful? No particular passage stood out to me.  However, the theme of discrimination and prejudice really affected me.  The story makes you reevaluate how you react to our present day discriminations - the ones we don’t always see because we’re right in the middle of it.  Do I sit quietly and watch the injustices happening around me?  Or do I take a stand for what’s right, no matter what others think?  Things to consider, and carry forward in our every day life.
Did you find the plot predictable or formulaic? Yes.  It completely followed a formula, and was absolutely cliché is parts.  It varied enough to keep it interesting, but I was at no point surprised by anything that happened.  I don’t mind predictable or formulaic, most times.  I would have liked to see a little more out of the box thinking for this one though.  The prank played by the classmates for example.  I could have done without that particular cliché.
Is the ending satisfying? It was abrupt.  I would have liked another chapter or two to give our main character better direction and purpose.  We were almost there, but not quite close enough.  This is what makes me think the duology was originally meant to be a stand alone.  It was like someone suddenly chopped it off at the halfway point and said, “We could make more money if we turned this into two books.”
If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask? Have you read other books by the same author, and how does this compare?
The author states that she wrote this story in six weeks.  So my question would be ‘What suddenly inspired you to write this story?’  For it to be written so quickly and passionately, there had to be a trigger, right?

I haven’t read any of her other books.  Mainly because I watched the movie version of “P.S. I Love You” and cried so hard I vowed never to read the book. I’ve been a little afraid to read any of her subsequent books as a result.

Has this novel changed you - broadened your perspective? 
It’s definitely made me think harder about taking a stand for what’s right.  No new ideas, per se.  But definitely a reminder that it is not okay to sit idly by while injustices take place around you.
There is going to be a sequel. Will you continue reading the series? From what I can tell, the sequel “Perfect” is the second half of a duology.  Because it is only two books, I will definitely read the second one.  However, if it had been a trilogy or more, I probably wouldn’t continue.  I do think this story should have been told in one longer book, instead of dividing it in two.  But I will finish it, if only to know what happens next.
Would you recommend the book to other people? For as thought provoking as this book is, it’s not one I would recommend to others.  I suppose if someone came to me looking for another dystopian YA novel, I may mention it.  For a book that deals with the topics of social injustice and prejudice, however; I have a few others I may recommend before this one.


***

We were both quite amused by how different our answers were to the first few questions, but then became nearly identical answers for the last questions.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this little experiment as much as we did! Hopefully we will be able to do a few more of these posts in the future.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Review: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Without the vellum dust jacket

Hey guys! So this was my very first read of 2017! I received Flawed in the April 2016 OwlCrate box, and I was sooo excited about it! So excited, in fact, that my best friend and I (she also got the box) decided that we would read it at the same time when we were both at a point to be able to do that, and crazy enough, that took until December/January! We also discussed sharing our reviews on each others' blogs, so stay tuned for a possible future post with her review/answers to book club questions. :)

This book was definitely very reminiscent of The Uglies, Divergent, Hunger Games, etc. and I think anyone who read and enjoyed those books will appreciate this one. I had a hard time determining when the story takes places, it sounds/feels like it could be anywhere between 1 and 10 years from now. There is no mention of a year, which I guess is smart in that it can kind of be a timeless book for future generations, until technology changes enough to be out of date (it mentions cell phones with cameras, tablets, social media, etc). So, not having taken place after some third world war or major upheaval of "the system," it's hard to really classify it (in my mind) as "dystopian." There is, however, a relatively new accepted ideal which turns out to be less-than-ideal, and there's a poster girl who is the face of the revolution. So, I guess those points make it dystopian, and I'll accept that.

Cecelia Ahern is an author I've come to love. P.S. I Love You, The Book of Tomorrow, The Gift, and Love, Rosie (previously published as Where Rainbows End) are just a few of her numerous titles that I have read and enjoyed. To learn that she was branching out into YA dystopian was really exciting for me. One of my favourite authors debuting in one of my favourite genres?! This had the potential for something truly magical!

For her debut YA novel (which also happens to be dystopian), I think Cecelia Ahern did a pretty good job. It's not on point, but it's pretty good.

I wasn't sure I liked it when I got started. As I mentioned, it was hard to determine when it was taking place, I felt like there could have been a bit more information given about the world setting, the history that led to the current world situation, etc. It was pretty vague in that respect.

The character development was pretty good, as far as the main character goes. Celestine is a convincing teenager who suddenly becomes the figurehead of this revolution she had no idea was forming. I found the other characters odd and perhaps a bit two-dimensional? I also didn't really like the ending, it just seemed like a quick wrap up to me. And Carrick's role in the ending seems a bit odd. He either should have stayed with her to the end of the book, or not been re-introduced at all, in my opinion.

Overall I enjoyed the story and I'll be looking forward to the sequel, Perfect, when it is released this spring. I think if someone likes YA, dystopian, and is looking for a quick read, Flawed will certainly fit the bill.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Book Reviews: Harry Potter - Part 2

Continuing with my review of the books I read in 2016 (I promise I will try to wrap these up soon and do better with 2017's reads!!), here is part 2 of the Harry Potter series (read my Part 1 review here), covering the last 4 books. Be warned that there may be spoilers! (The images below are borrowed from Google Images, and these are the versions which I own and read. Someday I hope I'll be able to complete the series with the new covers!)


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Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
In this book we experience the first death in the series. Not a beloved character we've known from the beginning (thankfully), but a shocking (and perhaps unnecessary?) death all the same. Now in their 4th year at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione learn that Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament (this after attending a Quidditch championship game over the summer), which had not taken place in some 200+ years because there had been too many deaths. It is a contest between the 3 main European wizarding schools: Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons (so we are introduced to these 2 other schools and their headmasters), and is composed of three tasks, each more dangerous than the one before. In an effort to keep it safer, Dumbledore ruled that only those aged 17+ could enter their name into the Goblet of Fire, which chooses one candidate from each school. Harry's name is mysteriously entered into the cup and he is chosen as a 4th candidate, despite being underage and there already being a Hogwarts contestant, Cedric Diggory. Unfortunately, once the Goblet chooses a name, the contestant must compete, so there is nothing that anyone can do about it. Harry is scorned by the whole school (even Ron) as they all assume he somehow managed to enter his own name into the Goblet. After succeeding in every task, while facing near-death, Harry becomes a hero among his peers once more. In the final task, a maze with the Triwizard Cup in the centre (the first contestant to touch it being the winner). Cedric and Harry both touch the cup at the same time, with unexpected and tragic results.

I was terribly disappointed with this movie. There was just so much missing or changed from the book. Perhaps I watched it too soon (literally a day or 2) after finishing the book, but I felt totally cheated.

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Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix

I found this book pretty long. I enjoyed the read, and it wasn't lacking in adventure or excitement. But I found Harry's attitude and mood-swings (while understandable and justifiable in the end) to be extremely annoying. Professor Umbridge is vile and I hated her! I especially hate that she gives fuzzy pink clothes, doilies, and kittens a bad reputation! This book also features an emotional death.

So in this 5th book of the series, Harry, Ron, and Hermione learn about The Order of the Phoenix which is an underground group of wizards who fought Voldemort's Death Eaters the first time, and who are now preparing for Voldemort's return, and protecting Harry. When the trio return to Hogwarts, they meet their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to be a Ministry employee called Dolores Umbridge. She's a very unimposing-looking woman, dressed in pink, but she is the Ministry's poster-woman, and the very essence of evil. By having a woman on the inside, the Ministry now has "control" of Hogwarts, and Defense Against the Dark Arts becomes "no defense" as the Ministry only wants the students to be taught theory, "No wands!" Professor Umbridge imposes hundreds of rules to try to keep the students under control, but Harry and his friends form their own underground group. They meet in the Room of Requirement, call themselves Dumbledore's Army, and Harry is their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. A portion of Dumbledore's Army find themselves eventually find themselves sneaking in to the Ministry of Magic on a mission to save Sirius Black, and Harry finds a prophesy about him and Voldemort.

Again, this movie was missing so much from the book, it just felt like I was being cheated. I will have to watch it again someday, maybe when the books aren't so fresh in my mind, the movies will be better...


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Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
I could barely even handle the major murder at the end of this book (Dumbledore by Snape). I was shocked and angry and could not for the life of me figure out why J.K. Rowling would do such a thing!

The biggest plot point in this book is that, now in their 6th year at Hogwarts, Harry comes into possession of an old copy of their Potions book, completely scribbled through with spells and potions, and inscribed as belonging to the "Half-Blood Prince." Harry also has private lessons with Dumbledore, during which Dumbledore shares with Harry about Voldemort's past: who his parents were, how Dumbledore met him, and how he became the vile creature he is at present. Harry also learns about Horcruxes (a thing which possesses a part of a person's soul), and that Dumbledore believes Voldemort has 7, and 2 have already been destroyed, but they don't know what the rest may be, nor where they may be located. Dumbledore promises Harry that when he learns of the location of another Horcrux, he will bring Harry with him to find and destroy it. They do find one, but at a terrible price, and in the end, it is a fake. Dumbledore leaves Harry, Ron, and Hermione with the mission of finding & destroying the remaining Horcruxes. At the end of the book, Harry resolves to not return to Hogwarts the next year as he has a mission to fulfill.

Strike three with the movies. I think this one was marginally better than the previous two, but there were just annoying little changes, and always with the missing parts, and I just... *sigh*

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Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
Wow. That's pretty much all I can say to sum up this book, and the series as a whole. I'm so sad that it's over, and yet so much has happened, that I'm kind of happy to just let the characters be - they've been through so much! I thought my heart had broken at the end of The Half-Blood Prince, but as awful as that was, it was nothing in comparison to all the losses and deaths and revelations in this final book.

So, as we knew from the ending of The Half-Blood Prince, Harry, Ron, and Hermione do not return to Hogwarts for their 7th year, instead setting off to find and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes, which Dumbledore entrusted them with. The Order tries to help and protect them, but Harry and his friends insist that Dumbledore left them with the mission, and no-one else is to know about it. Right away in the first few chapters there are more deaths, one in particular that really made me mad, and injuries. It is at this point that Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off on their own on their secret mission. The wizarding world is in an uproar as Voldemort and his Death Eaters are in control of the Ministry and have infiltrated Hogwarts, so they have to take great measures to hide from everyone. They do find and destroy Horcruxes, and along the way also learn about the Hallows: 3 magical items that, when possessed by one person, make that person the strongest wizard and conqueror of death. Our friends get separated, caught, tortured, etc., escape again... The story climaxes when they return to Hogwarts to fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters in an epic battle of good vs. evil.

I haven't watched these movies yet. I thought I owned all of the movies, so I was really excited to have a little marathon last weekend after I finished the last book. But, come to find out, I only have The Deathly Hallows: Part 2. So, I am on the lookout for Part 1 for cheap, but if it takes too much longer I may have to break down and rent it and wait for someone to give it to me for birthday/Christmas. :)


***

So... that's the end of it, then. As I said in Part 1 of my reviews, I wouldn't have appreciated or enjoyed them at all as a kid when these books first came out, so I'm really glad I finally got around the reading these books because I've really enjoyed the journey. And I would highly recommend them to older children or teenagers who like fantasy, magic, and bravery. I am so excited that my younger nephew also started reading the books this year. I'm hoping that once he gets a little older and a little further into the series he'll want to geek out with me. :)

Saturday, January 7, 2017

READ ALL THE BOOKS!

Obviously, as you will have learned if you've spent any amount of time reading this blog, I love books; own loads of books; am constantly buying tons of books; have a TBR list that's really more of a bin system that would probably take up my whole room if I put them all together....

Just a little while ago, I shared a list of 14 books that I am hoping to read this year, which were mostly books from OwlCrate boxes and ones I started but didn't finish last year (or previously). And the more I think about - the more upcoming book releases I see, the more unfinished reads I find in my room, the more books I find in a corner that I forgot I owned, the more amazing reads I hear about on the OwlCrate Society... the more stressed out I get.

Allow me to explain... I love reading, so much, and the more I hear/read about amazing-sounding books (and see the covers, oh, the covers *swoon*) the more I want to READ ALL THE BOOKS! And then I'll finally get my hands on one of these amazing books, and I'll start to read it, and it's great, but unfortunately I can't read all day, nor can I read a whole book in a day if I could read all day. There are things that come up (like that recurring pesky "work" business), and other hobbies/interests that take my time, so that I really don't end up getting through books very quickly. Which either results in trying to read several books at once (because it's just not going fast enough!) or just feeling totally stressed out that I can't possibly READ ALL THE BOOKS!


Anyway, just felt like venting about that for a little bit. I realize that this is such a silly thing to stress about, so please don't lecture me, all you practical-thinking people out there. I just felt like sharing. And maybe I should refer to it as a frustration rather than a stress. Semantics...

So, am I alone in this? Does anybody else feel this way, or get stressed out frustrated by not being able to read as many books as they'd like to, or in the time frame they'd like to? Let me know in the comments!

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Unboxing: December "Epic" OwlCrate



Hey again! Time for another OwlCrate unboxing! The theme for this month's box (December 2016) was EPIC. Thanks to OwlCrate's spoiler hints throughout the month, we knew that there would be items inspired by various "fandoms" (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Chronicles of Narnia, and Lord of the Rings), that the book was a new read featuring an LGBTQ+ character/theme, that one of the items in the box would be from Dark Horse Comics, and that one of the items was a Funko Mystery Mini.

I wasn't sure whether or not to get this box. The theme didn't particularly appeal to me, and the only fandom I'm into is Harry Potter, so I felt that there was a pretty big potential for there to be things I wouldn't like/relate to in the box. But in the end, my curiosity and (recent) love for all things Harry Potter won, so I got the box. I had hoped it would arrive before Christmas, but it didn't - only a few days later, though. :) And I nearly bought the book the day before it arrived, but then I thought I remembered seeing it in one of the spoiler photos I had seen on Instagram, so I left it there. Good thing!

So, what's in the box? I'll list each fandom's item, and then the book at the end (always save the best for last).


December 2016 OwlCrate "Epic": reveal postcard & collectible pin



Harry Potter
The Harry Potter item represented in the box was the Funko Mystery Mini. I didn't get the previous OwlCrate box that included a Mystery Mini, but I wasn't that disappointed because I don't really care for the Mystery Mini figures (at least as far as the Harry Potter collection goes). Anyway, after considering the options, I had hoped that my Mystery Mini would be one of the animals from the collection, preferable Hedwig or one of the cats. I ended up with Dobby. It's not the worst, but it's not the best. I had, however, just a day or two before been reading that part in The Deathly Hallows (you know the one I'm talking about!), and I was still reeling from that. So Dobby's definitely not the worst I could have gotten, at this time.




Game of Thrones
I really don't know anything about this series at all except that apparently everyone dies? Anyway, the Game of Thrones item was a set of 4 coasters from Dark Horse Comics representing the four houses in the series? I didn't open the package because I know for sure that I won't be keeping these. From the package and other photos I've seen, they are really nice, but the series just doesn't appeal to me.




Chronicles of Narnia
We read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in school, but I've never had an interest in reading the books. Anyway, the item representing the Chronicles of Narnia in this box is a greeting card featuring a beautiful scene from the series, by @susanne_draws. It's definitely frame-worthy, but I haven't decided yet what I will be doing with it.




The Lord of the Rings
I am by no means a big fan, but I have read The Hobbit and have seen some of the movies, and I do like Lord of the Rings merch. This Lord of the Rings lapel pin by @jane_mount is pretty flippin' awesome.



A Darker Shade of Magic
I don't think this is such a well-known fandom, except among YA book-lovers (it's a book series by V.E. Schwab that hasn't got a movie/TV show to it's name yet), but since I've joined the OwlCrate Society, I have learned of and been intrigued by these books. It's definitely on my To Buy list. Anyway, the Darker Shade of Magic item in this box is a sticker by Miss Phi with the quote "I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still." I appreciate the sentiment, but can't wholeheartedly agree right now - one of my brother's friends recently tragically passed away while adventuring abroad, so it's a little too soon. :/




The Book
The December "Epic" OwlCrate book is *drum roll* Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst. The cover is gorgeous, and the synopsis is intriguing. It's definitely being added to my TBR pile, and will probably be tackled pretty soon. Also included is a promotional bookmark, and (as always) a letter from the author.

Brief overview: it's about a magical princess who is betrothed to the prince of a neighouring kingdom that forbids magic, so she has to learn to keep her magic under wraps, and ends up working with (and falling for) her future sister-in-law.







So, there it is! I like the box overall. There are things that I won't be keeping, simply because I am not into those fandoms, and I may eventually sell/trade the Dobby, but that's another story!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this unboxing post. Someday I'd like to feel comfortable enough to actually film myself doing an unboxing, and share it publicly... but for now, photos and written descriptions will remain my platform.




Monday, January 2, 2017

Unboxing: Wizarding World LootCrate - November

Hey guys! If you read my last unboxing post (November "Wonderland" OwlCrate), you will remember that I received a free OwlCrate in November after winning one of the photo challenges on Instagram, and so because I was getting a free OwlCrate box, I decided to treat myself to the November Wizarding World by LootCrate. As you may or may not know, that first crate sold out very quickly, but then they did a second batch, which I managed to get in on, that wouldn't be shipped until December. I was fine with that, it would be like a Christmas gift from me to me. As it turns out, this box arrived on the 23rd, and I didn't get my December OwlCrate until the 29th, so I'm really glad that I went ahead and got this one. It's quite a bit more than OwlCrate, but it is bi-monthly, and there's no book included in these boxes, just loot. I considered only getting the one box (because of the cost), but after seeing the contents, I'm definitely going to keep going as long as funds will allow.

So, on the the unboxing! The theme (as I understood it) of this first ever J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World box by LootCrate was Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, in honour of the movie's release that month (which, by the way, was amazing! I loved it, I'm so excited that there are 4 more to come, and I can't wait to see where the story goes!). The box is really cool, it's black with the logo on the top, and what looks like a suitcase lock on the side. Mine was a little damaged from it's long journey, as you can see, but everything inside was fine.



When you open the box, the inside cover graphic is awesome! It's dark teal and says "I want to be a wizard," and it makes me very happy.The first item at the top of the box was this sweet t-shirt! It's black, with the front page of a New York wizard newspaper "The New York Ghost" - it's really cool, I like it a lot.




The next item was this Pigwidgeon stuffed animal. He's kind of cute, but... not sure I have a use (or a desire) for a stuffed Pigwidgeon. :) It's also super soft.



Next item was a Harry Potter keychain. It's really big and bulky, so it's not something I think I would actually use as a keychain, but it's kind of neat. There is a black leather tassel, a metal Hedwig in flight, and a metal Hogwarts letter.



The next item I pulled out of the box was a Fantastic Beasts lapel pin. It is the Bowtruckle from the movie, in Newt's shirt pocket. Again, cute, but a bit bigger than I'd like. But it's a pin, so I think I'll be keeping that one for now.



There was also a Funko Pop! figure, which I was pretty excited about! There were a few possibilities (either characters from the new Fantastic Beasts movie, or Dumbledore). I got Dumbledore, which I was happy with because I didn't already have him, but then my brother ended up giving him to me for Christmas, so now I have a double which is up for trade (any takers??).



And last, but not least, there was this very cool "MACUSA" (Magical Congress of the United States of America, also from the Fantastic Beasts movie) embossed, gilded, leather-bound journal/notebook at the very bottom of the box. I really love the detail on the inside back cover; it shows a map of the USA with little blue dots here and there, and it's labeled "real-time hex indicator."




So, overall, awesome box. I think the items reflect the theme very well, it's a nice variety of items, and I feel like I got my money's worth. It's not necessarily all items that I love or will use, but that's completely my own personal preference. As far as the quality of the items and the overall box goes, I think they've done a great job, and I'm really happy with it!



The next Wizarding World box will be sent in January, and the theme is "A Matter of Time," which I am pretty excited about! Some people were speculating that there might be a Time Turner necklace included - I must admit that I would be very happy if that were the case! But I guess we shall have to wait to see...!

Did you get to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Were you able to get in on the Wizarding World LootCrate? What did you think of it?

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Happy New Year 2017!

Image from Google image search
I always used to think of a new year as a new chapter in life, but it makes so much more sense that it be a new book in the series of life. Love it! How will your story go?

1 book.
12 chapters.
365 pages.
Make. It. Awesome.
Happy New Year!