Title:Nimona Author: Noelle Stevenson Publisher: HarperTeen Publication date: May 12, 2015 Pages: 266 Source/format: Gifted by Nicole from The Book Bandit // Paperback
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Synopsis (from goodreads.com):
The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."
Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.
But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.
M Y T H O U G H T S
Nimona is a shapeshifter and desperately wants to be the Ballister Blackheart's villainy side kick. Ballister finally gives in and lets her join his team but she needs to leaner how to follow the rules. Nimona is a spunky girl at heart and she goes with the flow. However, she can be destructive with no form and structure. The backstory about Blackheart and Ambrosius Goldenloin provides enough context in order to understand the current plot. Their complicated relationship creates the perfect atmosphere for Nimona to thrive in.
Noelle Stevenson's illustrations adds a flair of whimsiness and the storyline is very easy to follow yet it's captivating. The color palette is muted with soft neutral colors except for Nimona who shines in red/pink because of her hair and Blackheart's cape. Speech bubbles have an organic hand written like text that offer personality to the graphic novel. The panel art is simple and not overly detailed which creates a fast paced reading session.
Readers who are looking for a graphic novel full of knights, magic, science and dragons will be thrilled to dive into Nimona. Themes of friendship, diversity and comedy can be seen in the graphic novel. Originally a webcomic, Nimona, graduated to print format. Nimona is a 2015 National Book Award finalist. Readers who enjoyed Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley will enjoy Nimona.
Title:Eliza and Her Monsters Author: Francesca Zappia Publisher: Greenwillow Books Publication date: May 30, 2017 Pages: 400 Source/format: e-ARC from publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Synopsis (from goodreads.com):
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community, and has no desire to try.
Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea's biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.
With illustrations from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums and snippets of Wallace's fanfiction, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl.
M Y T H O U G H T S
"That computer is my rabbit hole; the internet is my wonderland. I am only allowed to fall into it when it doesn't matter if I get lost." - ARC of Eliza and Her Monsters
Eliza and Her Monsters is part geeky, part adorable and one hundred percent addictive. In the vein of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Eliza Mirk has an online alter ego where she is known as LadyConstellation, the creator of one of the most popular webcomics called Monstrous Sea. Just like Cath, Eliza pours her heart into what she is passionate about. Eliza feels more comfortable talking to her online friends since in real life people think she is weird.
A new guy named Wallace moves to town during senior year and it's fate that he is also a huge Monstrous Sea fan. Eliza debates whether to let him know that she is the creator of the webcomic but decides to ride it out that she is just a huge fan of the series and likes to create fan art.
One day Eliza's world starts crashing down when her identity of the creator of Monstrous Sea gets revealed. Eliza starts to have panic attacks and her anxiety increases. She even starts seeing a therapist. Francesca Zappia even touches upon grief through Wallace and what happened to his biological father. Warning, there are slight mentions of suicide and possible depression for those who are sensitive to those topics.
Francesca Zappia delves into two different types of families. The structure of each family shapes Eliza and Wallace differently. We have Eliza's family with a mom, dad, two brothers and her dog. On the other hand, we have Wallace's family where he lives with two step parents, a half sister and a step sister. It's good for readers to know that there are different varieties of families out there and there is no such thing as the perfect family. Everyone has their share of joy and distress.
Throughout the novel, Zappia includes illustrations from Eliza's webcomics which acts as a visual aid to show readers what Eliza is currently working on. Zappia also includes some of the conversation she has through an online forum. They add a more personal touch to the novel.
The interaction between Eliza and Wallace is perfect. There is no instalove and their friendship grows before their love blooms. Zappia breaks down stereotypes. Wallace who enjoys football can also love writing and reading webcomics. Even one of Eliza's brothers likes theatre and choir despite the love for sports and video games. Zappia reminds readers that we cannot judge people by their looks. There is more than meets the eye. We just need to scratch under the surface a bit to see it.
Readers who love fan fiction and fan art alike will devour this book! This book is made for people who like to geek out at home on forums and find themselves chatting with people online. There is no question that Eliza and Her Monsters is another favorite novel of mine. With its quirkiness, honesty and sense of nostalgia, I can relate to Eliza and all the people who live on that Monstrous Sea forum.
Eliza and Her Monsters is a novel to celebrate fandom. No matter what fandom you belong to, go out there and create something meaningful. I am sure someone will find your creation to be extraordinary and you will make at least one new friend. Fandom brings people together no matter what kind of lives they are living. Fandom is where people feel like themselves despite the tough things they have to accept in their lives.
So the time is finally here! After two years of waiting for MISTI-Con 2017, I get to venture out to the Margate Resort in Laconia, NH tomorrow morning! Not only is the Margate allowing Harry Potter con goers to return home for a 20 year celebration of Harry Potter, but they are also allowing us to have full reign of the hotel and grounds sans Muggles! That's right, Muggle free zone! MISTI-Con is a 5-day Harry Potter immersive experience where Potterheads reunite with old friends like a family reunion. However, MISTI-Con is also a very welcoming and accepting convention where new friendships are being made every minute.
The Margate is located next to Lake Winnipesaukee, aka The Great Lake by MISTI-Con goers, is the perfect backdrop. Hagrid's hut, aka the Gazebo Beach Bar, is a wonderful place to grab some food and drinks. I will be staying in the main lodging building, The Lakefront Building, where the Common Room is easily accessible. The lake is right in the back of the building and the building also connects to the central hub where all the panel rooms are located through an underground tunnel.
The Main Tent will be the prime location for events like the Opening Feast, Bewitching Bazaar & Author's Alley and the Yule Ball. The Pavilion provides a the perfect area for dueling, the Merlies fashion show and the Wrock Festival (Wizard Rock)! For lodging, many of the guests end up staying at the Inn which is known as the SlytherINN. There you can find many parties such as the Snarry Suite and there will be many meetups. Images can be found on the MISTI-Con website.
My schedule is chock full of amazing events and hopefully you will find me pretty much everywhere.
THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017
On Thursday I plan to leave my place around 9:30 and get to Laconia around 11:30-12:00. My friends and I want to get lunch nearby Laconia before heading to the Margate. Hopefully we luck out and we can check into our room early. If not we can just get our MISTI-Con badges and leave our bags in the car. Programming starts around 2ish so I plan to see a couple panels during the day. I know I have to make a market run in the afternoon to stock the fridge with some food for lunches and snacks. One thing about a con is that you shouldn't skimp out on meals. Fortunately, the market is right across the street from the Margate.
The Opening Feast is at 7:00 so we have plenty of time to get ready for the first big event of the very long weekend. Introductions to the convention will be made, there is an amazing feast that will kick off the weekend and The Harp Twins and Alchemy in Motion will be performing. I cannot wait to reunite with my Harry Potter friends and to meet new people. I hope to go to bed earlier than usual on Thursday since Friday-Sunday is going to be crazy busy.
FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2017
On Friday I plan to attend the Harry Potter Boston breakfast meetup before going to the wet felting mini hat making workshop. Madam Malkins is next on the list for consigned costume wears and Harry Potter memorabilia. I am torn between the HP ornament crafting workshop and belly dancing workshop so I guess it depends which one doesn't fill up fast. Also there is a Rhythm and Ribbons with Beau Batons workshop and a Fantastic Beasts themed panel at the same time.
Ahh..decisions to be made! The 3rd Merlies is a must and then there is a speakeasy event that sounds absolutely fabulous which is sold out. The Unspeakable event around 11:30 pm is a maybe. It really depends how tired I am. Food will be eaten during the course of the day. MISTI-Con always blocks off around two hours around lunch and also around dinner time for meals, napping, showering, etc. It definitely comes in handy to have time to unwind a bit. I plan to do sandwiches for lunch and probably eat out for dinners. Some of the dinner might be able to double as lunches.
SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017
On Saturday the afternoon is going to be pretty crazy. I want to start off my day with Five Scenes We Didn’t See which is a panel by David Martin. Martin is actually one of my favorite panelists at Harry Potter cons due to his insightfulness and well thought out panels. He has some of the best panels. He has another one on Friday that I hope to make to as well. There is another Fantastic Beasts related panel during the day which starts the same time the Bewitching Bazaar & Author's Alley are open and when the Wrock Festival starts. I plan to scout out the Bewitching Bazaar which is the craft faire. There are many crafters and artists to support! I plan to volunteer at the Bewitching Bazaar & Author's Alley and the Wrock Festival for a couple of hours as well. It doesn't hurt to help out with the convention since it's run by fans for fans!
There is a Battle of Hogwarts mannequin photo shoot that I want to attend around 5:30 pm which runs for an hour and a half. I might want to pop by to take some photos. Leanna Renee Hieber is doing a panel around 7:00 pm and I have a lot of down time for the night which is a good time to wander around to see what everyone is doing. Popping into the Common Room is also an option. If I can stay up late, I will swing by to check out The Restricted Section with Quigley von Lugenschmidt at 11:30 pm.
SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017
Sunday is the last big day of programming and events. I am starting my day early for a Snape related panel after breakfast. Mugglenet will be doing a podcast recording for their SpeakBeasty podcast. Casey Robin will be talking about how a fan artist grows into a full-time artist. There is also a panel about the relationship between Dumbledore and Snape which sounds interesting. I want to go to the tea with the Malfoys but it's sold out. I will be volunteering for Yule Ball prep for a couple hours of the afternoon. I have a lot of down time before the Yule Ball which is nice since the Yule Ball will be fantastically high energy and there are after parties at night. I might swing by the 1920's - 40's Dance Party at 11:00 pm if I have enough energy.
MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017
Monday is the last day of MISTI-Con and the Closing Ceremonies is in the morning. It's time to say farewell for now and to embrace for the next MISTI-Con which I hope will be happening in 2019!
I will definitely be recapping MISTI-Con in several blog posts so make sure you check out the blog sometime next week. I have a one week break back at home before I venture out for BookExpo in NYC! To follow me on my MISTI-Con adventures, make sure to check out my hashtag, #NicoleAtMISTICon.
Thank you to Penguin for allowing me to participate in the #ReadADessen countdown tour for Sarah Dessen. I am super excited showcase What Happened to Goodbye. Don't forget to check out the other blogs that are participating during the tour and be sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post.
Title:What Happened to Goodbye Author: Sarah Dessen Publisher: Speak Publication date: April 9th 2013 (first published 2011) Pages: 402 Source/format: Paperback from publisher. This is part of the #PRHPartner.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Synopsis (from goodreads.com):
Following her parents' bitter divorce as she and her father move from town to town, seventeen-year-old Mclean reinvents herself at each school she attends until she is no longer sure she knows who she is or where she belongs.
M Y T H O U G H T S
Mclean Sweet is named after Mclean Rich, a basketball coach of Defriese University. Mclean can reinvent herself as Eliza, Lizbet or even Beth each time she moved. She took on another persona and it is her way to deal with her parent's divorce after her mother fell in love with another man. When the judge allowed Mclean to make the decision to decide which parent to live with, she ultimately stayed with her father with the promise to visit her mother during the summer and on holidays. Mclean and her father relocated several times. These moves allowed Mclean to try to find herself and to find out how she fits in but she still hasn't figured out who she really is.
When Mclean relocates for one final time, she ends up making friends as Mclean. Her father has a job to rehab the failing restaurant Luna Blu. Think the show Restaurant Impossible with Robert Irvine but not as intense. Because Mclean planned all her alter egos, she has trouble figuring out who to become friends with and who she wants to be as. In a matter of time, friends come to her instead of her seeking friends. Mclean is friends with Opal from Luna Blu; Riley who hangs out with stuck up Heather; Deb the quirky girl who knows a lot about tattoos, drumming for speed metal, building models and also next door neighbor Dave who comes to Mclean's need several times. She spends her time helping out Opal with a commemorative town model project along with her other friends.
I found the diversity of friends to be refreshing. Mclean doesn't stick to a cookie cutter stereotypical group to people to call as her friends. She has a good variety of people to find comfort in whether it be for advice, to catch up with or just to share interests with. It's time for Mclean to finally ditch the personas and to finally embrace who she really is. Instead of pretending to be someone she is not in order to protect herself from getting to close to someone, she decides to open herself a little bit to let others in. No more coming up with lies or hiding behind a mask.
Although Mclean's life is not filled with sparkles and rainbows, she tries to make the best of her situation regarding her parents being divorced. It's hard for her to spend time with her mother especially with her stepfather and her half siblings. The only stability she has over her life is the town model. As the model starts from beginning to end, readers can see the growth in Mclean's character development. She learns to become true to herself and learns that saying goodbye means there is always a chance to say hello again.
Sarah Dessen writes contemporary novels that can cover tough topics but she writes about realistic situations without sugarcoating anything. What Happened to Goodbye is a solid book a lot of teens can relate to especially about fitting in and how to deal when they're parents separate. Readers who enjoy Tell Me Three Things and North of Happy will devour What Happened to Goodbye.
ABOUT SARAH DESSEN
Sarah Dessen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels for teens, which have received numerous awards and rave reviews. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and have sold millions of copies worldwide. She is the recipient of the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for outstanding contribution to young adult literature for her novels: Keeping the Moon, Dreamland, This Lullaby, The Truth about Forever, Just Listen, Along for the Ride, and What Happened to Goodbye. Her newest novel, Once and for All, will be released in June 2017. An NC native, she currently lives in Chapel Hill with her family.
Synopsis (from goodreads.com): As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen's thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine.
Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.
Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.
Enter for a chance to win one (1) set of Sarah Dessen’s books in paperback (ARV: $132.00). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on April 17, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 29, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about June 1, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
Books will be sent by publisher. Nicole's Novel Reads is not responsible for books lost or damaged in the mail. Good Luck!
Title:Always and Forever, Lara Jean Author: Jenny Han Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Publication date: May 2, 2017 Pages: 336 Source/format: Purchased//Hardcover
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Synopsis (from goodreads.com):
Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.
Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.
But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.
When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?
M Y T H O U G H T S
I am floating on Cloud Nine after reading Always and Forever, Lara Jean. Jenny Han surprised her fans with the most heartfelt novel in the series! Always and Forever, Lara Jean sparkles with its pop culture references, Lara Jean's pursuit for the perfect chocolate chip recipe, Peter's charm and of course the sisterly bonding between the Song sisters.
The novel dives in around Easter time during Lara Jean's senior year of high school. Everyone is waiting to hear back from college and Lara Jean is super nervous to see where she gets accepted to. Readers are reunited with returning characters and are introduced to some new faces. Always and Forever, Lara Jean is a roller coaster full of emotions with a forthcoming wedding, a death of a loved one and senior year with its ongoing anticipation of going off to college.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean shows realistic display of anticipation for the college waiting game. The excitement and the upset are both on point and the ups and the downs of relationships are true. But in the end, everything is worth it. Although people may have certain thoughts about Lara Jean's and Peter's relationship, it is ultimately Lara Jean's and Peter's decision that matters. Through best of times and the worst of times, they stayed strong. Both write their own story as they mature from book 1 to book 3. Although, I always rooted for a Lara Jean and John Ambrose McClaren shipping, Miss Han's ending of the novel brings the series full circle because, after all, it all started with a love letter.
The message in Lara Jean's yearbook from Peter is perfection! I don't want to spoil it but you MUST pick up this book if you've read the first two books in the series. For those who haven't read To All the Boys I've Loved Before, add it to your TBR list. In fact, marathon To All the Boys I've Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean!
Title:When Dimple Met Rishi Author: Sandhya Menon Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication date: May 30, 2017 Pages: 320 Source/format: e-ARC from publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Synopsis (from goodreads.com):
A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
M Y T H O U G H T S "Keep it. Remember me. And don't tattle." - ARC of When Dimple Met Rishi
Dimple Shah got into her dream college, Stanford. However, there is this summer program called Insomnia Con in San Francisco that she wants to attend but she needs to find a way to convince her parents to her go. Dimple's parents are more concerned for Dimple finding a I.I.H. (aka the Ideal Indian Husband). All Dimple wants is to live her life and immense herself in web development learning from the best. Rishi Patel is the total opposite. He embraces his parents to find the perfect future wife. Rishi's parents knew Dimple would be at the Insomnia Con program and they already know Dimple's parents.
The first official meeting between Dimple and Rishi is priceless! Dimple seems to despise Rishi but overtime she warmed up to him and even they even become friends. She knows it's not his fault and even tells him to stay when he offered to go home early. Their budding friendship ends up turning into something more.
Sandhya Menon's debut novel is charming with just enough humor. This romantic comedy shares the views of two children of two sets of Indian parents. I found it refreshing to read a novel that shows two sides of a coin. Dimple is a quirky yet spirited, goal-orientated young lady who wants to advance her career. She doesn't care about arranged marriages; she wants freedom and her independence. Rishi, on the other hand, is a hopeless romantic trying to woo Dimple. He believes in tradition while Dimple finds the culture suffocating her. Rishi's passion is art but he sees it more like a hobby and not a practical field to go into for a career.
Dimple is a role model for teenage girls. It's okay to like math, science and technology. It's okay to wear glasses and not to wear any makeup. I wish I read about Dimple when I was younger. Nowadays STEM is pretty big in education, especially for females. STEM related fields are still male dominated. It's exhilarating to read about a career-driven young lady who is passionate about web development and not about makeup and boys.
When Dimple Met Rishi tackles the struggles of desires and passions. Dimple and Rishi both gather the strength to vocalize what they are passionate about and what they want in life. Dimple's passion is web development and Rishi's passion is art. However, even though they don't want to admit, the love they have for one another is strong and they cannot let it go no matter what they want in life. Do things that make you happy! Trust your gut feeling!
Menon writes When Dimple Met Rishi with sincerity. The novel is exuberant! I was smiling when I was reading the novel for most of the time. When reading When Dimple Met Rishi, I see myself through both Dimple and Rishi. I have never read a book where I see myself completely in. I can see a part of myself in Dimple and a part of myself in Rishi. Menon fuses culture, socio-economics and overriding gender stereotypes in this rom-com. When Dimple Met Rishi is a fluffy yet heartwarming read. I highly recommend it and it's definitely a new favorite of mine.
I have been obsessed with book sleeves lately. A book sleeve is a fabric pouch for your book. It keeps your book in good condition when you throw it in your bag when you commute. This prevents the pages and the cover from becoming bent, wrinkled or dirty. A book sleeve is generally made out of fabric and some kind of foam stabilizer to pad your book.
A book sleeve is a life saver for me since I commute a lot on the bus and train during the warmer months. I don't have time to read my book during a lunch break at work so I usually don't carry a book sleeve during weekdays. However, if there is a book event, I will put my books in book sleeves if I don't want them to be damaged. I love all the different fabrics of the books sleeves and some companies will have exclusive limited edition prints.
The book sleeve makers that I normally follow have Instagrams. This is perfect because I set up notifications so I can see any new photos they might post of their upcoming sleeves they plan to sell. Check out the following makers of book sleeves that I highly recommend checking out!
USA BOOK SLEEVE COMPANIES
1. The Cozy Life, run by Steffani, releases book sleeves on Mondays at 2:30 PST. I have the pleasure of purchasing two book sleeves from this shop and the quality is fantastic! I was pleased to see that she had a pre-order feature for her Beauty and the Beast design through her Instagram. It worked out well since she had a waiting list and she would contact people if they are still interested in a cozy. The Cozy Life provides book sleeves in three sizes. Sapling cozy fits e-readers. Pine cozy fits most paperback books and some small hardcovers. Redwood is a larger cozy and fits hardcovers and if you are lucky, some monster sized hardcovers like the Harry Potters.
Sapling - 7.5” x 5.5” Pine - 9.5” x 7.25” Redwood - 11” x 9”
2. Book Biff, run by Breanne, is currently going through a re-branding stage right now but her book sleeves are some of my very first that I have purchased. I have had the pleasure to purchase a couple Harry Potter related ones from her that I adore! She sells e-reader Biffs as well as standard size paperback Biffs. However, some of the standard size Book Biffs can hold smaller hardcovers as well.
3. Book Beau, run by Benita, may be the most well known book sleeve provider. Although, I haven't had the luck to purchase a Book Beau, I hope some of you will be lucky to snag one. Currently she has been running pop ups to give her audience a better chance of snatching a Book Beau randomly. FYI, her Book Beaus sell out in minutes or even seconds sometimes. Make sure you are a speedy mouse clicker. Book Beaus come in e-reader size, standard size and indie size (which holds slightly larger paperbacks).
E-reader - 8.5" x 6" Standard Indie - 10" x 8"
4. Story Time Sleeve just opened up a couple weeks ago but their prints differ from other companies which is a good thing. One of my friends purchased a book sleeve from this company and confirmed that it's good quality. So far there is one size Story Time Sleeves. The book sleeves will accommodate paperbacks and some smaller to medium sized hardcovers. What I love is how the book sleeves are lined with another fabric.
EDIT: I received a sleeve from Story Time Sleeve in a giveaway and I can vouch for its quality and the craftsmanship.
Standard - 10.5" x 8"
5. Story Hero, run by Becky, makes very unique book sleeves. Her Story Heroes are slightly more expensive than the other companies mentioned by the quality is impeccable. So far, she makes my favorite book sleeves. You get your money's worth due to the fact that the Story Hero has a Velcro flap closure on the top of the book sleeve and it also has a front pouch to hold your sticky notes and bookmarks. Each front pouch has a literature saying or quote. Also, the inside lining is water resistant! So far there is a standard size Story Hero but even the standard size can hold a lot. I was able to squeeze a medium size hardcover into it.
6. Book Bubbie, run by Diana, sells three types of Book Bubbies. She carries mini, standard size and hardback sleeves. For those who want the hardback sleeves, customers must put in a custom order. The mini size fits mass market paperbacks while the standard size fits regular to larger sized paperbacks and possibly smaller hardcovers.
Mini - 8.5" x 6" Standard - 9"x 7.5" Hardback - Customized order
INTERNATIONAL BOOK SLEEVE COMPANIES
1. The Book Sac, run by Dharshini, is located in Australia. I believe there are only one size Book Sacs but the fabric prints are distinctive. Book Sacs are released on Fridays at 8 am AEST and Mondayss at 9 pm AEST.
Standard - 10" x 8"
2. Melvis Makes, run by Melanie, is located in the UK. She makes a variety of items from Book Buddys to pencil cases. With the Book Buddy you can either purchase a pre-made one or you can get a pre-order one to choose what color lining you want. There are four sizes to pick from which include small, medium, large and extra large. For e-reader size, the seller will customize the size so the Book Buddy hugs your e-reader perfectly.
E-reader - Customized order with flap Small - 9" x 7" Medium - 10" x 8" Large - 11" x 8.5" Extra Large - 12" x 9.5"
3. Green Leaf Baby is located in Canada. The shop sells e-book sized book sleeves as well as standard size book sleeves. The book sleeves have a soft minky lining and they are made-to-order book sleeves. The seller also sells baby bibs, pouches and taggie blankets.
