A Very Potter Christmas Haul

Potterhead (noun) - either
a) Term used to describe a ridiculously enthusiastic fan of the Harry Potter books series and its various spinoffs
or
b) Me (and hopefully most of you guys, or else I've seriously misjudged my audience and this post is going to be wildly unnecessary)

I've been spoiled a bit this Christmas.

Family members and friends, you aren't reading this, because I have consciously never mentioned this blog around most of you for fear of endless mockery (or, worse, the risk that you might actually be supportive and read it), but if you were I would thank you. I honestly have not been a good girl at all this year, but you still got me MANY presents.

I'm going to do a more bookish haul at some point, but for now I thought I'd highlight some of the more Potter-y ones. Because they are oh-so pretty pretty pretty.

LOOK!

ITEM #1 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay

So this is absolutely beautiful and I'm guessing I'm enthusiastic enough about it that you can see my heart eyes through the screen. I mean, there's an entire illustrated double page on various mythical animals and it's wonderful. This is the third one of these illustrated editions that I've got, and yet I have yet to read one all the way through ... because have you seen how heavy these things are? Still, I think for the sake of the beautiful art I think I might at least try.

*glances at spinach with dubious hope*

ITEM #2 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hardback Hufflepuff Edition by J.K. Rowling

Considering that, along with my original childhood copy and the illustrated edition I got last year, this is the third edition of Philosopher's Stone I own, it might have been considered a pointless addition to my wish list.

BUT 10 EXTRA PAGES OF HUFFLEPUFF GOSSIP, FRIENDS! Apparently it says something about Sprout and Flitwick dating as teenagers?

I have no regrets. Absolutely none.

ITEMS #3 - #10 - An Unreasonable Number of Potter-Themed Funko Pops

I have a Potter-themed bedroom to decorate, okay? Leave me and my big-headed plastic army in peace!

I'm not kidding, either. I've painted the walls Hufflepuff yellow and it's like sleeping inside the sun, but I love it. Maybe a room tour's on the cards once I finally get it finished?

ITEM #11 - Butterbeer Candle by Crybaby Cuties

Image Credit: Crybaby Cuties Etsy Store

This one wasn't even on my wishlist. I am incredibly impressed with the family members who managed to find this, especially since it IDENTICALLY MATCHES those Hufflepuff-coloured walls in my sun interior room.

And the smell ... it's a heady mix of Christmas and buttercream which smells exactly how I wish those Butterbeer rip-offs at Harry Potter World tasted. I honestly cannot wait to burn this while I'm working - if anything's going to defend me from the debilitating stress that is homework, it's this.

ITEM #12 - Harry Potter, A History of Magic by The British Library

So THIS IS POSSIBLY THE MOST FASCINATING COFFEE-TABLE BOOK I'VE EVER SEEN. Ever. It's based on a Harry Potter exhibition which is on at The British Library at the moment, and basically, it focuses on the real-life history and mythology which inspired Potter's magic system.

It's an absolutely gorgeously illustrated and photographed fusion between sociology and human nature and Harry Potter. Of course I love it. Just in case you need another reason to pay the (admittedly fairly expensive) price, it's organised by Hogwarts subject with celebrity forewords to each chapter. And Steve Backshall does the Care for Magical Creatures one.

(If you didn't grow up in Britain in the late noughties, then that might not be the bombshell I was going for. Here's his Wiki page.)

ITEM #13 - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Illustrated Edition by J.K Rowling and Olivia Lomenech Gill

MORE PWETTY PWETTY PICTURES.

Seriously. I've never seen any of Gill's illustrations before, and she's done an amazing job of making this look pretty much exactly like a field guide, but with just the right amount of magical spin. The text itself is absolutely hilarious, but it isn't any different to the original Fantastic Beasts, which released in 2007.

Ten years ago, guys. How on earth was that ten years ago?

If any of you are wondering how on earth I managed to find this much collectable Harry Potter merch in one year, well. The UK appears to have just realised that it's the twenty year anniversary of the first book, Philosopher's Stone, being released, and everyone's gone a little bit crazy.

Anyway, that's my haul. I hope you've had some very Happy Holidays, folks - just please don't try and rob me.

***

In the comments: How was your holiday season, guys? Did you do anything fun? Get anything good? It's been AGES since I've had a chance to talk to any of you, and I genuinely want to hear about how you've been. 

View Post