7 Book Subscription Boxes We Love for Adults and Kids

How much: $15 per month, including shipping, for one recently released, hardcover book
How often: monthly
How it’s different: BOTM comes with a handy app that lets you keep track of your picks, read reviews, and connect with the BOTM community.

Book of the Month is the service you should subscribe to if you want the power to choose which book will be arriving at your doorstep each month—but you don’t want to be overwhelmed by too many choices. A straightforward book subscription service, BOTM offers readers a choice among five recently released hardcover books for $14.99 a month. This is already a great deal for books that can retail anywhere from $20 to $35 each, and BOTM also offers more discounts for folks who sign up for three-, six-, or 12-month subscriptions.

The monthly picks are always books released during the month in which they’re included, and they span a range of genres, from romances and thrillers to historical fiction and memoirs. Many of the past titles have been included in both Reese Witherspoon’s and Oprah Winfrey’s monthly book clubs. Sometimes, BOTM offers early access to books that have yet to be published.

Monthly picks are chosen by the company’s editorial team, with help from a readers committee made up of longtime BOTM subscribers and a judging panel consisting of authors, journalists, book bloggers, and the occasional celebrity. Recently, BOTM shared that books by authors of color have comprised 20% of its monthly selections; moving forward, the company has promised to at least double this to 40%, with particular emphasis on books written by Black authors.

After BOTM announces its picks for the month, subscribers have about three weeks to make a selection. BOTM provides one-sentence recaps and a “good to know” section, which includes trigger warnings and other information you’d want to be aware of before choosing, along with a synopsis, a review written by one of the judges, and a book excerpt. You can skip the month for free if you don’t like your options, and if you’re having a hard time picking between two, you can add other books to your box—including picks from past months—for an additional $10 per title.

Though BOTM’s easy-to-navigate website and nifty app make signing up and picking your books each month a breeze, cancelling is not so simple. You can cancel your subscription at any time, but you’ll have to call the company because there’s no option to cancel through the website. For us, this isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something to be aware of before you hand over your credit card information.

How much: $21 per month, including shipping, for one adult book; $15 per month, including shipping, for one YA book; $12 per month, including shipping, for one middle-school book; $22 per month, including shipping, for one kids book and bookish swag
How often: monthly
How it’s different: The Book Drop offers eight subscription choices, including genre-specific, age-specific, and large-print options.

If you’re of the impression that a monthly book subscription should surprise you each month, but you still want to maintain some control, The Book Drop might be a good fit. Operated out of the independently owned Delaware bookstore Bethany Beach Books, this monthly book box has enough genre- and age-specific subscription options to please most readers. The picks (chosen by the bookstore staff with help from booksellers, publisher reps, book-club members, and an in-store curator) are usually titles from indie publishers, rather than the big names that tend to dominate the best-seller lists. So you’ll like this service if you enjoy reading more than just buzzy, mainstream books. To ensure diversity among the titles chosen, The Book Drop has announced it will include more-diverse voices, with a focus on Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ authors.

The Book Drop’s site is easy to use, and the only part of signing up that might be difficult is choosing from the many subscription types (but that’s also what makes this service great). The Book Drop offers four genre-specific subscription choices: Books for Tea, which includes historical, contemporary, and literary fiction; Books for Bubbly, which cycles through romance, rom-com, chick lit, and women’s fiction; Books for Coffee, which includes thrillers, action, murder mysteries, suspense and legal thrillers; and Books for Tea/Coffee, which alternates month by month between the two subscription types. There are also three age-specific boxes for kids: Young Adult, which provides YA books for teens 13 and older; Middle School, which includes chapter books for readers ages 8 through 12; and The Book Droplet, which offers hardcover picture books for readers ages 3 to 7. Finally, there’s a subscription specifically for folks who might need large-print books, and it cycles through books of all genres.

As with many subscription-based services, with this one you can save more if you’re ready to commit to three-, six-, or 12-month subscriptions up-front. But be aware that if you’ve prepaid for a chunk of months and then decide to cancel, you’ll continue to receive books until your subscription period ends, rather than receiving a refund. If this leaves you feeling uneasy, The Book Drop’s month-to-month option is reasonably priced. All adult subscriptions, including large print, are $21 a month; young adult books are $15 monthly; middle-school picks are $12; and the kids’ subscription is $22 a month. All of these prices include a $4 shipping fee. Though the pricing varies by age group, the adult, YA, and middle-school boxes all include one paperback book, while the pricier kids’ box comes with a hardcover picture book and book-related swag.

When you subscribe to a monthly book box that doesn’t disclose which book it’ll be sending out, you always run the risk of receiving a book you already own. Unfortunately, The Book Drop doesn’t offer to send a replacement or credit your account in the event that this happens, so proceed cautiously if you’re an avid reader who thinks this could become an issue.

How much: $25 per month, including shipping, for one book and a bookish knickknack
How often: monthly
How it’s different: Page 1 Books asks for all of your bookish preferences up-front so it can curate your picks each month.

Page 1 Books might be the right subscription service for you if you’re a sucker for those little book-related knickknacks lining the checkout aisle at your local bookshop. In addition to a gift-wrapped book, chosen based on your personal preferences by a Page 1 bookshop employee, you’ll also receive book-related swag like candles, tote bags, and keychains.

Based out of an Illinois independent bookstore of the same name, Page 1 Books puts a lot of emphasis on curation, creating monthly boxes that feel as though they were put together just for you—because, in a way, they were. When you first sign up for a subscription, you’re asked for your reading preferences and encouraged to let Page 1 know about the books, genres, and authors you really enjoy, as well as the ones you can’t stand. It might help to include what you’ve already read and loved as well, to avoid receiving repeat books. The more detailed you are, the better suited to your tastes your monthly books will be.

Unlike other services that give you the option to pay month to month, Page 1 requires a three-, six-, or 12-month commitment up-front. Three months will run you $65, plus an extra, one-time $10 shipping fee ($25 a month, all in). Page 1 doesn’t issue refunds if you choose to cancel. But you can swap out any books you’ve received that you didn’t like or that you already own for free, an option not many book boxes give you.

Page 1 is also unique in that it doesn’t just send you recently released books; in fact, you could receive a book published 10, 20, or 30 years ago, which makes giving detailed answers about your preferences in the questionnaire all the more important. If you’re a person who prefers to read along with Reese or Oprah, this likely isn’t the subscription for you—Page 1 even states on its website that it is “not ‘pushing’ titles that have big marketing budgets or sales goals.” Page 1 also said that it’s committed to sharing titles written by BIPOC authors, and, based on past books it has sent out, its boxes included titles that featured characters of color as well as LGBTIA+ characters.

How much: $44 per quarter, including shipping, for the Complete Box; $29 per quarter, including shipping, for the Book Only Box
How often: quarterly
How it’s different: Each Call Number box comes with a catalog card, spine label, label protector, and logo sticker so you can start your own little library at home.

Call Number, a quarterly book box that features titles by Black authors from America, Africa, and the Caribbean, is a standout in more ways than one. Not only does it champion recently released Black literature from around the world, but it also has a unique theme that’ll speak to any bookworm who’s dreamed of turning their bookshelves into a proper library. Every Call Number box, no matter the subscription tier, comes with a “library packet” that includes a catalog card, spine label, label protector, and logo sticker.

Call Number’s picks are curated by its founder—an academic librarian with years of expertise in literature pertaining to the African Diaspora—and sent out once a quarter. This can be appealing to folks with busy schedules who worry that a monthly subscription would deliver more books than they could possibly read. You’ll have a choice between literary fiction and nonfiction, as well as a choice between two subscription tiers: the Complete Box, for $44 a quarter, and the Book Only Box, for $29 (both include a $9  shipping fee). Along with a book in your preferred genre, the Complete Box comes with three to four book- and library-related goodies and a library packet. The cheaper Book Only Box comes with—you guessed it—only the book, plus the library packet. As with most other book boxes, with this one you can also opt to save money by committing to a longer subscription up-front.

Though Call Number doesn’t accept returns or offer exchanges, all the books chosen are recent releases, so there’s less chance that you’ll already have the pick sitting on your bookshelf.

How much: $25 per month, including shipping, for two picture books or three board books; $30 per month, including shipping, for two chapter books
How often: monthly
How it’s different: If you receive a book your child already owns, Bookroo will credit your account if you send photo evidence that you’ve donated the book to a good cause.

If your kids are avid readers—or you wish they were—subscribing to a monthly book box is a great way to introduce them to new material, especially when they’re spending more time at home than usual. Bookroo, a book box that offers different subscription options for kids ages 3 to 10, is a great way to get your kids more excited about reading.

Parents who have infants and toddlers will appreciate the board-books box, which includes three board books each month; parents who have younger, elementary-school kids will probably lean toward the picture-books box, which comes with two hardcover picture books. Both options are $25 a month, including a $5 shipping fee. Folks who have kids ages 7 to 10 will likely sign up for the chapter-books box, which includes two books a month for $30, including a $5 shipping fee. All Bookroo books are chosen by in-house reading experts with help from librarians and parents, and, according to co-founder Rebecca Tanner, they make an effort to include books with diverse characters.

The Bookroo subscription is flexible. Though it’s intended to be a monthly subscription, you can opt for deliveries every other month. If you have kids in multiple age ranges, you can sign up for an alternating subscription, so you’ll receive board books one month and picture books the next. And if you decide to sign up for two separate subscriptions instead, Bookroo will knock 15% off the second.

If you receive a book that your family already has, Bookroo will credit your account $5—as long as you send proof that you’ve donated the book (Bookroo says snapping a quick photo will do). Bookroo also has a fair cancellation policy. As with most other monthly subscription services, with Bookroo you can save more if you commit to a longer subscription period. But if you decide to cancel halfway through, Bookroo will refund you for the boxes you haven’t received.

Equal Opportunity Book Box

How much: $40 per month for three books, including shipping
How often: monthly
How it’s different: For every book sold, Equal Opportunity donates one to Bernie’s Book Bank, which provides under-served children with new reads.

Books that feature diverse characters can teach children about the multicultural nature of the world and show children their connections to other humans, no matter their physical differences, according to Rudine Sims Bishop, Ohio State University professor emerita of education. A book box prioritizing picture books that feature characters of color can help young kids understand the importance of diversity and inclusivity.

Equal Opportunity Book Box does just that. This monthly box includes three hardcover picture books written by BIPOC authors for kids ages 2 to 6, information about the month’s book themes, and an educational drawing activity for $40 a month, including a $5 shipping fee. As with other book boxes, with this one you can save money if you choose to commit to a longer subscription tier—especially since if you cancel before your box is sent out, you’ll be issued a full refund and won’t have to pay for books you no longer want or won’t read.

Founded by a college student studying education and social policy in Chicago, Equal Opportunity also donates a book for every book sold to Bernie’s Book Bank, a nonprofit organization that sources reading material for under-served kids in the greater Chicago area. At the time of publication, books are being selected by the folks at Equal Opportunity, but founder Jacob Jordan said he’s currently pulling together a council of elementary school librarians who serve diverse student populations to make future picks.

OurShelves

How much: $14 per quarter for one book or $33 per quarter for three books for kids ages 0 to 2; $20 per quarter for one book or $45 for three books for kids ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 8
How often: quarterly
How it’s different: In addition to prioritizing books with characters of color, OurShelves sources children’s books with queer characters and characters with disabilities.

OurShelves, another book box for kids that prioritizes marginalized voices, offers a bit more customization than Equal Opportunity Book Box. Sent out quarterly, this box offers age-specific subscriptions, and it gives parents the choice between one and three books per box.

OurShelves sends out only those children’s books that feature racially diverse, LGBTQIA+, and feminist characters, as well as characters with disabilities. Chosen by an in-house curation team made up of librarians, teachers, psychologists, and academics, the picks are often new releases. This makes it unlikely that you’ll already own a book that you receive—which is good since OurShelves doesn’t offer exchanges or refunds.

This book box caters to kids ages 0 to 8, and subscriptions are split into three categories. The Sunshine Box ($14 quarterly for one book and $33 for three) is best for babies and young toddlers. The Rainbow Box ($20 quarterly for one book) and the Treehouse Box ($45 quarterly for three books) are best for kids ages 2 to 5 and ages 5 to 8, respectively. Shipping on all boxes is included. OurShelves also offers options for parents who have children in different age groups—you can choose to alternate boxes quarterly, combine content from each age range into one box, or subscribe to multiple boxes and receive a 10% discount on a second or third subscription.