Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 11

🔪 Beacon Book Box ~ ON THE HUNT ~ August 2021 Theme Reveal 🔪

Hello awesome nerds, happy Monday everyone and welcome to a quite spontaneous post.

As y’all know, I’m currently on a break, but the Beacon Book Box August theme was revealed yesterday and I simply had to share it with you guys.

For those of you who don’t know, Beacon Book Box is a YA monthly-subscription box, in which every month you receive a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme.

I’ve been a Beacon Book Box rep for 1.5 year now and if you like what you see, you can use my rep code VICTORIOUS5 to save on your subscription or single purchase.

With all that being said and without any further ado, let’s get to the August theme reveal.

The theme for the month of August is ON THE HUNT and you guys can bet your swords and knives that I scream at 6am this morning, when I saw the post on Instagram.

This box celebrates some of our favourite books, whose characters are on epic quests!

First things first, this box is going to feature THREE DIFFERENT BOOKS: one hardback, one paperback and an eBook.

The hardcover book pick this month is a breakout standalone epic fantasy about shapeshifting warriors, perfect for fans of Adrienne Young and Wonder Woman! The world building and character development is truly amazing, plus the awesome story is neatly wrapped up in one book!

The book will, as per usual, come with a SIGNED BOOKPLATE and a LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR.

The  paperback this month is a lush and exotic fantasy world that will have you entirely immersed! The main character is thrown into an arranged marriage after her elder sister is killed by an assassin (whose ghost won’t stop tormenting loved ones until her killer is brought to justice). She learns about how to be queen and how save her people from war.

This book will be accompanied by a LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR and I already know I’m gonna read this book the moment it arrives.

Last but most certainly not least, the August eBook is set in a kingdom of warring lands, demon curses, and hidden magic. It is a fantasy for fans of Maggie Stiefvater’s Mercy Falls Series and Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass!

The rest of the goodies featured in this box will be inspired by An Ember in the Ashes, Red Queen and Legend.

These boxes are now available for subscriptions and single purchases, and like I said at the beginning of this post, you can use my code VICTORIOUS5 to save some money.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It honestly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful week, dearies. Stay safe & stay positive.

Till next time (whenever this may be)… Toodles!

Gonna Write. Or So I Wanna Believe…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you guys had a great weekend and an even greater month, as June is slowly coming to an end. And on that not, how did the first six months of 2021 pass by so quickly?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I decided to take a break from blogging this July, as I want to focus on finishing the second book in The Auras’ Chest series. Furthermore, things are quite hectic at work, as I’m currently developing bookbrewed’s website, so this takes plenty of time, as well. To be frank, my website developer is working nonstop, even during the night, so hopefully things will get smoother from August onwards and I will be able to get back with new content and, possibly, new things to share with you all.

It’s been six bittersweet months for me, with many changes, both professionally, as well as personally speaking, and I want to thank each and every single one of you for your love and support, your comments and engagement. You’ve made some of my darkest days and nights seem brighter, and I truly appreciate that.

There are times though when you need to unplug, reevaluate your priorities and focus on the things that matter the most to you, in order to gain some balance again. Getting back to Rondure is what’s gonna help me get my balance back; I hope.

So I want to wish to each and everyone of you happy summer, I hope you have a phenomenal July, packed with amazing books, people you love and great experiences, and I will hopefully see you all in August.

I do want to believe things will be better when I get back, in every single aspect of my life.

For the time being…

Naturally, I’m joking. You can always contact me and I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.

Thank you all so very much for being here once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted. I never will.

Have a wonderful week, dearies, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

A Court of Way Too Much Heat and Vaccine

Hello awesome nerds and happy Saturday everyone!

It is so freaking hot today in Greece, but somehow I managed to get my vaccination appointment for today, so I had to go to the hospital when it was 104 degrees out there! Yay me, once again!

The thing though is that I won’t do anything else today and I’ll simply stay home, with the air condition working nonstop, and I’ll start rereading A Court of Wings and Ruin for the fourth or fifth time.

I think I’ve mentioned it in a previous post, but I’m gonna say it again.

You see, I feel like I’m falling in a reading slump and this is something that really bugs me, considering that I’ve only read 16 books this year. My goal is to read a total of 40 books, therefore I decided to reread some favourites, even if that means that my TBR is gonna get even wilder than it already is.

And honestly, guys, how can it not get wilder when I got two new books today?

Prior to my vaccination appointment this afternoon, I went downtown with my mom for some shopping and, naturally, I stopped by a bookstore and got City of Lost Souls (the UK edition with the newest cover) and The Fall of Gondolin (the Greek hardcover edition).

I don’t know if I’m gonna read either of them any time soon, especially City of Lost Souls, since I’m currently reading Chain of Iron, and I need to reread City of Fallen Angels before continuing The Mortal Instruments series again. This didn’t stop me though from buying the both of them and it definitely won’t stop me from getting a few audiobooks later today.

If I’m gonna meet my reading goal for this year, I really need to step up my pace in terms of reading.

And because it’s gonna be this hot until the end of next week and I don’t think I’m gonna go to the beach any time soon, the only thing I can do to endure this heatwave, is read good books. Starting, once again, with A Court of Wings and Ruin. After all, it’s perfect for this time of the year.

What about you dearies? How hot is it where you live? Have you read any good books lately? Do you have any recommendations for me?

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It honestly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Love you all to Pluto and back, dearies.

Have a wonderful weekend y’all, stay safe and stay positive!

Till next time… Toodles!

👑 Beacon Book Box ~ WORTHY OF POWER ~ May 2021 Unboxing 👑

Hello awesome nerds, happy Thursday everyone and welcome back to another Beacon Book Box unboxing.

Although the wifi is really testing me since Monday, I couldn’t leave you with no post today, especially since I’ll be taking July off to fully focus on my writing project. So, since I finally got my May Beacon Book Box the other day, I thought I should show to you what this box was all about.

For those of you who don’t know, Beacon Book Box is a YA monthly-subscription box, in which every month you receive a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme.

I am a permanent rep for Beacon Book Box and you can always use me rep code VICTORIOUS5 to save on your subscription or single purchase.

With all that being said, let’s get to the actual unboxing.

The theme for the month of May was WORTHY OF POWER and it was all about powerful protagonists and people who want to prove themselves.

THE GOODIES

Crown of Feathers inspired microfibre cloth, designed by @shaked_creates

Crescent City inspired manicure set, designed by @riddleandravens

Serpent & Dove inspired candle, exclusively made for Beacon Book Box by @novellyyours

Girls of Paper and Fire inspired light up pen, designed by @riddleandravens

Red Queen inspired Mare and Cal print, designed by @sam.rosariio

Red Queen inspired glass picture frame, designed by @riddleandravens

#BakingWithTheBeacons Veronyka’s Deep Fried Oreos recipe of the month

THE BOOK

The book of the month was Blade of Secrets, by Tricia Levenseller. This hardcover edition came with a signed bookplate, a letter from the author and a bonus print, designed by @dianadworak.

Also, because the author of this month’s book was Tricia Levenseller, the box also featured some really cool post cards, inspired by the characters of The Shadows Between Us, another popular book that I still haven’t read.

I had a completely different book in mind when this month’s theme was revealed but I was completely wrong. So, since I hadn’t heard of this book before and because I always feature the blurb in case anyone’s interested, here’s what Blade of Secrets is all about:

“Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.

Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims’ secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.

Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world’s known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.

A teenage blacksmith with social anxiety accepts a commission from the wrong person and is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she’s ever made .”

This looks like a really interesting book but because my TBR is completely out of control and I feel like I’m in a slump, it may take some time before I read this book.

If I need to be honest, my favourite item was of course the candle, because y’all know how much I love the Serpent & Dove series.

Let me know in the comment section down below if you have read this book, which are some of your favourite worthy of power characters, and how’s your reading challenge going.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Love you all to Pluto and back, awesome people. Stay safe everyone and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

Back to Velaris… The City of Starlight ✨

It’s funny how rereading one of your favourite books for the gazziolionth time can make you feel a little bit better, it can brighten your day when nothing else can.

That’s what A Court of Mist and Fury does to me. Every. Single. Time!

The first time I read A Court of Mist and Fury, the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, was back in 2017. Four years ago. It truly shocks me how many things have changed over the past four years. It feels like a lifetime ago and yet, A Court of Mist and Fury keeps making me feel warm and safe and hopeful. It makes me think that everything’s gonna be all right in the end. And if it’s not all right, then it’s not the end yet.

(To be honest, I’m saying this because I need to “hear” it myself, as I was feeling kind of blue yesterday.)

Every time things get ugly, I turn to this book. And so, four years later, I have read it at least once, every single year.

It was thanks to this book that I dealt with my PTSD. It was thanks to this book that I realised there are some lucky beings out there, fortunate enough to have a family that would literally go to hell and back for them. And it was thanks to this book that, when I was this close to stop dreaming and believing, Rhys’s words came like a slap to my face, just to remind me that only the bold dreamers get what they want, what they deserve in the end.

“To the stars who listen–and the dreams that are answered.”

Everyone has dreams. Hopes they are afraid to reveal, even to themselves. But when the night falls, everyone wishes for something, someone. Sometimes though, the nights are starless. Those are the hardest ones.

I wish that, even during the darkest of nights, the stars out there will listen to our wishes, they will answer to us and our dreams.

I need to believe that. Otherwise… I don’t want to believe I’ll fall deep in depression again. I don’t want to. I will fight not to. And if this means I’ll have to read this book every month, along with therapy, then that’s what I’ll do.

I know many have issues with the author. I have separated her work from her personal POVs. That’s what I have done with another extremely popular series, that was also there for me during some really shitty periods of my life.

I won’t throw away the very few things that bring me joy lately. Even if those things, those characters are fictional.

I’m trying to focus on the good things in my life. Fortunately, there are quite a few of them. Sometimes I manage to embrace them all. Sometimes I need a little push. That’s when A Court of Mist and Fury comes handy.

So, kind advice from me to you: do the things that bring you joy, read the books that make you smile and f*&% what other people think. It’s your life, your choices, you. You’re the one that’s gonna live with it all, until the very end. No one else.

So, make every single moment count, awesome nerds!

I know I’ll try to do the same. And if this means I’ll have to travel back to Velaris, the City of Starlight, to achieve that, then so be it.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. I know it’s been a while now that I haven’t been the bubbly personality you’re used to, but I’ll try to get back there. I just want you to know that it truly means the world to me that you keep coming back and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted; I never will.

Have a wonderful week, dearies. Stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

💜 Beacon Book Box ~ DEFY THE NIGHT ~ Exclusive Edition 💜

What’s better than a new book? The exclusive edition of a new book!

Hello awesome nerds and happy Saturday everyone!

I am thrilled to announce that the Beacon Book Box is doing their first EXCLUSIVE EDITION, and that is for the new book by Brigid Kemmerer, Defy the Night.

For those of you who don’t know, Beacon Book Box is a YA monthly-subscription box, in which every month you receive a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme.

I am a permanent rep for Beacon Book Box and you can always use my rep code VICTORIOUS5 to save on your subscription or single purchase.

As mentioned above, Defy the Night is going to be the first exclusive edition the Beacon family has ever made and I’m so thrilled about that, especially since I adore Brigid Kemmerer’s books.

This particular edition is going to be:

Hardcover

Signed by the author

With coral and glittery sprayed edges

Exclusive bonus dust jacket with character artwork

Author letter, from Brigid Kemmerer

And if this hasn’t persuaded you yet, the blurb of the book will!

“From New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer comes a blockbuster fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption, the prince desperately holding it together, and the girl who will risk everything to bring it crashing down.

The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand.

King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents’ shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King’s Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion–it’s the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited.

Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every night, she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most–but it’s still not enough.

As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare, a particularly cruel act from the King’s Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first.

Set in a richly imaginative world with striking similarities to our own, Brigid Kemmerer’s captivating new series is about those with power and those without . . . and what happens when someone is brave enough to imagine a new future.”

The book will be available for $30.99 USD +shipping, and the boxes will go on sale Monday, June 28th, at 5pm EST.

Also, the boxes are expected to ship around the book’s release date, aka in mid-September.

Once again, let me remind you that you can use my rep code VICTORIOUS5 to save some money.

Let me know in the comment section down below which book you’re excited to read in the second half of 2021.

(Seriously though, where has the first half of this year gone?)

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Love you all to Pluto and back, awesome nerds. Have a lovely weekend, stay safe & stay positive!

Till next time… Toodles!

Camp NaNoWriMo 2021: The Time Has Come!

Hello awesome nerds and happy Thursday everyone!

It’s been a while since the last time I updated you on what comes to my writing process but, with July just around the corner, the time has finally come for me to give you all the hints revolving around the upcoming Camp NaNo, the sequel to The Auras’ Chest series and my writing schedule in general.

For those of you who are new here and for those of you who haven’t noticed, back in 2019, my debut novel, Guardian of the Auras, was published, both on Kindle and paperback, and if you haven’t purchased it already, you can do so by following this link.

Many things happened in the last couple of years, many changes and, of course, many drafts to the sequel were written. This summer though, I’ve decided to finally finish the second book of the series, Creator of Divine Mysteries, in order for it to be published in late 2021, or early 2022.

If you don’t know what the sequel is about, here is the blurb for you to read:

*DISCLAIMER. SPOILERS FROM THE GUARDIAN OF THE AURAS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BLURB. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.*

“After the massacre in the Frozen City, Aurora finds herself trapped inside the capital of the Humdrums, forced to face the Crown Prince and the Creator of Divine Mysteries, who want to play a deadly game of their own. A game of submission and fear.

Unwilling to cooperate with them, she is locked inside the Warren, the Frozen City’s prison, a place guarded by a beast from which nobody has managed to escape before.
When friends from the past and new allies team up together, making a bargain with the prison’s guard, Aurora will finally realise her destiny is more complicated than she ever imagined it to be.

Will she endure in this sacred, hidden place, where she’s being led?
Will she manage to find out more about the mysteries of her past, present and future, and fight against the monsters that threaten to destroy her home?
And what will she do when those Divine Mysteries try to alter her life, but more importantly her heart, for ever?

The breathtaking sequel of the GUARDIAN OF THE AURAS is here to prove that there are no heroes without villains, and both of them exist inside us all.”

It’s way harder to write a sequel than it is to write the first book in a series and with everything I’m experiencing right now, both physically and emotionally, I know I’ll have to put everything onto paper and screen, if I want to survive all this.

Which is why Camp NaNo feels like the perfect opportunity to take a break from blogging and fully focus on finishing Creator of Divine Mysteries.

Basically, Camp NaNo happens twice every year, in April and in July, and you can set your writing goal, depending on what you want to do (write a new story, edit, polish etc).

My goal for this Camp NaNo is 40k words, as the sequel is already 60k words long.

We’ll see how this is going to go.

Regardless of that, I want to thank you in advance for your understanding. I know that you’ll be here when I return in August and I can promise you that I have amazing things in mind for this coming fall.

Thank you all so very much for being here once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful day, dearies. Stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

My Latest Book Purchases (Even Though My TBR Is Out Of Control)

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you guys had a great weekend, you recharged your batteries and you’re ready to embrace this coming week.

For me, this weekend was full of rain, cocktails, a little bit of reading and a bit of photo shooting for bookbrewed. To be honest, I needed something light, considering that last week was weird and so very nerve-wracking. Which is why I made some impulse purchases and bought a few books I’ve been flirting with for quite some time.

1. One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston

“From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks…

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.”

Well, what can I say?

I love Red, White & Royal Blue, I love queer romance novels and it’s Pride Month, so, the decision was pretty easy.

I’m sure I’m gonna fall in love with this story once again and I’ll rant about it quite a lot when I’ll write a full-length review for this particular novel.

2. Lightbringer (The Empirium Trilogy, #3), by Claire Legrand

“The incredible conclusion to the trilogy that started with the instant New York Times bestsellers Furyborn and Kingsbane!

In this epic finale to the Empirium Trilogy from New York Timesbestselling author Claire Legrand, two queens, separated by a thousand years must face their ultimate destinies.

Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. Separated from Audric and Ludivine, she embraces the role of Blood Queen and her place by Corien’s side, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be.

In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire’s capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay—and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter.

But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation—or the destruction their world has been dreading.”

It’s been a while since I read Kingsbane, but the finale was MIND-BLOWING, so I really need to know how this story is going to end. Which is why I finally gave in and ordered my hardback copy. Hopefully, it will arrive soon, because I really need a book that’ll make me feel excited about it.

3. A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4), by Sarah J. Maas

“Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she’s struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can’t seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre’s Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta’s orbit. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other’s arms.”

Well, y’all know that Cassian is my mate and even though I know I’m gonna get pissed while reading Nesta’s POV, at the same time I’ll feel excited to see my baby at the Illyrian camps, being in his natural element.

So, these are my latest purchases, along with a few Greek books I bought for some friends and for myself.

Let me know in the comment section below if you’ve read any of these three books, if you’re planning on buying any new books and which was your latest book purchase.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It honestly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful week, beautiful creatures. Stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

🗡 Beacon Book Box ~ EVERYTHING FAE ~ July 2021 Theme Reveal 🗡

Hello awesome nerds, happy Saturday everyone and welcome back to another Beacon Book Box post.

For those of you who don’t know, Beacon Book Box is a YA monthly-subscription book box, in which every month you receive a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme.

The theme for the month of July is Everything Fae and even though this box is currently out of stock, you can join the waiting list and you can use my rep code VICTORIOUS5 to save on your subscription or single purchase.

The July box celebrates some of our favourite books and worlds filled with magical beings, more specifically Faeries.

First of all, the July box will feature TWO PHYSICAL BOOKS and ONE E-BOOK, something which, aside from the theme itself is simply EPIC!

The hardcover book of this month will transport you to an action-packed fantasy world, where a girl is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes. Filled with twists and turns, a strong emphasis on family, romance and a determined main character, this book will keep you up late at night reading!

It is perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and A Court of Thorns and Roses. The book will be signed by the author and, as per usual, it will come with a letter from the author, too.

The paperback book (which is also a July release) is a dark, spellbinding young adult fantasy where the main character must ally herself with a dark prince in order to save the people she loves and the only world she has ever known.

This book is perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and Wicked Saints! It will come with a signed bookplate, a themed print and a bookmark, matching the book itself.

The goodies featured in this box The Iron King, An Enchantment of Ravens and The Falconer.

Last, but most certainly not least, the July eBook is perfect for fans of Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard Of Oz, as it will transport you to an urban fantasy world, filled with stone lions and flying bicycles. The title of this book will be revealed in the coming weeks.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this box is currently out of stock, but you can join the waiting list, because I know this is a box you don’t want to miss.

Don’t forget to use my rep code VICTORIOUS5 to save on your subscription or single purchase, in case there’s stock available.

Do you know the books that are gonna be featured in this box? Which is your favourite Faerie book?

Let me know all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section down below.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

💜 BookBrewed: My Heart and Soul’s Project 💜

I wasn’t planning on writing this post today, but life is packed with moments of impact. Moments that just bring joy and hope and light in your very existence, even when you think that the darkness will consume you once again.

Such was the moment when my parabatai/graphic designer/buddy reader Nadia posted a story about Legendary, by Stephanie Garber, the book I bought to her as a gift. It just dawned to me: I feel really lucky for all the people I chose to have in my life, both in the personal, as well as in the professional field.

These are the people who are always here for me, especially right now that I’m working on bookbrewed, my heart and soul’s project.

Those of you who’ve been following me for years now, probably know that I always wanted to combine my Economics studies and my MBA with my love for books. Considering that all the great book-subscription boxes are abroad, I wanted to create something of my own for all the book lovers that live in Greece, but also for the Greeks who live abroad and would like to receive Greek books and goodies on their doorstep every month.

That’s how the idea of bookbrewed came to me.

bookbrewed is essentially your average YA monthly-subscription box, in which every month you receive a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme. What differentiates bookbrewed from the other book boxes out there is that a) the books featured in the boxes are Greek, either from Greek authors or translated in Greek, and b) the majority of the goodies featured in the boxes are eco-friendly and organic. Like the bamboo-made straws I decided to include in the Witches Wanna Have Fun box this May.

Stunning shot by Antwnia

I know it’s just the third month of me being present in this industry (well, technically it’s more than that but I’m referring to the boxes I’ve already sent and I’m about to send), but I’ve got so much energy and passion, I’ve got so many great ideas and I’m glad that both my IT team and my graphic designer have ideas of their own, too, and they help me as much as they can. Not to mention my amazing friends/advisors/the-best-emotional-support-team I could’ve asked for: Christina, Tatiana and Danae.

Aesthetically pleasing photo by Danae with Sabrina Spellman’s scrunchie that we featured in the May box

Seriously though, these four lovely ladies, Nadia included, are the reason why I keep pushing myself harder and I try to bring out the best possible version of bookbrewed. They are those who push me to take risks and chances, but are also the voice of reason, especially when my emotions take the better of me.

It’s all about these moments of impact I mentioned above. And the questions that are left unanswered, at least for the time being. So, instead of focusing on things I cannot affect, or things I affected as much as I could and there’s nothing left for me to do or say, I focus on something that I love and something I can clearly see others love, too.

It’s the first time in my life that I feel like I’m in the right path, professionally speaking, and I truly realised that the other day, when the director of a tutoring academy called me. He’s looking for an Economics teacher and even though I’m gonna go to the appointment we set, I know what my answer is going to be.

I love my job. I turned my hobby, my heart’s passion into an actual profession and I’m not gonna let this go. Not when working with my parabatai brings goodies such as this one to the world.

Gorgeous photo taken by Lina

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Also, if any Greeks read this, feel free to check bookbrewed’s Instagram account out (the website is currently under development) and support this attempt of mine, by ordering your box.

Have a lovely day, dearies. Stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!