Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour, which was organized & hosted by Jean Book Nerd book tours. The full tour schedule can be found HERE. Please go give my fellow tour hosts some love!
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour. This does not affect the content of my review.
Summary:
Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance. When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up. Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?
Today I'm reviewing Reel Bookish, a brand new subscription box that pairs goodies from classic AND current films with a newly released YA book. Keep reading to see my unboxing, discover the theme for September, AND receive a code to save on your first box!
Disclaimer: Reel Bookish provided me with a complimentary box for review. This does not affect the content of my review.
This is the first subscription box I've reviewed, and as I worked on this post, I realize that since boxes are released differently than a regular merch shop, I'll have to tweak the format of my post a bit. Normally I rate shops based on the shop (products offered), product quality, and customer service with an overall rating based on a combination of those three. But subscription boxes... don't have some of those things. So I'll be primarily concentrating on the products that were included in the box.
Reel Bookish is a bi-monthly subscription box so after the initial July box, the next will ship in September. Like the bookish candle market, the YA subscription box market is pretty saturated right now so I think it's smart for Reel Bookish to go bi-monthly. It's definitely a good way to entice readers who want to try a box, but aren't willing to commit to a monthly plan. The price is $29.99, which is on par with other subscription boxes, and it's a pretty good deal considering the July box contained a newly released hardcover and 7 other items. You can purchase a one-time box on the Reel Bookish site or head over to subscription box headquarters at Cratejoy to start up a subscription that will renew automatically. I really appreciate this aspect because I've tried a few different subscription boxes now, and while every box offers the option to cancel, you know how life is. Sometimes you forget these things. Having the ability to start with a one-time box is smart and considerate to your curious but not-quite-ready-to-commit customers.
There's No Business Like Show Business
The theme for the July box is There's No Business Like Show Business, and I like it! This classic Hollywood slogan clearly conveys the box's message, and the message is movies! In this case, the box had three inspirations for the items included: classic Marilyn Monroe film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the modern award-winning La La Land, and Leila Howland's newest novel Hello, Sunshine. The box came with two guide cards, one that explained the items included in the box and an art card with each title and cover/poster/still on one side and the summary of each title + one fun fact + recommendations on the other. The first card is another standard for a bookish box because it explains the items and credits the shops whose items were included, but I LOVE the second card. I just saw La La Land a couple weeks ago (that opening number tho!), but I've never seen Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and the summary and trivia intrigued me. The info card listed that each title inspired 2-3 items in the box so here's the breakdown:
Bookish design queen Evie Seo designed an exclusive print based on the iconic "A Lovely Night" dance from La La Land. It's stunning, of course, and this print will definitely be popping up on my instagram feed in other posts.
My fave Novelly Yours also created an exclusive candle for the box: City of Stars, a dreamy candle about which I am torn. Do I burn this amazing beachy candle and enjoy it or do I keep it forever because IT HAS WAX DRIPPED ALL OVER THE TOP TO SIMULATE STARS? So you see my dilemma. Brittany told me some of the drips are random (mine), but some have constellations dripped into them (!!!!!) like the Little Dipper (!!!!!) and Cassiopeia (!!!!!). Brittany, you tricksy mix, you've done it again & created a masterpiece. The scent is similar to her Scorpio Sea and World-Building candles, but it's actually wholly unique from any other candle I own (which you all know is a LOT).
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Okay. Some of the words you have read a couple times in this post already are "similar to other bookish boxes" because honestly, so many boxes are very similar. There are a few with a focus on fantasy/sci-fi. There are a few bi-monthly or quarterly. Everyone does candles. Everyone does prints. Everyone has done socks or tea or bookmarks or magnetic bookmarks. Many have done mugs and jewelry and pillowcases and totes. Reel Bookish stands out to me because of the theme, but this next item has me with a major case of heart eyes: THERE IS AN ACTUAL TIARA IN THIS BOX. That's right. T I A R A. To see my reaction, please watch this 50 second video:
I've never seen a box with a TIARA before, but I was super stoked to get it! I have actually been looking for a nice tiara, and I've finally found one!
side note: I might get to meet Mayim Bialik in October & I'm so excited!
There's also gorgeous shimmery pearl gumballs in an adorable little bottle for a movie snack. The gumballs taste like Double Bubble (so I have a HUGE craving for it right now) and the flavor lasts about 20 seconds, but they're beautiful, and if you're into bookish photography, these would look amazing in any sort of ocean themed as bubbles. I'm going to give creative points on this one because I also haven't seen gum in a box yet, and they really are super pretty.
Hello Sunshine
I adore Leila Howland's Nantucket duology (Nantucket Blue, Nantucket Red) so I'm pretty excited to have her third YA novel in my hands! Leila's books embrace and embody the very essence of summer, and while they're fun, fluffy reads, they also contain a great deal of emotion and fantastic character development that most people don't associate with a typical beach read. The bookstagrammer in me is also VERY happy to have another yellow naked hardcover in my collection.
Finishing out the box are a cute LA postcard, surfboard magnet, and starfish shell, all of which I adore. They fit the theme perfectly, and they're adorable!
Conclusion + coupon code!
I'm really happy with this box, and I'm definitely considering snagging a subscription, especially because the September box is a choose-your-own. The TWO themes are A Shimmer of Magic (!!!) and The Life and Times of Diana Prince (!!!). MAGIC and WONDER WOMAN, Y'ALL. If Reel Bookish sounds like a box for you, I definitely recommend you give it a shot. Also, you can use code MARY from now until August 7 for 25% off!
