Book Style: From Russia With Love

A little bit of Bond today. From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming is one his most well known Bond novels and this edition from Penguin Ink is my favorite cover (and holds a place on my bookshelves). Sexy is a must for any bond girl and the deep rose, charcoal, and black color palette only helps that along. I played with the Russian theme by picking a clutch that reminds me of Russian Orthodox stained glass, Russian Red MAC Lipglass, and the Anastasia set of lingerie by Myla for the requisite Bond-worthy underpinnings. A nod to Bond's quintessential British-ness with the Jack Wills' nail varnish, too.

Book Review: Unnatural Creatures

Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories compiled by, and contributed to, by Neil Gaiman and Maria Dahvana Headley. I love everything Neil Gaiman touches, so of course I loved this, but with good reason, not just because I'm a hopeless fangirl. 

The stories are all, perhaps loosely, based around the premise that there is such a place as an Unnatural History Museum that mirrors the great Natural History Museum in London. You'll get a sampling of several potential exhibits including everything from sentient wasps to griffins and werewolves to death personified. My favorite, no shocker here, was Sunbird by Neil; I have a lifelong love affair with anything phoenix-y. I think my second favorite tale would have to be Gabriel-Ernest by Saki. But, honestly, they are all truly fantastic tales.

I would highly recommend getting yourself a copy of the hardcover to own and cherish for years to come. This is a true heirloom collection, in my opinion. And as a nice bonus, all the sales benefit 826DC, "a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students in their creative and expository writing, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write".