Unplugged Book Box is a subscription box focusing on self care with a bookish twist. They have both Adult and Young Adult monthly book boxes and specialty boxes. After getting their horror box earlier this year I decided that I want the Cozy Autumn box as well. Though mostly an item box this one also included a cozy mystery book where the horror box didn’t include a book.
The bookish goodies included were:
A Lord of the Rings Blanket
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Apron
The Vampire Diaries Pillow Case
An Autumn Night Reading Candle
Cozy Autumn Body Butter
Gilmore Girls Mug
Wuthering Heights Tea and Strainer
Supernatural Tote Bag
Autumn Festival Lip Balm
The book included is Murder Goes to Market by Daisy Bateman. Murder Goes to Market is a cozy murder mystery book set in a small town where Claudia has moved to start a new quiet life. When a vendor for the market she owns ends up dead suspicion falls on her. She must figure out what is going on and clear her name. While not my preferred genre it sounds interesting and could be a fast read.
So far I’ve liked the boxes I’ve received from Unplugged. I love the fact at these boxes have many practical items that I feel I will get a lot of use out of. I would recommend Unplugged Book Box and their boxes for anyone looking to a unique box and experience.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is an adult fantasy inspired by Pre-Columbian Americas and the different civilizations that existed during that time. Roanhorse weaves a tale of prophecies, politics, and magic to create a unique fantasy world that is wonderfully realized and set the backdrop for a set of characters that paths will all intertwine.
In the city of Tova, the winter solstice is a time for celebration but when it coincides with a solar eclipse what is expected is in jeopardy. Xiala, a ship captain and Teek (women who can control the sea), is tasked to bring Serapio, a blind young man, to Tvoa before the solstice to face his destiny. Narapa, the young Sun Priest, who many don’t think deserves her position as she came from the slums is also tied into what ever fate Serapio brings. While Okoa, a member of the worshipers of the Crow God, attempts to find out why his mother died and if it was murder.
I loved the premise of the story and liked most of the book. However, the story is told through the perspectives of our four main characters and I only was interested in two of the perspectives. I love Serapio’s story as we start with how he became blind and believes himself to be the avatar for the Crow God that will destroy the Sun Priest. Xiala is a badass sea captain who happens to have magical powers and I just want more of her story. I also enjoyed her growing relationship with Serapio and the tragedy that it seems to be.
I found Narapa’s sections to be boring and I found myself not wanting to read her chapter’s which in the end caused me to skim read them. I understand why her perspective is used and given the ending I excited to see where her story will go. Okoa had the fewest chapters and not well developed but I feel like he will grown in the next book.
Though the book starts out slow when the plot ramps up its a race to the end. And that ending took me by surprise and left me wanting so much more. I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and some are better suited as decor or for a pin/bulletin board. October’s theme is Legends and Lore.
Each box includes different bookish goodies that fit the theme of the month and are connected to other books. This months items include a bowl cozy, a soap bar, a bamboo phone stand, a set of moon and stars wind chimes, a glass nail files, and an audio book copy of Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko. I love the boxes that have practical items in them as I feel like I get more use out of these items. My favorite are the wind chimes and the phone stand. I also like the idea of being able to try a new audio book and one that is not the same as the hardback book.
Every month Owl Crate has a new young adult hardback book that has an exclusive cover, is signed and comes with a letter from the author. The enamel pin that is in every box is also inspired by that months book. This months book is Legendborn by Tracy Deonn which also have a reversible art cover. Legendborn is a modern day twist on Arthurian legends where a young woman finds that she has a mysterious connection to a secret society of magic users and that her mothers death might not have what was reported.
Death Masks is the fifth book in the Dresden Files an urban fantasy series following Harry Dresden a wizard working in Chicago who helps those that get involved in the supernatural. Death Masks sees Harry being contacted by a vampire of the Red Court for a duel to end the war between wizards and vampires while also being contacted by a priest to find the stolen Shroud of Turin.
At this point in my reviews of this series I feel like I have to talk about major plot points was which will include spoilers so if you don’t want spoilers just know that I like the Dresden Files books and each one is better than the last.
This story has multiple plots but all of them connect and have consequences for the future of the series I feel. At the beginning of the book Dresden is contacted by a vampire for a duel which could end the war at the same time the Shroud of Turin has been stolen and Harry agrees to find it. While all of this is going on the police have found a body missing its head and hands but contains some of the worst diseases know to man.
The Shroud is the main plot with the duel working as extra conflict for the story. The Knights of the Cross are attempting to find the Shroud while fighting different groups of daemons who also want it. But they also don’t want Dresden involved at all.
Harry ends up wining the duel but the vampires attempt to kill him anyways say they were just trying to make things work more in their favor. The main plot comes to a head when Harry realizes that the priest that contacted him to find the Shroud is really a demon that has taken on the priest form and the plan is to use the Shroud to spread multiple diseases across the would using modern transportation. They end up getting the Shroud back but the demons disappear. Though one shows up at the very end to hint that they will be back and are watching Harry.
Personally, I like the Dresden Files but I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the series. I read these as audio book and James Marsters is an amazing narrator. However, I often find myself bored for about the first third to half of the book in the set of each books plot and then loving it when everything stars to come together. I do plan to continue with the series and I hope they will just get better from here.
There are plenty of ways to organize book shelves. Some include by color, alphabetical, read vs unread, and many others. I’ve had many different book shelves and organization systems but the ones I’ve used the most are read and unread both keeping series together and keeping only the ones I’ve read together.
Currently, due to everything going on in the world I’m living with my parents so I’m able to have most of my book collection on shelves. During college I had one tall shelf and everything else was just stacked next to the shelf. Now days most of my books are on shelfs with some staked on the front of the shelfs. However, I do have some book mainly childhood favorites and college research text that I wanted to keep are in storage.
I’ve used different shelves and cases from different companies mostly from Ikea. Earlier this year some of the Ikea shelves started to fall apart and I purchased new bookcases from the furniture store, Havertys. I bought four in total, two taller with plenty of space to decorate and two that were smaller which fit better in the space but don’t have as much space on each shelf after books have been placed there.
My organization system works for me but I don’t think that it would work for many others. I first have separated all of my comics, manga, and lager coffee table type books from everything else. After that I organize by author and series so that all the books that I have by the same author and same series are together. If I don’t have enough books by one author for their own shelf I put other books or series that I feel fit best with them. Finally, all the books that I don’t have the next in the series or others from that author are organized by height starting with hardback and going to paperbacks. The only exception is that most of my mass-market books are on the same shelf.
This system works for me as I have a tendency to read all the books from authors I love and I get rid of books on a fairly regular bases. Because I go through everything at least once a year I would say that the organization changes a little bit every year and sometimes books are put where they fit.
Fairyloot is a Young Adult book subscription box focusing on fantasy based out of the UK. Each month you receive a new Young Adult hardback book and 5-6 bookish goodies. Like most book boxes the hardback are special editions and the items are a combination of both practical things and more decorative items. September’s theme is Under the Sea.
The bookish items included this month are a To Kill a Kingdom mug, an unfortunate souls keychain, a pencil case with a quote from the book Sea Witch, a hair detangling brush, a set of metal straws and a postcard.
All Fairyloot books come with exclusive covers and are signed by the author. The box also includes and author letter for each book. This months book is Fable by Adrienne Young and it also has sparkly light blue sprayed edges. Fable is about a young woman who was left on a island of thieves by her father. She enlists the help of the young trader West to get her off the island and find her father but the must work together if they are going to survive.
September was a fairly good reading month for me having read nine books. My physical To Be Read pile is pretty big and is always changing but I have started to work my way through the eBooks that I have as well.
Books:
Final Girls by Mira Grant is a horror novella about a therapy treatment where dreams are created and shared to deal with past trauma. When the technology get hijacked while a reported and the creator of the technology they must try to survive together. I love Mira Grant’s work and this was no exception. Though I do wish this was a longer novel what we are given is just the right amount and a great horror story.
The Last Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff is a short story set in the Lotus Wars series. This short story is a prequel to the rest of the series and gives some of the back story to the world that is introduced in the first novel. While I liked this story I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it around the same time as the other books in the series. There has just been too much time between each book for me to really connect to the series or story at the moment.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an adult historical fiction novel following the life of Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo and her relationships with her seven husbands. I really liked this book as Evelyn changed as a person and found her own way through the world. The twist near the end surprised me but I loved the characters and it speaks to the fact that you should live your life the way you want to as you never know what could happen.
The Hallow Places by T. Kingfisher is a horror novel about a young woman who finds a path to a world full of willow trees that might connect to other worlds from a hole in the wall of her grandfathers museum. However, there is something in the trees of this world that will find and hurt you it you think about them. Very creepy and unsettling but perfect for the Halloween season. I have a full review for this book as well.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Fazbear Frights vols. 3, 4, and 5 by Scott Cawthon are the next three volumes in the FNAF’s short story collections. Several years ago I got pulled into the lore of the video games and then the books so while they are not the best I still read them when new books come out. Each volume contains three short stories that connect different characters to the animatronics and other creations of Fazebear Entertainment. Great for those already interested in the series thought some stories are much more gruesome and confusing than others they are all creepy horror stories aimed at young adults.
Praying for Rain by Jay Kristoff is the last short story connected to the Louts Wars series that I needed to read. Very short story focusing on a Miho, a girl living in Kigen, and the boy she starts to fall in love with. However, when he finds out her secret her life is put in danger. This story adds a little more to the world and the people that are affected by the war. But once again if I had read this when I read the rest of the series I would have liked it more.
Labyrinth Coronation vol.1 is a graphic novel that tells the story about how Jareth become the Goblin King that we see in the movie. The story parallels Sarah’s journey in the movie with Jareth being wished away and his mother trying to get him back. Very good art and I plan to continue on with the series.
Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and some are better suited as decor or for a pin/builtin board. September’s theme is A Glorious Haunting.
Each box includes different bookish goodies that fit the theme of the month and are connected to other books. This months items include a throw blanket that features the full text of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven which is very soft and I love. Other items included were a set of three skull spoons, a Sleepy Hollow inspired lip balm that smells like pumpkin spice, a Black Flame candle inspired by Hocus Pocus, and an enamel chain bookmark.
Every month Owl Crate has a new young adult hardback book that has an exclusive cover, is signed and comes with a letter from the author. The enamel pin that is in every box is also inspired by that months book. This months book is Horrid by Katrina Leno which also included exclusive artwork on the reverse of the dust jacket. The story follows Jane and her mother who move back to New England after her fathers death. But the house that they are living in might house more secrets and horrors than Jane was expecting.
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher is an adult horror novel that is inspired by the 1907 novella by Algernon Blackwood, The Willows. The story follows Kara a recently divorced young woman who is working and living in her uncles small town museum full of old taxidermy and other oddities. One day a hole is busted into a wall in the museum which opens a door way to a different world of islands surrounded by willows with bunkers on some of the islands. When Kara and her friend, Simon, venture into the world they find a place that connects many worlds but house creatures that hear your thoughts and the more that you think of them the stronger and more deadly they become.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and I absolutely loved it. The writing is very good and Kingfisher created a amazing horror atmosphere that made me feel physically anxious and fearful for the characters. It one of those books that I had to stop reading at points because of how creepy and unsettling everything was but at the same time I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next.
Kara is one of those characters that is written in a way that makes her feel very relatable and someone you want to root for. Simon is mostly there for some add comic relief during some of the most tense situations but I loved this quirky character. There were a few moments that I felt like the characters had to do things that in reality no one would do just to move the story and plot along but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in horror and those who love creepy stories.
Fairyloot is a Young Adult book subscription box focusing on fantasy based out of the UK. Each month you receive a new Young Adult hardback book and 5-6 bookish goodies. Like most book boxes the hardback are special editions and the items are a combination of both practical things and more decorative items. August’s theme is Let the Games Begin.
The bookish items included this month are a Nevernight bookmark, a golden egg bath bomb, an Aurora Rising pin, a notebook inspired by Stalking Jack the Ripper, a Scythe magnet, and An Ember In the Ashes book sleeve. Each month also includes two tarot card this month featuring Mia and Mr. Kindly from Nevernight.
All Fairyloot books come with exclusive covers and are signed by the author. The box also includes an author letter for each book. This months book is Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar which also came with gold sprayed edges. The story is a contemporary fantasy inspired by Hindu mythology where a young woman is forced to be her celestial families human champion while also trying to save her father.
Night Owl Reviews 