The Bookish Box is a book-inspired subscription box from the online shop, Appraising Pages.
Originally, The Bookish Box was a subscription box filled with bookish objects only—no actual books involved. Recently, though, they changed up their game and added several subscription varieties to choose from, including one that does have a book inside!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
This review is of the Women's Sized, $29.99 a month, box.
The Subscription Box: The Bookish Box
The Cost: $29.99 plus shipping (Shipping to PA was $4.50)
The Products: Every month you’ll receive a shirt by Appraising Pages Shop and 3-5 feminine home, beauty, and fashion items
Ships to: U.S. and Worldwide!
Check out all of our The Bookish Box reviews and the Book Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
This month's theme is "The Hidden Memory of Objects". That's also the name of the book you'll receive if you signed up for that subscription level!
The items in the box are listed out on the back of the card. This subscription includes the t-shirt, but not the book.
Samwise Gamgee Shirt - Value $20.00?
In addition to their subscription box biz, the folks behind The Bookish Box also maintain The Bookish Shop. This Lord of the Rings tee seems exclusive to this box, so I linked to a similar style from The Bookish Shop to give you an idea of value.
This 100% cotton shirt was a win for me—I'm a huge LOTR fan, and black makes up about... eh... 90% of my wardrobe. I also like that the lettering is in silver ink, which has just a slight twinkle to it. Fancy! I didn't recognize the t-shirt company, which is called District, so I did a little research. I'm far from perfect about it, but I do try to choose ethically made apparel whenever I can. The tag says the shirt was made in India, but District's site does say that they care about social responsibility and follow the Fair Labor Act in their manufacturing.
Just one qualm: ughhhh, cap sleeves. Why, oh why do we even make shirts with cap sleeves anymore? I know, I know, there are probably lots of people who look just fine in them, but they're almost never flattering on me. I will say that typical cap sleeves do an annoying thing where they creep up and bunch around each of my shoulders (Are you a sleeve or not, cap sleeve? Decide!), but I'm happy to say that these ones lay just a smidge lower than usual and thus, do stay put.
Sherlock Holmes Socks by Out of Print - Value $10.00
I've been a low-cut sock person for years now, but the trend of wearing fun, patterned, tall socks with flats or even more formal shoes has me dipping a toe (or all ten toes, I should say, har har har) into crew socks once again. While brown wouldn't have been my first color palette pick, I do love the classy, quirky Sherlock pattern on this pair. They're super soft and have some stretch to them (they didn't pinch into my leg at the top or anything), and they aren't too thick, either (yay, summertime socks).
I've heard of the Out of Print brand before, and I love that they send a book to a community in need for every product they sell!
Java Jones "Simon" 4 oz. Candle by Cherry Pit Crafts - Value $4.50?
Okay, had to look this one up. I at least know a bit about most pop culture references if I haven't actually read or watched something myself, but I didn't know quite where this reference was coming from. Turns out, the "Simon" in question is from The Mortal Instruments book series (and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie), and "Java Jones" is a local coffee shop the characters frequent. Am I mad I didn't get the reference right away? Heck no! What seems like a deep cut to me is probably making another subscriber's day. Those oh-my-gosh-I-can't-BELIEVE-they-referenced-THAT moments are the absolute best. If I didn't recognize anything in the box, I'd be worried. As it stands, I'm just thinking "ooh, I should read that."
Usually, I'm not a fan of coffee-scented candles (probably because I'm usually holding a fragrant cup of coffee already), but this one has notes of patchouli, which gives it a more complex scent. The best thing I can think to describe the aroma is as if you were drinking a caramel macchiato while walking past a cigar bar.
Cherry Pit Crafts makes candles for this box often, so while I couldn't find this exact one online, I was able to find another similar-sized candle from them, which I linked to above to demonstrate value. I will say that you can find this candle in a bundle deal with the socks from the box on the Bookish Shop site for just $11.00. Considering the socks alone retail at $10.00, that's quite a steal.
Lunar Chronicles 5" x 7" Print by LexyOlivia - Value $6.00
LexyOlivia designs are pretty common in this box, but usually, they're in the form of bookmarks. This print is done on the same watercolor-thickness paper as the bookmarks and features the artist's typical dreamy aesthetic. I like this print a lot even though, once again, I didn't get the reference right away (which is a book series that puts new twists on classic princess tales). The colors are awesome, and it's the perfect size to pop in a frame and set by a bedside table.
Marlee Tames Quote Tote Bag - Value $12.00?
This is another creation from the Bookish Shop, but it's only available on their site as part of a bundle. I linked to a similar style of bag from a different vendor to give an idea of value above. I really like the quote on this bag and the swirling, fairytale vibe of the script. This reference is to The Selection... which is (surprise, surprise) also a book I haven't read yet. I know! All of these novels are best-sellers, so I'm putting the blame on myself this time around.
The fabric of the bag is on the thinner side, but it seems sturdy enough for carrying books, a wallet, or other smaller items. With the romantic quote, I think it'd be cute to bring to a wedding weekend (or even gift to a book-loving bride).
Verdict: My only gripe about this Bookish Box was that I only got the reference for two of the five items. That said, those two items were two of the more significant (ie: valuable) things in the box. I still think I'll get plenty of use out of everything I received, too, so I didn't feel left out for having not being quite as well read as the Bookish Box crew. Besides, this $29.99 box had about $53.00 worth of value inside. I'd say as long as your shipping cost is low (here in Pennsylvania, it was under $5.00), then this box is a smart pick. Plus, if you don't recognize every reference in the box, you'll at least come away with a list of new books to catch up on!
What do you think of the March Bookish Box?
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