Illumicrate Unboxing – November 2017

This is only my second Illumicrate quarterly box, and I have to say I’m really impressed with the overall quality and presentation of each box. Because they are quarterly, they  don’t necessarily have a theme, but I find this makes opening the box that much more exciting, because there is no way to guess at what will be inside. Another thing that I like about Illumicrate is that they tend to feature items from fandoms you don’t always see represented, rather than just the really popular ones that you see everywhere.

Another thing that I like about Illumicrate is how affordable it is (especially in the UK, where postage is free), because it’s every three months, which makes getting the boxes feel more special some how. I also really appreciate how open and honest the owner is on social media, if there is a problem or delay, it is clearly announced and explained, leaving no question about what is going on.

The first thing that I noticed after lifting out the cardboard was this beautiful 2018 unicorn planner created exclusively for this box by prismofstarlings. I really like the design of this both outside and inside, it’s a great practical item and hopefully it will help me to be more organised in the coming year.

Also in the box was this amazing print from nutmegandarlo that says “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book” which is a quote from J.K. Rowling. I love prints, if I had my way they would be all over my house. What you may not be able to see from my photos is that the design of this print is actually silver foiled, which really brightens the design.

Then there is this lovely candle called “Reading in Bed” from Meraki Candles also made exclusively for this box. It smells delightfully like hot chocolate, and I love the glitter. This has such a relaxing scent, perfect for some cosy me time.

For a fun but practical touch, there was this cool, exclusive bookish tea towel designed by evannaveillustration. If I’m honest, this tea towel is almost too nice to use.

I am in love with this super cute moon and stars necklace from ohpandaeyes, it is just my aesthetic. It fits with the theme of the book featured in the box and I am especially in love with this necklace because I LOVE space. Always have, I love looking at the night sky, especially the moon, and I love, love, love books set in space.

As well as all those goodies, this box also included an exclusive edition ARC (advanced reader copy), of City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty! This book isn’t even out in the UK until 2018, and I am super excited because it has been on my TBR for months. I’ve been hearing wonderful things about it everywhere I turn, so I can’t wait to dive in and experience it myself.

As well as an ARC, this box also included a chapter sampler for This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada and Iron Gold by Pierce Brown. This is a great opportunity to try new books out, I’ve been meaning to read the Red Rising series for over a year, and I’m really interested in This Mortal Coil, so I may be picking up a copy in the future.

And Last but not least, the book included this month is the long-awaited, highly anticipated, Artemis by Andy Weir, the author behind The Martian. This beautiful exclusive edition hard cover has special black stained pages, which I just love. I’m really happy to have this book, and I’m looking forward to reading it (hopefully) soon. Also included with the book was a promotional bookmark and travel brochure.

If you can’t already tell, I loved this box so much! It felt perfect for me, and confirms to me that Illumicrate is a great match for me. At this point I’m fairly sure that I’ll keep my subscription active (unless anything dramatic happens in my life), so hopefully I’ll have another unboxing for you in February.

If you want to find out more about Illumicrate, or subscibe for your own box, you can do so on their website: www.illumicrate.com

Do you subscribe to Illumicrate? What did you think of this months box? Do you have any recommendations for great bookish subscription boxes? Let me know in the comments!

Want to chat, about books or anything else, here are some other places you can find me:

• Twitter @reading_escape
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