If you are still stumped on what to get your bookworm this holiday season, or you are the bookworm struggling to tell your friends and family what you want for Christmas, I highly recommend you look into a book subscription box. One subscription box in particular: Owlcrate.
Owlcrate launched in February 2015. Based out of Canada, it caters to bookworms and all things bookish. In addition to a newly released hardcover young adult novel, the box also includes 3 to 5 other items such as jewelry, bookmarks, candles, buttons, art prints, and the occasional Funko Pop, among other things. Every month has a different theme; examples include “Good vs. Evil,” “Royalty,” “Fast Times at YA High,” “Darkness,” and “Wonderland.” The book and the items in each box are based within that particular month’s theme.
One of Owlcrate's founders, Korrina, stated she receives multiple Advanced Reader Copies from various publishing houses. She chooses books for different boxes months in advance, then goes about selecting items to fit the theme around the book. She works with mainly Etsy or small businesses to produce items for all the boxes Owlcrate creates.
I personally have been subscribed to Owlcrate since March 2016. As a writer myself, I was drawn to that month’s theme: Writer’s Block. But being a poor college student, I continued to fight it until I was no longer able to.
You have three options for a subscription plan: a monthly payment of $29.99 (plus shipping), a 3-month prepay of $86.98 (plus shipping), and a 6-month prepay of $167.94 (plus shipping). Depending on your budget and what you are willing to spend on books every month (not to mention your other expenses), this can be a little pricey. But you can skip a renewal or cancel your subscription whenever you want. Such as, if you are on a monthly plan and you are not interested in the theme of the upcoming month’s box, you can skip the renewal.
I personally started out with a monthly payment plan. I skipped April 2016, the “Dystopia” box, because I wasn’t interested. I signed up for a 3-month prepay plan after the May box—“Steampunk” theme with a novel that was a retelling of Peter Pan—and the boxes have only gotten better for me since.
As for the books of Owlcrate, as I mentioned before, they are all hardcover young adult new releases. They don’t stick to one particular genre. So far, they have had fantasy, contemporary, mystery, historical fiction, and horror books in their boxes. Here are some examples:
- Everland by Wendy Spinale from the May 2016 “Steampunk” box: a retelling of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie set in World War II London.
- This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab from the July 2016 “Good vs. Evil” box: a fantasy, horror, and dystopian, science fiction novel set in a world where monsters are born from the violent acts of humans.
- Heartless by Marissa Meyer from the most recent box, November 2016 “Wonderland”: a retelling of the origin story of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. This is the book that Owlcrate also released a limited edition cover exclusive to their “Wonderland” box.
Of all the eight books I received so far, I have only read This Savage Song. I can say for certain that Owlcrate goes to great lengths to pick the books in their boxes. And I want to read all of them (eventually).
The other products in the Owlcrate box are also significantly well made. Of my own personal favorites, there is a bracelet by the Etsy store Rich Love Shoppe inspired by the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer from the “Royalty” box; a Dobby Funko Pop from the “Good vs. Evil” box; a pendant necklace inspired by the novel Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell made exclusively for Owlcrate for the “Fast Times at YA High” Box; and a bookmark with a quote from Alice in Wonderland made by the Etsy shop Authored Adornments for the “Wonderland” box.
Whether you are shopping for yourself or for someone else, I can say personally that I have yet to be deeply disappointed with an Owlcrate box. While there are some boxes I didn’t absolutely love, there are still items I will use and books I will read. By no means would I say this book subscription box is a waste of money.