MyBookBox is a monthly book subscription box featuring specially selected books and a surprise gift perfect for book lovers like you!
Each month, MyBookBox curates a list of recommended books that spans several genres. When you sign up, you’ll choose two genres that fit your interests. Your monthly box will contain two books, one for each of your chosen genres. Wanna switch genres? Just contact MyBookBox.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: MyBookBox
The Cost: $39.95 a month + shipping (which is free in the US). MyBookBox also offers discounted 3-month, and 6-month subscription plans.
The Products: Books from two genres you choose, plus a book-related gift.
Ships to: US (free), Canada ($19), Mexico ($26), and beyond ($28).
Check out all of our MyBookBox reviews and more book subscription boxes in the Book Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Topping off the box is this notecard from the creators. I like the blue floral background a lot. And a promise of tea! Given the chilly weather lately, a cup of tea sounds like the perfect compliment to an afternoon of reading.
This MyBookBox contains books from their Women’s Fiction and Young Adult genres. MyBookBox provides a list of all of this month’s chosen picks, too, if you’re curious!
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - Value $8.92 (retail price: $14.99)
The first book in the box, which is from the Women's Fiction category, The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan. The story centers around Nina, a librarian who loses her beloved job and sets off on new adventures motivated by her love of books. There's a romance element, as well, but it's a side note to Nina's career and life pursuits—it's awesome to see a book where the female protagonist is a person first, rather than a love interest, or someone whose actions seem forever at the whim of romance.
Book Summary on Amazon:
Nina Redmond is a librarian with a gift for finding the perfect book for her readers. But can she write her own happy-ever-after? In this valentine to readers, librarians, and book-lovers the world over, the New York Times-bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakery returns with a funny, moving new novel for fans of Meg Donohue, Sophie Kinsella, and Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop.
“Losing myself in Jenny Colgan’s beautiful pages is the most delicious, comforting, satisfying treat I have had in ages.”—Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Secrets
Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.
Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.
From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.
You can find the summary on the back of the book, too, plus a little bit about the author.
Probably my favorite part about MyBookBox is that they always include a note from each book's author. It makes the whole experience more personal and engaging. You really get a glimpse into the author's perspectives, which I think enriches the reading experience. Jenny Colgan's note (complete with adorable doodles) is a great example—her lifelong passion for reading is what drove the creation of The Bookshop on the Corner.
Use this bookmark from MyBookBox when you're reading this paperback! It includes a little note from the MyBookBox team explaining why the book piqued their interest.
A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess - Value $10.56 (retail price: $17.99)
The next book is from the Young Adult category. A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess follows the popular trend of YA sci-fi/fantasy, focusing on a fantastical version of the Victorian era complete with magic and romance. Fans of the Hunger Games are likely to enjoy this story of a female protagonist prepping for an epic battle while exploring the exciting, yet suspicious world of sorcery.
Book Summary from Amazon:
"Vivid characters, terrifying monsters, and world building as deep and dark as the ocean."
--Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red QueenI am Henrietta Howel.
The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years.
The prophesied one.
Or am I?Henrietta Howel can burst into flames.
Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.
But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one.
As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare.
"The magic! The intrigue! The guys! We were sucked into this monster-ridden, alternative England from page one. Henrietta is literally a 'girl on fire' and this team of sorcerers training for battle had a pinch of Potter blended with a drop of [Cassandra Clare's] Infernal Devices."
--Justine Magazine"Cluess gamely turns the chosen-one trope upside down in this smashing dark fantasy."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"Unputdownable. I loved the monsters, the magic, and the teen warriors who are their world's best hope! Jessica Cluess is an awesome storyteller!"
--Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author"A fun, inventive fantasy. I totally have a book crush on Rook."
--Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author"Pure enchantment. I love how Cluess turned the 'chosen one' archetype on its head. With the emotional intensity of my favorite fantasy books, this is the kind of story that makes you forget yourself."
--Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen"A glorious, fast-paced romp of an adventure. Jessica Cluess has built her story out of my favorite ingredients: sorcery, demons, romance, and danger."
--Kelly Link, author of Pretty Monsters
Here's the back of the hardcover book. Did I mention that this is the first book in a series (Amazon notes it as "Kingdom on Fire, Book One"), so if you like this story, there may be more in store!
First of all, I love Jessica Cluess's dainty, distinctive handwriting! It was a little hard to read at times, but it's so much more authentic than something typed out.
Here's another handy bookmark from MyBookBox. I like the point they make about the "chosen one" trope—there are plenty of heroes and heroines that rise out of unexpected circumstances to fulfill their destinies, but this story is about a girl whose path might not be so crystal clear.
This letter was included with the book to help bring the story to life even more.
Metal C.S. Lewis Quote Mug - Value $2.00? (based on similar items)
This navy, speckled mug is super cute and very lightweight. Just remember that you can't pop this metal cup into the microwave should your tea get cold!
On the back, it has the MyBookBox logo. The quote on the front is just right for this month's box, which is all about good books and great tea. Speaking of which...
Two Twinings Tea Bags (Wild Berries and Lady Grey Tea) - Value $0.67
Delicious tea! What pretty, aromatic teas these are. The Wild Berries in particular, has a very robust, fruity flavor, while the Lady Grey was more traditional and savory.
Verdict: I think MyBookBox is a great box for people who aren't just fans of books, but of the craft of writing and the experience of reading. My only gripe is that the value of the box only reaches $22.15. Of course, that's not counting the bookmarks and other paper goodies MyBookBox included—they certainly add value to the experience (especially the author notes), but not much towards the $39.95 price of the box.
What do you think of this month’s MyBookBox? Which book appeals to you most?
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