Adult 2018
Hover over the photo of the wrapped gifts to see the complete unboxing underneath!
Home Adrift
December Box
Lights on the Sea by Miquel Reina
Page 8: "Unlike the others, the replica that Harold now held was not in a bottle but in an old, squat mason jar. Inside, his most treasured ship sailed defiantly across a sea of resin. It was the first he'd ever made. This ship had no detailed ornamentation, no royal crest emblazoned on her sails. It was a simple seaworthy sailing vessel, a modest boat longing for great adventures."
The included gift was an exclusively custom-designed ship in a mason jar as described in the book.
Page 142: "She reached again into the basket and took out a small clay pot and a thick bundle of bandages, which she held out to Mary Rose."
The included gift was a small ceramic sugar jar and a roll of bandages.
Page 214: "Without even realizing what she was doing, she removed her mitten and tenderly took Harold's bare hand, the same way he had taken hers so many years ago."
The included gift was a pair of mint green mittens.
Page 228: "What he saw, or rahter, what he didn't see, made him freeze. Harold and Mary Rose weren't there. Amak was turning to leave when he saw a scrap of paper among the blankets...Amak turned the note over and on the other side was a photograph."
The included gift was a blanket scarf with the note as written in the book. On the the other side, the photo of Harold and Mary Rose was recreated as detailed in the book.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
The Forgotten Queen
November Box
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
Page 175: "Ariane put her finger to her lips and produced a small bronze mirror from her cloak. "Look, Languoreth of Cadzow. See what you have become.""
The included gift was a foldable, bronzed, antique mirror with a rose pattern on the back.
Page 301: "I shook my head to cease the spinning, and had reached to accept his hand when I noticed the crest of a white-tipped feather half buried in the grass. The talisman!"
The included gift was a black and white feather pendant.
Page 484: "I lifted my hand to my collarbone and let it rest there just long enough that he might spy the green ring that glinted on a finger of my right hand."
The included gift was Languoreth's emerald ring.
Page 514: "On my table beside the window I found my parchment and quill. I sat and dipped the feather in ink, bending my head over the blank parchment and began to write."
The included gift was a quill pen and the letter as written in the book.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
A Museum of the Strange and Unusual
October Box
The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang
Page 25: "Cora went to her vanity and searched out a glass jar. She dipped her fingers in a gray mixture of charcoal and lard and smeared a fine film over her cheeks, chin, and upper lip."
The included gift was a jar of facial mud mask.
Page 120: "She pulled the strings of her reticule. "Here. The curator gave me a list of specimens he'd like to procure. I expect he'll give you a similar one." She hadn't read it yet, but handed it to Flint."
The included gift was a custom designed drawstring bag with the list of specimens inside.
Page 216: "She took the small newspaper and walked across the street...When she had caught her breath and the dizziness had settled, she began to read. The article was the third on the front page..."
The included gift was a custom printed newspaper with the article written as featured in the book.
Page 271: "The maid curtsied and went on her way. Within ten minutes, she had brought out a large pot of boiled water in a warmed teapot...When the maid went away, Cora withdrew the medicines from her reticule. She sprinkled foxglove, hawthorne, and skullcap herbs into the steaming pot."
The included gift was a custom designed teapot-shaped creamer pot with mini, custom designed poison bottles as mentioned in the book.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
Shipwrecked
September Box
The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White
Page 39: "Reluctantly, she set aside a diamond pavé cat, arching its back, its ruby tongue caught between tiny fangs."
The included gift was a custom cat brooch inspired by the description in the novel.
Page 214: "The maid opened the door of the satinwood armoirse and pulled out a small box from the top shelf."
The included gift was a box of custom designed stationary and matching envelopes.
Page 257: "And there, sure enough, was Caroline Hochstetter sitting at the piano bench, poised and self-contained, rubies at her ears and throat, her ivory silk gown managing to be both refined and alluring."
The included gift was a glamorous set of red-stone earrings and pendant.
Page 400: "I open the clasp and stick my hand inside. Find the stiff, delicate paper inside and pull it out. 'Oh my God, it's the same portrait, the one of Robert!'"
The included gift was a custom designed portrait of Robert.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
A Starry Night Murder
August Box
The Space Between by Dete Meserve
Page 90: "But what sits on his desk-what he looks at every day-is a photo of the Perseid meteor shower he took in Indian Cove at Joshua Tree National Park."
The included gift was a custom photo to match the description in the book, in a custom designed picture frame.
Page 129: "It's a polished grey-and-white stone in a silver setting on a chain."
The included gift was a grey and white rugged stone pendant inspired by the description in the novel.
Page 152: "I sit beside him, and he inserts the flash drive into his laptop's USB port.
The included gift was a custom designed flash drive resembling a cassette tape.
Page 247: "I drop the water bottle I'm carrying and hear it thud on the ground."
The included gift was a custom designed water bottle with a built-in fruit infuser.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
The Secret Wine Cellar
July Box
The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah
Page 114: "Unwilling to disturb anything, I peered at one of the bottles without touching it. My flashlight picked out the number "1929" - an exalted vintage from France..."
The included gift was a custom 'wine bottle' containing a set of wine tools.
Page 243: "Today, the tea was lapsang souchong, dark amber with smokey depths."
The included gift was a custom designed teabag rest, and packet of lapsang souchong tea.
Page 304: "The letters swam before my eyes, black lines and speckles against the light-colored surface. Wait...speckles?"
The included gift was a custom designed "The Count of Monte Cristo" binder clipboard with the hidden code printed inside.
Page 351: "With shaking fingers, I pulled the letter from the envelope, the sheets creased and brittle, covered with the careful loops of Helene's handwriting."
The included gift was a custom written letter inspired by the description in the book.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
Hidden Behind Words
June Box
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."
The included gift was a custom-designed Jane Eyre notebook with the business card tucked inside.
Page 218: ""Whitby jet?" he asked, looking at my necklace."
The included gift was 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..."
The included gift was a custom-designed 'envelope' wallet with the invitation tucked inside.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
Caught Between Two Worlds
May Box
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."
The included gift was 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".""
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a patterned, elastic headband.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
Safe House
April Box
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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a pair of fluffy, pink slippers.
Page 138: "I take the book from him and stare at the paperback, elated to see it again."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was a custom designed, pink satin scarf.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner
A Poisoned Cup of Tea
March Box
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."
The included gift was 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 included gift was 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 included gift was the poisoned ring, an essential oil diffuser ring.
Page 227: "She clutched the towel in her hands and absentmindedly wrung it."
The included gift was a custom designed tea towel.
Page 297: "I awoke on a rickety cot in an underground room illuminated by candles."
The included gift was a custom poured candle.
images by @JStefaniAuthor and @BrittanyTheBookDragon
Finding Alaska
February Box
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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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?"
The included gift was a beautiful, custom designed canvas watercolor print with the word HER hidden among the colors.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner and @PetrichorandParchment
Wine, Windows, and Murder
January Box
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."
The included gift was 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."
The included gift was 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. "
The included gift was a custom designed silver letter opener.
images by @The_Bookish_Runner and @TheBookElves