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! 

LitCube: Roaring 20's Mystery

I've gotten behind in blog posts so a lot of what you'll read this week is stuff that is a week or two old. Sorry, lambs. You'll survive though, so there's that.

But let's talk about my June Litcube!

The theme this month was "Roaring 20's Mystery" and I'm not a big roaring 20's fan so I was going to cancel and then missed the deadline so here we are. The good news is that we got some pretty fun stuff this month!

The large item is an 18x18 pillow cover! Guess what is ridiculously difficult to find in a store? An 18x18 pillow! I can find 20x20, but no 18x18. Sigh. I hate, hate, hate having to order something off of Amazon when it's just one thing, you know? But it's a beautiful pillow cover nonetheless and it'll end up on my couch eventually. Or maybe it'll be in my room. Who knows.

Some other goodies is a magnet with a quote from The Great Gatsby and an art deco headband. It's so pretty, though I don't know when I'd really wear it, BUT! These headbands never stay on my head. I have decided I must have a weird shaped head or something.

We also got champagne bubble scented foaming sugar scrub, which I will most definitely be using these last few weeks of pregnancy!

The book this month is EVERGREEN FALLS by Kimberly Freeman. If you look at the reviews for it on Goodreads they are kind of bizarre. The ones written in English either say it's terrible or it's mediocre. The ones in a foreign language I assume gush about it because those ones are all 5 stars. So who knows. My reading list is pretty long so it might be awhile until I get to this one.

Overall? Not a bad box. The theme for July is "I'd Rather Be A Mermaid" and I am pretty excited about that. I bet the goodies are going to be pretty fun, so I'm excited!

Lit Cube: Through the Looking Glass, May

I know. I can feel your judgment through the internet, lambs. I know I said I was going to cut back and I was going to just say no to book boxes but truly. I tried. I tried REALLY HARD.

We can all blame LitCube because their theme for May was Through the Looking Glass and you know I love Alice in Wonderland and I just... I couldn't even help myself.

I had a mini freak out moment on Monday when I seen that people were getting their boxes and I never got a tracking number for my box, and I panicked that maybe I missed the deadline. Thankfully, I'm just a whackadoodle and my box came on Tuesday. And it's gloooooooorious.

Let us all just take a minute and hold the squeal we want to let out for just a minute longer. And now LET IT OUT.

The box itself contains two 5x7 prints (by Star in my Pocket, $12.99 value), a super delicious cookie by Sweets by Steph ($2.50 value), a shirt with one of my favorite lines ever ($19.95 value), and a adorable bookmark, also a Star in my Pocket item ($3.25 value)...

a super cute makeup bag which is exclusive to this box ($12.99 value)...

an exclusive Through the Looking Glass pocket mirror ($8.99 value)... 

and of course, the book Alice Takes Back Wonderland by David D. Hammons ($18.99 value) which came with a letter from the author. Admittedly, the problem I've always had with LitCube is that the books are either unexpectedly really good or they are so bad that they end up in my did-not-finish pile. This one has some pretty mediocre reviews on Goodreads, with more than a few people saying they didn't even finish it, so I'm worried. It's combining the classic story of Alice along with Disney characters so it sounds sketch as hell. I guess we'll find out. I probably won't get to this in May, more likely in June, but we'll see. It's not very long so maybe I can fly through it. Either way, I'll let you know. I feel like if LitCube just bit the bullet and went with books that are mainstream and popular and/or anticipated, this box would be ridiculously over the top amazing. The swag is always so great and fun.. it's the books that are so damn hit or miss.

The next theme is Roaring 20's and no lie, I'm worried but I'm in. Dammit.

Lit Cube: Immortal Kiss box

Here's what's funny. So after last month's box, the Supernatural themed one, I really thought I should just cancel this and call it good because the book was terrible in every box so far and ugh. The swag wasn't making up for the shit books, you know? But time got away and before I knew it, I had missed the first of the month deadline and my account was charged and this box was coming. 

So my super awesome mail day happened last week, two packages in a day! I think my mail man is getting real sick of my shit and packages. He used to be nice and put my stuff in my back porch on rainy days but now he just leaves them on the step like sad little orphans.

Anyways, the box is pretty solid this time! I felt immediately guilty wanting to break up. We got a 5x7 Dracula-Inspired Watercolor Print ($6.99 value), which is stunning. It's totally getting framed for my office. We got a lip balm and mirror set ($9.99 value), which I would not pay $9.99 for. Not  a damn chance. But the lip balm came from an Etsy shop that is kind of amazing - Lippincott Soap Co.  If you are looking for unique stocking stuffer ideas, she has a ton of really fun things in there for an affordable cost. Various bookmarks and a pen meant to look like a syringe.

The book we got this month was Elise Walters' Tentyrian Legacy.  I'm worried, the reviews are really mixed so if this sucks just as bad as the last, I'm going to say goodbye to this box. We also got a really kick ass journal from Whit and Ware ($9.99 value) that you can't buy anywhere else, it was made exclusively for Lit-Cube. But the line on the front of the journal reads, "Only Dracula can truly love you forever" and man... I absolutely love that line .So the journal is maybe my second favorite thing.

My first favorite thing absolutely HAS to be the most kick-ass, holiday skulls infinity scarf ($9.99 value). I don't know where it came from, but I am in love with it. It is easily the best thing in this box and if every box came with something this fabulous, I would probably never quit it. 

So we're on the fence. The box for December is "You're a Mean One, Grinch" and that can go so horribly wrong and I'm really nervous I'm going to get a box of useless shit I'll mostly throw out. So we'll see. If that box sucks, I'm for sure out. We are going to for sure break up. I mean it this time. 

LitCube... Supernatural Box

Oh lambs. I know I've been a bit MIA as of late, but I promise it's not without reason. Mostly we've been sick. And I've been balls to the wall busy with real life things and sometimes my little ol' blog has to sacrifice.

BUT!

I have a few book subscription box reveals coming for you, some book reviews (some GREAT, some... not so great) coming up and more. Oh yes, more. Shenanigans kind of more.

First up though, let's talk about my October Lit Cube, it was a Supernatural theme. Now, I'm going to be honest. The theme was teased In August, I believe? Or September? I hadn't ever watched the show. I know. Don't worry, I have quickly rectified that and am now a full blown junkie, and I'm signed up for the newsletter and on a wait list for convention information.

Don't judge.

So I was super excited about the box because as it got closer to release time, I had already become a Supernatural addict.

So what did I get? Well. I got a copy of The Spawn by Ken Nolan. I have started it, I'm on maybe chapter 4 or 5 and it's... well it's kind of shitty. It just is. It actually might get tossed into my not-going-to-finish pile. It's that bad. I mean, it'll be a slow finish. You know I'll reluctantly finish it and then complain to you all about it.

Next up we got three nail polishes from Spellbound Nails.  I did try these on mine and my daughter's nails and meh... not impressed. Anytime I have to apply multiple coats for it to not look streaky, I toss it. I have zero time for that shiz. This is said to have a $13.99 value, and they are "free of toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin and camphor", but there is zero chance I would pay $13.99 for this.

We also got a "Books: My Drug of Choice" ereader sleeve, and $11.99 value. Super cute if you don't already have an ereader sleeve, which I do. So this is useless. I might use it for something else but alas, so far nothing else fits in it. We got a button, that I don't know where I'll use it, and some bookmarks.

Perhaps the only thing I liked was the keychain. Which apparently some people were pissed off because their didn't come with vials, or their cork popped out, blah blah blah. My cork came out of one vial, but I put it back in. One vial is supposed to have holy water and the other salt, two things popular in the Supernatural show. I do plan to use this. 

The other thing I liked was this mini charm. I'm probably going to use it for something else all together, but it was cute.

Overall? Dud. I feel like this was a dud of a box. November's box is vampire theme so I've got high hopes. December is "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", but in the teaser image the Grinch looks like Scrooge so... I'm worried. That could go south real quick. I meant to cancel before November 1 but I forgot, so I'm all in for the next two, lambs. Stay tuned.

Lit Cube #2

You guys! I've got a bunch of cool mail recently. Today I'll show you my second Lit Cube, the We'll Never be Royals themed box, but tomorrow I'll show you  my first OwlCrate!

So if you remember, last month was my first Lit Cube and it was an Oz themed box. The book I got with it, Spelled, wasn't totally awful but it really wasn't great, either. But the swag I got in that first box was pretty great. This month, equally nice box!

Easily the nicest item is the royal purple t-shirt that is a Game of Thrones/Star Wars mash up. I'm not a Star Wars fan but I do like the Game of Thrones, and the shirt is pretty fun so I do like that.  (Value $16.99)

We also got this 4 ounce mini mug, not totally sure what I'll use it for, but it IS cute! Currently, it's sitting on my bookshelf. (Value $7.99)

We also got a free audio book code ($7.99 value) which I won't use because I don't do audio books, so things like this are kind of a waste for me. Also we got a small tin of "Once Upon A Time Fandom Adagio Tea Blend" ($4.99 value) which again, I don't drink tea so I gave that to someone. Along with a few other bookmarks, including one that came with a bottle cap key ring, it was a decent little box.

The book Cage of Deceit by Jennifer Anne Davis ($12.99 value) also came with it. It's a YA book and it sounds... meh. I don't know. It might end up being really good but it'll be awhile before I get to it. It did come with a signed book plate for it, so that is always a fun thing to stick in the book.

Overall? Not a disappointing box at all. A lot of comments I've gotten have been, "Oh, well you could just go buy this stuff" and true, I totally could. Honestly though, I'm the worst online shopper (hate it) and I don't do well finding these types of things on my own. I keep saying it, but I really do need a responsible adult to take charge of my life. HA!

So that's the second Lit Cube. October is a "Supernatural Idgits" theme and that sounds... questionable. November is a vampire them and you know I am ALL OVER THAT, just take all of my money.

Spelled

Alright lambs, you're lucky I'm a fast reader because I squeezed this one between my other review books just so you could get the full effect of my Lit-Cube. If you missed that, then go back and just check that out because it's pretty neat bundle of things you get.

Spelled - Betsy Schow

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after. 

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

I am the first one to tell you I totally judge a book by the cover and this cover is absolutely stunning. Nobody can say this book is not stunning and if they do, punch them in the face because they are a moron. What isn't totally super, over the rainbow stunning, (you see what I did there?) is the story. I KNOW. I just kind of deflated your balloon, didn't I? The story is not awful, I was real doubtful, but honestly the last third of the book is the best part. 

I'm normally a fan of re-telling of classic stories and you know my top re-telling of ALL TIME is and will forever be Lisa Jensen's Alias Hook. That book is near and dear to my heart, I love it more than I would love my own book, if I ever finish it. But Spelled is not so much a re-telling, but more a different take of The Wizard of Oz. And not even that, to me this is more like the movie that came out with James Franco and everyone said was crap, but I actually totally loved it. 

So we have Dorthea, who is a spoiled rotten brat who is too cool for school and boys, and she's basically locked up in her castle because there is a curse on women in her family but nobody knows who really is cursed, so let's not take any chances. Of course, Dorthea is willful and bratty so she tries to make a run for it, and fails. She's informed she'll be marrying  Kato, who looks like a dirty gardener and far from a Prince Charming. (And I'm sorry, I read the name Kato and all I could think about is the OJ Simpson trial and that kind of ruined all chances of me thinking this guy is any kind of hot.) So she takes a wishing star from a child and hell breaks lose and Dorthea is on the run presumably to save her life AND set the story right. 

I know this is kind of picky of me but using words like "pixed" instead of "pissed" and "Grimm" instead of "damn" and a variety of other fairy tell vocabulary to replace swear words is kind of ridiculous. I know it's supposed to be kitschy and go with the story but I found it distracting and I think ultimately did a disservice to the book. This book would have worked as a really dark romance novel and I feel like the author was afraid to go there and instead opted for cutesy and it just didn't work for me ultimately. Also, one of the characters that I thought was just a blip in the story, Hydra, actually has a large part in the novel but she's also.. well she's different. She has a flair for multiple personalities as she changes heads but some of the dialogue from her is so bizarre and difficult to read at times, almost like she has a really bad Creole accent? I mean, that's what it sounds like in my head as I read it. I get that is the character you are portraying but again, so hard to read. An example is on page 264 where she says, "She be havin' a point. But  ya should alsa know, if ya be growin' inta a full beastie, der be no changin' back for ya." That was one of the easier sentences, but you have to read the words phonetically for you to understand it. 

BUT. 

I'm not telling you to rule this book out because at 344 pages, this books is kind of a steal of a deal and worth the purchase price of $9.99 or less on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I will say again though, The Bookworm Box had amazing books, each one of them were 5 stars and so far, for my first Lit Cube book I have to give this one 3/5. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't tremendous either. So stay tuned because I do have another Lit Cube coming and I'll review that book again as well. 

Lit-Cube Oz Box Reveal!

If you remember correctly, a few weeks ago I gave you a good run down on several Book Subscription boxes that are available. If you missed that and are a fan of books and fun mail, definitely check that post out and maybe find something that will work for your budget and tastes. In that post I told you I had signed up for Lit-Cube and I already received my first box. I missed the original sign up for the Oz box, but if you follow them on Facebook, sometimes they have extras and you can order them after the fact, and that's what I did. So here is what my $34.98 (after shipping) got me:

The box! Admittedly, I pretty much almost tackled the mail man off of my front porch. He was not pleased.

Inside is a glossy printed card detailing the items in your box, their value, and where to get more should you want to. I absolutely LOVE this detail because one of the items is from an Etsy shop and I love that advertising, but also because you know where your money went. If I added up the value, it comes to just under $44 worth of items, and my total was $34.98 but that included the shipping of the box to me.

So you'll see I was getting a book, a handmade necklace, a book mark, a poster and a magazine- not a bad haul!

This is what the box looked like once I opened it up, packaged very nicely.

A Dorothy Poster (11x17) which I'll get a frame for and hang up in my library/office room.

Oh, all of my stuff laid out. I also got a sucker, a couple of magnets and a signed book sticker from the author, which I put in the inside cover of my book.

Kind of a nice touch to have your book basically signed!

Let's talk about my favorite item in the box- the "oz inspired Origami necklace" from STCHandmade. I think my favorite thing about the LitCube is that they feature from things, often from Etsy shops and you know I love Etsy. The necklace itself is absolutely gorgeous, the packaging is top notch and I'm not even keeping it for myself. I know someone who would really love this and let's cross one thing off my Christmas shopping list!

Tomorrow I'll formally review the book Spelled for you, so come back for that, but a teaser... I didn't LOVE it. It wasn't awful, but I didn't totally LOVE it. If I have to compare LitCube to The Bookworm Box? I love LitCube's stuff and The Bookworm Box's books. I am still signed up for The Bookworm Box as it takes a hiatus in September, and I'm also signed up for LitCube. The next box is "We Will Never Be Royals" theme and a shirt is going to be included. I am ridiculously excited!