Here at Once Upon a Book Club, we’re often asked how we choose the incredible books featured in our book boxes. And let’s not forget about those famous, exciting, and beautifully wrapped gifts! Spoiler alert: It’s not just grabbing whatever looks cute on the shelf (though we do love a beautiful cover). There's a wonderful process behind our book selection, it’s a story in itself! And today, we’re giving you a peek behind the cover.

At Once Upon a Book Club, we’re not just curating book boxes—we’re creating experiences. Each story is carefully selected not only for its literary brilliance but for its ability to spark emotion, ignite imagination, and fully immerse yourself in a story like never before. From page-turning plots to gasp-worthy twists, we want each book to feel like it was meant for you. 

Stories have this wonderful way of staying with us—they stir up our emotions, build memories, and even boost our empathy (science says so!) We can’t wait to share how we curate our incredibly exciting book boxes, so without further ado, let’s get started!

The Art of Book Selection: How Book Subscription Boxes Are Curated

The journey starts with a spark—sometimes a new release from a favorite author, sometimes an exciting twist on a beloved classic that gets the whole team abuzz. We typically find our book selections on websites like Edelweiss or NetGalley, which have ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) available. Occasionally, authors reach out to us directly, and we learn about their books that way! That's an exciting way to learn about books that aren’t listed on the ARC websites.

When it comes to trends, we try to include trending authors and bestselling authors whenever possible, but we are equally excited to include debut and up-and-coming authors! We love discovering a new voice, it’s better than a great cup of coffee and a slice of chocolate cake—now you know we’re serious!

Our initial selection team is our Curation Team, Tristan and Tiffany. They go through the list of books being published each month, narrow it down to the ones that fit all the criteria we are looking for, and then read each book one by one until they find the one that has that key combination of a great story and those all-important powerful gift moments we all look so forward to. It's a careful, thoughtful process—and we love every minute of it.

We’re also in tune with seasonal moods and the kinds of immersive, emotional stories our readers crave. Our goal is always the same: to deliver a book that’s more than just a good read—it’s a memorable experience.

 

Prioritizing Reader Experience

A great book is a wonderful thing. But a great experience? That’s where OUABC shines.

We evaluate each book not only on its literary merit, but also on its potential for interactivity. Can we find those magical moments—those gasp-out-loud, swoon-worthy, or tear-inducing scenes—that are just begging to be enhanced with a surprise gift?

We love to imagine what it would feel like for one of our readers to unwrap a surprise gift mentioned in a particularly moving scene. It’s all about finding that perfect moment when the fictional world touches you through a carefully selected gift and brings the story to life! Whether it’s a candle flickering on the same page as a cozy reading scene or a replica of a treasured item a character holds dear, the book must have that immersive magic our readers expect.

Because for us, it’s not just about reading—it’s about living the story.

Considering Diversity and Voice

Representation matters. That’s why we strive to feature different perspectives and new voices in our boxes. We go out of our way to look for books by a wide range of authors, stories that highlight characters who are often underrepresented, and stories that look at experiences across generations, race, and identity.

We have featured everything from historical fiction set in previously untold cultural moments to contemporary stories featuring LGBTQIA+ protagonists. We’re committed to curating books that reflect the world we live in—and the power of every voice in it.

Here at Once Upon a Book Club, we believe that everyone deserves to see themselves on the page, and every story deserves to be heard. Our past selections have spotlighted authors from different ethnic backgrounds, genres, and generations. These have helped us learn so much, and we continue to grow with every box we build.

 Check out our past boxes here!

 

Matching Stories to Surprises

Now for the fun part—gifts!

Once we’ve chosen a book, we go page by page (yes, literally) to find the perfect moments for our signature wrapped surprises. We look for scenes that catch us, you know the ones, those gasp out loud moments, or those when you can’t turn the page, and moments that include a meaningful object we can bring to life.

For us, it’s like putting a puzzle together, where the pieces are part plot, part creativity, and part bookish joy. We collaborate as a team, brainstorming ideas, sourcing products, and designing gifts that will surprise and delight, and we have so much fun doing it. It never feels like work!

Why not check out our blog on The Science Behind Associating Physical Gifts with Story Moments.

 

Final Touches and the Big Reveal

Once the gifts are finalized, Teri, our talented Brand Manager, steps in to design the beautiful packaging. She either sources or creates custom patterns based on the book’s cover or the story’s theme. Each design is created for that perfect unboxing moment, where the excitement bubbles over and your day instantly gets 1000% better. 

Once boxes are sent out, our team watches social media with wide eyes and big hearts, waiting for those first unboxings and reviews to roll in. We love seeing how happy opening our book boxes makes our subscribers; it’s what makes all the hard work totally worth it.

We don’t just ship books. We send out surprise, suspense, bookish joy, and sometimes a few happy tears, wrapped in pink (or green or yellow!) and full of heart.

Our team loves what they do, and that’s what makes the difference! As lifelong bookworms, finding a career that revolves around books feels like winning the lottery. And the absolute best part? Hearing how much you love the boxes we curated. Every happy message from you is like a standing ovation at the end of a Broadway show—we feel it deeply.

What Makes OUABC Different?

We don’t just pick any amazing book—we pick amazing books with moments you can hold in your hand. It’s not enough for the story to be good; it has to have those unforgettable giftable scenes that turn reading into a full-blown experience. We like to think of it as that special Once Upon a Book Club ingredient that takes an ordinary book box into a magical one!

We can’t wait for you to open a Once Upon a Book Club box and feel the anticipation and excitement as the story comes to life at carefully selected moments. Just know that there’s a passionate team of readers, dreamers, and gift-matchmakers who made it all happen, just for you. 📚✨

Our first Adult Book Box was released in July 2016, and the following year, we launched our Young Adult Book Box, which was also a huge success. After huge demand, we finally launched our Tween Book Box (formerly Middle Grade) in February 2023.

Some of our team’s favorites have been the Dec 2023 "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" box with the book The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra and the August 2023 box "Within the Garden Walls" with the book Under the Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam. These picks were by Tristan, and she equally loved the story and gifts in both of those boxes!

 

Thank You for Being Part of the Story

We want to say a massive thank you to all of you; we simply couldn’t do it without you. It is your excitement, your unboxings, your reviews, and your happiness that fuels everything we do. We are so honored to be part of your bookish world!

If you are wondering what we’re working on next, make sure to have a look at our hints (that’s right, we create a hint every month) to see what’s shipping soon or take a peek at our ready-to-ship favorites. We can’t wait to hear from you, so whether you are a first-time subscriber or a regular, your feedback is important to us!

Happy reading from all of us at Once Upon a Book Club!