Tag: book boxes

Books, Subscription Boxes

Full Moon Magic Owlcrate Unboxing

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Another moon themed box and now from Owlcrate, which meant a lot of excitement from me as I love moon themed boxes and I was curious to see what was inside this one. Starting from the theme card in the bottom left and going clockwise:

  • Theme card. I generally love the artwork in their theme cards and this is gorgeous.
  • The monthly pin which is an owl and moon phases, stunning.
  • A crescent moon bracelet in rose gold, which is probably not my favourite tone of jewelry but it is a nice bracelet.
  • Bone Crier’s Moon, with their exclusive cover version. I have to say that usually I love their exclusive covers loads but this one is just a bit more close up and blue so I ended up preferring the original one (not that this isn’t good, just not as good?) It also has golden sprayed edges.
  • A cute moon pouch (another item was inside it)
  • Oscar Wilde moon quote notebook. I like the artwork but what bugs me is that it is the same quote Fairyloot used in their moon themed box. There MUST be other wonderful quotes about the moon and magic and life to use rather than the same one used by others (I have this issue with just getting the same quotes over and over about the same topic, when there is so much to use and choose from and we fall into exactly the same ones over and over).
  • I squealed a tiny bit with the Moony puzzle because it is awesome and I love puzzles!
  • Wooden moon phases garland/bunting. Vixy loved it and so do it. It is gorgeous and was what was inside the little moon pouch.
  • A moon totebag.

All in all I really enjoyed the contents of the box, the only thing I wasn’t super keen was the quote choice but that is a relatively minor issue and more that it bothers me in general rather than exclusively about Owlcrate. And it definitely felt like a wonderful moon magic box.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Squad Goals Illumicrate Unboxing

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Another slightly delayed bookbox due to COVID19, was Illumicrate which also ended up at the wrong address, but oh well. Things happen. Hopefully that’s it.

Starting on the tote bag on the right, and going clockwise, contents of the box were:

  • Gorgeous tote bag, the sad thing is that it is only one sided art and it is the kind will end up kinda peeling off. Sad because the artwork is gorgeous.
  • A cute necklace for Dark Materials (I am told this was meant to be in the previous box).
  • A power bank with Aurora Rising squad on it. I haven’t tested it yet but think it is a fun idea and definitely useful, plus makes it feel like more value for the box.
  • Bookmarks for the Witchlands (?) series.
  • A print to go with the book of the month.
  • The main book, Dangerous Remedy. I love the edition but I am still unsure about the book as it felt a bit unpolished (the ideas were cool but it was all over the place and I think a few more edits would’ve helped it become much better).
  • A magnetic whiteboard for notes on your fridge which my husband spotted as soon as I added it to the fridge and found to be in his opinion one of the best items in a box (he’s biased).

All in all this box felt a little better in quality than the previous ones have been, which is good because it was lacking (and no I wasn’t counting the whole delay in stuff, etc). The book wasn’t super exciting but it is a hyped interesting one so that’s more my problem than an issue with the box. So far it looks promising for their quality if they keep upping it.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Break the Curse Fairyloot Unboxing

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So, after a long delay due to COVID19 issues, and the parcel being sent to the wrong address despite replying of needing address changes to all book boxes *sigh*, I have the March Fairyloot.

Starting on the top right and going clockwise:

  • Postcard about bieng in tough times.
  • Break the Curse theme card
  • A hard headband (not an elastic one) with a Raven Cycle print. The print is nice, but I will never use the headband because those hurt the hell out of my head and give me an instant headache, which is a shame.
  • Passport cover, again, nice idea, but most airports don’t like passport covers and ask you to take it out and then it is one more thing to try to balance and not loose, so yeah, just not happening (plus, I don’t think a lot of people are going to be travelling soon).
  • A list notepad.
  • Zippered booksleeve. It is cushioned and has a zipper on top and it is gorgeous, so I really like it.
  • A lankyard for Caraval. The lankyard is nice, but I am fed up of Caraval everything.
  • Tarot cards. Nice art, do not collect them.
  • A Holly Black tumbler, which is nice but I don’t really use this type of tumblers so won’t be used at all.
  • Bone Crier’s Moon, with gorgeous shimmering green edges. I am excited for it.

All in all an interesting box. The items are nice but most of them I won’t use which is a bit of a waste and sad. The book is definitely gorgeous, specially the subtle shimmering on the edges. Not a bad box, just a little less useful/less to keep for myself.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Cursed Kingdoms Book Box Club Unboxing

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One thing I admire about the girls is that somehow they’ve maanged to make a great box despite the delays in deliveries other boxes seem to be struggling with (and delayes in delivery, etc). The box even suffered from a change of the main featured book, but somehow they still made it on time. So, let’s unbox this, starting from the top center:

  • Zelle inspired soap.
  • The invite to the Clubhouse.
  • Framing both sides of the picture, are set of gorgeous prints that I can’t stop admiring.
  • A patch that says “Rule the World” (I am not big on patches, but I like this one is not iron on but more like “sew on”).
  • Seven Endless Forest, which is by the same author of Boneless Mercies and I am so excited to read it!
  • A sampler to The Book of Longings. I got hooked on Sue’s books with The Secret Life of Bees so was excited for this.
  • An eye mask to give you the best sleep out of a 100 year curse 😉
  • A biscuit, which was yummy and my husband even recognised which fairytale this was from without a hint from me.
  • Thorn, which I am utterly excited to read and heard great things about it.

There was also a promotional for Tales by Mail their middle grade box that will start soon.

All in all, I enjoyed the contents, the box doesn’t feel like less quality than usual (I’ve been feeling this with another book box so I highly appreciate all the care of this one) and one thing the girls get right is how the box looks all together not just each item. I am very pleased with it.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Worlds Collide Illumicrate Unboxing

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This is March’s Illumicrate box, and I am aware it is missing an item (it is listed in the card, so we know what is misisng but I won’t spoil it) and that is due to the pandemic affecting deliveries, so I won’t be counting that into this unboxing. They were more or less communicative about delays, but they were late in doing so and not very clear, which is not a great point to them (yes, it is a bit of a weird time, but most companies have been quick to notify and let customers and everyone know what’s going on).

So let’s see what was in the box, starting from the left and going clockwise:

  • The featured book, which is Havenfall by Sara Holland. I was looking forward to it and the edges are a gorgeous turquoise, really lovely.
  • This month’s coin and the previous month’s too (so they do keep their word of sending them once they have them). I am not big on the collectible coins, so this rarely ever weights in my opinion.
  • A clear plastic keyring. The artwork is nice and I get that they made it transparent to see the bottle through and all that, but it feels really cheap and like a “filler”. Specially if you compare to keyrings included in previous boxes.
  • A very nice print for City of Brass/Daevad trilogy, which I find gorgeous.
  • A mug, the artwork is nice but the quality is slightly blurry which doesn’t bother me much, but when it is next to the other mugs it feels a bit meh and doesn’t shine as much as it could have done.
  • Shrestha candle. It is glittery and smells delicious.

And the missing item. But even if that had been in the box, the recent boxes definitely feel like the quality and love have been missing from them. This makes me very sad, because given that at least hte last 2-3 boxes were much lower quality and felt underwhelming, I will probably have to cancel my subscription. Hard to do since I’ve been a subscriber for so long (from their fourth box, the Nevernight one). But I can’t keep paying for something that isn’t making me happy and that is lowering the quality and care for the box.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Music of the Night Owlcrate Unboxing

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The one thing I have to say about Owlcrate boxes so far is that they’re definitely making the effort to try ot be unique and have some special value item (either by the art and effort, or the item type). So let’s see what this one had, starting from the top left and going clockwise:

  • The theme card, I like the style so it was fitting for the theme.
  • Owlcrate socks, we all know I usually like socks if they’re soft and comfy and these are. And they are to celebrate Owlcrate’s anniversary 🙂
  • A Phantom of the Opera poster which was interesting to receive and I had to pile everything on it to keep it flat but really appreciated the fact it came rolled up and protected to avoid damage.
  • A mini portable speaker, which is the fun interesting item here and I was surprised and happy to see it in the box.
  • Ex libris cards with an owl and books, can’t complain at all.
  • A wooden plate in relief(it’s kinda carved?) with a quote from V. E. Schwab and the Monsters of Verity series.
  • A lip scrub which is probably the least interesting item for me and that I may not use.
  • Goblin Grove candle, it smells delicious.
  • The theme pin which is a great match to the featured read.
  • The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. I am very curious and it is gorgeous so hoping it is a good book as it looks interesting.

As it tends to be, this was a great box once again and I was happy with the contents so it feels like good value for money.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Mythical Monsters Book Box Club Unboxing

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Who doesn’t like the idea of mythical creatures? But what about mythical monsters? This box was full of a nod to them and so I’ll unbox starting in the bottom left and going towards the right:

  • The main book, Hold Back the Tide by Melinda Salisbury. It sounds a bit more horror like but I am very curious to read it!
  • A pin for hte Dark Compass
  • The theme card, which is very eerie.
  • A super ultra cute Niffler magnet which is adorable and immediately went unot my fridge (but I did debate giving it to Asha…)
  • Baby Nessie, the very charming mosnter of the tea (aka a tea filter in the shape of “Nessie” the Loch Ness monster).
  • The clubhouse invite, for our meeting with the author to discuss the book. Can’t wait, but first need to read the book!
  • Tea to fill Nessie’s belly! In this case a “Dragon” tea to go with the theme.
  • And finally, underneath it all, a gorgeous banner that I’ll probably use more as a tea towel than a banner because it is cloth and it is gorgeous. Love the colour of the illustrations of all the monsters/creatures of myths!

In general this was a great box with amazing stuff in it that made me smile and feels very on point for the theme. Nothing to complain about and the fact that the tea had a tea filter and it matched the whole theme was perfect. Bonus points for that!

Books, Subscription Boxes

Sparks Fly Illumicrate Unboxing

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A slightly delayed unboxing of Illumicrate’s February box since the box itself was delayed due to the pandemic. So let’s see what was inside!

Starting from the center with the theme booklet, and going clockwise:

  • Sparks Fly theme booklet/spoiler card
  • A book shaped tin. I like these because they’re useful for trinkets and look so good on the shelves. This one is inspired by Stalking Jack the Ripper.
  • A roll-on perfume, it smells amazing even if the name makes for amusing “what scent are you wearing?” “I’m wearing god of lies”. I like the roll-on ones because they’re easy to apply and “top up”.
  • Sorcery of Thorns pop socket. I am a bit torn on this one. The quality looks bad and the artwork which is nice doesn’t look too great, so it is tricky (also, how often does one change the pop sockets? I haven’t changed the one on my phone since I first put it a few years ago, so this won’t get used any time soon).
  • Coasters inpired by A Darker Shade of Magic pairings.
  • Serpent & Dove inspired bookmark clip.
  • And the book, which is The Midnight Lie. I haven’t read any of the other books by the author, so I am curious to see how it reads.

All in all the box still feels like there’s not enough love going into it (I know that there was no coin so I am not taking any points out due to that, delays have been affecting everyone, this pandemic isn’t the reason the box wasn’t as great). I just wish I could feel all the care going into the boxes as they used to.

Books, Subscription Boxes

Roses are Red Book Box Club Unboxing

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Can’t believe it is March already! But this is an unboxing for the February box from Book Box Club. The theme was Roses are Red which is very much a “romantic” one and as such I wasn’t too sure what to expect. A romantic book box without being too cliche or too much is hard to do, but the girls managed it amazingly.

I have no theme card, which I am not sure why, but my box was quite bashed on one side, so maybe it fell out or something? Who knows… But I’ll start the unboxing from the main book and go around clockwise.

  • The Upside of Falling. I’ve heard good things about this book, so I am curious even if romance and contemporary aren’t usually my thing. It came with a recipe which I am curious to try.
  • Just me & my book Tote bag. This is cute and I am usually happy with tote bags.
  • Ok, this is my favoruite part. A mug cake Belgian Chocolate brownie mix.
  • And not only that, it came with a mug! *excited* I usually complain that we get sent one item and nothing to go with it, but in this case, it is a perfect match and I love it. Plus the mug is cute and full of books and lots of references that I kept going “oh, oh, oooh”.
  • A notepad, again, these don’t go wrong for me unless they are hideous but this isn’t a bad one, it is even nice for notes or letters.
  • Promotional stuff for releases coming soon by publishers.
  • A roses are red hair scrunchie. This is probably the item that was the most sweet and probably the one I wouldn’t use (mostly I don’t use scrunchies). But I love the fact we get something useful and cute and just very nice quality.

I really enjoyed the box, it has a lot of items I would use or can see being used a lot without feeling like they are exclusively bookish or tied to a specific fandom you may not like or relate to. I am happy with it and my husband is extra happy about the mug brownie (I will have a few spoonfuls but he’ll benefit the most out of it).

Books, Subscription Boxes

Vengenace Will Be Mine Owlcrate Unboxing

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First box of the year, and it is still doing quite well, even if it wasn’t the best box of the month (Moon & Stars Fairyloot really took them all by a lot, but as I said in that review, it is obvious they really wanted to do that box), so let’s see what the contents were, starting on the theme card on the far right and going clockwise:

  • Theme card, I liked the simple artwork as it does great with negative space.
  • Mug, it is for HP5 and I am slowly trying to collect them. In general mugs win specially with this shape or a gorgeous artwork and this one has both of those things.
  • Monthly pin, probably not my favourite but this is the only monthly collectible item I am actually happy with as a concepy even if I am not always utterly in love with the pin, in general they are stunning.
  • A pill keeper (there’s a better term for this, I am sure), it even has a mirror (why do they come with a mirror?) and it is an interesting useful item to have in a book box, plus it is discreet but bookish.
  • Candle, with an interesting scent, I think burning it will smell different than what it does at first opening, it is subtle and I am curious.
  • Map from Lord of the Rings, probably my least favourite item from the box since I am not generally into hanging things and this type of banners, but it is still cool.
  • Crooked Kingdom socks! I love socks in boxes spceially when they are good quality soft ones with gorgeous designs.
  • And finally, the book, Scavenge the Stars. The cover change was a bit odd, but I still like it, not sure which one is my favoruite to be fair.

All in all it wa a good box, maybe not their best, but usually if the box has a mug, that’s the “star” item and the rest are just there to help it along and despite it, it didn’t feel too bad for having a mug in it. Looking forward to the next box!