Book Review

Everything, Everything Review

I borrowed this book from a friend because the film was coming out and I had to have read the book before, but then didn’t give it much thought. I grabbed it because I felt I should read it and that was that.

Want to guess who finished it in one sitting?

20171014_104126.jpg

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. 

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20pxMoonKestrel Logo2 20pxMoonKestrel Logo2 20pxMoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

At first glance and after finishing this, I was pretty happy with the book. It is an easy read with a lot of space and is basically a love story. It also filled me because I had just been mentioning a day before reading it that I wished there was a book that talked about living with photophobia/light sensitivity (which is not the same as being allergic to the world). So I was in a good point to read this at the time.

However, I saw the plot twist early on and part of me feels bad about how the illness was handled. I admit I struggled to understand why the mother had to be a doctor, and how they managed to have the airlock, and then why they had a nurse coming and going, all those comings and goings, and all the food Maddie was having.

Either way, I’d say that it could’ve done better representing illness but as a light read it was good and a little bit different than usual.

Moon recommends

This book is the light and fluffy version of Lies like Love by Louisa Reid. Somehow I managed to read Lies Like Love first which is why I probably guessed pretty much all the plot here (the one in Lies Like Love is a bit more dark and slightly different). If you are in it for the romance then stick to Everything, Everything.

Disclaimer: There is an Amazon Associates link, but if you choose to use them and buy from them, know that you’re just helping me buy more books and feed my reading needs. Book synopsis is from Good Reads.

 

Subscription Boxes

Pixel Me Gaming Spearcraft Unboxing

So, one of the books I really wanted was Warcross, and when I found out the theme for Spearcraft I was sure it’d be the book I wanted, so I fished discount codes and tried to get it as cheap as possible (because it is on the expensive side with expensive shipping to the UK).

On a funny note, I ended up winning a giveaway for Warcross, so now I have both hardback editions (US & UK). UK edition is the colourful one, US is a robin egg/turquoise colour and smaller.

20171006_133115.jpg

Starting from the book and going clockwise:

  • US edition of Warcross by Marie Lu. (link provided is for the UK version)
  • Pacman earrings (they are quite cute).
  • Nerve sticker (the film was interesting but I wasn’t really into the story even from the book).
  • Ready Player One bookmark
  • Mario Bros inspired soaps (cute, I like them, Mario was one of the first games I played n a console, alongside the shoot the ducks one)
  • Hunger Games quote magnet
  • Character card
  • Ready Player One quote print by treehousebooks
  • Triforce wax melt
  • Mario Bros keyring, which is now with my keys, to show my geeky gaming side.
  • Hunger Games quote postcard

**Start of rant about gaming**
I have to admit with such a massive gaming industry and such a diverse choice of games, I was expecting less of the same one (there’s two of each, Hunger Games, Mario Bros and Ready Player One) and more variety. And to me Hunger Games is out of place because it is not a pixel game nor is it console or anything, it is a book fandom (and film if you want to go with that).

I may rant but I love gaming and love games and it was a little like “but why is HG here when there is so much more that could be here instead? So many series of games, so much Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft and all other gaming developers have brought out that we love, why not include them in here?”. PS. I restrained myself from reciting all the possible games that could’ve inspired an item because you’d be stuck in a vortex hole of game names and weird old stuff like Chips or Carmen San Diego and that red hat… Plus the 8 bit music… **End of rant**

Ignoring the gaming bit, it was a nice box though I do prefer when the boxes have less “paper” items and I am happy to get my Warcross book. Due to shipping + box costs, it is not good for me so I haven’t kept it but it will probably be quite good for others in the US.

Subscription Boxes

Young Adult PageHabit

So after choosing a Fantasy PageHabit, I won the chance of adding an extra book and some goodies to my box, so I was crazy and got another PageHabit, but this time YA.

I don’t regret this extra box at all and was very pleased with it.

20171004_184341.jpg

Starting from the card at the bottom and going clockwise:

  • PageHabit donates books to other countries for every box bought so it is also a charitable and fun effort to get this box. On the other side of the card it mentions all the books in the different genres that were includd this month (I liked this since it helps me see if the box I have is the one I would’ve enjoyed most or not).
  • Time Traveler patch (same as previous box)
  • Bookmark (same as other box)
  • Comic book pin (also same)
  • Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova. I had my eye on this book so it was awesome to receive it as the bonus book I had won.
  • Feather pen, it has a super fine tip which made me swoon (fine tips and ultra fine tips are awesome)
  • The short story of the box.
  • A Horcrux keychain.
  • The actual book of the box, Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel, another interesting read, which came with author’s letter and annotated, so it is fun.
  • And a cat/fox coaster.

I enjoyed the box so much I decided to subscribe again. Finding out it had almost the same things as the other box, I decided to just get one box and add an add-on book. I’d definitely recommend it since it has a broader range that most book boxes so you can choose different ones and pad up as you’d like.

Art

Moon Draws: Book Box Club Bookmarks Pt. 2

On part 1, I showed the penciled sketches for the bookmarks, which didn’t have the right proportions for bookmark sizing nor did they include a hidden fox MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey.

After some working on them, a few progress shots shared through my Instagram stories, and several late nights and early mornings working on them, they are finally done.

Each one has elements from the book they are based from, and elements based on the theme of the box they were featured in. Each one also has the hidden fox logo in them (in some it is very easy to spot in some it isn’t as easy).

Bookmark Collection 1 LowRes
Pictured above are the first four bookmarks. Enchanted Forest (The Call), Freedom Squad (The Hypnotist), Secrets & Sisterhood (The Stranger Game) and Magic by Night (Bone Gap).

The completion of them also means some news, the opening of my shop! At the moment the only thing available is a preorder of the bookmarks. The preorder closes on the 15th of October. That week, the bookmarks will be shipped to all those that preordered. After that preorder, bookmarks will be made available for individual purchase (so if you only want one bookmark or one of the designs, you can choose that particular one).

Bookmark Collection 2 Low Res
Immortal Stories (Ink), Troublemakers (All About Mia), Time Travel (Waking in Time), and Belles & Beasts (Hunted).

The designs have been digitally inked and done at high resolution (1200dpi) to ensure high quality when printing. They are one sided so that any art supply can be used without feeling guilty about it bleeding to the other side (not that it should since it is cardstock but it may).

Bookmark Collection 3 LowRes
Wizards at War (Spellslinger), Schoolroom Scandals (One of Us is Lying), Spells & Remedies (The Disappearances) and Fearless Females (Things A Bright Girl Can Do).

I enjoyed doing them and have plans for making one per box coming out. There is also the availability of custom colouring designs if you want to promote your book or are just a big fan of certain series.

If you would like to preorder a bookmark set, head out to Moon Kestrel Designs.

 

Subscription Boxes

Fantasy PageHabit

I don’t remember how I found out about PageHabit but I love the idea of an annotated book so I jumped into the bandwagon with this.

After purchasing it, I started hearing bad reviews about the service and applying codes and discounts and worried a little, but I have to say, their customer service was top notch and really helpful. My tracking email got lost and they quickly gave me the tracking link and helped me cancel my subscriptions (I wanted to receive the box before it renewed so I could make up my mind about it).

20171004_184626

Starting from the book and going clockwise: (one of these days I am going to do it counterclockwise, just to play with your heads)

  • Magicians Impossible by Brad Abraham. It also included a letter from the author, where he explains that the title came from a blunder, instead of saying Mission Impossible, it came out as Magicians Impossible. This made me laugh but also made me curious. There are sticky notes on the pages with annotations from Brad inside the book which makes it even more interesting!
  • A short story specifically commissioned for Page Habit, Wild Things.
  • A cute fox/cat coaster (I think it is a coaster but it could also be a mug cover, to keep your drink warm, I am unsure).
  • A comic book pin, very colourful, cute and I was pleased to see a pin there (yes, I like pins, very much).
  • A Time Traveler iron on patch, I don’t really have anything I iron patches on (I rarely ever use an iron, I refuse to iron, so I have a permanently crinkled look on all my clothes or buy clothes that don’t require ironing, I’d rather be reading!) but I still like the patch, maybe I will stick it to my drawing clipboard…
  • A quote bookmark which I kept showing upside down during the unboxing because it is tricky to unbox and film and talk, and my coordination is limited but it is a gorgeous bookmark.

As you can see, it is isn’t a bulging book box but the value is there and I loved all items so I was very pleased to receive this box and now I want another.  What do you think?

 

Subscription Boxes

September’s LitCube

If you read my post about all subscription boxes I had tried, then you are aware I had tried LitCube before. I decided to give it a go again since the theme was ‘Apple Spice and Everything Nice’ and it is autumny and it just makes me feel cosy. (I confess I love Alpine Spiced Apple Cider instant mix even if I don’t add sugar to my tea or coffee or any other beverage).

20171002_193809.jpg

Starting from the theme card and going clockwise:

  • Apple Spice and Everything Nice card, it is quite lovely and it made me feel excited about contents.
  • Apple Cider lip balm by Black Tie Market, I haven’t tried it yet but anything with apple cider flavour is a win in my books so looking forward to trying it (and I do like lip balm tins, it reminds me of childhood and shared secrets).
  • Apple Cinnamon Donuts candle by Novelly Yours. It smells like just baked apple cinnamon rolls and it makes my mouth water and I felt like I was in heaven.
  • The Simplicty of Cider by Amy E. Reichert, which I didn’t know about but will surely read, gives that autumn vibe perfectly.
  • Bare baked apple slices with cinnamon. They didn’t last long and were just right, not too crsipy not soggy and not too spiced but also not bland.
  • Fingerless gloves. These were the item I wasn’t so sure about and then I put them on and really liked them, they are soft, don’t feel flimsy/badly made and look pretty rather than bulky and horrid (for the record, I have small hands not child like but small, in all fairness most of me is small).

So I enjoyed this box a lot, the only downside is that there was a customs charge which made it a lot more expensive. I think I will only buy one-off boxes when the theme is something I really want to get, but if you are in the US I’d say, go ahead and enjoy it.

Book Review

Franklin’s Flying Bookshop Review

As soon as I saw this book I knew I had to buy it.

6685b2de-37c9-4719-9ffc-781e39106d47.jpg

Franklin’s Flying Bookshop by Jen Campbell and Katie Harnett

Franklin the dragon loves stories and loves reading stories to people too, but everyone is too scared to even talk to him. One day, he meets a girl named Luna who, rather than being afraid, is fascinated to meet Franklin, having recently read all about dragons in one of her books. They instantly become friends and talk nonstop about what they’ve read: books about roller-skating, King Arthur, spiders, and how to do kung fu. Together they hatch a plan to share their love of books with others by opening a bookshop―a flying bookshop, that is―right on Franklin’s back!

Franklin, a well-read and peace-loving dragon, and Luna, a young girl with an independent spirit and an insatiable love of reading, make fantastic role models for young children. Franklin’s Flying Bookshop brings the magic of classic fairy tales into the twenty-first century through exquisite illustrations, and will enchant children as well as anyone who loves books.

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20pxMoonKestrel Logo2 20pxMoonKestrel Logo2 20pxMoonKestrel Logo2 20pxMoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Reasons I loved this book:

  • This book has a lovely green dragon, Franklin.
  • Franklin loves reading. So many books to read.
  • Franklin wants to read to people.
  • Luna listens to Franklin.
  • They both love to read.
  • There’s books in it and fun things like a mice band.
  • Franklin makes his dream come true with help from Luna.

It is a really cute book with gorgeous illustrations (it is also a BIG book) and the wording is perfect for read out loud storytime. It made me laugh and it made me want to go to Franklin’s town and fly in the bookshop (how cool is that?).

Moon recommends

You try this book out, it is utterly gorgeous. I’m not that good at recommending children’s books but I can recommend the Dragonology book which is about the same size and makes a great companion. Any extra dragon books are a good idea. But do get this one, it is ever so lovely, and the illustrations.

(Moon showed this book to one of her friends and she ended up recommending to book to one of her friends and now we are a chain of “hey, go buy it, it is awesome, even if we are adults”).

If you’d like to buy a copy for yourself, you can find it here.

Disclaimer: There is an Amazon Associates link, but if you choose to use them and buy from them, know that you’re just helping me buy more books and feed my reading needs. Book synopsis is from Good Reads.

 

 

 

Subscription Boxes

All that Sass FairyLoot

I am doing this unboxing a little earlier than usual because of one of the items in it.

20170926_183742.jpg

Starting from botom left with the bookmark + notepad and going clockwise:

  • All that sass bookmak (there has been a collectible bookmark since I think April/May this year).
  • Grisha Bad Ideas notepad by Alexis Lampley. This is probably my favourite item from the box. You can pull each page away which I love and the design is gorgeous.
  • All that sass theme card.
  • High Warlock Candle by In the Wick of Time, it smeels quite lovely and my only complaint is that it is ever so small. It’ll run out too quick!
  • Even The Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett is the book for this month and it sounds amazing. I am quite excited to read it!
  • Weasley Twins inspired magnet by Ink and Wonder Designs which is now happily on my fridge alongside other bookish magnets. Thre’s something quite cheerful in it.
  • Quote Tote Bag by Miss Phi.
  • Rattle the Stars beanie by Reverie and Ink, FairyLoot exclusive. Definitely not my cup of tea because I don’t wear beanies and least of all with pom poms (it just doesn’t go well with me, though I envy those that can pull it off).
  • ADSOM and Lunar Chronicles prints by Taratjah. I actually recognised Lila, so I was very pleased with myself (I couldn’t recognise the other because I haven’t read the books)
  • Bookish merch (sampler of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and a Tower of Dawn bookmark).
  • And finally, the one item, Hot Chocolate for Sassy Demi Gods by Brontie & Co. I was super excited when I saw it in the box, and immediately got my hot choc mug out (I was born in Mexico so I have a special hot choc mug and I know my hot chocolates, I do love them dearly). I can’t have any kind of milk that has been heated/warmed up so I usually make them in hot water (I have tried all brands available at supermarkets and know what to expect in flavour if they are meant only to be done with milk). So I had braced myself for it being a little less amazing due to me being weird. What I didn’t brace myself was for the amount of spices in it. This does not taste at all like chocolate, it tastes like one of the powdered ginger drinks from Asian shops. And yes, in the lenghty description (in a hard to read font in orange over black background, a killer for people with eye issues) it mentions spices, but when I think of a spiced hot chocolate, it is there but doesn’t kill the flavour of chocolate. In this one, there is sadly no hot chocolate flavour, just spices. Thankfully, because I posted a warning on my instagram stories, a few other subscribers avoided allergic reactions due to the spices, so this is why I am posting this early.

To clarify, I do not think this is a bad box (I actually enjoyed most of it) or that the hot chocolate was bad. I just think labelling could have been better and the hot chocolate recipe is definitely very niche since most people do not like that amount of spice in any beverage unless actually intending to have a spiced drink. (I am always having to tone down my cooking due to me being Mexican amongst British people). I am still all up for hot chocolate in my FairyLoot boxes, though hopefully a mix more like what Options does that can be done in hot water and it is lovely.

 

Books

The Guilty Reader Tag

So I wasn’t tagged to do this at all but I found it fun so decided to do it anyway. I am curious to see how “guilty” I am.

Question Number 1: Have you ever regifted a book?
Yes. I have had to move a lot and strip down to basics in the last 5 years, so I would gift away books I had finished reading that I thought would find a good home. Some of those were gifted books, some weren’t. Of course, none of them had deep meaning in having received the book, the ones that are a special gift I have kept.

Question Number 2: A book you’ve said that you read but you haven’t.
This one is tricky, because I don’t usually say I have read a book I haven’t. What may happen is I think I have read it and I actually haven’t and I am thinking about a different book. Usually this is because a) another book has the same/similar title or b) the plot is so much the same that I think it is that book.

Question Number 3: Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?
No. If I have kept a book it is because it has been gifted/given to me. I wouldn’t want someone to lose their book because of me.

Question Number 4: Have you ever read a series out of order?
Kind of. Some series I have started with the core books (like for Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, the core is the Dragonflight trilogy but they are not the first chronological books to be read) and gone from them and grabbed here and there. I would read them as I got hold of them. I sometimes just want to read a certain book in the series and that is that.

Question Number 5: Have you ever spoiled a book for someone?
Not sure. I don’t think so. Most of my life there weren’t many people to discuss books with so there was no one to spoil. And nowadays I usually ask before dropping spoilers. Maybe I have without realising it?

Question Number 6: Have you every dog-eared a page?
Yes. For as long as I can remember I wouldn’t write notes or do anything to books, then a friend lent me Carlos Castañeda’s books and asked me to make notes on the margin, dog-ear the pages and all that since he wanted to find those notes when he re-read it. There were also his notes there so it was very interesting to see what had sparked his interest and some of the thoughts he had while reading it. After that experience I am more lenient, but it will depend on the book. Non-fiction, poetry and things like that are more prone to get marked than usual YA fiction.

Question Number 7: Have you ever told someone that you own a book but you actually don’t?
Probably. Mostly because as I mentioned before, my books were doing a quick turnaround and moving forward at some point in my life, so I may have had it then given it away and forgotten. But this is rare and I can’t remember a time this happened.

Question Number 8; Have you ever said that you haven’t read a book but you have?
No. I have read odd books and books that spark reactions like Twilight series or Flowers in the Attic (if you do not know what I am talking about, one word: incest) and don’t deny it at all. Don’t see why I should. My tastes have refined and some books I read genuinely because I was trying to find what the hype was (nowadays I mostly keep away from some rather than make myself go through reading it so I don’t DNF).

Question Number 9: Have you ever skipped chapters or pages in a book?
Yes. The most recent one was Daughter of the Burning City. As early as she has breakfast with her “father” I had suspicions and skipped a few pages and realised that I was right so my suspicious took better shape and I kept skipping until I had half read the book and half skipped it (and my suspicions were so point on that it was sad and annoying and I spoiled myself for it). I sometimes skip parts if I am considering DNFing the book and want to read forward to see if it is worth reading and it’ll get better. Usually, if I decide to keep going I will read what I skipped. Also when I was younger, my mum would only let me read adult fiction if I skipped the sex pages, so I would.

Question Number 10: Have you ever bad-mouthed a book?
So what exactly does this mean? Said bad things about it? I try not to but if the book is bad, it is bad. Can’t change that.

This is all my guilty reader tag, and I tag Maja and Nikki (once you read this, try doing it on your blog).

I guess I am a not too guilty about guilty things.

Wrap-ups and Tags

Moon’s September Round-up

This is my first round-up but it is not the kind to summarise what I posted, but rather what didn’t make it into a post of their own but is still worth mentioning.

Thank you gift

Someone posted on Facebook about her mug being broken (a mug that had a Sarah J. Maas quote, exclusive to FairyLoot) and I said she could have mine. Thankfully for all her fans I am not a fan. I asked if she could pay shipping but gave the mug away for free. I am a weirdo that likes sending care packages to people so I ended up adding another exclusive Feyre mug and a book and I can’t remember what else. The box took a detour to Canada and finally arrived.

I did this without expecting anything in return so it was a lovely surprise to get this lovely gift. (Also, those Chocolade Kanjers are awesome).

Ninja Book Box giveaway

I don’t usually win things, but somehow I managed to win a set of bookmarks from Ninja Book Box. They are gorgeous.

20170829_175014

Booklepuff giveaway

Since I became so lucky I also won a small instagram giveaway done by Booklepuff.

20170928_133225.jpg

Twitter giveaways

I ended opening a Twitter account to join #BooksBindUs (it’s Maja’s fault, entirely) and ended up winning a copy of Warcross from one of the giveaways. The funny bit is I also got that in a book box and then Marie Lu asked to donate to Puerto Rico and she was sending signed books to donators so I also got one of those. I wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something about Warcross… (it helps I am a gamer and a programmer/engineer).

I also started my own giveaway for a copy of After The Fire by Will Hill (what else would I giveaway, right?). I loved doing this so will probably do more giveaways soon enough.

Book Buddle

Book sleeves are awesome, but I had been quite unlucky in snagging the prints from the shops I wanted and always missed out. So I decided to find all possible ones, see prices and shipping and choose one. Book Buddle had a fox print I wanted so I asked if she (Jules) could make me one in the right size, and ended up being unable to choose between two fabrics and ordering 3 book sleeves.

20170913_133936

Of course, they are so gorgeous and perfect (those moons glow in the dark) that I checked if she could make a ‘book’ sleeve for Petunia. [Caveat: Petunia is my Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet I use for digital artwork, she is a bit petulant so the name came from that and she gives me heart attacks by deciding not to work, or the drivers aren’t right even if they actually are.] The sleeve for Petunia is also delightful and it has a little button to stop her from trying to escape. I cannot recommend Book Buddle enough.

20170927_213958

Other things to note

Merake Candles resupply, because Heather makes some of the best candles I know about.

20170914_184216

I managed to find a fox mug that was a cuteness overload and I had to buy it.

20170907_232112

I also got my hair dyed by Nikki and a different day she helped me learn how to make Yorkshire puddings and a good gravy. Being non British I am slowly mastering the art of a Sunday Roast. I can carve a chicken easily and my veggies are to die for, same as good roast potatoes, but I still forget to make gravy and had never made Yorkies. This was a huge success.

20170916_192049

Clipboard have been a part of my drawing life for quite long. I used to have a very battered very decorated one that had been with me since 2004-2005 but it got lost in one of my many moves. Finally I decided to find a replacement and decorate it. It has been loads of fun, experimenting around and I found out temporary tattoos work well on wood… who knew?

20170907_163722

Last but not least, if you have been following me before this blog was born, you will know who Knit Anele is (if you haven’t, just keep an eye out for the next edition of Meet the Character).

Anyway, when I created her, I always intended to make her superhero dress something in real life to be worn by myself. This had been put in the back burner for ages until this month when I got in contact with a dressmaker (I tried several but only one worked out). It was a lot of fun and we have chosen fabrics so I am very excited about this.

20170919_205738

Subscription Box Tally

So this month I got:

  • Book Box Club
  • FairyLoot
  • LeaferBox x2 in one box
  • Page Habit YA
  • Page Habit Fantasy
  • Spearcraft
  • LitCube
  • YumeTwins

I think this is all for the month of September. I am looking forward to October starting and the lovely things to come.

How was your month?