Wait what, there are book boxes based out of India..here ? like really here?..
I was totally living under a rock for over a year I guess, because last year saw a surprisingly increasing number of book boxes in India. During some random Instagram search I came across one of them and there goes the first line of the post. Then i started digging for other such boxes and surprisingly there are many and they are good and reliable too.
So this list is for all those people like me who are not-so blissfully ignorant of these subscription boxes.
Firstly, what is a book subscription box. Some of you might have know about Owlcrate or similar bookish subscriptions that are majorly operating overseas, some ship to India but the shipping charges and subscription add up to a whooping big amount *sad eyes*
A book box is a monthly subscription service that allows you to choose a plan, suitable for your pocket and based on your plan sends out cute packaged boxes with one or more books *mostly recent ones* along with bookish and fandom items like funko pops, bookmarks, bookish charms, mugs etc. Sometimes there is a theme and you have to be totally open to any book they might send. So, Owlcrate , Illumicrate and all other crates 😛 are mostly suitable for book nerds all over the world except Mera Bharat, that is if you are poor like me 🙂
Some super cool entrepreneurs have now started out to fill this huge void for our desh‘s bookworms and are making us all bookishly happy. In no particular order, here goes..
This is a Bangalore-based book subscription service that sends out monthly boxes catering to every genre out there. You can contact them through email or Facebook/Instagram page and they immediately send out the process details and pricing list. If you are opting for a monthly box, they send out the list of books they are planning to include, so that you will be able to let them know if you already own any of the items in it. But the final book they send you out is a total surprise (from the list, still). They have plans starting from INR 1350  for one month plan (2 books + bookish items ) and more. February theme is “Unbound Love”.
They do special customized boxes on request and check out their Insta page for more on that.
My December box.
I received Persuasion by Jane Austen and My true love gave to me an anthology by Stephanie Perkins  and 11 other authors. A bookish journal, calendar, a beautiful card, a memory jar and loads of bookmarks were inside the box.
This is a bi-monthly book subscription box that sends you Young-Adult books along with bookish items. They have two kinds of boxes – Young Adult (INR 1399) and Supreme YA (INR 2999). The first one has 1 new release book and 2- 3 bookish goodies. The latter has 2-3 new release books and 2- 5 bookish goodies. Their theme for February is ‘Lazy Sunday”. The December box boasted a magnificent hardcover of Nevernight and pretty bookish items that include a MockingJay pin, bookish tote bags and beautiful bookmarks and posters.
Edited- May Box review is here
This book box has monthly and quarterly book subscriptions that are priced out at  INR 1200 and INR 3000 respectively. They also do customized boxes and i recently saw a really cool Legal Book themed box that was beautifully designed and curated by them on their Instagram page. The theme for February is Fantasy and i hear that “Carve the Mark” is on the list. A newsletter is to be started very soon by these guys and they are lookinbg for book nerds to contribute to it. Go check their page for more.
Edited: May Box review is hereÂ
This was recently launched and they ship out their first boxes from February. They have stirred up quite a lot of anticipation among their followers in Instagram, me being one among them. They have named their different subscription plans after Coffee because what goes well with books, right? They have monthly, quarterly and six month plans as well as one Cafe Mocha Limited Edition box that has 3 books (I’m guessing collectibles)and 8 Bookish goodies for a price of INR2999. The Frappe box starts at INR 999, the Espresso box from INR 1599 and The Cappuccino box at INR 2199  per month. Check out their pricing for further details. The February theme is “Romantic Indulgence”.
Edited – review is here
This is also a pretty new startup and have 1,3 and 6 month subscriptions. They are priced at INR 999, INR 2899 and INR 5699. The Facebook page has a form that you need to fill out and you can choose your favorite genre. They have a giveaway that is going on right now, so you can participate for some cool introductory offers. A theme is not yet available in their page.
The nerdy box delivers some really cool bookish items along with a popular and recently released book. Their plans start out from INR 899 for one month, INR 2200 for 3 months and INR 4600 for 6 months. Bookings are open only till 15th of the month and each box contains one book and 3-4 goodies.
If you feel all the above subscriptions are a bit heavy on your pocket, then this one’s for you. Their price range starts from INR 799 per month and if you go for the 3 (INR 2299) and 6 month subscriptions (INR 4494) , per box price is very low as INR 749. The first box was launched in January and had good discounts too 🙂 February theme is “Ready for Anything”.
Oooh i like their name 😉 Their first box included 2 Books (one of it is being made into movie), a PulpyPapaya handmade notebook a Bookmark, a big Note Card for writing your novel ideas and a hand Written Letter all priced for INR 1200. The coming months will include 3-4 books and 10 bookish items !!!.
Books are mostly by South-Asian authors and promote Indian book merchants. They also do customized boxes 🙂 Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur and looking for inspirational books or a travel lover, they customize your boxes based on your interest. Not just limited to Fiction.
A new startup, this one, and they are two months old this February. The themes are “A Lyrical Affair” which goes without saying that it will be poetry and the second one is “Love in A Different Era”. Also their boxes are One Storyed (INR 900, 1 book and goodies) and Two Storyed (INR 1600, two books n goodies).
I hope i have included all the subscription book boxes out there to the best of my knowledge. There is also a Pakistan based book box named The Book Shook, if you wanna give them a try.
*And the disclaimer*
I was in no way “asked” to do this, and the opinions are all mine. If you want to purchase, (please do as they are new startups ) please go through reviews of book bloggers who have already purchased them. Some of them are hosting really good giveaways. Again i would like to make it clear, I’m just putting up a list of boxes available for other bookworms’ benefit.
If you are a new start up and I haven’t listed your name, please drop an email  or comment in this post. Also, bookish merchants out there, this is a great opportunity for associating yourself with the above Book boxes.
I have tried Biblio Box and they are prompt in their delivery and good. I have purchased one box from The Big Book Box and its on the way. I will be trying a new box every month to give a proper review. (Also one per month because I’m poor and not “yet” adopted by the Rothschilds :D)
 I’m having so much fun with Wreck this Journal but you can hardly call it as ‘wrecking’ :P.
Little Voids 