Geek {Chic} Monthly – May 2016 Review & July Spoilers

Geek {Chic} Monthly provides you with 3 fandom-inspired pieces of jewelry, all matching the month’s chosen fandom. In addition to jewelry, you also receive 1 – 2 additional themed goodies which in the past has included items such as coin purses, stickers and cord organizers.

Geek {Chic} Monthly
Cost: $15.00 USD per month.
Shipping Costs: $3.00 to the US / $10.00 to Canada / $15.00 to the rest of the world.
Payment Method: Credit Card.
Mailed Out: the 15th of each month.
**Note: this subscription auto-renews and you are billed on the 15th of each month**

A Whole New World -ARCs Galore & Review for Villains, Inc.

I’m new to the world of ARCs, but instead of cautiously dipping a toe in, I’ve jumped in head-first! I’m very excited about the e-books I’ve received for review and the genres they span, from sci-fi/fantasy to LGBT+ and horror! 😀

My gratitude to the publishers who approved me for the following:

Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn – I’ve been dying to read this ever since I heard about it a couple months ago, and I’m psyched to have an ARC! (undying gratitude to Berkley Publishing Group)

The House at the End of the Street by Stephanie E Kusiak – a lesbian ghost love story? *makes grabby hands* There’s always stories about ghosts wreaking havoc and vengeance, and it’s nice to have one where the ghost falls in love for a change. #notallghosts (gracias, Sapphire Books Publishing)

Gun To My Head by Dira Lewis – a gay vampire romance? Yes, please! Look at that, a vampire that WANTS to win the love interest over instead of brooding and alienating them, how refreshing! (thank you, Less Than Three Press)

The Binding by Nicholas Wolff – in my recent post with my Horror Books Round-Up, I discussed Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt about a town under a curse. The synopsis for The Binding has a similar premise about a town afflicted by dark forces, which is my personal catnip – I enjoy when not one person, not one family, but the ENTIRE TOWN is at stake! (grazie, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books)

And now let me talk about Villains, Inc, very kindly sent to me by Less Than Three Press.

ONE.NINE.EIGHT.SIX Crates May 2016 Review

ONE.NINE.EIGHT.SIX Crates is an Australian-based subscription box that sends you 4 – 5 themed collectibles relating to various tv shows, movies, video games and other pop culture genres. You receive a range of items matching that month’s theme and it may include toys & figurines, accessories, gadgets and more. This is a mystery box service with a difference, being a non-profit organization whose profits are donated to charity to promote mental health awareness.

ONE.NINE.EIGHT.SIX Crates
Cost: $40 AUD per month.
Shipping Costs: Free shipping within Australia.
Payment Method: Credit Card or Paypal.
Mailed Out: the 15th of each month or next business day.
**Note: this subscription auto-renews on the same day as your sign-up & billing is the 1st of each month**

3 Months of Kawaii Box!

Kawaii Box is a monthly subscription box that contains 10 – 12 Japanese and Korean kawaii items, which may include Japanese candy, plushies & charms, stickers & stationery, accessories and more!

I am reviewing the three boxes I received for February, March & April. The reason I delayed posting til now is because I wasn’t particularly enamored of the first box I received, so I decided to wait and see if my feelings changed by the end of my 3-month subscription and then do a mega-up post for my Kawaii boxes all in one hit.

Spoiler Alert: this box lives up to its name, as I received some super cute items, but I’m just not the target audience and didn’t have much use for it. I ended up regifting basically everything to a colleague’s pre-teen daughter, Amalea, who was absolutely thrilled with it, so at least she appreciated the subscription!

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Kawaii Box
Cost: $19.80 USD per month (slightly cheaper for 6-month or 12-month subscriptions)
Shipping Costs: FREE WORLDWIDE! 😀
Payment Method: Credit Card.
Mailed Out: the last week of each month/first week of next month
**Note: only the 1 month plan auto-renews; the other plans finish once the time period indicated has ended**

Diversity in YA

Two book posts in one day! While I was compiling my Horror Books Round-Up, I praised one for depicting a main character as Japanese and another as biracial because diversity in the Young Adult genre is sorely needed. That in turn inspired this post – there is no reason for 99% of protagonists to conform to the white heterosexual default, and I wanted to highlight the few books I’ve come across recently that feature main characters who stand out from the norm. Presenting with no further ado…

Horror Books Round-Up

Now for something a little different! I follow a lot of book blogs and I’ve been greatly enjoying reading everyone else’s reviews, so I thought it was time I took a stab at it myself, so to speak. 😉 While I’m a little intimidated at the prospect of writing up my own reviews, I’ll start off easy and list a few books that’ve caught my fancy lately. I’ve been on a big horror binge, so following are my recent horror reads and non-spoilery thoughts on why I enjoyed them!

The Cruelty-Free Shop Vegan Mystery Box – May 2016

The Cruelty-Free Shop Vegan Mystery Box is a subscription box that promises 8 – 10 cruelty-free items valued at $34.95 minimum. The contents of the box are entirely vegan and range from snacks and sweet treats to more substantial food or pantry staples.

Cruelty-Free Shop Vegan Mystery Box
Cost: $34.95
Shipping Costs: $9.95 within Australia only.
Payment Method: Credit Card.
Mailed Out: First Wednesday of each month
**Note: subscriptions auto-renew on the 2nd of each month**

Kal-Elle Fandom Monthly Subscription Box – April 2016

Kal-Elle Fandom Monthly provides you with 4 – 7 fandom-inspired designs worth over $40, all matching the month’s chosen fandom. In addition to jewelry, you may also receive other items such as magnets, artwork, lanyards, hair accessories, etc.

Kal-Elle Fandom Monthly
Cost: $19.00 USD
Shipping Costs: $3.50 shipping within the US or worldwide for $18.50.
Payment Method: Credit Card.
Mailed Out: In the first week of the month.
Note: subscriptions auto-renew on the 1st of each month.

Little Box of Yum – May 2016

Little Box of Yum is an Australian food subscription box that searches the country for the best products and sends you a monthly box of gourmet goodness! They describe themselves as a food discovery service that provides you with full-size culinary delights each month.

Little Box of Yum
Cost: $49.00 AUD (inc shipping)
Ships To:  Australia
Payment Method: Credit Card
Estimated Arrival: approximately 2 weeks after the 20th of the previous month

WOWBOX Original Fun & Tasty – April 2016

WOWBOX is a Japanese snack subscription box that allows you to ‘experience the wonderful and curious world of Japanese snacks, sweets, and treats’. There are 3 different themes to select from – the ‘Classic‘, the ‘Kawaii & Beauty‘ and the ‘Original Fun & Tasty‘.

From there, you can choose which size best suits you, and the number of items in the Small, Medium and Large plans vary depending on which theme you choose. I went with the Original Fun & Tasty theme, which provides 9 – 14 items in the Small plan, 12 – 16 in the Medium and 15-20 in the Large plan.

Wow Box
Cost: Varies from $14.99 USD (Small) to $24.99 (Medium) to $34.99 (Large)
Ships To: Worldwide for FREE! 😀
Payment Method: Paypal or credit card.
Estimated Arrival: 2-3 weeks into the month.