Coffee and a Classic is a monthly book & beverage subscription box, curated by Ashlee Doherty. Ashlee’s mission is to create a complete escape each month for lovers of literature, providing a thought out and curated experience where readers can curl up with the book, a beverage, and other bookish items to retreat from everyday life.
There are two different subscription levels available.
- The STARTER BOX ($28 / month + shipping) provides you with a classic book, something to sip on, and 2 bookish items each month.
- The STANDARD BOX ($40 / month + shipping) provides you with a classic book, something to sip (your choice of coffee, tea, hot chocolate) & snack on, a bookmark, a coffee mug, and 1-2 bookish items based on a theme. This book box is also packaged in a high-quality photo box.
With each level of subscription, you can select from three genres: Classic Literature, Children’s Classics, and Classic Nonfiction.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is for the Starter Children’s Classics Box.
About Coffee and a Classic
The Subscription Box: Coffee and a Classic Starter Box (Children's Classics)
The Cost: $29.00 a month (you can save 5%-15% with longer pre-paid subscription) + shipping
The Products: A classic book, something to sip on, 2 bookish items + a bookmark
Ships to: the US only
Good to Know: Boxes ship between the 19th-23rd of each month. You can cancel your subscription at any time (recurring billing happens on the 1st of the month). Each month, a sneak peek is available and you can change genres if something catches your eye.
Coffee and a Classic (Children’s Classics) January 2019 Starter Box Review
This month’s selection is The Call of the Wild by Jack London.
From Coffee & A Classic:
"The Call of the Wild, considered by many London's greatest novel, is a gripping tale of a heroic dog that, thrust into the brutal life of the Alaska Gold Rush, ultimately faces a choice between living in a man's world and returning to nature. Adventure and dog-story enthusiasts, as well as students and devotees of American literature, will find this classic work a thrilling, memorable reading experience."
Like most subscriptions, the first item you see when you open the box is an info card detailing the products inside. The contents listed include the book itself, a package of hot chocolate, 2 bookish items, and a bookmark.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London – Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $8.69)
From Amazon:
“The Call of the Wild is a novel by Jack London published in 1903. The story is set in the Yukon during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush—a period in which strong sled dogs were in high demand. The novel's central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley of California as the story opens. Stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska, he reverts to a wild state. Buck is forced to fight in order to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually, he sheds the veneer of civilization, relying on primordial instincts and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild. London lived for most of a year in the Yukon collecting material for the book. The story was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in the summer of 1903; a month later it was released in book form. The novel’s great popularity and success made a reputation for London. Much of its appeal derives from the simplicity of this tale of survival. As early as 1908 the story was adapted to film and it has since seen several more cinematic adaptations.”
This book is hard for me – I realize that it’s a classic, and many people love it, but I’m a dog lover and can’t stand the thought of someone stealing my beloved Corgi dogs (Fred Jones and Harry Hood) and forcing them back to a primitive state. I think for a teenage boy – this book is great, but for a bleeding-heart Momma, it’s a tough one. I do like this copy of the book though, especially the self-contained bookmark ribbon!
Exclusive! Raspberry Hot Chocolate from McStevens – Estimated Value $9.95 (based on a similar item found here)
Almost every month, we see a delicious McSteven’s hot cocoa! So, at first, I was disappointed that it was raspberry hot chocolate – as I'm pretty firm in keeping my fruits and chocolates separate. However, this one had me! It was a really delicious rich chocolate with extra sweetness from the raspberry. I didn’t find the raspberry flavor overbearing and quite liked the tang that it provided in this super sweet drink. I can say though, as someone who has been cutting out carbs it felt really sweet to me – I couldn’t see myself drinking more than 4 oz. or so of this in a sitting.
Raised by Books Pouch by Out of Print – Retail Value $12.00
This navy blue, 100% cotton canvas zipper pouch measures 9” x 6” and is a really cute, durable all-purpose pouch. Another great aspect, every purchase of this pouch helps to fund literacy programs and book donations to communities in need.
Call of the Wild Magnet Designed by @AlcheraDesignPosters (Etsy) – Retail Value (digital print only) $5.90 (on sale for $3.54)
I always like getting magnets in C&C boxes and this one is no exception. I thought that the design was cute – I’m assuming that C&C bought the digital rights to this image from this Etsy designer and then printed their own magnets. In the past, I’ve been critical of their “homemade” items but this one is pretty good. It’s a bit of a “floppy” magnet (meaning, it’s thin and bendable) but sticks well to my file cabinet and is about the size of a standard index card.
Husky Dog Magnetic Bookmark from @FluffedAnimals (Etsy) – Retail Value (set of 4) $9.50
I like the idea of this little magnetic bookmark but find that it doesn’t hold a ton of pages. It’s a glossy cardstock print with two small magnets glued to the inside. It was packaged lovely, and fit well within the curation, but I’m not sure how practical it is.
Verdict: This month I am actually able to quantify the value of the box since I was able to find all of the items online. Per usual, the curation is adorable. This box cost me $37 ($29 + $8 shipping) and I calculated $47.31 in products at retail prices, not including the actual printing of the magnet. So, I feel like I received products more than the box value which is always a good mark in my book. My favorite item was the pouch this month.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Your first box will be the March selection.
Your box will ship between the 3rd Thursday and the 4th Monday of every month. Please order by the 15th of the month to get the current box.
Value Breakdown: At $37.00 ($29.00 + $8.00 shipping) for this box, you’re paying about $7.40 per item.
Check out all of our Coffee and a Classic reviews and the Book Subscription Box List!
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