Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Hi, my name is Cat, and I’m a little bit hooked on book subscription services.

The Problem

Have you looked at what book subscription services are out there lately? There are so many great-looking ones! Book of the Month, Owlcrate, FairyLoot, Book Riot’s TBR, Lit Box, Unplugged, Uppercase, Illumicrate, and so many more. Seriously, I haven’t even scratched the surface when it comes to listing out these subscription boxes.

The problem is that they all look so wonderful! But you get what you pay for. And that means that these subscription services, while worth it, are not cheap. I’d rather pay more and get good items, so I’m not complaining. But it limits how many subscriptions I can get at any time. Even though I’d love to subscribe to all of them, because who doesn’t love books and bookish items?

Currently, I’m trying to keep myself capped at two book subscription services. That’s easier said than done because, like I said, they’re super tempting! In truth… I’ve already failed at this goal. I currently have… (hold please while I count)…four subscriptions? Five, if you count the fact that I’m subbed to two different OwlCrate subscriptions.

Even knowing I shouldn’t sign up for more services, it’s hard to resist occasionally looking through all the options. Sometimes, I like to look up what’s out there, while other times, I’ll look through the previous months and pricing…which is when you can tell I’m getting a little too tempted.

My Subscription Addiction

So, what subscriptions am I currently on the hook for? I’m signed up for Book of the Month, Owlcrate (YA full box and Adult book only), Aardvark, and Illumicrate. I know I need to slim this subscription setup down, but at least I can skip months for (most of) these boxes. So that helps, right? (please say yes).

Part of the problem is that I really love all the boxes I’m subbed to. (more on that in a minute). Why is this a problem? Well, I don’t want to cut any of them out. This also means I have little room to experiment with other boxes. Or rather, I should say that I shouldn’t experiment with other subscriptions…but clearly, I’m going to do that anyway. No shelf control and all that.

Why I Love My Current Subscription List

I love the quality of OwlCrate’s items! It’s one of my favorite things to receive each month. The Adult book-only option is new, and thus far, I’ve loved the two books I’ve gotten. I’ll probably keep it going for the rest of the year, if not longer.

Meanwhile, I adore the variety of options I can get from BOTM and Aardvark. BOTM is where I’ll get all my new monthly thrillers (physical copies are best for me in this case because I loan them out to friends and family). Aardvark has a similar setup to BOTM, but they tend to offer more indie options, which is fantastic.

Admittedly, Illumicrate is a new sub to me (I’m getting my first box this month!), but I have bought many of their items in the past through second-hand means. So, I figured it was worth a shot. Also, avoiding the FOMO with Illumicrate choices is SO REAL. The other month, I desperately searched for their version of Witch King. Luckily, I got my hands on it, but the stress was painful for a few days.

Over the years, I’ve played around with a few different subscription services. One shut down a couple of years ago (dedicated book box subbers will probably know which one I’m referring to). The others have been fun but didn’t offer enough to keep me subbed in the long run.

So, what book subscription services is everyone else signed up for, and how much do you enjoy them? Not that I need the extra temptation or anything…