Fairytales Fairyloot Unboxing

Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well. I received my February Fairyloot earlier on in the week – so obviously I need to do an unboxing! I am absolutely in love with the items in this box and the book itself is a highly anticipated read of mine! There will be spoilers because this is an unboxing, so if you haven’t received your box yet, or you don’t want to know what is in the Feb Fairyloot box just yet, do not continue!

As mentioned above, this months theme was Fairytales. I absolutely love fairytales – both the originals and retellings, so I jumped on the chance to get this box! I love the artwork on the spoiler cards, and I really need to find a creative way to display them! I will also leave links to all the shops etc. so that you can check them out for yourself!

The first item in the box is an exclusive Grimm Tales mug designed by Aunjuli Art. The mug is designed in a way that it shows off various different fairytales all the way around and I am in love with the detail! I’m not even sure I’ll be using this to drink from, but rather as decoration for my shelf!

The next item in the box is an exclusive Hinterland candle designed by Wick and Fable, which was inspired by the book of the month. The scent is Oakmoss and Tealeaves and, even without lighting it, the scent throw is amazing. In the time it took me to take the couple of photo’s for this unboxing, my entire living room had the earthy, foresty scent of this candle.

The next item in the box was exclusive poisonous apple bath salts (disclaimer: not actually poisonous :-P) from Little Heart, inspired by Snow White. I’m a little bummed because I don’t actually have. bath in my home, just a shower, so I can’t try these out… having said that, I am not really a bath person anyway! I do love the vibrant colour of these and I will probably keep them anyway! It’s also worth mentioning that these are Vegan! The artwork was designed by Till and Dill.

Another item in the box was these exclusive The Witch and the Gingerbread House socks from Fairyloot themselves. They are obviously inspired by Hansel and Gretel and have witch hats and gingerbread houses on them! Again, I am not a huge sock person, and really only wear socks for when I wear shoes (I go pretty much barefoot all the time otherwise), but I am definitely looking forward to using these for photos etc.

The Final item in the box before the book was this exclusive Little Red Riding Hood woodmark, created by Ink and Wonder. I love the detail included and I cannot wait to use it for my next book!

The book for this month is The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. It is an exclusive edition and was signed, as opposed to coming with a signed book plate! As mentioned above, this book is a highly anticipated release for me and I am so looking forward to cracking this one open! I love the exclusive cover and it also came with a letter from the author.

That is is for this months box! I am in love with all of the items, despite the fact that I can’t use the bath salts (thinking a trip to my brothers house would not go amiss here), and I cannot wait to dive into the book! I am so glad that I jumped on the chance to get this box and I loved the representation of various different fairytales!

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Wanted by Betsy Schow

Wanted by Betsy Schow

Expected Publication: February 7th 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

Book Depository

In the sequel to Spelled, can Robin Hood’s daughter, Rexi, stop the Wicked Witch from finding Excalibur?

Fairy-Tale Survival Rule No. 52:
No matter how difficult the obstacles or all-powerful the evil villain, one can rest assured that the hero of the story never dies. The sidekicks though…they should be worried.

Rexi Hood is proud to be an outlaw. After all, she’s the daughter of the infamous Robin Hood. But sidekick? Accomplice? Sorry, that wasn’t in her story description. Yeah, she and Princess Dorthea of Emerald have been inseparable since they teamed up to fight the wickedest witch. But if Rexi doesn’t figure out how to break the curse that binds them, forget being overshadowed by the spirited princess, Rexi’s going to become a Forgotten, wiped from the pages of Story and reduced to a puddle of ink. 
Not happening. No way in Spell. 
Rexi’s plan? Steal the sword Excalibur and use its magic to write her own tale. But Gwenevere has opened a new Academy of Villains in Camelot and danger lurks behind every plot twist. And you know how it goes in Story: keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion. 

Can I just mention how long I have been pining for this book?? I feel like it has been sine forever! I read Spelled last year April and immediately wanted more! It has become one of my favourite books ever and this book is joining it up there… because it was just as good as the first book!!

This instalment is told from the perspective of Rexi – our favourite sidekick, daughter of Robin Hood. I loved the fact that her voice was its own and didn’t mix with Dorthea’s. Despite some of the events that take place in this book, it was easy to tell her voice apart and it was so refreshing. I loved her voice and her opinions on things and I found myself connecting to her on a deeper level because she was an extremely relatable character for me. I really wanted her to pull through and make it to the end in tact!!

Just like in the first book, there was always something happening! As soon as you think you can have a 5 minute breather, something else happened which had you reading not o see what would happen next!

Can we also just talk about the ending for a second. Not in the spoilery sense, but in the OMG WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!? kind of sense!!! I got to the end and I’m still pretty gobsmacked… how do I even carry on with that ending? *Sigh* #problemsofabookaholic

I really loved the little tips at the beginning of each chapter (as also featured in the first book) – they really brought an extra something something original to the story itself. Each of the tips and the character and stories, whilst they had links to the original stories and plots etc. The author managed to twist and change them to make them her own and she owned it! I absolutely loved it!

I really loved this instalment and I am seriously hoping there is more to come because I don’t think I can cope if there isn’t and … with that ending, I really need more! I gave this book 5/5 stars!

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted at Breaking the Spine

Hey guys! Welcome to November!! Can you actually believe its nearing the end of the year?? Where did the time go? Anyway, this weeks pick for me is a sequel book, the first book I absolutely LOVED and I cannot even wait for this book!! The first book had me cracking ribs it was so funny and Please… roll on February!

Wanted by Betsy Schow

Expected Publication: February 7th 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

In the sequel to Spelled, can Robin Hood’s daughter, Rexi, stop the Wicked Witch from finding Excalibur?

Fairy-Tale Survival Rule No. 52:
No matter how difficult the obstacles or all-powerful the evil villain, one can rest assured that the hero of the story never dies. The sidekicks though…they should be worried.

Rexi Hood is proud to be an outlaw. After all, she’s the daughter of the infamous Robin Hood. But sidekick? Accomplice? Sorry, that wasn’t in her story description. Yeah, she and Princess Dorthea of Emerald have been inseparable since they teamed up to fight the wickedest witch. But if Rexi doesn’t figure out how to break the curse that binds them, forget being overshadowed by the spirited princess, Rexi’s going to become a Forgotten, wiped from the pages of Story and reduced to a puddle of ink. 
Not happening. No way in Spell. 
Rexi’s plan? Steal the sword Excalibur and use its magic to write her own tale. But Gwenevere has opened a new Academy of Villains in Camelot and danger lurks behind every plot twist. And you know how it goes in Story: keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

This sounds absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!!

What are you guys waiting for? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out!

The Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hey guys! So, I was tagged by Beth @ Reading Every Night for this tag – so thanks for that! So, I guess without further ado, let’s start!

Best Book you’ve Read So Far in 2016:

 Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog

 A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Ok, I couldn’t pick one, so it’s a tie! I loved Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog (which is being released later this year), and ACOMAF… well, I don’t think there is any explanation necessary!

Best sequel you have read so far in 2016:

 ACOMAF

Yes, this book again! But it truly was beautiful!!

New release you haven’t read yet but want to:

 Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton.

Ok, so, technically this only came out today, but I still need this book in my life!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

 Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas.

I know, Maas again! But seriously, I love this series and I cannot wait to find out what happens next!

Biggest Disappointment:

 Never Never: Part Three by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Ok, this series had an amazing strong start and I was loving everything about it! However, the ending and the explanation given were weak and it ruined everything for me!

Biggest Surprise:

 Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill

I was surprised at how things went down in this book! I was not expecting to feel the emotions I did and so strongly! I think everyone who has read this book will agree, there are literally no words to describe how you feel when reading this book and how you feel when you finish this book! I finished it and I was gob smacked it took me forever to actually write a review because I no idea how to formulate what I was feeling into words! It is that good! If you haven’t read this book… then why the heck not?!?

Favourite New Author (Debut or New to you):

 This is Betsy Schow! She was a new to me author when I read her book Spelled and I loved it! I was snorting and earning weird looks from my dad, but it was all so worth it! i look forward to more of her writing! She is currently writing the sequel (I Believe) to Spelled and I cannot wait!!

Newest Fictional Crush:

 Rhysand from ACOMAF.

Ummm… hello!! Rhys! Do I seriously need to explain this amazing specimen of a character???

Newest Favourite Character:

 Lada from And I Darken by Kierstin White

Well, she scares me and she is not a character that I would want to cross… but, she isn’t your everyday, wishy washy damsel in distress turned amazing hero. She was strong and stubborn and strong willed from the very beginning and I feel like she is a step above every other strong female character that I love because of this fact. She has never needed saving and I love the about her!

Book that made you cry:

 If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin.

Quite a few books have made me cry recently, but I think this book hit me the strongest! There you sit, watching these two characters fall in love and it is cutesy and feels full and bam! That ending… Box of tissues needed if you are going to brave this book! The worst thing is, you know from the very beginning what is going to happen, but that does not stop you hoping that it doesn’t!

Book that made you happy:

 Wrecked by Maria Padian

So, if you clicked the link, you’re probably thinking that I some kind of really weird psycho for thinking that this kind of book could ever make me happy… BUT… the outcome made me happy! I was rooting and I rooted right! Again, this book is being released later this year!

Favourite book to film adaptation:

Technically, tv show… but they are so epic!! I haven’t actually read all of the GoT books, but I am getting there! I love this show!

Favourite post you have done this year:

I don’t actually have a favourite post that I have done this year, but I did like sharing random facts about myself in TTT this week!

Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year:

 Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.

I bought a physical copy of this book not too long ago with this cover and it still makes me drool every time I clap eyes on it!

What book do you need to read by the end of the year:

 Winter by Marissa Meyer

There are so many books, but I would have to say the ultimate goal is this one! I have had it on my nightstand for ages now, but for some reason I keep procrastinating!

My tags:

Jamie @ Watch Game Read

Jesse @ Books at Dawn

Olivia @ Heir of Glitter

Kat @ Kat Impossible

Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books

and you! If you want to do this tag feel free! Link me up so that I can see your answers!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! This weeks TTT is top ten underrated books (books with under 2000 ratings). 2 of these books are going to have over 2000 ratings, because I don#t have enough not to do it like that!

10.  Dirt Daughter by Michele Shaw. This book only has 21(?!?) ratings! I actually got an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley – but this book really needs to be read more!

9. Little White Lies by Lesley Lokko. 202 ratings. I bought this book on a whim at the airport whilst waiting for a flight back to Germany! I actually really enjoyed it.

8.  The Awakening by Melissa A. Craven. 237 ratings. Again, this is a book that I requested from Netgalley and I absolutely loved it! I cannot wait for the next instalment!

7.  Unspeakable by Michelle K. Pickett. 490 ratings.  This book tackled some really tough issues and I am surprised that more people haven’t read this!

6.  Reclaimed by Sarah Guillory. 731 ratings. This book surprised me in so many ways! I absolutely loved it and I really need to check out some more of this authors work!

5. Every Ugly word by Aimee L. Salter. 1249 ratings. This book sent me on a rollercoaster ride full of emotions! Definitely worth the read!

4.  Say Her Name by James Dawson. 1747 ratings. This is a great take on the Bloody Mary story! I had to know what was going to happen all the way throughout this book!

3.  Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charapoitra and Dhonielle Clayton. 1953 ratings. I am actually so surprised that this book doesn’t have more ratings! I loved it and I cannot wait until the next instalment comes out!

2.  Spelled by Betsy Schow . 2100 ratings. Despite having over 2000 ratings, I still think this book is underrated! everyone should be reading this book! It is hilarious!

1.  Endure by Sara B. Larson. 2174 ratings. This book wrapped up the Defy trilogy pretty nicely!

So, that is my list!  Do you have any of these books on your list? Feel free to leave comments and links and I will check them all out!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! This weeks theme for TTT is top ten most anticipated releases for the second half of 2016. Can you actually believe we are halfway through June already?!? Where is this year going?? Without further ado, and in nor particular order:

10.  Heartless by Marissa Meyer. Despite the fact that I still need to read Winter (I know, I am so behind!) I absolutely love the Lunar Chronicles!! So, I obviously cannot wait to see what this author is going to do with Alice in Wonderland! Publication Date: 8th November 2016.

9.  Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas. I am currently reading Queen of Shadows and, whilst I am not that far into it, I am still loving it! Sarah J. Maas is an automatic buy for me! Besides, who can resist a cover like that??? Publication Date: 6th September 2016

8.  One was Lost by Natalie D. Richards. I have never actually read a book by this author, although I have at least one more on my TBR! This book likes the perfect mystery thriller to keep me turning the pages at night! Publication Date: 4th October 2016

7.  Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi. I adored the Shatter Me series by this author and I have been waiting for something new from her ever since!! I literally cannot wait to get my hands on this book! Plus, the cover is gorgeous! Publication Date: 30th August 2016

6.  Last Stand by Rachel E. Carter. This book sadly has no cover yet and also no definitive release date. I do, however, love this series and I cannot wait to see what Carter does with our characters in this final instalment! Publication Date: 2016 (May be a hit or miss…)

5.  A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir. Whilst I was a tad bit disappointed with An Ember in the Ashes, I am still intrigued to see what comes next for our characters!! Publication Date: 30th August 2016

4.  Winning by Lara Deloza. I saw a review of this by Khanh (The Grinch) on Goodreads and for anyone who has ever seen one of her reviews, she is difficult to please. She seemed to enjoy this book, though, plus it looks like such  fun read! Publication Date: 28th June 2016

3.  Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charapoitra and Dhonielle Clayton. I was addicted to Tiny Pretty Things and couldn’t put the book down! I literally cannot wait for this book because I need to carry on my addiction! Publication Date: 12th July 2016

2.  Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk – Bonn. This book tackles a really difficult subject and I am interested to see what the author has done with it. I have never seen this author before, so there is a first time for everything! Publication Date: 1st August 2016

1.  Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst. I think this book is pretty self explanatory because I do not know a single blogger or reader who doesn’t want to read this book! Publication Date: 22nd November 2016

So, thats it! I cannot wait for all of these books! #Problemsofabooknerd! What books are you guys all anticipating? Are you waiting for the same books, or are there others you are waiting for? Feel free to let me know and leave links!

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after. 

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called “Kansas.” Now it’s up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse…before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story. (Goodreads)

So, I have had this book on my TBR for a little while now – pretty much ever since I saw it on Netgalley. For me, this is one of those books where I am just kicking myself because I didn’t get to it sooner! I cannot believe I waited so long to get a copy! I’m pixed.

Reading the premise does not to this book justice. At. All!! I was not expecting the journey that I got – which I just absolutely adored! Dorthea is our heroine. She is the cause for chaos and she also suffers for it quite a bit. I found myself snorting at the predicaments she finds herself in – especially because they were seemingly one after the other! There was no end to her bad fortune and it made for a hilarious read!!

Prince Kato was also not what I expected. When we first met him, he was someone who I instantly liked based purely on his level headedness. I think that both Dorthea and Kato grow a lot throughout this whole book and they help each other to grow. The romance between them was just perfect because it wasn’t instant attraction. They had to grow into it and it was a great thing for the reader.

What I also loved about this book was the fact that it took all of the fairytales, characters etc and mixed them all up in one way or another. The author then proceeded to break every single fairytale rule that we grew up with and know off of the back of our hands. And I loved it! It made the book and the events themselves unpredictable – which just made everything even funnier!

The cursing made everything just perfect. It is definitely the new way to go with cursing. I was actually probably laughing a lot harder at the cursing then I should have been – but it just fit so perfectly with the book itself and the characters! It suited them!

This is a fairytale like no other and it is one of those books that I could just read over and over again and it would never get old. In fact, I even think that, if this was done right, it would make a great film!! It was excellent! I gave this book 5/5 stars! Obviously I need a series…

Grab your copy here.

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose. (Goodreads)

I love fairytales and retellings are also pretty awesome – as long as they are done right. So, obviously, this made my TBR list as soon as I saw it! So, to say that I am disappointed is upsetting. I didn’t really care about the book and I practically dragged my way through it! Albeit putting it down fairly often to do other stuff!!

There was no world building. We are chucked into the author’s imagination with the expectation to understand what is going on and what the author is trying to convey. I didn’t care about Ravenspire or Eldr or the people within it – all because I no idea what I was being thrown into and what was normal.

The same can be said for the characters. I think Leo was the only one I really cared about because he was someone who I could easily relate to and also someone who I could easily imagine being friends with. The rest didn’t even make a dent in my imaginary characters list. I didn’t care a monkey’s fart about what happened to them – they could have been killed and I literally wouldn’t care. There was no depth to any of the characters. There was also no noticeable difference between the characters even with the swapping of POV’s. In short, they were boring.

I am hoping the the rest of the books in this series of short stories will be better! This book took forever to read based on the fact that I was just bored. I didn’t care about the land or the characters and I found it way too easy to put this book down – which is just wrong on so many levels!! I gave this book 2/5 stars.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

Hey guys! I don’t have a lot to share with you this week, but the book I am sharing with you I actually added last week, but completely forgot to add it to my list!

 Numb by Laura Clark.

I also bought the third series of Once Upon a Time – which I have been shamelessly binge watching since last week! I also bought the first series of GOT – which I have already watched a thousand times – but I need to watch it again 🙂

What about you guys? Feel free to leave links and answers below

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

This week has been a good week for me!! I literally cannot begin to tell you guys just how excited I am for my haul this week! It isn’t a lot – but the quality leaps from it! Without further ado:

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Winter by Marissa Meyer

As if that wasn’t enough I also bought the 1st and second seasons of Once Upon a Time and I also ended up buying the first season of A Game of Thrones earlier on today! Christmas has come early for me!

What about you guys? Feel free to leave answers and links in the comments below.