Subscription Boxes

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Time is Running Out, November 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box that usually features fantasy and sci-fi, and curates a wide range of books, including both young adult and adult fiction. It usually contains a new release and several bookish goodies.

Time is running out is a hell of a theme, makes me think of Catch me if you can or inception, or similar films, so let’s see how we did with the theme and items, startingwith the featured book and going clockwise:

• The featured book was The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso. And I have actually read (and reviewed) this book, before I even got the book box, and really enjoyed it, it was a really good choice.
• The Vagabond Quick tumbler, which I like these but I already have one I keep so this went as a gift since I only really keep one or two of them, but they are quite hardy and long lasting.
• Socks, divine rights socks. I love getting nice socks in book boxes, so this was a win and they are still in rotation and have been used a lot.
• The monthly leaflet.
• A Jump into Alternate Realities book pot. I love these pots and I think I kept this one because it is very fun!
• One More Chapter coin. Basically to help you stop reading when you say “one more chapter”, toss and it will tell if you go ahead or not. Love the idea of it and I rarely ever actually follow it but I still find it very fun.

This was a very good and nice bok, and I have fond memories of reading the book, which was super enjoyable, and the socks are as always awesome to get, so I was pretty pleased with Novemeber and what it brought even if there was no running around to try to make time last longer (though if you get philosophical, then time goes back to normal around this time of year and the darkness wraps around making time seem shorter).

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Colours of Magic, October 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box that usually features fantasy and sci-fi, and curates a wide range of books, including both young adult and adult fiction. It usually contains a new release and several bookish goodies.

Colours of Magic makes me think of Terry Pratchett, and so let’s see how the box did starting at the top left corner and going clockwise:

• A Moth to Flame chain enamel pin set which I think is very cute and pretty.
• I used to be obsessed with book covers, and I admit I prefer these that wrap around than the ones that are more like a sleeve, and this cute dragon one is gorgeous.
• A bottle travel set, which I ended up gifting to someone who travels since I already have one, but this was utterly pretty and got lots of admiration.
• Leftlet of the month
• Washi tape, though I don’t remember the theme. I kinda like washi tape but forget to use it enough.
• The featured book was Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan which is on my reading list but haven’t got to it yet.

Overall, definitely a magical box with lots of colours and different fandoms, which was pleasing. Nothing really unusable or gone to waste, so also a win there. I’d say it was pretty good for October even if I haven’t read the book yet.

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Darker Academia, September 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box that usually features fantasy and sci-fi, and curates a wide range of books, including both young adult and adult fiction. It usually contains a new release and several bookish goodies.

I have mixed feelings about Dark Academia but let’s go into this with open eyes, starting bottom left and going clockwise:

• The Dark Academia Bookcase jigsaw puzzle. I love when they send jigsaws, because they’re very fun and I find it a nice activity to do, so this is already a win.
• A task journal (interesting concept) with a gorgeous cover.
• Reading prompt cards, not a concept for me particularly since I am a mood reader and being prompted or forced to choose something does not work, but I did like the idea behind it. It has genre suggestions but also things like “a book with dragons” and so forth, which is quite fun.
• A satisfying closure glasses case, which I don’t use simply because I don’t use a glasses case for my all the time on glass except when I sleep.
• The monthly leaflet as usual.
• And the featured book which was A Dark and Drowning Tide, which is on my list to read and I haven’t got to it annoyingly. But still looking forward to it.

Overall a very dreamy box, which had some very good items and some less useful for me but still creative and useful for others. Visually it’s one of my favourites of the year and the book was also a big favourite.

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Look What You Made Me Do, August 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release and several bookish goodies.

August box definitely had a distinct colour vibe going on here. So let’s go from the featured book and clockwise:

• Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright which I still have to read, I just haven’t felt particularly compelled to, and so I don’t know when I will get to it.
• A weekly pill box inspired by Ruthless Remedy. I like this one but I had one in use already so haven’t used it yet.
• Silver Under Nightfall inspired snack bowls. I love these and they are perfect for snack sizing. I generally love almost everything that is dishware they bring out.
• Underneath it we have a black and a red packing cube, which I gifted out as I didn’t need any but these were gorgeous.
• Then we have the usual monthly leaflet of contents
• And finally a replica dagger from The Serpent and the Wings of Night which I didn’t read so no clue. I generally don’t keep these since they’re too heavy to use as hair pins (if they were good as hairsticks, then I’d be all over them, but they’re much too heavy) and I don’t have much reason to keep them otherwise.

Overall, it was definitely a box in theme but I didn’t keep much from it, even if the snack bowls were absolute winners (they are still a winner). Part of me wishes the collectible was more useful but I get the nice unique factor here for the replicas.

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: I Will Fly, June 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

I am still super far behind on this, but one day I will catch up, I promise. This is still really the only book box I buy and I enjoy it enough to keep it going so far. Apparently for about ten years. How does time by so fast?

Anyway, let’s dig into the contents of this one:

• At the top we have two mechanical pencils (I have not used these, mostly because I am particular on the mechanical pencil I use for drawing, and otherwise I don’t really use them) inspired by Empress of Salt and Fortune.
• Bandits of Liagnshan enamel pin inspired by The Water Outlwas. I like the pin, it has been added to the ever growing collection.
• The monthly leaflet with the photo challenge and contents description. I used to keep these but have been recycling nowadays.
• A metal bookmark inspired by The Bone Shard Daughter (I haven’t read that one yet), which is super cool.
• The main book, which was Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen and I have yet to read it. It somehow didn’t become a priority amongst the choices I have made to keep around in my super minimal bookcase.
• And finally a print album inspired by Girls of Paper and Fire (that was a good series). I like these albums because I actually use them for prints and they are awesome for keeping them tidy and I can browse them nicely.

Overall, it was super on theme and very well tied together for pictures and showing off all the elements. Most of the items were good and useful (the mechanical pencils would’ve been in use if I was taking more notes and going places). So can’t complain on this box, I like it when they items all look good together and seem to stick incredibly well with the theme and each other and that was a win here for sure.

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Magical Bonds, May 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

Now we’re back to our regular posting schedule and somehow we are on the right month for illumicrate, just a year behind. Woops. But let’s check the contents, starting from the top left and going clockwise:

• The featured book which is Goddess of the River, which I have read and reviewed already. And absolutely loved it. Big win here.
• We then have some little clips, which I have been using for bags of crisps and other little things like that, very handy, even if a tiny bit big.
• Anther one of the storybook setting magnets, which live on my fridge happily holding recipe cards of the things I tend to need the recipe often enough.
• The usual content booklet.
• Another lovely mug, which I cannot for the life of me remember what the fandom was, but they are generally my favourite style of mugs and I love them very much.
• And finally, a book carrier. These are so so amazing, I have them all over the house, they’re the perfect thing to be at the base of the stairs to put things that need to go upstairs, and to have in the office for things that need to move form here to another room, and you get the idea, right?

This was a big winner box with lots of useful items and fun things that I have loved having, and that are regularly being used at home, so nothing really has ended up gathering dust or making me feel like it was wasted on me.

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Magic vs Science, April 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

I have no idea what March was and no pictures or any evidence of the box, so hi, welcome to April and this beautiful box, which was just very pretty overall! Let’s go from the top left and clockwise:

• Pencil case, I love these as they are always so pretty and useful. The only thing that would make them better is if they were the ones that can fit two levels and have a little tray in between.
• Eco friendly makeup cleaning pads. These are pretty and I haven’t used them for two reasons, one is that I don’t wear a lot of makeup, and the other is that every time I have used this type of pad, they end up not taking the makeup well off my face and they end up slightly modly or yucky even after a wash, or leaving them to dry, just bad experiences and I don’t want to ruin them so they exist happily in my makeup drawer waiting to be used.
• Our regular leaflet letting us know what is inside and the photo challenge.
• The featured book which is To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang, still on my list to be read.
• Gardening gloves, this went as a gift to someone who actually gardens, but they were very pretty and very well liked by the person who received them.
• A jigsaw, I love these so much! This time the science fiction bookcase which I have yet to do.

Overall as I had already said, a very nice box with very pretty items and for the most part all in use except the makeup pads but that’s me not the box itself. I did like this one quite a lot.

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Caged Hearts, February 2024

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

In which I discover that the tea towel I thought would be a super cute background ends up being a bad background, woops. But this was February’s box and let’s see what it had insidestarting from the leaflet and going clockwise:

• Monthly Leaflet, detailing the contents and the photo challenge.
• To Cage a God by Elizabeth May was the featured book, and I have actually read this one, go me, after so many unread ones.
• Anohter fo the collectible daggers/swords. I always forget which one is which as I don’t really collect them.
• A glass jar, these are meant to be user for drinking water or whatever or some storage, but I have only kept two since I only have so much space, sadly.
• A fairytale keyring, very cute.
• A plastic container bag thing. I assume it’s meant to be for like airport stuff or something, but I wasn’t too crazy about it.

Overall, not a bad box, with some cute items and some used less, but it was still nice.