Book Riot Quarterly Box #BKR04 | Unboxing

Recently, a friend said to me "You read books to get away from everything." A bit flustered, I nodded along since she was kind of correct. But later I realized that there is this stereotype that voracious readers read books in order to escape the "suckiness" of everyday life. This could be partly true, but it is mostly horribly wrong.

Book Riot and Quarterly did an awesome job with this quarter's theme of how books, stories, pictures, words, and all that jazz bring about magic. And personally, the theme helped me address the previously mentioned stereotype. I don't read just to escape from the realities of life; I could do that by meeting up with friends, drinking, etc. There's more to reading than that! I read to tap into the magic most non-readers couldn't dare imagine. This connection I have with authors, stories, sentences, and pictures is a passion, not a past-time. 

So I'm really really excited to jump into this quarterly box! Despite all the magic floating around I feel like this box of goodies will also ground me in understanding, if not fully, the complexities of reading and the lasting effects of books. These days I've been floating from one story to another, maybe I'll even crack the readers' code to immortality. Just kidding, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore references anyone?

  

Without further ado~

#BKR04 in a nutshell

The one and only note from Book Riot! It's also my map to navigate and reference through all the awesomeness.

The first thought that popped into my mind when I flipped through its pages was "Wow book, you really get me!" What We See When We Read is that book I've been searching for without really knowing I've been searching for it. This edition includes personal foot-notes from Peter Mendelsund. Man, I feel special. And there are illustrations! I need more illustrations in my life so this is perfect.

I really like what Book Riot is doing with their Quarterly box genre selections. Last quarter, there were YA, romance, and fantasy books. This quarter The Salinger Contract is a thriller for bibliophiles. I never know what to expect!

These are Literary Quote Prints from Obvious State and I received quotes from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jorge Luis Borges! My parents think I buy way too many prints for myself, but I guess it's alright as long as I didn't pay for these. Wait, I did pay for these! Then why do they feel like presents... #MyPersonalChristmas

Book goodies! Everybody loves good ol' custom-made stickers, buttons, and bookmarks. But wait, that's not just a bookmark! Its a free e-book, or a code to redeem a free e-book, called Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon, a series of essays championing story-telling.

And last but not least, a Read Harder water bottle. Yes Book Riot, I shall. I can't wait to whip this out at work tomorrow.

My First Book Riot Quarterly Box | Unboxing

Last Saturday I received my first subscription package from Book Riot and Quarterly! For those not listening to the Book Riot podcast, I urge you to do so. It has made my Monday mornings much more enjoyable with book news, books recommendations and all things bookish.

I was hesitant to commit to anything recurring, but I realized I really wouldn't mind receiving mysterious books in my mail box every now and then. Actually, I would be ecstatic! So I took the leap to Quarterly and subscribed to the Book Riot Quarterly.

And without further ado... here are the books and bookies I received!

A letter from Book Riot explaining the theme of this quarter's box, along with blurbs of all the items. In celebration of summer and summer reading, this box included genres many readers were more hesitant to try, such as romance, science fiction/fantasy, and young adult. Personally, I read young adult novels and A LOT of romance fiction so this box was within the scope of my comfort zone. I actually didn't know many readers were hesitant to read some of my favorite genres. Anyways, I was very satisfied with this quarter's selection, but I hope next quarter would introduce me to books that are outside my comfort zone. 

The book that immediately caught my attention was The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin. I mean look at that cover! Its a fantasy set in the mythical land of Gujaareh . After reading a  few chapters, I was immediately sucked in Jemisin's own twist of dreams, magic, "ninja priests", and political scandal.

The second book is Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. I think YA is underestimated in the literary world and many people think that the genre is exclusive to "young adults." But many YA books, like adolescents, delve headfirst into complex and, at times, grim moments in our lives. That is exactly what struck me when I dipped into Please Ignore Vera Dietz. After reading a few reviews on Goodreads I know this book will be raw and ethnically controversial. I am a bit hesitant to delve into this book, but I have a stack of happy and fluffy novels at hand to help me recover.

The last book is A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean, which I've already read! I've already read her Love By Number series and my all-time favorite Sarah MacLean novel is Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake. Naturally, I moved onto The Rules of Scoundrels series, which starts with A Rogue By Any Other Name. I'm sure I enjoyed it, but I honestly forgot how the story goes because it wasn't as memorable as her other novels. I actually prefer the second installment to The Rules of Scoundrels, One Good Earl Deserves A Lover. 

Oh gad, I love this poster. If you're a romance reader like me you would nod after reading each reason. I began reading romance at an early age and I kept it a secret because of the stigma attached to the genre. I grew up wondering if I was reading a "real book" with romance novels. And I didn't tell my friends of all these great romance books I found because I thought they would devalue and trivialize them. But I learned to throw those notions aside because I can read whatever the heck I want! As Joyce Lamb states in the article, "Romance, gender, and the measure of a 'real book'", " the measure of a real book ought to be the extent to which it resonates with readers. Romance offers stories about arguably the most important things in life: love, relationships, and families. Readers identify with these issues".

The folks over at Book Riot love Oyster, as it is one of their main contributors, so they gave us 2 free months of subscription! Oyster already gives first time users 1 free month of subscription so the extra month for being a Book Rioter is pretty sweet. If you've never heard of Oyster, its basically "the Netflix for books." That's the major marketing motto they've been using and it pretty much fits. It offers unlimited access to 500,000 e-books for $9.95 a month. It doesn't have newly published fiction, but it has a great collection of back-list books. At first I was reluctant to use Oyster because of their lack of new fiction. However this drawback is not entirely a bad thing because it brings a light on many back-list books, which go off the radar after their first year or few months of publishing.

Ta-da! Book goodies! I was lucky enough to receive one of the Lottery Items: an "I Read YA" tote bag from Scholastic. My friend thought it said "I read yah" (LOL). Others include Literary Aces playing cards, "I Read YA" button, and a Library Card Pouch from Out of Print.