Once Upon a Book Box…
Once upon a book box & mother’s day
I needed a Mother’s Day present and Once Upon a Book Box came through for me. If you’ve ever met me, you know that my go-to gift for anybody {except my brother} is gonna be a book. They’re cost-effective {hi, college student here}, pretty, and give the gift-ee a good story that they can enjoy again and again.
So what’s better than a book? A book BOX.
What is a book box?
Book boxes are the best thing you can get a book lover. They come with a new-release special-edition book as the centerpiece, along with some trinkets or household items usually inspired by similar books.
My May 2021 box from The Bookish Box included:
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard, along with items inspired by The Shadows Between Us, Crave, From Blood & Ash, The Twilight Saga, and a few extra treats.
Different boxes will have different styles or tiers - some boxes might include t-shirts, while others could include a bonus paperback with your special hardcover. I had loads of subscriptions to choose from, so which one could possibly fit my mom’s style…?
Once Upon a Book Box…
I got Mom a box from Once Upon a Book Club. Look at all the cool stuff she got!
Once Upon a Book Club
Once Upon a Book Club has two subscriptions - Adult and Young Adult. They also offer separate special edition books to purchase without a subscription, so there’s plenty to choose from.
The books they select cover a wide range of genres, including these titles:
If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
Sisters of the Resistance by Christine Wells
The Oceanography of the Moon by Glendy Vanderah in the Adult subscription
Young Adult boxes include titles like Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood, Bluebird by Sharon Cameron, and A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee.
Don’t like how one of those sounds, but think you’d enjoy the rest?
Once Upon a Book Box easily lets you skip a month at no charge! If this particular book subscription sounds like your style, you can choose from four payment options - month-to-month {$49.99}, 3-month {$145}, 6-month {$289}, or 12-month {$570}. It’s an auto-renewing service, so you don’t need to worry about keeping on top of payments. If you want to cancel, unsubscribing is as easy as emailing to let them know.
Each box includes a newly-released title and five mystery gifts. Once Upon a Book Club only has one tier for their subscriptions, so there aren’t any extra goodies you can get for more money, which is nice when you’re on a budget and don’t want to be tempted by those tantalizing upgrades. If you want more information, you can check out their Instagram page.
Now that we’ve seen the one I got Mom, let’s look at the two I get: The Bookish Box & Owlcrate.
The Bookish Box
The Bookish Box offers a bundle of choices for every reader, in both their Young Adult and Adult subscriptions. Each subscription renews month-to-month, but The Bookish Box offers a multitude of tiers for each - book {$38}, book & goodies {$48}, book & goodies & t-shirt {$62}, or a box that only includes both the Adult & Young Adult books {$63}.
The Bookish Box offers free shipping on any orders in the US, so no need to worry about shipping costs! You can also get a box with just the Young Adult goodies & t-shirt {$45.99}, but who goes to a book box and doesn’t get the book?!
This service also auto-renews, and doesn’t have a skip feature yet, though they say they have one in the works. This box also sells separate one-time purchase book boxes, clothes, dust jackets, bookmarks, prints, stickers, and more!!
A drawback to this box is that it tends to get delayed fairly often - you could be waiting for a couple months before you get a box, so if you’re impatient or need something to get to you quickly, this probably isn’t the book subscription for you.
The Young Adult subscription tends to lean towards fantasy {titles have included Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer, These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan, and These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy}.
The Adult subscription fluctuates between fantasy and contemporary fiction {titles include Here With Me by Samantha Young, A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker, and Bombshell by Sarah Maclean}.
Want to know more? Check out their Instagram page.
Owlcrate
Owlcrate is one of my favorites on this list - they give you beautiful books and high-quality items {if you can stomach the shipping}.
They have two subscription options, Young Adult and Junior.
Since Junior is for middle-grade readers, we won’t be paying that one much attention, but it’s a good idea to keep in mind if you have a little person you need a gift for!
Owlcrate offers three payment options - monthly {$32.99}, 3-month {$95.97}, and 6-month {$185.94}. Their books usually fall into fantasy, and include titles such as Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross, Jade Fire Gold by C.L. Tan, and Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone.
If you don’t like one of those titles, Owlcrate offers a skip option - monthly subscribers can take care of it on their accounts, and 3- or 6-month subscribers just have to email and Owlcrate will take care of it for them.
Like I said earlier, though Owlcrate has gorgeous high-quality items, the shipping can be steep, so if you’re someone that cringes at the idea of shipping being any more expensive than $3, I’d pick a different box.
More details on this one, check out their Instagram page.
Now that we’ve covered these three, let’s take a look at two more you’ve definitely heard of if you’re in the once upon a book box world {and one you might not have}.
Fairyloot
Fairyloot is the book box everyone wants and few can have. Their waitlist is extensive, but their products are SO WORTH IT.
They may sell pieces from old boxes or special edition books separately in their shop, but if you can get your hands on a subscription, you absolutely should. Their claim to fame is being “a box of bookish treasure stolen from a fairy’s lair”.
They’re the #1 fantasy book box for a reason - they’re known for their gorgeous sprayed & stenciled edges and brilliant book picks, plus the quality and beauty of the trinkets they include. They offer both a Young Adult and Adult subscription, and their price point isn’t bad {though they do ship mostly from the UK, so their shipping can get a little pricey}.
They have three payment options - monthly {$35.90}, 3-month {$104.70}, and 6-month {$207.50}. Fairyloot’s Adult subscription is pretty new, so they don’t have previous boxes listed on their site yet. Young Adult titles have included Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. They have a skip feature, too.\
If you want to see past fairy treasure or have questions, check out their Instagram page.
Illumicrate
Illumicrate might be my most-desired book box - they’re relatively cheap, have stunning products, and ship in a timely manner.
Biggest downside: they’re UK-based, so shipping is ASTRONOMICAL.
They also have a pretty good-sized waitlist, so it could be awhile before you get your hands on your first box. Still, once you do, I guarantee you’ll be happy with the product delivered. They put special care into each selection, and their books are second only to Fairyloot in terms of visual appeal.
Their alternate covers and stenciled edges will be the centerpiece of any bookshelf, and the little goodies they include make for awesome decorations. They have three subscriber options, as well as one-purchase items. For subscriptions, they offer Afterlight Quarterly {$22.48}, book only {$21.23}, and the full box {$33.72}. Before you get excited about the pricing {REALLY good for high quality stuff}, make sure you add $10-$20 in shipping costs. UK to US delivery ain’t cheap, folks. {Take it from a US citizen who shops at Waterstones pretty regularly.}
Afterlight is a romance-specific book box with 2-3 goodies, while their normal box will be more in the fantasy world and include 4-5 items. Previous Afterlight titles include novels like Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, All the Feels by Olivia Dade, and and The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, while their standard monthly boxes have featured books like A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. Illumicrate also lets you skip a month, so don’t worry about liking every single title they announce.
If you want to know more {or just want to see pretty books}, head on over to their Instagram page.
And, last but certainly not least, a newbie to the book box scene…
Dazzling Bookish Shop
Dazzling Bookish Shop started off as a one-time purchase book service, and as someone who owns three of their books, I can confidently say that it was worth it!
Their book box is $45, and it gets you a new release with a signed bookplate, author letter, custom sprayed/stenciled edges, and an alternate dust jacket.
This book box does something I really like - though you’re notified of what the book will be, the custom cover and edges are kept secret until the book shows up on your doorstep. That way, you can look up the synopsis on Goodreads, but you still get a fun surprise!
Dazzling Bookish Shop also allows you to skip a month if you don’t like the upcoming title. This shop has a variety of fantasy and romance titles available, such as Out of the Blue by Jason June, Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho, and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Interested?
Check out their Instagram page and show them some love!
Once Upon a Book Box was the perfect gift for my Mom
It gave her the book to read {she described the Once Upon Book as a modern day Cinderella story with a great twist}. Along-the-way she also had three gifts to unbox. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! {My Mom’s bad joke, not mine}.
This was a pretty extensive list to help get you started, so pick one, get comfy, and start reading!
Once Upon a Book Box might not be your type of book box, so we want to hear yours - was there one we missed? Do you have one of the six we mentioned? If ya do, what’s the best book you’ve gotten so far?
xo 💖Andrea and Emma
