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.

March’s box seemed to have a fantasy theme. I’m not familiar with either books, so let me know if you are!

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.)

• The new release signed copy included in the box was The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston. I’d never heard of the book or author, so let me know if you’re familiar with this one. The synopsis doesn’t really grab me, so it might be one I pass on.
• I’d never heard of the advanced reader copy that was included either, but the early ratings for it have me more excited about Otherworldly by F. T. Lukens.

The Revenant Games Synopsis:

Blood is survival for seventeen-year-old Bly, who lives in the poverty-stricken human villages caught between enemy vampire and witch kingdoms. Most of the time, vampires and witches live in uneasy truce, buying human blood for their food and spells. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves, and they hold the Revenant Games.

Any human can play in the games for either the witches or the vampires. Alongside life-changing riches, the witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire. In turn, the vampires offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. For most humans, the games are a ticket out of poverty. For Bly, it’s a chance to get back her dead sister, Elise, and save the life of her dying best friend, Emerson.

Together, she and Emerson forge a dangerous plan to play both sides and win both resurrection for Elise and immortality for Emerson. But when the vampire they capture stirs a passion in Bly that she hasn’t felt in a long time, she’ll have to make a her sister or the boy who’s shown her there’s more to life than just survival.

Published on March 19, 2024

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Otherworldly Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.

Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.

Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.

Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.

Expected on April 2, 2024

Pencil Pouch Journal

Included in my box was a cute Cosmic Pencil Pouch Journal by Snifty. I passed this one on to my niece to enjoy.

Coffee

We’ve had coffee from the Brooklyn Roasting Company included in my box before and it was yummy, so I was happy to see it included again. Not sure what flavor or strength this is. I guess we’ll be surprised! 😃

Candy

Also included was one pack of Choward’s Guava Candy. I’ve never had it before, but it sounds delicious!

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

Happy Wandering!