The Constellation of Moon

The Twisted Tree Review

Posted on January 9, 2019

The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

Part ghost story, part Nordic thriller – this is a twisty, tense and spooky YA debut, perfect for fans of CORALINE and Michelle Paver.

Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma’s cabin and became blind in one eye.

Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor – only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose.

Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, books move around and terror creeps in . . .

Set in the remote snows of contemporary Norway, THE TWISTED TREE is a ghost story that twists and turns – and never takes you quite where you’d expect.

Rating:

I got this lovely book as a proof thanks to the amazing people from Hot Key Books (they’re some of my favourite people, but don’t tell them!). When I first heard about it, I wanted to read it because it sounded creepy enough but not too mcuh (because I don’t really do horror, it gives me nightmares).

The Twisted Tree follows Martha, who lost her eye recently after falling from (pause) the twisted tree (in case you wondered). And since she has fallen, everytime she touches clothing, even if it is just a quick brush, she gets glimpses of feelings or memories from the person who owns the clothing.

So she decides to visit her grandmother, Mormor, who lives in the cabin next to the tree. But when she gets there, Mormor isn’t there. There’s someone else, a young man who likes waistcoats (immediately liked him, waistcoats are bonus points in my scale) and seems to know where everything is, better than Martha.

As Martha starts to get to know Stig (the waistcoat mystery man), the island where the cabin is (and therefore them) becomes more and more creepy, something is out there hunting and it won’t stop, until someone stops it!

Trying not to spoil any further, I have to say, I loved all the Norse/Norwegian mythology woven into this. It doesn’t feel like a stretch but rather as it it belongs perfectly and nothing was out of the ordinary (though everything is). Martha’s “power” is interesting too, and the way she reads clothing was intriguing. The fact that different fabrics/threads show memories slightly different or differnet kinds of memories was one of those little things that make it unique and special. There was SO much detail and care put into this book and it shows.

I had a hard time putting down, and I just wanted to see what happened next. And I loved it. It is a great book, plus it isn’t a huge book (bonus points because sometimes I just want a good read that is a quick read too, and this one ticks both things).

Moon recommends

Go buy this delightful frightful book that comes out tomorrow! (Can you believe it? So soon!) I have a creepy/dark read to recommend next week, so I’ll stick to that, since it is a very good one (promise!).

Book Review, Books

100 Hugs Review

Posted on January 7, 2019

100 Hugs by Chris Riddell

This gorgeous collection of hugs from Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell is the perfect gift for a loved one, or to cheer yourself up on a dark day. It covers every possible type of hug you can think of, but one thing is for certain: every one will touch your heart.

Rating:

100 Hugs was one of my Christmas gifts and it had been on my wishlist for a while. I came upon it after having found a (signed) copy of Art Matters by Neil Gaiman in Forbidden Planet. Art Matters had illustrations by Chris Riddell, and then I found this book and the artist in me wanted it.

It is a collection of drawings of hugs, and as the description says, it has almost every possible type of hug you can think of. The illustrations themselves were just a delight to look through and the fact that they are hugs in many different ways between many different parties made it even better.

Receiving this book was like getting a hug for when I am a little sad and there isn’t someone to give me one. I can just open this and look at it and marvel at how hugs happens and what it is like to be hugged. (I am most certainly a hugs person and I love cuddles so this is a good book).

I also find Chris’ artwork interesting in itself and inspiring.

Moon recommends

Find someone to give you a hug (or someone you can hug, plush toys, pets, etc. count) because this book really makes you want to do that. And if you’d like to see all the illustrations I’d recommend getting a copy (or gifting one to someone you know needs a hug, or a 100 of them).

Books, Subscription Boxes

Power of Illusions Owlcrate Unboxing

Posted on January 5, 2019

Glamourous!

(I was trying to make a pun, I am not good at them).

This is December’s Owlcrate. Owlcrate were my first subscription box back in the day (2015), and introduced me to the magic of ADSOM/Schwab. I did stop my subscription but last year (this is weird to write… it doesn’t feel like last year yet, or rather like this is a new year) I started it again, with the mindset of skipping the boxes I didn’t care about or that didn’t really catch my attention.

December’s theme sounded intriguing and I had had my eye on the book, so it was a good one to have. Usually I go in a circle, but this panoramic puzzle means I am starting from the left and finishing on the right:

King of Fools sampler, this is an exclusive sampler for Owlcrate, and also, the book is the sequel for Ace of Shades. I wasn’t crazy about Daughter of the Burning City (it was one of the first “this is too predictable, I am not crazy about it” books I read) so this is one of those items I am a bit meh about. It also doesn’t really get me because I didn’t read Ace of Shades.
Amber & Dusk by Lyra Selene. And it has an Owlcrate exclusive cover, which I find I like it more this way rather than the original. This comes signed and with an author letter.
On top of the book is an “amber pendant necklace” (not real amber, and it is golden so for me it was more of a “trinket” item but I am sure someone else would find it cute).
The zine with the theme artwork underneath the book.
A Reading Planner (collaboration with Blue Star Press), which I have never really used one of them but I like this one quite a bit. It is pretty, in a spiral bound style which helps a lot to make the most of both sides of the pages. And it is very colourful and positive looking.
The Crown’s Game inspired tree ornament by Juniper and Ivy Designs. It is very intricate and it went straight unto my Christmas tree.
Theme postcard and badge.
Caraval quote tote bag, by Stella Bookish Art. not particularly crazy about it, but I use tote bags for my shopping so won’t complain either.
A Queen Levana inspired candle by Flick the Wick. The candle smells really delicious and the fandom is The Lunar Chronicles. This is probably one of my favourite items but I am partial to candles (if the scents work for me).
A magnet with a Night Circus quote by Ink & Wonder Designs. Not crazy about it either.

All in all it was a nice box, there were items I liked a lot and the exclusive cover was one I liked more than the original, which is a plus. But on the other hand, I am a bit tired of seeing tote bags/cushions/quotes from Caraval in the same style or similar one. I know they choose fandoms that are “big” but I’d like to see smaller fandoms or just things that stick to the theme without being exclusively the same fandom every other box and their uncle/aunt has included already.

What would I’ve liked to see in this box? Maybe a card set and some “magic tricks” guide or maybe a small magic trick gimmick that made me feel like a magician? (Maybe a wand that brings flowers out?) It definitely would have made me smile a lot and probably laugh trying to master the trick and then trying said trick on friends and family.

Book Review, Books

Wild Review

Posted on January 3, 2019

Wild by Emily Hughes

“You cannot tame something so happily wild.”

In this beautiful picture book by Hawaiian artist Emily Hughes, we meet a little girl who has known nothing but nature from birth—she was taught to talk by birds, to eat by bears, and to play by foxes. She is unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild. That is, until she is snared by some very strange animals that look oddly like her, but they don’t talk right, eat right, or play correctly. She’s puzzled by their behavior and their insistence on living in these strange concrete structures: there’s no green here, no animals, no trees, no rivers. Now she lives in the comfort of civilization. But will civilization get comfortable with her?

In her debut picture book, Hughes brings an uncanny humor to her painterly illustrations. Her work is awash with color, atmosphere, and a stunning visual splendor that will enchant children while indulging their wilder tendencies. Wild is a twenty-first-century answer to Maurice Sendak’s children’s classic—it has the same inventiveness, groundbreaking art, and unmissable quirkiness.

Rating:

Let’s start the year easing into it with a picture book!

The illustrations of Wild are gorgeous. Just look at those huge eyes and the untamed hair with flowers tangled in it and bits of branches and leaves. (I’d have a major heart attack if my hair was as tangled and “wild” as that, it’d be so difficult to untangle and to sort out…) That caught my eye and was part of what made me choose this book.

The little girl makes me think of nature and defnitely of wilderness, but not a bad kind, but a natural, growing, budding kind. I guess the best way to describe it is “green”.

The animals that find her and take her in are endearing. They include her into their world and teach her how to live (the illustrations are funny and full of vibrancy and wildness). And our little girl is happy, she is wild, she just is.

But then, some strange “animals” (humans) find her and take her in. They try to teach her all the things she already knows, how to eat, how to talk, how to play, but it isn’t right and she doesn’t like it, nor does she understand it (one of the pages reminded me of a scene in My Fair Lady).

It was a joy to leaf through this book, look at the illustraions and feel wild alongside the little girl.

Moon recommends

Go read! Just go read, whatever tickles your fancy. Wild is a great choice and it is a small book, but there are other books to read and even just a few paragraphs may be good for you, who knows?

Wrap-ups and Tags

2018 Wrap Up, 2019 is Here!

Posted on January 1, 2019

Happy New Year you book dragons, fire bugs, whatever you are! 🙂

Cliche but wow, it is 2019 already, can you believe it? Which to me means I will keep wiritng 2018 instead of 2019 for the next few weeks while I adjust, I have a piñata party to finish preparing for, and big things coming for this year.

But before plunging headlong into this New Year, all shiny, I wanted to recap on my 2018 and do a super speedy summary.

I launched my 101 for subscription boxes and it was a good hit (mostof it still works, however I do not subscribe to the same boxes anymore). Also, yes I know that wasn’t in 2018 but wait, there’s a reason.

Someone tagged me in a “how many subscription boxes did you buy this year?” kind of Tweet, and lo and behold, I counted. Want to guess how many I bought this year? (It is a rough number because I may have missed a few special edition boxes).

I bought over 65 subscriptions boxes. 12 Book Box Club, 12 LitJoy Crate, 5 Illumicrate (this includes the Shades of Magic/Vicious special box), about 6-9 Fairyloot boxes, around 6-8 Yume Twins, 12 Stickii Club (plus one advent calendar), 3 or 4 Owlcrates, one Holiday special crate from Spearcraft, one or two Junior boxes from those that do Junior version, 3 or 4 Wildest Dreams boxes… And seriously I have lost count.

On my last post I hinted of reducing the number, and this is why! I have bought so many boxes, have not caught up with reading all the book in them and decided I want to catch up and also bulk less. So I am sticking with LitJoy, Illumicrate and Book Box Club, with a top up of Owlcrate and some Fairyloot boxes, and maybe a few special ones, but definitely going to try to be more picky about it.

What else did I do in 2018?

Preorders! Loads and loads of preorders! I preordered over 150 books during 2018 (some where 2019 books, but I only decided to start counting properly per year in the last week, so yeah some overlap there). Which meant I bought 4 new bookcases and I have now run out of places where I can put bookshelves (oh dear!)

And the blog has kept mostly to a post every other day (with some contributions from Bea, just to make it more interesting).

And finally, my goodreads goal was 100 and I read 145.

So, let’s jump to 2019!

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My goals are relatively simple:

Keep blogging, reviewing books.
Goodreads challenge of 120 books for the year.
Keep preordering and supporting authors, but be selective.*
Try to love my body more, as I tackle body dysmorphia (which didn’t affect me as a teenager but has it’s claws on me as an adult)
Do a monthly giveaway on Twitter (which I have done for at least half of 2018)
Loose 1-2 stones to help my joints deal better with HMS (Hyper Mobile Syndrome)
Write the stories I start then stop then start again and never properly finish because I am tryng to adapt them to please everybody. I am going to write for one reader only, or at least just one in mind.

*I am compiling a spreadsheet of all my 2019 preorders, which you can view here if you’d like to check it out. I made it for my own record keeping but people were interested so I decided to share because sharing is caring!

That’s all from me today. Hope you had a good 2018 (or as good as it could be) and here’s to a 2019 that’s a little bit better than 2018 (hopefully).

Subscription Boxes

Pokemon Holiday Parade Yume Twins Unboxing

Posted on December 30, 2018

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Let’s go everyone!

December’s Yume Twin’s box was all about pokemon (sadly I had not as much Pokemon goodness as I wished for, but nevermind). Starting from the far left and going towards the right (yes, it’s a weird layout, that’s what happens when you do a “panoramic” puzzle instead of the wisdom of a normal puzzle).

A Pikachu rice mold. I like rice molds, they’re cute, they make great onigiris and it is fun. However, Pikachu has thin ears so I predict a failure for me because I am not that good at it (and do not have the patience for fiddly ears). However, it is a great add on and fun!
Bonus cozy fluffy socks, which I squeaked a little about when I unboxed because I love cozy socks and have had to get rid of some so it was perfect to get new ones in here!
A Pikachu case. It comes with a carabiner and it looks quite sturdy, almsot like a game console kind of case, but it doesn’t seem the right size for either the 3DS or the Switch, so I am still trying to figure this one out.
Hello Kitty (or Pokemon, but I got Hello Kitty) stickers and sticky notes. Which brought me back to my childhood where I had a CD game for my Windows 98 computer (yeah, I am old now, oh well)
A pocket animal plushie, in this case a cow for me, which is super cute, so no complaints there. It is squishable and good as a key ring and against stress.
And at the end we have a charm, I got Vaporeon but you could get several different Eevee evolutions or even just Eevee or Pikachu with a Pokeball. Cute too.

I liked the box, but it was a bit sad because there wasn’t as much Pokemon in mine as I wished, and I hoped there would be a Pokeball themed item (maybe a lip balm, or a plush Pokeball or something).

Also, this is my second to last box of YumeTwins for now, as I am cutting down on my boxes (or trying to), There are reasons, which you can read about on New Year’s post 🙂

Books, Subscription Boxes

Rule the Stars Book Box Club Unboxing

Posted on December 28, 2018

The last Book Box Club of the year, and it has some interesting things in it. (Plus I didn’t guess this book, so yay!). Starting from the theem card and going clockwise:

Theme card, with a cute blue and pastel decoration.
The secret clubhouse invite, still personalised. I love the fact that those are still personalised in every box. It is one of my favourite things (but not the only one for sure) about Book Box Club.
Astronaut bath bomb. Isn’t it super cute? I loved it so much, it’s a cute shape and perfectly tehmed (and the blue matches the theme colours, so perfect too).
This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson. This book gives me a bit of “The Loneliest Girl in the Universe vibes, and I genuinely hope it is as good as that one was.
Book Box Club 2019 calendar! I had my artwork in this year’s calendar but didn’t make artwork in time for this one, so woops! But the artwork from all the artists is gorgeous and I love it!
The Binging bookmark, which helped remind me to get this book on preorder.
A Cinder inspired candle, full of glitter, all the shiny!
A cool double sized zipper pouch/purse, which shows different pictures or rather, gives you a “front” and “back” view of it.

So let’s see, I liked the box but it wasn’t my most favourite sadly. Still, I am looking forward to another year of Book Box Club!

Book Review, Books

Only Love Can Break Your Heart Review

Posted on December 26, 2018

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Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Katherine Webber

Sometimes a broken heart is all you need to set you free… Reiko loves the endless sky and electric colours of the Californian desert. It is a refuge from an increasingly claustrophobic life of family pressures and her own secrets. Then she meets Seth, a boy who shares a love of the desert and her yearning for a different kind of life. But Reiko and Seth both want something the other can’t give them. As summer ends, things begin to fall apart. But the end of love can sometimes be the beginning of you…

Rating:

I struggled a little with this book. It has some really really good things, but it also has some pet peeves so it was hard to rate it highly due to them (and there were sadly a lot).

One of the topics of the book is what the concept of love is, and another is grief. Both give it really good points, and they are explored in an amazing way. Each character affected by the death of Mika grieves differently and you can see this (and as the story progresses, Rei becomes more aware of it too) which I found really good. This grief not only affects each of them and who they are, but their relationships and as I mentioned above, it is done very well. (I would even add, the grief you feel for different deaths/loses is different in itself. You think you know what grief is after one and then another one happens and it is not the same!)

However, Reiko was an extremely spoiled person and that meant low points. Life is so “easy” and she just can’t seem to think outside her circle, even when things aren’t going the way they are meant to (or that she thinks they should be going).

The homecoming party was odd, and I know that it is part of what spurred the whole book but it felt a bit empty. However, things start to get better from this point on in the book. For most of the first half, all I did was cringe a lot about almost everything going on. And there is a huge case of parents that are there when needed as plot devise but absent the rest of the time, conveniently. (I understand it is hard to make parents be part of the story, but in this particular one, they should’ve been less a plot devise and more part of it, they could’ve played a bigger better part).

Still, I liked some parts and even had to share a quote (last paragraph of page 286, UK paperback edition) with my friends, because it was just very perfect and I had to. And I found the exploration of “who do we fall in love”, and how people change (or our perception of them, or even ourselves change) a refreshing topic and it was a lot less romance than I expected it to be (which in this case is a plus).

Moon recommends

I’d say to give this lovely book a spin. If you’re more curious on explorations about grief try Letters to the Lost and for some reason this book reminded me of Floored, so why not check that one out too?

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that whatever the circumstances it was as good as it could be.

Book Review

How To Make Friends With A Ghost Review

Posted on December 24, 2018

How To Make Friends With A Ghost by Rebecca Green

What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren’t looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you’ll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.

A whimsical story about ghost care, Rebecca Green’s debut picture book is a perfect combination of offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations, and the timeless theme of friendship.

Rating:

Well, if Dickens can write A Christmas Carol full of ghosts, I can post a review of a book that tells you how to befriend one! (befriend a ghost, not a book, that is a matter for another post/day).

I stumbled into this book amongst my Amazon recommendations, because I read a lot of picture books, middle grade and YA. And apparently a lot about ghosts (?). And I am very glad I decided to buy it.

The illustrations are gorgeous (and Rebecca Green is both author and illustrator) and so dreamy but also have a slight vintage feel and reminded me of the drawings in old classics.

The book is less of a story and more a “how to guide”. Probably the best how to guide I have ever read. It starts by telling you how to find a ghost to befriend. It also gives you a some Do’s and Don’t’s, with helpful instructions and even a few recipes to cook for your ghost or how to make your ghost friend much happier.

And the ending is one of the sweetest ones possible. (Won’t spoil it, but it was really nice and explains why having a ghost friend is the best kind of friend you can have).

Also, yes, I changed my background puzzle. Funny side story, it is a 1000 piece puzzle, that somehow came with one piece duplicated and one missing (so it is the 1000 pieces, technically no piece missing, except there is). And the duplicate kept confusing me a lot. But at least it has a Christmas/winter mood 🙂

Moon recommends

Read How to Make Friends with a Ghost, because it is sweet and lovely, and friendship is important. And I hope you have a good Christmas Eve. If you don’t celebrate, have a lovely day, if you do, don’t stress too mcuh and enjoy the family and company.

Thanks for taking the time to read my reviews and musings 🙂

Book Review, Books

Shadows on the Moon Review

Posted on December 22, 2018

Shadows on the Moon by Zoë Marriott

On my fourteenth birthday when the sakura was in full bloom, the men came to kill us. We saw them come, Aimi and me. We were excited, because we did not know how to be frightened. We had never seen soldiers before.

Suzume is a shadow-weaver. She can create mantles of darkness and light, walk unseen in the middle of the day, change her face. She can be anyone she wants to be. Except herself.

Suzume died officially the day the Prince’s men accused her father of treason. Now even she is no longer sure of her true identity.

Is she the girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama? A lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens? Or Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands?

Everyone knows Yue is destined to capture the heart of a prince. Only she knows that she is determined to use his power to destroy Terayama.

And nothing will stop her. Not even love.

Rating:

I got this book and the companion (Barefoot in the Wind) at Walker’s YA Winter Wonderland Event (which was amazing!). I had eyed it before the event but my never ending TBR meant I hadn’t prioritised it (shame on me).

The book is set in the Moonlit Lands which is similar to Japan but not exactly. There is magic, and the Moon is the “god(ess)” of this world. Suzume has a happy life, and is celebrating her birthday, when men come and kill his father and her cousin. She manages to escape by wishing herself to not be there and for them not to see her.

This is a “retelling” of Cinderella, but not the usual kind. Suzume has lost her identity with the shock of everything, and part of her suspects what caused it but then another part of her is in survival mode, and as such she makes use of her shadow weaving inadvertedly.

It was interesting to read it but at times I felt there was a lot trying to happen in one single story that maybe wasn’t necessary. However, all in all, the shadow weaving was an interesting concept and I wish there had been more on that and less on other parts of the story.

The revenge plot line isn’t an immediate “you killed my father (and cousin) prepare to die”. It takes a while for Suzume to figure out who exactly did this and why, despite the fact that it is easy to see it as a reader.

There is also her learning on how to use shadow weaving, and I like Youta, though it felt like he was just there as a plot devise, which I wished he wasn’t, because he was one of my favourite characters (and the hunting falcon).

In general, it was a good twist to Cinderella, and the ending didn’t leave me annoyed or anything. It tied up nicely and made you feel satisfied. But it didn’t stick to me as mucha s I wish it had and I didn’t care much for Suzume, but rather I was curious how the story in general would pan out rather than because I cared about her. This is an odd thing for me, since I usually become either quite invested in the world, the side stories or characters, but for this book, the main thing was the story itself.

Moon recommends

There a lot of retellings of different fairytales, like Cinder for Cinderella (and Shadows on the Moon), or Hunted by Meagan Spooner (or any of Robin McKinley’s retellings, Beauty is one of many).