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Page 1 Books Subscription Box Review + Coupon – May 2018

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Page 1 Books
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Page One Books is a new monthly subscription of hard and softcover books for three, six, or 12 months based on your preferences. You can choose between twelve genres, including mystery, masterpieces, cookbooks, classics, and more.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

This review is of the “For the Sleuth” 3-month subscription, which costs $60.

Page 1 May 2018 review

About Page 1 Books

The Subscription Box: Page 1 Books

The Cost: $60 for three months + $10 shipping (flat shipping for all three months)

The Products: 1 hardback book or paperback book chosen for you based on your tastes, a bookmark, and other goodies.

Ships to: The US and Worldwide

Good to Know: If you’ve already read the book or just simply don’t like it, Page 1 Books will send you another for free - no need to send it back!

Page One Books May 2018 “For The Sleuth” Review  

The box greeted me with a personalized card explaining the book pick for the month! I actually really liked that my name is on it – it’s a small touch that makes the box feel personal. This card points out the book that awaited me.

Page 1 Bookmark

This bookmark is a nice addition to the collection I have going – it’s a good size and will certainly do the job just fine. I like this quote from Jane Austen, too!

Alice in Wonderland Postcard

What a beautiful illustration! I’m wondering if this postcard might be vintage - it’s in great shape, but the style is sort of a throw-back. It’s a cool piece and would be great for someone who collects interesting paper products or art!

Mark Twain Rubber Plaque

I love a good Twain quote, but I’m not totally sure of the function of this object! It almost seems like it could be a coaster, but the lettering on top is raised, and I’m not positive a glass would sit quite right on top of it. I do, however, quite appreciate Mr. Clemens’ sentiments on champagne!

Macbeth by Jo Nesbø

Macbeth by Jo Nesbø - Retail Value $27.00 (found here for $18.36)

I was greeted again this month by a beautifully-wrapped book, complete with ribbon! This book by Norwegian author Jo Nesbø is 464 pages in length and was released on April 10th, 2018. Summary from Amazon:

Set in the 1970s in a run-down, rainy industrial town, Jo Nesbo's Macbeth centers around a police force struggling to shed an incessant drug problem. Duncan, chief of police, is idealistic and visionary, a dream to the townspeople but a nightmare for criminals. The drug trade is ruled by two drug lords, one of whom—a master of manipulation named Hecate—has connections with the highest in power, and plans to use them to get his way.

Hecate’s plot hinges on steadily, insidiously manipulating Inspector Macbeth: the head of SWAT and a man already susceptible to violent and paranoid tendencies. What follows is an unputdownable story of love and guilt, political ambition, and greed for more, exploring the darkest corners of human nature, and the aspirations of the criminal mind.

What a coincidence that I received this book for this month - my husband and I very recently rented The Snowman, which was a film adaptation of Nesbo’s Detective Harry Hole series (I know, I know - I checked the Internet like, three times to be sure that was the character’s name). The movie, ahem, wasn’t good, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I’m not one to judge the book by its movie, and especially since this is a completely different set of characters, I kept a totally open mind. I’m not the first to say that the book is slow to start, even though there is a lot of action, but the book overall takes a while to develop, though it eventually began to pay off. The book’s focus on drug-related crimes certainly feels relevant to today’s news culture even though the book is set in the 1970’s. In this book, our Macbeth is tasked with cleaning up a dishonest police force as the new head of the SWAT team, but once he starts the climb to the top, toward the newly-vacated position of Chief Commissioner, the bodies start to pile up and other familiar names from Shakespeare’s classic emerge. The book explores issues of morality, corruption, and addiction, using elements of greed and ambition to tell the tale. In this story, we see the Lady Macbeth as a casino owner and Hecate as a local drug lord. The book is written in the third person, but I would say isn’t the most easily digestible of novels to read, mostly based on how dense the writing is paired with its intense darkness. Unsurprisingly, it’s violent and unflinchingly relentless when delving into character flaws. That being said, I don’t believe readers would need to be extremely familiar with Shakespeare’s original work of the same name to enjoy this novel, especially fans of the police thriller genre.

Verdict: The book this month is something I would’ve never picked for myself, but I’m so glad to be introduced to the author, who has a deep body of work to draw from. I’m not sure the additional items in the box were quite to my taste this month - while I appreciated the artistry of the postcard, it’s not a particularly high-value item, and I’m not sure for the purpose for the Mark Twain-quoted object I received.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you hurry! From Page 1 Books:

Books ship out on the 1st of each month for subscriptions purchased by the 25th of the prior month.  Subscriptions ordered after the 25th will ship out the month after.

Coupon - Use code MYSUBADD to save 10% off all subscriptions!

Value Breakdown: This box cost $20.00 (for this month) + $3.33 shipping, which means the three items I received (not counting the bookmark) cost about $7.78 each.

Be sure to check out all of our Book Subscription Box reviews!

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Laine Wooliscroft
Laine Wooliscroft
Laine is a life-long movie enthusiast who loves YA novels, estate sales, and hikes that make her legs hurt the next day. Her subscription journey started in 2014 with Ipsy, and now her favorite boxes contain craft beer, horror/spooky items, and toys for her beloved lab mix, Archie.

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