When you’ve got a precocious reader in the house, it can be hard to find books they haven’t yet discovered and devoured. I know this because I am that reader and I spawned that reader. Luckily, we found a subscription service — you know we love subscription services!– that will send you the newest, most carefully vetted books for teens, kids who read on the teen level, and adults who love the fast pace and swoony tummy-flutters that YA books can provide.
It’s called Uppercase Box, and it’s a YA book subscription service for readers 13 and up that works two ways.
You can either sign up for their regularly curated book box, which for $23 a month nets you one spanking new hardcover, a fun related gift like a cool bookmark or handmade accessory, and a lovingly handwritten note from the owner about why that book was chosen. Or you can fill out an extensive (but fun) survey about what you like to read and have their founder hand-pick a book just for you, along with a fun gifty to go with it for $29.
You’ll also get extras like lots of bookstore discount codes, access to great giveaways, and exclusive content from the author of that month’s book, which definitely ups the value you get here.
Related: The best 2014 books for kids: All the top book lists, all in one place
Past book choices from Uppercase Box include picks that I’ve heard are amazing: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis, The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.
To put the personalized recos to the test, I filled out the Personal Recommendation survey to get a good idea of what Uppercase founder and book blogger extraordinaire Lisa Parkin would recommend for a YA writer and reader who’s tapped into the hottest books in the industry. Her pick for me was The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons, which is a dark YA fantasy already on my radar and my TBR list. A perfect choice!
And in case you’re wondering, should the monthly book choice include mature content, you’re notified and able to select an alternate book.
That means that if your middle-grader is reading above level, or if you want to give a gift to a conservative niece, you can still send a book on their reading level without having to worry about explaining, oh…say, werewolf sex.
Yes, the service a little pricey. But this is a gift for avid readers who want to save and reread their hardcovers forever, and would spend $17.99 or more on a new title anyway. It’s truly a great way to find new books without having to go to the bookstore or sort through reviews.
I can see this being a fantastic gift for far-off family and friends who you might not know so well, as the package really feels special and personal. Or keep it in mind for a junior high or high school grad over the next few months. When you care enough to give the very best books, I would totally go Uppercase.
Check out Uppercase Box for a great YA book subscription service. All boxes ship on the 15th of the month.
