BEWARE – URGENT UPDATE FOR PAGEHABIT AND ALL QUARTERLY CO. BOXES AS OF 8/20/18!! – THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVING JULY 2018 BOXES AND SO FAR NO AUGUST BOXES OR ANY WORD FROM THE COMPANY. QUARTERLY CO. (WHO IS THE MOTHER SITE OF PAGEHABIT) SEEMS TO BE HAVING MAJOR ISSUES WITH THEIR SUBSCRIPTION BOXES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT ANSWERING EMAILS OR CHAT MESSAGES VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE CONTINUE TO ENDORSE THIS SUBSCRIPTION BOX WHEN SUCH THINGS ARE OCCURRING, AND DISCOURAGE YOU FROM SUBSCRIBING TO, OR COMPLETING ANY ORDERS WITH THEM UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. I WILL UPDATE AGAIN WHEN I HAVE MORE INFORMATION. IF THE COMPANY DOES NOT RESPOND TO ME BY SEPTEMBER 1, I WILL BE DISCONTINUING MY AFFILIATION LINK.
PageHabit is the book box subscription formerly known as “Bookly Box”. They partnered with Quarterly Co. and now offer an even BETTER box! To see my previous reviews of Bookly Box, go here. To see my previous reviews of PageHabit, go here.
There are several options to choose from:
1. PageHabit Monthly Box is $29.99/month + shipping (tax added for CA and ID). Each box includes: (1) Brand new release annotated by the author in the genre of your choice (Literary Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Horror, Historical Fiction or Science Fiction), (1) Written letter from the featured author, (2-3) Bookish items, (1) Beautifully designed bookmark, (1) Donation to support children’s literacy around the world, and access to PageHabit’s online community. International shipping is available.
- You can also add extra annotated books to your box from the other genres offered that month for $18.99 each; however you will NOT receive the author’s letter with any added books.
2. PageHabit Quarterly Box (shipped every 3 months) is $49.99/quarter + shipping (tax added for CA and ID). Each box includes: (1) New release annotated by a critically acclaimed author in either the Literary Fiction, Young Adult or Cookbook genres, (2) additional books curated by the featured author, (1) Written letter from the featured author, (2-3) Bookish items, (1) Beautifully designed bookmark, (1) Donation to support children’s literacy around the world, and access to PageHabit’s online community. International shipping is available.
3. PageHabit Gift Subscriptions are available for both monthly and quarterly boxes, with different length subscription options. International shipping is available. See the PageHabit website for pricing.
4. PageHabit Limited Edition new release books annotated by their authors are also available – no subscription needed! For latest options/pricing see PageHabit website.
NOTE: Some subscriptions also offer a ‘skip’ option, and an option to switch to a “book(s) only” box at a lower rate. See PageHabit website for details.
Why should you subscribe to a book box when you can just buy a book cheaper elsewhere? PageHabit has an answer for that!
FIRST, part of the reading experience is diving deeper, going beyond the words on a page to relate these stories to our real lives. That is why each of our boxes comes complete with exclusive author insight, including a written letter and author annotations! Every new release is peppered with exclusive author annotations placed throughout the book to enhance the reading experience. You will not be able to purchase these anywhere else.
SECOND, with a membership you also get access to our online community of over 12,000 bookworms from around the world! Get instant book recommendations, feedback, and thoughts on all things bookish.
THIRD, our members also get access to exclusive author content, including live chats with authors — ask them anything! — and exclusive playlists, deleted chapters, interviews and more!
There are affiliate links on this website, however I pay for my subscription. Please note that I *never* accept compensation in exchange for a positive review. All of my reviews are my honest, personal opinions and contain my own photography (unless otherwise stated).
My reviews will cover the PageHabit HORROR and MYSTERY genres for November & December of 2017!
PageHabit Review, November 2017 (Horror Box + Mystery Book Add-On)
I have to say, I like the name “PageHabit” better than “Bookly Box”, however I liked the black box better than the brown box.
Don’t forget to post photos of your PageHabit ‘unboxing’ on social media using #mypagehabit – they donate an additional book for every tag!
For the month of November 2017, PageHabit donated books to Liberia! The insert talks about what it is like to be a student there (if you are even lucky enough to be one), and it is heartbreaking.
Not only are the PageHabit folk philanthropists, but they are also very generous to their subscribers! For every friend you refer, you BOTH get $10 off! Pretty incredible, if you ask me.
The insert also shows you what books were chosen for the other genres in that month.
Let’s get to the stuffs!! This month’s horror book is “Black Bird: A Novel”, annotated by author Michael Fiegel.
Black Bird: A Novel by Michael Fiegel – Retail Value $24.99 (Amazon $16.50)
Michael Fiegel’s darkly compelling debut tells the story of an unusual bond between two killers―and the destruction left in their wake.
A cold-blooded killer-for-hire, Edison North drifts across America from city to city, crime scene to crime scene, leaving behind a world in flames. But during a seemingly random stop at a fast food restaurant, Edison meets Christian, a young girl who mirrors his own sense of isolation and stink of “other.” Though it’s been a long time since he felt anything resembling a human connection, something about this desperately lonely child calls to him like a fallen nestling. Edison feels certain she deserves better. And while he is not convinced that he can give her that, he can teach her to fly on her own. So he takes her.
Thus begin the chronicles of Edison North―and his protégé. Weaving together past and present, Edison begins Christian’s strange apprenticeship as Christian looks back upon her fractured upbringing and the training that made her into the killer she’s become. What emerges is a savage―and ultimately tender―exploration of the unlikely bond between two outsiders: a fledgling assassin and the man who took her under his wing.
The author lives in Seattle; my hometown – bonus! 😀
So when I first glanced at what the book was about, my brain was picturing the ‘two killers’ as adults, but then as I read further and discovered one of the killers is a young girl protégé to an older male killer that ‘took’ her from a fast food restaurant, I was like…uhhhh…that’s messed up! So, basically, this book is right up my alley! The more messed up the better!
The author’s annotations are on little PageHabit sticky notes scattered throughout the book. It is so fun to read them and get a glimpse into the mind of the creator! I wouldn’t want to be the one placing all those stickies into the pages, though – what a task!!
In each box you receive a handwritten letter from the author, in addition to the annotations. It makes the experience really special and unique. No one else but PageHabit subscribers get these!
So far in every box, I’ve received a short story that is commissioned by “Great Jones Street Press“.
The Blood Drip by Brian Evenson – Retail Value for paper copy $1 (Or, you can read for free online) This particular paper copy only had 450 copies made, sooooo I suppose you could consider it a limited edition or collector’s item!
NOTE: Based on other reviews I’ve seen, the short stories vary by genre.
This story was originally published in Granta Magazine and sounds pretty bizarre:
Two men are lost in the woods and find a town. They approach the town and just as they get near the walls they are attacked. Rocks are hurled at them from up above and one of them, Nils, gets hit in the head and drops. The other guy, Karsen, runs for his life leaving Nils laying next to the town wall. After Karsen finds safetey he reconsiders his actions. Karsen goes back for Nils, but in the process is knocked out cold by a rock to the head. He wakes up to find his head covered in blood. Ahead of him he sees a big bloody spot where Nils should have been, but is nowhere to be seen. Karsen gets up and makes a run for it. He heads into the forest and tries to head east. He eventually gets lost and darkness is approaching. He uses one of his last 3 matches to start a fire, and then falls asleep. When karsen wakes up, the ground around him, and his hair, are on fire. After he puts out the fire, he lays down and sleeps again. During his sleep he has a dream. He has a dream that he is someone else, but still himself… –(Summary clip copied from www.afantasymuse.com)
PageHabit Custom Canvas Tote Bag – Retail Value $10? (NOTE: Because this tote is exclusive to PageHabit, I have no idea what it is worth, so this number is based on similar bags I found online.)
Did you notice that the road on the bag leads to the “P.H. Library” (P.H. = Page Habit!)? Ha! This sturdy tote bag can be used as a book tote, a school bag, a shopping bag, or basically for anything you want to carry around. It’s cute, but not really my style – plus I have about 50 tote bags already – so I’ll either gift this, or swap it on one of the box subscription swap sites. I usually like most of the bookish items, but if I had a choice, I would prefer maybe just one higher quality item, rather than 2 or 3 less expensive items. But that’s just me.
Kikkerland Fresnel Magnifier Bookmark – Retail Value $8.86 (NOTE: The price of this fluctuates quite often on Amazon.)
Kikkerland products seem to be very popular in book boxes because they are inexpensive, useful, appropriate and gender neutral (usually). This bookmark that doubles as a magnifier is no exception. This I will use because I am blind as a damn bat, (even with glasses some days), and a magnifier could come in super handy.
AAAAND…here’s my mystery book add-on; complete with author annotations! (Remember, no author letter is included for add-on books.)
I found it funny that the author noted her ‘neat’ hand writing. I’ve noticed most writers seem to have terrible handwriting; much like a doctor – including ME. Nicole Baart is a true anomaly!
Little Broken Things: A Novel by Nicole Baart – Retail Value $16 (Amazon $11)
“If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll want to crack open this new novel by Nicole Baart.” —Southern Living
“Steeped in menace, Baart’s latest is a race-to-the-finish family drama.” —People
An engrossing and suspenseful novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Amy Hatvany about an affluent suburban family whose carefully constructed facade starts to come apart with the unexpected arrival of an endangered young girl.
I have something for you. When Quinn Cruz receives that cryptic text message from her older sister Nora, she doesn’t think much of it. They haven’t seen each other in nearly a year and thanks to Nora’s fierce aloofness, their relationship consists mostly of infrequent phone calls and an occasional email or text. But when a haunted Nora shows up at the lake near Quinn’s house just hours later, a chain reaction is set into motion that will change both of their lives forever.
Nora’s “something” is more shocking than Quinn could have ever imagined: a little girl, cowering, wide-eyed, and tight-lipped. Nora hands her over to Quinn with instructions to keep her safe, and not to utter a word about the child to anyone, especially not their buttoned-up mother who seems determined to pretend everything is perfect. But before Quinn can ask even one of the million questions swirling around her head, Nora disappears, and Quinn finds herself the unlikely caretaker of a girl introduced simply as Lucy.
While Quinn struggles to honor her sister’s desperate request and care for the lost, scared Lucy, she fears that Nora may have gotten involved in something way over her head—something that will threaten them all. But Quinn’s worries are nothing compared to the firestorm that Nora is facing. It’s a matter of life and death, of family and freedom, and ultimately, about the lengths a woman will go to protect the ones she loves.
I’m SO GLAD I chose to add the mystery book this month!! This sounds reeeeeeallly good to me!
Here are the sticky notes placed throughout the book by the author – with all with her ‘neat’ handwriting on them. 😎
So there is November! EXCEPT I WAS GYPPED! The custom bookmark was missing this month! I’m not actually that upset though, shit happens sometimes. It wasn’t important enough to me to contact them over it (I’m sure they would have sent one to me if I did) – so I’m sorry, I can’t review it. 🙁
The total retail value for the November 2017 box + 1 add-on book comes out to $60.85 (or $47.36 with Amazon pricing). Neither of these totals include a value for the author’s annotations/letter, or for the bookmark (that I would normally get). Using the Amazon pricing, the calculated value comes really close to the cost of the box + add-on book at $48.98. I’m happy with that for many reasons – the author’s notes DO have value to me, a book is donated to a child in need, I’m getting books & goodies I may not have picked out for myself (or even known about), and having the box come every month like a surprise gift is really fun! I love expanding my horizons and getting out of my reading comfort zone.
PageHabit Review, December 2017 (Horror Box + Mystery Book Add-On)
Sometimes I wonder if my mailman hates me with all the boxes I get!
Don’t forget to SNAP.GIVE.READ.! I think it is so cool that they donate an additional book for every #mypagehabit photo tag on social media!
Everything at first sight…wooo!
The December 2017 donation goes to Sierra Leone. The information & statistics for the area where the donation is going is always printed on the insert. It’s always interesting, but it makes me sad.
On the reverse side of the insert there is information about their referral program, and a listing of the books chosen for each genre that month. Don’t forget you can add extra books to your box!
December’s Horror selection was “One of Us Will Be Dead By Morning” by David Moody! (I love the title of this…)
One of Us Will Be Dead By Morning by David Moody – Retail Value 25.99 (Amazon $15.01)
In One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning, David Moody returns to the world of his Hater trilogy with a new fast-paced, and wonderfully dark story about humanity’s fight for survival in the face of the impending apocalypse.
The fewer left alive, the higher the stakes.
Kill the others, before one of them kills you.Fourteen people are trapped on Skek, a barren island in the middle of the North Sea somewhere between the coasts of the UK and Denmark. Over the years this place has served many purposes―a fishing settlement, a military outpost, a scientific base―but one by one its inhabitants have abandoned its inhospitable shores. Today it’s home to Hazleton Adventure Experiences, an extreme sports company specializing in corporate team building events.
Life there is fragile and tough. One slip is all it takes. A momentary lapse leads to a tragic accident, but when the body count quickly starts to rise, questions are inevitably asked. Are the deaths coincidental, or something else entirely? Those people you thought you knew, can you really trust them? Is the person standing next to you a killer? Will you be their next victim?
A horrific discovery changes everything, and a trickle of rumors becomes a tsunami of fear. Is this the beginning of the end of everything, or a situation constructed by the mass hysteria of a handful of desperate and terrified people?
Is it just me, or does Mr. Moody look like the leader of a satanic cult? Hehe…I suppose I would put my fiercest mugshot on the back of my horror novel, too.
This book sounds dark and bloody – and so far on Amazon it has a solid 5-star rating!
I can’t wait to read the annotations from this author!
Last month we had an author tell us she had neat & tidy handwriting; but this author is worried you won’t be able to read his! See? I told you it is common.
A Whiter Shade of Christmas by Taylor Grant – Retail Value for paper copy $1 (Or, you can read for free online)
Matt lies about his Christmas plans to his co-workers every year for the past five. He doesn’t want to admit to the truth, his loneliness, or the place he visits every Christmas Day. But a chance encounter with a homeless acquaintance might just save him this year.
About the Author
Taylor Grant is a two-time Bram Stoker Award® nominated author, professional screenwriter and award-winning filmmaker. His work has been seen on network television, the big screen, the stage, the Web, as well as in graphic novels, newspapers, national magazines, books, and heard on the radio. His Bestselling collection, The Dark at the End of the Tunnel, received a Bram Stoker Award nomination.
Appropriate for the December box, this short story (and thousands more) can be read online at Great Jones Street Press, “where great literary fiction is brought to a wider audience“.
I think these little short story booklets are a nice touch. I stick them in my purse, and when I find myself having to wait for a few minutes, I pull them out and read! They also make great stocking stuffers, or when giving a book as a gift, I like to add one in the card or tucked into the ribbon on the box. Super fun!
Kikkerland Copper String Lights – Retail Value $3.75 (This string of lights is 6 feet long on a copper wire that has 20 tiny LED lights with a timer, and takes (2) AA batteries.)
OK, these I love! This is a great item to receive around the holidays, but I’m guilty of putting these all over my bookshelves (or bar, or on fake plants, etc.) all year ’round!
Sherlock Holmes Brass Quote Key Ring with Charm – Retail Value $10 (I didn’t find this exact item, but similar items can be purchased here.)
This is a great item for Sherlock Holmes fans! I, myself, am a big fan of Benedict Cumberbatch playing Sherlock. 😉
I decided to get another annotated ‘Mystery’ add-on book this month!
Signal Loss by Garry Disher – Retail Value $26.95 (Amazon $17.42)
Loaded with annotations!
The Ned Kelly Award-winning master of Australian noir shows us the darker side of the Peninsula. A meth-related crime has Inspector Hal Challis on his backfoot, while Sergeant Ellen Destry hunts down an elusive serial rapist.
A pair of hit men working a job for a meth kingpin have a very bad day, and the resulting bushfire draws attention to a drug lab and two burned bodies in a Mercedes. Sergeant Ellen Destry—newly minted head of her department’s sex crime unit—and Inspector Hal Challis return in this newest installment of Garry Disher’s Peninsula-based crimes series. With meth-related crime on the rise, interdepartmental tensions mount, and Challis soon finds himself fighting to keep control of his case. Meanwhile, Destry is hunting for a serial rapist who is extremely adept at not leaving clues. A tense, human, and at times darkly funny entry into Disher’s celebrated Ned Kelly Award–winning series.
The author has a Wyatt crime series?!? Ha! (That’s my last name.) I’m gonna have to read that!!
This novel leaves nothing out – there are hit men, meth labs, murders and a serial rapist!
I got my freaking bookmark this month! Yay!
“Fill your house with stacks of books in all the crannies and all the nooks” – Dr. Seuss
I’ve totally accomplished that. I have books everywhere. It’s bad.
Look how nicely everything matches! I know that’s lame, but when you are a product photographer, that shit is important! LOL!
Another great month! I love the little lights so much. Are you jealous? 😉
The total retail value for the December 2017 box (+ 1 add-on book) comes out to $67.69 (or $47.18 with Amazon pricing). Neither of these totals include a value for the author’s annotations/letter, or for the bookmark. Using the Amazon pricing, the calculated value comes really close to the cost of the box (+ add-on book) at $48.98. I’m happy with that, and let me tell you why. The author’s notes and bookmark DO have added value to me, a book is donated to children in Africa, I get a surprise gift in the mail each month (wheeee!), and because of book box subscriptions, I’ve found some of the greatest books of all time! In short, it makes me happy. 🙂
-TTFN, CrazyDogMama xoxo
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