Owlcrate May 2018 Goodies!

Okay, so I was super excited for this month's theme - Fight Like A Girl. I've always loved how women take a quote that puts us down and turn it into something positive (those breast cancer fight like a girl shirts are AAAAAmazing). I had also heard that this box was coming with two books, which is always a sweet surprise.

I did not get any photos as I was initially unboxing because my poor pup thought it was his Barkbox and he was all over it until he was met with the ultimate disappointment that nothing was edible or filled with stuffing :( No worries, I'm going to reuse my Owlcrate box and stuff it with some goodies for him today so he can always enjoy unboxing.

So, onto the good stuff-

At first glance, I'm like heck yes, these are all things that I use. Except for the prints, I have so many prints that I need to frame and hang, but my book nook is also where all of our wedding supplies are so it is impossible to try to re-work my shelves and walls right now.

First we have an print by Mélanie Bourgeois. This is her rendition of Inej from Six of Crows. I have had the Grishaverse on my TBR for some time and I've read several people saying that reading the first three (starting with Shadow & Bone) isn't necessary, but super helpful because of all of the references to the world, so I am taking their advice. I have had Shadow & Bone sitting next to my reading chair for 3 or so months. I may make it my flight read when my husband (!!) and I are on the way to our honeymoon.

Next we have THREE pins. I have a feeling some people may be a little bummed by this, but I personally love pins. I put them on my library bag or lean them up against my books. The first is obviously the Owlcrate theme pin that is included with every box. The second is from Out Of Print and it reads "when in doubt go to the library" which is so relateable. When I'm having a stressful day or it's grey and blah out, the library makes me feel better. Of course I'll leave with a totally unreasonable pile of books that I most likely won't get to before their return date, but it feels so good to walk out with a big stack! The final pin is directly related to one of the books we received, and it's just so badass with the axes and "breathe fire" written on it.

Next up is a bath bomb - one of my favorite goodies to receive in boxes. This Whipped Up Wonderful bomb is inspired by Zélie from Children of Blood and Bone (another on my TBR that I haven't gotten to yet). I have heard that Zélie is the epitome of a badass girl, so I'm excited to get to that. Also, this bomb smells absolutely amazing and I love the designs that match the colors of the book perfectly.

Then we get to one of the most practical and perfect box gifts - a bookmark! I can never get enough, I have so many. And yet sometimes I find myself using ticket stubs from baseball games and post it notes. It's hard to use things that are so pretty! This double-sided bookmark from Indigo Eleven is no exception. Quotes from The Wrath and the Dawn and Flame in the Mist decorate this. If I'm being honest, I DNF Flame in the Mist. I really just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was the wrong time for me to read it and I should give it another go later on.

Final item before the books - I. AM. IN. LOVE. This is the second item I've received from Evie Bookish and it's even better than the first. Sarah J Maas is an absolute queen when it comes to writing fierce female characters. This quote is one of my faves and this wall hanging is just gorgeous. Cannot wait to find the perfect spot for it. Might take it to work to remind them not to mess with me :)

The first book we received was Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan. This is one I've never heard of or seen, and if I'm judging a book by its cover, it's not one I would pick up at the store. But neither was the ACOTAR series and now it's one of my favorites, so that goes to show how much a cover actually matters in the long run. This is a new book, just released this month and judging from the spine, looks to be the first of a series. I do love a good witch story and Goodreads has this rated pretty high with the few who have already read and reviewed it. I also like stories with a decayed/decaying urban setting. Urban Fantasy featuring Witches sounds like a pretty good time to me!

Lastly, we received Sky In The Deep, a YA fantasy by Adrienne Young that has been receiving a lot of buzz. Officially launched last month with over 2,000 ratings on Goodreads already (and overwhelmingly positive reviews) I've heard there's a great sibling dynamic, along with a female lead who is fierce. I mean, look at that cover, how can you not know that Eelyn came to drink beer and kick ass and she's all out of beer? And of course, I love to take a peek at the naked cover and I love it:

This book also came signed from the author - not a signed bookplate as usual, but Adrienne actually signed the book. Love it.

Another great Owlcrate. I did make the decision to skip next month - Summer Lovin'. I don't mind a good contemporary once in awhile, but YA contemporary tends to be a little whiny and angsty for my taste. I am a little bummed to find out that Riddle's Tea Shoppe is one of the featured vendors of that box. I LOVE Riddles tea, I stalk her Etsy shop because her tea is bookish themed and so good that they sell out almost immediately after being posted.

Vendor boost time! for great bookish pins, head over to Out Of Print

Bookmarks, bookish prints and other assorted art can be found at IndigoEleven

Wall art, pillows, prints, mugs, and more from EvieBookish

Delicious bath and body care at Whipped Up Wonderful

Melanie Bourgeois' prints can be found here

Hope you enjoyed! See y'all next time.