Illumicrate Unboxing! (Box 7)

The box of my birth month is here, and these are usually my favourite because they feel like extra Birthday presents! I didn't mind too much that it came late in the month, it meant May ended with a bang!

I'm really excited to delve into the contents of the box with you guys, it's my favourite one that has come in a while! So many wonderful objects to unwrap, I was actually surprised that there was so much to find in it! Plus, there were two books! I was so happy, especially as I felt the last box was a bit emptier than previous boxes! This made up for it big time!

BOOK ONE: 'Truth Or Dare by Non Pratt. Oh my gosh, how lucky am I? A book by Non Pratt! I have never read anything by this lady, but I've been desperate to for a long time because her books have been recommended to me on so many different occasions! Also, does this seem like the perfect Summer read? Yes it does! I love the idea of their being two stories in one, the same series of events told by alternative perspectives, and it's an interesting way of doing things! The book came with a letter from the Author, which was a fun read. I always love the little extras that Daphne includes!

BOOK TWO: 'The Waking Land' by Callie Bates. I hadn't heard a lot about this book before receiving it in this box, but I do know it is a Fantasy, and we all know how much I love them! With that in mind, I was really happy to receive this ARC! It certainly looks like an interesting read, with a pretty cover to boot. I liked the letter from the author and a signed bookplate too, it was a nice touch. I look forward to finding time to read this!

Feyre Mug: While Sarah J. Maas' latest installment of the series has been controversial, I have read and liked the first book 'A Court Of Thorns & Roses'. I've recently acquired book two in order to see what happens to Feyre and her fairy friends, so I'm actually really pleased to have received this mug. Do I have too many mugs? Probably. Do I care? Not a jot. The artwork on the mug was by Merwild, check out her DeviantArt here!

Mermaid Lagoon Candle: I. Love. Candles. Honestly, Mat and I light them around the house all the time because they smell so good. And this exclusive scented candle from Flickerink is no exception and smells exactly how I imagine a Mermaid Lagoon to smell! Exotic, a little flowery, with a fruity punch! It's inspired by Neverland of course, and I'm really a big fan that is anything remotely Fairy Tale related!

Swish & Flick Keychain: I think my favourite thing about Illumicrate is that it introduces me to some really talented, creative artists who own small businesses and design exclusive pieces for the box. I really like keychains actually, and this was a beautiful Harry Potter inspired addition to my collection. It's an exclsive colour too, but do check out Nutmeg and Arlo for more designs, keychains, badges and cards! You won't regret it!

Enchanted Door Hanger & Print: I think this might be my favourite thing in the box! I'm a huge fan of Beauty & The Beast and TJ Lubrano has really outdone herself and captured my attention. What a talented lady! I have the hanger on the door to our open-plan reception room, and the print is pride of place nearby! I'll definitely be looking at possibly getting something commissioned by her in the future!

Map Bookmark: It did take me a minuscule amount of time to figure out what this was, but once I had done I thought it was really cool. A corner bookmark with a map design by Penguin Co. It's very clever actually and I would definitely recommend it to people that have a habit of dog-earing their books to save a page. It will help protect those precious pages!

I also received some extras from this box:

- A 'Windfall' poster
- A 'The Gender Games' badge
- Some 'The Taste Of Blue Light' postcards

Illumicrate Unboxing! (Box 6)

I honestly feel like I've been waiting for this box for an absolute age, but then, it often feels that way because unboxing every few months is so exciting! This one was sent out a little late which Daphne did announce via Twitter, so didn't arrive until the beginning of March. I felt that perhaps an email to all subscribers explaining the situation wouldn't have gone amiss, but as Daphne has been so great for the last five boxes, I wasn't too disappointed!

No change in the design, this definitely seems to be what Daphne is sticking with and I really like it! The box was split into two layers again this month, which really helped to build the excitement and suspense.

I have to say, there were far less items in this box than I'm used to so in comparison, I like some of the past boxes better. However, there were two books in this box too, and one is an ARC! That fact alone makes this three-monthly purchase a real treat, and worth both the wait and expense!

BOOK ONE: 'Wintersong' by S. Jae-Jones. Oh. My. Gosh. I can't believe that Daphne picks this book! Each and every month, it's as if she reads my mind and this was one of the books that I had been really hoping for because I want to read it so badly! For those that love the classic film 'Labyrinth' starring David Bowie, this is definitely going to be a book for you. It features a young girl, a Goblin King, and a mission to rescue a lost sibling. Seriously everything about this book appeals to me, and I squealed so much when I pulled this book out of the box! I'm still squealing now! This book also came with a letter from S. Jae Jones, a signed book plate and a cute bookmark too!

BOOK TWO: 'Red Sister' by Mark Lawrence. So I wasn't expecting this book at all when I pulled it out, and I have to say that I couldn't believe how huge it was! I'm talking 600+ pages! But I was also very pleased because Mark Lawrence is an author that I've ad my eye on for a while, being a fan of Epic Fantasy authors such as George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss. The synopsis for this book sounds really cool too, right up my alley! I can't wait to give it a go and see how I get on with it, so thank you so much for the ARC Daphne!

Bare Necessities Pouch: I pretty much started hyperventilating when I saw this because it is so freaking cute! I'm a huge Jungle Book fan and I fan-girl over anything related to it. This totally matches my Jungle Book tote bag! Also, I'm thinking of taking up Bullet Journalling, so this will be extremely useful for holding pens and tools for that! Also, I stalked the Literary Lifestyle Company's website and their are so many cool and unusual things to buy on their, with gorgeous designs! I highly recommend taking a look!

Magic & Mischief Balm: So I get very dry lips. A lot. Any kind of balm is useful to me because it use it so much! I've tried it a couple of times and I really like it. Plain and simple packaging, with a smell of coconut that I like a lot though the balm itself is actually tasteless. It applies pretty well and tingles a little which makes me feel like it's doing something. This is definitely a handy one that will go in my bag. This balm is called 'Magic & Mischief', but there are plenty of other kinds at Bookish Serendipity Co.

A Darker Shade Of Magnets: I'm getting the distinct feeling that Daphne is a fan of V.E. Schwab, considering the amount of Illumicrate goodies I now own related to the 'Shades Of Magic' series! I haven't got round to reading it myself yet, though I'm planning to in the  next couple of months and I really like these magnets. They are definitely going on my freezer! Her Bookish Things is taking a break right now, but it looks like they sell some really nice designs for prints and bookmarks, so I'll be keeping an eye out for when they're back!

Newt Scamander Bookmark: Who loved 'Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them'? I did! Jane's Tiny Things made the cutest looking bookmark of Newt's face, and having browsed the website, she makes a lot of fun magnetic bookmarks too! This was such a fun addition!

I also received some other extras from this box:

- 'Following Ophelia' Bookmark

- 'Flame In The Mist' Sampler

- 'Gilded Cage' Postcard

Illumicrate Unboxing! (Box 5)

In the past months I've felt like the time between boxes has sped by. That is not the case with this one and I've been so impatient while waiting for it. It came today and I can hardly wait to let you guys know what I got!

I won't really talk about the design, you can refer to my previous posts on that matter because it's been the same from the beginning and I still love it! I'll get straight onto the unboxing itself!

BOOK ONE: 'The Diabolic' by S.J. Kincaid (Hardcover). That's right, BOOK ONE heavily implies two books and for me there was! The first is 'The Diabolic', a sci-fi YA adventure that I've had my eye on for a little while now. Especially as I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi. I'm really glad that this was Daphne's choice for the book because I don't know if I would have bought it for a long time if it hadn't have been in the box! This book came with a letter from Kincaid, a signed bookplate and a bookmark which is always useful for a reader! The cover is absolutely gorgeous too, I'm a big fan of butterflies!

BOOK 2: 'Blood For Blood' by Ryan Graudin (Paperback). Now there may be some readers who also received this month's box but didn't receive this book. Do not be alarmed! This was actually a really lovely extra that Daphne included because this month's box was Illumicrate's first anniversary and some subscribers (myself included) have been signed up from the beginning! I thought this was really nice of her to do, especially as it's the sequel to the first book we ever received: 'Wolf By Wolf'! I also received some temporary tattoos!

Coffee Cosy: Sadly, I'm not a Coffee drinker but I love the design on this cosy! Large orange and white books on a deep blue background, simple yet gorgeous! It's soft too and will definitely be useful for my trips to Starbucks while I'm at work for Hot Chocolate! You can find more pretty designs like this at Sparrow + Wolf's website or Etsy.

AIDAN Candle: I plan to read 'Illuminae' this month (I'm not sure I'll get time to, but I hope) because I've heard such good things about it! AIDAN, from what I can tell, is an AI and Meraki Candles have given him his own scent for this month's box! I have it lit as I'm typing this and I can tell you it smells really good. I've really enjoyed browsing through their website too as they have a lot of different bookish scents about!

Evil Plans Notebook: My favourite item in the box. I love notepads but this one is just so awesomely designed! It's plain paper too which I've been after (I have plenty of lined). I've been browsing a lot of the stuff on House Of Wonderland since then and I have to say, it's one of my favourite things about Daphne's boxes. She's introduced me to so many wonderful, smaller businesses since starting Illumicrate!

Happy Socks: Perfect for the winter, these socks are so cute! They're colourful, fun and managed to lift my mood during the cold, terrible weather! Happy Socks have so many different designs to choose from too, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone received a different pair but I love mine: rainbow hearts!

I also received some other extras from this box including:

- 'All The Bright Places/Holding Up The Universe prints.
- 'Six Of Crows' travel pass.
- 'The One Memory Of Flora Banks' sampler.
- 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' gift card.
- 'Caraval', 'Replica' and 'Unconventional' postcards.

Illumicrate Unboxing! (Box 4)

Wow, is it really time for the fourth Illumicrate box already? The last few months have been so hectic that time has really flown for me, but Daphne has dropped so many wonderful hints about this box that I was really excited to open it! The Unboxing post itself is coming very late. I actually received this box on the 9th August but I've been so busy thanks to the fact that I've moved to a new flat, and my stuff has been boxed away for a long time. The time has come to finally do this month's, even if it is late.

Once again the Illumicrate box design remained the same so I won't worry about putting a picture up. It's a great design, and I'm glad Daphne stuck with it. One of the things that really added to the anticipation with this book was Daphne's big reveal that there would be two books this month! I couldn't believe my luck, and hoped with all my might that I hadn't already got hold of one of them. Luckily, I needn't have worried!

Without further ado, I'll start with the part that everyone wants to hear about first: the books! This is by far my favourite box of the four I've had so far, and the two books played a huge part towards this!

BOOK ONE: 'Nevernight' by Jay Kristoff (Hardcover). Wowee! I requested this book on Netgalley a while back and was approved, but couldn't help but feel a small pang as I desperately wanted to own a copy. Well now I do! I so wasn't expecting this pick and I was so happy to find it waiting for me inside. It's now sitting pride of place in my brand new bookshelves, and boy am I pleased! I hope to get round to this read soon enough as it's high on my TBR. This book also came with a signed Book Plate, Art Card, bookmark and a hilarious exclusive video recorded by the author himself, Jay Kristoff! 'Nevernight' is a fairly recent release actually and that tends to be the pattern I'm finding with Daphne's picks when opening these boxes, which is good because it means I'm much less likely to own a copy myself. All in all an awesome start to the unpacking that had me really excited for what Book Two could be...

BOOK TWO: 'The Graces'; Laure Eve (Paperback). Honestly, there are no words to describe the noise that I made when I saw the second book. You all know that I recently attended YALC, and Laure Eve's 'The Graces' was probably one of the books that I came out of it feeling most excited about! Mystery and intrigue are definitely going to play a big part of it and I have seen so many great reviews from other readers that loved this book! What really made me go crazy when I saw this though? Probably the fact that I now own a gorgeous copy about a month before release date. As if that's not the greatest thing ever! I hope I can get round to reading this soon, I'm so excited! There were some wonderful extras with this book too: a signed bookplate, temporary tattoos for each of the elements and a lovely letter from the author that proved a very entertaining and enlightening read.

Trio Coasters: How weird that mere days before I received this box, my lovely boyfriend and I were talking about things we'd need for the new flat (coasters being one of the things we mentioned). Then, as if by magic, these two wonderful coasters appeared and now they have pride of place on my coffee table. I love the 'then and now' style they have, showing Harry, Ron & Hermione when they were younger (Books 1-7) and also much later in honour of the new play which I'm going to see very soon, 'Harry Potter & The Cursed Child'. Taratjah Art is responsible for the wonderful designs found on these coasters, so check out her page!

'Drink Me' Strawberry Tea: Inspiring visions of the much beloved 'Alice In Wonderland', 'Drink Me' tea looks nothing short of delicious. It combines one of my favourite tales with tea and strawberries. What could possibly be better? I'm looking forward to trying this loose leaf blend out, and I'm particularly excited because it can be made into Iced Tea too, which will be delicious as the weather here gets hotter. Check out Post Tea here, their website is so enticing and the have an Etsy page too!

In Omnia Paratus Tote Bag: I've not read or watched, or even deeply researched into the Gilmore Girls, but those that are a fan would love this Tote Bag! It came in handy when we were moving homes that's for sure and I really like it's colour and message. 'Prepared For All Things'. Colourful Geekiness are responsible for this lovely design and they do a huge variety of items that relate to a lot of different Fandoms.

There were a few extra additions for this box:

Colouring Quotes, designed by Ashley Poston that are being used for a separate, Illumicrate inspired competition. They are really nice quotes and I look forward to having the time to get my pens and pencils out! Thee was also a code for 40% off of her brand new book, 'We Own The Night'.

Some beautiful 'Red Rising' posters that really blew me away with how pretty they were. For those that are fans of Pierce Brown's space-set series, this is a gorgeous addition to any bookshelf or library. I'm totally desperate to frame them!

A sampler for the book 'A Torch Against The Night' which dutifully reminded me how much I wanted to read book one of Sabaa Tahir's series, 'An Ember In The Ashes'. Also, a code for Non Pratt's new book that's being released, 'Unboxed', which I'm very excited for!

My 23rd Birthday Haul & Illumicrate Unboxing (Box 3)!

As you all know (possibly) it was my Birthday on the 13th May. As I received my Illumicrate box the very next day I thought I would talk about both in one post! So let's start with my birthday bits:

To start, I received quite a bit of money from various relatives (Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents) as well as from my parents! One of my Aunts did buy me a gorgeous Cath Kidston Travel Bag, complete with clear bottles and an extra, smaller bag. I've always loved Cath Kidston's brand so I'm excited to get to use this when going on holiday!

Tash & Meg, the two girls that Mat and I rent with bought me some awesome presents! Firstly, of course chocolate is a huge part of my life so I was happy to see some of that thrown into the mix! They also went down the obvious reading and writing route with a green, fluffy pen and a Little Black Classic: 'O Frabjous Day' by Lewis Caroll! I think my favourite thing to receive from them had to be the Blogger's Journal! I've been needing something like this for a while and I finally have one to use for the rest of the year!

My sister and her boyfriend also spoilt me rotten this year and I'm so grateful! Chocolate and another fluffy pen (this time red with a London Bus on top) were just a couple of the great gifts I received, all wrapped in Wrapping Paper decorated with the London Tube map! They also got me two Game Of Thrones notepads, a gorgeous pink dress (which I somehow forgot to photograph...) a National Book Token and (my favourite) a book of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales!

Mat, my beloved boyfriend, spent an extortionate amount of money nabbing me tickets for a show that I've wanted to see since it was announced for the West End: Aladdin! I've seen and adored 'The Lion King' so as soon as I heard of this one, I had to go and see it at some point. I'm so excited! This was accompanied by the 'Agents Of SHIELD' season 2 Blu-Ray and a huge box of Ferrero Rocher. Yum!

Now comes the moment that you've probably all been waiting for! Box 3 of my Illumicrate subscription arrived the day after my birthday (I see it as a belated Birthday present...that I bought for me...) and I can't wait to tell you guys about some of the things inside! I've gone on about Illumicrate so much but for those that didn't know, it's a really good value for money UK based YA subscription box, and the contents found inside thus far have been varied and suit all kinds of readers.

The box remained the same and I sincerely love this packaging. Normally Daphne splits the items into two layers inside, with the box in the bottom so as not to spoil the surprise. She didn't do that this time which was a little disappointing (I love the anticipation of revealing the book) but this was really only a minor niggle. The packing note is always found on top so if you don't wish to spoil the surprise I would recommend not reading it until you come to checking over the contents later!

So what was inside? The items were a lot smaller than usual which is probably why they were all put together in one layer. Good things come in small packages though, so let's find out:

THE BOOK: 'When We Collided' by Emery Lord. (Paperback). This one came as a bit of shock. I always feel slightly nervous about the book (I worry that I'll already have it or it's not for me) but I did like this choice despite not being my usual type of read. It's a Contemporary YA which covers the subject of Mental Health, and I enjoy reading books that cover topics such as that so I have a good feeling about it! This gorgeous book also came with:

- A signed bookplate
- Postcards

TBR List Notepad: This is such an awesome idea and I really loved this freebie! One of my favourite things about Illumicrate is Daphne's dedication to supporting Indie Businesses! Etsy is a real favourite internet shop of mine to browse and thanks to Illumicrate, I get some really fun goodies from small businesses! This will certainly help me keep track of my TBR pile! If you're interested, the shop that supplied this is Goodnight Boutique, and it sells some really cool things! Check it out!


Book Club Mug: I have mugs-a-plenty already in my cupboards here, but what's one more? It's a bookish one too (my first bookish mug) and while I'm not actually a member of a Book Club, it's a neat idea! The material is plastic so it's pretty durable rather than fragile which will certainly be useful for me if I want to drink outside! Head over to The Art Of Escapism for more!

Ex Libris Stamp: I've never really been into Stamps, but I have to say that I adore this one! If your book collection is constantly being loaned out to others then this gorgeous little fox sleeping on top of a book pile could mark it as yours! Similarly you could use it for gifts, cards and tags (which I think could be really useful in the future)! Definitely a great inclusion. From what I can tell, a lot of people got different stamp designs, so I am so lucky that mine was a Fox (my all time favourite animal!) and I'm enjoying seeing the other cool designs found in people's boxes. There are so many others to choose from too, at the Little Stamp Store!

Readers Gonna Read Pin: This brooch is adorable. I love it so much! It's probably one of my favourite of the little extras! It's design sort of makes me think of Harry Potter and I thought that the packaging it came with was a really nice touch. I have had a real browse through Literary Emporium, the store this brooch came from and have a list of things I want about a mile long! I would definitely recommend having a look at their stuff.

Bookworm Clips: This is such a cute idea. So simple, yet cleverly made and the design is adorable. I really enjoy bookmarks of all shapes and sizes, so this one was so nice to receive. There are an absolute ton of designs at My Bookish Mark mostly with an animal-related theme so if you enjoy bookmark collecting, this might be a cute place to visit!

And here is all of the box contents in one, neat picture! As you can see, there are a few extras that Daphne included that I haven't mentioned yet:

• An excerpt from Laini Taylor's 'Stranger The Dreamer'. I couldn't believe it when I saw this! I'm a huge fan of Taylor's previous series, 'A Daughter Of Smoke & Bone' so am really looking forward to reading her next release. Daphne must have pulled out all the stops for this one, I feel incredibly lucky!
• A Cinnamon Muffins recipe card in honour of 'The Square Root Of Summer'. Another really cool freebie, mostly because I like collecting recipes. In the last box, Daphne included a Lemonade recipe so I'm glad that the tradition is being continued!
• Badges in honour of the 'Ladybirds' series. Daphne's added extras tend to be a lot of fun, and we all know I do like my badges. These ones were no exception and I'm really intrigued to read these books at some point!
• A postcard advertising the 'Mystery & Mayhem' collection. As far as short stories go, this is one collection I really want to get my hands on. There are some great authors contributing, and the cove is gorgeous! The postcard was a really nice little extra to remind me how much I wanted it!

What a great collection of items! I really love all of them ad am already looking forward to the next Illumicrate box in three months time! Hopefully the wait won't be too agonising...

Illumicrate Unboxing! (Box 2)

When the payment for my second box came out about a month ago, I was very excited! I couldn't believe how quickly the three months between boxes had actually gone! Not only is this the second box that I'll be unboxing, but it's the second box that Daphne, the brains behind this operation, will be sending out!

Some of my readers might not actually know what Illumicrate is so for those that don't, I'll give a brief description. In short, it's a YA subscription box based in the UK! That's great for me, because I certainly can't afford all of the shipping costs that come with other international subscription boxes. It's sent every three months and contains a new release alongside some wonderful goodies that are normally provided by small, indie businesses (the kind that I personally love to support). If you haven't seen it already, go ahead and read about my very first unboxing.

Here is the box! I'm so glad that Daphne didn't tweak with the design because I loved it to begin with. It's simple but so clear and really makes me feel excited the moment I see it. It's well padded on the inside too with yellow shreds that protect everything and match the colour scheme. The box (so far) has been divided into two layers, the bottom one revealing the book itself while the top contains most of the goodies that it comes with. It really builds suspense as to what the book could be, as long as you are careful not to read the back of the yellow card on top which is the packing list so tells you everything that's included.

So now it's time to let you all know what was inside this quarter! I have to say I was a little nervous this time. I was so lucky not to already have the book that came last time and I thought for sure I'd be caught out. But once again, chance was on my side! Not only was the book one I didn't own, but it's one I really want to read too! I actually squealed out loud when I saw it.

THE BOOK: 'Truthwitch' by Susan Dennard (Hardcover). Everyone, I am punching my fists in the air even as I write this. If you guys only knew how much I have wanted to get hold of this book and haven't got round to it because I'm very limited to the books I can buy at the moment (I have like...no space) then you would realise the pure unadulterated joy I felt when I saw this book. Also...it's Hardcover! WOW! It was released at the beginning of January, so like 'Wolf By Wolf' (November's book) it is a pretty new release! The book also included a signed Book Plate and an exclusive written message from Susan Dennard.

Threadsisters Bookmark: Inspired by 'Truthwitch', this bookmark is lovely! I am really craving books about friendship as of late, and from what I've read of 'Truthwitch', there's a lot of focus on that! I love the inspiring quote that this bookmark includes and I have to say, I think that Daydreaming Designs did a great job! Their site is UNDER MAINTENANCE at the moment so if you have queries or want to know more about them then contact them via the contact form.

Bookcase Pouch: This was one of the first things I saw when I opened the box! It's absolutely beautiful! I love the cute little bookshelf design, and though this picture doesn't do it much justice, it is a gorgeous drawing. I've been hoping to get hold of more things to carry stuff/store things with so it was like a dream come true to receive this! The pouch was designed by Elena Illustration who has a variety of whimsical, pretty designs on her Etsy site. It also included a lovely little sticker of a different design!

'The It Girl' Tote Bag: Amazingly this isn't on the official list, but is included as a 'fun extra' sent in the box. How did they know I'm collecting Tote Bags at the moment?! (the 5p bag charge recently introduced is making Tote bags a must have for us Englanders). I love the design on this one, it has such a funny message! 'The It-Girl' is a YA novel by Katy Birchall (released May last year) and I'll definitely be checking it out!

Loveboat Set: Aren't these magnetic bookmarks the most adorable things you've ever seen? I think they are! Seriously this book came with so many bookmarks (always a necessity for a reader) but I adored these. I've never actually owned magnetic bookmarks before so it will be interesting to see what they're like! They'll also make cute little fridge magnets too! I've posted pictures of the front here but the back to each one is drawn also and I shall certainly be promoting more of BeeDooTO's designs because whether you're a fan of Harry Potter, Studio Ghibli, Pokemon or Game Of Thrones they have a design for you!

A Darker Scent Of Magic Candle: It took me a little while to figure this one out, mostly because I'm a bit dumb, but also because I haven't read the books (yet, please don't shoot)! This candle is of course inspired by V.E. Schwab's newest release: 'A Darker Shade Of Magic' and it smells gorgeous. I love that it specifically picks out a parallel London as it's main inspiration because I live there! I've heard great things and really want to read Schwab's books so if you're already a fan (which let's face it, you probably are) then check out Simple Candle Co in honour of this hugely talked about novel.

Bookish Quote Pencils: Such a simple extra but for a writer, amazingly useful! First off, let's just congratulate Pobble & Ping for having what is probably the most adorable business name out there. They specialise in personalised pencils and I loved these ones because they included some heart-warming quotes about reading and writing which might just become my mantras now. I'll certainly be making great use of these and if you're looking for a special gift (for yourself or an aspiring writer) this might be the company for you!

Those were the main inclusions for this quarter's box! Aren't they great?! I loved how different they were from November's box and that Daphne stuck to her guns by including an assortment of high quality gifts that support local, small businesses. Etsy is one of my favourite online markets to peruse so I'm pleased to see such gorgeous designs that can't be found on the high street.

Here's the box in full! There were some extra additions which I'll briefly mention:

Badges for 'The Dark Days Club' were included, which all of you know is one of my favourite reads this year so far. I already had some from the Maximum Pop box that I won a while back, but I am so glad I had more to pin to my tote bags!

Next up were a couple of bookmarks, one for 'The Dark Days Club' and another for 'The It-Girl'. Readers can never have too many bookmarks and I'm glad to be adding these to the collection!

Lastly, who has read 'My Life Next Door' by Huntley Fitzpatrick? Well this box included Grace Reed's lemonade recipe! I haven't actually got round to this read yet so I'm not sure how important this is in the book but it sounds delicious! Seriously, I want to try it! I've never made lemonade before so this Summer might be the ideal time to start!

What a lovely assortment of bits to see me through until the next box in May: my birthday month! I can't wait!

Illumicrate Unboxing! (Box 1)

I can not express to you in mere words how excited I have been about the arrival of my new Monthly Subscription Box, and about how much I've been looking forward to sharing all of my lovely goodies with you all!

Firstly, for those of you who don't have a clue what I am on about, I'll explain a little about Illumicrate and what it does. It is a UK based YA Book Subscription Box, sent every quarter and containing a brand new YA release alongside an abundance of goodies for subscribers to enjoy. It is run by the lovely Daphne at Winged Reviews and I'm so glad that she set it up because although I've seen a ton of US Book Subscription services (which due to shipping costs are far too expensive), there are very few decent ones in the UK and none as decently priced as Illumicrate.

This is the first ever Unboxing post I've ever done so I'll try and be thorough because I really want to give everyone an idea of exactly what they'll be receiving and promote Daphne's amazing new service. I subscribed (after much deliberation because I'd never done anything like it before) early October for the November Box. When the beginning of November finally came round you can imagine that I was very excited. I received an email telling me my box had been sent on the 12th, and was absolutely flabbergasted by the surprisingly speedy shipping time because I then received it just two days later, on Saturday 14th November!

My first impression of the box was also a good one: it had a very minimalistic yet effective design which caught the eye and got me overly enthusiastic about that morning's post because I instantly knew what it was. In terms of packaging, I think Daphne did a great job! Not only was the box design great, but she'd gone to a lot of trouble to pad it out properly with yellow paper shred (to match the colour scheme) and pretty coloured bit's of tape and ribbon where needed to keep everything secure and neat. I loved that the box was divided into two layers, with the book being the last thing to be revealed. It certainly heightened the suspense and made the unboxing all the more of a great experience for me!

So what was inside you ask? Well I'll start with the items written on the official packing list because they are really good ones and then I'll briefly cover some of the little extras that Daphne threw in for good measure.

THE BOOK: 'Wolf By Wolf'; Ryan Graudin (Paperback). Thank you, thank you and a thousand times thank you! I read 'The Walled City' earlier this year and was very impressed by it. As soon as I saw that Ryan Graudin was releasing another book I wanted so desperately to get my hands on it and thanks to Daphne, I did! It was released on October 20th so is relatively new, which I'm pleased to see. The Book came with a signed Book Plate from Graudin herself, and a link & password to watch an exclusive video also recorded by Graudin which was a lot of fun to watch and a nice surprise.

Wolf Tattoo Bookmark. In keeping with the book itself, Daphne also included a beautiful bookmark that is inspired by the wolf tattoos on Yael's (the MC of 'Wolf By Wolf') arm. It's a beautiful bookmark designed and hand-painted exclusively by Skinny Hues who have created many gorgeous designs inspired by other great reads in the past.

Mockingjay Necklace. The items included in this book weren't all related just to Graudin's book, Daphne decided to include quite a bit of Bookish variety! This necklace, simple in it's design, was another exclusive piece in order to celebrate the upcoming release of Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II. It features a famous movie quote and I'll certainly be wearing it when I go to watch the film! It was designed and crafted by My Clockwork Castle who feature some really gorgeous theme-punk inspired jewellry on there website.

Harry Potter Series Poster. There aren't that many people who don't love Harry Potter. I for one adore those books and so I was very happy to see this gorgeously designed exclusive A3 Poster that features all seven of Abbie Imagine's beautifully rendered cover redesigns. I've put it up on our fridge using the aptly coloured fridge magnets and there it shall be displayed proudly for a while to come! It was all wrapped up like a scroll when I opened this box and I even joked (not knowing what it was) that my Hogwarts letter had finally arrived!

Books Before Looks Pocket Mirror. I've actually been in need of a pocket mirror so this little gift left me pleased as Punch! It has a really great quote too, which should really be everyone's mantra (in my opinion) but I really loved it's sense of irony. This gift had an exclusive colour scheme which is very pretty and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with all the exclusive items that Daphne has managed. Head on over to Raspberry Finch to see a ton of other pretty illustrations and gift ideas!

And those are the five main inclusions for the book, well worth the £29.99 a quarter cost (especially as it's free shipping for the UK)! Alongside these wonderful inclusions, Daphne managed to secure some very generous discounts from the above mentioned shops which I'll certainly be making great use of. I'm a big believer in supporting small and indie businesses and Daphne's picked some really good ones for this first box! I can't wait to see what else she manages in later boxes!

There were also a couple of little fun extras which I'll briefly mention:

The first was a badge for Leigh Bardugo's 'Six Of Crows'. I recently won this book as a prize for winning a challenge and I'm really excited to read it! This badge is very cute and I shall be pinning it to my bag ASAP.

The second is a cute little postcard advertising an upcoming YA release, 'This Raging Light' by Estelle Laure. I want to draw particular attention to the message on the back which, in light of recent events in Paris and Lebanon among other places in the world who are suffering, I really feel is important to highlight:

'Nominate someone you know who has done a kind deed. Nominations can be posted to #RagingKindness on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Instagram. Each week, from now until publication, we will pick one nominated person to receive a #RagingKindness gift package through the post.

'No Act Of Kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.' -- Aesop.'

What a lovely message to end such a fun post on! As humans, we have a job to try and make the world a better place and we can do that by supporting each other, being kind and showing those who want to make the world bad that we will not be miserable and scared just because they want us to be. Please do spread this idea on in honour of all those that were victims of those terrible tragedies and to remind everyone that kindness does still exist.

This post ended up getting a little more serious at the end, but I hope everyone enjoyed this post and you are all inspired to grab Daphne's next box as soon as it's released (February 2016 I think). Thank you so much Illumicrate for such a great selection of items and a wonderful book for me to enjoy!

Daily Shenanigans, 21/02/2014: Spring Cleaning Part II.

I really went to town on my room this morning folks! I realise that cleaning may not be the most interesting of topics to blog about, but if you could have seen my room before today, you would know that this is a momentous occasion for me. The task is by no means finished, but it's well on its way. I managed to put away the huge pile of books by my bed. They now live in my newly sorted bookshelf (and already fill it up! Oops!), I've got rid of the various bags that littered my carpet. You can actually see the carpet now! I've hoovered and finally put away about three weeks worth of freshly cleaned clothes. Goodness, just typing about this is depressing because I'm quickly realising how much of a slob I am! What's left to do? Dusting, clearing my desk, clearing my bedside table, organising my paperwork, a lot basically. But I'm very proud of my progress!

Right now let's talk about something more interesting. I saw Mat again today and I got home from his about an hour ago. I've been seeing him a lot recently (he's coming over again after he's worked tomorrow) but it is so nice to be able to spend this much time with him and to be honest, I'm making the most of it before he goes back to Uni. We generally messed around on games, which we do a lot. It was a bit sunnier today, and we toyed with the idea of going out somewhere but it is still very cold and it's a good thing we didn't because it did actually rain later anyway. I tried not to be on my blog too much because I feel like I'm messing around on it a lot while I'm around him, it was nice to do a few more things together today!

On another note, four of my six books that I ordered from The Works arrived today! I reckon the other two will arrive tomorrow, and then I probably won't get to do much in the way of book shopping for a while because I have so many to read! I'm considering doing a book haul at the end of each month perhaps to show you all what's been added to my bookshelf each month. Obviously if I do, February's would be pretty big as I have a lot of books that I bought/borrowed/won this month! Also, I found this pretty neat idea online and was considering buying a subscription. Book Riot offer a lovely quarterly package (so every three months) for a $50 subscription fee (about £30). I thought the idea was sweet and found a monthly one at The Willoughby Book Club for £39.99 (I love the idea, they offer lots of different subscription types but I would go for the Bespoke Subscription as it's a mixed bag rather than genre specific). It would help to keep my bookshelves fresh but the price is just keeping me from committing at the moment. I think they would make a really cool gift idea though!

Other than that I haven't much else to talk about. There hasn't been time for me today to sort out anything blog related or go challenge hunting like I said I would yesterday, but that's okay. I think also that I'm going to start an end of week 'Wishlist' for cool gift ideas that I see while I'm browsing the internet (I see so many things and I really need to share them, sorry)! They won't just be book related but will probably include books that I'm pretty desperate to read along with a few other, probably quite geeky random things that caught my eye. The first of those should be up this Sunday.