More Book Subscription Boxes

These come with gifts to enhance your reading experience

Hi readers,

I love book mail; sometimes it’s Goodreads giveaway wins, sometimes the books are from publishers, and every month I receive at least one book from my postal books clubs. Every month I make a trip to a couple of the Little Free Libraries close to me and leave the books I’m finished with. The book mail that I enjoy the most is book subscription boxes, which come complete with gifts to enhance the reading experience.

I’ve briefly mentioned book subscription boxes with gifts in this newsletter (scroll to the end), and they are so much fun. Some gifts set the ambiance with candles and a beverage to drink or something to eat, some come with self-care gifts, and others add gifts that somehow relate to the words on the page. I have subscribed to some of these in the past, others I have never subscribed to, and I currently only subscribe to one. Some are geared towards adults and others for specific genres or age groups. This newsletter will only focus on adult book subscription boxes, and I’m going to add a couple of “author” book subscription boxes that I think are worth mentioning.

Book Subscription Boxes with Gifts

• Unplugged Book Box - from the website, “A monthly subscription box that focuses on self-care with unique, exclusive self-care products that help you unplug and live in the moment.” Book boxes include a new-release book for adults or young adults with author swag, three to four self-care products, and two to three novelty products. Previous books have included No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole, The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Past self-care gifts have been candles, face products, teas, and other goodies to enjoy as you read the books. This subscription has a charitable component to each box sold.

• BlackLIT - from the website, “ An intentional effort to motivate, highlight, reaffirm, and empower cultures who have been “blacklisted” from the classroom, specializing in making literacy appear relatable and relevant to students in the black community. These book boxes include one or more books by an author of color, three to five high-quality products from a black-owned business, and five thought-provoking writing prompts. There are five different subscription types: spiritual, fiction, nonfiction, men, and mini mailer, and all boxes include one book, a shirt, and other bookish gift items. Some books have a corresponding book club associated with them. Previous books have included Relationship Goals by Michael Todd, Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. BlackLIT currently operates as a mobile bookstore and online store, hoping to open a bookstore soon in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of North Texas.

• The Wordy Traveler - from the website, “Feel like you are traveling the world without leaving your favorite reading spot.” This quarterly (called a season) subscription box allows you to create a subscription box that contains one to six different books along with gifts that relate specifically to the country or region that you are traveling to. Previous locations have included Peru, Paris, the Danube, Ireland, and many more. Limited edition boxes include events such as the Lunar New Year celebration, Mardi Gras, Culinary Literature, and a Disney culinary adventure. There is also a Wordy Traveler podcast with interviews of travel and culinary people that connect to the quarterly subscription boxes. They use ethically sourced gifts, and there is also a charitable component to each box they sell. I’m considering trying this one out when a future location interests me.

• Once Upon A Book Club - from the website, “A unique, interactive reading experience that allows readers to become the character(s), holding items the characters are holding and bringing the book itself to life. There is an adult and a young adult subscription with hints designed to give the reader enough information to determine if they want the current month’s box or not. Each box contains a book with three to five gifts to open when you see the sticker on a specific page. Previous books have included Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon, The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell, Shiver by Allie Reynolds, and so many more. Be sure to check the archives section on the website to view what each previous box looks like and hover over each picture to see the unwrapped gifts included with that box. This company has had “supply chain problems” in the past, and they are still working through those, so monthly shipments have been delayed somewhat. I currently subscribe to this one, and although I skip the month if the book doesn’t interest me, I enjoy the reading and gift experience. They do a great job putting those two things together.

• Authentic Books - from the website, “Create a reading experience with all five senses in every box.” This subscription allows the reader to choose from 3 different books or the “surprise me” option. Each subscription level determines the three to five “sense” items received along with bookmarks and recipe cards. Previous books have included Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, and The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson. The “sense” gifts include a candle, a self-care item, a Spotify playlist, and depending on your subscription type, can also contain a coffee or tea, chocolate, and additional self-care items. All gifts are sourced through small US-based artisans and boutiques, and 5% of all subscriptions are donated towards children’s literacy and education.

• Culture Carton Book Club - from the website, “The best subscription box for men containing three to five of the best lifestyle items and one book that belongs on every man’s bookshelf.” This subscription has three different levels; the “book club,” which is only the book, “essentials,” which is only the lifestyle gifts, and “standard,” which includes the book and the lifestyle gifts. Previous books have included The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon, The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille, and The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemon. Past gifts have included earbuds, athletic socks, cufflinks, and other manly items. The shop is stocked with other men’s items such as leather goods, electronics, and travel items.

• FairyLoot - from the website, “A young adult, fantasy focused book box that makes the reader feel as if they are opening a box of treasure taken straight from a fairy’s lair.” Each box contains a recently published young adult fantasy book and four to five gifts sure to please the fantasy reader. Previous books have included The Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier, These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan, Fable by Adrienne Young, and many others. Past gifts have included keychains, pencil cases, book sleeves, candles, bookmarks, and many other gifts designed to go perfectly with the monthly book. There are vibrant FB, Instagram, and online communities with read-alongs, author interviews, and more to delight you or the fantasy reader in your life.

Author Book Subscription Boxes with Gifts

• Brenda Novak - the author of almost fifty books, Brenda Novak has a robust online community that features a FB book club group with a monthly book club meeting, a reading challenge, a book buddy program, and a monthly book box that sells out every single month. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and historical romance, and each month’s box features one or two autographed books from her or similar authors along with several bookish gifts and sometimes food items. There is always a gift that is kept as a surprise for when you receive your box. Brenda’s daughter Alexa helps her with the book boxes and chooses some of the most unique and desired gifts I’ve ever seen in a book box subscription. If you read romance books, you will enjoy this book subscription box. I used to subscribe to this a few years back when I read more romance. Even though I no longer subscribe, I still think this is one of the best boxes available for the money spent.

• The Bookworm Box by Colleen Hoover - from the website, “We believe in the power of a good book and the power of giving back; together we create good deeds and great reads.” The Bookworm Box, both the bookstore and the book subscription box, is a 501(c)(3) organization. Authors donate their signed books to The Bookworm Box, and to date, The Bookworm Box has donated over $1,000,000 to charities supported by the organization. There are five different adult and two different young adult subscription level types ranging from an e-book subscription to a two-book subscription with author swag, bookstore gifts, and other bookish items. Previous books have included The Rebel by Kendall Ryan, See Me After Class by Meghan Quinn, Vanishing Summer by Lora Richardson, and many others. Bookish gifts in the past have included book darts, jewelry, bookmarks, Pinmates, pens, coasters, and more. The book box usually sells out every month, and the bookish gifts change from month to month.

These book boxes all offer an experience along with the book, and they range in price from the low $30’s to upwards of $60-$70 for one book box; shipping is included on some and an extra cost on others. There are dozens more subscriptions box companies; these are just a few to give you an idea of what is available.

I purposely didn’t include children’s and middle-grade book subscription boxes; there are so many options to choose from, they warrant their own separate newsletter. I wanted to be able to highlight several different types, so those will be in an upcoming newsletter in the next few weeks.

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In case you missed it, here is the first newsletter in the series of book subscription boxes:

Independent Bookstore Book Subscription Boxes

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I’m starting to see a few signs of spring around here, a few warm days, and then comes a chance of snow; for now, I’m enjoying the sunshine and daytime warmth to sit on my balcony and read and relax. I hope you had a chance last weekend to get lost in a book or two; after all, reading is such fun. Happy reading!