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Coffee & A Classic “Children’s Classics” Review – January 2019

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Box Review Front

Coffee & A Classic
5 overall rating
4 Ratings | 1 Reviews

Coffee and a Classic  is a monthly book & beverage subscription box, curated by Ashlee Doherty. Ashlee’s mission is to create a complete escape each month for lovers of literature, providing a thought out and curated experience where readers can curl up with the book, a beverage, and other bookish items to retreat from everyday life.

There are two different subscription levels available.

  • The STARTER BOX ($28 / month + shipping) provides you with a classic book, something to sip on, and 2 bookish items each month.
  • The STANDARD BOX ($40 / month + shipping) provides you with a classic book, something to sip (your choice of coffee, tea, hot chocolate) & snack on, a bookmark, a coffee mug, and 1-2 bookish items based on a theme. This book box is also packaged in a high-quality photo box.

With each level of subscription, you can select from three genres: Classic Literature, Children’s Classics, and Classic Nonfiction.

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Box Open

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

This review is for the Starter Children’s Classics Box.

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Review

About Coffee and a Classic

The Subscription Box: Coffee and a Classic Starter Box (Children's Classics)

The Cost: $29.00 a month (you can save 5%-15% with longer pre-paid subscription) + shipping

The Products: A classic book, something to sip on, 2 bookish items + a bookmark

Ships to: the US only

Good to Know: Boxes ship between the 19th-23rd of each month. You can cancel your subscription at any time (recurring billing happens on the 1st of the month). Each month, a sneak peek is available and you can change genres if something catches your eye.

Coffee and a Classic (Children’s Classics) January 2019 Starter Box Review

This month’s selection is The Call of the Wild by Jack London.

From Coffee & A Classic:

"The Call of the Wild, considered by many London's greatest novel, is a gripping tale of a heroic dog that, thrust into the brutal life of the Alaska Gold Rush, ultimately faces a choice between living in a man's world and returning to nature. Adventure and dog-story enthusiasts, as well as students and devotees of American literature, will find this classic work a thrilling, memorable reading experience."

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Theme

Like most subscriptions, the first item you see when you open the box is an info card detailing the products inside. The contents listed include the book itself, a package of hot chocolate, 2 bookish items, and a bookmark.

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - The Call Of The Wild By Jack London 1 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - The Call Of The Wild By Jack London 2 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - The Call Of The Wild By Jack London 3 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - The Call Of The Wild By Jack London 4

The Call of the Wild by Jack London – Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $8.69)

From Amazon:

“The Call of the Wild is a novel by Jack London published in 1903. The story is set in the Yukon during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush—a period in which strong sled dogs were in high demand. The novel's central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley of California as the story opens. Stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska, he reverts to a wild state. Buck is forced to fight in order to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually, he sheds the veneer of civilization, relying on primordial instincts and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild. London lived for most of a year in the Yukon collecting material for the book. The story was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in the summer of 1903; a month later it was released in book form. The novel’s great popularity and success made a reputation for London. Much of its appeal derives from the simplicity of this tale of survival. As early as 1908 the story was adapted to film and it has since seen several more cinematic adaptations.”

This book is hard for me – I realize that it’s a classic, and many people love it, but I’m a dog lover and can’t stand the thought of someone stealing my beloved Corgi dogs (Fred Jones and Harry Hood) and forcing them back to a primitive state. I think for a teenage boy – this book is great, but for a bleeding-heart Momma, it’s a tough one. I do like this copy of the book though, especially the self-contained bookmark ribbon!

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Exclusive! Raspberry Hot Chocolate From McStevens 1 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Exclusive! Raspberry Hot Chocolate From McStevens 2

Exclusive! Raspberry Hot Chocolate from McStevens – Estimated Value $9.95 (based on a similar item found here)

Almost every month, we see a delicious McSteven’s hot cocoa! So, at first, I was disappointed that it was raspberry hot chocolate – as I'm pretty firm in keeping my fruits and chocolates separate. However, this one had me! It was a really delicious rich chocolate with extra sweetness from the raspberry. I didn’t find the raspberry flavor overbearing and quite liked the tang that it provided in this super sweet drink. I can say though, as someone who has been cutting out carbs it felt really sweet to me – I couldn’t see myself drinking more than 4 oz. or so of this in a sitting.

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Raised By Books Pouch By Out Of Print 1 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Raised By Books Pouch By Out Of Print 2 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Raised By Books Pouch By Out Of Print 3

Raised by Books Pouch by Out of Print – Retail Value $12.00

This navy blue, 100% cotton canvas zipper pouch measures 9” x 6” and is a really cute, durable all-purpose pouch. Another great aspect, every purchase of this pouch helps to fund literacy programs and book donations to communities in need.

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Call Of The Wild Magnet Designed By @AlcheraDesignPosters (Etsy) 1 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Call Of The Wild Magnet Designed By @AlcheraDesignPosters (Etsy) 2 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Call Of The Wild Magnet Designed By @AlcheraDesignPosters (Etsy) 3

Call of the Wild Magnet Designed by @AlcheraDesignPosters (Etsy) – Retail Value (digital print only) $5.90 (on sale for $3.54)

I always like getting magnets in C&C boxes and this one is no exception. I thought that the design was cute – I’m assuming that C&C bought the digital rights to this image from this Etsy designer and then printed their own magnets. In the past, I’ve been critical of their “homemade” items but this one is pretty good. It’s a bit of a “floppy” magnet (meaning, it’s thin and bendable) but sticks well to my file cabinet and is about the size of a standard index card.

Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Husky Dog Magnetic Bookmark From @FluffedAnimals (Etsy) 1 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Husky Dog Magnetic Bookmark From @FluffedAnimals (Etsy) 2 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Husky Dog Magnetic Bookmark From @FluffedAnimals (Etsy) 3 Coffee and a Classic January 2019 - Husky Dog Magnetic Bookmark From @FluffedAnimals (Etsy) 4

Husky Dog Magnetic Bookmark from @FluffedAnimals (Etsy)Retail Value (set of 4) $9.50

I like the idea of this little magnetic bookmark but find that it doesn’t hold a ton of pages. It’s a glossy cardstock print with two small magnets glued to the inside. It was packaged lovely, and fit well within the curation, but I’m not sure how practical it is.

Verdict: This month I am actually able to quantify the value of the box since I was able to find all of the items online. Per usual, the curation is adorable. This box cost me $37 ($29 + $8 shipping) and I calculated $47.31 in products at retail prices, not including the actual printing of the magnet. So, I feel like I received products more than the box value which is always a good mark in my book. My favorite item was the pouch this month.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Your first box will be the March selection.

Your box will ship between the 3rd Thursday and the 4th Monday of every month. Please order by the 15th of the month to get the current box.

Value Breakdown: At $37.00 ($29.00 + $8.00 shipping) for this box, you’re paying about $7.40 per item.

Check out all of our Coffee and a Classic reviews and the Book Subscription Box List!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of Coffee and a Classic? Which box type do you prefer?

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"Sip, snack, and read your way through the classics with this subscription! Relive, or experience anew, some of the best literature of all time with a Coffee and a Classic book box. The book selection varies each month from the tried-and-true classics to some more modern favorites."

Colette Christian
Colette Christian
Colette's subscription addiction started innocently enough with a few beauty boxes in 2013. As her life has evolved, so have her subscriptions - and some of her favorites now include boxes that cater towards lifestyle (Popsugar Must Have), pets (BarkBox), and children (Gap Outfit Box and Mac & Mia).

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3 comments

Anna

I think the bookmark and included items should always be looked at in the context of the box this is their children’s book box.

The subscription page for this particular box says
“Share the joy and memories of your own childhood with these hand-selected classic children’s book boxes. Perfect for starting a baby book collection or introducing a new generation to the wonderful worlds of Roald Dahl, classic tales of Romana the Brave, or the humorous poems from Shel Silverstein (and many more)”

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Ashley

Great review! I’m trying to find a good coffee subscription! This looks cute I’d love to see more reviews of the 3 they offer. Just wondering why do you need the magnetic bookmark to hold lots of pages? Wouldn’t just a couple suffice? I am just curious, why alot would be better or needed? Is it because it could rip the pages or the bookmark is too heavy? Thank you!!

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Vanessa

From my experience, most magnetic bookmarks are quite heavy, so you want it to hold a bunch of pages at once so they don’t damage the pages. Generally, if you use it for just one page it tends to press and imprint on the page, plus the combo weight of the magnet and cardboard can sometimes cause tha page to bend forward and rip.

On the flip side, sometimes if the magnet is so flimsy that it will only hold one page, it won’t actually stay on the page. I’ve had ones that slid right out of my book when I picked the book up!

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