I Tried Three Subscription Book Services And They Were Actually Awesome

Could a monthly book box cure my reading indecisiveness?

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

Hi, I'm Farrah, and I'm a very indecisive reader. Actually — let's be real – I'm straight-up picky AF. (I JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR COVERS!! I STOP READING IF THE FIRST PAGE ISN'T GOOD!! AND I DOG-EAR PAGES BECAUSE I'M A MONSTER!!)

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

When I discovered that — like beauty boxes — BOOK subscription boxes existed, I was curious. If I was able to tell someone my taste, would they be able to send me an accurate box that piqued my reading interests from beginning to end?

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

MyBookBox lets you choose two out of six genres: women's fiction, mystery, nonfiction, young adult, children 8-12, and children 3-7. I ended up selecting YA and nonfiction.

PRICE: $39.95 for a month-to-month plan.

More info here.

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

You know what? I really loved this box. Mostly because it came with two books from two separate genres, and I like that they mixed it up. I was 100% immersed in both of these stories. Plus, the extra goodies were fun too! It came with a badass reading light that you can clip to your book, as well as a canvas bag. (TBH, I love bags. You have to pay for bags at the grocery stores here, so I'm all about that canvas life. Also, you know, saving the Earth.)

5/5 stars

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Booksstache allows you to choose a "big stache" (2-3 books) or "little stache" (1 book). Their motto is that each box is arranged around a certain theme that is supposed to give you a "unique reading experience."

PRICE: Starts at $30.

*Bonus: According to its website, “Booksstache donates a portion of our profits each month to Room to Read, a non-profit dedicated to promoting childhood literacy.”

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

After opening this box, I laughed. A book about the history of salt? AND COTTON??? I'm going to be real: I fell asleep multiple times trying to get through both of these. Maybe I'm not as much of a Hermione as I thought I was, because this is something she would for sure enjoy — and then probably save the day with her extensive knowledge on salt and/or cotton. But I am glad I read it, because I did learn things — things I wouldn't have learned if I hadn't picked it up, and I definitely would not have picked this up on my own.

3.5/5 stars

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn / BuzzFeed

The Book Drop lets you choose from a selection of cultivated themed boxes. I ended up picking "The Ernest" (mystery and thrillers) because I love suspenseful books that keep me hooked.

PRICE: Starting at $16.

More info here.

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Farrah Penn for BuzzFeed

Since Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) blurbed Gods of Gotham, I expected a fast-paced, unputdownable read, but it took me a LOT longer to read than I initially thought it would. However, I did enjoy it! I also liked picking my topic of interest and was pleasantly surprised when they gave me a book I hadn't read based on the genre I liked.

4/5 stars

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

Did these book subscription boxes cure my reading indecisiveness? Absolutely. I'm a busy person, and when I DO have time to go to the bookstore, I have such a hard time making a decision. It was nice to have someone else do the work for me! The nice thing about most of these boxes is that you can switch up the genres whenever you want to! If you love reading and love the element of surprise, a book subscription box might be ideal for you.

Try 'em out:

MyBookBox: Starts at $39.95 for month-to-month. (BuzzFeed readers can get 15% off their first box with the code BFBOOKS.)

Booksstache: Starts at $30.

The Book Drop: Starts at $16.

These book subscription trials were provided to BuzzFeed free of charge.