Book Box Subscription Coming Out My Ears. Literally.

Like the mature adult I am, I am not going to take full responsibility to the shame I am going to show you. To be fair, we can blame Covid and shipping delays, and I'm going to lay a lot of the blame on them. Way, way back, months ago, Once Upon a Book Club ran into delays because of shipping delays, more Covid, customs delays, etc. Thankfully they were super great about communication on this, but I didn't think anything of it. I don't mind if my box comes a little late, I'll survive. God knows my shelves are full of unread books I've yet to get to- I won't be without reading material.  

All fun and games until the boxes started coming in, and coming in they did. Because I receive both the young adult and the adult box because I have serious FOMO and need help. Now I have a predicament on my hands. Also my shelves, and floor. Send help. 

I can't even tell you what the box theme for any of these are, that's how out of hand things have gotten. I am pretty sure this is the Madame Moustache box, featuring the novel Betting Woman by Jenni L. Walsh. I'm on the fence with this one, the cover doesn't draw me in but it is getting pretty good reviews, so we'll see!

The box featuring Reset by Sarina Dahlan is one that at least my oldest daughter in interested in. Normally I'm not big on fantasy or dystopian, but the line, "Can you love someone you don't remember?" is all I need to read to be all in on this one. 

Again, this is one right up Olivia's alley, Daughter of Sparta (Daughter of Sparta #1) by Claire Andrews. This is getting really great reviews on Instagram, it's the retelling of the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo. To be honest, I am rusty (to say the least) on my Greek myths, so I'd really be going into this with fresh eyes. The cover DOES look great, so I'm excited to get into it. 

I'm a sucker for a special box. You tell me it's a limited edition and I'm going to give you my money. I'm practically throwing it at you. A Bridgerton box? TAKE MY MONEY. 

I had no idea what would be coming in the box so when it finally came I had to calm down and get in the right mindset to open it all up and just hold back from ripping it all open. The first book, The Duke and I is signed by Julia Quinn. 

The series is getting exclusive, limited edition covers and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. We also received The Viscount Who Loved Me and An Offer From a Gentleman. 

I also recently received the box for Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. I'm excited about this one because I've liked some other books Nicola has put out, so I've got high hopes for this one. 

I bet you think that's the last of my shame, right? Uh, no. 

This one came this week. Sisters of Resistance by Christine Wells, a story inspired by Catherine Dior (sister of the more famous Dior), a WWII historical fiction novel many say is interesting and grabs you from the first page. To be honest, historical fiction isn't my go-to genre and anything from the WWII era isn't the top of my list because everyone has done it and I'm over it. We ought to ban WWII era books, at least for a little while. Give us literally any other era, there are so many to pick from! I'm going to give it a try though, so stay tuned! 

Alright, I swear to you, that is all of the boxes I have from Once Upon a Book Club that I have yet to get to. It's so out of hand, it really is. Which one would you pick first? 

If YOU want to try out Once Upon a Book Club, you should use my referral link HERE and we will both get $5 off once you place your first order! 

**This post contains affiliate links. 

Book Review: The Ex Talk (& Once Upon a Book Club steamy romance box reveal)

Remember when I told you I started subscribing to Once Upon a Book Club? OK, well I've finished my second box and YOU GUYS! 

I freaking love this box! I feel like if you're in a reading slump or you just need something fun, you should absolutely try this. For real. I have my March box yet to read so stay tuned for that. You can use my link and I think you get $5 off. 

The Ex Talk - Rachel Lynn Solomon

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can't imagine working anywhere else. But lately it's been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who's fresh off a journalism master's program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it's this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it's not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

The fact that this is a romantic comedy debut blew my mind. For real. I've been in such a reading slump and I so needed this book because it had my laughing and cheesing and yes. It's such a fun read. 

So we have Shay and Dominic. Shay is working at an NPR station and it's basically the only thing she knows and she's doing it to honor her late dad, and she's really terrible in relationships. Basically, she's the clinger who loves you on date three, if not sooner. We also have Dominic, the golden boy with a Master's and the two of them don't really get along. In fact, they are enemies and it's just a weird situation. 

When donations are down and it is clear that the station needs a jolt of something exciting, and obvious that jobs are on the line, Shay suggests the idea of a show where ex couples talk about basically remaining friends. They would invite different couples on, ask questions, ask a therapist, etc. The basis of the show though is that they would have to sell that they were a couple, it didn't work out, and now they are forced to work together so how do they do that? It's all a lie, and while neither of them love that, they both want to keep their jobs so they are determined to make it work. 

Turns out, they do a really great job because the show is a huge success, but as their popularity grows, so does doubt on the believability of their relationship. Meanwhile, they realize they are actually kind of falling for each other, and how will that play into their show? 

I have to give you some quotes that I just loved and seriously, this book. For real. 

"What would a mediocre white man do?" she asks. Ameena and I started saying this years ago, after she had a seminar about diversity in the workplace. Ameena is Indian, and she relayed that women, especially women of color, are statistically less likely to ask for things men don't think twice about. WWAMWMD, one of us will text the other when we need support. - page 50

On our drive home, Steve (her dog) vomits in the car carrier. When we get inside, he vomits again on a rug I never really liked, pees on my coffee table, and poops on the living room carpet. If my house felt empty before, now it's teeming with chaotic energy. I set up his bed in my room, and he humpts if for a solid forty-five minutes before turning around in a circle four and a half times and curling himself into a tight ball. When I try to get near him, he growls, baring his underbite. Steve, as it turns out, is kind of a hot mess. - page 69

I could go on and on, but there were so many pages that I found myself laughing and this was exactly what I needed. It was a fast read and I really cannot wait to read the next book from Rachel Lynn Solomon. I loved that this was her debut and that it comes out so strong, I love that it was so funny, but I love that she tackles workplace sexism with relatable humor AND! Did I mention Shay is Jewish/white and Dominic is Korean American? I love that we have such a great romance with some damn diversity- FINALLY. 

I bet you want to know what I got in my box, right?

The first gift was a glass, because Dominic is so much taller than Shay and there's a part where she asks for him to get her a glass and it was a steamy moment in the breakroom. Next up were a couple of lavender bath bombs, same as what Shay used. Easily my FAVORITE is the pair of WWAMWMD silver bracelets! I have no idea who I'll give the second one too, but it's become a new mantra of sorts I ask myself on the daily and I cannot love it more. Lastly, a pair of wireless headphones because they work in radio after all. 

I absolutely adored this box and the entire experience of a box with book related items is such a fun experience and a thousand times better than random swag you mostly throw out. If you're looking for a box, you have to try this. 

If you can't commit to a box but you want to read this book (for real, it's a fun one), definitely pick a copy up! 

This post contains affiliate links.

Book Review: SHIVER (and Once Upon a Book Club box review)

I can't even remember if I mentioned that I have been looking for a new book subscription box, but that's been a thing. I saw Once Upon a Book Club on an Instagram post so I just did it. 

I have no self-control and this time it really paid off because I loved this box SO STINKING MUCH. 

SHIVER - Allie Reynolds

They don't know what I did. And I intend to keep it that way.

How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut novel Shiver.

When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can't seem to let go.

The five friends haven't seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realize they don't know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.

In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.

**I'm going to tell you that this review contains spoilers for the goodies in the box, so just know that going ahead, and stop if you're slow and haven't dug into the box yet. **

OK, so in this book we are seeing this through Milla's point of view, and it starts with present day, all of the remaining members of the group from ten years ago, seemingly meeting for a reunion. They all have something they are hiding from everyone else and the whole book goes through the events leading up to the day Saskia died. Or did she? 

It becomes clear that someone has played a trick on them and has set them up fairly soon and now everyone suspects the others are potentially being a murderer, and wondering who could possibly be next... and why? 

I have to tell you, I completely loved this book. I figured out the mystery of it but there were a few details I didn't totally pick up on and the little twist towards the last pages made it all click into place. I have to tell you, reading this book along with the surprises in the box kind of put this over the top for me and made it that much more fun. 

As you go through the box, it tells you when to open the gift associated with the page number in your box. I found myself racing through to the next one so I finished this book rather quickly. 

As we led up to this page, one of the characters discovers Saskia's ski pass, which would have been impossible for her to get around on the mountain without. So.... if she died on the mountain, how is her pass here? 

Let me tell you what- opening it up and realizing I'm holding the pass felt incredibly creepy, like I'm not an accomplice to this. 

The next one is related to something that sabotaged another competitor and could possibly implicate one of the original crew. 

I guessed this one right away just by the size/feel of the package so this wasn't such a surprise. Again, though- kind of creepy to hold it in your hand. 

The next one, I knew was going to appear in the box at some point because it gets referenced quite a few times in the book, but especially around this page. 

The perfume Saskia is known for wearing. It really is a distinctive scent, so of course I totally sprayed some in my room as I'm reading it and I'd get a whiff every few minutes. Creepy, but kind of perfect. This is the kind of box that is really perfect for a thriller read, that's for sure. 

The last gift I really had no idea what it would be by the time I got there, by then the story was really getting bananas and things were wrapping up and loose ends were tying up. 

It is a vacuum sealed thermos/coffee cup, which makes sense with the story and what was happening. Very cool because it also has a temperature setting on it, which is crazy. 

In case you wanted to see all of my goodies all at once. 

Also in the box we get a little book related art work, a book club kit with information about this month's selection and when you can tune in to the online forum to participate in a book chat, and also a signed book plate from the author. 

Overall? I really liked the book, a perfect winter thriller with some interesting twists, characters who are all greatly flawed, a victim who is equally awful and you think if one of them killed her you really can't blame them. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I get to the very last line of the book and I changed my mind completely about one specific character, who I wasn't really sure what to think about through the whole book as it was. 

I highly recommend the book, I'd love to know if you've read it and what you thought. I also very much recommend this book box if you're looking to start one. I've already signed up for a continuing subscription because this was such a fun experience and it encourages you to actually read the books that you get instead of just sticking it on the shelf.... which I am 100% guilty of. 

If you are considering this book box, even if for just a month, sign up using my referral link and I'll get a couple of bucks off of a future box! 

This post contains affiliate links.

Book Box Review: The Unplugged Box (don't judge me)

One of the best things are book boxes. I know, I've gone on and off with them for years and everyone is like, "God, SARA! Do you need any of this?!".

No.

No, I don't, and I don't care Mr. Judgey Pants.

On Instagram randomly one day I saw a sponsored ad for Unplugged Book Box and after some sleuthing at past boxes, I decided to give it a try. They have a YA box and an Adult fiction box, promising to mail out a new release book. I chose the YA box because adult fiction is always kind of broad and hit or miss for me. At least with a YA, if I don't like it Olivia or Jackson might so there's more use of the book.

My first box came, the May 2019 box, and I was pretty damn excited, almost attacking the mail man. Even HE was judgey and said he thought I was done with these. It's pretty bad when the mailman (who I know from high school) is making comments about my mail. 

I had to wait until nap time before I could open it. So as soon as you open it you noticed that everything is individually wrapped and the post card detailing your box is on top. 

I have always loved this quote, so it is obviously a sign that this box is meant for me. 

Here's what we got, a cool candle (that doesn't smell that bad, actually), a compact mirror and a chapstick (which Olivia has already stolen from me)...

a mason jar glass that says, "We you can't beat the odds, change the game", a face mask, and a pair of Harry Potter house socks...

and the book EVERY MOMENT AFTER by Joseph Moldover. It's about high school friends dealing with the fallout of a school shooting that left many of their classmates and friends dead. Is it one that I would pick up out of a store? No, but it's pretty relevant to current times so I'm interested in giving this one a chance.

We also got a card telling us what the June YA Summer box is going to be, "Create Your Own Sunshine". That sounds pretty promising, so I'm excited.

Now the big question.... should I start The Bookworm Box again? You know how I love a good romance novel. OR should I do Owlcrate again? OR BOTH??

(If you're my friend, you would say, "Of course you do both, Sara!") 

Book Subscription Boxes: May

I forgot to take a picture of my Bookworm Box but it was so lame you aren't missing anything. I can't even remember which two books I got, they have to be here somewhere that's for sure. 

Let's talk PageHabit, though. 

So this is what I got in my box. A cool pull light that I gave to Jackson, which already broke after two pulls, so that ended up being a bust. A very cool little dude bookmark I also gave to Jackson because I thought it kind of looked like him. A mini book which was meh, a nice bookmark, and a new book by Amanda Quick. I'm not a fan of Amanda Quick, not that I don't like her she just isn't an author I have to read. This one is a roaring 20's type book and that's maybe one of my least favorite genres, I really don't like historical stuff. I find them dull. 

This is my third month with a dud book selection (for me) so I have successfully cancelled that subscription. 

Instead, I'm strongly considering doing OwlCrate again or maybe trying out a new box. I'm kind of undecided. 

But let's talk about books I'm currently reading! I ordered a BUNCH of super old Linda Howard books so I'm going to be working my way through those. I forgot how short some of her older books were so I should be able to fly through them. I'm hoping to complete my Linda Howard library soon! I'm still trying to work through some series I haven't finished that I have on my bookshelf. I made the mistake of flipping books I haven't read on their side and it's glaringly obvious what a problem I have with buying books. It's.... it's pretty bad you guys. So I have to make it through these books before I buy more. I say that but... addiction wins, you know? I can't help it! 

April Book Boxes!

I got some great book boxes this month, I can't wait to show you! 

 First up is my Bookworm Box. If you remember I'm signed up for the two book box which has been really great and everyone gets random books so not every subscriber is going to get the same books. In my box I got Corinne Michaels Say You'll Stay and Tawna Fenske's At the Heart of It. The only downside is I already had Say You'll Stay, (review in that link) so I'm going to gift it to a friend and I hope she'll like it. Her birthday is coming up and we always exchange gifts so I'm going to make a self pampering gift for her. Anyways, the other book looks good too so I'm excited to get into it. We got the obligatory pen, a bookmark, and a popsocket!

I also got my PageHabit box which actually came ON TIME this month, so that was a nice treat. I got a fun pair of socks (wearing them today), an adorable pencil with cat eraser, a very cool reusable bag that folds into itself (in my purse now), a book mark, letter from the author, and Chantal Fernando's Leading the Witness as my book of the month. 

I have to start catching up on my reading because my shelf of these books is um... full. It's FULL so I need to read and donate, pass along, keep, or sell. Or maybe I'll do a giveaway, we'll see! 

March Book Boxes! Swag for days!

I almost forgot to share what I got in my March book boxes with you, which is CRAZY because my April boxes will be here before I know it! 

First up- The Bookworm Box!

 This box was heavy because the Beauty in the Ashes book is massive. I hate large books, they feel like such a time waster and 90% of the time I could pick out large amounts of stuff that can just be taken out to make it a more reasonable read. I haven't started it yet but I do  have Break Point on my  night stand. The swag this month was a pen (yawn) and a compact mirror, which I put into my purse because my other one broke. Handy! 

Next up, PageHabit!

I'm going to get pissy here because their shipping process is really terrible. Like legit terrible. This is the second month in a row my box was just sitting on a counter somewhere for days before moving. Again, it didn't start moving until I contacted customer service so I was late in getting my box. I think it's just me because other people seem to be getting their box with no issues much faster than me so who knows. I'm kind of annoyed. I'm not even impressed with the books this month, historical romance? BARF. Ugh. I've read one by this author before and I wasn't impressed so I'm not even sure if I'll read these or donate. I'm kind of annoyed to get two books by the same author, to be honest. The swag this month was pretty great though. It included an adult coloring book, a really pretty bookmark, a cool key chain, and a photo hanging cord (which I gave to Olivia).

I have to confess that I'm kind of thinking about signing up for OwlCrate again. I KNOW, I'm out of control but I can't help it. I really enjoyed that box and I've been on a YA kick lately and at least the books would get extra life because Olivia would read them, too. 

Happy mail in the form of: Book Boxes!

I am obsessed with book subscription boxes and there needs to be some kind of therapy group for it. Right now I'm getting The Bookworm Box and PageHabit regularly, but this month I added a one time, just to see how it is My Guilty Pleasures box, which is know called Totally Booked Crate. 

Which, if you're going to change your company's name and website? Maybe a little shout out email to your customers so they don't search for you, not find you, and assume they just got ripped off for $29.99, mmkay? 

So let's talk about  my boxes! 

My February box from The Bookworm Box is pretty solid! I am in the two book box (you can choose one book, if you want but then you get a larger swag item) so I got two books, some bookmarks, a pen, and a little hand warmer. I've already read one of the books, SEE THROUGH HEART, and it was so good!! So, so good you guys. So good that I've added her other books into my Amazon cart for the first chance I get money. Pretty excited about it. 

I heard about the My Guilty Pleasures box (now Totally Booked Crate) through another blog and I decided I wanted to give it a try since they have a one month only option, so that's what I did for February. The theme was "Girls Do It Better". 

Our box contained SHE ASKED FOR IT by Willow Winters, which is my current read, a knit hat, a "girl power" candle, a tea blend from Adagio Teas that I threw out, a vinyl sticker (which is new to a book box for me and I kind of love it), and a little art print. Overall this was a fun little box and they have three sub genres to choose from: young adult/fantasy, historical romance, or contemporary/new adult romance, and I chose the last one. Next month the theme is "Sea of Lies" so I'm on the fence about it. We'll see if I can get through a couple more books before I add to my collection!

I'd love to include my PageHabit box for this month but it STILL is not here. Frankly, this is all kind of unacceptable. It shipped February 19 and here we are, still waiting. I've already contacted them once and finally the package started moving but it's stalled again and I don't know why it's taking THIS LONG to mail a package via UPS. It's nuts. Get your crap together, PageHabit. 

PageHabit: My new obsession

You guys. I know I am a book subscription box junkie but I'm telling you, this one is GREAT! I would not recommend it to you if I wasn't 100% in love with what I got, and I absolutely was. 

Alright, so the cool thing about PageHabit is that you pick your genre, and they have quite a few to choose from: Literary Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Horror, Historical Fiction, and Science Fiction - those are the MONTHLY boxes. If you are looking only to do something quarterly, you aren't a big reader, you can choose from Literary Fiction, Young Adult Fiction or cookbook!! 

For my first month (because you can change your genre) I chose Romance but also added the option of including the Young Adult Fiction book. 

Because yes, if you can't make a decision like an adult, PageHabit has you, boo. You can add on the book from other genres, hell you can probably add all of them if you wanted. It's about the same cost as if you bought the book in the store, so it's still a fun deal. 

You also get some bookish goodies but the COOLEST???

The coolest part about the box is your book comes tabbed, tons and tons of annotations by the author. You also get a letter about the book from the author, and I got a signed bookplate. I only got the letter and book plate for the book in my designated genre, my add on book came with annotations but no letter. 

 Here are a couple examples of the annotations inside of my romance book, Starlight Nights by Stacey Kade. 

Doesn't it sound so good?? 

The other book I got was Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh and that looks good, too. 

Are you interested in trying out a box? You can always cancel if it isn't your cup of tea, but so far all of the books picked for every genre were solid choices so nobody was disappointed, I'm sure. If you want to try PageHabit, use my referral code and I get a $10 credit! This really is the way to go if you just aren't sure what kind of box you want and given I've tried many, I really loved this one so far. 

Bubbles & Books - LUCAS

So this post is going to be two-fold because I'm going to talk about my first box from Bubbles & Books, and then I'm going to review the book I received in that box. Normally I'm not able to do that but this was a really short book so I finished it in just a few hours so you lucked out!

I heard about Bubbles & Books a few months ago as part of a round up of book subscription boxes and it caught my eye because it's focused on romance novels and instead of crappy swag I just throw out, this box mails bath related goods. In my first box I got a handmade bar of soap, which smells so good, a felt bookmark, a weird sponge thing, and then a perfume sample which was terrible. It was definitely how you would think an old lady would smell. But the book... I wasn't sure what to think about it. This box allows you to choose from three different romance genres: bad boy, paranormal, historical. I went with bad boy because I felt like paranormal can be really hit or miss and historical isn't always my jam. It's not that I won't read them, it just has to be a really interesting sounding story for me to commit. Frankly, there are thousands of books that fall into the bad boy romance so I thought for sure we'd get something amazing so when I saw this I was disappointed. I don't mind that it was only 148 pages, but it's clearly a self-published/indie book and I'm going to be a book snob here... but 75% of the books in that category aren't picked up by a major publisher for a reason. Are there exceptions to that? Yes. Absolutely yes and I've read a bunch of them. I'm saying an overwhelming majority is crap. This basically falls into it.

Lucas - Susan Fisher-Davis

Emily Walters needs help fast. Her ex-husband is being released from prison and Adam swore he’d never let her go. She knows he’ll come for her. Her only choice is one of the bad boys of Dry River, Lucas Taggart. Lucas raised a lot of hell when he was younger and never backed down from anyone. It's what Emily needs in a protector and a husband. She offers him half of her ranch in exchange for protection and marriage. Whispering Pines is one of the largest horse ranches in the States. Would it be enough to entice the brooding man? 

Lucas Taggart isn't interested in marriage but he is interested in Whispering Pines and when he looks into Emily’s eyes, he knows it wouldn't be a hardship being married to her, as long as it's a real marriage. 

When Adam shows up to claim the woman he still thinks of as his wife, will Lucas have to do the unthinkable to protect the woman he's come to love with all his heart? What happens if or when Adam is finally out of the picture? Will Emily still want Lucas around and will she ever return his love?

I'm going to start this review by saying this is 100% not a book I would see on a shelf, read the description, and put in my cart. I only read it because it came in my recent Bubbles & Books subscription. Secondly, this book is listed as "erotic romance" on the title page and I'm telling you it absolutely is not. Well, unless you consider the author insinuating the characters are having sex as filthy, then by all means. I've hardly read a more vanilla standard romance, so if you are going into these 148 pages looking for erotic romance you will be disappointed.

The premise of this book is Emily runs a successful ranch but has an ex-husband in prison set to be released soon. Instead of trusting the authorities to help her (because the ex-husband is just so rich, he buys them all off) she decides the best way to protect herself is to get married to a "bad boy". And by "bad boy", I'm talking a guy who was a little punk as a kid but turned into a decent, law abiding citizen. So she asks Lucas if he'd do this (he's not a total stranger, though- he helped her when she was a kid and fell off a horse but that was years prior and she's harbored a crush on him since, of course) and he agrees.

He AGREES on a damn whim. No, I take that back, he agrees knowing he'd own half of the ranch Emily owns.

Because every decent marriage is based on bribery.

So they get married but Lucas decides he wants it to be a real marriage for all intents and purposes, and Emily agrees, but she's no hussy- she wants to get to know him first before having sex. (Are you rolling your eyes yet? Just wait, it gets better!)

But WAIT, you guys! Ex-husband is out (Adam) and he's crazy as a loon, y'all! He's killing people left and right because nobody is going to take his Emily away! Instead of making his character really despicable and have him being physically abusive or something, turns out Adam is just mildly verbally abusive but basically a misogynistic pig. Emily is terrified of him though, hence Lucas. Lucas is a bad ass though, so he's going to save everyone.

I won't ruin it for you but know there's a happy ever after. But can I just talk about something that drove me NUTS when I was reading it? These people take a shit ton of naps. I have chronic fatigue, I understand being tired ALL of the time but this is over the top. Emily has a conversation, needs to lay down. She did payroll, need to lay down. Adam calls, need to lay down. Also, for someone who describes herself as self sufficient, she relies on Lucas a LOT. She can't even take one of her 375 naps without him. It's just too much. This entire book was laughably terrible. I don't even want to donate this book anywhere, I honestly want to toss it in the trash.

September OwlCrate: Darkness

I was going to post about this later in the week, but the box was SO GOOD that I literally cannot wait. So you get it today.

Behold, lambs... my September OwlCrate!

Can we all just take a minute before we rub all of the things inappropriately?

Just kidding- rub all the things!

The read this month is from Kendare Blake, Three Dark Crowns, which looks amazing. We also got a signed bookplate, letter from the author and a paper fortune teller from the author. The book itself sounds interesting:

.. a tale of three sisters, each blessed with unique powers, and each cursed with the need to fight the others to their death in order to claim the crown of their kingdom. But things are never what they seem, are they?...

So excited to get to this book!

The rest of the box was equally great and included:

• A small candle from The Melting Library inspired by the Throne of Glass series. It's vanilla based, so that's instant migraine for me, so I'll be gifting this to someone. 
• The large black item is a cool zippered pouch inspired by Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children, in time for the movie. 
• I am so excited about the Fortune Telling Bomb bath fizzer from Da Bomb! I am mostly looking forward to it because it means I'll obviously be in the tub, alone, in the quiet, for some time. I can hardly wait. 
• We also got a bookmark from Evie Bookish, a cool button, a passport coloring book, and it looks like a second book called ReMade, A Serial in 15 episodes. I've never read anything like that, so I'm intrigued already. 

October's box is themed "Once Upon a Dream" and is going to feature an item from Whosits and Whatsits, so I'm looking forward to that box already!

Lit Cube September: Haunted Hearts

By the theme title you'd think this would be more Halloween, spooky, possibly scary centered, but no. You'd be wrong. I'm assuming we're saving that for October. This theme ends up being more darker romance I guess. 

So the thing with Lit Cube now is that every month you get a book, a wearable, a snackable, and then some other goodies that go with the theme of the box. 

This month's readable is The Architect of Song by A.G. Howard, and it's the first in the Haunted Hearts Legacy series, so we'll see if the book is good enough to continue on. Our wearable is a glass necklace with pressed flowers, which is so big and kind of gawky, so it's not in my taste but my 11 year old totally loved it. The snackable was a huge disappointment, a packet of hot chocolate from Walmart. The other goodies were a mixed bag. The journal, with a quote hand picked by this month's author imprinted on the front, is easily the best thing in this box. We also got a mini feather quill and ink vial set, I'm assuming to go with the journal, but who the hell has time for that kind of crap? Then we got a gardenia scented mor soap, which again, meh. I'm not one for mini soaps and stuff so I'll pass this along to someone else. It's a mixed bag of a box, but the two more expensive things (book and journal) were pretty nice, so those alone are really the value of the box. 

If you go to the Lit-Cube website, you'll see the theme for October is "Tale As Old As Time", so obviously this will be Beauty & The Beast inspired. I'm pretty excited because I love Beauty & The Beast, and there are SO MANY amazing things hanging out in Etsy shops and online stores that would be perfect for this box, so I'm optimistic! 

OwlCrate: Fast Times at YA High

So I'm going to apologize but you won't get detailed photos of my box this month because I couldn't find my camera, and my phone.. yeah. Just be happy that I got the one.

What did I get this month? Let's break it down:

• A decomposition notebook: normally I'd be disappointed in this because who doesn't have a crap ton of these little things laying around, but considering I'm losing my mind and having to write things down, this is perfect for me. 
• Hogwarts button: I'm too old to be doing the button thing anymore, so I gave this to my sister in law, who is a big Harry Potter fan! 
• A necklace of the Eleanor & Park cover and that's adorable so I kept that. 
• A print of the Harry Potter trio which... not sure what I'm going to do with. I've got a stack of these prints now and no idea what to do with them. 
• We also got an adult coloring book courtesy of Blue Star Coloring and I gave that away because I'm now in the process of letting things go and not keeping them for the sake of keeping them. My sister in law got that, too. 
• The book this month is P.S. I Like You by Kasie West, who also gave us a signed bookplate, letter, and colored pencils (seemingly to go with the coloring book). I kind of love the signed bookplates and letters- I always keep those in the front cover of my books. Anyone who borrows the book from me after get to read the letter, which is always kind of a cool touch from the other. I'm nerdy like that. 

The theme for September's box is DARKNESS, and they tease that we'll receive a "spooky and peculiar new item from Out of Print", and they show an image from Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which I still have not read. 

I KNOW. 

The movie is coming and I am grossly unprepared. I'm going to get my crap together soon, I swear. I super swear. I'm on it, lambs. 

Owlcrate: Good vs Evil

I got my Owlcrate this weekend and are you amazed I'm getting this post out so soon? Usually I'm weeks late but here I am, Little Miss Efficient!

The theme this month was Good vs. Evil and you had no idea what box you were going to get and you didn't get to pick, basically. I have to think pretty much everyone wanted an Evil box but wouldn't you know it, I got a Good.

LAME.

Ugh.

So here is the box contents this month. The big tease this month was that we would be getting a POP Figure, which is becoming increasingly popular in book boxes and I'm not not against that at all- these look adorable on my book shelf.

The good boxes got Luna Lovegood and the evil boxes got Dobby. So there's Luna. She's chillin' next to Dumbledore on my shelf. The sticker was hand designed by OwlCrate and made by Drop And Give Me Nerdy, and it's a nod to Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. The sticker is beautiful but I have to ask myself, WHY?? Why send stickers? What are people doing with these? I'm not 12, I'm 34 and I'm too damn old to be sticking stickers on my laptop or on my walls. so it just sits. I'm sure I have a bunch of stickers just hanging out in a drawer somewhere waiting to eventually be tossed. 

We also got a Millennium Falcon necklace from Vector Engraving. Actually, I wasn't sure what it was, I had to confirm with my husband that it was a Star Wars things and he looked kind of ashamed that I didn't know. He tried to get me to watch Star Wars on a first date and no. I'm not lame. So this is going to go to my sister in law because she likes this kind of thing. We also got an Alice in Wonderland magnetic bookmark created by Jane's Tiny Things. Which, you know I love me some Alice in Wonderland but I'm kind of over the bookmarks. I literally have hundreds and these do not hold up well at all and this one has already torn the top of the page in my new book. I am not pleased about this.

Another thing we got was some weird adult coloring book (which, not really a book, more like a booklet) of YA covers that we can color. Which.. *sigh*. I'm so sick of getting stupid shit in these boxes, let's be honest.

The book this month looks SO GOOD, though. It's This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab and it sounds so much like something I'd read from Becca Fitzpatrick, and you know I love her, so I'm excited. We also got a signed bookplate and a letter, both of which I always store in my book.

This box is always so 50/50 on the swag. It's cool stuff, but a lot of it seems pointless to have (like the stickers, crap bookmarks, coloring book, etc). When there is the POP figure and/or jewelry, it's fun. The books ARE always newer releases and interesting, so I don't know. I'm torn on whether I'll keep subscribing.

The theme for next month is...

The teaser for this is that we will receive an exclusively designed piece of jewelry inspired by Eleanor & Park.. so we'll see. This could be a really amazing box or more crap. I'm on the fence.