I subscribed to Illumicrate as I get serious fomo from other people’s unboxings and this is my first box!

June theme is OUT OF THE WOODS!

Items inspired by Lord of the Rings, We Hunt the Flame, Among the Beasts and Briars, an officially licensed The Darkest Part of the Forest item and more!

Lord of the Rings Puzzle – artwork by @afterblossom_art and designed by @chattynora

The Darkest Part of the Forest Banner – officially licensed with artwork by @superstarfighter

The Woods Are Lovely Water Bottle – designed by @rosdottir

The Wood Makes Monsters Woodmark – designed by @no0nedesigns

The Huntress Wooden Pin – designed by @HannahHitchmanart

Monthly Pin of a coin from the BOTM designed by @stacey.mcevoy.caunt

BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

~ Exclusive cover
~ Artwork on reverse of dustjacket by @warickaart
~ Embossing on naked cover
~ Stencilled edges
~ Signed by the author

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Firstly let me apologise for the state of this post, I’ve slipped a disc and can’t really sit up but I still wanted to post so tried my best! (and WordPress still hates me and won’t let me centre any pictures today!!!)

Theme: Titles or Covers That Made Want to Read/Buy the Book

Threadneedle by Cari Thomas

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Crave by Tracy Wolff

I Dare You by Shantel Tessier

Untouchable by Sam Mariano

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

• 

Just a little post to wish you a happy August!

“Leaving any bookstore is hard, especially on a day in August, when the street outside burns and glares, and the books inside are cool and crisp to the touch.” ―Jane Smiley

“Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.” ―Denise Levertov

June 2021
ANIMAL COMPANIONS!

‘Have you ever felt a connection to an animal friend? Or wished for your own magic creature to accompany you on an epic quest? Whether that be a fire-spitting dragon or a talking cat, for many readers animals are the perfect companions!’

Items inspired by The Raven Boys, Crescent City, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Kingdom of the Wicked.

Crescent City Flower Pot designed by @ouroidae

TPotOT Metalmark designed by @no0nedesigns

The Raven Cycle pillow covers designed by @kdpletters

Enamel Pin  – Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service made by @layla_ashtar_shrine

Wrath from Kingdom of the Wicked Standee with artwork from @morhana0anagram

Tarot cards which I think are from Kingdom of the Wicked (mistake on spoiler card I think)

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria

✔ Exclusive cover
✔ Sprayed edges
✔ Artwork on reverse dj by @icandrawthingz
✔ Foil embossing on cover by @icandrawthingz
✔ Signed

Welcome to Closing the Chapter! I hope you had a great reading month?

Our month started off with a 10 day isolation as there were positive cases of COVID in my son’s class, luckily he escaped getting it! But he’s now finished school for the holidays….bittersweet as he has now left the school he’s been at for 7 years and goes up to senior school in September and I am one nervous Mum for him!

Just want to say sorry I’m absent, I’ve slipped a disc and I am fit for nothing at the mo!

In isolation I took part in the Off the Grid Readathon where you switch off social media and just read! I wasn’t too strict with myself but managed to read nearly 3 chunky books on those 3 days which was great for my total of 9 for the month!!

PHYSICAL/EBOOKS

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
See my review here.

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare ⭐⭐⭐.5
See my review here.

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

See my review here

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare ⭐⭐⭐⭐

See my review here.

Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Claimed by the Horde King by Zoey Draven ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Madness of the Horde King by Zoey Draven ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

See my series review here.

Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon
⭐⭐⭐.5
See my review here.

AUDIOBOOKS

Jade City by Fonda Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐

See my review here.

What did you read in July?

No longer will I go on about buying limits and what I’m going to do next month because I can’t stick to it and frankly, it’s boring!!! So these hauls will be what they are whether it be 3 books or 300 (my tbr is praying that it’s never anywhere close to 300!!!)

I hauled 4 books this month which actually isn’t bad for me!!!

PHYSICAL BOOKS

Untethered by Kaylynn Flanders

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ARC

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

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AUDIOBOOK

The Extraordinaires by TJ Klune

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FAIRYLOOT

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria

What did you haul in July?

When I read, I do like to munch some chocolate (not all the time, just for a treat!!!) and to my surprise today is National Milk Chocolate Day!

Apparently the National Confectioners Association created National Milk Chocolate Day and they want you to enjoy your favourite milk chocolate so who am I to say no to that?!

I’ve got my book and my chocolate buttons and I’m off to celebrate!

What do you like to eat whilst reading?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Theme – Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded On a Deserted Island

I got all excited thinking I could choose 10 books and then realised that 10 really isn’t that many so I had to have a think and narrow down my list!

But I couldn’t narrow down to 10 so it’s 11!!!

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

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House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

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With Everything I Am by Kristen Ashley

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Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley

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Rock Chick Regret by Kristen Ashley

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Taunting Destiny by Amelia Hutchins

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Josh and Hazels Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

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Reapers Legacy by Joanna Wylde

Title: Stars Above

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4.5

Author: Marissa Meyer

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies? With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

So happy to be back in the world of The Lunar Chronicles and to read the stories of how they all really began, stories we’d heard about but not in real detail, from their perspective.

The whole gang had their own little short, it was like looking into their memories!

My faves were:

The Keeper – Scarlet’s grandmother, Cinders beginnings and Scarlet!

The Queens Army…..WOLF…..say no more!

The Mechanic – when Kai met Cinder for the first time, from Kai’s pov. It was CUTE!!!!!

The last story was a wedding….and I revelled in it!

‘And she had every intention if being blissfully happy for ever, ever after.’