Another month, another Owlcrate theme to pick apart! Today we’ll be looking at the November theme, which is Growing Wild.
As usual, all of the opinions in this post are my own, so please take them with a grain of salt, and don’t be offended if my least favorite fandom is your favorite. We all have our own preferences. 🙂
SPOILER ALERT! These posts will name the included book of the month, which often isn’t announced in advance. Please don’t continue to read if you want to be surprised by the book.
The Box Details
Company: Owlcrate
Theme: Growing Wild
Month: November 2020
Information Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGYUjXUAO_e/
Cost: $29.99 + Shipping & Tax
Included Fandoms: A Darker Shade of Magic, Wild Beauty, The Lord of the Rings
Anticipated Book of the Month: Among Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston
Special Book Features: Exclusive cover, exclusive artwork on the back of the dust, sprayed edges, and signed by the author
Early Reveals: Reading Planner designed by Blue Star Press
The Rationale
Alright, so as some of you might know from previous posts, Owlcrate hasn’t really been satisfying my bookish box cravings lately. The items have been leaning toward the “useful” home, office, and kitchen side of things, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s not for me. Because of this, I’ve been taking a break from the box, and it’s going to take something spectacular to bring me back.
I don’t think that this is the box to bring me back just yet.
I am excited for the book Among Beasts and Briars. It sounds quite interesting and I just checked out an ebook copy from the library yesterday. The cover is already so gorgeous, so I anticipate that the cover change will either be the entire background color or maybe the text. The sprayed edges will be fun, but since this book isn’t one of my most anticipated releases, I don’t feel the need to own a special edition. Additionally, reverse dust jacket art isn’t something I really enjoy, so I’m fine with not owning it.
The announced fandoms aren’t any of my favorites, and while Owlcrate tends to send out fun items that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of fandom affiliation, I’m not really compelled unless they announce that there will be a book tin or something like that. I am interested in the announced reading planner, as I lost my old Owlcrate planner back in March during college move-out, but I’m sure I can either get another cute planner or this one via a B/S/T group.
Pros
- I’ve really liked Ashley Poston’s past books, and this one sounds great
- I like the theme and the general floral/botanical vibe
- If I don’t get it, it won’t be hard to find items secondhand online for fairly cheap
Cons
- Haven’t been thrilled by Owlcrate’s recent items
- Cost
- Not thrilled with the included fandoms
- The original cover is already so stunning!
The Verdict
I will not be getting this box! Ever since my post about taking a break from Owlcrate, my feels of FOMO for Owlcrate boxes have really subsided. I definitely want the reading planner, but I’m sure I’ll be able to buy one secondhand for fairly cheap (or I might actually choose a different reading planner this year, who knows!) Overall, there’s just not enough going on in this box for me to justify spending around $40.
Thanks for reading my ramble! Are you going to get this box? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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