For adults

For an indie bookstore vibe: Books Are Magic Book Club

Books Are Magic

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The selections from Books Are Magic Book Club are exactly what a real indie bookseller might put in your hands if you went into the store asking for a good book. Select a single genre from a list of four — fiction (including an option for indie press fiction), essays/memoir, poetry, romance — and three age-based options for kids. Once you place your order, you don’t need to keep track of payments, selections, or timelines: A book (paperbacks for romance and poetry, hardback for fiction and memoir) arrives monthly in a padded paper envelope alongside a Books Are Magic-branded tote with the first delivery. Selections lean literary but not esoterically so, and popular but not necessarily commercial. Think Heart the Lover by Lily King, Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson, a poetry collection by Sid Ghosh, and An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister. Books are often (but not always) signed by an author; Books Are Magic also offers Emma’s First Edition Club. Each month, you’ll receive a first edition of fiction or non-fiction with an explanation by co-owner and bestselling author Emma Straub on why she thinks the book is so special.

**Price: **hardcover subscriptions for $30 per month; paperback subscriptions for $20 per month; kids and teen subscriptions for $20 per month; $10 flat-rate shipping

Cancellation and satisfaction policy: skip, pause, or cancel any time; books cannot be returned

The original book club: Book of the Month

Book of the Month

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Best for book clubs

Book of the Month

The near century-old original subscription service prompts members to choose from a curated list of six or seven popular new releases each month.

For people who would prefer an element of control — but don’t want to get overwhelmed with choice — Book of the Month offers readers a monthly selection of five to seven recently released hardcovers. The titles touch most every genre — romance, mystery, sci-fi, narrative nonfiction, literary and historical fiction — and lean a tad commercial. Recent titles include Elizabeth Gilbert’s All the Way to the River and Good Spirits by B.K. Borison. You’re not going to find any particularly dark or controversial titles on BOTM; don’t expect Omar El Akkad’s National Book Award winner One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This to show up on their list, for example.

It’s simple to skip a month or cancel anytime. Your chosen title arrives in a small branded box with no extras. The editions are branded with small logos on the covers and spines, and the paper is supposedly thinner, but we couldn’t tell the difference.

**Price: **month-to-month subscriptions for $18 per month, shipping included; prepaid subscriptions are $60 for three months, $100 for six months, and $200 for one year; subscribers can add up to two additional books per month for $18 each

**Cancellation and satisfaction policy: **skip, pause, or cancel month-to-month subscriptions any time; if you don’t like a book, BOTM will issue a credit for an additional book of your choice and encourage you to pass the book you didn’t like onto another reader

Genre readers delight: The Book Drop

Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter

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Best for genre readers

The Book Drop

A monthly subscription from this Delaware-based independent bookstore offers a hardcover or paperback book in one of four specific genres. They also offer a large-print option.

The Book Drop from Bethany Beach Books in Delaware caters to genre readers by offering four monthly subscriptions: historical fiction, thriller, romance, or fantasy. (There’s also a surprise option that sends a book from a different genre each month and an alternating subscription that combines two.) A new hardcover or paperback arrives in a recyclable paper Book Drop–branded envelope alongside bookmarks, reading guides, and often (but not always) a letter from the author. Recent selections have included Unrest by Gwen Tuinman (historical fiction), We Met Like This by Kasie West (romance), and Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson (thriller). The Book Drop also offers three children’s subscriptions for ages 0 to 13 and is the only service we found with a separate large-print club.

**Price: **$29 per month, shipping included; prepaid subscriptions are $86 for three months, $170 for six months, or $341 per year

**Cancellation and satisfaction policy: **skip, pause, or cancel month-to-month subscriptions any time; prepaid subscriptions can be cancelled, but individual books cannot be returned

Excellent eco-conscious option: Used Books Monthly

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For people who don’t have a good used bookstore nearby, Used Books Monthly is a lifesaver, as long as you’re open to surprises. First, subscribers choose to receive from one to four books, then complete a simple, two-minute questionnaire indicating preferred genres and highlighting a few favored authors and titles. Additionally, Used Books Monthly offers subscriptions that include tea (2 Books & 2 Teas or 4 Books & 3 Teas), plus a Box of Classic Romance subscription. Books are selected individually for each subscriber and arrive in a no-frills, branded envelope. I got a hardcover copy of Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey and a paperback of Summerlong by Dean Bakopoulos in excellent shape. The choices, both contemporary fiction, were books I probably wouldn’t have picked out on my own but was happy to try. If Used Books Monthly gets it wrong, email them to make adjustments for future shipments.

**Price: **one book for $6 per month up to four books for $19, plus shipping (we paid $5 for two books); two books and two teas for $19; four books and three teas for $30; three-, six-, or 12-month prepaid subscriptions are also available; prices vary

**Cancellation and satisfaction policy: **skip, pause, or cancel month-to-month subscriptions any time; individual books cannot be returned

For kids

Fun, literacy-focused deliveries: Reading Bug Box

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The Reading Bug Box from The Reading Bug bookstore in San Carlos, California, is a monthly delight filled with three interest-specific books plus stickers, personalized bookplates, activity sheets, and other entertaining ephemera, including a personalized note. At sign-up, indicate the child’s name and age and select common interests from a drop-down menu. Our box for 4-year-old Max (animals, construction sites, jokes) included a hardcover copy of *Little Purple Tractor *by Erin Guendelsberger, a paperback copy of Listen to the Language of the Trees by Tera Kelley, and a paperback copy of Can I Be Your Dog? (currently unavailable) by Troy Cummings. Max was very pleased.

Price: three books for $33 per month, plus shipping; prepaid subscriptions are $96 for three months, $186 for six months, and $360 for one year

Cancellation and satisfaction policy: skip, pause, or cancel month-to-month subscriptions any time

Empathy-expanding options: Momo’s Book Club

Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter

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Each month, Momo’s Book Club selects themed, age-appropriate books highlighting inclusion and representation to evoke meaningful parent-child discussions. Momo’s offers packages for kids 0 to 3, 4 to 8, 8 to 12, and young adult; subscribers can choose from one to three books per month. Offerings arrive in a plain brown envelope, individually wrapped in bright, cheery paper. Our 0 to 3 box centered around language, communication, and empathy and included a book on American Sign Language, a Japanese and English hardback called Words to Make a Friend, and the board book How Do You Say I Love You?, in which characters say “I love you” in languages from around the world. Every title was a winner — not preachy or pedantic, just good books that kids like.

**Price: **one book for $10 per month plus shipping; prepaid subscriptions are available for three, six, and 12 months; prices range from $30 to $353 depending on the number of books

Cancellation and satisfaction policy: skip, pause, or cancel month-to-month subscriptions any time; no refunds for prepaid subscriptions; individual books cannot be returned or exchanged

Focused on representation: OurShelves

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Best for diverse options

OurShelves

The books in this quarterly offering feature characters who are racially and ethnically diverse, in the LGBTQ+ community, and have disabilities — people often underrepresented in children’s literature.

OurShelves boxes are delivered quarterly and emphasize groups underrepresented in children’s books. Choose to receive one or three books per box for kids 0 to 2, 2 to 5, 5 to 8, or of multiple ages. The mixed-age box we received included* Baby Goes to Market,* a counting board book set in an African market; Yaffa and Fatima Shalom, Salaam, a book about two best friends, one Jewish, one Muslim; and Mr. Watson’s Chickens, a funny, rhythmic story about a gay couple with 456 pet chickens.

Price: Three books per quarter is about $51, shipping included; five books per quarter is about $66 for the multi-age subscription only. There is a discount of about $20 for prepaid yearly subscriptions.

Cancellation and satisfaction policy: skip, pause, or cancel subscriptions any time; individual books cannot be returned or refunded except in the case of damage

Other book subscriptions worth considering

**Fight censorship: **Subscribe to the Banned Books Box, which sends a monthly box of recently blacklisted titles. Each themed box (ours were books banned in prisons) includes information about the ban (along with a QR code for further reading), plus related trinkets like pins, bookmarks, and stickers. Monthly prices vary: $22 (for one book with no extras), $42 (one book with lots of other goodies), and $52 (the original subscription, two books with goodies), shipping included.

**For aesthetically minded readers: **Bookroo offers new and classic children’s books in uniform special editions with color-coordinated spines (so readers can get their shelf-wealth looking sharp). There are four age-specific options for kids from 0 to 12, and the two to three books arrive monthly in a snazzy branded box. Prices start at about $20 per month plus shipping for one book.

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This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.