Box: Book Riot Quarterly
Cost: $50/quarter + $5 Shipping + tax where applicable. So for me - it is more of a $60 subscription.
What is it: books and bookish items
Best for: Novel readers who still enjoy the feel of a flipping actual pages.
Please note, those who are previously Quarterly subscribers, they recently added shipping to their boxes. See their new policy here.
For each shipment, a theme is selected, and the items are picked according to the theme. This shipment's theme is "technology, the internet, and the future of reading", and their quote for the quarter is "Whether you prefer to kick it old-school with print books and actual phone conversations or like to read and interact digitally, we hope you'll find something to relate to and something that will challenge you."
Quarterly's signature tape to seal the box. I don't like how Quarterly does not have custom boxes like some other subscription boxes, but they add a few nice touches...
Like the "Packaged with radness in LA" sticker inside every box.
Initial look when opening the box. This box is "bigger" in terms of size from my last box so I wondered if there are going to be more stuff. Doesn't look like it so far - let's see.
The description on each book and the bonuses this quarter.
The possible Lottery Items that you can win. No such luck AGAIN - for some reason, now I feel like a looser since I've yet to receive a Lottery Item... just once...would be oh so nice.
First book - "The Word Exchange" by Alena Graedon. Value $12.93, but on sale on Amazon for $8.59. If you go on Amazon - you can get listen to a sample of the audio edition.
This book received great reviews over all and here is one on Amazon from Booklist
At first I wasn't sure what the special coda was in the box
but I believe this piece of paper in a plain envelope is the bonus. I wish they printed it on nicer paper. It is on regular paper with nothing in the envelope either. This is the attention to detail part that I feel Quarterly boxes are lacking compare of some of the other boxes.
And nope - I didn't receive the "bonus bonus" item that some lucky subscribers will - the "Word Flu Prevention Kit" While I don't know what it is - I want it.
The description from Book Riot for the book:
"Okay, so text language and emoji and the 140-character limit on Twitter have changed how we think and communicate. There's no denying that. But are these changes bad? Is the internet, as so many think piece headlines have declared, really making us dumber? Longtime tech reporter Clive Thompson pulls case studies from a variety of industries and disciplines to argue that it's actually quite the opposite. THis is a fascinating and important look at how technology allows us to be more connected, to think more creatively, and to solve problems more efficiently than ever before, and it will leave you packed with counter-arguments for the next time someone tells you that the internet is ruining civilization."
The bonus with this book is the essay about reading "War and Peace on my iPhone" You can get the essay here.
I didn't like this bonus too much either because I ordered this subscription box to get physical books - if I wanted to read more things on the internet - well I would have gotten a different subscription.
Now on the to bookish items:
First item = Grid-It Organizer. I can't find online the value for one this size. The ones on the Grid-It Organizer's websites are all bigger, but if I were to guess $10? This item has been popular for a lot of people but for me, this is a little to bulky for me to tuck in my computer bag or a handbag.
Do you have one that your tried before?
The 2nd bookish items - A print from POP CHART LAB. The reason why this box is bigger - to make sure it fits the poster and doesn't bend the print.
This print was created exclusively for Book Riot Quarterly subscribers but it is also available on sale on the Pop Chart Lab website. Value $29. This is the highest value item in the box.
A closer look at the print. If you like the print and want to order additional ones, there is a coupon included.
Feel free to use my code BUTITROIT for 10% off if you are interested in purchasing prints from Pop Chart Lab. I noticed on their site that first time buyers also get 10% off anyway, but if you are not a first time buyer, here is a coupon.
Over all, this box has a combined value of $68, but if you take off the discount from Amazon it brings the value down to $59.92, which is only a few dollars more than what I paid for the box. Since I didn't enjoy the bonus items too much this time, I have to go on value. I like the type of books they picked, but I overall box experience this quarter is a miss for me.
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