Mundie Moms

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

*NEW* Fairytale / Shadowhunter Mashup: Izzy & Simon as The Frog Prince #Shadowhunters @CassieClare


Check out the new Fairytale & Shadowhunters mashup from Cassandra Jean. Cassandra Clare shared this image of Izzy & Simon in The Frog Prince, in her newsletter today and Cassandra Jean also shared it via her account on Tumblr. I absolutely love these mashups. This one is one of my favorites. Check out the previously shared Fairytale & Shadowhunters mashups here.

On Friday we'll be sharing an exclusive sneak peak from Queen of Air and Darkness Cassandra Clare recently shared in her newsletter as well. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. I highly recommend signing up for her newsletters. 

Mundie Moms 2017 Favorites: Gifts Guide for Readers #MMs17Favs


We're continuing our Mundie Moms 2017 Favorites, with our gift guide for readers. We know buying gifts for readers should be easy right? I mean, we love to read, so buying for us means you can give us a book and we'll be incredibly happy. We also know trying to figure out which book to get us, or figuring out if we already have the book (chances are we do), can be frustrating. We put together a guide of bookish related things we love to give, and things we'd totally buy. After all, readers love anything bookish themed. 

There are a lot of bookish themes items out there, so we decided to make it easy for you (looks to our husbands...coughs. Just kidding!). If you're still trying to figure out what to get your favorite reader, we hope our guide, which features something for everything, will help. If my hubby is reading this, I'll take #10. haha.... kidding... not really. 

KATIE'S GIFT GUIDE FOR BOOKISH FRIENDS

I love giving book themed gifts. This year I went with a Harry Potter inspired theme, which included a candle, a bracelet, book sleeves, socks, and other favorite bookish goodies. I've listed ideas and some of what I gave this year, below. 


1) Books; I love giving books as gifts. This year I gave some favs reads as gifts. The 10th Anniversary of City of Bones is perfect for that special Shadowhunters fans in your life. 


2) Book sleeves; I love traveling with books, but I hate when they get ruined in my bags. Book sleeves are the protection for books, and I included one in my gift boxes this year. My favorites this year are from My Book ZleevesBook KeeperBook Bubbie, Book Beau and my friend Hannah



3) Book themed candles; This year I gave the Holiday at Hogwarts candle from Wick and Fable's Harry Potter line and I LOVE it. They're currently sold out of them, but for Shadowhunter fans, they have a TID box for January!  


*image from Wick & Fable

4) Book inspired jewelry; this year I went with Alex & Ani's Harry Potter bracelets. They are perfect for any HP fan. Plus, you can never go wrong with book inspired jewelry. 



5) Bookish socks; book socks and really any cute socks are always a great go to to add to any gift. Target has had some cute ones this year too. 

6) Blank notebooks; I love blank notebooks that have book quotes or cute covers on them. I'm sharing a picture of the one above that came with my last month's Owlcrate box.  This year I found ones with a cute sloth on them to stick in the boxes I sent to out friends. 



7) Anything Harry Potter; Really, you can't go wrong with Harry Potter merchandise. From books, to accessories, clothes, games, ornaments & so much more. Barnes & Noble has a huge assortment of HP merchandise; games, wands, pillows, Funko-Pop and more. 



8) Monthly Book Box subscription; I love book boxes, and have tried a variety this year. My absolute favorites have been Owlcrate & Owlcrate Jr. What's great about them, is you can purchase a one month book box subscription if you want to just check out their box. I believe most of the other companies do this as well. There are also bookish inspired candle box subscriptions as well. The one month subscriptions are great for gifts. 



9) Any bookish accessory to wear or add to your bookshelf or library; a beanie, scarf, book ends, framed illustrations from your favorite fandom, a framed book quote, a pillow etc (both Society 6 and Etsy have a lot of great merchandise to pick from). 


*image source: Visit Scotland.com

10) A trip to a place one of their favorite books is set at; Hogwarts, Pemberley, Austenland, anywhere in the UK or Europe ... etc. I'm just saying. It might be far fetched, but a reader can dream right?!

11) A Donation made in their honor, to a literacy place, or making donations to getting books into the hands of readers who really need them. There are a lot of places in need of books. (I love this idea, and it's one that some of the publishers I work with, have done the last couple of years. I always love getting their card with a note saying where they made a donation too. Book donating is also something I do with my kids through out the year, and especially during the holidays).

*All images taken by Mundie Moms, unless noted. Not to be used without permission.

SOPHIE'S GIFT GUIDE FOR BOOKISH FRIENDS


1) Harry Potter: A Journey Through the History of Magic - Who doesn't want more of Harry? JIm Kay illustrations alongside glimpses of J.K.'s manuscripts? Yes, please.

2) Monthly Bookish Subscription Boxes: There are some fun ones out there. I love Uppercase Box and Owlcrate, but there are lots more. 

3) Book Sleeves: I'm a fan of Book Beau's, and I'm so glad they have an online store now! 

4) Cool BookendsLook at these book dragons

5) Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, Books 1 & 2: I think every girl, no matter her age, needs to read these inspirational stories and marvel at their accompanying artwork. 

6) A Pride & Prejudice scarf: Who doesn't need a little Lizzie & Darcy to help keep them warm?

7) A Literary Handbag: I adore this one!

8) A Bookish Nightlight: Isn't this the best, here

9) Fandom Teas from Adagio Tea: Who doesn't love a fandom blend? 

10) Literary Quote Bracelets: Bookish arm candy, (here)!

What are some of your favorite bookish gifts to give or to receive? Happy Holidays! We hope our bookish friends are able to enjoy some reading time over the holidays. 

MIDDLE-EARTH FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN: BUILDING THE WORLD OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS & THE HOBBIT by Daniel Falconer / Book Review #TheHobbit #TheLordoftheRings


By: Daniel Falconer
Foreward by: Peter Jackson
Published by: Harper Design
Released on: November 21st, 2017
Purchase from: Harper | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository 
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 stars - A Must Have!
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review

For the first time ever, the epic, in-depth story of the creation of one of the most famous fantasy worlds ever imagined—an illustrious compendium that reveals the breathtaking craftsmanship, artistry, and technology behind the magical Middle-earth of the blockbuster film franchises, The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy and The Hobbit Trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson.

The Making of Middle-Earth tells the complete story of how J. R. R. Tolkien’s magic world was brought to vivid life on the big screen in the record-breaking film trilogies The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy and The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy. Drawing on resources, stories, and content from the archives of the companies and individuals behind the films, much of which have never appeared in print before, as well as interviews and a foreword by director Peter Jackson and key members of the Art Department, Shooting Crews, Park Road Post, and Weta Digital teams who share their personal insights on the creative process, this astonishing resource reveals:
  • How the worlds were built, brick by brick and pixel by pixel;
  • How environments were extended digitally or imagined entirely as computer generated spaces;
  • How the multiple shooting units functioned;
  • How cast members and characters interacted with their environments. 
Daniel Falconer takes fans from storyboard concepts to deep into the post-production process where the films were edited, graded, and scored, explaining in depth how each enhanced the films. He also discusses how the processes involved in establishing Middle-earth for the screen have evolved over the fifteen years between the start and finish of the trilogies. Going region by region and culture by culture in this fantasy realm, The Making of Middle-Earth describes how each area created for the films was defined, what made it unique, and what role it played in the stories. 
Illustrated with final film imagery, behind-the-scenes pictures and conceptual artwork, including places not seen in the final films, this monumental compilation offers unique and far-reaching insights into the creation of the world we know and love as Middle-earth.
This is a MUST HAVE for fans of The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings! Fans will love this in-depth collection featuring illustrations, artwork, details about the making of the movies and more. This book does the stories and the movies justice! It is just what the title says it is, 'script to screen: building the world of Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit'; this book gives you all the details you've been wanting to know and so much more!

The cover alone is stunning, but what's inside this cover is even more visually stunning! The details are absolutely amazing! I can't even imagine how long it took to put this collectors book together. Literally, every page is full of detail. This book is almost too pretty to hide on a book store, and is perfect to put out on a coffee table, night stand etc. 

Even if you're not a fan of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, but you're a movie buff, this book will be for you! You'll love knowing more about the ins and outs of making these movies. Whether you're a long time fan of these series, or a movie buff, or both, I HIGHLY recommend picking up book! It makes the perfect Christmas / holiday gift this season as well.

FURYBORN: The Empirium Trilogy book #1 by Claire Legrand / Waiting on Wednesday #Furyborn


By: Claire Legrand
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
To Be Released on: May 22nd, 2018
Series: Empirium Series #1
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The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.


This stunning cover was just recently released, it is stunning! I would totally pick this book up based on the cover alone. Knowing that Claire wrote it, and based on how good it sounds I need to pre-ordr it asap! I absolutely love the cover too! Which book are you waiting to get your hands on? 

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