Friday, August 26, 2022

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Tell Me Lies" (August 2022)


Another month, another amazing Fairyloot box. This is my eighth box since I resubscribed and I absolutely adored it, yet again. This month's theme was "Tell Me Lies" and in the reveal we were told it would also include an item Fairyloot had never included before. I absolutely loved every item and the book they chose so let's just not wait any longer and dive into the unboxing! 



The first item included was a bookshelf-patterned tote bag designed by @chattynora. This is absolutely stunning. I love useful items in book boxes and this is one that I can see myself actually using, especially for bookish events. The books on the shelves on this tote are actually all books Fairyloot have featured in their boxes or done special editions for in the past, which I thought was pretty cute. 

The next item was a Romeo & Juliet inspired list pad designed by @catarinabookdesigns. The quote they included is also very reminiscent of the R&J retelling, These Violent Delights, that I love. I am a big fan of stationary and I am 100% going to be filling this with meaningless lists and to-dos. The only thing I wish is that there was a sticky bit so that I could stick it to places when I wanted to use it. 

Then is the item that they've never included before: a celestial-themed travel jewelry box designed by @jezhawk. For starters, this is absolutely stunning. It's also fandom-neutral and feels quite sturdy and well put together for a book box item. I will definitely be using this, either for bookish jewelry or for my growing collection of pins. 

The next item was an enamel pin inspired by Gilded by Marissa Meyer and designed by @no0nedesigns. This is a stunning little pin and the design is quite intricate for how small it is. I am very much looking forward to finally reading this book soon, though I'm probably going to wait at least until the sequel is out to dive into it. Marissa Meyer hasn't steered me wrong yet, though. 

The last proper items are the next in the collectible mythology bookmark series designed by @gracezhuart. This month we have Anubis from Egyptian mythology and Apate from Greek mythology. I'm a big fan of this collectible series and I also love that they're including mythologies from around the world (as I originally thought it would only be Greek as that's what their first two were). I find bookmarks to also be a very fun item as a reader can never have enough bookmarks.

This month's tarot cards are from Only A Monster by Vanessa Len. We have Joan as Justice and Nick and Aaron as Wheel of Fortune. I've not yet read this but it's on my list closer to the sequel's release. I also am just really enjoying the tarot card series (mainly because the artwork is completely gorgeous). One of my favorite things is that they are doing tarot cards after the books they include in their boxes. 

The book this month was Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen. This edition features an exclusive cover, ombre sprayed edges, artwork printed on the hardcover and endpages designed by @_saintdri, and comes with a signed bookplate. I'm absolutely in love with the cover changes as it created this beautiful sunset imagery that goes well with the sprayed edges. I am very much looking forward to reading this as well. 




Overall, this was another stunning box from Fairyloot. I know not every month will be a winner but Fairyloot have been smashing for the majority of this year. I will use everything in this box and I think the quality and design are beautiful. I am incredibly excited for September as it's been revealed there is going to be a blanket and I think their blankets are some of the comfiest things ever. 

August was also the last month that included five items. Due to inflation and the rising costs of everything, Fairyloot announced that from September onwards there will only be four items. This is so they can keep the quality high and not have to raise the cost of the box. Honestly, I'm happy with that decision and I look forward to the boxes nonetheless (especially as it feels like the tarot cards and various paper items that come with the book work very well as bonus items). 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Sunday, August 14, 2022

Series Review: "The STEM-inist Novellas" by Ali Hazelwood


Series Title: The STEM-inist Novellas
Author: Ali Hazelwood 
Genre: Romcom
Reading Order & Individual Ratings:
  1. Under One Roof - 5/5 stars
  2. Stuck With You - 4/5 stars
  3. Below Zero - 4.5/5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

I, like many people, read The Love Hypothesis because of the hype it received on BookTok. I, like many people, absolutely adored it. The Love Hypothesis, which is Ali Hazelwood's first book, is one of my all-time favorite romcoms. It was so funny and kept me engaged the entire read. But this isn't a review for The Love Hypothesis. No, today we're going to talk about three more Ali Hazelwood works!

The STEM-inist novellas, which include Under One Roof, Stuck With You, and Below Zero, are a trilogy following a trio of friends as they navigate romances in their lives. Each novella follows a different main couple, though the others do make their appearances, in a variety of situations. First publishing solely as audiobooks, the novellas were then released a few months later as ebooks, which is how I read them. 

Under One Roof is my favorite of the three, I think. It's an enemies-to-lovers-esque story about two characters who each own half of a house but neither wants to sell or move out. One is an environmental scientist and the other is a lawyer at an environment-destroying company. It's absolutely hilarious but also incredibly heartwarming following their reluctant relationship growth across the time they live together. By far I think it's also the best written, in terms of character development and story progression. It was just so cute and I couldn't stop smiling the entire time I was reading it. 

The second is Stuck With You which follows two engineers at rival companies who get stuck in an elevator a few weeks after having a whirlwind 24-hour romance that ended in betrayal and anger. The novella is told in a series of flashbacks to their romance and their present setting in an elevator. I enjoyed it, and it was cute, but it definitely didn't feel nearly as developed as the other stories. I think the main thing with this was that it was based around a miscommunication trope and I don't really like those much. It felt like there wasn't much story progression or plot from that except for them having an actual conversation and realizing they were both wrong. Because of that, I just didn't swoon as much as the others even if I still enjoyed it. 

The last novella is Below Zero and follows two NASA scientists with a hint of rivals-to-lovers. One is injured and stuck in a life-or-death situation and the other is coming to save them. This novella also switches between past and present but I felt like it did it in such a better way. The main plot for this also didn't feel like it was based around the miscommunication trope, though there was some of that. Instead, there was other stuff going on that made it a well-balanced story in my mind. It was quite cute and enjoyable seeing the potential relationship that has spanned years finally culminate in this novella.

One of my favorite things about Ali Hazelwood is the inclusion of science and academia in her books. While I studied humanities in university, I still took STEM classes and they always fascinated me. I also just think it's great to see science represented in romance books because I rarely ever see it. My ranking of these would have to go Under One Roof, Below Zero, and then Stuck With You. Each was quite different but they also all felt like Ali Hazelwood stories. I'm beginning to get a vibe for how she writes and I'm quite looking forward to the fact that I can reach for her books when I'm in the mood for these types of stories. I quite enjoyed this trilogy of novellas and think they've been great to hold me over until her next full-length novel, Love On the Brain, comes out later this month. I also am very much looking forward to the paperback bindup of these novellas that is coming out at the beginning of next year! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Friday, August 12, 2022

The Anti-TBR Book Tag


I realized the other day that it's been ages since I've done a book tag and I quite missed doing them. However, when I was thinking of what tag to do I figured I wanted to do something a little bit different than usual. So, today I'm doing the Anti-TBR Book Tag! Instead of what books I want to read or have, this tag is all about the books and authors I don't want to read. Please keep in mind that these are my personal opinions and it's okay and valid to like books I dislike (basically, don't come for me if I mention your fav). This tag was originally created by BookTuber Nicole & Her Books.



A POPULAR BOOK EVERYONE LOVES THAT YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING


I think I'm going to have to go with A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. I love the original story of The Hunger Games but I have zero desire to read anything about President Snow and his backstory. There were so many ways this prequel could have gone and so many I would have preferred over this. I'm sure there's plenty of social commentary that doesn't excuse him but I don't really want to empathize with a genocidal maniac. 




A CLASSIC BOOK (OR AUTHOR) YOU DON'T HAVE AN INTEREST IN READING

Honestly, most classics. I've disliked the majority of classics I've ever read and that's pretty much put me off reading the rest of them. I may eventually read ones if they have magic or gothic elements in them, but the ones that are straight up just fiction aren't for me. 



AN AUTHOR WHOSE BOOKS YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING

For this one I have to go with Colleen Hoover. I have nothing against her and I'm glad her books have brought a lot to different readers but I have zero interest in reading her books. Even when I was in high school and the age most of her books are aimed at, I wasn't interested. The plots don't align with my interests most of the time and I've seen snippets of her writing that have me wanting to just stay away. 



A PROBLEMATIC AUTHOR WHOSE BOOKS YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING

I'm going to go with J.K. Rowling for this one. I am someone who grew up on Harry Potter, both the books and movies and I can't say I don't still love the story itself. However, Rowling has proven to be a horrible person in reason years, mainly in regard to her transphobia that is actively harming people. I refuse to read anything else she publishes and I also refuse to spend my money on anything in the future that will benefit her. Additionally, in revisiting Harry Potter, I can see how a lot of her harmful views have made their way into the books. So, it's just a no from me on anything she writes in the future and on giving anymore money to Harry Potter-related things. 



AN AUTHOR YOU HAVE READ A COUPLE BOOKS FROM AND HAVE DECIDED THEIR BOOKS ARE NOT FOR YOU

I think I'm going to go with Jay Kristoff. This is a weird one because his co-written Illuminae Files series is one of my all-time favorites. However, any other book or story I've read from him has disappointed me greatly. I also am just not vibing with him as a person lately, so I'm okay with not reading his other books. 



A GENRE YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN OR A GENRE YOU TRIED TO GET INTO BUT COULDN'T

For me, I think it'll be horror. I don't like being scared and I need any scary elements to be balanced with lighter moments and humor. Straight-up horror just isn't for me, I don't think. I also think the need for balance extends to thrillers/crime books where there's no humor or romance to balance it out. At my core, I read to escape and have a good time, not be scared or become anxious. 



A BOOK YOU HAVE BOUGHT BUT WILL NEVER READ 
(this can be a book you have unhauled/returned to the library unread)


I've unhauled so many books over the years. In fact, just last August I unhauled 200+ books in one swoop. I think for this I'm going to go with They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I owned this book for years and I finally came to the conclusion that I had no desire to put myself through that pain. The idea itself is quite brilliant but I much prefer happy endings in books. I don't want to be sad at the end and I know this ending would kill me so I'm just going to stay away. 



A SERIES YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING OR A SERIES 
YOU STARTED AND HAVE DNF'D


I think for this I have to go with the Crave series by Tracy Wolff. I read the first book with such high hopes and I did not like it. If you want my full, in-depth thoughts you can check my review out here as I don't want to get too ranty in this post. After finally finishing the first book, I realized I would never want to finish the series and still have no desire to ever pick it up again. 



A NEW RELEASE YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING


There are plenty of these but I'm going to go with The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean. I'm not going to say no to this forever, but for the time being I have no desire to read it. The concept is intriguing, but I'm not really into books about motherhood or children and it seems like that plays a big role in this one. Like I said, this may be something I pick up in the distant future if I enjoy reading about those themes but right now I have zero desire to read about it. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Book Review: "Foul Lady Fortune" by Chloe Gong

Title: Foul Lady Fortune
Author: Chloe Gong
Series: "Foul Lady Fortune" #1
Genre: YA Speculative Historical Thriller
Page Length: 528 pages
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Chloe Gong has done it again. She's written another novel I'm obsessed with and I don't know how I'm going to cope with the wait for book two. 

Foul Lady Fortune is the first in a spin-off duology set after the events of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. It follows Rosalind, an assassin who can't die, and Orion, a playboy spy, who must pose as a married couple on an undercover mission. This duology contains characters old and new. While it can be read on its own, it will spoil the events of Our Violent Ends so if you're interested in reading the original duology, I would read that first. 

This book has a completely different vibe than the These Violent Delights duology yet also felt like I was coming home. The plot in Foul Lady Fortune is about covert operations, sneaking around in the night, etc. It uses a lot of brain power to follow but it's quite exciting and feels very well-set in 1930s Shanghai. 

Of course, my favorite part of this book, like with the previous duology, are the characters. I am obsessed with all of them. I wasn't expecting all the different POV characters but came to enjoy each. I think my favorites are still currently Rosalind and Orion. Their dynamics were hilarious and the way their relationship progressed made me squeal the entire time.

I was expecting there to be plot twists, but I still was blown away when they came about. My mind is still reeling and I'm still wondering about how things will be resolved after the cliffhanger in this book. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next. I'm unsure how I'm going to survive the over one year wait but I think finally get my physical copies when this officially releases will help. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Sunday, August 7, 2022

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Trials & Retribution" (July 2022)


Another month, another Fairyloot unboxing! I am adoring Fairyloot boxes this year and I am so happy to have another one show up to unbox for you guys. I was very much looking forward to this box and I'm so happy that it didn't disappoint because I loved it! And so continues my obsession with getting Fairyloot boxes...



The first item that was included in this box was a pair of socks inspired by Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and designed by @forensicsandflowers. I have not yet read this book but it is on my TBR and I've heard a lot of good things about it. These socks are dark and have a skull on them and I actually quite like them (especially more than the last socks they did which were very bright). I will definitely use these as they're a very subtle fandom reference and will be hidden most of the time I'm wearing them anyway. 

Up next was a pin banner inspired by Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson designed by @blanca.design. I have not yet read this duology but it is on my TBR once I finish the previous trilogy, The Remnant Chronicles. This is also quite a subtle fandom design and it could even just be looked at as a general fantasy design if you don't know the fandom. I will definitely use this as I've lately run out of space on my main pin banner and would be needing a new one soon.

Then we got a set of metal straws that have a greek pattern that design by Fairyloot themselves. We got two thinner straws and a thicker straw. I'm quite excited about this as I've actually been looking into buying some straws for smoothies for home use. The other week I was really wanting a straw and I had none, so now I'm set! I know some people didn't like this but I fully am on board with usable items like these being included.

The next item was the next in the collectible letter opener/literary weapon replicas series. This specific one was inspired by Lila from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and designed by @jezhawk. It's definitely an interesting design with the handle but I'm not mad about it. I still think it's pretty and, honestly, the handle is probably a good thing as I'd otherwise get a papercut opening letters. However, when they announced this theme, fandoms, and this as an item, I would have bet all my money that Gideon the Ninth was the one getting the replica. 

The last item is a print album designed by @chattynora. It's a beautiful album and I'm actually quite excited about it. The design and gold foiling and spine are gorgeous. I think it's very subtle but very nice. I love useful items like this and I think it's great for storing art prints as not everyone will hang every print up. When they announced this box would have a highly anticipated item they'd never included, I did suspect it would be an album of some size (either for art prints or just tarot cards), so I'm glad to have been right. I am annoyed at myself though for buying a cheap album in May when we've now got a nice fancy one. 

The tarot cards this month were featured from Blood Scion by Deborah Faye. We have Strength, which has the character Sloane, and The Hermit, which has the character Dane. As always, these are designed by @arz28. I like these a lot and I'm definitely excited to add it to my deck. I haven't read Blood Scion and didn't get that Fairyloot box but the book is on my TBR so it's all good. As I haven't read it, I'm wondering if we're going to get more characters from this book in the next box or if we're going to only have these two (which seems to be what the last few months have been). 

The book this month is The Darkening by Sunya Mara. I knew this was the book in advance and I'm quite happy to have a nice copy of it as it just sounds so exciting. This edition has an exclusive cover, two-colour stencil sprayed edges, foil on the hardcover designed by @taratjah, artwork on the endpages by @taratjah, and is signed. The print included with this (designed also by @taratjah) is stunning! I love this edition, though I think I would have preferred them to have kept some of the original purple elements to it. Either way, I can definitely get the standard UK edition and have both the purple original cover and this stunning blue one. 





Overall, I love this box. I think all the items are beautiful and useable. I also like how Fairyloot has had some very subtle fandom items lately as it makes it easier for me to use all of them in my daily life. I'm just at the point in my life where I'm picky about decor and whatnot so subtle fandom items are a lot better for me. I also like that these items are all useable and ones I would have probably bought on my own anyway. I'm quite excited to see what they do for the next box as they've said there's another item they've never included. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Friday, August 5, 2022

July 2022 Book Haul


With another month comes another book haul. This month I got quite a few more books than I expected but I'm excited about all of them! I got a total of 10 books this month and I can't wait to incorporate them all into my shelves. Let's just dive in!



The first book I got was Dreams of Ice and Iron by Kayla Edwards. This is Kayla Edwards' debut that came out in 2021. I read her most recent book, City of Gods and Monsters, this month and it is my favorite book of the year so far. The moment I finished it, I basically one-click ordered this one. It's the first in a separate fantasy series and I'm excited to get to this eventually. There's not as much pressure to read it as soon as the sequel is on the back burner to prioritize her other series (the one I love with all my heart). But I am excited to have it on my shelves now. 

The next book I got was the signed Waterstones edition of Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. I preordered this and was sick so ended up picking it up a little late but I have it now and that's all that matters. The edges on this are gorgeous and this edition looks great next to my Waterstones edition of Realm Breaker. I haven't yet read it, but I've enjoyed other books I've read by Victoria so I'm excited to see how it goes when I get to it.

Then I picked up The Host: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz. I love books and I love movies and TV shows so it's only natural that I love books about movies and TV shows. A good companion book to one of my favorite screen stories is automatically on my wishlist. What's nice about this one, and most movie companions for older movies, is that I can get them for 80% off list price secondhand. I got this one super cheap and basically just paid the cost of shipping. I've already read half of it and it's a super interesting look into how the movie came together.

I also got the Waterstones edition of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. I have the Fairyloot edition and it remains probably the prettiest edition on my entire shelf. However, this Waterstones edition is also stunning. I mainly got it because I have the sequel preordered and I want my editions to match. If I like this when I finally read it, I knew I would want the gorgeous edition and the price keeps going up the farther we get from when it was published so I wanted to get this because the price was very reasonable. 

Then I got the Fairyloot edition of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen. This was the July Adult Book-Only pick and I am very happy with it. I've heard so many good things about this and I've seen it described as a cozy fantasy, which is a genre that I'm trying to get into soon-ish. I also just adore this edition, which is the only hardcover edition, has an exclusive cover, stenciled edges, embossing, artwork on the endpages, and is signed. Very happy to have it on my shelves.

I then impulse bought the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Official Companion Guide published by Future Press. This is over 400 pages of information, tips, and art about New Horizons. I love this game and I think this is both a useful guide and a beautiful collector's item. It's a bit outdated as the game has gotten a couple updates (most notably the 2.0 update and new DLC), but the publisher has been putting out PDF updates every year for free that cover the updates so I'm not mad about that at all. 

Then it was announced that the Throne of Glass series are getting new covers. This is one of my all-time favorite series and I am so happy that I actually love the redesigned covers. I think it helps that I already have a set of complete covers so a redesign doesn't bother me now as much as a mid-series change. That being said, I wanted to make sure my collections of the original covers were as complete as possible so I got the UK paperback of The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas that I'd put off getting for years. I think I'll also get a couple more copies of specific hardbacks just to have a complete second set but that'll come across the next six months until publication.

I then got the Fairyloot edition of The Darkening by Sunya Mara. This was in the July YA box and I love it. It has an exclusive cover, stenciled edges, embossing, artwork on the endpages, and is signed. I do think I prefer the original cover color scheme (the image included) but I also love the blue on this change. Worst case, if I love the book, I can get the original edition and have both as they're both beautiful. I've also heard good things about this so I'm quite excited to have a copy now. 

Then I had an Amazon gift card that was given to me specifically to buy books so I got two. The first was The Mindf*ck Series: Books 1-5 bind-up by S.T. Abby. I read this entire series in July and it is a new all-time favorite (you can find my review here). I knew I would want it on my shelves and the series is only offered physically as a bind-up with a gorgeous alternate cover. But as I am obsessed with it I used my gift card to pick it up this past month and I'm so glad to have a copy on my shelves. It also is bittersweet as this is my second series by this author (who goes under two other pen names as well) but my first series I've read by her since she passed away last year. 

The last book I got (and the second on the gift card) was Heartstopper: Volume 3 by Alice Oseman. I had all other volumes of Heartstopper that are currently out but was missing this one. I was really excited to see it was on sale and that I could get it with my gift card because I now have all four volumes and can binge them. My love of Heartstopper has resurfaced with the show coming out recently and I've been wanting to finally catch up on all of it! 



Well, those are all the books I got in July. I anticipate August being a smaller haul month, though I also said that about July so we'll see if I actually stick with that. I do know I've got so many anticipated releases in August that I'll have to read them from the library at first because there's just too many. Overall, I'm just super excited about all of these and can't wait to read the ones I've not gotten to yet! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Wednesday, August 3, 2022

July 2022 Wrap-Up


We have blown past the halfway point in this year and are now heading into August! This year simultaneously feels like it's going so fast but also so slow. This month was an interesting one for a number of reasons: I got so sick I couldn't get out of bed/off the couch for a week, I spent hours upon hours in the library churning out my dissertation, I had some social things, and I hit my 50th book read this year! I read a total of eight books in July and I'm really happy. A lot were shorter reads but just having the desire to read this many things, even if they were short, makes me happy. I definitely would have even read more if I hadn't been spending so much time on my dissertation. Let's hope August will be as good a reading month! 


1. 
Title: City of Gods and Monsters
Author: Kayla Edwards
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

2. 
Title: Under One Roof
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

3.
Title: Incendiary
Author: Zoraida Córdova
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
-reread-

4. 
Title: The Risk
Author: ST Abby
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

5.
Title: Sidetracked
Author: ST Abby
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

6. 
Title: Scarlet Angel
Author: ST Abby
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

7.
Title: All the Lies
Author: ST Abby
Rating: 5 // 5 stars


8.
Title: Paint It All Red
Author: ST Abby
Rating: 5 // 5 stars


Book Review: "Foul Lady Fortune" by Chloe Gong



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link