The Ninja Book Box // Q'n'A with the Creator of the Box.

Recently I was informed about the amazing Ninja Book Box created by the lovely Rebekah from @ninjabookswap. To launch the box there was a blog tour organised and will be happening across other great blogs and she was lovely enough to do a little Q'n'A with me.

First of all, you may ask what is the Ninja Book Box?

Ninja Book Box is a new quarterly box shipping worldwide from the UK and featuring books published by independent publishers. We aim to introduce excellent books (both backlist and new releases) particularly those which our team & the publishers we work with feel haven't received the recognition they deserve, and help you find favourites in genres you wouldn't necessarily pick up for yourselves. Supporting primarily UK based small businesses; each box will contain a book (often signed by the author & with additional material) plus at least two gift items and lots of other fun extras and will take its theme from the book. We want to support excellence and promote exploration and discovery in all aspects of the box. Subscribers will also gain access to lots of additional community perks. For more information sign up to our newsletter, or check out our website for details of how to get the first box!  

There will also be a 'mini box' option available via the website (www.ninjabookbox.com) which will be just the book plus one small gift, a list of books to read if you loved the book & access to any online extras. It'll be £15 with free UK shipping (intl will be a little more).

Now time for the Q’n’A:

-What is the reason behind the name Ninja Book Box?

I have a little group of friends I've made through blogging, and one of my good friends used to send our little group what she called 'Ninja RAKs' (Random Acts of Kindness), where we wouldn't know that she was sending anything and it would just turn up and cheer us up. It seemed like such a good idea to me that I've kind of adopted the stealthy, ninja, 'you don't know what's coming until it turns up' approach in most of my projects since. Surprise joy is so much more joyful, I find! 

Obviously people will know that they've ordered a Ninja Book Box (unless they've been given a secret gift subscription, which is totally an option by the way!) but the contents will be very mysterious - we're going to give out hints before the boxes ship but nothing will be revealed until everyone has received theirs. We like to keep people guessing about the excellence in store! 

-What genre is your favourite? Will we be seeing this in future boxes?

Ooooh tricky question! I have a lot of genres I love but my absolute favourites are probably graphic novels and fairytale retellings, and yes I think we can safely say that you'll be seeing them in future boxes! I'm definitely looking to include graphic novels very soon since I think they're a genre that people can find really unapproachable and often don't know where to start with, and I would really really love to do something fairytale themed - I'm a massive fairytale geek and actually did my BA dissertation on feminism in fairytales, so you can imagine that making a fairytale box would be pretty much my dream. I'll have to wait until a great indie publishes a great fairytale retelling though - at the moment I'm still looking so watch this space! 

-How do you choose books to include in each box? 

When I originally started thinking about the idea of the box I put together a little survey and asked people for genres they'd like to read more of and then used that as a starting point. Honestly I pretty much just spend a lot of time browsing publishers' websites and catalogues, seeing what looks interesting. I also tend to read a book and then put it in a pile and stare at it on and off for a few weeks and if I'm still thinking about it after a while then into the box it goes!

- What other projects are you involved in? Are there any plans for the future?

I'm one of those people who, doesn't like to have nothing to do, so I probably go to the other extreme and am involved in SO MANY projects! As well as my own book blog, I also co-founded and run the twice yearly Ninja Book Swap (like secret santa for book lovers but not at Christmas!), the Parcels of Joy project (an international happiness project where people send each other unexpected parcels of baked goods, gifts and books) and organise the annual London Bookshop Crawl, plus a roving summer one. I have a well documented history of coming up with an idea and just deciding to try it and see what happens, and I have oh so many plans for the future! I'd love to expand the box in many different directions including having an indie book box for kids, but I guess we'll see how this goes first!

- I'm sure there's plenty of different places involved in the book swap. What are some places you would like to travel to?

So many! I've not actually been abroad for years but we love travelling in the UK - I'd love to go back to the Yorkshire countryside, and I'd also really love to visit Edinburgh. I have a childhood dream of going camping in the Lake District and discovering all the places that inspired the Swallows and Amazons series, and I also have an abiding love for Devon & Cornwall and want to explore both more thoroughly. Outside of the UK I'm dying to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida as well as visit New York again, and I'd love to go back to Australia someday. We're hoping to visit Vienna next year as my sister just moved there, and will do some further exploration of Europe along the way if all goes according to plan! 

-Since you're an avid reader yourself, What is your typical reading routine(food, beverages, location)?

I have two small kids so it's basically just whenever I get a free second! If I have an evening to myself though (or during the 24 Hour Readathon!) I like to snack on apples (because it reminds me of Jo from Little Women, my favourite book) and a whole load of junk food. Cookies and Revels are probably my favourites. And it goes without saying that I have to have a cup of tea. Reading without tea is pretty much blasphemy. I generally either read in bed or in my excellent armchair that I got for 99p from eBay. It's the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in!

- What three books do you wish more people would read?

Oh such a hard question! I talk about her all the time, but probably one of Scarlett Thomas's books. Difficult to choose but I'd probably go for Our Tragic Universe since it's the one I love and re-read the most. Also probably Ravenheart by David Gemmell - it's epic fantasy with such heart and David Gemmell was the author who made me love fantasy, and probably the Umbrella Academy series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba. It's (so, so annoyingly) not finished yet but the first two graphic novels are excellent. 

And to top it all off, What is the thing you cant live without the most ?

Honestly, besides my family, house etc, probably books, closely followed by tea. I have lots of other hobbies but the vast majority of the things that bring me most joy are fuelled by books. I don't know where I'd be without them

And you have a chance to win a box for yourself! It is open internationally and people who backed the Kickstarter can enter also.

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REVIEW: Ashwood by CJ Malarsky

BLURB:

 

When sixteen-year-old Willow goes urban exploring in an abandoned asylum she expects the dark halls, creepy echoes, and ominous atmosphere. But she doesn't expect it to follow her home. After the trip, Willow becomes haunted by nightmares in which she never left Ashwood Asylum. Nightmares where she is pursued by grotesque, mind-infesting horrors called the Mora who feed off the fear of mortals. Unfortunately for squeamish Willow, they are hungry. And she is their perfect meal.

Upon waking, Willow recalls only fleeting memories of dead butterflies, hollow eyes and discordant whispers. But slowly these phantasms begin to bleed into her daily life, making Willow question her own sanity. She soon realizes that the solution lies solely within the decrepit walls of Ashwood. As the boundary between dreams and reality disintegrates, Willow must find the courage to defeat the leader of the Mora before he traps her soul in the nightmare forever.

 

 MY REVIEW:

Where do I even start with this book, I suppose I should mention I received this book through a giveaway on Goodreads which was held by the lovely author herself.

 First of all the plot of this book from the very beginning intrigued me, not just because I am a huge fan of stories based on abandoned buildings or "Urban exploring" as its known as but also because I love the whole paranormal/ supernatural. I think its fascinating to see how a building looks years after it had become desolate and the stories that go along with it.

The story starts off creepy enough: a visit to a decrepit Ashwood Asylum with a cousin and a few friends. An event occurs whilst at the asylum and when Willow leaves she begins to be haunted by nightmares where she encounters horrors called the Mora. I found there to be great research on the Mora. The scariest thing about Ashwood is that throughout the book the author does not tell who where Willow's reality ends and nightmare begins.

 This made the reading of the book to be more creepy and suspenseful which made reading it at night a bit difficult for me being a little baby with things like that. At certain points I would shake the book in anticipation hoping that all the things would work out for little Willow and she would find the courage and overcome her fears.

To me that means I am invested and you have me hooked and I need some resolution for this unsettling read that I couldn't help but love! And once finished I immediately needed to get my hands on the next book which I will be eagerly anticipating.

Overall, Good Debut and two big thumbs up from me.

20 Questions About Me Tag

This is something fun that I thought I would do so you all could get to know me a little bit more. Twenty questions ...Lets Go!

        ·     1. A Thing you cannot leave the house without?

A thing I can’t leave the house without would have to be my mobile phone simply for the fact I need music to function throughout the day.

·         2. Favorite brand of makeup?

I honestly don’t believe I have a favourite brand of makeup because I don’t find myself wearing make-up all that often.

·         3. Favorite Flowers?

My favourite flowers would have to roses or blue-eyed-grass(probably tell based on my blog name).

·         4. Favourite Clothing Stores?

The ultimate shops in which I find myself drawn to would Primark/Pennys or even Forever 21.

·         5. Favourite Perfume?

I don’t have a favourite too many to choose. 

·         6. Heels or Flats?

I’m definitely a flats kind of person especially runners/ trainers.

·         7. Do you make good grades?

I believe I get pretty decent grades hasn’t been terrrible and I hope it continues to stay that way.

·         8. Favourite colours?

My top favourite colours would have to be purple, blue and green. I especially love purple and green together as a colour combination gives me some Joker vibes. 

·         9. Do you drink energy drinks?

I find when Ive had a long week or an intense gaming session that involves no sleep. I feel it is then one of my most important requirements for making it through the day.

·         10. Do you drink juice?

Yes, I do drink juice my favourite is freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning. 

·         11. Do you like swimming?

I love to go swimming and I especially love sitting along the beach for hours and read a book. I also love having a campfire with my friends during the last few days of Summer.

·         12. Do you eat fries with a fork?

I tend to sometimes just depending on whether I have some sort of sauce or not which I typically do so therefore I eat fries with a fork.

·         13. Whats your favoutite moisturizer?

I think my favourite would be E45 or Clinique mostly because I have super dry skin which is a nightmare.

·         14. Do you want to get married later on in life? 

     I'm not sure, I believe I do but then again a lot of marriages I have seen don’t end well and at the end of the day it’s a piece of paper. I mean you never know maybe my words will be irrelevant by the time that comes around.

·         15. Do you get mad easily?

I do tend to get mad pretty easily and I feel like that is something I should work more on over time because it could be over the simplest things.

·         16. Are you into ghost hunting?

No, I am not into ghost hunting mostly because that kind of stuff I find really creepy. I believe in them as much as I don’t want to.

·         17. Any phobias?

I have a fear of spiders which is a nightmare in the winter since they all want to come inside from the cold, I mean little ones I can probably handle but that’s not the case these days. I also get pretty freaked out and claustrophobic by small spaces which I find if I feel cramped it is a huge anxiety trigger which sucks a lot.

·         18. Do you bite your nails?

No, I don't bite my nails I have just never done it. I actually think it is pretty gross but I am not going to knock on anyone that does if you do that is fine me personally I am not a fan.

·         19. Have you ever had a near death experience?

On my 18^th birthday I was an inch from getting hit by a car that ran a red light at quite some speed. I wonder how some people get their driver license.

·         20. Do you drink coffee? 

No, I am not a fan of coffee I personally dislike the smell and taste of it. I much prefer tea!

 

Welcome to blue-eyed-grass and books : An Introduction

Here is a little introduction to me and what my blog is about:

My name is Kayleigh Marie and I am a eighteen year old girl,(nineteen in February) from Ireland. I have been the person who has a multitude of blogs and have never found my strive for keeping them but now that is going to change. I make videos about books on Youtube in a community of lovely people known as Booktube on my channel Kayleighmariieee.

The reason behind my blog name is quite simple blue-eyed-grassandbooks is based on the fact that blue-eyed-grass flowers are one of my favourite flowers which can be found in Ireland and the books part of the name is because.. you guessed it! I LIKE BOOKS!

For me this blog will basically will be about all of my interests: all things book related, travelling and my other odd and peculiar obsessions.

I see this as a place that I can share a lot of things with people other than myself and the four walls which is something I tend to do very often.

Well that's really it I hope this all told you a little bit more about me and what I plan to do in the future. Thank you so much for joining in this hopefully permanent journey.

best wishes
 Kayleigh x