I discovered the magical world of book subscription boxes last year, and I have not looked back! This is such an amazing way to discover new books, as well as receive some really great bookish swag!

I have decided that I am going to start trying out a different book box every month or so in order to find which one is my favorite! There are so many of them out there! OwlCrate has been my longest running book box subscription, so it seemed fitting to post my first ‘unboxing’ with their February box!

OwlCrate February 2018: Hidden Worlds

When you first open the box, it is like a fun little treasure chest! The spoiler card lives right on top, and then you get to dig into the fun packing paper!

The theme of the February OwlCrate box was Hidden Worlds. All of the items in the box revolve around this theme of a hidden world within a book. OwlCrate always includes a spoiler card (which tells you details about each of the items featured in the box), as well as a mini mag that has interviews with the box’s featured author, profiles on the artisans that created some of the bookish swag, fun games, and a sneak peak at the next month’s theme! There is also always a fun button that features the artwork for the theme.

I am always excited about wearable book themed items! This particular one was of extreme excitement to me because I actually collect key necklaces! It was inspired by the key used in the story Coraline, and was created by the OwlCrate team! Plus, it came in a purple bag…it’s like they know me…

There is almost always a candle, or something of the sort in the OwlCrate box, and this one is quite lovely! Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia, this candle has notes of pine, mint and vanilla – which invokes the smells of a forest in winter. It was created by Books on Candles (by VIVLYO). I’m generally not a pine scented candle fan, but I do really enjoy this one!

I don’t know about you, but I am always in need of a good pouch! I am what my friends and family lovingly refer to as a “bag lady” (at least I think it’s lovingly…) so any sort of bag gets me instantly excited! This lovely zippered pouch is inspired by Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and illustrated by artist Risa Rodil.

A precious sticker is another OwlCrate staple! This one features Alice and the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland (talk about a hidden world, am I right?!). It was designed by Naomi Lord. I have also included the super cute theme button again. 🙂

This was certainly a first from a book box for me! I was thinking it was a scarf, but it just kept on unfolding! haha   It is, in fact, a wall tapestry! I have absolutely no clue where I am going to put this in my house, but I do find it very beautiful! It was designed by Evie Bookish.

And now for the book itself: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert!! I think this one sounds fascinating! Each OwlCrate book has an exclusive cover that is only available to OwlCrate subscribers! As always, this book came with a letter from the author, as well as some fun stickers. She also signed the book, which makes OwlCrate books extra special! I haven’t started this yet, but I cannot wait! Here is a brief synopsis (provided by OwlCrate):

Alice and her mother have always been on the run; trying to escape the never-ending bad luck that seems to follow them at every turn. When Alice’s grandmother, the author of a beloved collection of sinister fairy tales, passes away on her estate, the Hazel Wood, life goes from bad to worse. Alice’s mother is kidnapped by one of the characters from her grandmother’s stories! Alice will have to team up with Ellery Finch (who happens to be a huge fan of her grandmother’s book and may have ulterior motives for helping her), and journey to the Hazel Wood in hopes of saving her mother.

Ooh! I do love a good fairy tale book! I love retellings, but I also love a book that explores new, alternate fairy tales, as well as the dark side of said tales! This will be such a fun read!

And there you have it! That was the February OwlCrate box! If you are interested in OwlCrate, you should go and check them out at: https://owlcrate.com/refer/Whitn-QNSNNRVT

Let me know if you have any questions about OwlCrate or any other book box subscriptions! Do you have a subscription box you love? Let me know in the comments!

Love and happy reading,

Whitney