September 2019 Owl Crate

Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and some are better suited as decor or for a pin/builtin board. September’s theme is Fear the Night.IMG_0851

Each box includes different bookish goodies that fit the theme of the month and are connected to other books.This month bookish items include skeleton finger less gloves, caramel coffee from Bones Coffee Company, a ceramic trinket dish inspired by Frankenstein, and an art print inspired by Something Wicked This Way Comes. The coffee is very good and taste like a latte if you add cream and sugar. It smells like Starbucks to me.

This month Owl Crate included an extra book  The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson to help everyone get into the spooky spirit before Halloween. Also a chapter sampler from the Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh was also included. IMG_0855

Every month Owl Crate has a new young adult hardback book that has an exclusive cover, is signed and comes with a letter from the author. The enamel pin the is in every box is also inspired by that months book.The book this month is The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones. It this world the dead don’t always stay dead due to a curse on the town. Ryn, a grave digger, must team up with Ellis, a map maker, must work together to figure out why this is happening, save the village, and maybe break the curse.  This month an exclusive matching book mark was also included.

Octobers’s theme is Dawn of a New World.

May 2019 Owl Crate

Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and others are better suited as decor or for a pin/builtin board. May’s theme was Epic Adventures.IMG_0455

Lately Owl Crate seems to be including more practical items that fit the months theme. For Epic Adventures the bookish goodies included a vinyl sticker from Howls Moving Castle, a sleep mask with a quote from A Court of Mist and Fury, a passport wallet featuring a quote from the Hobbit, and a water bottle inspired by Stardust. The largest item was a full sized pillow cover inspired by A Darker Shade of Magic.

The book this month was We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. Which follows Zafira a hunter who disguises herself as a man to brave the cursed forest to find food for her people and Naisr the Prince of Death. If their secrets are found out everything will be in jeopardy but when their paths collide the prize they seek may be the biggest threat of all. I don’t know much about this book but it sounds like a fantasy story that I will like. All Owl Crate editions of books come signed with exclusive covers. This month, character art work was also included and the enamel pin each month is inspired by the book.IMG_0461

June’s theme is Libraries of Wonder and if the book is what I think it is this should be a very good box.

Fae Crate March 2019

IMG_0361So in March I decided to try a new book subscription box which was Fae Create’s anniversary box. Fae Crate is a young adult book subscription box that focuses on fantasy and science fiction. Unlike some book boxes Fae Crate has three options to choose from: a shirt only box (Solitary Crate), a book and goodies box (Unseelie Crate), and a box that includes the shirt, book, and all the bookish goodies (Seelie Crate). For my first box I choose the Unseelie Crate without the shirt as I do have trouble ordering clothes online sometimes due to my height and body shape.IMG_0359

Sadly, I was a little disappointed with this box especially since it was their one year anniversary box. The smaller bookish goodies in the box where an iron on patch inspired by the Winner’s Curse, a record coaster set inspired by Wintersong, an Outlander magnet, a Caraval book sticker and an art Polaroid from A Court of Thrones and Roses. The two bigger items besides the book where a Snow globe inspired by A Muse of Nightmares and a Watch necklace from the book series Air Awakens. To me while none of these items where bad, most of them felt cheep and like they were trying to find things to fill the box with. Which I don’t like given Fae Crate is more expensive than some of the other book boxes.

The book is Vortex Visions by Elise Kova which has a beautiful dust jacket and art work on the inside of it as well as an embossed cover. The story follows Vi Solaris who is the heir to an Empire she doesn’t know and wants to reunite with her family.  With powers she shouldn’t have and can’t control she meets a stranger that might be able to help her and save the world. I have never heard of this book before but it sounds interesting. Fae Crate does seem to include books that are not the most hyped so if your trying to find new books people might not be talking about this might be the box for you. Also Fae Crate does include a eBook download in each months box which adds more value when the items might not be the best. This months eBook was The Body Electric by Beth Revis.

For those interested Fae Crate does special book “hangover” recovery boxes for some popular and highly anticipated books throughout the year as well as monthly boxes. For me, I have bought a hangover crate but not any more of the monthly boxes as none of them have peaked my interest again.

February 2019 Owl Crate

Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. February’s theme was Whimsical Beasts.IMG_0290

The bookish items this month are amazing, primarily practical items that I will get good use out of. These include a key chain inspired by Spirited Away, a travel umbrella featuring creatures and beasts from Harry Potter, a pixie dust gem soap, and a beanie inspired by Harry Potter. All of these this I will use at some point but the umbrella is the best as it has been rainy in Texas. Also I won’t be able to use the beanie just yet as it is far to warm where I live at the moment but will be great for next winter.

 

The books this month included an extra graphic novel, The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill which looks very cute. The new hard back is Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto which is set in a world where warrior queens rode on the back of phoenix and the bonds of sisters through a story of survival and war. All Owl Crate books have exclusive covers and are signed but this one also as stained edges and includes a letter from the author and a feather bookmark. The new enamel pins that they include in each box also is inspired by the book.

 

March’s theme is Murder and Mayhem. So far I’m enjoying Owl Crate and I will continue to subscribe to it.

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January 2019 Owl Crate

Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. January’s theme is Magical Artifacts. I really love this months box and the book.img_0236.jpg

The bookish items for this month include an antler bracelet inspired by Shadow and Bone. A wooden letter opener carved to look like Bilbo’s sword, Sting from The Hobbit.  A pair of Harry Potter socks with the Deathly Hallows symbol on them. A zipper pouch inspired by A Darker Shade of Magic. My favorite item is the wall tapestry inspired by The Golden Compass which I need to find a place to hang it. As always there is a booklet with information about why the items were chosen and an interview with the chosen book’s author but Owl Crate has changed their monthly pins to be enamel pin instead of buttons. I greatly appreciate this change as I didn’t really care for the buttons but I love the design for this pin.

The book included for this month is The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi which I have been hearing amazing things about. In 1889 Paris the wealthy treasure hunter Severin must accept a mission from the Order of Bable to gain his inheritance. Together with a band of misfits they must hunt down the artifact the Order seeks. They might just change history if they can survive. All Owl Crate books come with an exclusive cover, are signed and come with a letter from the author. This month a luggage tag was included as swag with the book.img_0252

As I said before I really like the items in this months box and I look forward to reading the book. For the next month February’s theme is Whimsical Beasts.img_0240.jpg

December 2018 Owlcrate

Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Decembers theme was Power of Illusions. Last month’s box was a let down for me as I didn’t love most of the items but this box is back on track.

img_0179_momentThe bookish items this month included a Queen Levana inspired candle from Flick the Wick. Queen Levana is a character from the Lunar Chronicles by Marrisa Meyer and the candle is described as blackberries, vanilla, and fresh greenery. When I smell it I get a berry and a light vanilla scent but not any of the fresh greenery. Candles are very personal so I can see some subscribers not liking the scent. It’s a 2 oz candle which seems a little small to me.

 

There was an ornament with a castle/city on it inspired by The Crown’s Game, a magnet with a quote inspired by The Night Circus, and a tote bag inspired by Caraval. None of these books mentioned I have read so the items are not as exciting for me but they are beautifully designed and practical items that I will use. There is also a button included in every box, I’ve never been a pin or button collector so I give these way or donate them. This box also included an extra chapter sampler of King of Fools by Amanda Foody.

img_0195The big item for the box besides the book is a custom reading planner which I don’t like and probably won’t use. I like idea of including a reading planer and I’m not sure if anyone else is like this but I have a very specific way I like planners to be laid out which this is not. Personally, I prefer planners to already have the dates and months included because I won’t bother to do it myself though it is good if you don’t start using the planner at the beginning of the year. The other thing that bugs me is that all of the monthly planner sections are at the front and the weekly at the back so that more troublesome to use both than it needs to be. I completely understand that Owl Crate can’t cater to every subscriber but I surprised that they didn’t used a more traditional set up for the planner. If I use it at all it will be supplemental to my main planner.

The signed book is Amber & Dusk by Lyra Selene which came with a letter from the author and an amber pendant necklace. Amber & Dusk follows Sylvie who has the power to create illusions but was taught that her powers were a curse. She travels to the Amber City to joining the court but things are not what they appear and she must train and learn more about her powers to survive. This is not a book that I’ve heard anything about but it sounds interesting and I’m always up for trying new things.dscn1210

The theme for January’s crate is Magical Artifacts and if it the book that I think I could be than I feel like it will be a very good box. Owl Crate like any subscription box can be hit or miss but it is fun to get a surprise every month. I think I’ll keep Owl Crate for a few more months or until another box interests me more.

November 2018 OwlCrate

DSCN1191OwlCrate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. November’s theme was Rise from the Ashes. So far I’ve been loving OwlCrate but this box didn’t feel as curated to me, some of the items it felt like they were added because the creators didn’t know what else to add to the box. IMG_0155

The bookish items included this month were a skull shaped planter, a wax seal kit, a pillowcase inspired by An Ember in the Ashes, a craft kit to make a Wishing Bracelet, and a Harry Potter sticker with Dumbledore and Fawkes. I prefer items in subscription boxes to be practical and many of the items in this box I have no idea what I’ll do with them. However, the wax seal kit is amazing and something that I’ve always wanted to own.

The book for November is Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. Girls of Paper and Fire is fantasy book where every year eight girls are taken by the Demon King to be his concubines. However, this year Lei is taken and forced to be the ninth Paper Girl. The book follows these young women as they struggle to survive the palace and their roles as slaves, and Lei as she falls in love. Every Owlcrate book also comes signed and with a letter from the author.

IMG_0167 (1)_MomentGirls of Paper and Fire is a book that I have been hearing great things about and was interested in pickup at some point. Though OwlCrate doesn’t always have the best stuff I do intend to keep my subscription for a while as I love the surprise at the end of every month. December’s them is the Power of Illusions.