Three Book Subscription Boxes

I tried three book subscription boxes (Note: All of these were paid for with my own money): two well-known ones and one lesser known. (Well, lesser known to me at least.) They were:

• PageHabit (February YA box)
• OwlCrate (March box)
• Willow Lane Books (March box)

I wanted to quickly talk a bit about each of them and share my thoughts.

PageHabit

The February YA PageHabit book was curated by Lala from the BookTube Channel, BooksandLala. It included the following items:

• Bookworm Beanie
• PageHabit bookmark
• Talking Bubble sticky notes
• “Reach for the stars” cat pen
  • Others received a “Deal with it” cat pen
• “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving
• The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson, annotated by the author, and including a brief letter from the author

Overall, I was very impressed with this box. Everything is practical and useful. The pen I received is one where we you hold it upright, the cat floats to the top of the stars.

What’s unique about this box?

Each PageHabit box comes with an exclusively annotated book by the author. They give bits of behind the scenes, thoughts on certain character, and more. Of course, they’re on printed sticky notes, but it’s still nice to see these insights.

Also, each purchase goes towards helping literacy development in different countries around the world.

Cons

It’s a case-by-case basis. From other unboxings I’ve seen from previous months, PH boxes generally include “fun,” yet useful, items. However, not everyone will have the same need for every item.

Misc.

PageHabit comes in a variety of genres you can choose from. By subscribing to one box, you can still choose to additionally get the annotated book from another box, since the items themselves will basically be the same throughout each genre’s boxes. You can read the description of each book (without the title) to get a feel if you might enjoy it.

Also, many BookTubers are affiliated with PageHabit, so getting 10% off each month is incredibly easy.

Price: $29.99/month + shipping

Update: As of August 2018, PageHabit has been disbanded. No new subscriptions are available.

OwlCrate

The March OwlCrate box was themed Across the Galaxy. OwlCrate is a YA subscription box. The March one contained the following items:

• The Illuminae Files exclusive candle
  • Mine was “Sweet Honeydew” scent
• Exclusive planet button/pin
• “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away” galaxy bookmark
• Mug with a quote from The Lunar Chronicles
• Guardians of the Galaxy surprise mini-Funko Pop
• Small art print advertising the Nerdy Post box on the back with a code for 10%
• Exclusive galaxy infinity scarf
• The Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston, signed by the author

This box is fun, and I did enjoy it.

What’s unique about this box?

Each OwlCrate box comes with an exclusive cover of a recently released YA book. For example, this edition of Heart of Iron has dyed purple page edges and gold lettering. Beginning in January 2018, they are also more likely to be signed by the author–instead of simply an included signed bookplate.

Additionally, many OwlCrate boxes come with exclusive items.

Cons

Again, it’s a case-by-case basis. For me, personally, I don’t really collect Funko Pops. However, a lot of people do, so I can’t fault the box for including popular items. Another thing is that I don’t really wear scarves or infinity scarves. It just doesn’t get that cold where I am. That being said, the included scarf is very soft and comfortable. It’s just not something I would personally ever wear.

Misc.

Each month’s box is themed and includes items from small, indie brands that are inspired by different books pertaining to the theme.

Like PageHabit, many BookTubers are affiliated with OwlCrate, so getting 10% off each box is very simple.

If you want to just test out a month, OwlCrate themselves suggest choosing the “Gift” option at checkout. This will make sure the box does not auto renew.

Price: $29.99/month + shipping

Willow Lane Books

The March Willow Lane Books was themed The Masters and was slightly vintage-leaning. Mine included the following items:

• Large rustic mug
• Fresh coffee beans
• Honey
• Notebook w/ wooden pen
• Looseleaf Earl Grey Citrus Chai tea and Oolong tea
• A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf–used
  • For March, I had a choice between about four different books, and they did inform me that the books would be used
• Chronicles of the Black Company omnibus by Glen Cook

This was a great box. And I have almost nothing but good things to say about it.

What’s unique about this box?

Each Willow Lane box is personally tailored to you. When you subscribe, you fill out a survey, including your favorite book, favorite genre, items you’d like to see/don’t want to see, etc.

Near the beginning of each month, they email you with the theme, what the month’s book is, and a list of possible items. Then, you choose which items you want (generally around 5) to receive in your box. If you want more items, you just have to pay for them separately.

Cons

The only major con is that this box can get a little pricey because of shipping. It was around $12 shipping for me in the states, so my box ended up costing around $45. That being said, the quality of the box itself, along with the customer service, truly makes the box worth the money.

Misc.

What I really liked about WLB is that I was able to choose which items I wanted. However, there was a still a bit of a surprise because I didn’t know exactly what the items would look like. (I’m sure I could go to their store beforehand, but I do like being surprised a little.)

They ask for at least a 3-month commitment if you subscribe; however, they do have a “try it out” box you can get for only one month.