A couple weeks ago I grumpily walked home in the rain, and decided that my night was already ruined because I was soaking wet and got splashed by three different buses as they whizzed by me on the street. When I got home, though, my mood was immediately changed because I had book mail waiting on my door step!

Getting home to find the May Box from Novel Editions was a welcome surprise. Life has been so busy lately that I completely forget it was on its way. This month’s theme was “Leading Ladies” and I couldn’t wait to see what was included. I rushed inside and ripped my box open, and was so incredibly happy with the contents!

One of the reasons why I love Novel Editions so much is because it features so many amazing female authors. Stories written by ladies never get enough credit, so I’m always excited to see one featured. Plus, all of the bookish items were also centered around female characters, which was also awesome.

This month’s book was The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan. This novel, which was published in February 2017, is about a women’s choir in a small English town during the start of WWII. With the majority of men off to fight, the choir is told to disband, but these ladies aren’t willing to part with their singing. Instead, they fight back, keep their choir going, and sing through their hardships and struggles as the war rages on.

I’m going to be honest: this is not the type of book that I typically get excited to read. I tend to steer clear of historical fiction—my History degree makes me way too critical of literary adaptations—and I don’t think I have ever once been intrigued by the idea of singing. However, I didn’t think I would enjoy the book featured in the April Box, A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline, and I ended up loving it.

That’s another thing that I love about Novel Editions: it has forced me to read books I would normally ignore, and expand my knowledge and appreciation for contemporary and historical fiction. If The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir was picked out from other stories to be featured, it must be good, so I am excited to give it a go.

The other items included in the May Box were Jane Eyre & Alice in Wonderland inspired tea from First Edition Tea Co. (delicious!), a set of three literary bookmarks from CarrotTopPaperShop—which featured Jo March, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Anne Shirley (three cheers for red-headed heroines!), and a literary inspired mug. The mug, I must say, is my favourite item from a Novel Editions box to date, aside from the books, of course!

There are still some May boxes available online if you’re interested in getting one for yourself. The June Box is also on sale, and sounds amazing. The theme for next month is “Evolution” and will feature a novel by a Canadian author, a signed book palette, and a couple other bookish items. I’m really intrigued by this theme, and can’t wait to receive it!

If anyone is interested in purchasing a subscription to Novel Editions, please feel free to put “Referred by Elizabeth DiCesare” in the “note to sender” section when purchasing.