{Stacking the Shelves} Book Riot Quarterly Box #2

The second Book Riot Quarterly subscription box arrived at my house earlier this week, and I must say, while I wasn't too happy with the first box, I found that I was much happier with this one! First off, it included a really cool poster as an extra, which I will be putting up on my wall ASAP:

Next up, of course, were the books. Book Riot had teased on their website that some lucky subscribers would be receiving one of five possible ARCs, and I was one of them! The ARC I received was Gemini by Carol Cassella, which actually came out March 4th (the Goodreads ratings are high on this one, so I'm looking forward to starting it!) The main feature of the box was a copy of Judging A Book By Its Lover by Lauren Leto, which features some separate bonus pages from the author (exclusive to subscribers of Book Riot Quarterly!) Finally, there was also a novella, Parnassus On Wheels by Christopher Morley, which I thought looked fantastic - I've never had a stand-alone novella in print format before (usually they're either dispersed as eBooks, or in anthologies), so this was a nice surprise.

While I admit, the books are the main part of this box, I still think that it's the bookish extras that are what make or break the purchase - anyone can go out and buy copies of the included books at their local bookstore, but it's the hand-picked goodies that really make things special. I know that I complained about the calendar in the first box (which I stopped using after January 7th, by the way), but opening this second box actually put me in a much better mood. This box included a coffee mug featuring the titles of some banned books, a tin container filled with place-markers for your books, a "Yay! Books!" magnet, and a USB flash drive that introduces the idea of Short Story Thursdays.

I've been using the mug everyday at work - I think it looks great! I haven't used the book-markers yet, but the book I'm reading right now is on the Kindle, so they aren't necessary just yet. Overall, I was pretty satisfied with this box, but I've decided to call it quits for now - $50 is just too much for me right now, and since I really need a car, this expense just isn't worth it to me right now. Let me know if you've subscribed, that way I know where to find out what's in box #3 when it's out!

What's New On My Kindle

   

   

{Stacking The Shelves} Vegan Cooking, Chinese Translations, And Life Habits

This week was a good week for me, in that I found out that my seasonal work position is now a permanent one! Now I'm even closer to my New Year's resolution of owning a car, since a steady income is what I needed to make the plunge of buying one (though I think I'll go for a used car, since my student loans make the idea of buying a new car quite laughable...) Anywho, I know you're here to see what books I got this past week, so here they are:

Isa Does It

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

I love Isa's vegan cookbooks, and this one looks absolutely gorgeous! Many of the recipes feature full-page color photos, and there are beautiful fonts throughout the book.

Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer 

(Mandarin Chinese Edition)

 I've been wanting to buy a book in Mandarin for a while now, to help with my language studies. I thought about getting a Harry Potter novel, but I figured that 'Twilight' would be easier, since all of the made-up magical words in HP would probably make it harder for me to translate. I've noticed that the Chinese version of 'Twilight' features a lot of footnotes, such as information about the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic, which is interesting.

The Power of Habit

by Charles Duhigg

I've heard so many things about this book on the podcasts that I listen to, so I figured I'd give it a go and see if it could help me break some of my bad habits and start some good ones.

   

I purchased 12 Years A Slave and The Rosie Project from the Kindle store when they went on sale - I've been wanting to read them both for a while now. The Tyrant's Daughter was a 'read instantly' book on NetGalley, and sounded interesting enough that I decided to get it (this was free in exchange for an honest review). The Line was my January pick for the Kindle First program, in which Amazon Prime members can choose one of four books to read free one month before they are released. All in all, this was a good haul.

{In My Mailbox} Book Riot Quarterly Box #1

A Meme by The Story Siren &
Stacking The Shelves, A Meme by Tynga's Reviews

Woohoo!!! My first box for Book Riot Quarterly arrived in the mail on Christmas Eve! I know I'm posting this super late, but better late than never, right? I decided to make this post because I know that many of you may be curious as to what goodies the Quarterly Box would contain before actually subscribing, especially since the price is pretty steep ($50 per box - eeek!!)

I myself was curious to see what kind of items it would contain, and was especially excited to see what book would be included. Luckily, it was a book I didn't have, and one that was already on my TBR list after hearing Michael Kindness talk about it on the Books on the Nightstand podcast. The book?

Lexicon by Max Barry

What makes this box special is that the book (a hardcover) includes a handwritten letter from the author, as well as sticky notes from the author hidden throughout the book that portray the thoughts that went through his mind while writing the novel. Sadly, the book itself is not signed, but the letter is. Here are some pics:

Other items that were included in the box were: The Book Lover's 2014 Page-A-Day Calendar, a Make A Point Pencil Set, & an E.E. Cummings Mini Notebook. There was also a promo poster and an book excerpt. Honestly, I'm really glad that Lexicon is something I've really been wanting to read, and the notebook and pencils are useful and cute, but I could really have done without the page-a-day calender. I'm not sure as to whether or not I'll continue this subscription, since the $50 price tag is too steep for me, but it may be worth checking out for those of you who can afford it. The book itself is what makes or breaks the box, and in this instance I was happy with their choice.

What do you think - would this be something you'd be interesting in subscribing to?

If you aren't already aware, Book Riot has a podcast out that features the latest and greatest news in the book world & publishing industry. Check it out - I highly recommend it!

{In My Mailbox} The Splinter Classic Lines

A Meme by The Story Siren &
Stacking The Shelves, A Meme by Tynga's Reviews

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I am so glad that I found this version of Pride and Prejudice on Amazon, as it is absolutely beautiful! It's part of Splinter's Classic Lines, and the cover features a watercolor painting by Sara Singh, with a quote on the back taken from Mr. Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth Bennet. Here's a better look at the front and back covers:

Another cool feature is that this book has french flaps, and a "soft-touch" laminate finish on the cover, which really gives the color of the ink a nice contrast. I've been looking for a nice series of classics to purchase, and I think that I really like the line that Splinter has come out with. Here's a closer look at one of the french flaps:

Before I made this purchase I had been scouring the internet for some good pics of a book in the Classic Lines series and was unable to find any. Hopefully these images will help anyone else who is considering purchasing these books.

So far, this is the only classic in this line by Splinter that I've purchased, but I plan to have them all eventually. A few of the other books in the line, all with similar covers, include:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Emma by Jane Austen

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

                  

What do you think of Splinter's Classic Line covers?

       

{The Sunday Post} Bookish News + Links

In The News

This Saturday, November 31st, (as part of Small Business Saturday) will be the "Indies First" movement, in which many of your favorite authors will become booksellers for a day at more than 400 indie bookstores across the U.S.

Google Maps has created an interactive tour of Middle-Earth!

On YouTube

Check out this English trailer for the last film Hayao Miyazaki will be releasing before his retirement, The Wind Rises.

Improv Everywhere tackles Harry Potter In Real Life, in which a young boy wanders around Penn Station, trying to find Platform 9 ¾.

Around The Blogosphere

Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner writes about having to answer the age-old question, "What do you like to read?"

YASeriesInsiders.com has launched, and they're hosting a giveaway for over $1,000 worth of signed YA novels and book-related swag.

Bookish Lists

5 Books To Read Before Your Trip To France - The Barnes & Noble Book Blog
10 Things You Might Not Know About Maruice Sendak - mental_floss
10 Revolutionary Reads That Changed History - Whizzpast
12 Thanksgiving Recipes From Our Favorite Authors - The Airship
50 Books That Define The Past 5 Years In Literature - Flavorwire

This Week's Interesting Releases

   

   

What's New On My Bookshelf

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Angelfall by Susan Ee

World After by Susan Ee

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

I purchased the first three books during a trip to Barnes & Noble, and the last three from Amazon. If there were any indie bookstores where I live, I would support them instead, but alas, B&N and Amazon are really my only options other than garage sales.

   

The Language of Sparrows by Rachel Phifer

Sundered by Shannon Mayer

Nolander by Becca Mills

Have No Shame by Melissa Foster

All four of these books were Kindle freebies - they sound pretty good!

{The Sunday Post} Bookish News + Links

In The News

Amazon launches Kindle First, which allows Prime members to get a free book of their choice each month before the release date (non-prime members can purchase said eBooks at $1.99), as well as Kindle MatchBook, which allows all members to purchase low cost (or even free) Kindle versions of books that they had previously bought in their physical form.

On YouTube

The Vegan Zombie shows you how to make a yummy, non-dairy version of our favorite Harry Potter drink - Butterbeer!

Improv Everywhere has started a great new segment based on the success of their Ghostbusters video called 'Movies In Real Life,' which is absolutely hilarious! I recommend you check out: Back To The Future & The Matrix, and to keep things bookish, there's a Lord of the Rings vid, too!

Around The Blogosphere

Book Soulmates is back with their Christmas edition of Random Acts of Kindness, in which participants are matched with each other at random, and exchange a bookish gift based on each others' wishlists via snail mail. Sign-ups will be open until November 24th.

On that note, Broke & Bookish is also hosting their 4th Annual Broke & Bookish Secret Santa - you have until November 17th to decide if you'd like to sign-up and join in on the fun!

The 2013 Holiday Gift Guide @ Fantabulously Frugal is now live! If you're in need of some holiday gift inspiration, there are some great ideas that fit all sorts of budgets to be found here. I'm sure a gift guide for book lovers will be posted soon - though there are already many good bookish ideas sprinkled throughout some of the posts already (such as a Hunger Games chocolate bar library).

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer is hosting a Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway this month - have you entered yet?

Bookish Lists

3 New Superhero Books That Pack A Huge Emotional Punch - io9

5 Books That Predicted The Internet - The Barnes & Noble Book Blog

6 Great Works of Literature Written in 6 Weeks or Less - New Republic
14 Published Novels Written During NaNoWriMo - Mental Floss

100 Great Children's Books - New York Public Library

This Week's Interesting Releases

   

   

What's New On My Bookshelf

Penelope by Marilyn Kaye

Adapted From The Screenplay By Leslie Caveny

I absolutely adore the 2006 film, Penelope, and while this is a novelization of the movie, rather than a book the movie is based on (because there isn't one), I would still like to read it. I love the story, and I'm curious to see if the book is as fun to read as the movie is to watch. And for those of you who haven't seen the film, and who like fairy tales, I highly recommend it! There are some truly beautiful scenes in it, plus, Peter Dinklage and James McAvoy!!!

And Dinklage wears an eyepatch!

I also managed to snag some great freebies from the Kindle store: