Contents:

Contributors:

K.A. Beestone

A.E Moseley

K.A. Beestone

Grace McGowan

Chelsea M. Smith

A.E Moseley

Katja Murschel

M. Sykes

Saffyre Falkenberg

Qistina Tajuddin

Laburnum

Ejil

Grace McGowan

K.A. Beestone

Kat

Chelsea M. Smith

Angel

If you wish to submit artwork, fiction,

reviews etc. please contact:

coffeeandmissingstars@gmail.com

or go to our tumblr page:

www.the-book-nest.tumblr.com

Introduction to The

Book Nest:

Here at The Book Nest, we’re firm

believers in the magic of books.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen

the booklr community grow as

quickly as our shelves, and we

wanted to use this chance to create

something we’ve never seen

before—a magazine especially for

readers.

This fanzine will showcase all the

amazing new books we discover, as

well as some old favourites. We

plan to bring you a whole host of

reviews and articles, as well as some

information on where to buy

amazing products based on the

adventures you read, coupled with

some stunning artwork by some

very talented and enthusiastic

artists.

Because enthusiasm is really at the

heart of this zine, we’d like to ask

you to join in by submitting the

things you’re proud of. Artwork,

shelfies, photography, fan doodles,

poems, fanfiction pieces—anything

you would like to see here in these

pages, so don’t hesitate to contact

us.

After all, this project wouldn’t

have been at all possible without

the imagination and passion of

some very dedicated booklrs. The

whole idea is to share the magic of

reading with others, as well as

highlighting some talents in the

booklr and writing community.

Our first issue’s theme is Tea

Parties, since it is currently

Spring, and it didn’t take us long

to start veering towards talks

about Alice in Wonderland.

There’s something about that

image of the Mad Hatter’s Tea

Party that sparked our interests.

Perhaps it was the stereotypical

obsession with tea, or maybe

there was something exciting in

the story itself; the chaos,

madness and eccentricities that

Carroll brought into the

Victorian world.

Either way, we hope you share

in our enthusiasm. Turn over the

page to fall into our own little

wonderland…

So have fun and please enjoy

this issue. – K.A. Beestone,

Editor

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very

gravely, "and go on till you come to the end:

then stop.”

Synopsis: On an ordinary summer’s afternoon,

Alice tumbles down a hole and an

extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange

world with even stranger characters, she

meets a grinning cat and a rabbit with a

pocket-watch, joins a mad tea-party and plays

croquet with the Queen! Lost in this fantasy

land, Alice finds herself growing more and

more curious by the minute…

This is a combined review of Alice’s

Adventures in Wonderland and Through the

Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll and so both

books will be discussed.

I’m a late-comer to the world of

Alice; I remember seeing the

Disney animated version when I

was small and it scared me

senseless and something about

that experience held me back

from ever picking up the books.

Then last year, during the 150th

anniversary celebrations, I

decided to find out what I was

missing out on. I got both books

as beautifully illustrated 150th

anniversary special editions and

they didn’t take long to read.

Although I can’t honestly say they

didn’t make me feel unsettled at

times, they were a world away

from the dissonant, nightmarish

memories I had of the story. The

combination of language play,

nonsense, and Alice’s vexation

with it all made them extremely

enjoyable to read.

Within the ‘classics’ of

children’s literature Alice’s

Adventures in

Wonderland holds a strong

(if not arguably prime)

position, but I honestly can’t

imagine sharing this story

through reading aloud or

recommending it to a child. I

know enough about the

reading habits and

preferences of the children

in my life at least to be able

to say with some confidence

that they would NOT enjoy

this book. Which is not to say

I don’t think it’s a very good

book, because I do, I’d give it

a solid 3/3,5 star rating-but

that’s from ME, a 21 year old

who read these books for

the first time when she was

20.

Children’s books a world away from

adult fiction written (mostly) for, by,

and about adults. Children’s fiction is a

lot less straightforward, it is usually

written by an adult, for an intended

audience of children which usually

turns into (in the case of me and Alice’s

Adventures… or Harry Potter or Brown

Girl Dreaming etc etc) an actual

audience of adults, children’s books

can be about children, but also about

animals or adults. It’s complicated. It’s

WEIRD. Not to mention that adults

usually decide on the canon and shape

the popularity of children’s books

when A) parents choose and buy

books for their children, B) a group of

adult judges decides on which

children’s books merit awards, or C) a

group of adults decide on a selection

of children’s books from which

children choose award winners. If you

think our idea of the 'canon’ for

adults is weird, the canon of

children’s literature is just as strange.

NOW TO A MORE PRESSING

QUESTION:

“WHO ARE YOU?” SAID THE

CATERPILLAR.

One of the things I LOVED about

Alice’s Adventures… and Through the

Looking Glass was the constant

manipulation of identity undergone

by Alice. The White Rabbit mistakes

her for Mary Ann, a pigeon mistakes

her for a serpent. In the Looking Glass

world, the Red Queen takes her to be

a volcano, the flowers in the garden

see her as a fellow flower, the Sheep

doesn’t know whether she is a child

or a teetotum, a fawn forgets that

Alice is a human child, even Alice

herself questions whether she hasn’t

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll Publisher: MacMillan Children’s Books Release Date: February 5th 2015 Genre: Children’s, Classics, Fantasy Rating: 3/3.5 Stars

turned into her poorer and

less clever acquaintance Mabel.

Each new imagining of Alice’s

identity prompts us to think

whether identity lies in our name

or in nomenclature, in our

physical appearance, in what

characteristics we share with

others, in what we eat (as in the

case of the pigeon saying little

girls must be 'a kind of serpent’ if

they eat eggs), in what we can or

can’t remember, in what we

know, in what we understand,

and on and on and on until you

become sure identity must be as

much nonsense as the thoughts

the characters in the book voice

on it.

After reading them both, I can say

that I enjoyed the stories and that

they gave me a lot to think about.

I was following the hype for this book

pretty closely since the end of 2015.

I’d read both of Ruta Sepetys’s other

novels Between Shades of

Gray and Out of the Easy and really

enjoyed them (well, maybe enjoyed

isn’t the right word, but I certainly

found them engrossing and brilliant),

particularly Between Shades of

Gray. Salt to the Sea is in the same

vein as Between Shades of Gray, it is

harrowing but beautifully and

fantastically written. I found most

nights if I was reading it I had to put it

down even though I desperately

wanted to finish it and find out what

happened. I found it very distressing

to read, especially before bed, but as

with Sepetys’s first novel I found

myself repeatedly thinking ‘why

didn’t I know about this? Why did no

one ever tell me about this? Why

wasn’t this covered when I studied

Europe 1918-1990?’

Sepetys has a unique storytelling

gift that brings historical fiction to

life; her characters are fantastic

and relatable and tragic, she

manages to draw four strong

portraits of different young people

without giving their own voices

more than a few pages at a time,

her pacing is relentless, and her

plot is wonderfully wrought and

flawlessly executed. Sepetys is firm

in her acknowledgement of the

impact of WWII on children and

young people, and her decision to

make YA historical fiction and four

young people the focus of this

book is a decision I admire and

appreciate.

If you’re looking for a book to

read next that will be un-put-

downable and leave a lasting

impression, this is it. Also I think

this book is particularly relevant to

our world today when so many

“Killers aren't always assassins. Sometimes, they don't

even have blood on their hands.”

Synopsis: It’s early 1945 and a group of people trek across

Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the

ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land. Four

young people, each haunted by their own dark secret, narrate

their unforgettable stories. Fans of The Book Thief or Helen

Dunmore's The Siege will be totally absorbed.

This inspirational novel is based on a true story from the

Second World War. When the German ship the Wilhelm

Gustloff was sunk in port in early 1945 it had over 9000 civilian

refugees, including children, on board. Nearly all were

drowned. Ruta Sepetys, acclaimed author of Between Shades

of Grey, brilliantly imagines their story.

Salt to the Sea by Rutya Sepetys Publisher: Philomel Books Release Date: February 2nd 2016 Genre: YA, Historical Fiction Rating: 5 Stars

refugees have again taken to the

sea fleeing war and many have

perished there due to

overcrowding, bad conditions,

and unsafe boats. This book is

historical fiction, but its content is

contemporary.

But while Red London is caught up

in the pageantry and thrills of the

Games, another London is coming

back to life, and those who were

thought to be forever gone have

returned. After all, a shadow that

was gone in the night reappears in

the morning, and so it seems Black

London has risen again-and so to

keep magic's balance, another

London must fall...

Almost a year ago I became

fascinated with the huge amount of

posts about V.E. Schwab’s first book

in this series, A Darker Shade of

Magic on Tumblr and went and

bought a copy. While I was impressed

and intrigued by the alternative

versions of London, it wasn’t a novel

that completely enchanted me.

So although I was curious

enough to buy the second

instalment, A Gathering of

Shadows, I wasn’t expecting

much besides another four-star

book. That being said, I like to

think I am the first person who

admits when they are wrong.

Which I can now say, having

spent several sleepless nights

making a strange choking noise

that is somewhere between a

laugh and a sob while staring at

my bookshelves wondering if I

will spend the foreseeable

future in a reading slump

thanks to this book, I am most

assuredly wrong. In truth, I

found AGoS beautiful and

ominous, sparking with magic

and potential.

There are many reasons for the jittery

excitement this book left me feeling (one

of them being the crazy amount of coffee I

drank to survive those nights of ‘one more

chapter syndrome’). Top of this list is the

return of Lila Bard, aka the awesome kick-

ass anti-heroine who has transformed

from thief to lovable pirate. Okay, so that’s

not a huge development, but the opening

scenes relating to her life on the high seas

are perhaps the most breath-taking of the

whole novel. Reading them, I could almost

taste the salt and the breeze as my heart

lodged somewhere in my throat. Not only

is the description in these scenes enough

to make you want to pick up a cutlass and

set sail immediately, it also reminds you

how brilliant Schwab is at character

development. Because even though

you’ve probably spent the time between

the first and second book releases reading

a whole pile of other novels, it only takes a

single page to remind you of Lila’s

character.

‘Everyone is immortal until they are not.’

Synopsis: Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell

into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with

Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane

twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland's dying body

through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy

is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and

having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous

magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared

from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London

finalizes preparations for the Element Games-an extravagant

international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep

healthy the ties between neighboring countries-a certain pirate

ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

Which, for the record, is the

apotheosis of strong female

characters. She’s fierce and

confident and yet infused with a

genuine undercurrent of

vulnerability that convinces you

to keep turning the page at 3am.

Sure, I love Kell too, but Lila’s

chapters are the ones I found

myself getting completely

mesmerised by. The back and

forth we see between Lila and

Kell, as well as newcomer

Alucard, is pure comedy gold.

More than once I found myself

trying to smother a pique of

giggles in my local café, while

nearby caffeine consumers

wondered if I had relinquished

my grip on my sanity. But

honestly, I will give anyone who

can resist laughing at some of the

lines in this novel a whole plate

of cookies.

Okay, fangirl rant over. Beyond

the impressive character

development and quips we see

throughout this novel there’s the

obvious imagination that has

gone into creating the four

different Londons we’ve already

seen in ADSoM. This time we

spend most of the novel in Kell’s

Red London, but there’s still the

odd shift and some very

intriguing events unfolding in

other Londons, which will play a

major role in the next book of the

series. The whole book

concentrates on the Element

Games, a kind of Olympics for

magicians to show off, so you can

expect a load of intricate

knowledge on magic in this one

that we haven’t already had

explained.

While the scenes revolving

around the games are good, I did

find the repetition of Kell and

Rhy’s bond a little tedious.

It’s easy to see why Schwab

keeps referring to it, and there’s

no doubt it is going to continue

to be a challenge for both

‘brothers’ but constantly being

reminded that Rhy is now

sharing Kell’s pain and

vice-versa gets old rather

quickly. But maybe it was just

my disappointment at seeing the

two characters and their

relationship being narrowed

down to this bond. After all, Kell

was a major selling point of the

first novel. I was keen on

learning more about his magic,

since he is now supposed to be

the only ‘traveller’ left in

Schwab’s worlds, and yet we

don’t really see much of his

character except as a moody

killjoy for most of the novel. It’s

a shame, but I’m still holding out

hope we might see some more

development of his character in

the future. Many of his scenes

are still enthralling (there were

lots of moments when I was

clapping my hands with glee like

a little kid being given cake) and

it is reeeeaaalllyyy difficult not

to pity him at times for how he’s

treated, but he does pale in

comparison against the bright

flame of Lila.

Plot-wise at times it can seem

a slow burner, more of an uphill

climb of a rollercoaster, but right

towards the last quarter of the

book we are dropped into a

whole host of events speeding

towards us. It is fair to say that

AGoS focuses more on world-

building, character development

and flawless descriptions rather

than plot though, and that

means it isn’t for everyone.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E.

Schwab

Publisher: Tor Books

Release Date: 23rd February 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Adult, YA

Rating: 5 stars

However, if you loved the first

novel, I strongly suggest you

stick with it because chances

are the third will be action-

packed and jaw-droppingly

good. The last quarter of this

book had me not only on the

edge of my seat but falling off

it, so I do hope readers will stick

with it. If only so I have some

people to share my pain.

Because, dear reader, there is a

whole torrent of mixed feelings

in those last one hundred pages

or so.

At this moment, I have no

words to describe how I am

feeling about this book.

Someone really needs to send

help, because there is a

possibility that I am dying.

Schwab has pretty much

reached into my chest and

crushed my heart with all the

feels. My only consolation is

that I have tricked a poor

innocent friend of mine into

reading this series, meaning

that she too will soon be curled

up in a foetal position making

those laugh-sob noises and

counting down the days to the

next instalment.

“But I don’t know where to start!” Ever hear that one? For aspiring comic readers, finding the perfect starting point is about as hard as finding actual music on MTV. It’s exponentially more difficult if you want to jump into a Marvel or DC.

Luckily, there are regular starting places for even the most novice of readers. One of the best places for a beginner is one of Marvel’s hottest current titles, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

Squirrel Girl was created in 1991 by writer Will Murray and legendary comic artist Steve Ditko. In her original appearance (Marvel Superheroes, Vol. 2, #8, Winter Special), Squirrel Girl (aka Doreen Green) is like many teenaged girls: full of passion and fashion choices she may or may not regret later in life. In short time, she manages to save her hero, Iron Man, from Doctor Doom using the power of—you guessed it—squirrels. Since that fateful appearance, Doreen’s victories have included other big bads such as MODOK and Thanos, sometimes as part of the Great Lakes Avengers, sometimes alone. Unlike the victories of many other heroes, not one of Squirrel Girl’s triumphs was retconned, making her the most powerful hero in the Marvel universe.

After years of being one of Marvel’s beloved but obscure heroes, Squirrel Girl finally got her own series in 2015, written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson.

After fight off the baddies and, for a brief stint, nannying superbabies, Doreen decides it’s time to go to college to earn her degree in computer science. Of course, nothing’s ever as simple as it seems, and Doreen must learn how to balance her heroism and a secret identity with her rigorous school schedule. But, armed with a set of meta playing cards provided by Deadpool and her squirrely sidekick, Doreen has everything under control. Ryan North’s snappy writing paired

with Erica Henderson’s simple, Archie-

like art style create a charming, easy-

to-read monthly adventure for all

ages. You want a strong female

protagonist? Doreen literally saves

the world with the combined powers

of squirrels, friendship, and protein-

packed nuts. Diversity?

Take one look at her crew: The cat-loving, yarn-happy Nancy, Koi boy and (oh so hunky) Chipmunk Hunk. Got a thing for humor? You’re reading a comic about a rodent-themed super hero set against a backdrop with puns and meta call-outs on every page. Hard to find more humor anywhere. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is so popular with audiences, it received two #1 issues in 2015: one in January, one in October. Either one is a great starting point, so what are you waiting for? In the words of Squirrel Girl, it’s time to “eat nuts and kick butts!”

Alice in Wonderland and her

continuing adventures in Through the

Looking Glass are classic books thick

with hidden politics and genuine

bizarreness. Alice’s adventures have

been made into multiple movies

(some safe for kids and some very

much not), musicals, puzzles and

games, and has launched a variety of

spin-off books, quite a few of which

have become bestsellers.

It’s a story that simply doesn’t

die, despite being 151 years old (2015

marked the 150th anniversary of the

book). A new Alice movie is coming

out this year in May and recently the

Splintered series, which is a modern

take on Wonderland released a follow

up book of novellas. Love it or hate it,

Alice in Wonderland grabs on to you

and doesn’t let go.

Why is that?

The history lover in me is

quick to point out that if you’re

familiar with British history, especially

history during the time the book was

first written, the books become

something so much more than just a

far out tale. They give you a slice of

history from a very unusual

perspective. By now most of us know

the Mad Hatter was actually not so far

off of real hatters. Due to the high

doses of mercury they worked with,

over time many hatters became

unhinged. By making an iconic

character, Carroll slips in commentary

on the dangerous working conditions

of the working class.

It can be argued that the

Queen of Hearts, one of the most

iconic figures of all, is a portrayal

of the brutal monarchies that ate

away at England from time to

time. In each case it took a person

(or many people) like Alice,

idealistic and curious, to challenge

the monarchies and sometimes to

bloody ends.

The fact that Carroll, a

pseudonym for Charles Lutwidge

Dodgson, chose to put such heavy

politics into a children’s book

leads to a lot of questions. Those

questions become more and more

conspiracy theory like when you

take into account that Dodgson

took on the famous Lewis Carroll

moniker to publish the book. Was

his commentary so hard hitting

that he felt like he needed to

protect himself?

But not everyone is a

fan of history like me or into

book theories. And honestly it

took me years to read the

books and realize how much

history was packed in there. A

timeless tale doesn’t become

so by being appealing to only

one group.

Apparently weirdness is

a highly appealing trait. Alice’s

bizarre encounters made me

love the book and pick up the

second. You see, nothing like

Wonderland can or will ever

happen in real life. Yet, despite

how bizarre everything is, this

story is so familiar.

Everyone in life

encounters someone like the

Queen of Hearts. Sometimes it

takes a long time for us to

stand up for ourselves or others

and to say enough is enough.

Sometimes we encounter a

person like the Mad Hatter, and

we have to learn to be patient,

to listen, and to realize that the

stories others tell us are

important to them, and deserve

respect. Sometimes we meet,

or become, the White Rabbit.

Running to and fro, constantly

worried about will we be on

time because heaven forbid we

are late to a very important

thing.

Personally, I think that he just

wanted a name that everyone could

remember, and Charles Lutwidge

Dogson is a mouthful even for the

most articulate of us (or maybe that’s

just me).

For the history lover, it’s easy

to see the appeal. There’s plenty of

controversy over the politics behind

the book, and for book theorists, Alice

in Wonderland is a goldmine. The

questions range from if the political

themes are intentional to if Carroll

was on drugs while writing it, and just

about everything in between.

This makes Alice an iconic

heroine. She’s a young girl that

grows tremendously, not just

physically, but inwardly as well.

She starts off naïve, unsure of

herself and her surroundings,

fearful and willing to give up.

Challenge after bizarre challenge

she uses her curiosity to help her

overcome. Sometimes it gets her

into trouble (such as when she’s

swimming with the animals in the

pool of tears and deeply offends

the mouse). But it often times

helps her find the courage to go on

and find a solution.

By the end of the book,

Alice has made choices for herself

for the first time in her life,

accepted responsibility for said

choices, stood up to a cruel Queen,

and saved herself and various

critters. To top it all off, she gets

home safely. Although it was a

dream, she realizes that she

learned something from that

dream and decides to keep those

memories and lessons with her.

And she does as we can see from

the sequel Through the Looking

Glass.

Alice’s stories are iconic for a

number of reasons, the biggest

being that they speak to the heart.

We might never experience the

bizarreness of a disappearing

grinning cat, but we experience our

own oddities every day. We can

take a lot of strength from Alice.

No matter how overwhelming the

situation was, no matter how

bizarre her life got, she used what

she had on hand, the very things

her sister reprimanded her for, to

save herself.

I think it’s important for all of

us to have a little Alice in

ourselves. It’s good to be

curious, and curiosity can lead

to many wonderful things.

When life drops us down the

rabbit hole, it’s curiosity that

will give us courage and help

us carve our own path.

Yeah, try giving a definition for

all the words Carroll coined in

The Jabberwocky…

We don’t know, but we’re not sure

if we want to find out.

Poor Father William gets a roasting…

The Walrus and the Carpenter is perhaps Carroll’s most recognized

poem, referenced in The Beatles’

song I Am The Walrus.

When her mother’s mental health gets worse, she knows she has to save her family and goes down the rabbit hole herself. But the real Wonderland is much different from the fictional, much darker and way more twisted. She has to pass several tests, like waking the sleeping tea party. Help comes from Morpheus, her attractive but mysterious guide to Wonderland, and from her best friend and secret crush Jeb.

General: I still haven’t read the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, but after this book, I am more than determined to read it. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes their stories dark. I liked: The writing style was

really great. It underlined the

fast pace of the book very well

and I had no problems

understanding anything. The

protagonist Alyssa is a badass.

“No one knows what he or she

is capable of until things are at

their darkest.”

Synopsis: Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

Favourite quotes:

- I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick.

- Sometimes a flame must level a forest to ash before new growth can begin.

- For that is the essence of a soul. Hopes and dreams and love.

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Publisher: Henry N. Abrams

Release Date: 18th February 2014

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Rating: 4 stars

She would do anything to save her family. I also love that you’re not sure who really is the villain in this book and how the author plays with it, giving hints towards who it is and who is not, but never really stating it. And since I am a big fan of anything dark and twisted, I already fell in love with the book by the first sentence.

The permanent switching between two guys. Especially since I really don’t like one of the guys. I have been annoyed with him from the beginning of the book. Plus there was sometimes just too much drama. There weren’t really any breaks between the events, it was probably a bit too fast paced. I didn’t like: The love

triangle. Though I have to

admit that I’m not really a

fan of love triangles.

First gather your ingredients: 2 cups of flour (grams

1/4 teaspoon of salt (grams (about the bottom of your palm)

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1 cup of butter

1/2 cup of white sugar

Spring. A time of new beginnings and nature. A time often associated with tea and tea parties. Speaking of tea and tea parties, this month's theme is tea parties. That is why this month's recipe (er, recipes) is a Scotch Shortbread Cookie with a tea recommendation of Green Jasmine Tea. I suppose you could go to your local grocery store or market and find all the spices to make Green Jasmine Tea but you could just as soon grab a Green Jasmine Tea tea bag and make your tea that way. I'm not really a tea person but this is the one tea that even I will drink so that says something about the tastiness of the tea.

Now on to the cookie recipe. I found the recipe I'm providing on allrecipes.: thhcom, submitted by user LindaK. This is a very tasty yet surprisingly simple recipe. It should take about fifteen minutes to prepare and another ten to fifteen to cook.

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees

Celsius).

2. Next, put the flour, salt, and baking powder together in bowl

and mix together. Grab another bowl and mix the butter and

sugar together (it helps if the butter is at least room

temperature or slightly hotter. It should not be completely

melted) until it is light and fluffy. Start to add dry ingredients

to the bowl with the sugar and butter and stir in.

3. Roll out dough on counter until it's about 1/4 of an inch

thick. Take any kind of cookie cutters and cut the dough out.

When there isn't any more room to cut cookies out of but

still dough, take the leftover dough, smash together, and roll

out 1/4 of an inch thick and repeat steps. Lay the cut out

cookies on a cookie sheet and put into the now heated oven.

4. This is the part where most recipes would give you an exact

time for how long they should cook and I guess that's fine

but here's the thing: everyone's oven is different. There are

two main types of ovens, convection and gas ovens. They

both cook slightly differently. So you can risk cooking your

cookies for ten to fifteen minutes (which is about the time it

should take) or you can check on the cookies every five

minutes. Never, never leave the kitchen when something is

in the oven. Following that logic, it shouldn't be that hard to

check on the cookies every five minutes.

5. Pull out the cookies, brew some tea, and cuddle up with a

cat and this month's book recommendations.

More than that, different

characters in these stories fulfill

different jobs in the forms of

archetypes.

where does little Alice Liddel fit in

to this grand scheme? Quite simply

put, she is a child. The child

archetype is usually the innocent,

the one in need of care or

protection and, in many characters,

a resisting force to the burden and

responsibility of growing up or

letting go. In many stories, the child

archetype represents hope or

rebirth. Many people can associate

with these archetypes as

personality types. The relatability

of these archetypes can help to

explain why we find certain

characters so compelling: because

they’re like us.

So Jung’s child archetype takes

many forms, the most common of

which include:

This is the child was hurt at a young age or simply born hurting, unhappy, and unable to let go of pain, often making a point of helping those who share their pain. Think Harry Potter.

This is the child with a strong

connection to nature, plants, and animals. Think Dickon from The Secret Garden.

This is the perpetually innocent

child, often with a divine purpose or mission. This archetype can apply to significant religious figures across the world such as Jesus, Moses, Krishna, or Buddha.

This is the child who refuses to grow up. Perhaps the best example would be Peter Pan.

This child feels out of place even in their own family, and struggles to find a place to belong. Think the Ugly Duckling or Cinderella.

This is the child who seeks out the magic, hope, and beauty in all things. Think Lucy in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Stories are what make us

human. More than that, they

connect us. Why is it that we

can hear a trickster story from

Ghana and compare it to

Navajo or Scandinavian

folklore? Why does the threat

of an evil overlord or the plight

of a young orphan pervade so

many mythologies around the

world? Because, on a deep

level, they all come from the

same place.

So, Alice Liddel is a child,

but which child?

Certainly not the

wounded or orphan

child, and while Tim

Burton’s recent

adaptation of her

adventures might

suggest she is a divine

child with great purpose,

Carrol’s text very clearly

sets her adventures in

both Wonderland and

the Looking Glass as

dreams. Though Alice

does not evidently grow

up during the course of

her adventures, she

does not display any

resistance to doing so,

which makes her a poor

choice for the eternal

child.

According to Swiss

psychologist Carl

Jung, this may be

because we as

humans share a

collective

unconsciousness.

In the simplest

possible terms,

Jung believes it is

this shared

consciousness

that inspires our

myths and stories.

worlds of her own, which she explores

enthusiastically. While Carrol’s clever

satire and demonstration of logical

fallacy lends the fiction an undeniable

Nor does she demonstrate any particular

bond with nature. This leaves the

magical child.

draw, it is the magic that the reader

remembers; the curious little girl who

forgets her rhymes and chases after

white rabbits. Not only does she create

her own magical world, she awakes in

the reader their own innate desire to

explore one, as well. As is stated by the

unicorn she meets during her adventure:

“Well, now that we have seen each

other…if you'll believe in me, I'll believe

in you.”

Alice’s adventures are her own

dreams, so she not only seeks

fantasy but she creates vast

nonsense.

And the reader will, if only for the

moment. Alice unlocks the reader’s

inherent sense of wonder, reminding

them of their childhood fancies.

There’s a reason a young protagonist

remains well-loved and adapted

worldwide, from the recent Tim

Burton films to Japanese manga

based on the story. Alice was

inspired by a real girl, whom Lewis

knew. Beyond the stories, these

archetypes are touchstones that

people can also relate to. Readers

respond to Alice because, at some

point in their lives, they have known

an Alice. Maybe they are an Alice.

Regardless of where they’re from,

humans recognize Alice’s charm and

innocence and respond to her as

someone they have always known; a

dreamer and an innocent.

According to Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, this

Why I loved Angelfall: As soon as I was a few pages in, I couldn’t put it down again. It has become one of my favourite reads. Set in a dystopian present where angels came down from heaven, we follow Penryn Young on a quest to get her family back together. The angels, vicious and violent, have killed most of the human race and burned down cities. When Penryn’s sister is kidnapped by angels, she is left with a crazy mother and a wounded Angel named Raffe. Together they go on a hunt for Paige, Penryn’s sister, and they discover dark secrets which the angels have hidden away for so long.

The book is fast paced and the main focus lies on a girl trying to rescue her sister. Her abilities are believable and what she does comes always from within herself. She’s not a heroin who’s special through her own wits and combat abilities. She’s not special because she’s one of a kind or the only one who could save the earth. She’s one of many who can, although she gets special help. This was really refreshing, especially in a genre where most heroes have some kind of special ability. The characters in the book are so diverse and different from each other and I can’t even say how much I loved Angelfall. Angelfall is the first book in a trilogy, followed by World After and End of Days. I can recommend this book to everyone! Seriously, read this trilogy. Such great books!

This issue’s spotlight author is the amazing S.K. Sophia, who is currently working on getting her psychological thriller Finding Elyssia published. We caught up with her for a chat about psychopaths, Buffy and assassins…

What is your favorite book that you've read in the last year? This has definitely been the year of comics for me. Right now, I’m fixated on Matt Fraction and David Aja’s “Hawkeye” series. I started it for Kate Bishop (sassy badass Hawkeye), but damn, Clint Barton is growing on me. There’s also a children’s book called “Paper Bag Princess.” It’s about a prince who gets kidnapped by a dragon and the princess has to save him. When she finally does, he turns out to be a douchebag. She calls him a bum. It’s great. So I saw on your website you're a big fan of Halsey (I am too), which song do you connect with, by her, the most? I adore Halsey. “Control” is the song I connect with most, without a doubt. There are certain parts that reach into my soul and punch it in the face. Repeatedly. In a good way.

Here are two of my favourite lines: “Goddamn right, you should be scared of me.” “I’m well acquainted with villains that live in my head. They beg me to write them so they’ll never die when I’m dead."

Who was your favorite character to write about in your book, Finding Elyssia? Elyssia was a thrill to write because she’s a cross between Jessica Jones (Alias), Robin Scherbatsky (HIMYM) and April Ludgate (Parks & Rec), some of my favourite fictional characters. But I have to say, my favourite was Noah. He’s so screwed up. I love it. I explore different sides of myself through my characters, and Noah definitely represents the side I tend to keep to myself. He’s an egocentric, cunning, delightful pain in the ass. It’s like we’re the same person!

What music would Elyssia Dawn listen to? Her taste shifts from aggressive and emotional to calm and creepy. You’ll find Chelsea Wolfe, Nine Inch Nails, Esben and the Witch, and Son Lux on her playlist. Pretty much anything that pumps her up enough to make the violence easier to swallow.

What motivated Elyssia Dawn to assault someone or was she framed? It’s complicated. I probably shouldn’t say anything. Okay, fine. Fighting was a fun thing for her, until the event that landed her in jail. I’ll speak no further. What should future readers of your books look forward to? A lighthearted but dark story. Every character is battling their own interior complexity, whether it’s a mental illness or unpleasant desire. One thing for sure -- they say what everyone else is thinking and it’s kind of liberating. Readers should prepare to be unsettled and have their minds’ blown.

What was your least favorite part to write in Finding Elyssia? I don’t recall a single part I didn’t enjoy writing. Finding Elyssia was written by request. I wrote a chapter and put it up on Figment, just to see if people would like my writing (because I didn’t) and it ended up getting a big response. People were asking for more chapters and so week-by-week I uploaded a new one. It ended up becoming a novel that way. Because of other people’s enthusiasm for it, it was hard to lose mine. There were times when writing the emotional scenes threw me off a little because of the way I write them (it’s a very strange and emotional process), but those scenes ended up getting the strongest reaction from fans.

What is your favorite writing project you've ever worked on? Evil question. Evil. Whatever I’m working on at a given time is my favourite project. I have to say though, I really liked Zedek, a series of short stories I wrote about a teenage assassin. It was brutal and so much fun to write. Zedek is kidnapped when she’s six years old and trained to be an assassin. At fourteen, she’s handed her first assignment -- to kill a man she later discovers to be the father she was stolen from. After this revelation, she runs away from her immoral life but of course, it chases her. She finds out the guy she murdered wasn’t her father. The man who kidnapped and trained her was. And he made her assassinate the real kidnapper who took her from her hospital crib. I hope that didn’t just confuse the hell out of you! Damn… Telling you about it is making me love it all over again.

One day, would you want to see Finding Elyssia turned into a movie? Yes. Hell yes. 100% YES. Visualization is a huge part of my writing process. I create stories in my head before they’re down on paper. I imagine what scenes would look like on screen and if it works, it’s getting written. When I first started writing in my teens, I wrote a lot of scripts too. I also love reading ‘em. I get bored easily, so I tend to enjoy reading comics and scripts more than actual novels, because I’m always so desperate to get to the dialogue and leave the rest to my imagination. I’m definitely going to pursue a movie-centric career at some point in the future. It’s inevitable.

If you could dye your hair any color, which color would you dye it? I’m a fan of pretty much every hair colour. I’m always doing mine with cheap red dyes, but hopefully one day I’ll do a really cool cherry colour. Or maybe I’ll get a dusty grey tint. The possibilities are endless.

What would you consider your biggest accomplishment? Starting my own business when I was 18. I ran it with my three best friends and it was the time of my life. We ran arts & crafts workshops in schools for under 11s, to build their confidence and creative skills. Second to that is printing off my first manuscript for Drastic Measures. A quirky “chick lit” I wrote about a woman who tries to change her fate after getting worrying predictions from a psychic. It’s pretty hilarious. I’ll give you an example. One of the predictions is that she’ll have an accident, so she walks around in excessive protective gear and it’s just wonderful and silly.

And finally, if you were to press a button and be transported into any fictional world, A) would you do it and B) which world would you choose? Hell yes, I’d do it. I’ve thought about this before. When I was a kid it was Pokemon. In my teenage years it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, I realise how stressful those worlds would be so I’d choose something cute like New Girl where everything is sunshine and rainbows. I would absolutely love being a roommate in their loft! S.K. Sophia is the author of several

quirky gritty-witty books [a word

she coined herself]. Her current

novel, Finding Elyssia is an intense

psychological thriller with a quirky

overtone. It’s a story about

redemption, trust, and harsh

realities in a world where morals

are bent, lines are crossed, and

darkness is accepted.

In a world so monumentally

screwed up, how does a mentally

unhinged girl like Elyssia Dawn fit

modern society’s code? She’s an

ex-assault-convict with a sour

attitude, bitter heart, and lusty

resistance to boundaries. Her

family disowned her, her best

friend despises her, and she can’t

get a job.

Elyssia wants to prove that she’s

not the same rebel who inflicted

pain for pleasure, but finds it’s

more difficult than imagined after

befriending Noah Vaughn, a man

incapable of change. In a

desperate attempt to find herself,

Elyssia soon begins to lose herself

instead in Noah’s cozy world of

colorful madness.

You can visit her at

www.sksophia.com