Owl Crate November Review

Hello, all!

I think this months Owl Crate box was my favorite so far. The theme was Castles, Courts and Kingdoms and it was chock full of wonderful goodies, so without any further ado, let's get to it!

Ohhhhhh yessssssssssss. I love a good bobble hat and what better way to fight off the cold (and some pesky Dementors) than with this one?! This was a exclusive to Owl Crate and I love it so much.

Next up was this brooch pin made by Juniper and Joy Designs based on Leigh Bardugo's great Grishaverse. I loved the whole Grisha series and I have to admit, while reading them I did wonder about which order I'd be in, and now I know! Owl Crate sent out three different versions of the pin and I got the Durasts, which are part of the Materialki order, who can manipulate anything solid such as glass, steel, wood, stone, etc. Jesper was a Durasts and he's one of my favorite characters, so I was all about this pin. Also, Durasts usually wear purple and gray, which just so happens to be the color scheme of my room, so I thought this was super appropriate.

My lips are pretty much permanently chapped, and I never go anywhere without chapstick, so this little guy is perfect for me. It's also sporting my favorite house and a nice blackberry mint flavor, so that's going right into my handbag.

This was another exclusive from Fizzy Fairy Apothecary and it's based on the Elven bread from Lord of the Rings. It has a nice cucumber and mint scent which is really refreshing, a perfect way to start your journey though Middle Earth.

One of my favorite new series recently has been A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, so I was pumped to receive this notebook with a quote from A Court of Mist and Fury. I love notebooks, like I have a stack of notebooks all half used because I'll be in the middle of using one and then I find another one and start using that one instead and then the cycle continues, so I'm excited to add this one to the pile as well. Plus, the artwork by Stella's Bookish Art is just so nice.

The book this month was The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano. The story follows Wit, the only daughter of a power-hungry king, who is forced to live in the shadows as a spy for her kingdom. Then, one day while her life is at risk, Wit finds out she has the power to turn living things into gemstones just by touching them. But Wit is forced to flee once her powers cause a tragedy. On her hunt for answers and a cure, Wit meets a prince from an enemy kingdom who has a curse of his own. DeStefano's tale is a beautiful fantasy story all about the bonds of family and where loyalties lie.

I can't wait to dive into this story. Has anyone read it? Lemme know!

Book Haul

Hello, all!

It's been quite some time since I did a book haul, and I recently picked up some new ones, so I figured now's as good a time as any to bring it back. Also, it's starting to get really chilly here now, so it's the perfect time to stay inside, curl up under the blankets with a cuppa tea and good book, so here we go!

Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook- Christina Henry: Peter Pan is one of my favorite stories, and this take on it seemed right up my alley. I had never really read anything that revolved around Captain Hook and how he came to be Peter's most hated foe, so this was an instant stand out for me. Henry paints a great picture of two friends who once meant the world to each other, and the lies and secrets that slowly tore them apart.

Turtles All The Way Down- John Green: I'm a fan of John Green; I haven't read anything of his that I haven't liked. I just feel like the way he approaches his characters seems genuine, and always seem relatable. This story follows 16-year old Aza and her best friend Daisy as they try to uncover clues about the disappearance of the fugitive billionaire, Russell Pickett. All the while, Aza has to try to fight the ever tightening spiral of her own thoughts and anxieties.

Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie: My job has this little book fair about twice a year (which totally lets me re-live my Scholastic Book Fair high of when I was young), and I picked this up since: A. I had never actually read anything by Agatha Christie and B. I wanted to read it in case I saw the movie. Plus, who doesn't like a good murder mystery every now and again?

The Winter People- Jennifer McMahon: Keeping with the sort of mystery vibe, I picked up this by Jennifer McMahon. There was a quote on the back from a review from USA Today which called this, "Crisp, mysterious and scary... Reminiscent of Stephen King." How could you go wrong with that?! The story starts off in 1908 in West Hall, Vermont, where a woman named Sara was found dead in a field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter. Then the story jumps to present day where a family lives in Sara's old farmhouse and one morning they wake to find their mother has disappeared, and in her search for clues, 19-year old Ruthie stumbles upon Sara's hidden diary which might unlock the mystery unfolding around her.


Anyone read anything good lately? Lemme know!

Owl Crate October Review

Hello, all!

I realized I never put up a review of last months Owl Crate box, but hey, better late than never, right? The theme for the month was "Find Me in the Forest" and it had a lovely variety of goodies, so let's jump right in.

The first thing I pulled out was this cute little candle, which was exclusive to Owl Crate members, by In The Wick of Time inspired by the series, The Raven Cycle. I haven't read the series, but I have heard very good things about the candle company, so I'm excited to try it. And it smells like mint with a hint of forest, and usually I don't like woodsy scents, but I kinda like it.

Next up, is the cutest little packet of tea by Riddle's Tea Shoppe. I don't think you could have a forest theme without having something to do with Robin Hood and his band of merry men, and who doesn't love a good cuppa tea? This is also an exclusive for the box and tastes just like a slice of blueberry pie.

This is my favorite item that came last month. It's a Harry Potter mug! You all know my love of Harry Potter, but I also am slightly obsessed with mugs, so this feels like it was made just for me. The design of Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest is just beautiful, and there's even a little Buckbeak on it. I love it so much.

And here we have yet another exclusive (this box was just filled with them!), a pretty little woodland coaster. The design is so simple, but so pretty and I love the quote as well. It's such a nice little addition to go along with the mug.

Next up were these adorable little magnetic bookmarks inspired by Where the Wild Things Are from Craftedvan. I've never had magnetic bookmarks before, so I'm really excited about these. Plus, I just think they're adorable.

And keeping with the exclusive trend, they also included this print of San from Princess Mononoke created by Audra Auclair. It's just so pretty and a good reminder to be as kind and as fierce as the Wolf Girl is when it comes to the place we call home.

And finally we get to the book for the month, Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore. The story centers around the Nomeolvides family, who are a group of women who tend to the beautiful garden estate of La Pradera. The Nomeolvides women have been blessed with the ability to grow stunning flowers whenever they desire, but that ability comes with a cost. They can never leave the ground of La Pradera, and anytime they fall deeply in love, their lovers mysteriously vanish. One day, a strange boy appears from the soil and the women begin to question everything.

The book also came with a cute little packet of Forget-me-not seeds, which I thought was such a nice touch and definitely on theme. Has anyone read the book yet? If so, lemme know what you thought!