After visiting New York, my husband gifted me a subscription to The Strand’s The Book HookUp. We’d visited New York City for the first time at Christmas in 2018, stopping in at The Strand bookstore, of course, so it was the perfect gift. What I love about this subscription is that it’s quarterly, so not a huge commitment.

• Boxes ship out in March, June, September, and December—or Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
• The box comes with two books—typically one is a signed currently hyped book and the other is an advanced reader copy.
• It also includes other bookish and local goodies.

My Spring box had some fun and yummy items!

Let’s wander in!

My box is a young adult box, but you can choose from a variety of boxes, including fiction, classics, and sci-fi. However, the prices differ for some of the boxes. There’s also a spoiler link on the website where you can see what the main title will be in your next box. I can never resist a peek!

What I found inside:

The Books

(Link to Goodreads synopsis through book title.)

• This box included a signed hardback of Loveless by Alice Oseman! I have yet to read a book by Oseman, but I have the first two Heartstopper books waiting on my shelf.
• Also included was an advanced copy of The Witchery by S. Isabelle. This YA debut set at a school in Florida hadn’t come under my radar yet, but it sounds fun and bewitching!

Loveless Synopsis:

For fans of Love, Simon and I Wish You All the Best, a funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of a girl who realizes that love can be found in many ways that don’t involve sex or romance.

From the marvelous author of Heartstopper comes an exceptional YA novel about discovering that it’s okay if you don’t have sexual or romantic feelings for anyone . . . since there are plenty of other ways to find love and connection.

This is the funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of Georgia, who doesn’t understand why she can’t crush and kiss and make out like her friends do. She’s surrounded by the narrative that dating + sex = love. It’s not until she gets to college that she discovers the A range of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum — coming to understand herself as asexual/aromantic. Disrupting the narrative that she’s been told since birth isn’t easy — there are many mistakes along the way to inviting people into a newly found articulation of an always-known part of your identity. But Georgia’s determined to get her life right, with the help of (and despite the major drama of) her friends.
Now they’re all wondering–could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?

Published on March 1, 2022

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The Witchery Synopsis:

A bewitching debut by S. Isabelle, perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, Zoraida Córdova, and Leigh Bardugo!

THE HAUNTING SEASON IS HERE AND THE WOLVES ARE AWAKE.

Haelsford, Florida is a Hellmouth. Or at least, that’s what Logan, a baby witch struggling to control her powers, thinks as she arrives to the witchtown to begin the new school year at Mesmortes Coven Academy. She is immediately taken under the wing of the infamous Red Three. Iris is a deathwitch who wants nothing more than to break the town’s curse; Jailah is one of the most powerful witches at the academy but her thirst for power may lead her down a dark path; and Thalia, the talented greenwitch, is on the run from her religious family and a past that still haunts her.

Fear and prejudice still fuel the uneasy truce between humans and witches who are forced to work together when the Haunting Season begins and Wolves rise from the swamp to feed. With this approaching, two Hammersmitt boys prepare to make their first sacrifices to the witches in exchange for protection. But as they become involved with the Mesmortes witches’ plan to end the Wolves’ reign of terror once and for all, old dangers lie in wait.

The cost to break the curse may be greater than any witch or human could ever know. 

Publishing on July 26, 2022

Postcards

Friendship Maintenance Postcards by Chronicle Books – 30 postcards to say how much you freaking care! These are super cute, fun, and detailed! 😉

Snacks

Reading snacks: Vanilla Corn Singles by Deanan Gourmet Popcorn and Nestle Rallies Nut Butter Bombs, Salted Cashew Butter and Brownie Almond Butter

Coffee

4 oz bag of Medium Roast Mocha Java coffee by the Brooklyn Roasting Company.

Have your read any of these books? Tried any of the other items? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!