Adult 2016
Hover over the photo of the wrapped gifts to see the complete unboxing underneath!
Secrets of a Nurse's Identity
December Box
Secrets of Nanreath Hall by Alix RickloffPage 20: "She clapped her ringed hands until I handed her my portfolio of sketches."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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.
images by @NovelPairing and @Never_Too_Many_Books
A Dream with a Time Stamp
November Box
All the Good Parts by Loretta NyhanPage 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.""
The included gift was a pack of chewing gum.
Page 101: "I tugged on her wispy purple scarf, implying that I'd use it to strangle her later."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a travel mirror with the words from the story custom painted on it.
Page 292: "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."
The included gift was a multi-colored notebook with the words Amazing Things Will Happen on the cover.
images by @NovelPairing and @Never_Too_Many_Books
Spooky Mystery Romance
October Box
Lost Among the Living by Simone St. JamesPage 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."
The included gift was 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..."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a hardcover sketchbook.
Page 225: "...dressed in one of my new dresses, a pair of my new stockings, and my new shoes."
The included gift was a pair of lacey, knee high socks.
Page 293: "She wore a familiar grey dress and pearls."
The included gift was a set of pearl and crystal stone earrings and matching necklace.
images by @Beckys_Bookshelf and @CandaceClark22
Vintage Circus
September Box
The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy CambronPage 55: "There before her, in an article chronicling the Ringling Brothers' circus royalty, was a familiar face."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a 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..."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a note addressed to The English Rose.
Bonus: A Bag of Cracker Jacks
images by @OnceUponaBookClubBox and @CandaceClark22
A Secret Life
August Box
The Gilded Years by Karin TanabePage 84: "She reached into her bag for a straw hat with a straight brim and a navy blue ribbon tied around it."
The included gift was a woven hat with a navy ribbon.
Page 149: "She picked up her mirror, quickly rearranging her hair, and prepared to go downstairs..."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a reusable faux leather envelope with photos of Vassar student, Anita Hemmings.
images by @CandaceClark22 and @FoldedLotus
Lilacs
July Box
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall KellyPage 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?"
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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!"
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a 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."
The included gift was a packet of lilac seeds, representative of Caroline's lilacs.
images by @jenniferwindram and @novelpairing