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Adult Boxes
Once Upon a Book Club - Past_Boxes_Adult
Hover over the photo of the wrapped gifts to see the complete unboxing underneath!

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June 2018

images by @The_Bookish_Runner

    The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
  • Page 29
    "When I turned back to the row of books, I saw that there was a business card sticking out of the top of Jane Eyre."
    - a custom-designed Jane Eyre notebook with the business card tucked inside.
  • Page 218
    ""Whitby jet?" he asked, looking at my necklace."
    - Loveday's necklace, a small, aromatherapy teardrop shaped pendant.
  • Page 341
    "You are cordially invited to the reopening of Lost For Words, York, Rare and beautiful books for book lovers everywhere..."
    - a custom-designed 'envelope' wallet with the invitation tucked inside.

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May 2018

images by @The_Bookish_Runner

    Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore
  • Page 17
    "Miss Wells turned the ruler over in her hand, its sharp edge scratching against her dry palm."
    - a custom designed wooden ruler.
  • Page 55
    "She reached into her purse and handed him a small package. "I brought you something." He peeled away the paper and twine to reveal a copy of The Return of Sherlock Holmes"."
    - an exclusive, custom edition of The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
  • Page 85
    "Her eye caught on the first photo, and the breath froze in her lungs."
    - a custom designed photoshop image of the class portrait as described in the novel.
  • Page 225
    "At the bottom of her bag she found the dance card from a recent gala she had attended. She folded it in half and handed it to him."
    - a small, era-reminiscent purse and the custom-designed dance card inside.
  • Page 276
    ""We also found this in that there dugout." The man thrust a silk ribbon up at the sheriff."
    - a patterned, elastic headband.

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April 2018

images by @The_Bookish_Runner

    The House on Harbor Hill by Shelly Stratton
  • Page 10
    "Instead, she pulled out a yellow envelope. She stared at in in bewilderment, wondering why this was in her purse, and then she remembered."
    - a yellow envelope with a letter inside as written in the novel.
  • Page 46
    "Tracey glanced down at Delilah's feet. Delilah followed the path of her gaze, embarrassed to realize she was still wearing her fluffy, pink bedroom slippers."
    - a pair of fluffy, pink slippers.
  • Page 138
    "I take the book from him and stare at the paperback, elated to see it again."
    - a custom edition of The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, exclusive to Once Upon a Book Club.
  • Page 348
    "...she looked almost one hundred years old with her shrunken frame and sagging skin, and with a bald head she'd tried, but failed, to hide under a pink satin scarf."
    - a custom designed, pink satin scarf.

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March 2018

images by @JStefaniAuthor and @BrittanyTheBookDragon

    The Taster by V.S. Alexander
  • Page 86
    ""You may leave after breakfast," Cook said, and handed me a small gold book with few pages in it. The Reich eagle was emblazoned in black on its front cover."
    - a replica of the identification papers Magda was given.
  • Page 117
    "Panic surged through me. "This spoon is dirty. I'll get a clean one." I walked to an empty sink and washed the utensil."
    - the poisoned spoon, custom engraved.
  • Page 164
    ""Of course," I said, and held out my hand. "But please be careful, it's very old - it was a gift from my great-grandmother." "Oh I won't touch it," she said. She grasped my fourth finger and bent down, examining the ring for several moments."
    - the poisoned ring, an essential oil diffuser ring.
  • Page 227
    "She clutched the towel in her hands and absentmindedly wrung it."
    - a custom designed tea towel.
  • Page 297
    "I awoke on a rickety cot in an underground room illuminated by candles."
    - a custom poured candle.

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February 2018

images by @The_Bookish_Runner and @PetrichorandParchment

    The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
  • Page 239
    "He slipped a necklace around her throat, fumbled to clasp it in the dark. "I carved it," he said. She felt it, a heart made of bone, hanging on a metal chain."
    - a white, stone heart necklace on a silver chain.
  • Page 298
    "...she finally did it, created a gulley to catch rainwater into two big thermoses. When one was full, she positioned the other thermos to collect water and then climbed back up onto the rock."
    - a red and black plaid canteen thermos.
  • Page 421
    "One of them - a huge work-in-progress canvas - was propped on an easel. On it, an explosion of color; drops and splatters and streaks that somehow - impossibly - gave Leni the impression of the northern lights, although she couldn't say why. There were strange, misshapen letters in all that color; she could almost make them out but not quite. Maybe it said, HER?"
    - a beautiful, custom designed canvas watercolor print with the word HER hidden among the colors.

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January 2018

images by @The_Bookish_Runner and @TheBookElves

    The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
  • Page 58
    "She slides a thumbnail into the locket; it cracks open, and she leans toward me, the locket swaying in the air...Inside the locket is a tiny photograph, glossy and vivid: a small boy, age four or so, yellow hair in riot, teeth like a picket fence after a hurricane."
    - a custom designed silver locket with a photo inside as mentioned in the novel.
  • Page 149
    "I swivel the umbrella ahead of me - my secret weapon; my sword and shield - and lean over to press my hand to the knob. I turn it."
    - a custom designed wine bottle that transforms into a custom designed umbrella.
  • Page 399
    "Then I see it in his fist. A bolt of silver, glinting. It's a blade. It's a letter opener. "
    - a custom designed silver letter opener.

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December 2017

images by @OnceUponABookClubBox and MichelleEleni

    Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
  • Page 74
    "He pulled the item from his pocket and showed it to me. It was a tennis bracelet, diamond, the one Mama gave Emily for her sixteenth birthday."
    - a silver and crystal tennis bracelet.
  • Page 151
    "...then Weylyn handed me his business card. It had his name printed on it in plain black type and the words Assistant to Mr. Merlin, the Storm-Taming Pig! scribbled beneath it in pencil."
    - a small leather card holder with Weylyn's business card inside.
  • Page 208
    "As I drifted to sleep, Weylyn gently pulled the wet socks from my feet and carried me to bed."
    - a custom designed pair of wolf socks.
  • Page 315
    "Instead, I found a postcard with his handwriting on the kitchen counter next to a jar of honey."
    - a custom packaged jar of honey and a postcard.

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November 2017

images by @AWellLovedLibrary and @PetrichorAndParchment

    A Tangled Mercy by Joy Jordan-Lake
  • Page 38
    "She reached for the blue velvet box. But as she opened it, two silver earrings tumbled onto the bedspread...herons, she realized, with their long slender necks and beaks, heads raised against the wind and lifting their wings, just ready to soar."
    - a pair of custom designed, sterling silver earrings.
  • Page 333
    "Gently, Rose untied the ribbon from the stack of pages...donning the white gloves Rose had saved from her young womanhood and offered up for their research..."
    - a pair of white dressing gloves, a piece of ribbon and a letter as written in the novel.
  • Page 365
    "Gabe collapsed, legs buckling, the Rubik's Cube tumbling down to the floor."
    - a Rubik's Cube.
  • Page 425
    "Plucking a handkerchief from her handbag, she squared her shoulders toward the harbor before dashing at her cheeks with the silk."
    - a Charleston handbag with an embroidered handkerchief tucked inside.

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October 2017

images by @MarieMcWilliamsBlog and @TheBookElves

    The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb
  • Page 35
    "An envelope had been slipped under my bedcovers."
    - a letter addressed to Eleanor Harper.
  • Page 82
    "I had brought some of my favorite bath salts with me, and I sprinkled some into the water as the steam began to rise."
    - a package of bath salts.
  • Page 166
    "I looked at the clock. Four twenty-five."
    - a custom designed clock.
  • Page 280
    "And that's when I noticed the pen in my own hand."
    - a custom designed writing pen.
  • Page 308
    "I crossed the room and opened a dresser drawer, fishing out the makeup kit."
    - a set of makeup brushes in a blue travel case.

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September 2017

image by @FamousTaraLee and @SoFarToHideaway

    The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
  • Page 9
    "Opening the package she removed a folded sheet of writing paper...PS. The shop key is enclosed."
    - a letter from Olivia's grandfather and an 'antique' key bottle opener.
  • Page 112
    "...I filled the bucket from the pump, picked up my boots, and began to scrub at them with the brush."
    - an old-fashioned, wooden scrub brush.
  • Page 201
    "On the floor beside the spare pillow that had tumbled from the bed in her sleep was a single yellow flower."
    - a blue and white tree pillowcase and a yellow flower hairclip.
  • Page 378
    "The old silver picture frame sat on the desk..."
    - a silver picture frame with the photo mentioned in the novel and hidden goodies in the back of the frame as mentioned in the story.

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August 2017

images by @TheForestHeir and @KMSpedden

    The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol
  • Page 20
    "I am wearing the sunglasses Marty gave me in the summer."
    - a pair of blue, reflective aviator sunglasses
  • Page 104
    "There are two dragonflies, one slightly larger than the other. The artist has used a lot of color and bold swirling lines to create a distinctive image. The background is a complex pattern suggesting water and rocks and trees."
    - a custom designed, large dragonfly art print.
  • Page 248
    "...the child growing within her, caressing it through the fabric of her dress and the flour-dusted cotton of her ruffled apron."
    - a blue plaid apron.
  • Page 287
    "She opened the box and took out a match and turned toward me."
    - a detailed wooden box with a matchstick pen.

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July 2017

images by @LisaLostInLit and @SteffisPics

    The Saturday Evening Girls Club by Jane Healey
  • Page 26
    "I took off my turban style hat and starting smoothing out my hair.
    - a 1900's style yellow turban hat.
  • Page 65
    "My stomach churned, and I help the wooden spoon I had been using to stir the sauce so tightly it might have snapped."
    - a food safe, wooden spoon with the title of the book engraved on the handle.
  • Page 213
    "We walked in, the bells I attached to the door signaling our entrance."
    - a unique, three-tier windchime.
  • Page 228
    "We all turned, and there was Maria, running toward us with her travel bag."
    - a bright yellow, polka-dotted tote bag.
  • Page 232
    ""Oh, Caprice, there's an envelope on this bouquet with your name on it - here. I think this will solve the mystery.""
    - a message inside an extravagent envelope with a butterfly on it.

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June 2017

images by @OasisGirlMD and @TheBookElves

    A Strange Companion by Lisa Manterfield
  • Page 11
    "I opened my notebook to a blank page, drew a big circle with two pointy earts and a fine set of whiskers, and held it up to the window."
    - a notebook with a drawing of a cat on the first page.
  • Page 95
    "She swatted at him with a tea towel in mock aggravation..."
    - a custom designed dish towel featuring the words "Hello, Sunshine".
  • Page 190
    ""Put that away," I said, pointing to the Ouija board with one hand and straightening my hair with the other."
    - a Ouija board mouse pad.
  • Page 263
    "I handed Jon the other gift I carried from Wales, the wrapped picture I'd bought at the station."
    - a green picture frame with a printed photo from the book.

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May 2017

images by @OasisGirlMD and CandaceClark22

    Love and Gravity by Samantha Sotto
  • Page 26
    "...as though the fate of the world depended on her successfully taming Andrea's hair under a wreath of pink silk flowers."
    - a hair wreath of pink silk flowers
  • Page 61
    "Andrea cracked the brittle seal and unfolded the letter."
    - a recreated letter from the book with the detailed wax seal and antiqued envelope.
  • Page 81
    "A local handcrated silver-and-glass beaded bracelet caught the sun."
    - a silver and glass, multicolored, beaded bracelet.
  • Page 119
    "A 1950s Omega Seamaster's glass face shone in the crack's light...Andrea leaned forward and learned the engraving's secret."
    - a galaxy themed watch with custom engraving on the back to match the description from the book.
  • Page 315
    "Andrea stared at the familiar miniscule handwriting on the handkerchief...he slipped his pendant out from behind the collar of his shirt."
    - a custom stamped handkerchief with a silver disc pendant wrapped inside it.

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April 2017

images by @A_Tad_Bit_Bookish and @BookstoreFinds

    The Color of Our Sky by Amita Trasi
  • Page 24
    "...her bright orange sari reflecting on her skin"
    - a bright orange scarf.
  • Page 66
    "...then dipped into his bag to get some green and yellow herbs."
    - a bag of yellow and green, citrus chamomile tea and a teapot tea infuser.
  • Page 158
    "Salim looked at the envelope, then at me, and opened it."
    - an envelope with toy money and message as written in the book.
  • Page 282
    "He laughed and the next Thursday he brought me a shining gold necklace."
    - a gold leaf necklace.
  • Page 327
    "I took the photograph of Mukta and me out of my wallet..."
    - a custom wallet with a quote from the book printed on it, with a photograph inside.

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March 2017

images by @Kath Reads and @TheBookMaiden

    Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde
  • Page 109
    "Calvin reached over to the other twin bed and grabbed the thin blanket, pulling it toward them."
    - a small travel/lap blanket.
  • Page 211
    "As she worked, her eyes fell on a photo. It was a wooden frame, carefully carved and sanded...she was slight and pretty, wearing a light summer dress and looking up at him with adoration. Which he returned."
    - a wooden, 4x6 frame and photo inspired by Calvin and his late wife.
  • Page 231
    "She moved around the kitchen in silence for a minute or two, setting up the coffee to percolate."
    - a bag of coffee, as Calvin and Lucy are so fond of.
  • Page 310
    "She gestured toward the article."
    - an authentic article about the case Lucy referenced to regarding Loving versus Virginia.
  • Page 339
    "...a small black-velvet ring box and was holding it open for her to see."
    - a simple, rose-gold infinity ring with clear stones, in the black-velvet box.

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February 2017

Images by @Kath_Reads and @SerialBibliophile

    From Sand an Ash by Amy Harmon
  • Page 190
    "She fumbled in her pocketbook and rushed to set her fake pass in her hand."
    - a yellow crossbody purse and a reprinted, fake Jewish document from WWII.
  • Page 221
    "Giulia had given her ring to keep Rome's Jews from being slaughtered."
    - a gold tone ring with green and clear stones.
  • Page 239
    "She felt for the newspaper he'd shoved inside his coat. There. It was fat with documents."
    - a pair of reprinted fake Jewish documents from WWII, inside a wallet, wrapped with an authentic newspaper from the month this chapter took place.
  • Page 368
    "He lit a candle and watched it flicker...and he listened to Eva play."
    - a candle wrapped in sheet music designs, representative of Eva playing her violin.

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January 2017

images by @Hilly_b22 and @Never_Too_Many_Books

    In the Light of the Garden by Heather Burch
  • Page 14
    "The key, now warm in her fingers, was the old-fashioned kind with a loop at one end and what looked like a tiny flag on a flagpole on the other."
    - a white and gold clutch bag with an old fashioned key, resembling the description in the book.
  • Page 44
    "She reached with both hands and carefully lifed the bag, then placed in on the counter."
    - a drawstring bag filled with 'magic powder' (a recipe for the soothing mud mask could be found stuck in the back of the book).
  • Page 166
    "She peered at the photo because Charity was laying them out on the floor."
    - a bento box to represent a false bottom trunk, with a photo inspired by the photo mentioned in this passage.
  • Page 187
    "She'd tucked the umbrella against her upper body and she fought her way to the Barlows' house next door."
    - a travel sized umbrella.

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December 2016

images by @NovelPairing and @Never_Too_Many_Books

    Secrets of Nanreath Hall by Alix Rickloff
  • Page 20
    "She clapped her ringed hands until I handed her my portfolio of sketches."
    - a leather portfolio with a solemn drawing of a man inside.
  • Page 254
    "Dipping her hand in and out of her apron pocket, Anna resumed her seat, replacing the album on the table."
    - a white and pink apron with gift 326 hidden in the pocket.
  • Page 326
    "Anna went to her locker and pulled out the purloined photograph of the blond man kneeling in the grass beside the tumbled remains of the old cliff ruins."
    - a black and white photograph of the man kneeling in the grass.
  • Page 332
    "She pulled free the nearly ruined pages, bringing with them a thin gold chain and locket that fell onto the tabletop."
    - a letter exclusively written for Once Upon a Book Club by the author, along with a custom, engraved gold tone locket.
  • Page 383
    "On the table ready to be wrapped in butcher paper rested a small oil painting."
    - a rolled fabric canvas oil painting of "The Red-Haired Woman".
  • Bonus: All boxes included an exclusive Once Upon a Book Club reusable tote bag.

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November 2016

images by @NovelPairing and @Never_Too_Many_Books

    All the Good Parts by Loretta Nyhan
  • Page 72
    "She took her time picking through my belongings, providing running commentary on the things I needed to get through the day. "You're getting too old to chew gum.""
    - a pack of chewing gum.
  • Page 101
    "I tugged on her wispy purple scarf, implying that I'd use it to strangle her later."
    - a wispy purple scarf.
  • Page 214
    "You're not going to post this on Instagram or one of those sites," I said before snapping the shot."
    - an Instagram posting of an inspired photo of the photo taken in the book.
  • Page 292
    "Maura touched the surface of the mirror, tracing her fingers over the words I'd painted on the glass."
    - a travel mirror with the words from the story custom painted on it.
  • Page 322
    "I fished under my bed until I found my Community Health notebook, grabbed a pen off my nightstand, and drew boxes for a heredity chart."
    - a multi-colored notebook with the words Amazing Things Will Happen on the cover.

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October 2016

images by @Beckys_Bookshelf and @CandaceClark22

    Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James
  • Page 76
    "I found leaves scattered on the floor of my bedroom, brown and curled in the palms of my hands in supplication, dry and crumbling beneath the soles of my bare feet."
    - three fake leaves.
  • Page 134
    "...the impatient boy, holding his little sister's hand for a portrait in the bright sunlight. But I turn the picture over and saw words scrawled..."
    - a photo eerily similar to the description in the book with a creepy message scrawled across the back.
  • Page 159
    "It was a book. A large flat book, the hard cover gleaming in the moonlight through the window."
    - a hardcover sketchbook.
  • Page 225
    "...dressed in one of my new dresses, a pair of my new stockings, and my new shoes."
    - a pair of lacey, knee high socks.
  • Page 293
    "She wore a familiar grey dress and pearls."
    - a set of pearl and crystal stone earrings and matching necklace.

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September 2016

images by @OnceUponaBookClubBox and @CandaceClark22

    The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron
  • Page 55
    "There before her, in an article chronicling the Ringling Brothers' circus royalty, was a familiar face."
    - a vintage cigar box with an authentic Ringling Brothers Circus handout.
  • Page 210
    "He reached in his pants pocket, retrieved the watch, and slapped it into her outstretched hand."
    - custom pocket watch necklace, embossed with the same message written on the watch in the book.
  • Page 234
    "Rosamund padded across the oriental rug back to Bella's side and took the oversized hairpin in hand..."
    - a delicate, large hair pin and a thimble.
  • Page 249
    "Another note had been left for her - this one slipped under the pillow on her bed."
    - a note addressed to The English Rose.
  • Page 254
    "Rosamund approached in wonder, gazing over the posters that depicted a bareback-riding beauty in various graceful poses."
    - a custom designed poster made exclusively for our boxes to represent the description from the book, wrapped with a whimsical patterned hair tie with a bow.
  • Bonus: Bag of Cracker Jacks

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August 2016

images by @CandaceClark22 and @FoldedLotus

    The Gilded Years by Karin Tanabe
  • Page 84
    "She reached into her bag for a straw hat with a straight brim and a navy blue ribbon tied around it."
    - a woven hat with a navy ribbon.
  • Page 149
    "She picked up her mirror, quickly rearranging her hair, and prepared to go downstairs..."
    - an ornate, gold hand mirror and comb.
  • Page 224
    "She pulled the thin duplicate of a telegram out and searched for the recipient's name."
    - an authentic telegram, addressed to Porter Hamilton, a character from the book.
  • Page 315
    "It's in the paper, Anita. The Boston Daily Globe. The very front page. They know."
    - an authentic newspaper about Anita (a real person), regarding the situation from the story.
  • Page 373
    "...I came across a dusty stack of Vassar College alumni magazines I kept from my student years."
    - a reusable faux leather envelope with photos of Vassar student, Anita Hemmings.

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July 2016

images by @jenniferwindram and @novelpairing

    Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
  • Page 156:
    "Binz spat on the ring again and finally twisted it off...Matka's ring was gone. How could they just take a person's things with no feeling at all?" - A ring of blue and clear stones, inspired by the one Matka lost.
  • Page 241:
    "I asked him to send back a spool of red thread as a signal that he had received and understood our secret letter."
    - A secret message (required ironing to read), similar to the one Kasia wrote.
  • Page 257:
    "It wasn't until Herr Fenstermacher was out the door on his way that I saw what he'd left at the foot of our bunk. The most beautiful pair of hand-knitted socks!"
    - A pair of grey, fuzzy socks, similar to those given to Kasia.
  • Page 272:
    "Each had kept her Russian issued leather army boots and wore the camp head scarf tied in a perfect square knot at the nape of her neck."
    - A headband scarf, similar to the type worn in the camps.
  • Page 436:
    "I opened the folder and flipped through the photographs inside. There were six, maybe seven pictures in there taken from the shoulders up, black-and-white, like passport photos, all of children."
    - An floral patterned, cloth envelope with a photo of orphaned children from World War II.
  • Page 476:
    "...Caroline's lilacs had already taken root, on their way to growing into the prettiest, strongest plant."
    - A packet of lilac seeds, representative of Caroline's lilacs.