The October Espresso Tbb Box Unboxing

Theme: Wicked and Witchy

The October Tbb box was curated with much love and I adore it. The theme was Wicked and Witchy. Here is what was brewed into it. (This is as witchy as I could get)

This picture is taken from the Instagram account of The Big Book box

Book 1 in paperback: Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent and Dove is the story of a witch and a witch-hunter bound in holy matrimony and there was only one way such a story could end – A STAKE AND A MATCH. This is just the gist of the blurb and it already had me intrigued. The book comes with an author letter which is very cute and witty. What made it extra special are the printed edges with the illustrations of a serpent and a dove. This book was included in all the boxes.

Book 2 in Hardcover: Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff

Darkdawn is the last book in the Nevernight Chronicles trilogy. After the first two books were received with much appreciation, this was a highly anticipated release. This book is also accompanied with a very intimate author letter from Mister Kristoff himself.

Author letters:

As already mentioned, the box has letters from both the authors.

The Monthly Enamel Pin:

This month was blessed with twin pins based on The Nevernight Chronicles book #3 – The DarkDawn. They wanted to bring us a quote based pin and ended up making a visual representation of both – the quote and the title of the book. The black pin from the set represents the ‘Dark’ while the white one represents the ‘Dawn’. “Brighter the light” is the one with sun, “Deeper the shadow” is the black one.

“Brighter the light, Deeper the shadow”
– Jay Kristoff

Magnetic Book Marks:

Two character based magnetic book marks were a part of the box. The characters were from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E.Schwab namely Kell Maresh and Lila Bard.

Foiled Book Mark:

Along with the beautiful magnetic babes, a book mark created after both the books in the box was included. One side is based on Darkdawn and says ‘All is blood, blood is all’ and the other side is based on Serpent and Dove and is gold foiled. It shines so bright that I went blind for a good few minutes. (Seriously though, how do these guys do it?)

Character Cards:

The character cards this month were also from Serpent and Dove. There were two – Louise le Blanc and Reid Diggory and they are stunning. The cards were made by Carol Garcia (IG: @carolgarciapr).

A Bookend:

One half of an ‘ALICE IN WONDERLAND’ themed bookend was included in the October box. It is black, has the Mad-Hatter’s hat and says ‘We’re all mad here’. The other end will be a part of the November box or you could probably get it in the garage sale.

Bookish Scarf:

Is a book box even complete without having a Harry Potter merchandise? Tbb box went all out with this Marauder’s map scarf. It is beautiful and hands down the best merch in this box and the best Harry Potter merch that I own (This is the only Harry Potter merch I own but more on that later).

Pop Socket:

Is your phone always cracked because your hands get so lazy sometimes that they refuse to hold it for a few seconds longer? Well, a pop socket is the thing for you and if you are a book lover, a bookish pop-socket is oxygen for you. The pop socket that is helping me hold my phone, click pictures while reducing the drop rate by 70-80% (I am clumsy af) and making sure I look rad with it was a part of this box. It is primarily black and says –‘Something wicked this way comes’, which I think is a novel by Ray Bradbury (definitely had help in figuring this out) is the best addition to my phone. The lettering was done by Elisa from Cripple Letters.

Notepad:

A stationary item right in time for the New Year. The notepad is based on Darkdawn. It is similar to the one in which the author letter comes in. It has the words, ‘Good turnings Acolytes’, on the top and is from Paper Quirks.

Pride and Prejudice monthly news letter:

I am a hoarder and I ain’t ashamed of it. The monthly newsletter is something I always look forward to. Have I ever read it to find out whether it is the same or different each time? No! Am I still gonna be excited each time I find it inside the box? Hell Yes!

The Shredded Paper:

If you are here from my bookstagram account, you already know this and if you are new but are somehow planning to stick with me for the long run (which I highly appreciate and will be indebted to you for life), then you should know that I am a fan of shredded paper. The box and its contents can go sit in a museum but I will take my shredded paper to bed with me. Going with the theme, this box had black shredded paper and was a wonderful addition to the box.

That was the October unboxing. Thank you for coming this far. I added links to some of my Unboxing instagram posts and I am sorry if it was annoying. If you want to watch my painful tries at showing you the Marauder’s scarf, you can watch my live unboxing video by clicking on the link below. Be sure to check out the instagram profile of the big book box @tbb_box. See you guys soon. Be kind to one another. Stay hydrated and drive safe.

Live unboxing of the October Box

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

“We are all stardust and stories.“
— Erin Morgenstern

Specifics:

Book: The Starless Sea

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Published: 5^TH Nov’19

Genre: Fantasy fiction, Romantic fantasy, Historical fantasy

Publisher: Harvill Secker (Penguin UK)

UK Cover Artist: Suzanne Dean

Pages: 498

My Rating: 4.7/5

Blurb:

ARE YOU LOST OR ARE YOU EXPLORING?

When Zachary Rawlins stumbles across a strange book hidden in his university library it leads him on a quest like any other. Its pages entrance him with their tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities and nameless acolytes, but they also contain something impossible: a recollection from his own childhood.

Determined to solve the puzzle of the book, Zachary follows the clues that he finds on the cover – a bee, a key and a sword. They guide him to a masquerade ball, to a dangerous secret club, and finally through a magical doorway created by the fierce and mysterious Mirabel. This door leads to a subterranean labyrinth filled with stories, hidden far beneath the surface of the earth.

When the labyrinth is threatened, Zachary must race with Mirabel and Dorian, a handsome barefoot man with shifting alliances, through its twisting tunnels and crowded ballrooms, searching for the end of his story.

You are invited to join Zachary on the starless sea: the home of storytellers, story-lovers and those who will protect our stories at all costs.

“Everyone wants the stars. Everyone wishes to grasp that which exists out of reach. To hold the extraordinary in their hands and keep the remarkable in their pockets.“
– Erin Morgenstern

REVIEW:

“Strange, isn’t it? To love a book. When the words on the pages become so precious that they feel like part of your own history because they are. It’s nice to finally have someone read stories I know so intimately. Which was your favorite?”, This particular line felt like Erin Morgenstern herself is talking to us about her book.

The Starless Sea was one of the most anticipated releases of the year 2019 partly because of the magic that the author’s previous book – The Night Circus created. I loved that book but was not particularly a fan of the ending. Like any other reader, I was definitely in awe with the way the author narrates her story. To be honest, even though The Starless Sea was on the top of my tbr, I wasn’t expecting to be mind-blown.

The book is divided into 6 books and an afterward. Each book tells us a beautifully woven story about the characters that it entails while simultaneously talking about the present life of the lead character – Zachary Ezra Rawlins!

The story jumps between different timelines and different narratives but somehow manages to keep us hooked and not-so-confused. Each individual story is unique in itself and deserves a book of its own. I am sure there can be at least 7 spin-off’s from this book.

The story-telling is one-of-a-kind. It is something that is to be protected from the harsh world because it is so rare and precious that it will crawl up to you and drown you in it. The way the author weaves words into stories is commendable. Never before have I ever read something so marvelous that I went speechless for a good few minutes after I finished it. Even now, I am trying really hard to collect words from my vocabulary to describe the book that has me awe-struck.

The story revolves around a few symbols or signs – BEE, SWORD, and KEY! A few more make their appearances eventually but these are consistently present. Either in books, or on jewelry or on doors or as tattoos. This is a very beautiful touch and propels the story into an interesting direction.

It was praised as “A love letter to story-tellers”, and rightly so as it contains everything that a story-teller could ever dream of. Piles and piles of books just lying in a secret world that lies beneath the Earth with an ocean made of papers and libraries everywhere. “It is a sanctuary for storytellers and story-keepers and story-lovers. They eat and sleep and dream surrounded by chronicles and histories and myths”, Erin says. The world in itself is engulfing to imagine. The descriptions are exquisite and indulging.

Each story slowly comes together in the end and everything is connected. How did she do that? Only she would know. But man, did she do that elegantly. The book has a lot of loose ends to begin with and in the end, you will be taken aback with the way it all comes together, the way it ends and the way it leaves an everlasting impression on your mind.

I had a feeling that the ending would disappoint me like the night circus did but I cannot think of a better way it could end and honestly, if I had to describe what the book did to me in one word, it would be – “SPEECHLESS”, it has rendered me speechless.

Overall, it’s a fantastic read and I rate it 4.7/5.

“Not all stories speak to all listeners, but all listeners can find a story that does, somewhere, sometime. In one form or another.“
– Erin Morgenstern

SPOILERS AHEAD

There are a few parts of the book that really had me shook. Do not read if you don’t want spoilers.

The one thing I will always remember when I think about the book is how the little stories in the book end up being the important parts that build up to the ending. The story about the pirate and the girl, the fate and time, Eleanor and Simon and the moon and the innkeeper, all of these are little and beautiful. I would love to know more about them but the way they blended into a single ending is what appealed to me.

I simply loved how fate always found a way back to time. Mirabel being Eleanor and Simon’s child was a breathtaking moment. The hand in the jar at Allegra’s place that Zach encounters belonging to Simon was a good touch. Zach being gay and his mom not even reacting to it as if it is something to react to was amazing. I live for such moments in stories. I could see myself in Kat with the way she reacted to that discovery.

The starless sea is a sea of honey. The fate’s heart was used to restart Zach’s. Ugh! There is so much I loved about the book that I am unable to put that into words.

“A boy at the beginning of a story has no way of knowing that the story has begun.”
– Erin Morgenstern

CHARACTERS:

One good part of good story-telling is that you unknowingly fall in love with the characters. The following are the beautiful characters that I absolutely adored.

ZACHARY EZRA RAWLINS: A graduate student in Vermont who is an introvert that loves spending his time in the library. He is gay and “HE BELIEVES IN BOOKS. THAT MUCH HE KNOWS FOR SURE!” I do not think that I need to even talk more about him to make you fall for him. He is so driven and determined.

MIRABEL: She is a fate and she is also the sculptor of the stories. As she says, she does not write the stories, she only creates pathways to propel them into different directions. She is such a strong character and I cannot stop thinking about how beautifully pink her hair is. She has lived and died and triumphed and has always found a way to TIME.

KATE: She comes as a breath of fresh air. Making an appearance only in the beginning, I did not expect her to make a comeback and she does and it is amazing. As a shirt that she wears says – “A well-read woman is a dangerous creature”, she definitely is well-read and I am pretty sure is dangerous. Is the starless sea going to have a part II? If yes, I would happily spend all my savings to find out what journey Kate goes through in the starless sea.

SPECIAL MENTION:

THE KITCHEN: A kitchen that gives you everything and anything? Can I get myself one of those? Pretty please? Erin Morgenstern is such a creative genius that she managed to make us love a place and then ended up giving it much more meaning than we ever could have begun to imagine. It was totally unexpected that the kitchen would end up being the bees in the sea. I still want it though.

And just like that, I have finished reading and blabbering about a very beautiful book that ends on a note that – ‘But this is not where their story ends. Their story is only just beginning. And no story ever truly ends as long as it is told.’

Also, can somebody please buy me this necklace already?

“It doesn’t look like anything special, like it contains an entire world, though the same could be said of any book.”
– Erin Morgenstern

Reasons to read the book:

LGBTQ+ literature
Magical writing
Imagination like no other
The story has books, libraries and keepers of the books
The character development is beautiful
It has a role playing game feel as the author was inspired by RPG’s while writing the book

Cons:

Will leave you longing for more
The ending might feel like a cliffhanger or an open-end to begin another story which could be mildly infuriating

“How are you feeling? Zachary asks. “Like I’m losing my mind but in a slow, achingly beautiful sort of way.”
– Erin Morgenstern

We are who we are!

I am Anushka Reddy Marri! Well! Dr Anushka Reddy Marri to be exact. I am a very cheerful and happy mind (a lot of people will second me on that) who does everything that her heart desires. Born on 28th of March’97, I am an MBBS graduate who is yet to seriously give her PG entrance.

My biggest inspiration is my grand father who worked hard through his life to spread education. He paved the foundation to make me who I am now and I am more than grateful for having had the privilege of being his grand daughter and getting to grow under his shadow.

My father is a very care-free person facing life as it comes without letting his troubles bring him down and such energy is contagious and hard to not attain. His passion was food, so even after having a degree in mechanical engineering, he gave up whatever job he was doing to pursue a career in the food business.

My mother is a super-woman. From dealing with daily chores to studying to be a double degree and double pg and now running a small scale jute business, she never fails to amaze me. That is how I began chasing my dreams. Looking at them, happy, satisfied and wanting that for myself. I absolutely love my sister and my life is dedicated to her.

I like to do a lot of things while I try to avoid my pg preparation. I love writing and I have pursued it hard enough to become the editor in chief of an online medical magazine called LEXICON INDIA. I also try my best to put my emotions into words in my poetry blog – Fairy Tale.

I love dancing and I usually am a crowd favourite whenever I perform. And to maintain a balance and peace while juggling all of this, I read and blog about the books I read and make unboxing videos. I owe all of that to the amazing family that I was born into. My parents inspire me everyday and strive to make sure that I do not suppress any of my interests.

I do not consider myself to be the most active person. I usually procrastinate a lot and lazy around listening to music (usually Little Mix cause they are bomb), but when I am not, I try to get all my work done.

Coming to books, I read a lot of genres but I am a Fantasy demon. I also read YA fiction, Thriller, biographies, sci-fi and Romance. The book that inspired me the most is – GIFTED HANDS by Dr. Ben Carson.

I am eternally grateful to you for visiting my blog. Thank you. I hope it was worth your time.

-Love, Anu 🙂

I requested my fellow bookstagrammers to describe me in a sentence and here is what they have to say about me..

Absolutely lovely, hardworking, book lover!!!!! <3<3<3<3
Candida @wanderingtealover

A spontaneous burst of energy, positivity and so much fun.
-Nilay Bhatt @spasmodic_me21

A passionate book lover in search for herself!
-Vedika @ofbooksandmagic

You’re a candid cupcake.
– Daveen Nivedha @daveen8196

You’re quite vocal, optimistic and sweet!!
– @thechamberoftales

Honest, consistent, your videos are most fun to watch! I love how excited and positive you are 🙂
– @mywordbubble

You don’t know how to spell married 🙂
– @the_reader06

Talented, quirky bookish doc!
– @bookshome1