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.

The Summer box seems to be going for a darker theme, with books about death, a hard-hitting magazine, and some chocolate. But they did include one sunnier item. 🌞

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 A Year to the Day by Robin Benway! I was very excited to find this one in my box because I had already added it to my TBR. I’ve heard good things! It’s told in reverse chronological order, which is just so intriguing.
• Also included was a copy of How to Make Friends With the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow, which published in 2019 and has glowing reviews! I haven’t read a book by Glasgow yet, but I did just read Up All Night which includes a short story by her that is ultra spooky.

A Year to the Day Synopsis:

It’s been a year—a year of missing Nina. A year of milestones—holidays, birthdays, everything without her.

Leo feels like she should remember what happened that night. But all she knows is that she left the party and got into a car with Nina and Nina’s boyfriend, East.

East, who once promised Nina he’d watch out for her younger sister. East, who has been trying to keep that promise every day since. But East won’t give Leo the one thing she wants—the one thing she needs. He won’t tell her anything about the accident. He won’t talk about that night at all.

As the days tumble one into the next, Leo’s story comes together while her world falls apart. The only constant is the one person who can help her bear the enormous weight of her love for Nina—and East might be carrying too heavy a load of his own. 

Published on June 21, 2022

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How to Make Friends With the Dark Synopsis:

Tiger’s life changed with a simple phone call. Her mother has died. That’s when darkness descended on her otherwise average life.

Tiger’s mother never talked about her father, and with no grandparents or aunts or uncles, her world is packed into a suitcase and moved to a foster home. And another. And another. Until hope surfaces in the shape of . . . a sister?

Sometimes family comes in forms you don’t recognize. But can Tiger learn to make friends with the darkness before it swallows her whole? 

Published on April 9, 2019

Harper’s Magazine and Bookmark

Included in my box was the June issue of Harper’s Magazine and a bookmark. I collect bookmarks, so I’m always excited when one is included in my box.

About Harper’s Magazine

“Harper’s Magazine, the oldest general-interest monthly in America, explores the issues that drive our national conversation, through long-form narrative journalism and essays, and such celebrated features as the iconic Harper’s Index. With its emphasis on fine writing and original thought Harper’sprovides readers with a unique perspective on politics, society, the environment, and culture. The essays, fiction, and reporting in the magazine’s pages come from promising new voices, as well as some of the most distinguished names in American letters, among them Annie Dillard, Barbara Ehrenreich, Jonathan Franzen, Mary Gaitskill, David Foster Wallace, and Tom Wolfe.”

Snacks

Reading snacks: High&Miri Snack Size Coconut Roasted Almonds and a Daelman’s Mini Chocolate Stroopwafel
I have already indulged on both of these items, and they were yummy. 😉

Trinket Tray

I’m loving this Soleil Trinket Tray by Danica Studio!

About Danica Studio

“Danica Studio was founded in 2009 in Vancouver, where city, ocean, mountains, and islands converge. The beauty and energy of that unique combination have brought together designers from all over the world, who collaborate on designs inspired by their shared love of textiles, travel and our beautiful West Coast home.

Working closely with our team of product developers, our designers’ hand-drawn and digitally rendered artwork comes to life in our well-rounded, and ever-evolving, collection.”

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

Happy Wandering!