Book subscription services have been popping up all over the place, ranging from boxes with just books and others featuring gifts and trinkets. They have been on the rise, especially with the pandemic and people wanting books delivered straight to their door, but book subscription services have been around much longer. 

Book of the Month

In 1926, Harry Scherman, Max Sackheim and Robert Haas created the Book-of-the-Month Club that gathered a panel of judges to pick new titles to send out to members. Some of the first novels that were sent out to members were Ernest Hemingway’s debut novel “The Sun Also Rises” and J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.” 

BOTMC shut down completely for a few years until it rebranded and relaunched in 2015 to what is now known as Book of the Month.  Since its relaunch in 2015, BOTM allowed members to choose between five monthly picks, but as of this year, they choose five to seven depending on the month. 

BOTM incorporates at least one book from a different genre such as YA, romance, thriller or literary fiction for its monthly picks. There are also a handful of add-ons that are introduced every month to add to your box so you can have more than one book show up on your doorstep. 

When you first sign up, you get your first book for $9.99. Every month after that is $16.99 for a newly released hardcover book. You get the option to include two add-ons to your order for $9.99 each. If you’re a person who doesn’t like to pay for shipping, BOTM makes shipping free no matter the number of books you order. 

OwlCrate

This book subscription box caters to YA readers, but it can be for adults too. Each box has a different theme that matches up with the signed book of the month and bookish gifts and trinkets that go along with it. Gifts can include pins, candles, mugs, socks and more. 

There are three plans you can choose from: monthly, three-month or six-month. If you decide you want to change your plan or cancel, you can do it online anytime on OwlCrate’s website. 

OwlCrate also offers an OwlCrate Jr. box for middle-grade readers ages 8-12. The monthly price for the original box starts at $32.99 and the price for the OwlCrate Jr. box starts at $29.99. Shipping is charged every month for each themed box. 

Coffee and a Classic

It is every reader’s dream to curl up on a couch with a good book and something warm to drink. If that is you, then try out Coffee and a Classic. The subscription is delivered monthly and offers three genres to choose from: Classic Nonfiction, Classic Literature and Children’s Classic.

Coffee and a Classic offers two types of boxes to choose from. The first one is the Essentials Box which includes the book, drink of your choosing, two bookish items and a bookmark for a starting price of $42.99. The second box is the Premier Box which includes everything from the Essentials Box, a snack and a mug all delivered in a high-quality box. The Premier box also has a starting price of $42.99.

Once you choose your box and genre, now it’s time to choose your drink choice. The options are coffee, tea, hot chocolate or a surprise me option. After deciding on your drink, you choose between a monthly, three-month or six-month option at checkout. There is only free shipping for US orders. 

Once Upon a Book Club 

Once Upon a Book Club sends a new book each month with gifts to coordinate with the pages. You open each gift as you read and you will be fully immersed in the novel.

The quantity and diversity of gifts change every month to correlate with the book and its contents. Once Upon a Book Club releases hints every month to give members a chance to figure the book out or decide if they should skip a month.

The book service has two subscriptions to choose from: Adult and Young Adult. The prices are the same for each subscription and you can choose to do a monthly, three-month, six-month or 12-month plan to guarantee a box every month paid in full. Shipping is free for US orders but may vary for international shipping.