As an English teacher and long-established Shakespeare geek, I was over the moon to receive a copy of ‘The Shakespeare Game’ from Orion Books for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.
Review: ‘The Shakespeare Game’
Category: Literary Gifts
Books That Matter – April 2021 Subscription Box Review
I’ve been a long-term subscriber to the Books That Matter feminist subscription box, plus have also started the Brave Girls Book Club boxes for my 10 year old daughter.
I’m always pleased by the books and treats thoughtfully put together in these boxes but I have to say that April 2021 is an absolute gem!
Warning: spoilers ahead! If you are waiting for your own box delivery, you might not want to read on.
Continue reading Books That Matter – April 2021 Subscription Box Review
Brave Girls Book Club: Subscription Box Review, March 2021
My 10 year old daughter has had a few of these subscription boxes now and has enjoyed them, but this month’s is just so lovely that I wanted to put it on here now!
These boxes are offered by the people at Books that Matter (who do the adult feminist book subscription boxes too) for £17 plus £3 postage in the UK. They still had March boxes available when I last looked here.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead…
The March Box
This box was heavier than usual and I hadn’t seen the theme ahead of when it arrived. My daughter loves getting these boxes and they are always beautifully packed.
The March theme is a collaboration with Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls.
The contents of the box are as follows:
- ‘I am a Rebel Girl’ hardback journal
- Two hardback books – ‘Madam C J Walker Builds a Business’ and ‘Dr Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest’
- A sheet of stickers
- A copy of the ‘Rebel Times’
- Two large postcards
- An activity booklet
The Verdict
This is a fabulous box and my daughter really likes it – even though it doesn’t contain the sweets or snacks that have been included previously!
From my perspective, I’d say this was excellent value for money – the books and journal are beautiful with colour illustrations throughout. The journal has loads of space to draw and write, plus prompts to help the creativity flow!
Even better is the message; this is a box absolutely packed with revolutionary and inspirational women, plus positive messages for girls. It also looks a lot of fun.
I’d whole-heartedly recommend this box for girls aged about 8-12. Each month has had some great books and treats – normally one book and a selection of other items.
If you want to see a previous box, here are my reviews for November and January.
‘Brave Girls Book Club’ – January 2021 Subscription Box Review
I’ve been a fairly long term subscriber of the ‘Books that Matter’ feminist book box and jumped at the chance to get the junior version for my 10 year old daughter.
This isn’t the first box we’ve had, but is the first I’ve managed to get pictures of before she has dived into it!
If you’re awaiting a January ‘Brave Girls Book Club’ box then beware – spoilers ahead…
The January Box
This month’s theme is ‘Self-Rescuing Princess’ and is labelled as a feminist fairy tale box. The contents are as follows:
- ‘The Castle of Tangled Magic’ book by Sophie Anderson
- Two stickers
- A sew-on patch
- A mini reading lamp
- 3 fabric hair bands by Cabello
- A bookmark
- A booklet/activity pack
This box is £20 (including postage) although there is sometimes a discount if you also subscribe to the adult ‘Books that Matter’ box.
My Review
The book looks amazing – I cannot wait to read this with my daughter. She’s quite a reluctant reader but does like the look of this and the bookmark is a good addition.
She absolutely loves the little reading lamp – it is surprisingly bright and was the first thing she wanted to open.
She’s not so keen on the hairbands, but I had some of these in the adult box and love them so I’m hoping they will come my way!
All the rest of the items are nice, but I’m not sure what she will do with them – she doesn’t go for sew-on patches or stickers in a big way and the activity pack is very short.
Her only annoyance was the fact there weren’t sweets in this box as there were in the last one we had!
My Verdict
A fantastic theme, a good box and a happy daughter! I’m going to see how she gets on with the book before I decide what future boxes to get, but I am pleased with this one.
‘Books that Matter’ – January 2021 Subscription Box Review
Regular readers of the blog will know I’ve been a subscriber to the feminist book box, ‘Books that Matter’ for quite a while now.
This £20 (including postage) box – featuring a book and other treats – has been one of the better things to happen to me over lockdown and is a monthly lift!
For those still trying to get their hands on the January box, there are spoilers ahead…
The January Box
The (newly reinforced) box arrived and was as beautifully presented as usual.
This month, the box’s theme was ‘You Are Your Best Thing’ and contained the following:
- The book ‘Skin’ by E M Reapy
- A sample size sleep balm by Scentered
- A teabag from Bird and Blend
- ‘Break the Glass’ – an essay by Rachel Edwards (in a separate booklet)
- A box of ‘Self Care Prompts’ (cards)
- A Recipes for Self Love calendar
- A bookmark
- A booklet with background information on the items in the box.
My Review
I’d like to say up front that I’m totally on board for talking about mental health issues and the importance of self care in these tricky times. That said, I’m not sure whether this box is perhaps not really hitting the spot for me.
The book – ‘Skin’ by E M Reapy – is absolutely in-keeping with the feminist message from ‘Books that Matter’ and looks like an intriguing read. It is about body image and features a protagonist who is struggling with her own relationships with her body and food.
The sleep balm is great. So great that I’ve pretty much lost it to my kids who love the smell and say it helps them sleep. I just wish it had been a bigger tube!
The bookmark and teabag will be used – although (not for the first time) I question whether there could have been more teabags!
The self care prompt cards and calendar are perhaps less up my street. As an *ahem* more vintage buyer of this box, I don’t need ideas on how to look after myself – I need someone to take over the childcare, housework and work that gets in the way of me actually being able to do it! Still, I guess in the absence of a fairy godmother who is going to grant me the gift of time, I appreciate the sentiment of the items in the box. I just probably won’t use them.
As always, the booklets are interesting – the one by Rachel Edwards is particularly well-produced and looks fascinating.
My Verdict
This is a mixed box for me, probably more so than usual, although the items are entirely appropriate and good quality.
I still wholeheartedly recommend this subscription box, but I’m hoping for something that strikes more of a chord with me personally next month. I prefer the more ‘fun’ boxes and this one is a serious one.
Books That Matter – December 2020 Subscription Box
The December 2020 Books That Matter feminist subscription box has arrived! Warning – spoilers ahead for those of you waiting on your delivery.
The Box
The December box is themed ‘We glow through what we go through’ – nope, I’m not entirely sure what that really means either!
As usual, it is beautifully wrapped in pink tissue paper and features a range of gifts and a book of the month. This month’s contents are:
- The book – ‘Delayed Rays of a Star’ by Amanda Lee Koe
- A ‘Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021’ reflective journal
- A metal keyring
- A Teapigs uplifting tea bag
- Joe and Seph’s Salted Caramel popcorn
- Bookmark
- ‘We glow through what we go through’ booklet
My Review
The book this month is one that I haven’t heard of, but it looks absolutely brilliant. I love the idea of the 1930s setting and the focus on the women involved in the film industry.
The journal isn’t one that I’d really use, but my daughter will so that is fine. It is beautifully produced and has lots of prompts for reflection. It is excellent quality, but just not really my thing.
The bookmark and keyring are lovely and will be used. The keyring in particular is lovely quality – made of a heavy metal and featuring the box theme.
The Teapigs tea is nice, although one tea bag feels a bit mean!
I really couldn’t get on with the popcorn – I’m not a fan of mixed sweet and savoury flavours – and I couldn’t even palm it off on my children, so this one isn’t a winner.
The booklet, produced by ‘Books That Matter’ and giving a bit of background information to the book and gifts featured in the box, is fine – it was interesting to flick through it but it is only a few pages.
The Verdict
I really love the book choice this month and it is something that I am interested in reading. However, the gifts don’t all hit the spot this time round which is a shame – but very much down to my personal preferences.
Overall, I still think this is worth the £20 a month (including postage) and it does feel like a treat every month.
Brave Girls Book Club – NEW Subscription Box – November 2020
I subscribe to the monthly Books that Matter feminist book box (you can see my review of the November box here) so I was on the mailing list when they were looking to launch the Brave Girls Book Club, a similar offering for girls.
My daughter is 10 and not the keenest reader, so I thought it would be worth a shot.
The first box arrived this week and my daughter got to it first so there are no nice unboxing photos… The wrapping is the same as the Books that Matter box anyway so let’s go straight to the contents!
The November Box
The theme for the box was ‘Girls Who Read, Lead’ and the contents of the box were:
- ‘When Life Gives You Mangoes’ by Kereen Getten
- A reading journal
- Two ‘This Girl is Mighty’ pencils
- A bag of strawberry sweets (long since gone…)
- A collectible patch (there will be one to collect each month)
- A bookmark with quotations from Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ on
- A ‘Brave Girl’ keyring
- A ‘Girls Who Read, Lead’ booklet/activity pack
My Review
The book looks excellent – it is one that I wouldn’t have thought of to buy my daughter (I hadn’t heard of it) but she likes the look of it. Whether she actually reads it will be the true test!
The pencils are really nice and are already in use, as is the keyring which has been attached to my daughter’s school bag. The bookmark is nice and the sweets were very much appreciated in the three seconds they were in the house!
The patch is cute, but I’m not sure what we will do with it – I think attaching it to something will involve sewing which is very unlikely to happen! I think a pin badge would have been better and more likely to get some use.
The activity booklet is quite thin but I think my daughter will like the wordsearch and might do some of the other activities. Time will tell if she uses the reading journal but I am ever the optimist!
My Verdict
I think this is a lovely box for girls aged between about 9 and 12 – the book looks a good reading age for my daughter and it is nice to have a story that is both diverse and has positive messages about friendship.
The other items in the box were well chosen, good quality and I think this box is reasonable value.
We’ll certainly be giving the December box a go!
Books that Matter – Subscription Box – November Review
I’m always keeping an eye on subscription options – this month, I’ve been debating the Orenda Books subscription from Bert’s Books because I’ve heard such great things about that publisher.
However, for now, I’m with Books that Matter, the feminist subscription box- this is my 7th month with them and I’ve also signed up for the brand new Brave Girls’ Book Club subscription box for my daughter which I’ll review when it arrives.
Spoilers ahead, for those of you who haven’t received your box yet…proceed with caution!
The November ‘Books that Matter’ box:
Hallelujah! They’ve changed the packaging! Instead of getting a crumpled box, I got this smarter, tougher one. It’s only a little thing, but it already made me feel better about this box!
Opening the box is the usual lovely experience – everything is wrapped and placed beautifully and the contents looked great. This month’s offering is very brightly-coloured and themed around the topic of ‘Hear Her’, using your voice to achieve what you want.
The contents of the box were:
- ‘The Inland Sea’ by Madeleine Watts
- ‘No One is too Small to Make a Difference’ by Greta Thunberg
- A ‘She is Fierce’ plain notebook
- A floral face mask
- 3 feminist postcards
- A bookmark
- The ‘Hear Her’ booklet
My Review:
It’s another lovely selection from the team at ‘Books that Matter’.
I love the fact this is a 2-book month as this isn’t the norm. I’m intrigued by ‘The Inland Sea’ as I hadn’t heard of it and I like the fact it has a historical dimension, plus the Greta Thunberg book is one that I have felt I should read for a while now.
The notebook, postcards and bookmark are good quality and will definitely be used and I like the accompanying booklets with these boxes which showcase the artists, writers and other creatives/female-led businesses who have been involved in putting the box together.
As much as I wish it weren’t true, the face mask will also get a lot of use as England begins its month-long lockdown and I am required to wear a mask at work.
My Verdict:
Every time my wandering eye fixes on another subscription offering, Books that Matter seem to pull another blinder out of the bag! I’m really pleased with the November box and very much looking forward to seeing what this team have to offer for my daughter in her forthcoming Brave Girls’ Book Club box.
Books That Matter – Subscription Box – October Review
I’ve been a subscriber to the ‘Books that Matter‘ feminist subscription box for about 6 months. I have to admit, a couple of other subscriptions have caught my eye recently (namely Bert’s Books and The Capital Crime Club), so I was keen to weigh up the options!
This month’s box arrived slightly less squashed than usual – always a bonus as the packaging box can be a bit flimsy (although the contents are usually just fine).
The theme of the box is ‘Season of the Witch’.
This month’s contents were:
- ‘Frankissstein’ by Jeanette Winterson
- A self-heating eye mask from spacemasks.com
- A set of 3 no-snag fabric hairbands from Cabello Bands
- A bookmark with a Mary Shelley quotation on
- A Wellness Planner pad
- A ‘Season of the Witch’ booklet with information about the box contributors
My Review
This is another great box from ‘Books that Matter’!
I absolutely love the book choice – I have actually read this book on NetGalley and adored it (you can read my review here) but it is great to have a proper copy. And it is beautiful – look at that pink cover!
Hairbands, bookmark and eye mask gratefully received – I will use them all and I am impressed with the quality of all these items.
The ‘Season of the Witch’ booklet is interesting and will be worth a browse.
The only item I’m not that excited about is the Wellness Planner as I can’t imagine I’ll use it. It is pretty and good quality, but just not for me.
My Verdict
Another excellent subscription box – my subscription is safe for another month and the others will just have to wait…
My only observation is that £20 (including postage) feels a bit expensive if there is one of the main items that I won’t use. Still, ‘Frankissstein’ has won me over this month.
The Best Literary Gifts I’ve Ever Been Given!
With Christmas looming and the news that coronavirus might curtail our high street shopping for gifts, I thought I’d share some great literary gifts that I’ve been given.
All these are available online and I’ve provided links – these aren’t affiliate links (unless indicated otherwise) so they are provided entirely for your convenience!
Bookends
I love bookends and there are so many fabulous ones available! These ceramic ones were from Amazon and I love the phrenological theme! This one is an affiliate link so I may earn commission at no extra cost to you.
Ex Libris book stamp
OK, so I know that – for some people – marking in books is absolutely not something they could countenance. However, I love a bookplate or stamp that marks these books as being mine!
This stamp is just one of many available from the brilliant Etsy store SweetBackflip. There are loads more on offer across the site with lots of different designs, but mine is the self-inking personalised version of this one.
Bookish Pins
I love enamel pins and wear them on my work lanyard. The most gorgeous ones are available from Literary Emporium – in the picture you can see some of my collection including the huge Ophelia one from the Shakespeare’s Heroines collection.
(Shhhh – quick tip – some nice book pins are available on Wish too, if you can wait for delivery from China).
Book/T Shirt/Pins Gift Boxes
These gift boxes from Literary Emporium again are absolutely perfect for book lovers. For somewhere in the region of £40 (it varies slightly by box), you get a t-shirt, beautiful hard-backed copy of a novel and a pin (or sometimes a set of pins). All this is presented beautifully in a ribbon-tied gift box with literary prints all over – absolutely gorgeous.
There are a limited number of texts available but they are all so beautiful! I have ‘Dracula’, ‘Frankenstein’ and the ‘Votes for Women’ set and a whole load of others are going on my list for Santa!
Books about Books
Lots of bookworms love reading about books! See my list on ‘The Best Books about Books’ here for some suggestions. In particular, ‘The Novel Cure’ or ‘Literary Landscapes’ would make great gifts, but there are plenty on the list.
Literary Maps
The Literary Gift Company do some fabulous maps – several of which I have up in my house as posters. In particular, I love these literary maps of the UK and America, populated by the names and locations of writers.
For something a bit pricier but absolutely gorgeous, Dex at Artfinder also does some really beautiful and detailed literary maps. I have a literary map of London and it has pride of place in my house.
There’s also a great Map of Fictional London again available from The Literary Gift Company. This can be bought either as a foldable map or poster.
Posters and Prints
The Literary Gift Company do a lovely range prints and posters – I have my eye on ‘The Master and Margarita’ vintage book cover one, but there is a great selection.
Moving up the price bracket again, Peter Walters at Artfinder does some really lovely book-themed artworks and prints. He did a fantastic ‘A Room With a View’ 3D piece for me which I love!
Bookmarks
I have a lovely metal bookmark from HerPaperWorld at Etsy – there is a beautiful selection based on mostly fantasy books.
I’ve also got my eye on these brass bookmarks from Literary Emporium – the link takes you to the Lady Macbeth one but others are available on the site.
Book Subscriptions
For the gift that keeps on giving, consider a book subscription that sends books (with or without other bookish items) on a regular basis.
I have the Books that Matter one – you can see my latest review (of the September box) here. Every month, you get a book and other gifts, for example bookmarks, cookies, tea, posters, all with a feminist theme.
For other ideas, Bert’s Books do monthly subscription options and I’ve heard excellent things about the newly-launched The Capital Crime Book Club.
Book Bags and Wallets
Yoshi’s Bookworm range is pricy but lovely – I have the Shakespeare bag and bookworm wallet (pictured) but they are all wonderful. I’m saving my pennies for the new yellow additions to the range.
Book Journal
If you know someone who would want to record or track their reading, this book journal is lovely. I’ve been keeping a book journal for about 9 years and it is nice to look back at all the things I’ve read – especially as I am quite forgetful!
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So there you have it! Hopefully you have found some inspiration for presents for your bookish friends – if so, please ‘like’ this post and consider following my blog!
Header photo with thanks to Ekaterina Shevchenko for sharing their work on Unsplash.