Uppercase Box - August

It's that time of the month again for my favorite book mail! Although it saddens me to say that this will be the last time I get to see this package waiting for me on our doorstep. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my Uppercase Box subscription due to financial issues (ugh!) so this will be my last unboxing post until further notice. I plan on subscribing again in the future I am just unsure of when! Now, let's get into what was included in August's box!



The book this month was a signed copy of Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno! Included with matching Post-it notes! I read the summary on Goodreads a few months back so I was familiar with this book upon receiving it.



The summary for Everything All At Once as follows:
Lottie Reeves has always struggled with anxiety, and when her beloved Aunt Helen dies, Lottie begins to fear that her own unexpected death might be waiting around every corner. Aunt Helen wasn’t a typical aunt. She was the author of the best–selling Alvin Hatter series, about siblings who discover the elixir of immortality. Her writing inspired a generation of readers. In her will, she leaves one last writing project—just for Lottie. It’s a series of letters, each containing mysterious instructions designed to push Lottie out of her comfort zone. Soon, Lottie’s trying some writing of her own, leaping off cliffs, and even falling for a boy she’s only just met. Then the letters reveal an extraordinary secret about the inspiration for the Alvin Hatter series. Lottie finds herself faced with an impossible choice, one that will force her to confront her greatest fear once and for all.

This sounds like a sweet "coming of age" contemporary about a girl facing her fears and learning about herself. These types of stories are always ones I'm drawn too. Not only are they interesting to read about how characters surpass life changing events but it can also help you or someone you know get through a similar situation. Sometimes books are the reason we overcome. We fall in love with these characters and hold them so close to our hearts that we think about how they would react if a real life event that is happening to us, happens to them. Since anxiety is a big part of my life and I have a hard time facing my fears I'm looking forward to reading this to see how Lottie takes her Aunts advice!

The bookish items this month were a "Bibliophile" stainless steel bracelet, a set of 5 bookmarks inspired by The Golden Compass, and as I already mentioned Post-it notes! I really love the Bibliophile bracelet. A Bibliophile is a person who loves or collects books, so you know that's definitely me! The bracelet is a little big for me though so I'll probably only be able to use it for photo ops as I don't want to lose it while wearing it out. I'm always in need of a good bookmark too, usually I just use whatever receipt is closest to me so I know these will come in handy. Also included were matching Post-It notes based off the cover of Everything All At Once. Being the big note taker that I am I know I can use these sticky notes to jot down some of my favorite quotes or moments while reading.



So that's it for August's box! Like I said, I'm sad to have had to cancel after subscribing for almost 2 full years. The thrill of finding out what book and items were included will be something I'll miss until I'm able to resubscribe. For now, I'll just stalk the Uppercase Box hashtag on Instagram while admiring all the contents. Definitely check out Uppercase Box if you have not already! The plan that I was receiving every month was the Expert Plan, which included a signed book and 2-3 bookish items. There are other ones so you will be able to subscribe to the plan that best suits you! As always, thanks for reading! I plan on getting my reviews up for some of my Uppercase Box books fairly soon (including ones from last year) so please stay tuned until then and take care!

Top 5 *50% Off* Thrifting Finds

As I mentioned in my Thrifting Tips post, every week Goodwill has a "color of the week" sale. The 4 colors that rotate are red, yellow, green and blue. After 3 weeks certain colored items are marked down to help sell and make way for new merchandise. That means these items have been sitting in Goodwill for over 3 weeks just waiting to be found... 3 weeks!! That may not seem like a long time but with avid thrift shoppers like Zachary and I who constantly look for the best deals, it can be hard to find that must have item at 50% off. However, once and a while I get lucky so here are my Top 5 50% off Thrifting Finds found at Goodwill!



5. Wall-e Blu-ray movie - Originally $6, bought for $3. Zach and I are huge Blu-ray collectors, we own over 200+ Blu-rays and most are courtesy of thrifting. Many of our movies are Disney because...DISNEY, need I say more? $3-5 for Blu-rays are our happy number, which means we don't normally like spending any more than that unless it's a new release we absolutely must have. Most Goodwill's price Blu-rays $5 or less but sometimes they get greedy. We've seen them priced at $15 before while the same movie is at Walmart for $5! So when I saw Wall-e priced at $6 my heart sank a little. Do I spend the extra $1 over "happy price" or just walk away? Well, I decided to walk away and every time I walked into that GW for the next 3 weeks Wall-e stared me in the face. Once it was priced down I grabbed it before anyone else could!



4. Black booties - Originally $15, bought for $7.50. Scored these super cute brand new booties at a Goodwill that was closing down! This deal is actually an exception to the weekly 50% off because this was found when the entire store was on sale! As a promotion to try and sell merchandise before their move to a new store built up the street, my local GW had everything discounted at 50% off! Pickings were slim so I was pretty excited to get these in my size!



3. Harry Potter tank top - Originally $4, bought for $2. Hufflepuff pride here! Anything HP draws my attention regardless of what it is, so this tank top immediately caught my eye and once I saw it was marked down I went right to the checkout! Layer it with a cardigan, leggings and sneakers and I have a new thrifting Fall outfit!



2. Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven ARC - Originally $1, bought for 50 cents. This book by Jennifer Niven was released in October 2016 but I actually found this ARC (Advance Reader's Copy) in July of 2016! So it was a special surprise to have this book before release date! I didn't end up reading it until June of this year though. Jennifer Niven is a favorite author of mine, her book All the Bright Places was one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. It's a definite must read so I recommend both of these books to anyone who loves YA contemporaries!



1. 3 Batman statues - Originally $113, bought for $53.50. So this find is for Zach and since we found these Batman related items all at once I am counting it as one. Now when we go thrifting we have our usual weekly spots but there are quite a few stores about 1 hour away from us, in each direction, so once in a while we'll pick a different town to go and take the drive. This was our 2nd time at this particular Goodwill and it was a Sunday, a new week, therefore a new 50% off tag color. Almost immediately upon walking in we both notice these huge Batman statues above the glass case. Zach was on a Batman statue kick at the time so he was bouncing off the walls with excitement... and then we realized the color of the week matched the price stickers on these statues! Total they were supposed to run us $113 but with 50% off (PLUS the additional 5% off since we spent more than $20 and used our GW membership perks) he only paid about $53.50! After some research we found that one of these statues alone sells for over $70! Now he can add these 3 to his collection for a great price! It was definitely worth it and we were so excited we chose that Sunday to go because these statues wouldn't have been there for much longer!

So that concludes my Top 5 50% off Thrifting Finds! Please follow my blog to stay updated with my posts as I'll be sharing my all time favorite Top 5 Thrifting Finds very soon! Thanks for reading, take care and happy hunting!

Uppercase Box - July

Another month so you know what that means? Another Uppercase Box! Let's see what was included this time shall we?

The book this month was Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton, and was as usual, signed! I actually did not hear of this book until I had it in my hands so I was intrigued to read the summary on Goodreads:
Adam has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He sees and hears people who aren’t there: Rebecca, a beautiful girl who understands him; the Mob Boss, who harasses him; and Jason, the naked guy who’s unfailingly polite. It should be easy to separate the real from the not real, but Adam can't. Still, there’s hope. As Adam starts fresh at a new school, he begins a drug trial that helps him ignore his visions. Suddenly everything seems possible, even love. When he meets Maya, a fiercely intelligent girl, he desperately wants to be the great guy that she thinks he is. But then the miracle drug begins to fail, and Adam will do anything to keep Maya from discovering his secret.

Definitely sounds like a contemporary I'm interested in and plus it has 4.2/5 stars! I've also read about 40 pages so far and am really enjoying it! It has a light and quick feel to it so I'll probably be able to finish it fairly soon.



The items that were included this month were an art print of a quote by Stephen King, "Books are a uniquely portable magic", Cheshire Cat socks, a cat sticker (I'm definitely a crazy cat lady so give me all the cat merchandise you can!) and a postcard with a quote from Words in Deep Blue "We are the books we read and the things we love".

All and all another great box! One of the main reasons I love Uppercase is because it allows me to be introduced to a variety of books that I've never heard of, and usually these books end of being a personal favorite so I'm really excited to continue with Words on Bathroom Walls!

Thanks for reading, until next time, take care!

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Top 5 To Be Read

I'll admit it my To-Be-Read (TBR) shelf on Goodreads is way out of control. I've had way too many longing days of effortlessly clicking that "Want to Read" button therefore sending my number into the hundreds. From time to time I'll go through my TBR to delete titles I no longer am interested in, but somehow it never seems to go down, which is probably because for every book deleted I add 10 more... hey, I can't help it!

So my Top 5 TBR, the books I'll never take off my TBR list no matter how many years pass since release date are,

5. Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi - I've heard nothing but great things about The Shatter Me series, and with Tahereh's announcement of 3 more books added I need to dive into this soon. However, the main reason this is still on my TBR is because I only own books 1 & 3! While thrifting for books is fun it's also very stressful because I find most of series out of order and I rarely start series that have been published entirely without having them all. So I'm patiently... no, very impatiently waiting to find Unravel Me!



4. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - Believe me, I am well aware that I have a lot of catching up to do with V.E. Schwab, and I'm a little shocked myself that this series is still on my TBR list. I deeply want and NEED to read ADSOM as soon as possible because there's not a doubt in my mind that I'll love it.



3. Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes - I am in love with this series so far but unfortunately the ending for this book was spoiled for me. I was actually looking at a different book review when someone mentioned Crystal Storm and just BAM! wrote the spoiler without a single warning. I was crushed, heartbroken and was actually put into a 3 month reading slump because of it (if I'm being honest I'm still not 100% out of the slump). The Falling Kingdom series instantly became a favorite of mine so not being able to experience that ending for myself hurt so much. I will absolutely be finding the strength to read this before Immortal Reign is released in February though.



2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - The Grisha Series is absolutely, positively, most definitely one of the most amazing series I've ever read. Seriously, I recommend this series to everyone. Leigh is an amazing author however The Six of Crows duology has been staring at me from my shelf for far too long, so I really need to consider starting this sooner rather than later.



1. Warcross by Marie Lu - Okay so I know this book hasn't been released yet, but I literally picture the day when I can devour it come September far more often than I should. I want to read this so badly that my heart has started beating quicker just mentioning the title. It's my absolute most wanted read right now and the fact that I have to wait 2 more months is killing me. I've never read a Marie Lu book before (I know, I know, WHAT?!) but after Warcross my plan is to take Legend, Prodigy and Champion head on!



So there's my Top 5 TBR, unfortunately I'm not able to show off any gorgeous photos of Warcross since it's not out yet. I'm certain this list will be changing soon because writing this post actually makes me want to grab one of these off my shelf and start reading. Have you read any of these books? Are they your favorites? Stay tuned for another Top 5 down the road! Hopefully all 5 of these, including their sequels, will be marked of my list! Thanks for reading, take care!

Uppercase Box - June

I've been a subscriber to Uppercase Box for about 2 years now, and I'm just as excited and surprised by the content I receive each month to this day. What exactly is Uppercase Box you ask? Well it's an amazing monthly YA book subscription box featuring a new released signed book, and fun bookish items all picked out by Uppercase founder Lisa Parkin. The genres vary from month to month so it's definitely a great way to broaden the types of YA you read, which is something I've been trying to do myself. My very first fantasy (Truthwitch) and sci-fi novel (Starflight) were read because they were an Uppercase pick. From that point on it's hard for me not to picture my "Your Uppercase Has Been Shipped" email appearing every month around the 15th, and you know I'm that girl who refreshes the tracking every hour. So with that being said here I have to show you another great months's box, June's Uppercase. Included inside was Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser and a map to go along with the book. A tote bag designed by Allison Cole, and a Book Nerd lapel pin by Jubly Umph.



I haven't had a chance to start Song of the Current but I was very familiar with the book prior to release date because I was following the author, Sarah, on my social media. I was so excited to finally have it in my hands!
Here's the summary:
Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will. Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

Please stay tuned for my review once I get around to reading this awesome book and be sure to check out Uppercase Box if you haven't already! I know there a few other YA book subscription boxes out there but so far Uppercase is the only one I've tried, but I know you will not regret buying this box if your a huge YA fiction fan! Take care and happy reading!

Thrifting Tips

Before I post more about my thrift store finds I want to share some helpful tips, that I've found work for me, in case you ever decide to check out your local thrift store! Which I highly recommend you do because it's extremely fun to see all the items people donate. Thrifting has brought countless times of nostalgia and has become a way of life for me these past 4 years. My boyfriend and I even map out thrift store while we go on vacation. We find the road trip to and from to be just as exciting as the actual vacation because of the flea markets we stop at! Thrifting is a great way to save and budget your money. People donate unwanted items to places like Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army (depending on which state you live in these names may vary) and sell them for a reduced retail price. So therefore here are some tips on how to thrift, now please keep in mind that I've created these tips based off my personal experience so some may work for you and some may not. Nevertheless, enjoy!

Tip #1: Go thrifting as often as you can! Thrift store inventories change daily and you never know what people may have donated that day. I've noticed that Goodwill is very good about getting their donated items into the store as quickly as possible. So if you go a few days a week you'll be able to notice items that you've already seen and spot the newer items quickly. Also it doesn't matter what time of day you go because people are constantly bringing their donations to thrift stores. We've tend to stick to mornings but also enjoy going in the afternoon, new items are always being brought out so go whenever you have time!

Tip #2: *Applies for Goodwill only* Look for Target items! Ask your Goodwill if Target has a donation drop off day and when it is, but make sure you ask because not every Goodwill will have this. There are many Goodwill's around me but we've only found 5 that receive clearance/returned Target items. But who doesn't love Target, right?! It's definitely my favorite day to shop at Goodwill! I've gotten brand new clothes, shoes, handbags, video games, books, household items, office supplies, heating units, makeup, candles and so much more! We normally spend hours at our Goodwill's "Target day" waiting for bins to come out. If your store does not know which day Target comes, just remember that all Target items should be priced with a white sticker, and are normally priced for half of what the item was on clearance! What a deal!!

Tip #3: Become familiar with the "Color of the Week". So unfortunately the color of the week does not apply to Target white sticker-ed items, however, the normal Goodwill price sticker colors are, red, yellow, green, and blue. All stickers with the "color of the week" are marked 50% off. This is a huge way to save money, especially on clothing. I normally only buy clothes if they are the color of the week (unless they are from Target). I've gotten jeans for $3, button up shirts for $2.50 and even boots for $7.50 all brand new, this way. We've also added numerous Blu-ray movies to our collection for $1.50 with the color of the week sale. There are usually many signs around each store that tell you what the color of the week is, but if you are unsure, just ask an employee!

Tip #4: Be aware of over pricing! I can't stress this enough, please, please, please do not think that just because you are buying something from a thrift store that it means you are getting a good price. Ebay has become a very handy app while I thrift to look up what certain items are really selling for. I've seen thrift store prices similar to ones on Ebay and sometimes more. There have been times where the store has print outs from Ebay showing us what the item is selling for and pricing theirs a few dollars less. Which yes, the lower price is obviously better but you still do not need to be spending $25-$45 on used clothes, jeans and shoes when you can drive to the mall and get them new and maybe cheaper. I've also come across movies priced for double of what Walmart was selling them. This tip also includes the donated Target items because at times Goodwill prices merchandise for more than what it was on clearance, it doesn't happen often but still helps to be aware. So just be very cautious and don't be afraid to look online to see if you can get it cheaper elsewhere!

Tip #5: Take advantage of the membership card! This is just a little extra way to discount your entire purchase. Not every thrift store offers memberships but I know Goodwill and Savers does, and each has their own great perks. For instance at Goodwill if you spend more than $20 at any time you'll receive a 5% discount for being a member, and during your birthday month you'll receive 25% off a one time purchase! Savers sends you e-mails letting you know when member only sales are taking place and gives you 20% off your purchase the day of your birthday! Again, based off where you live these perks may be different so just ask when you sign up! Every penny counts while thrifting!

Tip #6: Look through the entire store before leaving! My boyfriend Zachary mainly thrifts for video games and movies while I thrift for books, now I can't begin to tell you how many times I've come across games and movies crammed in the book section, or sometimes even in the clothing sections. People may pick up an item, walk around with it, decide they no longer want it and drop it into the first spot they see. So keep your eyes open, especially if you are looking for a specific item or items. Don't give up hope, it just might not be placed in the section it should be!

I hope you enjoyed my thrifting tips! Please feel free to ask any questions, if I come up with any more tips I'll be sure to post them in the future! Take care and happy hunting!