Fairyloot Unboxing – September

Theme = Witches Be Crazy

Canvas Tote Bag by @bandofweirdos

Tote bags are always welcome in my house (but I do always seem to forget them when I go shopping!!!!)

Deck of cards with art from @obsidiayan and @crookedyew. Illustrations based on Charmed, Sabrina, Throne of Glass and the featured book.

So pretty but not sure I will use them!

Fluffy Witch Socks from Fairyloot

Fluffy socks are a fave of mine starting this time of year and these are perfect to get me in the mood for Halloween!

Not Your Basic Witch Enamel Pin designed by thatslovelydearshop

I love an enamel pin and this one looks like a Starbucks so a total hit with me!

Metal Straws (with magic and witch on them)

I take the cutlery we had in a previous box out with me so these will fit in too!

Sticky Notepad with the quote ‘Just as sane as I am’

Luna, I love her! And now I can write notes and remind me of her everyday!

Tarot cards from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi with art by @loweana.art

I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with all these cards you know. At the moment they are all just in my drawer…….

Cauldron Bath Bomb by @littleheartgifts (melon scented)

This is probably the bestest ever thing I have ever received. LOOK AT IT! I am in total and utter love! And it smells divine! I’m never going to use it, just admire it, touch it, smell it and love it on the daily!

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Fairyloot Exclusive ✔

Shimmery sprayed edges ✔

Artwork on reverse of dust jacket ✔

Signed ✔

I heard that Purple Pretty Polka Dots had an Autumn book tag and as this is my favourite season I wanted to get involved!

What is your favourite thing about Autumn?

The colour of the leaves, the weather is cooler, conkers (!), Halloween, firework night and just that Autumn smell, all woodsy!

September brings back school memories. Which book reminds you of your school days? What were your favourite and least favourite subjects?

Well, and this is hard to admit…..but my favourite reading material in school were the Asterix and Obelix stories! I mean I still love a viking now but for much different reasons!

My favourite subject was history and my least was maths (and still is!!!)

What cover reminds you of Autumn?

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

I have no idea why this reminds me of Autumn…..but it just does! 😂

October brings Halloween. What is your favourite horror or Halloween book? What’s your fave horror/Halloween film?

I’m an actual scardey cat so no horror films for me but I do plan on doing some spooky reviews in Halloween week and the books I have lined up are:

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

With November it’s time for bonfire night & firework displays. What’s the most exciting book you’ve read that really kept you gripped?

I read Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab last week and to say I was gripped was an understatement. I would totally recommend it to everyone!

What book is your favourite cosy comfort read?

It has to be a reread so I’ll go with Kristen Ashley’s, The Three Series. Totally in love with these paranormal stories and have read them over and over!

Curled up with a good book, what is your hot drink of choice?

Coffee coffee and more coffee!

What plans are you looking forward to over the next few months?

Carving pumpkins 🎃
Decorating the house 👻
Getting the plans for Xmas started 🎅

What Autumn book release are you most anticipating?

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

What Autumn movie release are you most looking forward to?

Now dont throw stuff at me….but Frozen 2!!!!

That’s a wrap! What would your answers be?

I want to start haul posts again as:

a) I miss them,

b) I think it makes me a bit more accountable for what I am buying

c) I love reading other people’s haul posts so hope you enjoy mine!

There were so many great books releasing in September and luckily I was given an Amazon giftcard at work so that softened the blow on my wallet (not on my tbr though!!!!)

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

It was Schwabtember and this has been on my wishlist for a while. I had an audible credit so I got this! Unforts it didn’t work for me at all so was a DNF……

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Viking history and lore just fascinates me so I needed this (yes there is that word, needed, again!!!)

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff

I haven’t even read Nevernight yet but all the hype surrounding this series made me cave and buy it. I got on e-book so I can always get a physical copy if I love it and of course it ‘felt’ free as I used my Amaon giftcard for it!

Serpent and Dove

Fairyloot book of the month and I’m so glad! I was imming and amming whether to get it or not and now I have it. It’s a sign!!!!

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Someone posted a review for this and as I was reading the post, my eyes caught the blurb and (inside my mind!) I shrieked ‘I must have this!!!’

A Treason of Thorns by Laura Weymouth

I swore I wasn’t going to buy anymore books after my giftcard was done but I just couldn’t do it! It’s a sickness! I heard this book had a sentient house and that intrigued me!!!

What books did you get in September?

Oh wow! I thought the 1st book was good but this was fabulous! I questioned myself why over taken so long to read this but I just hurriedly moved on to book 3!!!

You can see my review for A Darker Shade of Magic here

Title: A Gathering of Shadows

Author: VE Schwab

It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift–back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games–an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries–a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

‘What do you see, when you look at me?’

Lila is basically on a quest to find out just who she is but now 4 months after she left, London is calling….and of course, she gets herself into more trouble!

I can’t tell you how much I love Kell and I also can’t even tell you how much I wanted Lila with Kell. It ate at me…actually ate at me, the angsty feeling I had, tight stomach, wishing the story along!

Another contender for my heart is Alucard…..I loved him!!!

I love Lila. She is brave, full of life and head strong. The latter made me want to strangle her sometimes!

I couldn’t help thinking about Holland, what was he thinking?

This book draws us further into the world the author created and I just love everything about it!

And oh my lord, that ending! I need the last book asap!!!!

Hi! Hope you had a good week?

I’ve changed to monthly updates for a few reasons, mainly due to the horrific slumps I keep going through and weekly updates just felt like too much. Maybe I’ll go back to them or maybe not, who knows!!!!

It’s really feeling like Autumn here and I couldn’t be happier. Cooler days make me happy (and cooler nights too!) Even the week long rain we have had hasn’t dampened my feelings!

September was Schwabtember! I have 5 books of hers that I hadn’t read so this gave me the perfect opportunity to read some!

Tunnel of Bones – review to come around Halloween!

A Darker Shade of Magic – see my review here.

A Gathering of Shadows – see my review here.

I’m currently reading A Conjuring of Light so I’ll post a review when I’m done!

I also tried to read (and listen) to The Near Witch but unforts is a DNF for me. I didn’t get on with the narrator at all in audio so tried to read the book but alas, also not for me!

Closer by Kylie Scott

I’m on Kylie’s arc team so was given an early copy….and it was delish! See my review here.

Valiant by Holly Black

My first audible listen! I’ve started to listen at work in order to get my tbr actually read! But dang it’s expensive! See my review here.

How was your reading week?

What books did you read?

Lately I have found myself in the mother of all slumps so I know I needed to do something about it…..so I made a list….a list of all the books I have on my tbr!

It’s an old skool written list and I am in love with it and not sure why I haven’t done this sooner…..and this is where I need your help!

Pick for me!!!

Which of the books below should I read next week?

The book with the most mentions in comments is the one I will read….

Lifel1k3 by Jay Kristoff

In a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.

Eve isn’t looking for secrets—she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it.

But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrate towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past.

Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.

Trickery by Jaymin Eve

Willa Knight: Dweller. Slave. Non-magical being.

In Minatsol, being a dweller means that you are literally no better than dirt. In fact, dirt might actually be more useful than Willa. Her life will be one of servitude to the sols, the magic-blessed beings who could one day be chosen to become gods.

At least her outer village is far removed from the cities of the sols, and she won’t ever be forced to present herself to them… Until one small mistake changes everything, and Willa is awarded a position to serve at Blesswood, the top sol academy in the world—a position that she definitely did not earn.

Under the sudden, watchful eye of the gods, she will be tasked to serve the Abcurse brothers, five sols built of arrogance, perfection and power. They are almost gods themselves, and under their service she is either going to end up sentenced to death, or else they are going to ruin her so badly that she will wish for it.

Either way, she is in trouble.

Vote in the comments for which one I should read next!

Top 5 Tuesday is brought to you by Shanah at the Bionic Bookworm, see her original post here.

Today’s Theme = Top 5 fall reading reccies

This was really hard! Only 5?!!!

There are so many books that I want to recommend but have narrowed it down to 5. Some of these will be very popular so part of me thought not to use them for this but cause I really want to read them, I want everyone to read them!!!!!

** I didn’t want to add the blurbs on for each as thought it would be too much in 1 post so if you click on the cover it will take you to Amazon to read the blurb.**

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Leigh’s first debut into the adult world and promises to be a tale of power, privilege, dark magic and murder.  OMG, yes please!

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Vampires!!!!  Vampires are making a comeback! And I am all for it!

Heart of the Moors by Holly Black

I love Malificent. I know she looks funky but she is my fave villain ever!

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

I loved The Wicked Deep so I need this!

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

I can’t wait for this book! I have ordered Fairyloots special edition box and I NEED it!!!

What are your Fall reccies?

Stage Dive are back……well sort of!

I loved Kylie Scott’s series and these little add ons are such a great way to catch up and meet new people who are associated with them!

This time….Ziggy the bodyguard and Mae the model…….

Title: Closer

Series: Stage Dive 4.6

Author: Kylie Scott

When a stalker gets too close to plus-size model Mae Cooper, it’s time to hire some muscle.

Enter former military man turned executive protection officer Ziggy Thayer. Having spent years guarding billionaires, royalty, and rock n roll greats, he’s seen it all. From lavish parties through to every kind of excess.

There’s no reason some Instagram stylista should throw him off his game. Even if she does have the most dangerous curves he’s ever seen…

Continuing my read of The Modern Faery Tales series by Holly Black! This was also the winner of my first ‘Select Me Saturday’ post where you pick my next read and this was also my first audible read!

Title: Valiant

Series: The Modern Faery Tales #2

Author: Holly Black

When seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, she’s trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city’s labyrinthine subway system.

But there’s something eerily beguiling about Val’s new friends. And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature with whom they are all involved, Val finds herself torn between her newfound affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

My first ever audible listen!!!! Renee Raudman hit the nail on the head with this. I especially loved the different voices!

The ultimate betrayal leads Val to Lollipop, Luis and Sketchy Dave (paaaahahaaaa!)…..and when her curiosity gets the better of her things get weird, super weird for Val and she finds herself indebted to a troll!

I loved the premise of this book but mist admit I hated Lollipop, just depised her a d my hate grew for her throughout the book!

But I did love Ravus, I mean trolls get bad press and are seriously under loved (except Justin Timberlake as Branch, he was well loved!!!) so I loved this part!

I’m told Ironside picks up Kaye and Roibens story so am looking forward to that!