Illumicrate April 2023 - Be My Enemy Box

 

April's Be My Enemy box arrived the other day. It was packed in this big yellow box. This is my first one so I'm not sure if this is how they're normally packed.

Here's a look at the contents. The book is Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.

All her life Kyr has trained for the day she can
avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the all-powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the Majoda their victory over humanity.

A thrillingly told queer space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you, Some Desperate Glory is award-winning author Emily Tesh’s highly anticipated debut novel.

Farseer Pin Banner designed by Niall Grant @NiallCGrant

Declare your allegiance to the Farseer family with this pin banner inspired by the Realm of the Elderings by Robin Hobb

Blaze of Desire Papercraft Kit designed by Rosie @Rosiethorns88

Piece together a stunning scene featuring Rin in her blaze of desire, with this papercraft kit inspired by The Poppy War

The Vermillion Bird Tumbler by Viki Lester @forensicsandflowers

Inspired by Iron Widow, this tumbler is sure to keep you hydrated in every battle.

Sword of Truth replica designed by Stacey McEvoy-Caunt @stacey.mcevoy.caunt

Be as brave as Celaena Sardothien with this gorgeous replica of Damaris from Throne of Glass 

I'm not super familiar with any of these. I've heard of the most of them and Iron Widow is in my TBR mountain. I think I'm probably going to switch to the book only box in the future because this kind of stuff is just going to go on the give away or donate pile. I don't have room for lots of knick-knacks unless they're related to books/series I'm collecting. 

I am excited by the books though, I love the exclusive editions with the foiling and the endpapers and the retooled dustjackets. That's what I want to collect!

2022 Reading Recap

Number of Books Read: 152

Number of Rereads: 8 (all but 1 of these were Stephen King and I've been challenging myself to read or reread all of his novels. I'm up to 11/22/63 - first published in 2011 so that's like 18 to go until I'm caught up.

Genre Read Most: Horror (no surprise here) 44

Fantasy 22 & Thriller 23 were in second and third place

Five Star Reads of 2022: 

Gods of Jade and Shadow - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Loved this story of how an ill-treated girl befriends the God of Death and goes on adventure after adventure with him to help him regain his throne. The writing was compelling and evocative. I finished this book in one day because I simply couldn't put it down. Best book I've read all year (yes, I know it's only January)

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

The science fiction buddy novel you didn’t know you needed. This book was just great.

Science teacher Ryland Grace ends up alone on a space ship with a mission of saving the earth. At first, he’s having trouble remembering how he got himself into this predicament but eventually remembers. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of back and forth between past and present but it worked perfectly in this story.

Rocky was everything. First contact has never been so freaking cute. And that ending. I loved the ending. It’s only March but I can already tell this is going to be one of my top five for the year.

Wings of Ebony - J. Elle

I didn't leave a review on Goodreads for this one. It was the first in a duology debut fantasy series. Great representation with a strong female lead. Rue was a complete badass without being a Mary Sue.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow captured my attention from the minute I started reading and didn't let go until the end. It was a book about people, and relationships, and love, and success and failure. I went through a whole gamut of emotions from joy to devastation. It was quite the wild ride!

I didn't always like the characters (or their actions) but I loved all of them and cared about what they were going through. As the publisher says this is a love story of a kind you've never read before.

The World Beneath - Rebecca Cantrell

Joe Tesla is an agoraphobic tech millionaire with connections to folks that own a mansion in the tunnels underneath Grand Central Station. He and his psychiatric service dog, Edison are set. They never have to venture outside and can explore the underground tunnels (and there are miles and miles of them in New York City) to their heart's content. That is until on one of their walks they come across a strange man who is down there looking for treasure. Suddenly, Joe's life is at risk, and he has to figure out the solution to the mystery before "they" catch up to him.
The mystery "germs" made me squeal with glee. I teach parasitology to vet tech students and I knew what it was immediately when the effects were first described long before the condition was named. Toxoplasma gondii, is an apicomplexan protozoal parasite, which as described induces behavior changes in its hosts. Infected rats become attracted to cat urine, infected humans become more impulsive, etc. I LOVED that the evil genius in this story was weaponizing it to create a breed of super soldiers.

I loved this story, yes, some of the secondary characters were little more than stage dressing for Joe and Edison completely stole the show but I was still engrossed in the story and was thrilled to find out that there are several more books in the series because I want to know what happens to Joe (and Edison) and whether he ever figures out how to come out of his cave. I realize there probably won't be anymore medical mystery eureka moments (more's the pity). The narrator did an excellent job and had a very pleasant voice so I will probably pick up the next one on Audible with one of my credits.

Dweller - Jeff Strand

I loved this book. It's a horror, coming-of-age story about a boy and his monster. It had so many moods, there was humor, pathos, fear, terror, and more. I felt for Toby and just adored Owen even though he had talons as long as my arm and thick, yellow teeth the better for biting off my head in one gulp. I even shed a tear or two at the end. I'm not sure what it was about it that made it so great maybe it was because it was unique in my experience. I've never read anything quite like it.

I received a complimentary Audible copy from the author in return for an honest review. I was pretty sure I was going to like it because I'm a fan of Jeff Strand's work but I wasn't expecting to be taken on quite such a wild ride. The narrator was terrific, even if I did think that Toby always sounded pretty whiny, but it totally fit in with his character.

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie

Without the epilogue I would never have figured out exactly what happened. Agatha Christie doesn't disappoint. Since it was written in the 1930s some of the circumstances are a little dated but still entertaining.

I didn't have any 1 star reads but I had several 2 stars. 

I'm not going to enumerate them here because for me a 2 star read doesn't always mean it's a bad book (that's a 1 star) it's usually because the book or story just didn't capture my attention enough and I had to slog through. Sometimes it's bad writing, poor editing, or content related. For example, and here's one I will mention - so many people rated All the Ugly and Beautiful Things as a five star read because it was so romantic. Um, it's straight up about an older dude falling in love with an underage girl i.e. a modern day Lolita. That's a no for me. I've slogged through Lolita and found it unappealing. I am not an appreciative audience for old men waxing nostalgic about how they can't resist the sexual appeal of a child.

Garden and Park Photos

 I've been taking pictures of the plants and animals I see out in the park and in my garden and posting them to my Instagram. I thought I'd continue that here just for fun. 

Rose from my backyard

Little white flowers

Pink evening primrose in the front yard

Slider turtle found on campus

Rescued him from the road and put him back in the pond area

Scary Sampler

Finished my Scary Sampler. This is a fantastic pattern by Heartspring Samplery. It's an homage to traditional mourning samplers of a bygone era but has the added fun of incorporated science fiction elements. Can you find them all?

I had a lot of fun stitching it. It's been delivered to The Stitch Niche where it will be a shop model.

You can buy a printable PDF directly from the designer (with an option to receive a printed copy in the mail for an additional cost) or get a print copy from your local needlework store or online needlework store. 

Here's the backside. It's a thing to showoff the backside on r/CrossStitch. :)  

The backside of the project

Glitter Drop Socks

 The Glitter Drop socks are done. This was a free pattern from Debbie Ford that I found while browsing around on Ravelry. 

They look really cute in the pastel pinks and purples yarn.

Closer up of the detail. This color is more accurate. The sock blockers are from Jimmy Beans Wool.

I immediately cast on something new - Nurmilintu which is another free pattern from Ravelry. I'm doing it in a cake from Wonderland Yarns & Frabjous Fibers which I got when I signed up for their Garden Society 2023 Club. The theme this year is Ocean Garden. 

The first colorway is Actinae which I think is related to sea anemones. It's gorgeous is what it is. This picture doesn't really do justice.

This cake is Mary Ann which is fingering weight. The club description says that that it will alternate between fingering and sport weight. You get one cake per month, a handmade stitch marker, and access to a pattern for the month's yarn. I didn't use any of the suggested patterns because I'd have Nurmilintu in my library for a while now and have been waiting for the perfect yarn. 

Here's my start. I've done the first two bands. This is a neat pattern because there are no purl stitches. I've never done lace without any purls. It's not as crisp as I'd like so I'm hoping that the blocking when I'm done will open it up. I'm going to trust the process but if I do this pattern again I think I will probably purl the backside of the lace bands.

I also signed up for their Sock Club which comes quarterly so I haven't received my first shipment yet. I can't wait!

Wonderland yarns also has a number of available patterns using their yarns. Some of them are free. Check it out!

https://frabjousfibers.com/shop/patterns

Rainbow Crate March 2023 - Protect Your Own

The theme for Rainbow Crate's March 2023 box was Protect Your Own. It included two books and some swag. This box is on a waitlist and if I'm remembering correctly it took about a month for my invite to show up. 

I'm going to copy and paste the book descriptions, content warnings, and representation from the website.

The first book is “I Am Not Your Chosen One” by Evelyn Benvie.

Kell Hồ Sinh Porter is twenty-six years old and desperate to leave his unhappy life and his dead-end town. One night, Kell’s wish is granted by a mysterious voice, and he finds himself in the semi-magical land of Allune where everyone thinks he’s the “Chosen One.” Kell politely disagrees, and on the search for an adventure that doesn’t come with world-saving responsibility attached, he’s joined by Ansel, a fallen angel, and Fre, a half-orlk who wants to be a hero. Destiny, bad luck, and the gods conspire against him. No one asked him if he wanted to be the Chosen One, and he can't understand why he was chosen.

REP: mlm, biromantic graysexual biracial m mc, Achillean mc, non-binary sc, sapphic sc
CW: cheating, racism, discrimination, fire, minor violence

The second is “Ravensong” by Cayla Fay.

Neve has spent lifetimes defending the mortal world against the legions of hell with her two sisters. In this lifetime, she’s been counting down the days until her 18th birthday - when she will finally be able to shed her pretenses of humanity and grow into her divine power. Then, she meets Alexandria, a girl who is bound and determined to show Neve that humanity—and, perhaps, love—isn’t so detestable after all. But when Neve realizes that something in Hell wants Alexandria, it's up to Neve and her sisters to save her before Alexandria’s past catches up to all of them.

REP: wlw, sapphic mcs, non-binary Jewish sc, Muslim sc, sapphic scs, Black sc, ADHD, PTSD
CW: mild violence, religious talk, homophobia, panic attacks

Both of these look really good and I'm looking forward to getting to them on the TBR pile. 

The swag is fandom related. There’s a magnet from A Dowry of Blood and a toiletry bag from The Black Veins. I added both of those books to my someday list on Goodreads. 

I have a vacation coming up in June and I plan to use the toiletry bag and the magnet goes on the fridge into the giant collection of fridge magnets so I'm pleased with this entire box and am looking forward to next month. 

 

Down the Rabbit Hole - Don't Control Your Dark Urges Box

 

The book for March was Piercing by Ryū Murakami. Here's the blurb:

"Kawashima Masayuki is a successful graphic designer living in Toyko with his loving wife, Yoko, and their baby girl. Outwardly, their lives are a picture of happiness and contentment, but every night while his wife sleeps Kawashima creeps from his bed and watches over the baby's crib with an ice pick in his hand and an almost visceral desire to use it.

One particular night, as this struggle unfolds once more, Kawashima makes a decision to confront his demons, and sets into motion an uncontrollable chain of events seeming to lead inexorably to murder."

So it's a twisted psychological thriller with multiple layers. It's a wild ride from start to finish as Kawashima attempts to go through with his plan to quell his murderous impulses by shanking a prostitute. The woman he selects has issues of her own and the two end up in a chilling dance of death. I honestly loved it and now have a new author on my list of must reads. 

There were six boxes to open this month and to be honest they weren't that great. I guess it was difficult to find things that went with the story that weren't too out there. 

The first sticker was on page 3, where Kawashima is talking about using a penlight to observe his sleeping infant. I was relieved to find an actual pen with a light and not an ice pick. Ice picks were mentioned at least twice! Unfortunately the pen doesn't work because there's no ink inside and I don't need a penlight so...

The second sticker was on page 73. I thought it might be a wristwatch (I like to guess) but it was actually black pleather gloves. I would have preferred a watch 😀 since I need to be able to use my phone while wearing gloves (for Pokemon). These will probably get donated to the mission thrift store and I'm sure somebody will use them.

The third sticker was on page 90, "peering into a compact she held in her left hand". The compact is cute and I will probably toss it into my purse never to be seen again! 

The fourth sticker was on page 99 where Chiaki is stabbing herself with a pair of scissors. This set of items is awesome. I don't know that I'll ever wear them as a set but I can see myself using the barrette and possible the bracelet. The earrings are a little to heavy but maybe I can repurpose them, give them to the teen, or add them to the donation pile. 

The fifth sticker was on page 123 where a woman was "holding a stuffed toy chipmunk and pressing a handkerchief to her eyes. Obviously it's easier and probably less expensive to source handkerchiefs but I feel like that stuffed chipmunk was a lost opportunity.

and the sixth and final sticker was on page 179 where Chiaki was searching through Kawashima's stuff "inside the man's overnight bag she found a notebook" I feel like this is the thing I'll get the most use out of from this box.

Honestly though, I'm not terribly disappointed. Not every box can be a home run for me and I'm still enjoying the mystery of the whole process and the books have all been worth it. If I hadn't gotten this box I might never have found another gruesome Japanese horror author to add to the list.

Next month's selection is Let's Go Play at the Adams by Mendal W. Johnson. It's an oldie but goodie from 1974. This is a new edition with an introduction by Grady Hendrix.

March Quick Reviews

The story was gorgeous and the prose was just so perfect. Because the characters are immortals there is a science fiction feel and a touch of magical realism. Don't expect escapism here. There is a lot of well placed social commentary. My guess is that the whole point of the immortals jumping around in the timeline is to say that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Which is utterly profound.

Michelle Zauner's memoir about growing up Asian American in Oregon and her pain over her mother's death. Their relationship was fraught especially when Zauner felt that her mom's expectations were too high. It almost seemed as though the book was a love letter to her mother that wasn't meant to be published for the world to read. It talks about ugly grief, and finding oneself crying in HMart while shopping for the comfort foods that mom used to make. I found it difficult to read at times but I'm not sorry I made it through.

Surprisingly I enjoyed it more than the first story which is unusual, usually the sequel is worse.

Henry Silver/The Green Man of Greenhollow Wood is sulking. Things aren't going his way and he is ever so spoiled. So he sulks. And then a vampire, a fairy, and a young woman in an interesting set of circumstances manage to get him out of his sulk.

This was the March selection for the Let's Get Lit Book Club. Belonging to a book club often makes me read books that I wouldn't otherwise choose for myself. This is one of them. It was difficult because of all the abuse that is heaped on Leni and her mother, Cora. Sure father, Ernt, is suffering because of PTSD from serving in Vietnam but he needed help that he wasn't going to get in the back country of Alaska. Super emotionally compelling and very well written it was just hard to keep the pages turning while being afraid of what would happen next. 

An Audible Original with special effects. A fun, horror, short about a pair of dog catchers sent to investigate some livestock deaths. Plenty of Gen Z vs. Boomer jokes. It was worth the two hours or so.

Abominable Book Box March 2023

My March Abominable Full Guts book box made its way to the house this morning after being stuck in customs for an eternity (actually about a week but it felt like forever and ever). It had a little bit of damage to one corner of the outside shipping box but it wasn't too bad and none of the contents were damaged. This is my first Abominable box. I'm excited to be getting some UK book editions.

Here's what it looked like when I opened it up. I love the shredded paper packing material so much more than packing peanuts. It can either go in compost or recycling,

Two new(ish) releases (one is a signed hardcover!), a mystery used book, an iron-on patch, some Welsh cakes with currants and sultanas, two bookmarks, and a bag full of I'm assuming assorted beverages. Let's open it up and see.

The used book is a paperback Dean Koontz. Not my thing especially since it's the second in a trilogy that hasn't been completed yet. But that's ok, I'll take it with me to book club and Bookcross it. 

The beverages are a hit. I'm really excited for the two teas. One of them is Nicely Spicy cranberry and cinnamon which are two of my absolute favorite flavors.

In fact, I'm drinking a cup of the hot chocolate right now. In my special hot chocolate mug. It's absolutely delicious and just what I needed. I had a Welsh cake too. Also delicious. I may or may not have any left by the time the husband gets home from work tonight. What he doesn't know about...

I'm just kidding. I'll save him one and not because I'm afraid of what would happen, because I'm afraid of the whining... Still kidding, because I like to share. 

I like what I got - snacks and beverages are always appreciated and I'm really interested in the two new releases.

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There - by Eric LaRocca

This is the signed hardcover. It is a reprint that was originally published under the title The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales.

Eight stories of literary dark fiction from a master storyteller. Exploring the shadow side of love, these are tales of grief, obsession, control, intricate examinations of trauma and tragedy in raw, poetic prose. 

Sounds devastating. I can't wait to read this one. I'm not a huge short story fan but it's  a pretty slim volume so not too much of an investment.

Sister, Maiden, Monster - by Lucy A. Snyder.

A virus tears across the globe, transforming its victims in nightmarish ways. As the world collapses, dark forces pull a small group of women together.

Erin, once quiet and closeted, acquires an appetite for a woman and her brain. Why does forbidden fruit taste so good?

Savannah, a professional BDSM switch, discovers a new turn-on: committing brutal murders for her eldritch masters.

Mareva, plagued with chronic tumors, is too horrified to acknowledge her divine role in the coming apocalypse, and as her growths multiply, so too does her desperation.

Inspired by her Bram Stoker Award-winning story “Magdala Amygdala,” Lucy A. Snyder delivers a cosmic tale about the planet’s disastrous transformation ... and what we become after.

Hmm, hardcore pandemic fiction. Could be good, could be too soon. We shall see. It's going into the TBR soon pile. I put the April Abominable box on hold since I hadn't received my March one by the time it was going to renew but I think I'm going to let the May box go through before I decide whether I want to keep subscribing long term.

Today was also the day that my March Down the Rabbit Hole Box arrived!!! Squee!!

 

Down the Rabbit Hole Bookbox February 2023

February's book was Perfume by Patrick Suskind. It's one that I've read before and enjoyed. This was my third (maybe fourth) time and I always discover something new. It is historical fiction about a weird guy who is born without a scent. Even though he doesn't smell like anything, his olfactory capabilities are extraordinary. Unfortunately, he's a monster. So instead of using his powers for good he ends up murdering people for reasons of his own. Although I remembered much of the story I'd forgotten many of the details. I enjoyed reacquainting myself with Grenouille.

Since this is the Down the Rabbit Hole bookbox I got a series of gifts that relate to the story and a playlist. As one would expect from a box called The Smell of Death many of them related to scent and smells. But not all!

The first post-it was on page 46. It was in a section where the great parfumier Baldini was enumerating his stock. He had floral oils, tinctures, extracts, secretions, balms, resins, pomades, pastes, powders, soaps, bath oils toilet vinegars, candles, spices, and much, much more. All designed to keep his customers smelling something other than their own unwashed bodies and the miasma of the Paris streets. Remember this is the 18th century and it smelled pretty rank. The first gift was a House of Baldini candle, which is a cyprus sangria with hints of whiskey and coffee. It smells amazing. I need to get one of those candle warmers because I don't like the idea of having open flames in the house. I have too many cats that like to get into places they don't belong.

The second post it was on page 97 where there was  a mention of lavender fields and lavender oil. As I suspected the second gift is lavender scented. It's a set of bath bombs. I haven't taken a bath in years since I'm a dedicated shower girl but I've seen ways that you can use a mesh bag and a bath bomb in the shower. Maybe I'll try that, or regifting is always an option. They smell great.

The third post it was on page 118. "He headed south. Approximately south - for he did not steer by magnetic compass, but only by the compass of his nose" and the gift is a compass. This is interesting but not very useful to me since I don't often find myself navigating by compass. I use my phone's GPS to get where I need to go and am not at all the type to find myself lost out in the middle of nowhere with no signal. It will probably end up on a shelf or in a junk drawer somewhere but not every gift has to be a home run, 

Next up was page 193 where Grenouille is thinking of ways to preserve scents. How some scents will linger seemingly forever and some are gone within moments. The gift was The Elegance of Murder Vanilla and Musk Perfume. A custom scent made especially for the Scent of Murder bookbox. It is described as an elegant, cashmere woodsy, soft musk perfume with notes of warm vanilla. I like the way it smells so this one was a winner.

Finally, on page 251 Grenouille "reached into his pocket and closed his hand around the little glass flacon of his perfume" The gift is a pretty, pink, perfume vial on a necklace. It's really cute and has a rubber O-ring so one can fill the vial and carry their favorite scent with them. 

Overall, this box was just as much fun this time as it was the first time. I enjoy following along as intended and making myself wait to see what is in each of the boxes and how it relates to the story. Sure, not all the gifts are useful to me but it's really no different than other book boxes where they send a bunch of related items. I don't know how many times I've opened up say Creepy Crate and been a little disappointed to receive a keychain or sticker based on a horror novel that I love but which didn't capture the essence of how it made me feel.

I'm excited to receive March's box. It should be shipping soon. March's book is Piercing by Ryu Murakami. I love dark Japanese literature and it's one I haven't read yet so the anticipation is killing me. 

Knitting Finish

 I finished my first Criss Cross by Dirk Gerngross. I say first because I plan to do this pattern again. I love how the finished scarf came out and I have a ton of yarn cakes from Hobbii. 

Here's a photo of the whole thing. I didn't block it because it didn't seem like it needed it and I wanted to wear it.

I love the length!

Next up I plan to do some socks. Probably multiple pairs, one after the other, I've built up a ton of sock yarn and need some "quickie" projects before I just into a Stephen West shawl that I have on the back burner. I started the first pair Glitter Drop Socks designed by Debbie Ford. This is another free pattern from Ravelry and it features an elongated purl stitch pattern on the front of the socks with a 3 x 1 "rib" for the remainder of the foot and leg. I'm doing them 2 at a time on 2 circulars.

Here's a close up of the twisted ribbing and the first pattern repeat. The yarn was a mystery that I bought on Etsy. The seller has changed her shop name from Yarn is Love by Lisa to Sweet Gum Fiber Arts. 

Last year (this is from February 2022) her hand dyed yarns seemed to be mostly pastels, now looking over her shop, there are a lot of brighter more vibrant colors. 

Her mystery boxes are a steal at $25, you get a skein of hand dyed yarn, you choose the weight or you can do a sock yarn with a coordinating mini skein (for toes and heels) for $30. You also get stitch markers, candy, tea, and some stickers and other assorted goodies. 

Debbie Ford has quite a few free sock patterns so I may end up working my way through another one or two after I finish up these socks. I need to find one that will go with my Monster Mash yarn that I got from Get Knitfaced in CO. Isn't this yarn gorgeous?