Halloween Giveaway 2: Win a Bundle of E.A. Poe Goodies!

If there's a time of the year that's perfect for some horror classics, then it's definitely October. To celebrate one of my favorite classic horror authors and also in anticipation of Halloween, today I'm hosting an Edgar Allan Poe themed giveaway! The winner gets to win not one product but a bundle of beautiful products offered by the Etsy store Novel Reveries.

Below you'll find the giveaway which you can enter to win these awesome products, followed by my interview with Denée, the owner of Novel Reveries. 

The Giveaway

The winner will get all four products featured in the picture including:

• A pumpkin metal bookmark
• A book charm necklace
• A soap aptly called 'Eau de Poe'
• A cuff bracelet with a quote from Poe that says 'All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream'.

 A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Denée's giveaway note: "As sole owner and operator of NovelReveries.com and Etsy shop, I have always loved the power of books, and thought others would like to display their love as well. My shop began with book charms in 2013, and have since expanded to quote bracelets, book inspired fine jewelry, music boxes, upcycled book fashions, and much more!"

This giveaway is open to the US/Canada only and will end on the 31st of October. The winner will be announced in the first week of November. 

Interview with Denée

Here's an interview I had with Denée, the creator of all these awesome bookish products.

Tell us about your craft. 

I love books, so I gear towards making literature related items, whether it be jewelry, e-reader pillows or upcycling books into e-reader cases and purses.

How did you start?

I started off making book charms for authors and book lovers and expanded from there. Growing up I’ve always loved making things, so I guess my passion for crafting just grew into better looking, and more useful items.

What was the first thing you ever crafted? 

Book charm necklaces and bracelets, and yes they can still be found in my shop, although due to listing fees, I’ve decreased the variety of them and just added Custom Listings for books not found in the shop. The experience from my first year on Etsy was great, as I had a lot of interest from people who already followed me on Tumblr, and each purchase use to come with an original drawing (by me) of the authors.

Find this cool Jane Eyre purse here

What is the favorite craft you’ve ever made? Can it still be found in your store?

So far, anything that I can sew up, so my favs are my book purses and quilted bookshelf pillow. I also really love sculpting my literature themed music boxes, although they haven’t sold yet. Everything can still be found in my store, and I do custom work as well :)

What is your next art/craft project?

I’ve been pretty busy with my book purses, but I would love to create more Lit Soaps, sculptures, music boxes, and e-reader pillows before Christmas time :)

Do you have other interests/passions/hobbies?

I started off college as a music composition major (I play the French horn,) and I ended college majoring and graduating with a degree in Interior Design. I also enjoy writing, drawing and cooking. I LOVE books (obviously, lol!) and my favorite genres are Mystery, Thrillers/horror and Sci-Fi.

Find this Harry Potter book charm bracelet here

What would you say to an aspiring artist or crafter who wishes to commercialize his or her creations?  

Do it for the fun of it! That’s the most important thing :) Don’t let your passion become a stressful burden. Also don’t sell yourself short, you know how much you’ve spent on materials, shipping, and how much love and work you’ve put into your projects, so your prices should definitely reflect that.

Discover more about Denée and her fandom inspired products at her Etsy store by clicking here.

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E.A. Poe quote art found here 

Fall Time Cozy Book Tag

Today I have the super fun Fall Time Cozy Book Tag, created by Sam from Novels and Nonsense. You can watch her original video here. Even if we don't actually have Fall where I live, it's actually my favorite season. The fashion is cozy and awesome, the seasonal recipes are great and you get lots and lots of awesome new book releases. I mean, seriously, the Fall months are where many of the year's most anticipated books are released. So I thought I would do this tag anyway, just for the fun of it. 

So, let's get started ^^

Crunching Leaves

The world is full of color. Choose a book that has reds, oranges or yellows on the cover.

For this I have to go with City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare. It has russet, red, orange, a little bit of yellow and even some brown, all of which reminds me of Fall leaves. 

Cozy Sweater

It's finally cold enough to don warm, cozy clothing. What book gives you the warm fuzzies?

Winne the Pooh by A.A. Milne just has to be my pick for this one. I read it maybe two months earlier and the stories and characters just made me so happy. It's just one of those books which make you feel like a kid again, you know? Definitely one that gives you the warm fuzzies!

Fall Storm

The wind is howling and the rain is pounding. Choose your favorite book or genre that you like to read on a stormy day.

For me, stormy or rainy days are perfect for reading classics, especially the mystery or adventure ones. Gothic ones work too. I feel like a Charles Dickens or even a Brontë book would be perfect, along with a cup of warm tea and a few biscuits. I'm actually saving my new copy of Jane Eyre for November because here in Mauritius, that's when we start getting storms and heavy downpours and I feel that's just the kind of weather that would be perfect for Jane Eyre.  

Cool Crisp Air

What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with?

Okay this character is not one I would call the coolest but she's definitely one whose place I wouldn't mind taking and that's Tessa from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. Yeah, her life is occasionally in peril, but she gets to hang out with Will and Jem!!! Also, if I could take her place, I would totally pick Jem and end the love triangle right there and then, haha. Team Jem forever <3

Hot Apple Cider

What under-hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?

John Green and David Levithan are both popular YA writers, but there's one book they co-wrote that I feel isn't as hyped as their other books and that's Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Seriously guys, that's my favorite John Green book. I don't read lots of funny books but that one had me laughing aloud, and at work no less, 'cause I actually read it while I was doing an internship. 

Coat, Scarves and Mittens

The weather has turned cold and it's time to cover up. What's the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?

I would have my pick out of all the books I bought during my short lived paranormal romance phase back in my high school days. I mean, those covers are basically naked body parts and text XD 

Pumpkin Spice

What's your favorite Fall Time comfort food or drink?

Like I said, we don't have Fall here but when it gets cold, my comfort drink is tea. I just love a cup of warm tea when it's cold outside. Add some butter biscuits and you have the perfect afternoon break. I also should point out that tea time is my favorite time of the day ^^

Warm, Cozy Bonfire

Spread the cozy warmth! Who do you tag?

If you enjoyed this tag and want to do it, simply consider yourself tagged. I'm also going to tag a few specific people. Here are the lovely bloggers that I tag:

Olivia @ Olivia's Catastrophe

Ramona @ My Bookish Life

Melissa @ Melissa Lee's Many Reads

Ria @ Lilac Diaries

Anissa @ The Bookworm Central

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows Reviews

Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight 

If you've already done this tag (sorry for tagging you again XD) or plan to do it, leave me links to your posts down in the comments so that I can go read them ^^

Giveaway reminder

I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! Also, I'd like to quickly remind you of the Halloween giveaway I'm currently hosting. It's open internationally and you get to win a cool set of pumpkin scented soap and lotion ^^ If you haven't entered the giveaway yet, you can do so by clicking here. Good luck!

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Photo Credits
Cover Art by Of Stacks and Cups via Pagemodo
Girl drinking tea art found here 
Book covers via Goodreads
Girl reading by window gif found here 
Apple cider image found here 
Guilt gif found here 
Tea gif found here 

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire - Book Review

I've recently stumbled across Gregory Maguire, whose books I didn't know much about, and who has since become one of my favorite authors. Last month I read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and absolutely loved it. I thought I would review it for those of you who might want to know more about this very unique book. 

The Plot

For years we’ve heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful girl banished to the ashes of the hearth, who rose to win a prince’s love and leave happily ever after. But what about her stepsisters? Who really were those sisters fated to forever be ‘ugly’ where Cinderella was beautiful and wretched where she was pure? This book, set in 17th century Holland, is told from the perspective of Iris, one of the famed ugly stepsisters. Cursed with unfortunate looks but sharp-minded, Iris narrates the story of Clara, the young beauty destined to be her famous stepsister, and the fate of all those who fell under her legendary shadow. 

My Review

The Story

This story is told as a piece of historical fiction, with only hints of the supernatural. There is no actual magic but the tone and setting are quick to remind you that this is indeed a fairy tale retelling. The pace is not overly fast, allowing for a very fairytale-esque impression as you read on. 

The Characters

The main characters are Iris and Clara. Iris is ugly and she knows it. She doesn't dwell on it much though, preferring to spend her time observing the world and painting imaginary drawings in her mind. She's also quite the daydreamer, imagining magic and fantastical creatures where there are none. She's very intelligent and quite observant about the world around her. Neither a beautiful princess nor some fearless chosen one, Iris is something even better. She's a character you can fully sympathize with. More even, than with any fairy tale princess you'll ever encounter. 

Ruth is her big and simple-minded sister, completing the 'ugly stepsister' duo. She's older than Iris but very childlike, being mentally stunted. Her character barely speaks but definitely adds a certain childlike innocence to the book. 

Then you have Clara, the book's unique Cinderella. Ever since she was a child, she's been guarded against the world by her over protective mother, to the point where she's grown to be scared of leaving her house. As such, since prior to meeting Iris and Ruth, Clara never left her house and barely spoke to other people, she's come to be very childlike and socially shy despite being in fact older than Iris. She's rather spoiled too, as all her life she was taught to expect having people fuss over her and protect her. She's definitely not a one-sided character though and despite not even coming anywhere close to stealing the show from our narrator, Iris, she remains a great addition to the cast of characters.

The Prose

The prose was very unique. Despite the historical setting, the descriptions and imagery are always there to remind you that you're reading a fairy tale retelling. Though being very down to earth, the prose does retain a melodious touch that evokes the whimsy and magic of fairy tales.

The Ending 

I think the book ended in the best way possible. I'm of course not going to spoil anything, but the ending was very conclusive and satisfying, leaving us with just enough information for us to have an idea about what happened to our characters following the last events of the book. Also, there's a nice little twist at the end that definitely caught me off-guard, but in a good way. 

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

I loved this book and will definitely be reading more of Gregory Maguire's books. In fact, I have plans to read Wicked, also by him and arguably his most popular book, later this month as part of my Halloween TBR. It really depends on when I'll be receiving the book though for although I've already ordered it, I haven't received it yet. Maguire's books do seem to get mix reviews, with some people really loving them and others strongly disliking them. I've not read enough of his books to comment on that but I know that I'll be reading a few more of his books in the upcoming months. Did you read anything by him? Let me know in the comments!

Giveaway reminder

I hope you guys enjoyed this review. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! Also, I'd like to quickly remind you of the Halloween giveaway I'm currently hosting. It's open internationally and you get to win a cool set of pumpkin scented soap and lotion ^^ If you haven't entered the giveaway yet, you can do so by clicking here. Good luck!

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Cinderella gif found here.
Cinderella shoe gif found here
Happily ever after gif found here