Book Riot: Young Adult #1 (April 2015)
I love subscription boxes; I have a bit of an obsession with them. How awesome is it to get a box of surprises in the mail every month / every other month / quarterly? Pretty darn awesome.
This is the first Book Riot: Young Adult box from Quartlery Co. Boxes are $50 each and ship out quarterly. Each box will contain two books, some book-related goodies, and a personal letter. The next box ships January 2016. You can find out more and subscribe here.
Chalkboard Mug - This chalkboard mug says "Today I'm reading ..." and you can use the 4-pack of colored chalk included to write the title or doodle or whatever you want. The mug is a good quality mug, perfect for whatever hot beverage you choose to drink when reading. The chalk washes off so you can always keep it up to date with your reading status.
Novel Tea tea pouch - This pouch includes 5 bags of English Breakfast tea. Not only is the packaging pretty, each tea tag contains a literary quote.
Story Cubes - I have bought sets of Story Cubes for my nieces, nephews, and cousins, so I was happy to have a set for myself. Each cube has different pictures, and when you roll them, you are supposed to create a story with whatever picture is on top. These are great for encouraging kids to use their imagination and build their story-telling skills, but it is also great if you have writer's block and need some inspiration for what to write about. There are nine cubes included, as well as a pouch to keep them in, so it travels well.
Book: How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon - The first book included is a 2015 Coretta Scott Kind Author Honr Book. Honestly this is a book I probably would never pick up on my own and may or may not even read. The story is told from several different perspectives (18 actually!), which I do not usually enjoy in a book.
Here is the description from GoodReads: When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black, the shooter, Jack Franklin, is white. In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth. Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down."
Book : Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier - Again, a book I probably would never have given a second glance. The book is historical fiction set in 1930's Australia and involves ghosts. I probably will not read it.
Descrption from GoodReads: "The setting: Razorhurst, 1932. The fragile peace between two competing mob bosses - Gloriana Leson and Mr Davidosn - is crumbling. Loyalties are shifting. Betrayals threaten. Kelpie knows the danger of the Sydney streets. Ghosts have kept her alive, steering her to food and safety, but they are also her torment. Dymphna is Gloriana Lesons's 'best girl', experienced in surviving the criminal world, but she doesn't know what this day has in store for her. When Dymphna meets Kelpie over the corpse of Jimmy Palmer, Dymphna's latest boyfriend, she pronounces herself Kelpie's new protector. But Dymphna's life is in danger too, and she needs an ally. And while Jimmy's ghost wants to help, the dead cannot protect the living."
Personal Letter - Each box, instead of having the typical "info card," contains a personal letter. The letter contains information about the books. The letter also gives descriptions of the rest of the box contents, including a list of the potential bonus items you may receive (I did not receive any in this box). Also included is a deleted scene from the book How It Went Down with a letter from the author about why the scene was ultimately cut from the final draft.
Overall I think this was a good first box. I like that there were two books included (even if they are not books I would pick up myself or that I am even going to ever get around to reading) and that there was bonus material for the books. My favorite item was the Story Cubes, but I love the mug as well(and the fact that they included chalk).
Rating - 4 Stars
