Thanks to Once Upon A Book Club for sending over this September Box in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Do you try to shop for your book loving friends and family to no avail? With so many genres, author styles, and reading levels out there, it can be hard to find something you think your loved one will enjoy. You could be nervous that they have already snagged and finished that bestseller from the New York Times list, you could be wondering if they will like that rom-com, or perhaps they stick solely to self-help and development books. 

Whatever the case may be, your friends and family will absolutely love Once Upon A Book Club. This isn't your traditional book subscription box. It spices up your reading by offering prewrapped gifts with page numbers on them. The gifts are unwrapped as you read the book!

Each box has a theme and genre attached to it. Once Upon A Book Club was kind of enough to send me September's book box, so I'll share with you, surprises and all! First up, when you open up your box, there is a shrink-wrapped envelope that has a bunch of paper goodies in it. 

Included is a card from this month's author, a bookmark with a reminder to only open the gifts once you reach the given page, and a flyer! The flyer highlights a conversation with the author as well as discussion questions for your actual book club!

Diving into the rest of the box, I discovered 4 unique gifts along with the book of the month. This box's theme is Murder She Wrote. This box's book to read is Scenes Of The Crime by Jilly Gagnon. This is a mystery novel that dives deep into friendships, disappearance, crime, and lies. 

While murder mysteries aren't often my genre of choice (hello single life, real life, and fantasy all colliding- because let's be real, when it's written, it CAN actually happen), I do become intrigued with these novels. I just don't read them at night! Although, my plan is to gift this box to someone who would enjoy it! Not that I wouldn't, and would love to keep each item, but this is a Christmas gift guide inclusion, so that's the intention. The particular person I'm thinking about often has trouble deciding upon authors and books to read, so this will be very helpful! 

So, the basic premise of this book club is that one shouldn't open the gifts until you reach the page number in the novel that corresponds to each gift. In this box, there are gifts on pages 57, 100, 342, and 375. Each gift should match up to a wonderful description of an item the author described. 

Now, I could leave you in suspense, but that wouldn't be any fun, would it? Since this is a September box, it has already been out a couple of months. Most likely, if you order, you will order the Christmas or future boxes, right? Instead of keeping secrets, let's dive in and discover what is in the book and each gift! 

First up, Page 57! Oooh- this is fun! There is an "open your gift" sticky reminding you to... yep, that's right. Open your Gift! This part of the novel is discussing the girls gathering together around a bottle of wine and a charcuterie board. Gift #1 is a Charcuterie Board! Perfect for all future book club gatherings and date nights, this petite charcuterie board/ serving tray is made of açai wood. 

Second up, Page 100. Page 100 discusses the need to recharge, reading, and alone time. Surprise! Gift #2 is another book. I will presume that it was the book the character was reading on Page 100, although its name isn't mentioned. I'll be sure to dive into this book as soon as I finish the book club book! The Future of Another Timeline by Analee Newitz is another murder mystery book that looks fascinating! I also found a playing card in this book- which is mentioned in the original book! Nice touch, Once Upon a Book Club team!

Moving onto the third page, 342. This page discusses a corkscrew and the night. Of course, the gift is a fabulous corkscrew described like the book! 

The final page, 375, discusses the friends leaving, hugging and saying goodbye out in the sunshine. The final gift is a pair of sunglasses, much like the ones the author describes the character as she nears the end of the novel. 

These 4 gifts make the book club experience better than traditional clubs that only provide the books. While enjoying the story and plot, you can feel like you are a part of the experience as well! 

Once Upon A Book Club has boxes for the Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade (Age 8-12) readers. Subscription boxes are offered in monthly, 3-month, 6-month, 9- month, and 12- month collections. Ready to Ship box collections are available along with seasonal & holiday collections. In fact, you can pre-order the Christmas Box and 12 Days of Book- Mas right now! 

Also, past box products and past books are available for purchase too. Wondering what next month's box will be about? Never fear, because on the 15th of the month, a hint is released to help you ponder and identify what's to come! Book Boxes are then available for purchase for  the next 30 days. 

Some things to note: Book Box Subscribers can switch between Adult and Young Adult boxes, depending on what appeals to them. Skipping is available to subscribers, limited to twice in a row, between the 15th and the date of your renewal (typically the 27th of the month) by contacting customer service. After the limit, one must either receive a box or cancel the subscription. 

Once Upon A Book Club offers purchase links for book boxes intended to be gifts. Whether it's for yourself or a loved one, it will contain the latest and greatest box of gifts. If you want to purchase a past box, that is available as well. I like the gift option because if you really want your friends or family to have the upcoming series, then it's available (versus being subject to past boxes only!). Don't forget to let them know about the online community as well. 

Overall, I think that Once Upon A Book Club makes a great Christmas gift for any avid book reader in your life. The fact that the box has gifts that correspond to the book, highlight and picked by the author and Once Upon A Book Club team, makes this gift even better!

We thank Once Upon A Book Club for their Holiday Gift Guide participation this year. Interested in learning more about our Holiday Gift Guide Recommendations? Head over to the 2023 Mommy's Block Party Gift Guide.

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