Pink & Purple Dots

  Hi guys! Happy Thursday! It's been a super busy week on my side, but luckily it's almost the weekend. Today I am sharing not 1 but 2 awesome new books from Nerine Dorman with you guys today.  So let me share some more on the author Nerine Dorman first : Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019 and The Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Children's and Youth Literature in 2021. Her YA fantasy novella, Dragon Forged , was a finalist in the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2017, and she is the curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story competition. Her short story “On the Other Side of the Sea” (Omenana, 2017) was shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo for “Best Novella” in 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF authors’ co-operative Skolion and is an active memb...

Hi guys! Happy Monday . How are we already in November? Time is truly flying by.  October held many awesome ARC read opportunities for me, and this was another one from The Crow's Copy that I got to review. This time it was The Seeker Effect by Anne Schlebusch. So first, let me share more about Anne Schlebusch from her publisher's website : Anne Schlebusch is the author of Bloomer (Modjaji), named a 2023 Brittle Paper Notable Book in Africa. She has published short stories, co‑authored language textbooks, and written five YA novels, one winning the 1995 MML Young Africa Award. The Seeker Effect is her first speculative novel, exploring dystopian themes. She holds an MPhil in Applied Language Studies from UCT and relishes challenging formats and genres, inviting readers to question what’s considered normal and boundaries about reality. She lives in Cape Town. Now let me share a Blurb about the book as well : The Seeker Effect is a must-read speculative fiction foray into a dys...

  Hi guys! Happy Friday. How has this week been so far?  Today I am sharing another of my The Crow's Copy Arc Reads with you guys, and this time it's City of Earth, and oh boy, is it a goodie! I am truly excited to share this magical book with you guys. This book captures both the political aspects and some strong, thought-provoking history.  First, a little more about the South African author Mats Elliot ( this is his debut novel ), with some info I got from the publisher's website: Mats is a giant nerd. For as long as he can remember, he's loved fantasy and science fiction. Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Ursula Le Guin—these authors had a special gift for building incredibly immersive, detailed worlds. He's always wanted to do something like that, but during his teenage years, he convinced himself that he was terrible at writing (which, to be fair, he might've been). ​ He completed a Master's degree in philosophy, realized that he wasn't cut out for academia,...

  Hi guys! Happy Wednesday, and I am officially back to blogging; this time, I am bringing more book reviews into the mix.  I was sent the Worldbreaker's Name by C.L. Farley to review for The Crow's Copy as part of an ARC read.  C.L. Farley is an awesome South African author and st oryteller who favors speculative fiction and neurodiverse narratives. Her work received a Silver Honorable Mention in Young Writers of the Future (3rd quarter 2022) and an Honorable Mention in Young Writers of the Future (4th quarter 2022). In her spare time, she gardens, collects rocks, plays video games badly, and referees the four cats that adopted her.  (This made me love her writing even more because anyone who has cats is automatically a winner in my books!) (Info from her publisher's website !)    Blurb:  Kellan, a warrior turned scholar, is desperate to cure the magical infection sealed in his leg before it consumes him. Cursed healer, Chiyana, is set to escape her p...

Hi guys! Happy Monday! The blog has been super quiet the last few months, so I'm so sorry about that! Life has been full of ups and downs this year but hopefully things settle a bit now.  I'm a box or two behind on The Papery boxes and I decided to share the last two I have as they would make awesome treats or a little self-care spoil - so let's dive into one of these boxes.  So, let's move on to the goodies in the Hummingbird box -  First off let's share some of the goodies. First off a gorgeous pencil case , I will add a photo of the pencil case at the end as well so you can see it in it's full glory.  We got some cute flowery - inspired stickers as well - always useful for journalling or using in your planner.  A cute little pencil sharpener - which Alex already stole and claimed to be him. A gorgeous set of coloring pencils - another items Alex already claimed as his own.  A set of gorgeous bright markers - perfect for journalling.  We also got a m...

  Hi guys! Happy Valentine's Day. Today I plan to share a special post with you - The Papery Love Box.  I decided to treat myself to this magical box to celebrate my new job - and I'm very glad I got it as a to-me-from-me treat. Again - I got this as a once-off box, I will eventually get a subscription but for now, I do enjoy picking and choosing the ones I know will suit my style and personality the best.  So let's jump into the goodies in this magical box - First off - these gorgeous cards with a vintage bike and girl biking. I adore the colour combos of these gorgeous cards and they are perfect to write a little love note.  Next up a sachet of some potpourri rose leaves. I'll be honest here - I'm extremely sensitive to the smell of flowers - but I re-gifted this to someone that will enjoy it 100 times more than I ever will.  Next up are these adorable love sticky notes. I love the design of these and I know I will reach for them over and over again. You get a...