The Bookish Panel of My Dreams

Imagine a literary conference is taking place in your area, where authors would gather and discuss their works with their readers, but the organizers are in a frenzy because… they don’t know who they should invite! Knowing you are, obviously, an avid bookworm, they turn to you for suggestions on who to invite for this conference. And here is the chance you’ve been waiting for : to select any author you would want, to create your perfect author panel!!!!

Eventbrite, the largest self-service ticketing platform in the world that helps people find and plan events, is working on a really cool project that invites readers, just like you and me, to dream up a fantasy panel of authors that they would like to meet and hear speak at a conference! 🙂 Considering how awesome this idea is, I was so excited to jump in the train!

What I need now is magic to raise some people from the dead………..

LET’S GET INTO THE MAGIC, SHALL WE?

For the world they created

• J. R. R. Tolkien. First and foremost, I need to put the author of my favorite series on my list. Middle Earth is… groundbreaking. I have no words to express my love of Tolkien’s creation. I wouldn’t be a dreamer without him.
• C. S. Lewis. For the same reasons as Tolkien, with less passion but no less admiration. Narnia would be the perfect world for my childhood.

For their own growth and still-growing influence

• J. K. Rowling. She’s still alive and still has our young hearts sleeping at Hogwarts. By what I can see of her public activities (and tweets), she seems like a wise and kind woman, and so I would love to hear her speak.
• Khaled Hosseini. His novels struck me deeply by what I think must be first-hand experience, or otherwise a deep, detailed knowledge and empathy towards the people in his stories.

For the way their words flow like honey

• Anna-Marie McLemore. Her writing is simply gorgeous and surreal.
• Erin Morgenstern. The circus still unfolds in my dreams, the tricks still mesmerize my mind, and the wonder still tugs at my heart.
• Charles Baudelaire. Mainly for his beautiful poems, which were the subject of my admiration since high school. So beautifully written and evocative, they struck a chord in me.

For the ideas they awaken

• Ursula K. Le Guin. Omelas is an intense and deeply affecting short story, and I’m still trying to find anything that is similar because I can’t get enough.
• Mitch Albom. All his stories feel profoundly personal and yet universal. You can’t get out of this unscathed.
• L.M. Montgomery. Oh, Anne. How you coloured my youthful mind! How free-spirited I aspired to be!

For their impeccable stories

• Christopher Paolini. Eragon was a thrilling and incredible fantasy read that I would recommend to anyone!
• Markus Zusak. From the narrator to the protagonist, Zusak intrigued me to the last page.
• Erika Johansen. I wasn’t even at half her novel that I knew it would be one of my favorite series.
• Leigh Bardugo. Bardugo managed to get my heart beating for her refreshing and yet grim story of badass criminals.
• Kelley Armstrong. Armstrong succeeded in both YA fantasy and Fantasy, and in both times I was in love.

For their prestige and impact on literature

• Charles Dickens.
• William Shakespeare.
• Oscar Wilde.

For their personal stories and thought process

• Agatha Christie. Her mysteries… how…….???…..
• Ian Fleming. Did you know the rumour about him having had a spy training? Yes I’d like to know more about that as well.
• Homer. Come on. We all want to know where he got his ideas.

For the fangirling

• Sarah J. Maas.
• Marie Lu.
• Julie Kagawa.
• Suzanne Collins.
• Cassandra Clare.

Alriiiiiight. I counted 26. Is that toooo much? No it’s not, because it’s my DREAM PANEL. Please bear in mind that I put them in categories that are relevant to ME. It doesn’t mean that, for example, Charles Baudelaire doesn’t have prestige, okay? It’s just that I, personally, would like to meet him because of his writing style.

Now I know I’m probably missing some people, and I will probably un-invite some authors here in a few years, but right now, those are the ones I can think about.

WOW, SUCH A COOL ACTIVITY, EVENTBRITE. THANK YOU!!

As for now, guys, I would like YOU to think up some authors! Who would you invite to your dream panel?

Thanks for reading this! If you ever want to organize a conference in your local area, here’s a great place to start, at Eventbrite’s online registration. Have a great day, guys xx

Casting Call: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Have you ever read a book, and wondered how it would be like to see it on the screen? I have.

I have asked myself several times, about several books, how they could be made as movies. I wondered about the setting, the filming locations, the acting, the script, the costumes, the director. Mostly, though, I have wondered if the actors who would be cast, would resemble how I already imagine my characters to look like.

When a book is really good and worthy of a visual representation, I anguish about how a powerful individual, such as a casting director, would imagine the characters. Yes, acting skills must be taken into consideration, but let’s just focus on looks here, alright?

I have been disappointed in the past (glares at Jamie Campbell Bower). I have been indifferent, also (glances at Liam Hemsworth). I have been pleased as well (looks at Ansel Elgort). In light of my questions, I thought it would be fun to have a turn at casting. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anyone who perfectly matched my imagination, since I had to look through people I already knew. Please note that this is fancast; nothing official here. Have fun reading 🙂

The book that will have the first honor will be A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, as I just finished and loved it. For my full review, see here.

[All descriptions from here]

Alycia Debnam-Carey as Feyre

Feyre is tall and slender, with pale skin and golden-brown hair and slightly up-tilted blue-grey eyes. After her time in the Spring Court, her skin had tanned and freckled a bit. She has a pert and pretty nose, sharp cheekbones and a soft mouth. She is supposedly quite beautiful.

Christopher Brown (Christopher Mason) as Tamlin

In his human form, he is tall with blond hair and green eyes. Also, strikingly handsome, though for the better half of the first book his face is covered by a mask. He has a warrior’s body that’s been honed to perfection over hundreds of years.

Max Irons as Lucien

Imagine him with ginger hair

Throughout the book, Lucien is seen wearing a copper fox mask. He has one russet eye, while the other is made of metal of a gold colour. His face is brutally scarred from his brow to his jaw (it is later revealed that this, along with his metal eye, was caused by Amarantha). His hair is red, and his skin is pale; his voice is described to be smug, his laugh barking.

Without his mask, his features are described by Feyre as sharp, elegant, and ethereally handsome despite the length of scars on his face.

Sean O’Pry as Rhysand

Rhysand is described to have short black hair, like a raven’s feathers, that offset his pale skin. However, during the second installment, Rhys is described as having tan skin with magnificient art that decorated his chest and knees. He has blue eyes, described as so deep that they were violet with flecks of silver like starlight. He appears to radiate sensual grace and ease. […] His beauty and handsomeness are said to be legendary, greater so far than anyone else’s in Prythian. According to Feyre, his face is “perfect” and he has a “powerful body”

Jane Levy as Amarantha

Feyre noted that Amarantha’s appearance didn’t radiate darkness and bitterness but someone who had a charming allure. She had neatly braided red-gold hair, which wove elegantly through her golden crown. Her skin was white, which both complemented her ruby lips and her crown. Her elegance is shown to have an atmosphere of being contrived and cold.

What do you think of my fancast? Do you have other suggestions? Please, let me know! I know two of them are mainly models, but acting can be taught, right? This was so fun to write; thanks for reading!

My European Top Secret File on Monthly Book Subscription Boxes

You guys have probably heard of Monthly Book Subscription Boxes. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Those awesome, desirable, AMAZING boxes that, every month, deliver books and/or bookish items, such as bookmarks, bookplates, pillowcases, candles, etc. On Instagram, I see so many unboxing videos/photos, and they are all enticing me to subscribe to one of those boxes. But first, I had to dig up some information!

Just like I did with my personal America-based favorites, this time I will be talking exclusively about the best (in my opinion) European boxes I found out about! There aren’t many, but they’re high quality! Here we go :

• Illumicrate ships boxes every 3 months, that means 4 boxes/year. It offers a YA book and bookish items. It costs £29.99+sf/box. Shipping fees vary between £4.99 – £13.99 depending on where you live, but shipping is free in the UK.
• FairyLoot offers a YA fantasy book and bookish goodies. Month-to-month is £26.00+sf/month. 3-Month is £78.00+sf/month paid upfront. 6-Month is £156.00+sf/month paid upfront. Shipping fees depend on your location (calculed at checkout).
• My Bookish Crate offers a YA book and bookish goodies. It costs £28.00+sf/month. Shipping fees depend on your location. I tried some locations, and from what I could tell, in the UK it’s £3.00, but can go as high as £18.00 in Canada.

Since there aren’t many European boxes, my favorite list only consists of 3. If you want more options, don’t be afraid to ask me! Also, if I find out about more great European boxes, I will update this list and notify you on another post. 🙂

Thank you for reading this, and let’s mourn our bank accounts together!

My Top Secret File on Monthly Book Subscription Boxes

You guys have probably heard of Monthly Book Subscription Boxes. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Those awesome, desirable, AMAZING boxes that, every month, deliver books and/or bookish items, such as bookmarks, bookplates, pillowcases, candles, etc. On Instagram, I see so many unboxing videos/photos, and they are all enticing me to subscribe to one of those boxes. But first, I had to dig up some information!

2 observations:

1. For people OUTSIDE of the US, shipping fees can be exorbitant. And most boxes are from the US. Shipping fees can go as high as the boxes’ prices themselves.
2. Some boxes focus on a certain theme. For example, book+tea, book+jewelry, etc. You need to figure out what you want, first of all.

In light of my research, I have decided to share with you what information I garnered. I don’t have personal experience with them, though. I’m still deciding if the cost is worth the items xD Without further ado, here are my favorite ones so far (I haven’t bought them yet, the price and items included just seem the most worth it)!

• UpperCase Box offers 2 plans for YA readers. Expert (hardcover book, something signed by the author, and other bookish stuff) is $23 US+shipping fees/month; Book Exclusive is (everything, except for the bookish items) $17 US+shipping fees/month. Shipping fees : $6 US in the US, Puerto Rico and APO address, and $24 US in Canada. Doesn’t ship outside of US and Canada.
• OwlCrate offers a YA book and bookish items. Month-to-month is $30 US+shipping fees/month. 3-Month is $29 US+sf/month paid upfront. 6-Month is $28 US+sf/month paid upfront. Shipping fees : $7 US in the US, $10.59 US in Canada, and $20 US internationally.
• The Best Damn Book Box offers a YA book and bookish items. It costs $40/month. I think shipping fees are included.
• The Book Drop offers different subscriptions depending on your favorite book genre. The YA one delivers a book and a bookish item. It costs $13 US+sf/month. Shipping fees depend on where you are in the US, $16  US in Canada, and $26 US internationally.
• The Monthly Prophet doesn’t offer books, but bookish items on the theme of Magic OR Mystery. It costs $26 US+sf/month. Shipping fees are max $15 US.
• Muse Monthly offers a fiction book and tea. Month-to-month is $21 US+shipping fees/month. 3-Month is $63 US+sf paid upfront. 6-Month is $125 US+sf paid upfront. 12-Month is $245 US+sf paid upfront. Shipping fees : $6 US in the US, and $18 US in Canada. It doesn’t ship internationally.
• Novel Tea Club offers different genres: a book, tea and something extra. For the YA one, month-to-month, it costs $33 CAD/month (shipping fees included for the US and Canada). 3-Month prepay is $90 CAD. It doesn’t ship internationally.
• Yureka offers 3 YA plans. 2 paperbacks is $15 US+sf/month. The $25 US+sf/month option receives either 1 hardcover and 1 paperback book, or 3 paperbacks. The $35 US+sf/month option receives either 1 hardcover and 2 paperback books, or 4 paperback books. Shipping fees are included for the US (I think), $12/$20/$30 US for Canada depending on your plan, and $20/$28/$45 US internationally depending on your plan.

Those are the boxes I will most likely buy at least once in my life, thus my favorites! I hope it enlightens you a little bit!

Other boxes would be : Lit Cube, The YA Chronicles, Book of the Month, etc. However, I didn’t add them to my personal favorites because they’re sooooo expensive. So, nah.

I didn’t add any boxes made in Europe, because their price would be even more exorbitant than the US (for me, in Canada). BUT, if you would like me to give to you the information about other boxes (which would probably be more expensive, made in Europe and/or with fewer items), feel free to contact me! I have info on all of them, actually xD

Thank you for reading this! Feel free to comment or to ask questions 🙂

Around the World in YA | Book Tag!

Time to pack my bags and take out my map, because I’m stepping out my door and going to travel!…figuratively. Eh oui! My kind of travel these days are through books 🙂 I know, I know, not as exciting as actually traveling, but a girl’s gotta stay home to work and get that money to buy those plane tickets, ya get me?

I was tagged by Hilary @ SongsWroteMyStory, and honestly, thanks so much, Hilary, because it’s a fantastic idea!

Here are the rules : Choose a few countries, and name your favorite book that takes place there.

I’ll try choosing countries I haven’t seen before in that tag. Excited? *drum rolls*

Canada

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn’t know much about her background – the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip – but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town – from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend’s hidden talent for “feeling” out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel…different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya’s biological parents and it’s easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

The Gathering takes place in my dear country! From one of my favorite authors comes one of the best YA paranormal series I’ve ever read!

The Netherlands

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

The Fault in our Stars‘s picture is smaller, because it’s not exactly a book I’d recommend, thus its size. I’d recommend it only because it’s famous and is now (unfortunately) seen as a must-read in YA. I’m not saying it sucked. It was good, sweet, cute. I really liked the book. I’m just worried about it being over-hyped (and it is).

Australia

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back?

The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don’t exist – almost.

Stolen stole my sanity. At the end of the book, I had to take a moment and ask myself “Gosh, Chelsea. What did this book do to you?” It turned me into a psychological mess. Recommended!

India

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy—jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother’s death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls’ academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions “for a bit of fun” and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the “others” and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.

A Great and Terrible Beauty was over-hyped, but I still enjoyed it very much!

Greece

Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She’d love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants — and the most memorable summer of their lives — begins.

I’m not actually sure if it’s during the 1st book that Lena goes to Greece, but I’m going to put The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series here. Good, sweet, easy read 🙂

 

I tag :

Tetiana @ Unbolt

Bailey @ Of Books and Bailey

IceBreaker694

Blogger Recognition Award!

Thank you so much to icebreaker694 for nominating me!! I’m so happy!! It’s the first award I’m nominated for, so I drew inspiration from icebreaker694’s own post hahahahahah

By the way, if anyone knows how to add this award to my widgets, please tell me!! 😀

Here we go :

Rules :

• Write a post to show your award
• Give a brief story of how your blog started
• Give two advice to new bloggers
• Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
• Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to

12. A brief history of the Warlock

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a bookworm in possession of books and critical thinking, must be in want of expression. And so my adventure starts. I have always loved reading; in elementary school, I used to sit in a corner and read during recreation time. I sometimes played with my friends, of course, but people were accustomed to seeing me read a book. As I grew older, I talked more and more, and developed opinions on all kinds of subjects. I shared them with my friends, but alas, not many of them shared the same passion for reading as I.

Quite recently, as I browsed through Instagram, I stumbled upon the benefits of “book blogging”: a community, people looking to you for advice, friends, bookish items, the “smart” looks, free books, and so on. And that’s how I got the idea to join this community by contributing with, you guessed it, my opinions! I started out on Tumblr, but as my research grew, I realized that Tumblr wouldn’t be considered a real “blog” for this kind of serious matters, so I turned to WordPress, and voilà!

3. Two advice to new bloggers

Please keep in mind that my blog isn’t 2-month-old yet, so I may not be the best person to give advice, but I’ll try anyway :

First, you do not HAVE to do anything to gain more followers. I know that one of a blog’s main goals is to be read, but remember that it’s your blog –> you write what you want, whenever you want, however you want. Having original content is much more interesting than writing what everyone else is writing! If I’m on Google and looking for a specific article, and lo and behold!, you’re the only blog that talked about it, I sure as hell will follow you!

Second, take good care of your theme! Unfortunately, many people do judge a book by its cover, and in this case, a blog by its theme. It would appeal to everyone’s eyes (including your own!) if your theme is clean and organized. Even if your posts are mediocre at best, but your theme is gorgeous, people will much more likely appreciate your blog!

45. My nominees

Bailey @ ofbooksandbailey

Jen @ myriadinklings

Beth@ readingeverynight

Rebeca @ booksandmessybuns

Jess @ mudandstars

Liv @ curlyhairbibliophile

Hannah @ thebookllama

Lindsey @ apieceofparadis

Hilary @ songswrotemystory

… I know I need 6 more blogs, but I really don’t know that many! I’m so sorry for breaking this rule, I’m out of ideas!

Also, I’m sorry if you’ve been tagged before; on the bright side, I’m another blogger who love your blog!

Why I Didn’t Read Today

This post was inspired by Hilary’s at @SongsWroteMyStory

I know as a bookworm and a reviewer, I’m expected to read all day every day. Hell, it even seems like publishers think so too! I’m crumbling under a pile of books I have to read and review and promote. But some days, I don’t read. It’s hard to explain to my friends, who know that I LOVE reading, why “today’s not a reading day”. But I’ll try to list all my reasons (legit ones!) that I’ve used in the past for not reading :

1. I Netflixed and chilled so hard I forgot to open a book. Literally. Right now, it’s Gilmore Girls and Scandal that are keeping me glued to the TV.
2. I was tired, and knew a headache would be coming if I focused on tiny little letters.
3. I’m reading a book and I’m not into it yet. So I’m stalling. (And no, I can’t just stop reading a book; if I start, I finish)
4. I knew I would be interrupted at some point.
5. Homework and studying (I’m on vacation now, though).
6. Adulting.
7. Sleep was begging for my attention.

Et voilà! I know it’s a short post, but I really wanted to get on Hilary’s train. Thanks for reading this 🙂

A little something about the warlock behind this new blog!

Hi there! Welcome to this new blog about books !

My name is Chelsea, nice to meet you. I started this blog because I wanted to FINALLY talk about books I’m truly interested in with people who may enlighten me about them! I heard WordPress is a great platform to do so, so…here I am, hihihi x)

I don’t really know yet how to customize my theme to make it pretty, but it’ll come around, you’ll see hahahahah

I’m from Canada, which sometimes really sucks because the shipping is super expensive and also we don’t have CANADA ONLY giveaways here )): Buuut, we have maple syrup and politeness (stereotypes woohoo).

OH, and I speak French. Actually, I’m better in French than in English, so I may have mistakes in my posts, and I invite you to politely correct me (:

I read a lot of books, but mainly YA. A close second would be contemporary fiction, then 3rd would be fantasy, then 4th would be…scifi and/or mystery. I only ever read ONE nonfiction…

My YA obsession is displayed directly in my URL. For those of you who don’t know, the Gray Book is part of the The Mortal Instruments world.

I think that’s all for now? If you want to know anything else, ask me ! 🙂