Books that have inspired the Once Upon a Book Club Team

Welcome to the world of Once Upon a Book Club, where books come alive and take you on an incredible journey. As book lovers ourselves, we understand the power that stories hold to inspire, challenge and transform our lives. 

That's why we've put together a list of some of the books that have inspired us as a team and how one particular book was the catalyst for what we happen to think is the world’s best book club - Once Upon a Book Club, bringing books to life every day!

Autymn - Customer Service Specialist

“In 5th grade, my teacher suggested that I read The Giver by Lois Lowry as a challenge since my comprehension level was very high. What makes the book inspiring is that it was my first experience in reading that made me think beyond just the words that were on the pages! 

It was the book that taught me that reading was more than just finishing a story and moving on; it was also about analysis. Unpacking the themes and symbolism to unearth what the author wants to be taken away from their work turned out to be even more fun than reading to me, and has changed the way that I have read ever since.“

Logan - Director of Customer Experience

“A book that inspired me is Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys. It laid the groundwork for my love of historical fiction and was a book that shook me to my core. I highly recommend it for everyone, but especially for those (like me) who knew very little of the Soviet camps in World War II.”

Michelle - Founder & CEO

“A book that inspired me is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It's the book that actually inspired the creation of Once Upon a Book Club! I was trying to think of a way to convince my mom to read The Nightingale as I had just finished it and loved it so much. 

I created the first sample box with items I bought and wrapped it up myself, then labeled them all with page numbers and sent it home to my mom. Within a week, she called to tell me how much fun she had finding the little surprises as she continued to read and how much it motivated her to keep reading. And just like that, Once Upon a Book Club was born!”

Nicole - Warehouse Manager

“Reading has been something that me and my mom have done together since I was tiny and still do today, but I think there are 2 books that had the biggest impact on me. One is Fablehaven, because it was the first series, I really got into the characters and creatures in the story and the magic of the world, and it had a big impact on my imagination when I was younger. 

And, of course, Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas, which is still my favorite series to this day. It was the first book I loved enough to reread, and the first series I got so emotionally invested in it made me cry! It was also where I got my senior yearbook quote from! That world is still what I pull from every time I have to come up with a world for any of the DND games we play or 3D world-building I did for my game art and animation classes.”

Rayvonda - Fulfillment Specialist

“As a kid, I loved reading books like Berenstain Bears and Amelia Bedelia. It was the humor and reality of those characters that made me see that even if I did something wrong, I could fix it and see the greater things in life. See that I can be a good kid and take those teachings with me for the rest of my life. And it surely made me appreciate books.”

Sydney - Assistant Warehouse Lead

“I’ve loved The Book Thief by Markus Zusak since elementary school, and I’ve reread it more times than I can count. This book is beautifully written and encompasses such a broad range of emotions on every page. It’s one of the first books I remember absolutely loving, and it inspired me to continue finding more books to read!

Another favorite that recently inspired me was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. It’s a realistic portrayal of mental health and shows the importance of perspective in life. It’s unique, thought-provoking, magical, and emotional. Absolutely obsessed.”

Teri - Creative Design and Marketing Specialist

“The series of books that inspired me the most growing up was The Zac Trilogy by Aimee Carter, featuring Blue Car Nights, Words Without Rhyme, and Leaving to Stay. I’m pretty sure these books are out of print now, but they were self-published by Aimee when she was 16 back in 2004. 

My friends and I found the series in elementary school and became totally obsessed, and then, when telling my teacher about the books, we found out that Aimee had graduated from the same school and had our teacher for 4th grade! She ended up coming to visit our classroom and talking about becoming an author at a young age, and I was so inspired to one day become an author myself. I haven’t written any books, but now I get to design them! And I still have my (very beat up) copies of those books on my shelf at home.”

Tiffany - Logistics Coordinator

“You know that feeling you get when you read an amazing book? Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is one of the best novels I've read in a long time. This is a beautiful story about the different kinds of love that a person can feel for others.”

Tristan - Customer Service Specialist

“I was inspired by The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. The Earth's Children series follows Ayla as she navigates the world – often alone and in dangerous situations. It was so inspirational to me that I knew that I wanted myself and any daughters I had to have the amount of strength and resiliency of this amazing character! So, I named my firstborn daughter Ayla and as soon as she was old enough, I shared the book and the meaning of her name with her.”

A final note

We would love to hear about some of your favorites and which books inspired you. We count ourselves lucky to work in an environment where everything is about the magical world of books. As you know, we are passionate about bringing books to life, and creating a reading experience that helps readers engage with their books in a unique and fun way is what we love doing best!