Book & Nook Unboxing - July 2018 Monthly Candle Collection - Epic Adventures

This was my second Book & Nook candle box and I loved it just as much as the first one. I'm talking about the July box so I'm actually a little late posting this (it arrived at the beginning of the month!) but I wanted to spotlight these fab candles.

The July theme was Epic Adventures and knowing it was going to include candles relating to Lord of the Rings, His Dark Materials and Narnia made it a must buy for me. All of the monthly boxes include five 4oz candles, a bookish item and a bookmark and the current price is £21.99 + shipping so I think it's quite reasonable for what you actually get.

Here are the contents of the July Box:

Lets have a look at the candles first:

1. Cittagazze - inspired by the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman this was probably my favourite scent from this month's candle collection Choca Mocha (it really smells good enough to eat LOL). I've been a fan of this series for years now so I was really excited to have a candle for this fandom.
2. The University - inspired by The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss the scent is Lemon Verbena, Bliss and Dark Fairytale. I've not actually read this series but I've heard a lot of great things about it so it's one I think I'm going to have to read soon.
3. The Magic Wardrobe - inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, a childhood favourite, and the scent is Snow and Berries.
4. The Shire - inspired by The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien the scent is Cedarwood and Pine. This is another series that I've been a fan of since I was a teenager so this really was perfect for me.
5. Dracarys - inspired by Game of Thrones by George RR Martin smells of Fireside, Leather and Night and is of course in honour of the dragons in the series (along with this month's other bookish item). I'm ashamed to admit I've not read these books but I'm a HUGE fan of the TV series and a dragon lover in general so I was really happy with this one!

These candles all smell gorgeous and I love how sparkly they are too. The tins are a nice size and make perfect shelf decorations when you're not using them.

Lets have a closer look at the other items included in this box. First we have this lovely bookmark which has a quote from Lord of the Rings on the back.

And last, but definitely not least, was my favourite item in the box - this absolutely adorable dragon keyring which is obviously inspired by the Game of Thrones series with the 3 really pretty dragon eggs as well as a lovely silver dragon.

Since I was placing an order I also treated myself to this 7oz candle jar inspired by Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows series. The scent is Sea Breeze, Oudh & Snow and it's topped with black, silver and holographic glitter.

If you've not bought anything from Book & Nook before I can definitely recommend them. The theme for their September box is Unique Leading Ladies with items inspired by the Grishaverse, Raven Cycle, Shatter Me and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone and I'm VERY tempted to order it! You can find their products on Etsy or buy directly from their website and they are also on Instagram.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Feature Travel

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's theme is Books that Feature Travel and I have to admit that I initially thought I was going to struggle to come up with 10 books to include. I haven't actually read many road trip books but when I sat down to think of it I managed to come up with plenty of stories that involve travel in some form or another.

Anyway, lets have a look at a few of my favourites (links will take you to my reviews):

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

You don't get many journeys more epic than the one that Bilbo Baggins takes with Gandalf and the dwarves when they travel across the mountains to take back their home! Full of adventure, magical creatures, dragons and treasure this is a book I've read many times over the years and I really enjoyed the recent film adaptation too. I'm looking forward to watching the next two movies.

The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel

Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series has been one of my favourites since I was a teenager (the less said about the 6th and final book the better though!) and I've lost count of the number of times I've read them. The series is set around the time of the last ice age (35,000 years ago) and follows a young girl Ayla as she travels across whole continents in search of a place to call home. I love this series for the rich historical data but more for the emotional journey that Ayla goes on as she grows up and finds her place in the world.

From What I Remember - Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas

From What I Remember is a more traditional road trip story that shows how one of the school's hottest guys Max ends up in Mexico with geek girl Kylie. The book is absolutely hilarious and I loved every minute of it!

Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck

Colleen Houck's Tiger series follows Kelsey on a journey across India as she tries to help brothers Ren and Kishan break a 300 year old curse. You get to visit various temples and the jungle, learn about some of the Indian gods and goddesses and fall in love with not one but two gorgeous Indian princes who have been cursed to spend the majority of their time living as tigers.

Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray is the heartbreaking story of a young Lithuanian girl called Lina and her family as they are captured by Soviet guards and forced to travel across Europe to a Siberian work camp in the Arctic circle. Set during WWII and based on true stories this book highlights the atrocities committed by Stalin and is an incredibly emotional read but it is a book that I can't recommend highly enough. If you haven't come across this book before take a few minutes to watch this video of the author Ruta Sepetys as she talks about the inspiration behind the story but make sure you have tissues to hand because you're sure to need them!


Ruta Sepetys discusses her upcoming novel, Between Shades of Gray from Penguin Young Readers Group on Vimeo.

A Conspiracy of Alchemists - Liesel Schwarz

Liesel Schwarz's steampunk adventure takes you across Europe stopping off at London, Paris, Venice and Constantinople. Main character Elle is a dirigible pilot so you'll get to fly in an airship but you also enjoy a luxury ride on the Orient Express!

Demons of the Ocean - Justin Somper

If you enjoy books aimed at a slightly younger audience or are looking for a fun family read then I'd definitely recommend Justin Somper's Vampirates series. Sail the seven seas with twins Grace and Connor in this futuristic world where the seas have risen and the waters are controlled by both pirates and vampirates (yes, you did read that right vampirates - vampires who are also pirates!)

Poison Princess - Kresley Cole

I love Kresley Cole's adult books so I was excited to get my hands on her first YA novel Poison Princess last year. Set in the future after an apocalyptic event that Evie had been having visions of before it happened this is a fab story and something that's really unique. Main characters are based on the Major Arcana cards found in a Tarot deck and each have different powers and abilities. Evie teams up with sexy Cajun Jack to try and search for answers and they travel across the country looking for the other main players.

Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson

Fire and Thorns is a fabulous fantasy adventure that follows princess Elisa when she is sent far from home to marry a man she has never met. Follow her epic journey across the desert as she fights to find a place for herself in a new country when she doesn't know who her enemies are.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My last pick is a little bit of a cheat because although The Night Circus travels the world the focus of the story is much more on what is happening inside the circus than outside of it. It is such a beautiful novel that I couldn't resist including it anyway though and I can't recommend it highly enough!

So what books did you include on your list? Did we have any of the same picks? Leave me a link to your post in the comments and I'll stop by and check it out!

Book Review & Movie Comparison: The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

This is the story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected . . .

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a journey 'there and back again'. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon . . .

The prelude to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most beloved and influential books of the twentieth century.

The Middle-Earth Universe:
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
The Silmarillion

Visit J.R.R. Tolkien's website for more information

Review:
I've lost count of the number of times I've read The Hobbit over the years, it was the book that started my love of all things fantasy and it was always a go to book that I could read again and again as I was growing up. It must have been at least 5 years since I last read it though so I wanted to pick it up again before going to see the movie. It doesn't matter how many times I pick it up I still love it as much as the first and it always surprises me how many little details I forget between readings.

I know that most people have already read the story but if you're one of the few who haven't then I'd highly recommend it. It's a great story for adults but I also think it makes fantastic bed time reading with children because it's such a fun adventure story. There is a reason it's considered a classic! The last thing Bilbo Baggins is looking for is an adventure, he is quite happy living in his hobbit hole enjoying plenty of food and good company when he wants it (which is not too often thank you very much). When Gandalf arrives with a party of thirteen dwarves Bilbo is convinced they have come to the wrong person for help but the more he learns about their quest to re-claim their lands from the dragon who stole them the more curious he becomes and in the end he can't resist joining them.

Bilbo is the least likely of heroes, he doesn't consider himself particularly brave or smart and he has practically no experience of travelling or fighting, but when it comes down to it the dwarves wouldn't have got very far without him. I always enjoy seeing Bilbo reach is full potential, he goes on a journey of personal discovery and proves to everyone just what a strong character he is. The story isn't as dark or scary as the Lord of the Rings books are and is suitable for a younger audience but it is still quite scary in places and the scenes with Gollum are particularly creepy. I love the riddle contest between Bilbo and Gollum but have to admit that I'd be hopeless at figuring out the answers myself if I was in Bilbo's place! The Hobbit is such an enjoyable story and a great introduction to the Lord of the Rings books, I really think I'm going to have to re-read those this year too!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:







I mentioned that my main reason for re-reading the book was because I wanted to go and see The Hobbit movie. My Dad, brother and I are all huge fans of the Lord of the Rings films and going to see them was always a family outing so we wanted to carry on that tradition with The Hobbit. As much as I love the LoTRs movies they had to leave out quite a lot of events because of the pure scale of the world building in the books - there was no way to fit it all into a 3 hour film even if they wanted to - so I was really pleased when I found out that they were splitting the The Hobbit into 3 separate films. The only downside to that is that we are going to have to wait so long to see all of them but if the first instalment is anything to go by then the rest will be worth the wait.

I didn't quite manage to finish re-reading the book before we saw the film but I was well over halfway through so I had made it further in the story than the movie does. I have to say I was impressed with how well they kept to the storyline. Yes there were a couple of differences, the main one being Thorin's attitude to Bilbo which I did feel a little disappointed with, but over all they stuck quite closely to the plot and I could see the reason for the changes that they had made. Anyone who has watched the LoTRs films will already be familiar with Bilbo, Gandalf and of course Gollum but I really enjoyed getting to know the younger Bilbo on screen. I also really liked the way they had tied the two sets of films together by starting the story with the older version of Bilbo writing about his adventures and by including both Elrond and Galadriel.

I absolutely loved all the dwarves too, I had a little trouble keeping the names straight in my head as I was watching but I think that will come with time and my favourites were without a doubt Bofur & Kili (yes I do have a bit of a thing for Irish accents!). I'm already really looking forward to watching the next two films and will definitely be watching this one again when it comes out on DVD.

Upcoming Book to Movie Adaptations I can't wait to watch!

Since I've stumbled across quite a few movie trailers recently I thought it might be nice to share them here & find out which ones you're all looking forward to watching.

The Hobbit - December 2012

I have to say the one I'm most excited about is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, I've read the book several times over the years (in fact I must re-read it soon before the film comes out!) and have always been a massive fan of this and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I love the LotR films so I have very high hopes that The Hobbit will be just as good if not better and watching the following trailers has only increased my excitement!

Warm Bodies - February 2013

I have to admit I'm not so sure about Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, the fact that there is a romance between a human girl and the zombie who ate her boyfriend made me feel more than a little squeamish when I read the book (you can read my review here). However in spite of not being keen on the romance I did find that there was something incredibly compelling about the book, it was very well written and really made you think about the things that are important and what it is that makes us human. From the trailer it looks like the film stays very true to the book (although you can never be 100% sure of that until you've see the whole thing) and I am very curious about it. I don't think I'll be booking advance tickets for as soon as this one comes out but if the reviews are good then I might just give it a chance.

Beautiful Creatures - February 2013

I already posted the trailer for Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl but I couldn't really post about films I'm excited about without mentioning it again. Now the Beautiful Creatures series is one I've been wanting to read for ages but for some reason have never got around to. It looks like I'm going to have to hurry up and read at least the first book though because I don't want to miss the movie! Don't forget I currently have a UK giveaway for all 4 books in the Beautiful Creatures series that you can enter here (giveaway closes on the 5th of December)

The Host - March 2013

The Host by Stephenie Meyer is another one of those books that I bought years ago but have never got around to reading. I'm not even sure why because I've heard really good things about it & I read the Twilight series multiple times before I started blogging (don't judge, I know the series isn't perfect and not everyone loves it but it got me back into reading again after a long break so it'll always have a special place in my heart!). Anyway, I think the film looks awesome so it's another book I need to hurry up and read!

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - August 2013

It may not be out until August but I'm already incredibly excited about City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, I love the books (read my review of City of Bones here) and think the film will be fantastic! I have a feeling that with so many fans of the series out there this is going to be one of the must see summer smash hits.



There really are some awesome book to movie adaptations coming out next year aren't there! Of course I'm also really looking forward to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, I couldn't find a trailer for that one yet though but I'll be sure to post it on the blog when I come across it. Are there any other films coming out that I've forgotten about? Which of these are you most excited about?