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.

December’s box seemed a bit random, with no clear theme, but included two books I’m very excited about! And some yummy chocolate, which is always welcome for this chocolate lover.

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 The Do-Over by Lynn Painter. I have yet to read a book by Painter, but several are on my tbr. If you’re a follower, you might remember that I have a thing for books with the ‘groundhog day’ trope. In this one, Emilie has to relive a disastrous Valentine’s Day over and over again. This book will nicely fulfill a prompt on my Popsugar Reading Challenge for next year: A book set during a holiday other than Christmas.
• Also included was an advanced copy of The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim. This one was completely new to me, but it’s described as a “heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security”. Touted as To All the Boys I Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice, it sounds like one I’ll enjoy! The early reviews are glowing.

The Do-Over Synopsis:

In this riotous young adult romp for fans of Recommended for You and A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a teen girl has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again. 

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?

Published on November 15, 2022

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The Love Match Synopsis:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as she’s falling in love with someone else.

Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen style.

Enter Harun Emon, who’s wealthy, devastatingly handsome, and…aloof. As soon as Zahra meets him, she knows it’s a bad match. It’s nothing like the connection she has with Nayim Aktar, the new dishwasher at the tea shop, who just gets Zahra in a way no one has before. So, when Zahra finds out that Harun is just as uninterested in this match as she is, they decide to slowly sabotage their parents’ plans. And for once in Zahra’s life, she can have her rossomalai and eat it too: “dating” Harun and keeping Amma happy while catching real feelings for Nayim.

But life—and boys—can be more complicated than Zahra realizes. With her feelings all mixed up, Zahra discovers that sometimes being a good Bengali kid can be a royal pain.

Expected on January 3, 2023

Tiny Cleansing Kit

Included in my box was a Tiny Cleansing Kit from Ark Made. “Small selenite wand, palo santo, and sweetgrass bundle nestled in a pink abalone shell is the perfect way to cleanse while out and about. Stick it in your purse or pocket to use right when you need it. This teeny cleansing kit is great for a small thoughtful gift or to add on to a larger gift to complete your thoughtful wishes.”

Swiss Chocolate

I’m a fan of almost anything chocolate, so I was happy to find Crunchy Caramel and Sea Salt Swiss Chocolate by Milkboy in my box!

Squishy Ball

And a bit more random, a neon green squishy ball! 😃

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

Happy Wandering!