Illumicrate - All the Bookish goodies

So this is my third Illumicrate *happy dance* For those of you who don't know what Illumicrate is, it's a quarterly bookish subscription box based in the UK. Three boxes in and I haven't been disappointed once! Unlike other bookish subscription boxes, there is never a theme for each box, it's always a complete surprise. Daphne (Winged Reviews) always does a brilliant job finding things you actually want to use and display and read! There is more information at the end of this post about how to subscribe to your very of Illumicrate!

So without further ado, here is what we got in our February box! 

As I always seem to be in need of bookmarks nowadays, (never read more than two books at once, it gets messy!) so these two are a welcome treat! A very cool Illumicrate exclusive bookmark of Newt Scamander from Jane's Tiny Things, and a bookmark promoting Sophia Bennett's upcoming book Following Ophelia coming out in March. Another exclusive Illumicrate item is the Magic and Mischief lip balm from Bookish Serendipity Co WHICH LITERALLY SMELLS LIKE DIGESTIVE BISCUITS. It's probably the Shea butter and coconut oil in it but oh god it makes me want tea and biscuits so bad. Unfortunately, it tastes like nothing. But I suppose that's for the best. 

The next couple of items were quite exciting, they go with my current read A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab. Magnets with quotes on them from A Darker Shade of Magic, the first in the series of the Shades of Magic trilogy - 

"I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still." and A Gathering of Shadows, the second - "She bent most of the rules, she broke the rest." 

I love this series, and I've just started collecting the hardbacks so I'm more than happy to have more to add to my soon-to-be V.E. Scwhab shelf. 

These lovely magnets are from Her Bookish Things, and I will definitely be browsing her products for some more things.

(Book not included in box)

More postcards to add to the collection! This time one from Gilded cage by Vic James, a book that I haven't bought yet but it is on my list! I love the gold cage on the front cover so this is cool. We also have a sampler from the upcoming Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh, and after reading this I NEED THIS BOOK. Mulan inspired story! YAY! 

Look for the bear necessities, the simple bear necessities..

Exclusive to Illuimicrate is the Bear Necessities pouch from Literary Lifestyle Company who do much more than just pouches. Tote bags, cushions, prints, shirts, necklaces, mugs, etc. all uniquely designed and literary themed. I think it will be difficult to see this pouch and not start singing in my head. Not that that's an out of the ordinary thing to happen anyway. 

Moving onto the books! 

Notice, I said 'books' plural. Two books in one box, yeeees. The first being a proof, Red Sister by Mark Lawrence soon to be release in April. I was literally on twitter about to ask for a proof of this when my Illumicrate came, haha. 

Goodreads Synopsis: 

I was born for killing – the gods made me to ruin.

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices’ skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist.

But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse.

Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isolation of the convent her secret and violent past will find her out. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demons and learn to become a deadly assassin if she is to survive…

Love a fat book. And I love stories where girls become assassins. Excited! 

Aaaaand the main book! Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones! A book based on David Bowie's pants in Labyrinth. I'm not lying, Jae-Jones tells us so in her letter. To be honest, I think that's a marvelous reason to start a book. I did already have a copy of this, (I couldn't resist the Goblin King) but my best friend Kayleigh had it on her list! Two happy bookworms. I gave her the bookmark but the signed bookplate is stuck in the front of my copy on my TBR shelf. I really can't want to get stuck into this, I have high hopes! 

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

Another great Illumicrate with lots of good contents. If you want to subscribe to Illumicrate then head on over to the website http://www.illumicrate.com/ and do it now! Right now you can get 10% off your first box by using the code WBD2017. Get going!

New Odeon cinema in BH2 is pure luxury!

I don't go to the cinema enough. I often went to the cinema in West12 shopping center in Shepherds Bush or Westfield across the road when I lived in London, and it was always an easy and fun occasion. We'd sneak food in my massive handbag, spend around 5 minutes arguing over which seats to take (Mum would complain that she didn't want to sit too close and get a crick in her neck, David would want to sit allll the way at the back for some unknown reason, Dad wanted to sit at the end of an isle, Kayleigh would just sigh, and I just want to sit maybe 20% away from the screen in the middle, prime viewing seat.), eat half the popcorn before the film starts and comment 'that looks good' at every film trailer. It's great fun. 

Some people see going to the cinema as a nostalgic thing nowadays. I suppose because you can get the latest movies on your tv, sticks, apps, downloads, or any other form of digital copy, so what's the point in forking out money to go and see a film once?

The answer? An experience. 

When I go to the cinema, I like to sit in a nice chair, watch a new movie on a good quality screen, eat some tasty snacks and feel comfortable enough to be absorbed in whatever I'm watching. Especially if its a movie that I've been waiting to see for a long time, I want to really enjoy it.  

Now with Odeons new cinema in BH2, I can have all of these things and even more. Some of the new and innovative features are beyond what I expected when visiting on their gala evening with Laura from MaxandMummy. 

The foyer is a large room with a multitude of places to buy snacks and beverages, all the chocolate you could ever want. BUT - if that doesn't tickle your fancy, then make your way up the tron-like escalators. 

Right behind you lies a magical sight, on the wall in red luminous letters spells the word "Bar". A glass of Baileys and a movie sounds good right about now. 

Usually the plan for an evening out to the cinema is food, then movie, or vice versa. If you don't have the time to have some food then the standard choice for something warm is hotdogs or nachos. Bit boring to be honest. And as a pescatarian I'm left with just the one option. Wouldn't it be nice to go into the cinema with some proper food with real flavour? Something that doesn't taste like processed ew? Like, I don't know... pizza? And not just pepperoni or mozzarella.

I'm gonna tell you right now, the Fungi pizza is my favourite. I haven't even tried anything else on the menu but I know it's the best. Mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, mozzarella, cheddar and tomato. The second its in your mouth its an instant burst of flavour, like proper pizza should have. So pop up to the bar, order some savouries, have yourself a cocktail or two and munch away looking over Bournemouth. (if it were day time I'm sure you'd have a lovely view in this picture, unfortunately my camera doesn't do it justice, but look at that couch! I did a quality control test on that couch, its a good couch.)

Or! If you're running late or just don't fancy having a sit down meal but you're still hungry, feel free to just take your food with you! Soon enough, you can have pizza whilst watching Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I will 100% be doing that, guaranteed. 

And don't worry about sitting in uncomfortable cinema seats for 2+ hours, comfort is high priority in the new iSense screen. 

Like, press-a-button-and-all-of-a-sudden-you're-pretty-much-lying-down-on-your-couch-eating-pizza comfy. I'm not kidding. A little table that pivots to make eating easier and your clothes safer from crumbs, a plush combined double seated sofa for you and a friend to share, and a 9 million pixel screen for the best quality to watch the movie of your choice.

For those of you with tiny children with far too much energy to even entertain the idea of sitting down for over a hour, Odeon now has a 'kids screen', which I think is a fantastic idea. A smaller room with a soft play area in the front (I also did a quality control on this area, the shark is the best) to keep your Duracell bunnies busy. 

Odeon have done very well to make watching films at the cinema a worth while experience, I know that this is going to be my regular cinema from now on. 

Book shopping anyone?

Trying to save money over the holidays is an impossible feat within itself. However, add an impulsive book buying habit to that and you've got a problem. Well, not a problem per se, but let's just say if I ever want to save up for something important then I'm going to have to leave my card at home. That being said, I have nothing to save for yet, so here we are! Neck deep in pre-orders, proofs and many, many books! Yaaaay! Over December and the start of January I've found stories I have fallen in love with, books I desperately want to read and covers I've pretty much been fawning over since I've purchased them. So without further ado, let the fan-girling commence. 

My current read is Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. The gold foil moths are giving me intense tattoo vibes, as I'm sure they have lots of other people. I haven't got too far into this book yet, I did start it a while ago but between being sick over Christmas, work and being in a bit of a reading slump, I haven't been motivated. Now that's not to say this this book is the reason for my lack of motivation, because it is not. The writing is superb, I love the mystery and I love Lazlo Strange and his aesthetic. So far all I know about him is that he spends all of his time in a library surrounded by books and quite likes it that way. Someone after my own heart. 

 

(Picture taken by Louise Inniss)

This book drops on March 28th 2017 and I can't wait to see it on the shelves. 

Goodreads synopsis: 

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep. 

I recently finished a beautiful book, and I've busy convincing lots of other people to read it too. Booksellers and customers alike, I'm sure people are getting fed up of me going on. But this is my blog, and I do what I want. I've already tweeted with the author about how much I love her book but now I'm going to TALK ABOUT IT SOME MORE! Caraval by Stephanie Garber

For fans of The Night Circus, the slightly twisted, the plot twist lovers and magically inclined, read this book. I'm not asking. It's for your own good. You can thank me later. This book is everything you'd want from a story set on a mysterious island, where a coveted ticket to take part in a special performance is a childhood dream come true for Scarlett. Or is it?

I love the characters, I love how the story has you questioning everything, I love how Stephanie Garber has managed to leave me infatuated with a character that was barely in the book. This is why I need a book two.

 

(picture from https://www.instagram.com/elizblake1/)

You haven't got long to wait for this one, January 31st 2017 and you can have it all to yourself. I personally have a signed and numbered first edition from Goldsboro Books pre-ordered which I can't WAIT to get. If I haven't convinced you to pre-order one for yourself, it is the most highly anticipated book YA of 2017 on goodreads so... take a leap of faith. 

Goodreads synopsis:

Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems.

Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.

Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.

When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever. 

Fire meets frost in a thrilling tale from the perspective of a seventeen year old girl called Ruby, a Fireblood. Frostblood by Elly Blake is my next read on my TBR, and in waiting for my reading slump to disappear this book finally came out! I'm really hoping for some brilliant characters and much mayhem. And big battles. Ooooh I'm so excited to read this! I've already taken the test online to see whether I'm a Fireblood or a Frostblood and apparently I'm a Frostblood. Here's hoping that's a good thing! I'm sure I'll find out soon. 

Take the test yourself here: http://www.playbuzz.com/hodders11/are-you-a-frostblood-or-a-fireblood

 

(picture taken by https://www.instagram.com/bekah_awesomebooknut/)

You can already pick up your copy of Frostblood now! If you needed an excuse to go to the bookshop, there it is!

Goodreads synopsis: 

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby's powers are unpredictable, and she's not sure she's willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.

All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king's tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.

For the past few months at work, every time I remember to I search for my highly anticipated titles on our system to see if they're available for pre-order. For the longest of times A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas was not on there, much to my disappointment. Then after the mayhem that was the Christmas shopping period I once again tried my luck and did some searching, and lo and behold, there it was. 

So yes, I finally have my paperback pre-ordered at Waterstones and whilst I know I will have to wait a couple of weeks for the hardback to hit the UK I AM STILL SO PSYCHED. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. I NEED TO KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN TO LUCIEN AND FEYRE AND CASSIAN AND AZRIEL AND NESTA AND ELAIN AND AMREN AND RHYS AND MOR AND BASICALLY EVERYONE EXCEPT TAMLIN FUCK TAMLIN. I NEED THIS BOOK.

If you haven't read A Court of Thorns and Roses yet then you have no idea what I'm talking about, but you should. This retelling of Beauty and The Beast is one of my all time favourite book series. A Court of Mist and Fury was my favourite book of 2016, and the fact that it was for a lot of other people too shouldn't put you off, the hype is justified. Trust me. 

There isn't a cover yet for this book so I'm going to share the inspired cover that Lexi on Goodreads has made herself, which I imagine is going to be very true to its word. 

(Picture from https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie)

If you're up to date with this series like me, then we have to wait until the 2nd of May 2017 to feel the feels of feelings. However, if you haven't started this series yet, now is a good time to catch up. I guarantee you everyone will be talking about this book when it is released into the world, more so then they are already talking about it. Also don't read this synopsis if you haven't caught up, spoilers!

Goodreads synopsis: 

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all. 

Executions, ambushes, sex, a floating market, and death are just some of the things V.E. Schwab promises in A Conjuring of Light, and my god am I excited for all of the above. So far we've only seen some snipits of what is yet to come, my favourite being: 

Alucard leaned across the desk.
"Do you even know how to sail, mas vares?" The honorific was said with serpentine sweetness. "I didn't think so."
"How hard can it be," snarled Kell, "if they let someone like you do it?"
A glint of mischief flashed in the captain's eyes.
"I'm rather good with hard things. Just ask-"
The blow caught Alucard across the cheek.

I love this series and I recommend it to anyone who goes near the Sci-Fi/Fantasy and/or YA section at work. Four Londons, magic, pirates, a magical coat and treachery. Sound awesome? I agree. I have already been hurt by this series and I expect to be hurt even more soon. Especially considering this is going to be the final for the trilogy. *sadface*

(picture from goodreads)

This gorgeous book will be mine on the 28th of February 2017. If you haven't read the Shades of Magic series then stop what your doing, go to your nearest bookshop and do yourself a favour, buy it, read it, love it. And don't read this next synopsis because spoilers. 

Goodreads synopsis: 

London's fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire—and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes and foes struggle alike. The direct sequel to A Gathering of Shadows, and the final book in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees Schwab reach a thrilling culmination concerning the fate of beloved protagonists—and old enemies.

One more book, just to stop myself from giving you a super long list.

This is one I've found out about only recently, and I kind of really love the premise of it. I think you'll agree with me when I say that most people read fantasy to escape reality, if only for a while. But wouldn't you love it if the two worlds combined? Wouldn't you LOVE it if your favourite character walked up to you and just started chatting? (Unless your favourite character is Smaug, in which case, run.) Traveler by L.E. DeLano is a story about just that. I am so intrigued by this, and luckily I don't have to wait long before I can sink my teeth into it. 

(picture from Goodreads)

On the 1st of March I will be spending even more money. This is such a lush cover, 100% its going to be face out on my shelf. 

Goodreads synopsis: 

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities. But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles…Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it… this Jessa is going to live.

I apologise if this post has already cost you some money. But not really because this is what money was made for - spending. 

Bathing in Liquid Goth.

So it's been a while since I last uploaded! Whoops! During December if I wasn't working, I was sleeping. Retail is killer! Although I did manage to read some wonderful books and get super excited about ones yet to be released which I will talk about in the next blog post!! For now, I want to talk about my inner goth. My 13 year old self who spent long hours listening to Scene music and browsing myspace profiles. I wasn't someone who teased their hair and put copious amounts of eyeliner on, but I definitely wouldn't have considered myself a 'preppy' girl! haha! But had this product come out in the early 2000's I would have been all over it. Many of you will probably remember this craze that spread through Instagram and Facebook not long ago - Black bath bombs. 

When I first saw this I was obviously worried that it would stain my bath or skin, and as cool as it looks I didn't want to have to spend half an hour bleaching the bath out afterwards. So after watching a few youtube videos on this bath bomb called Hex Bomb - Black as your soul from Bella Muerte Clothing and Accessories, and seeing all the positive responses I decided to give it a whirl. As this is a website I don't know and haven't used before I used Paypal, safety first! 

The bomb itself is a little tricky to get out of the tub, you have to squeeze the bottom and then whack it into your hand, but it didn't crack or crumble too much and stayed mostly intact. As soon as I put the bomb in it looked like ink bleeding into the water. It was so COOL. 

The bomb has quite a strong rose scent to it, like when you first open a candle and you're slapped with its fragrance. Once the bomb dissolved fully and the scent dispersed around the room it wasn't too strong. I will admit I do like rose scented things such as perfumes or *cough* biscuits *cough*, but I prefer it when the scent is subtly floral. Although my hair does smell like roses right now and that's a thumbs up. 

If you go deep enough into your bath, you will literally disappear. Half way down and I couldn't see my hand, which lead me into believing it would be a good idea to have a snapchat of my face coming out from the blackness. Cut to water going straight up my nose and me nearly choking, but lets keep that between you and me. 

After I drained the bath there were no stains on my skin or the bath itself, or on the bath mat. The darkness came and went without a trace. 

So if you used to (or even still do) listen to MCR, Fallout Boy or 3OH!3 , then I recommend you experience this just once. It's just so fun.

November Illumicrate! WARNING!! SPOILERS!!

It's Illumicrate month! YAY! This is my second Illumicrate and once again I'm very happy with everything that we've got this month. Since I'm not currently living at my house, I had to pop home to pick up my deliveries and basically I got too excited and opened the crate in the car! WORMS. EVERYWHERE. But I digress... 

First up we have a gorgeous little coffee cosy, an exclusive from Sparrow + Wolf, which lets face it, is probably going to be pretty damn useful over these colder months. I always end up switching hands every 20 seconds as my fingers slowly incinerate. I love the design, obviously, and I love that it's environmentally-friendly! Yay for the environment! 

Then we have a cool exclusive notebook from House of Wonderland. I was beginning to lose track of all my evil plans and dastardly deeds, so this is perfect. Just peeking through their website, I'm seeing lots of things that I might have to add my Christmas list. 

I love bookish candles. Like a lot. Some I burn, but most of the time I just keep them looking pretty on my bookshelves and smell them occasionally. Considering I always have Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff face out on my shelf, I know exactly where this candle from MerakiCandles is going to sit. Aidan, the crazy AI is my favourite character, I can really appreciate a bit of madness. This exclusive candle is a brilliant addition to my growing collection. 

As I am keeping to my theme of Thor oyster card holders, this Six of Crows card holder will be serving a different purpose by keeping all my train and bus tickets together as opposed to me losing them in the depths of my bag. I still have yet to read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but I'm pretty sure I know I'm gonna love it. Having the preorder gift of a Crooked Kingdom tote bag too, these go quite nice together. 

I've never taken part in #SockSunday, mainly because as a size 9 I'd prefer not to compare the size of my foot to the size of a book, I'll only come out disappointed. Now that's not to say I don't like a good pair of socks though. I don't understand people who don't wear socks with shoes, unless they're shoes like Toms or slip-ons. The cosier the better. I'm always game for socks, and these polka-dot socks from Happy Socks fit the bill. 

I have often contemplated getting a wolf tattoo, I'm not really sure about the pose or colouring, but it's definitely on my radar. I haven't yet read Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin but these temporary tattoos are pretty cool.  

Another book that I don't know much about, but I will definitely be flicking through this taster of The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr, a new YA book for 2017. 

My current read is Caraval by Stephanie Garber, and oh my god I love it. If you're a fan of The Night Circus then you'll definitely want to pick up this one when it drops in January 2017. I'll be posting a review too so look out for that! This cute post card will be going on my bookshelf with the other Caraval goodies I got recently. Already thinking this one is going to be a 5* btw. 

Even more post cards for Holding up the Universe and on the back All the Bright Places by Jeffiner Niven. And one more from Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt, soon to be released in February 2017. 

A very creative print filled with quotes from Replica by Lauren Oliver, and a Christmassy gift tag that says "I'll be home for Christmas". Which is ironic considering I'm not going to be home for Christmas this year. I'll save it for next year... 

And finally, we get to the book. As I work at Waterstones, when Illumicrate month comes about I have to think about what I buy as it's almost like buying things before Christmas. I had a feeling I knew what book was going to be in this months box, and low and behold I was right! The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid is a recently released YA book that is high on peoples TBR lists. I've been told that fans of The Red Queen will love this book. With a matching bookmark, a signed bookplate and a lovely letter from the author, I'm excited to read this! 

Once again, I'm chuffed with all the bits and bobs we got, and I'm already browsing through websites with the Illumicrate discount codes in hand. If you haven't yet subscribed to a book subscription box then I highly recommend Illumicrate. The owner is lovely and puts real thought and effort into everything she picks. Go and subscribe now. 

Mischief Managed

MinaLima, that doesn't ring a bell does it? Well their work might. The Daily Prophet, Quidditch World Cup posters, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, The Quibbler and The Marauders Map! All these things are available to fawn over and even purchase at the House of MinaLima, a great little popup shop in London. And only a few minutes away from the theatre production of The Cursed Child. So if you're planning to go and see it any time soon, this shop will be there until the 4th of February 2017, go and have a gander! 

Even the windows are filled with magical things! It's hard to walk past this shop and not stare at the wonders inside. 

There are four floors dedicated to the work of MinaLima, and even the stairs are decorated with Daily Prophet posters, and all over the floors were Harry's Hogwarts acceptance letters. 

On the ground floor you have lots of limited prints for sale, lots of posters including Sirius Blacks wanted poster, Umbridge's rules such as 'Boy and Girls are not permitted to be within 8 inches of each other', Bellatrix Lestrange's wanted poster, and other delights like those. You can also pick up the Hogwarts acceptance letter stickers to replicate Harry's fireplace! All the little details really make this place quite special. 

On the first floor you're eyes are immediately drawn to the massive Marauders map across the entire floor, and most likely you'll have the same feeling of envy that I did and possibly will be already making plans to do this to your own floor. I understand, it's okay, I want it too. 

All over my floors, all over my walls, paint the roof with it- oh my god. How amazing would it be do have your HOUSE painted with the Marauders map?! One day. After I win the lottery. 

Then once you've marveled over the floor enough, (I'm mean how long is too long really?) you'll notice all the framed prints around the room, and the shiny gold words on the wall to your right. 

And amongst all those posters was one of my favourite things! Ron's howler from his mother! One of the most memorable scenes from the movie. I can just hear Mrs. Weasley's voice when I read the letter again!

By the windows there is a long case filled to the brim with props straight from the film. Rita Skeeters book Albus Dumbledore from The Goblet of Fire, a Chocolate Frog Box, Defense against the Dark Arts for Beginners, a few issues of Quibbler and so many more things. Including a little cameo from the pair themselves!

Unfortunately for us, the second floor was closed for business as the staff were setting up for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It was very tempting to peek behind the purple velvet curtain but alas, it was not to be. If we were to stay until Friday we would have seen all the goodies. Instead we moved up to the third floor, where there were loads of book covers all over the walls. Obviously I wanted all of them.

Gilderoy Lockheart - Magical Me

Hogwarts A History

Every book that was used in the film was on the wall, and trust me when I say you'll probably recognize them all. Dotted around the room were tiny cabinets with the original books in them. 

Across the room was a small fireplace with tons and tons of letters pouring out of it, every 11 year olds dream. (Also this 22 year olds dream.)

And sitting proudly in all its shiny glory above the fireplace was the original cover for Fantastic Beasts. 

The new cover for Fantastic Beasts is gorgeous, but I'd love to get my hands on this cover. I'll have to save up for a print! 

If you're a Harry Potter fan and you live in London or you have the opportunity to go up to London before February, definitely pop into the House of MinaLima, its free to enter, and the staff have lots of trivia to share! So ask questions, drool over notebooks, get all the posters and drool over the untouchable props. I definitely have plans to go back and see this Fantastic Beasts floor that I missed, hopefully I can squeeze a couple of purchases in too! After booking tickets to see The Cursed Child last year and still having to wait until March NEXT year, this is the dose of magic that I needed. 

Address:
26 Greek Street, Soho, London, W1D 5DE - https://goo.gl/maps/yKtT13ZCWsn

Nearest Tube Stations:
Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Tottenham Court Road and Piccadilly Circus

Bus Routes: https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/

Contact:Telephone – 0203 214 0000

Email – info@minalima.com

Opening Hours:Monday – 12:00 to 7:00 pmTuesday – 12:00 to 7:00 pmWednesday – 12:00 to 7:00 pmThursday – 12:00 to 8:00 pmFriday – 12:00 to 7:00 pmSaturday – 12:00 to 7:00 pmSunday – 12:00 to 6:00 pm

Click here to go to the official website for any more information