Welcome All Book Lovers

Welcome All Book Lovers

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Book Sleeves Part 1

I have this addiction to Book Sleeves! Even as I write this, I have more coming in the mail. I have also made a few of my own and will be making a few more before I give it up. It causes too much stress and pain for me to do things like that. 

Anyhoo! I'm just going to share a few that I have now with you. Most are from places on Etsy (ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TYPE IN BOOK SLEEVES AND YOU WILL FIND ALL KINDS. SOME ARE NOT REMADE THE SAME SO JUST WAIT AND SEE) and a few I got from Amazon and some from Book Subscription boxes. But I have to say the best ones are on Etsy so go shop there. 

and here we go... part 1 of book sleeve mania πŸ™‚




















I hope you have enjoyed the jaunt through one of my obsessions =) And for some reason I could get he last two pictures to turn the right way. I'm mechanically inclined! 

....to be continued in part 2 

Mel ♥

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

A thrilling and original coming-of-age novel for adults about a young man practicing magic in the real world.

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery.

He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin’s fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. His childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, The Magicians boldly moves into uncharted literary territory, imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions. Lev Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.







So I listened to this on Audio from the library and I laughed my arse off for most of the book! πŸ˜ƒ



Then I was like .......




I mean the audio was soooo good but I thought this was about something totally different!! And NO, I haven’t watched the show yet. It’s in my Netflix list but I haven’t gotten to it!

I can see why people were talking about it being a cross between Harry Potter and Narnia and I wasn’t expecting that at all!

Well, all I can say is I enjoyed it and plan on reading the rest of the trilogy. I might stay confused about it but as long as I have fun πŸ˜ŠπŸ˜‰

Happy Reading!

Mel
πŸ–€πŸΆπŸΊπŸΎ 


GOODREADS REVIEW 

AMAZON REVIEW 

Sun And Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

When a great white bear promises untold riches to her family, the Lass (as she's known) agrees to go away with him. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle. To unravel the mystery, the Lass sets out on a windswept journey beyond the edge of the world. Based on the Nordic legend East of the Sun, West of the Moon, with romantic echoes of Beauty and the Beast, this re-imagined story will leave fans of fantasy and fairytale enchanted.





*Buddy Read with my wonderful friends, Tammie and Laura πŸ˜ŠπŸ’•

This book was magical!!! It was even better than the book "East" me and my friends read!




I had this freaking paperback at one time but got rid of it when I was having a clean out, little did I know!! The paperback is now on my Amazon wishlist πŸ™„

So, she who shall not be named until the end of the book is a wonderful character. To make this short and to the point I’m going to sum up a couple of favorite things.

She goes out to find the white reindeer to get granted something wonderful. Well, she gets granted a bit more.




SHE can talk to animals!! Oh the joy!!! πŸ˜ƒπŸ’•. SHE’s also given a Wolf pup who grows up to be a best friend.





Then she goes with the bear as the story goes. She needs to help her family, most definitely her brother who has a secret and the bear and other creatures.

I loved everything about the book except a few parts I wanted to smack people but that’s nothing new!


Happy Reading!

Mel
πŸ–€πŸΆπŸΊπŸΎ 


Goodreads Review

Amazon Review

365 Devotions to Love God and Love Others Well


In our culture, where social media "friends" trump real-life relationships, people have never been more isolated and lonely. 365 Devotions to Love God and Love Others Well helps us experience God's perfect love for us and enables us to love others in a meaningful, honest, and profound way.

Everyone wants to love and be loved, but we lack the time and the intentionality to forge lasting relationships. We go about our days feeling battered and broken, lonely and solitary, despite the fact that we’ve been relentlessly adored by our Creator. This devotional gently shares with us that God already calls us beloved, and He desires that we love others just as He loves us.

365 Devotions to Love God and Love Others Well reminds you daily that in God's eyes you’re priceless beyond measure, and your intrinsic value doesn't change one bit regardless of what kind of day, week, or even year you're having. God has called you irreplaceable. This is the love He has for you and the love He has called you to extend to those around you. Savor this yearlong journey into God’s limitless and far-reaching love.



I love this little devotional. It’s so pretty. The daily devotions give a story and a devotional which I find very pleasing.

Many of the stories help me as well as the devotion itself.

*Thank you to BookLookBloggers for a print copy of this book

Happy Reading!

Mel
πŸ–€πŸΆπŸΊπŸΎ 


I'm going to add a few pictures so you can see the beautiful pages. 








 

Monday, January 21, 2019

The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy

When you hear the phrase pop culture, you likely think reality television, boy bands or Real Housewives of various cities. While these are elements of popular culture, they aren’t all it has to offer. Pop culture may not cure diseases, topple political regimes, or make scientific breakthroughs, but it does play a vital role in the story of humanity.

In fact, it’s pretty hard to define the human experience without it. And it’s impossible to create pop culture without the human experience. Popular podcaster Knox McCoy understands this, and so do the tens of thousands of listeners who tune in to hear him talk about pop culture every week on his wildly popular podcast, The Popcast with Knox and Jamie.

In The Wondering Years, Knox explores this idea of connecting popular culture to his own experiences. Through hilarious yet poignant stories, he reflects on how pop culture has helped shape his life and carve out the foundation of his faith. While the three cultural tentpoles—the South, the Church, and Sports—defined many aspects of his East Tennessee upbringing, it was pop culture that most definitively influenced Knox and his sense of the world at large.

Through books, television, music, and movies, Knox found many of the answers he was searching for about God and the universe and why we are all here. The Wondering Years is a hilarious look back at the key influences that shaped Knox’s formative years and his faith, a reminder of our own encounters with pop culture that have shaped each of our formative years and continue to influence us today.








*I received a copy of this book through BookLookBloggers.*

I have never listened to a podcast in my life. I mean, I guess I'm still a dinosaur in many ways. I'm not even sure how you listen to a podcast?! Anywayyyyy, point being, I have never heard his podcast.

But this book was so funny. The book reads like someone talking to you. (podcast?) I felt the snark and the heartfelt a mile away. I had many moments where reading his descriptions of his life growing up etc, that made me think of my life. I went back and thought of the good days. Days I wish were here again.

I think if anyone loves these podcasts everyone talks about, or God, or funny stuff. or real stuff.... then here you go. And no, it's not all preachy stuff that sooooo many are worried about!

I will leave you with a random excerpt and it just happens to be on drinking! I didn't pick it, I picked a page and went for it (don't judge me!) =)


Excerpt:

So, clearly, my perception of alcohol was on a roller coaster of awareness and acceptance. If I may, allow me to timeline it out to more clearly demonstrate the ebb and flow of my relationship to it.


•Ages 0-6: Unaware. Because I was a kid. Don't be dumb.


•Ages 6-15: Aware because of the proliferation of beer commercials during sporting events and inclusion of alcohol in various TV shows and their "Very Special Episode" motifs. And also because it was passively implied through church and afterschool programming to be on the same level as crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.


•Ages 15-21: Adamantly opposed for two main reasons:
a. At this point I'd been given appropriate context for alcohol from my parents because it, with a side of infidelity, destroyed both homes.
b. It made me feel extra moral to not drink even though my peers did. "No Heineken for me, thanks. If I want my life ruined, I'll ruin it for GOD thank you very much."


•Ages 22-33: Cautiously intrigued. Once I was of legal age, I couldn't help wanting to know what all the buzz (nailed it) was about.


Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

Fairyloot January 2019 Unboxing

Hello all! Here we are again. I wanted to let you know before hand that some of my items were damaged along with the box. It looks like some huge chainsaw went through part of it! So if some things look ripped etc, that's the reason. Oh and I'm also missing an item so I apologize, it must have slipped out before they taped the damaged box up.  Fairyloot is sending out a replacement. Also, the little card with all the goodies on the back was damaged so I might now have all of the information. I haven't really checked! Either way, enjoy =) 


The above main pictures =) 

Next we have a candle inspired by The Infernal Devices of Will and Jem =) and a lip balm inspired by The Three Dark Crowns


Next is a double-sided pillow case of The Raven Crew (The Raven Boys) This is one of the items that was damaged so don't mind the tear.  



Next we have some beautiful bookmarks and a post card of sorts. The one bookmark is inspired by The Lord of the Rings. 


Next is a post card of sorts. That part is cut off from the damage on my info card =( I'm also supposed to have a hair band but that is the missing piece. 


Next up is my favorite piece! It's beautiful artwork of a couple that I'm assuming are in the book. I don't care, I'm getting this framed and will have to find a place to squeeze it in! Lol 


Next is a container of hot chocolate. It's top is damaged but it's still in there =) 


Next we have two beautiful tarot cards that are including in our orders now =) 



And last but not least we have the book "Circle of Shadows" by Evelyn Skye. It has light lavender sprayed edges and inside flap pages. I tried to show it but it's hard to see the color. 


Happy Reading everyone! I'm sorry this was a little messed up. I blame it on the post! 

Mel ♥

Stain by A. G. Howard

A high-fantasy gothic fairytale inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea.

Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins...

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest ... disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra's rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight, for she is his true equal. As Lyra rediscovers her identity, an impostor princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not.







I just about can’t stand any more beautiful book covers!

This book was magical!!!




(Photo courtesy to creators on the photo)


Once upon a nightmare, a princess was born in the kingdom of perpetual daylight-a fine-boned babe who killed her queenly mother upon her entrance to the world


Not everything is as it seems in this world. God, how I loved it. Lyra is different from all. Vesper is different from all. They must come together to bring their worlds together. Sound familiar? It’s not like that for they both have blessings and curses in this strange land

Lyra can draw anyone to her with her voice and she is beautiful but scary to those if they don’t hear her voice. She is moon touched. She is so much more. She can bring the shadows and all the crawly things to her. I won’t say anything more though.



Lyra is supposed to marry Vesper so they can unite the world and become Queen and King

But alas, things go wrong. Lyra must find her way with many different friends.

There is a most happy ending. I think one of the best endings I, Me, Not You, have ever read!!

Vesper has his own powers and hardships. Oh how I loved these characters and this magically, weird world.


He tipped his head back and poured the essence of daylight and flowers into his mouth, gulping it down until his body went to flame and his mind went to ash.


Enjoy!



Mel πŸ–€πŸΆπŸΊπŸΎ
 

GOODREADS REVIEW 

AMAZON REVIEW