Fairy Tale Catchall

Woven Pages Card

And the winner is...

Congrats to the winner of the signed,  first edition copy of "The Buried Giant" - Brianie G.!

Our 2nd place winner of the spout bookmarks is Carolyn I.

Thanks for all the entries. Happy reading!

Bookish L.A. - Venice Beach

 

On a trip to Los Angeles we decided to head to Venice Beach for some Peruvian Cuisine at El Huarique (which was delicious, by the way). We came across a really neat bookstore called Small World Books. It's behind the seating area of a cafe and can be accessed by a door that doesn't look like much on the surface. 

Once inside the whole place opens up. There are both new and used books, some quirky and others bestsellers.  The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I loved the shelf of Staff Picks at the front of the store. It's a great way to discover your next favorite book! 

Venice Beach is amazing for the people watching,  vendors, music, and lounging. Now it will also be on my list of great places to go to pick up my next vacation read.

Book Spine Poetry

Happy National Poetry Month! To celebrate, my public library is holding a book spine poetry competition. Basically one just stacks books to that the titles make a poem.

I am going to head to the library to look at books for poems but I thought I would give it a try at home first. I limited myself to choosing books from my downstairs bookshelf only for my first attempt. It was interesting how many meanings could come from rearranging the same books. I think this would be really fun to make a cute poem and hang a photo of it in a kid's room.

A Discovery of Witches Book Review

Book: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy: Book 1)

 

Author: Deborah Harkness

 

Given by: No one. I checked it out from the library.

 

Rating: 4/5 Won-derfuls (I loved it)

Blurb:
"A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell."

This was a great book! I have only one eye-twitching observation before I sing its praises. There was quite a lot of obnoxious dominance cloaked in valor from our handsome vampire. I get where this was coming from and understand this part of his character but it bugs me that our strong, brilliant heroine falls for this crap. There are times when she appears to be standing her ground, but is really just negotiating for things and decisions that should be non-negotiable. Diana will glare and protest but eventually gives in when she has moments of feminine weakness. It drives me nuts.

My pet peeves aside, this is a fantastic book. I mean magic in the Bodleian? Nerd girl fantasy! The manuscripts and texts described sucked me in immediately. I can feel my own fingers tingle at the thought of holding such precious historical literature in my hands. Mmmmm... Alright, back to reality.

Deborah Harkness uses brilliant language without ever seeming pretentious. The story flows and is easy to escape into. There are many unique scenes that held me throughout this book. My favorite involved witches, vampires, and daemons doing yoga together. Very cool! There are close calls, magical discoveries, and a bit of saucy romance. I already have the next book in the series on hold!

Interested? More about the book here.

Morse Code Bracelets

Have you ever ever wanted to carry your favorite bookish quotes with you throughout the day? Morse Code jewelry is the answer! These bracelets and necklaces are super fun and easy to make. I use fishing line, small glass beads, and clasps from the craft store when making mine. 



Step 1: Choose a favorite quote.

Step 2: Change it into Morse Code (I use a free online translator).

Step 3: String beads with round beads for dots and long beads for dashes. I use slightly larger beads for spaces between words.

Step 4: Feel stealthy and awesome wearing your words.