The Constellation of Moon

September YumeTwins Unboxing

Posted on September 30, 2017

After a lot of umming and erring, I decided to stop my subscription to YumeTwins. So this is the last box I will unbox from them (until a specific theme/item changes my mind and I do a one-off box).

My reasons to stop are relatively simple. I do not get the most out of the items sent. It is not that they aren’t good items or good value, but rather that they don’t fit in my lifestyle at the moment and as much as I find them cute and find smiles in them, they are gathering more dust than being used (in all fairness, out of each box one or two items have been quite useful and are being used happily at home).

Starting from the box and going clockwise:

A Cinnamoroll bag. It is really cute and Cinnamoroll is one of my favourite Sanrio characters (along Twin Stars). Sadly this is one of those items that won’t get used much.
Studio Ghibli chopsticks. They are gorgeous and are currently in my kitchen, but we rarely ever have food that requires chopsticks so they are still waiting to be used.
A prtable comb with Rilakkuma. It is very pink and sadly, because of having curly hair I only use a wooden comb so not keeping it despite the cuteness.
A cute plush toy. This is the one item I wanted and you had 4 different versions of it. I really wanted this specific version so when I unboxed it and saw it was the one I wanted I was so excited and squealed in delight. This cutie is now my bed companion and brings me buckets of joy.
Under the foxy plush is the box for a wristwatch (somehow I wasn’t very good on taking unboxing pics this time, in my defense I was too excited) which is nice but not my style so not keeping it.

As you can see it was a cute box and quite lovely, but sadly it just doesnt match me very well (though I was absolutely delirious about gettign what I wanted).

If you like cute things I’d definitely recommend trying it out.

Book Review, Books

Letters to the Lost Review

Posted on September 28, 2017

I bought this book when Amazon had the 3 for £10 offer to complete the 3 books (I had two ready in my basket). Funnily enough, the book arrived damaged and Amazon had to replace it (I am so grateful for quick replacement, I had a new book the next day and they didn’t require I return the damaged one, so I ended sharing that book with a friend).

I just have to say I didn’t know what to expect from this book at all. I hadn’t read another of her books before.

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Juliet Young has always written letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope.

Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past.

When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither of them knows that they’re not actually strangers. When real life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart. This emotional, compulsively-readable romance will sweep everyone off their feet.

Rating:

I wanted some light reading when I chose this book. I didn’t really know what I had just decided to do and how wrong I was going to be.

It is a light read in the sense of “you end up reading it in one seating and you don’t realise time has gone by”. But on the other hand it is anything but a light read. It is a book full of emotion.

Both Juliet and Declan are dealing with grief and issues stemming from it, having lost someone in their lives. The letters (and then emails) they start exchanging help them find themselves, and it gives them a safe space to talk about things they wouldn’t have otherwise.

The intricate details of relationships (and I am not talking specifically of romantic ones but just human ones) blew me away. Specially as you get to understand more about them alongside Juliet and Declan, and start to see things with new eyes just as they do. It also meant I kept asking myself if I wasn’t doing some of the same prejudice/ didn’t think of it that way kind of things in my own life.

One more thing I’d like to add is that this is a book about grief and loss, and it does so in a gentle way, full fo compassion, showing you grief is seen in many different ways, can affect many different aspects and show itself in many ways. Each one of us goes through it in a different way and we heal in different ways, and as we heal (or not) we may be ignoring the giref of someone else. Definitely an eye opener.

Moon recommends

You go and read this book right now. Seriously, please read it. It is worth it. The only other book I know that deals with grief in such an interesting way is A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle and it’s “prequel/companion” The Arm of the Starfish. I also recommend you read them in the order mentioned despite the fact Arm of the Starfish is a prequel, mostly because part of the things Adam decides to do are influenced by what happens before but knowing why he does them changes a little the feel of the book. Either way, try both.

You can buy a copy of Letters to the Lost here. (Also, apparently there is a sequel on Rev’s story!)

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.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Outlaws Book Box Club

Posted on September 26, 2017

The long awaited Anniversary box for Book Box Club arrived and it didn’t disappoint.

Happy (late by the time this is published) Birthday Book Box Club, Kate & Libby, you’re awesome!

Since this is the anniversary box, let me tell you a little about my year with Book Box Club. I remember finding about the Enchanted Forest Box last year through Instagram. They had apparently sold out so I commented that it was a bummer I had missed out, but it turns out there was one last one left… So I obviously went and bought it there and then (I was at work and I snuck to buy it).

At the time I hadn’t tried as many book subscription boxes as I have today, but I was still unsure if this would be a box I would want to keep. The idea of the Clubhouse (a private group chat with the author, a month later) intrigued me and the fact that the girls were all up for the community aspect, which for a tiny account as I had at the time, I hadn’t seen much of that feeling and feltmore the blunt end of it.

The box surprised me, and I absolutely fell in love with it. That charm is still one of my favourite necklaces (considering I was and still tend to be an adamant “please do not send jewellry in book boxes” kind of person) and I am so happy about it.

You can see their first box and my not very polished bookstagram unboxing skills for taking pictures. I think they have improved in a year for sure (please, don’t tell me they haven’t if they actually haven’t, let me think I am improving, don’t burst my bubble).

Of course, the Clubhouse absolutely blew me away and the community has been one of the best things about Book Box Club. Destiny definitely had it for me to be part of the history of this box, including being part of one of the boxes and now making a bookmark set (maybe I will make a bookmark per box, how about that?).

And now, here we are a year later…

Starting from the theme card and going clockwise:

Maraunders/HP cards by The Imaginative Illustrator. They are utterly adorable and I am dividing between never wanting to use them and using them because they are so great.
A pair of Sante socks, which are really cute (too big for me). I have to say, one of the things I liked is that even though the socks are too big, they are not too girly, so I asked my bf if he would like to wear them and he was very happy to have a new pair of socks.
A personalised letter from Kate and Libby (see? Moon has stars around it. *swoons*) to celebrate their anniversary.
A shortbread biscuit by Nila Holden that looked so delicious I took the unboxing picture as quickly as possible so I could chomp away. It didn’t last long but it was delicious.
For this box, the girls also sent a second book, an ARC. They sent me Witch Born but there were like 10+ different options of the book you could get.
On top of the ARC is an Inej (Six of Crows) lipbalm by Oriandle. This is my absolutely utterly favourite lip balm. Caramel and cinnamon. Two of my favourite flavours/spices. I have been keeping it in my coat pocket to use when the wind dries my lips and then add a little bit and every time I do this it makes me smile and lifts up my mood.
There were also two samplers and a postcard from publishers.
The book for this month is a Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Baba Yadoe and it sounds very interesting, plus that cover is gorgeous!
John Green promoting pencils since there’s a new book coming out (you can see I am not his biggest fan, I think if I had been younger when I read his books I’ve loved them but not now sadly).
And finally a cute Robin Hood magnetic bookmark that is exclusive to Book box Club by Marked by Hephaestus.

It is a cosy, lovely box and I was very happy to receive it. I am looking forward to another year with you girls (because we’ve become friends and I have met good friends through this box!).

If you’d like to subscribe, you can subscribe here, or you can try Purely Books which is just the book and access to the Clubhouse. Also *wink, wink* you can use code MOON17 for 5% discount on you subscription.

Subscription Boxes

Rattle the Stars Bookish Land Unboxing

Posted on September 24, 2017

EDIT: Due to several incidents with the company I cannot recommend you buy this box anymore. They use items made exclusively for other boxes, do not provide good value for money, and have terrible customer service. Maja has a long post about this on her blog with lots of details, and the print featured here is from Evie.

As you may all know by now, I like trying new book boxes (or at least, book boxes I haven’t tried before) and this time, the theme for Bookish Land was right up my street.

Bookish Land is a book box with a twist. Each one is fully customised which means no two boxes are exactly the same and almost every single item is handmade by the brains behind this box or by an independent shop. As a warning it is on the slightly expensive end of the subscription boxes but it is still an interesting box.

Let’s start with the actual box. It is decorated by hand and I utterly loved it. It came wrapped in kraft/brown paper and bubble wrap on top so it was well protected which was a bonus to see. All of the parts of the box that you can see are decorated, trust me, it is an amazing piece of work.

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Going clockwise from the card at the bottom:

“I need more space” tote bag (this made me smile a lot, I want a t-shirt like this).
Astronaut print.
Wrapping paper of the book, it was gorgeous.
Inside the box, bookmark with two different quotes.
Inside the box, quote print (this was part of an Owlcrate box, made by Evie)
Space candle, it smells very fruity and delicious and it is decorate inside too.
Bath bomb in a tiny jar, I have yet to try this one
Wooden astronaut with a star charm, which is becoming a Christmas tree decoration!
The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers.
A printed card that came with the wooden charm and I thought was really lovely.

All in all it was a gorgeous box and I was very pleased with it. I think if the theme speaks to you, it is worth getting it at least once. The amount of detail and effort makes it worth it.

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You can purchase a box here (also, as a note, you can ask for your own themeif the current one doesn’t do it for you). October’s theme is “I put a spell on you” (and I am quite tempted to get it for myself…).

Book Review, Books

Nyxia Review (Proof Version)

Posted on September 22, 2017

Today I am reviewing Nyxia. I received this proof copy on my Illumicrate box (August 2017). I was not sure what to expect to be fair. Also, be warned that this review may include spoilers.

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Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.

Forever.

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—a planet that Babel has kept hidden—where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.

Rating:

I debated a lot between 3.5 and 4 fox rating. In the end I stood it up against my other 4 fox books and it wasn’t just there (maybe a 3.75? 3.80 but I don’t have enough foxes for that).

I will mention the things that bugged me the most first, and then load you up with those that I really liked. On the thing that jumped to me the most is Emmet’s mental file system. From what the book explains, this is for when you are angry and you file it away under a letter. But through the whole book, Emmet files SO many things away and a few that I would not have considered “anger” (they were things that would have made me suspicious or curious or bothered me or even that I would consider useful). Either Emmet has serious anger issues (so that almost everything makes him angry) or the file system isn’t explained as well as it should (I am seriously hoping for the latter). Also, it bugs me a lot that Nyxia is this unexplainable substance that can protect you from being harmed by itself but also when it pleases it, lets you get injured by more nyxia. Yet there is a lot of mind control. And everything is solved by Nyxia. Maybe it just needs to be better explained or something, but I am not pleased with how Nyxia is (but that can be just that I like science to back my sci-fi).

On the good things is the diversity, both in gender, colour, race, country, etc. but also in personality. The characters were mostly unique though I admit with so many of them, at times I wasn’t sure who responded to which name (I could remember that the character doing X had done Y before, but what was the name was beyond me).

It was interesting to see all the interactions between them. Also, this has an Ender’s Game feel (much more than a Hunger Games one) but thankfully it is not the same.

One of my favourite things was how mercy, compassion, teamwork, relationships and competition were explored throughout the book. Kaya, Morning and Vandemeer are my favourite characters.

This may not make my utter favourites but I am really looking forward to the next book and to learn what Eden looks like. I don’t think that they are actually prepared at all for what is to come but we shall see.

And Babel is horrid, but this is just a part of making a good villain (not in a villain that is good but rather making one well), with lots of layers and secrets.

Moon recommends

To read this is you like sci-fi and challenges. Maybe a competiton is interesting or corporations with hidden agendas. You may also be interested in Ender’s Game or maybe one of Anne McCaffrey’s books, a) if you’d like to explore how we deal with a planet that has another race in it and we want to keep it, then try Donna’s series starting with Decision at Donna, b) or if you prefer to wonder about strange substances and mining them I’d recommend the Crystal Singer series, starting with Crystal Singer, or c) if you’d like to explore what happens when humans are slaves of another race and part of an experiment on freedom try the Freedom series starting with Freedom’s Landing.

If you’d like to grab a copy of Nyxia, you can get one from amazon here.

Books

Moon List: WWII Books

Posted on September 20, 2017

Welcome to the very first ever Moon List.

In this edition I will be listing books on WWII. All of the books listed here have been read by me unless otherwise stated. This list will include title, author, a link to purchase on Amazon (if I own the book, a picture taken by myself), and maybe an extra fact about it if I have one available.

Please note they are in no specific order. An asterisk will be added to those I consider unmissable. Feel free to ask about any of them (or about WWII in general).

The Most Common Ones

Here are the usual recommendations I get when asking for WWII books (I’m going to gloss over these since they are quite popular and there is a LOT of information on them and some have films/docummentaries too).

Young Adult/New Adult

There is a surprisingly good amount of fiction about WWII (and the Great War, but I will cover that on the next list) for readers that aren’t adults and most of these books are amazing at telling stories during such a difficult time.

A Little Love Song by Michelle Magorian

This is by the same author of Goodnight Mister Tom. She has a few more books regarding WWII but this little gem stayed in my heart. The story is mostly told not on the battlefield but about those that stayed behind, specially young girls and how they had to be sent away to be kept safe. There is a bookstore involved if my memory doesn’t fail me. Very sweet, quite endearing, easy read. You can buy from Amazon here.

Codename Verity by Elizabeth Wein*

This is a story of friendship, of women, of being a prisoner of war, and of course, pilots. It is not exactly the happiest story but the writing is powerful and gripping. A must read that you can buy from Amazon here.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein*

This book alongside Shades of Grey (it is included further down the list) were the ones that opened a world of WWII YA fiction to me that I didn’t know existed. It also helped me find out a lot more about concentration camps and start learning more about Ravensbruck and the Rabbits. You can buy this from Amazon here.

Cross my Heart by Carmen Reid

I admit I have not read this one yet but it is in my TBR list and I have heard great things about it. You can find on Amazon here.

The Double Shadow by Sally Gardner

A strange one in the mix and probably my least favourite one of the ones included, it is set in Britain and touches on cinematics and film alongside happenings during WWII. Very difficult to describe withoutgiving a lot away, so you can buy it here.

Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys*

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This was my first WWII YA fiction book, and I remember going to the bookstore and asking for it and the lovely assistant asked me if I really wanted this one or maybe I was looking for ’50 Shades of Grey’. You can’t compare the two at all. This is about surviving being deported and thrown into a train alongside your mother and brother during WWII. Ruta Sepetys has a magical way of writing even if it is quite raw and can be sometimes brutal but there is such beauty in it, it goes into the must read list. Buy it on Amazon here.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys*

The story is told through the eyes of four different people and it tells their journey to get to the Wilhelm Gustloff. The ship was sunk in port in early 1945 it had over 9000 civilian refugees, including children, on board, so this is based on truth and it makes the sinking of the Titanic a banal thing. A must read again you can buy here.

A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson

This one surprised me. The writing is like a fairytale and it tells you the story of a young woman who wants to teach and how she moves from England to Austria to an experimental school. There she helps with the children and meets a young man who intrigues her. Yes, this sounds more like a non war story but trust me it gets quite interesting as the story progresses and Hitler’s troops advance through Austria. You can find it here.

The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson

When Hitler’s forces invade, Ruth’s family flees to London, but she is unable to get a passport. Quin, a young professor and friend of the family, visits Ruth and, in an effort to bring her back to London, he offers a marriage of convenience.This becomes quite interesting and get convoluted as time goes by, once again it is not just a romance story but history. You can find it here.

The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson

Sent to boarding school in London to avoid the war, Tally isn’t very happy. But this is a story about friendship and endurance. You can buy it here on Amazon.

A Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman*

Gretchen has a secret she doesn’t know is secret. She is Hitler’s ‘niece’ and dotted on by him, until an anonymous letter makes her start to question everything. You can find it here.

A Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman*

Continuation of A Prisoner of Night and Fog, Greatchen has to decide fi she will go back to Germany and break her rules to save Daniel and clear his name. Don’t miss out on it and buy it here.

Adult Fiction

My choices for adult fiction are less cheerful and deal more on how adults took and reacted to the war. They may be in a way less heroic stories but are equally gripping and interesting.

Meet Me Under the Clock by Anne Murray*

This is my favourite one of her books but she has so many set around WWII, that half of the list would be only about them. Instead, I will tell you about the sisters that are making an effort to move through the hard times of WWII at the home front and how each copes with the changes and makes her own effort to contribute. You can find it here.

The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy

This is a story where little things have huge after effects in a subtle way. See what a little kindness can do during WWII. You can buy a copy here.

Pattern of Shadows by Judith Barrow

An interesting story telling us about Mary, a nursing sister at Lancashire prison camp for the housing and treatment of German POWs. It follows her, and her family alongside one of the German POWs and how life was at the home front. This is a series but can be read as a standalone and you can buy it here.

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

A tragic story of good intentions and set in two different times, the past and the present. (There is a film for this one, or you can buy the book here).

Spitfire Girl by Lily Baxter

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This one has been on my TBR for a little bit and it is about Susan who dreams of flying and helping her country. Of course I like planes, so it was a must. You can find a copy here.

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole

This kinda shouldn’t be here but at the same time it should. It spans the years between WWI and WWII and follows the story of a young poet and a soldier as they exchange letters while the war wages. You can find a copy here.

Non Fiction

Most of my non fiction is based on Aircraft, specifically the Lancaster Bomber. I promise there is a good reason for that and it will be revelead soon enough on one of the “Meet the Character” posts. Meanwhile, enjoy some interesting non fiction.

My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters by Chris Baker

This doesn’t need much of an explanation, the title says it all. It is a moving read. You can buy it here on Amazon.

Odette by Jerrard Tickell

During some of the darkest days of the Second World War, a young Frenchwoman living as a mother and housewife in England left her ordinary life to become a British agent, working covertly in France to aid the Resistance. This is her story, and you can buy a copy here.

If This is a Woman by Sara Helm*

Of all the non aircraft related non fiction books featured on this list, this is my favourite one. Sara does an amazing job at showing how Ravensbruck and concentration camps came to be and how life was there. This is a tough read because of the topic, but the writing is good. I took this one slowly but it is a must read. You can buy it here from Amazon.

The Female Few: Spitfire Heroines of the Air Transport Auxiliary by Jacky Hyams*

Through the darkest days of the Second World War, an elite group of courageous civilian women risked their lives as aerial courier pilots, flying Lancaster bombers, Spitfires and many other powerful war machines in thousands of perilous missions. Very interesting information here.

The Lancaster at War: Books 1 to 5 by Mike Garbett and Brian Goulding

A compilation of books on the Lancaster Bomber. Absolutely worth it. You can it here.

The next few are ones I’d recommend but since they are non fiction and cater to specific interests, will only add title and link to the book.

Famous Bombers of the Second World War by William Green

There are also other alongside the series likie Fighters instead of Bombers. You can find it here.

The Secret Life Of Bletchley Park by Sinclair McKay

I am always interested in code breaking and cyphers so Bletchley Park should definitely feature here. I have loads of books about it on my wishlist but this is the one I actually own. You can find it here.

Handbook of Great Aircraft of WWII by Alfred Price and Mike Spick

One of the most illustrated and easy to digest handbooks for aircraft of WWII I could find (as you may notice this is not the only one I have but it is the easier to approach and learn from if you’re not as crazy about the topic as I am). You can find it here.

Blooper Book

This little guide is an original I found on an antique bookshop so I don’t expect you to want this one, but I found it interesting and have added it to my collection. There also some Penguin original editions still making the rounds through odd bookshops (manuals for pilots, ration books, etc). It is interesting and amusing to see how they tried to get the soldiers ready for the continent and being in France.

Set during WWII and mention it but aren’t specifically about it

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy
Narnia books by C.S. Lewis

This last part of the list may get expanded on as my mind remembers books that fit this category.

And I admit that as I wrote this list, more and more books came to mind. Some I only remember a tiny bit of the story or the feeling that reading the book gave me, so I did use synopsis from Amazon/GoodReads to help me out. Others I remembered but didn’t want to give much away. Still, I hope you find a lot to read here and a lot that you hadn’t heard about before.

Disclaimer: There are Amazon Associates links, 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. All these books are recommended solely because of my own research and looking into the topic.

Books, Subscription Boxes

September’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy Leafer Box

Posted on September 18, 2017

Since I was very happy with Leafer Box last month, I messaged them and asked if there was a way to bundle up the Sci-fi and Fantasy boxes into one. Skip one of the chocolates (since technically each box comes with chocolate) and if there are ever repeat items between boxes, skip those too. I also really liked their logo sticker so I asked if they would kindly send some so I could use them to decorate my drawing clipboard and/or laptop, and they did!

Also, drum roll please, after promoting them unofficially, I am now an official rep for LeaferBox which absolutely made my day once we agreed on it. (They are quite small so there was no rep search but I have seriously been recommending them after being impressed with the boxes).

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So the contents of my mixed box are as follows (I tried to leave Fantasy in one side and Sci-Fi on the other but it is also a mix so there you go). Starting on top left corner with the book.

The Fantasy box book was A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall. It has a female main character and sounds like a great read that I will probably want to read quicker than is humanly possible.
A bath bomb that smells delicious (I have yet to try it but oh, scented items just make my day, specially bath bombs and bubble bars/bombs).
Thorntons Classic Selection chocolates which I have been enjoying at work to make the time go by.
The Sci-Fi book, The Echo by James Smythe. Space adventures and once again, sounds quite interesting.
In the little bag there are some space stickers (I didn’t take them out because they are small and I was dying to have the chocolates so wanted to take picture quick. This seems to be a repeating thing with this box).
Super cute and adorable and I am dying to use them and just look gorgeous on my desk Earth sticky notes.
A small sampler of Ginger Green tea which I am happy to try soon.
A sword and gem keyring, for a second I thought it was a letter opener and then realised it wasn’t but it is still cool. This is probably the only item I won’t actually use, and this is mostly because I have more keychains than keys currently so limiting the amount of them. But this one is quite cool.
3 pens with galaxy/space decoration. My boyfriend ended snagging one so he could make notes about the power for one of his model airplanes and he liked it. I have yet to try them but they worked quickly and easily on top of several not ideal surfaces (why keep paper around when you can use scrap, right?)

Overall I was very happy with the box(es). Each box is almost half the price of most other subscription boxes (£12.99, shipping is not included but for UK is £2.99 , keeping still very affordable) and the only “downside” is that the book isn’t a super hyped YA read that is about to release or has only just been relased. I can live with that, since most of the time, by the time I get to those books they are not that new, woops (hey, I read Book Box Club books first and whatever my mood wants).

If you think this is the box for you and would like to give it a go, there is an even better pro: you can buy it any day of the month. To get September’s box, any day in September that you submit your order, you will get the September box, it can be the 1st, 12th, 26th or 30th and you will still be able to get it. They usually are quick to ship boxes and mine usually arrives next day or two days after shipping (not bad at all).

Are you convinced now? You can choose from Historical, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Chick-Lit, Comedy, Thriller or Surprise. And you can use code KESTREL10 for 10% off whatever you buy (1 month, 3 months, 6 months). Just remember this does not renew automatically so you have to visit their etsy page to buy the next one.

Book Review, Books

Ronaldo: The Reindeer Flying Academy Review

Posted on September 16, 2017

Today I am going to review the complete opposite of my last book review, a children’s book.

Cover RFA

Ronaldo: The Reindeer Flying Academy by Maxine Sylvester

Ronaldo is the top flying cadet at the prestigious Reindeer Flying Academy. He dreams of getting his flying license, just like his hero, Vixen.
In this first exciting chapter in the ‘Ronaldo’ series, our hero is faced with his toughest flying test ever – The Endurance Challenge!
Can Ronaldo triumph over mean bully, Dasher, and win the ‘Golden Wings’ medal? Spurred on by Rudi, his quirky, loyal best friend and with a belly full of his favourite carrot pancakes, Ronaldo takes on the challenge of his life!

Rating:

When I first saw this I hoped it wouldn’t be too much of a Christmas read, but decided to put that notion aside and give it a go. Oh boy was I wrong! This was a really cute read and my only complaints are a) there is no physical copy of this book available and b) I wish it was longer.

Of course, neither is actually a bad thing. The story is the right length for young readers (if I am not mistaken the target reader is 5-10 years old) and it is nicely broken up into little digestible chunks by illustratons of what you are reading. This brought a smile to my face as I was reading and made it even better. I think as a younger reader, the pictures in the book will encourage them to read it and not feel like it is a ‘boring book’.

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This is most certainly not a boring book and now I am curious what other adventures Ronaldo and his friends get into (also, I am ever so grateful I don’t have a knitting reindeer granpa).

As an extra thing that made me very happy, all the references to actual flight academies and flight training were good and my aicraft crazy self was like “look, this is the right term to use, oh that one is a good use for this situation, I like this”.

Moon recommends

I recommend this book for anyone young at heart (or in actual age). It is also a good read aloud book, with a lot of room for “voices” and fun sounds. It has a Christmas vibe but in truth can be read anytime (it did make me wish it was winter and I had a fire next to me and some hot chocolate).

If you are interested in reading this, it is currently available for Kindle on Amazon here.

Disclaimer: This book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have done. 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.

Art

Moon Draws: Book Box Club Bookmarks Pt. 1

Posted on September 14, 2017

So this month, Book Box Club is celebrating their first anniversary and while commenting on Maja’s instagram, the idea came of making a colouring bookmark for them. Of course, me being me, one colouring bookmark to celebrate the occasion became 12 bookmarks. Why not? ~~This is the moment I have to tell myself that I already add so many details to any design I make, so 12 is not a good idea, but hey ho!~~

It took a bit of brainstorming with myself to decide what exactly I was going to do. I knew I wanted one bookmark per box and for it to match the theme of the box. But then, that is such a broad idea, so what else?

I dug out all my “theme cards” and suddenly the sparks came. I could not only base it on the theme, but make sure they were a very commemorative exclusive design. Add to the design kudos to items included in the box, or Easter Eggs regarding the book included.

And so, 12 designs were born. (Feel free to guess the book if you didn’t get the box or have fun finding the Easter Eggs if you did).

You can see Enchanted Forest (September 2016), Freedom Squad (October 2016), Secrets & Sisterhood (November 2016), and Magic by Night (December 2016) above. Followed by Immortal Stories (January 2017), Troublemakers (February 2017), Time Travel (March 2017) and Belles & Beasts (April 2017).

Finally, we have the last four designs: Wizards at War (May 2017), Schoolroom Scandals (June 2017), Spells & Remedies (July 2017) and Fearless Females (August 2017).

So what do you think of the designs?

They are in the process of being inked digitally (Part 2 post will show more about how this went) and should be available soon. If you are interested in buying a set please let me know as they are an exclusive design and will only be available for a short period of time.

Subscription Boxes

Warbringer SpecialTea Bookish Tea Box

Posted on September 12, 2017

As you may know, I am a tea drinker. And not just have a cuppa now and then, but the kind of tea drinker that has a lot of loose leaf tins, pesters tea companies to help her find alternatives to tea bags or make their tea available (if you liked FairyLoot’s Warriors & Legends tea, look for Blend No. 66 here). And I am always looking out for new tea blenders and tea providers that care about their customers and specially about your tea.

This brings me to Zilan and Bookish Teas. She comes from a family that blends tea and has been blending tea since she was a child, and it shows, trust me. Every single one of her tea blends that I have tried has blown me away.

So today, I am unboxing one of her Bookish Tea Boxes, one inspired by Warbringer.

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As soon as I opened the box, the fragance of the teas welcomed me. Delicious as usual. The contents were:

3 tea blends. Sisters in Battle (it was the one that had the most inviting smell and I couldn’t resist it, so I made a cup of tea almost as soon as I had unboxed it). Warbringer and Steve’s Gift. (I have yet to try this other two blends but they smell delicious).
Two delightful Warbringer pins by eachchronicles illustration.
A Themyscira lip balm by Behind The Pages.
A Wonder Woman bookmark with a lovely quote by wordsbyjasmine.
Themyscira bath salts by The Bookish Beauty Court (this made me very happy and I proudly boasted about them to my boyfriend).
A gorgeous illustration by LisyCorner showing Diana as a child and as Wonder Woman, it definitely catches your eye and makes you want to display it somewhere.

I admit I had actually missed out on getting this beforehand, or before first shipping, but once I saw an unboxing of it, I knew I had to have it and I do not regret this at all. Absolutely worth it.