Subscription Boxes

All the unboxings and details about subscription boxes (bookish or not)

Books, Subscription Boxes

Rebels on the Run Book Box Club Unboxing

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Fantastic theme and I knew immediately which book it’d be and was excited for the box because I seriously enjoyed it a lot, so let’s unbox starting from the top left corner and going clockwise:

  • Theme card, very wild West like.
  • Underneath a Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets tea towel which I loved because it has a huge moon and is really beautiful art.
  • Favour stickers, it is book related and I instantly knew what they were and thought it was awesome.
  • Two promotional bookmarks.
  • Chocolate “Pixie Dust” covered pretzels. I don’t eat a lot of chocolate, so I had one but the rest were scoffed by my husband. He first was like “what is this, meh, funny pretzels” and then was like “need more, delicious!”
  • Desert sticky “bookmarks”, made my work colleagues smile and me too. I found it amusing.
  • Verify promotional postcard, intriguing book indeed.
  • The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis. I enjoyed it a lot and reviewed it here.
  • A Bookish Rebel mason jar, I was just sad it didn’t come with a lid but still, liked this.

All in all strong box and had lots of great items, probably the only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the promoitonal stuff, which to be fair is nothing bad at all or anything to complain about. Also the cover for Good Luck Girls is like someone poured liquid gold on it and wow. Absolutely stunning! Really blew me away.

Books, Subscription Boxes

High Stakes Illumicrate Unboxing

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The theme for September’s Illumicrate was High stakes, but was it up tothose high stakes? Let’s see what was inside, starting from bottom left corner:

  • Theme booklet. Matches the main book well.
  • A gorgeous ceramic mug with artwork inspired by Children of Blood and Bone. I find it gorgeous but also, I have been avoiding ceramic reusable travel mugs as I mostly use them in the car and if an accident happens and it shatters, well, not good. Bamboo is less problematic.
  • The End if Nigh notepad. This is perfect for shopping lists and in good timing as my current one is almost finished. It is inspired by Good Omens.
  • Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron. Super excited to read it, and the edges have a snake. However, I am a bit unhappy with the size of the book. Books to me are portable and that’s the beauty of it. With books as huge as this one, it is VERY hard to read them on public transport without poking someone, they don’t bend as easily, and are SO heavy! I just wish we could get nice smaller editions (usually the paperback version is like 1/3 of the size).
  • Carry On scarf. Not a fan so this one was gifted (also, I have a bit of odd feelings about turning Carry On which is a “take on Harry Potter” into a full series).
  • A DNA lankyard cord thing, inspired by the Mortal Coil. Loved it!
  • And a wooden print thing. It is nice but it doesn’t look properly lacquered to put things on it without damaging it. May be bothered to do it or may not and pass it on.

All in all, some items did make it out of this high stakes box into a great item but half of them didn’t and that was a bit sad.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Fear the night Owlcrate Unboxing

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For some reason, Owlcrate does their “spooky” box in September (not that I am complaining because then my unboxing post can happen in October!) and this was a good spooky box.

Starting from the top left with the book and going clockwise:

  • The Bone Houses, and an “inverted” cover for the black background to white and the white lettering to black. Still gorgeous, very excited about the book!
  • A Penguin Classic Horror (The Haunting of Hill House), I was never going to love this one as I am not a horror person but someone will so no biggie. Plus it is an extra book.
  • A spooky print which I liked it.
  • The monthly pin inspired by the book.
  • Theme zine
  • Skeleton fingerless gloves. I love that they are very long, my dog chewed up the last pair from a previous Owlcrate, so this was perfect timing (and they are being kept well out of the reach of the dog).
  • Coffee. My biggest issue is the coffee label has little to no information. I still think it could easily have a label with details on the back (as this is obviously blended/flavoured coffee, good for allergens, etc). But I like coffee, so not bad and this one smells real good.
  • A sampler of The Beautiful, not intersted at all but cool.
  • Theme card, I like the artwork.
  • A trinket dish which is very pretty but I already have two that I am using and have no need for more (otherwise I would keep it, it is nice).

All in all a well packed box with lots of nice interesting useful things and lots of spooky in it but not too much (at least in my taste).

Books, Subscription Boxes

Magical Realms Book Box Club Unboxing

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The third anniversary Book Box Club box was packed full of wonderful magical things. Starting with the theme card on the bottom right and going clockwise:

  • Theme card, with a gorgeous magical illustration.
  • Ten Thousand Doors postcard
  • Personalised Clubhouse invite. (The Clubhouse is awesome, we get to chat with the author and ask questions and chat between us).
  • A super gorgeous book sleeve that matches the book but also stands well on its own.
  • The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. I’ve been very excited about this book and can’t wait to read it and also have a chance to chat with Alix at the clubhouse!
  • Elsewhere room spray, meant to evoke the scent of the magical realm of the book.
  • Take me to Narnia bath melt. It smells wonderful and looks gorgeous, can’t wait to use it in a nice bath.
  • Spirited Away magnetic bookmark, it is super cute and I was just excited to see it in a book box (more Ghibli stuff in book boxes!)
  • Night Circus pin, also extremely gorgeous and dreamy.
  • Featured book bookmark and a promotional bookmark for the M word.

As you can see the box was full of many “doors” to magical worlds, through scent, or scenes or a book…

Books, Subscription Boxes

Blood & Blades Illumicrate Unboxing

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My very first Illumicrate box included this hardcover book with a crow and a red sun on the cover (sound familiar?). So it wasn’t any surprise that when they announced they w0uld be doing a special edition for Darkdawn, I had to have it (plus they special editions boxes are stunning!).

My very first Illumicrate. I had zero clue on how to do unboxing pictures.

As you can see above, Nevernight wan’t the only book and it didn’t have an author letter like The Graces did. Nevernight was the “afterthought”, the second book, rather than the main one. Back then the boxes weren’t themed either and it was way more of a surprise what you could get…

But back to the main thing, the Darkdawn box. Because we’ve come to the end of the trilogy.

Look at that, I have a slightly better idea what I am doing with an unboxing, and this time the blanket underneath is not one I made myself, but part of the box. Oh how time goes by! Let’s unbox this, starting from the top left corner and going clockwise:

  • Underneath everything, a Mr Kindly and Eclipse blanket. It is the softest thing ever and I love it!
  • Nevernight Short-Form Series Extras, a kind of script and sneak peek book for what Piera Forde has been doing on trying to adapt it to “film”.
  • A wooden map of Itreya. I don’t know what I will use it for, but I really like it.
  • Mr Kindly bath bomb by Geeky Clean. This smells gorgeous and I am looking forward to using it in my bath.
  • Contents zine.
  • A gorgeous mug called “Goodnight Kiss”, but spoilers, so yeah…
  • Darkdawn book, with yellow edges (like the Italian edition if I got it right). (Sadly I prefer the dark edges, but I think part of it is I am not a fan of yellow).
  • On top of it, a Mia magnetic coin.
  • A print of Mia and Trik (same artwork as the script thing extra stuff)
  • Three, the extra content/deleted scene.
  • Character bookmarks that are double sided.
  • Foil (it is super extra stunning) Hard at work print of Mia.
  • A gorgeous book sleeve with two different sides, A Story to Tell.
  • Mia “Funko Pop” style figurine.
  • Two amazing pins by Fable and Black. I was blown away by them!
  • Finally, close to the mug, the Corvere crest as a necklace.

All in all, a very full box with lots of stunning items! Illumicrate did an amazing job and I am glad I bought that first box with Nevernight way back when (I have been subscribed to them since then…)

Books, Subscription Boxes

Let The Games Begin Book Box Club Unboxing

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Let’s see what was isnide this Book Box Club! Starting from the book and going clockwise:

  • The Beckoning Shadow, a book a bit like fight club but at the same time not.
  • Postcard for An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
  • A Quidditch ticket patch (I like patches I just don’t know what to do with them or where to put them).
  • Barrington Stoke sampler collection.
  • Seafire bookmark.
  • Theme postcard.
  • Queen of Hearts earrings, they will make my sister super happy!
  • A very green Absolutely Remarkable Things notebook. It’s nice but sadly not that remarkable.
  • A nicely smelling candle, Remember it’s only a Game.
  • The clubhouse invite.
  • A book Bingo that sticks to your fridge (magnetic). Sadly the stickers kept not working out and we just gotta mark them instead. But I like the concept!
  • Finallly, a string bag with a quote on it. My mother loved it.

As much as I usually love Book Box Club, this box was a little underwhelming and it was also the box that was the most delayed. But the next box is the anniversary one so I am hoping it will pick up again (in general, August boxes aren’t my thing for some reason).

Subscription Boxes

Totoro Picnic YumeTwins Unboxing

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This box made me panic, because it had not arrived almost two months later. But it did two days before I could complain it was lost in the post 9sneaky box).

As you know, every now and then I get one of their boxes because the theme tempts me. So with a theme of “Totoro Picnic” it was obvious I needed it, right? (the answer here is yes if it is Ghibli). Starting on the theme card on bottom right and going clockwise:

  • Theme zine, which usually has more than just what is inside the box.
  • Totoro chopsticks. I’ve had some other chopsticks from them and they’re sturdy and easy to wash.
  • Totoro plastic camper mug, super cute.
  • Totoro face towel in a handy holder.
  • A plastic picnic blanket (I should stop saying it has Totoro on it, right?)
  • Two nice receptacles, kinda bento boxes that stack well.
  • As a bonus, it came with a Pokemon cable protector (the tiny one next to the lid and chopsticks)

Isn’t it all super cute? I was glad I got this cute box.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Armed and Dangerous Illumicrate Unboxing

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I was very excited about the theme of this box and I liked the contents, so let’s see what was in it. Starting from the book on the left and going clockwise:

  • Gideon the Ninth, necromancy, space, what else do you need?
  • Sister Apple inspired liquid soap. I am fond of liquid soaps as they work great as shaving creams (as they’re fancy ones and usually handmade or at least, small business made).
  • Weapons bag, which is the perfect Illumicrate colour. The size is wonderful for a summer day when a jacket is too much but I still want to carry minimal stuff and at the moment I only have one suitable small bag, so this is a great thing to find in the box (the only thing that would make it better is if it was black)
  • The collectible coin, it’s Lila Bard, but still not convinced on the coins.
  • Above there’s a promotional map.
  • A gorgeous mug designed by Rosie, it is not enamel but ceramic but it is gorgeous. A happy Moon here.
  • A Scythe for opening bottles (it is nicely heavy and SO gorgeous).
  • A Cutlery set which made me very very happy and is now at work on my desk. Plus it came with a metal straw. Really really happy with this part.
  • The theme booklet.
  • Gideon the Ninth trading cards (though there weren’t nine of them in it, wonder if the why is in the book which I haven’t read).

As you can see, there’s very little I didn’t really like (moslty the coin) so this was a great box for me and quite handy. I loved the cutlery set and bottle opener but all of it was nice to get. Looking forward to the September box! <3

Books, Subscription Boxes

Storms and Seas Owlcrate Unboxing

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A dark and stormy box with a nice blue theme (I like blue). And it was probably not as good as other boxes for me, but it was interesting. Let’s see what was in it, from left and going clockwise.

  • House of Salt and Sorrows, inspired by the twelve dancing princesses, so I am very curious.
  • Theme card, with a melancholic picture.
  • A tea light lantern. I find it cute but will probably never use it sadly.
  • The Little Mermaid inspired bath salts, looking forward to using it.
  • The monthly collectible pin, which is nice.
  • An exclusive bookmark to match the book (it is gorgeous)
  • Anothe bookmark, but wooden. It is very nice but it is too thick to really use inside a book which is a shame. I have to say, wooden bookmarks in general are not my thing, they are either too flimsy and feel like they’ll easily break or are too thick and can’t be used nicely.
  • Sea Witch tea, which I am curious to try, we shall see, but I like it is a relatively small satchet so if I don’t like it it will be fine (though I doubt that)
  • A pencil tin case, cute but I don’t use them, so a bit sad, but it is very pretty.

In general it had a lot of really nice things but most of them just aren’t the type of objects I’d use or enjoy. I can appreciate that they are nice and look good but alas it isn’t a good value this time.

Books, Subscription Boxes

It’s a Kind of Magic Illumicrate Unboxing

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I really like the vibe of this box, it feels very fitting to the book it featured. So let’s dive in, starting from the top left corner:

  • Discovery of Witches pin. I struggled to read this one due to the main love interest so I gifted my copies away. But the pin is cool
  • Uprooted Tote, which is a super dreamy eerie tote and I love it. It is perfect!
  • Magnetic coin (not bothered by it, as you may already know).
  • Theme booklet, I love the design is eerie, witchy, green.
  • Bellatrix promotional booklet.
  • Witchlands pin banner underneath the book (I like the size and that it is black).
  • Sanctuary, by Vic James. I have been really looking forward to it since I knew it was going to exist. (And I won a proof copy plus some extras at YALC so this is awesome!)
  • Wicked Saints Tiptych, love the artwork.
  • Second half of the bookends. I am a little bit disappointed by them as they are much too fragile and the pointy bits are bending even before I have used them just by moving them. But I do like the idea of the design.
  • A “book” Magic Spells ceramic pot. I am bad with plants but this makes me want to plant something in it and see it grow and be magic…

I was a bit of two hearts on this box. Some items are awesome, some I am not that crazy about but what definitely goes is that gorgeous totebag, favourite item for sure and I am very happy with the gorgeous green sprayed edges of the book.