Two non-book recommendations.
It was raining when the box arrived.
I love our mail carrier for understanding that those Come Pick Your Package Up At The Post Office slips are the worsttttttt.
First! The Book Riot Quarterly Box.
When you read as much as I do, when you work in a library AND you review books, it's kind of a crapshoot to jump in on a subscription service that sends you SURPRISE BOOKS.
Even so, I was so excited when the box finally came that I was shaking when I opened it.
And hooray, not just one, but BOTH of the books it contained were books that I A) have been wanting to read and B) didn't already own:
Razorhurst, by Justine Larbalestier (which, btw, just won the 2015 Aurealis Award for Horror)
How It Went Down, by Kekla Magoon (soooooo been looking forward to this one)
And, of course, the box includes other treats—Story Cubes and a chalkboard mug and some literary-themed tea—but what brought the whole thing home, for me, was the introduction/essay that explained the choices, both in terms of why the items are exceptional and how they fit the box's theme. And while I've been wanting to read Razorhurst for longer, after reading the bonus deleted scene from How It Went Down, I can say without a doubt that I'm going to read that one first, ASAP.
I'm already looking forward to seeing what's in the next one.
Full disclosure: I didn't purchase the box; it was sent to me for review. Also, it was compiled by Kelly Jensen, a lady I am buddies with both online and in real life. So my objectivity on this one could be, you know, suspect. (Then again, we generally go out of our way to be mean to each other, so maybe not? I don't know. YOU CAN DECIDE.)
Second! iZombie.
OH MY GOD, GUYS, iZOMBIE:
It uses exactly the same formula as Veronica Mars—a small blonde girl semi-estranged from everyone she knows with a penchant for voiceover solving noir-ish mysteries, and who has a male best friend/sidekick with whom she has no sexual tension—which, of course, makes sense, as Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero are behind both shows.
It's a huge ton of fun, and stupid Sark is on it, which is always a bonus.
If you've already watched Veronica eighteen bazillion times, throw this one into the rotation. It'll fit right in.