Review: Books That Matter- Book Subscription
I’m a commitment-shy girl, and committing to a book subscription service is a big step for me. That’s why a month or so ago I decided to start testing out different services and sharing my findings with you, dear reader!
And Books That Matter was a box I just had to try out. I had long envied the pictures of powerful feminist novellas wrapped in pink tissue. It was time to loosen my purse strings!
So below is my honest review. And it is definitely worth staying with me until the end because there might be a little treat at the end of the article!
Rating: *****
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
To answer this, I spoke to the CEO, Molly Masters, who had this to say:
"Books That Matter feels special to me as we really occupied the space for a new way for people to consume literature. The difficulty for women in publishing begins with getting published in the first place, but also being marketed, hyped up and shelved in stores the same way as their male counterparts.
This becomes increasingly more difficult for women of colour and from minority backgrounds; and Books That Matter as a brand has really disrupted the publishing industry to become a leader in providing a platform for women's work through unique reading experiences.
Our community is also hugely special to me - it has grown and blossomed so much in the two short years we've been trading, and we have book-lovers from all over the world connecting with each other, learning together, reading together, and making friendships through our socials and member's area. They really get so excited when we launch each new theme, it's like magic!
Overall, it's really just a huge privilege and honour to be doing this job as the founder of Books That Matter, and be working alongside our favourite publishers, authors and brands, as well as growing our team and reach to achieve our core goal of empowering and inspiring women through feminist fiction! It's a joy!"
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
The main subscription box is £17.00, containing an empowering book and at least three gifts from independent creatives. This is a big selling point for me as at City Girl we are passionate about supporting small businesses.
The website also features other boxes including ‘Books and Treats’ which contains three books.
Promising so far, was it worth it?
SO WHAT DID I GET?
My books arrived in a pretty labelled box of cyan blue and pale pinks. When I opened it I found the contents wrapped in pink tissue paper.
As above, I received a little note from the company, a bookmark, some postcards, a colouring book and pencils, a vegan and organic chocolate bar, a happy newspaper and, of course, the book.
Say Say Say by Lila Savage
Ella is a middle aged woman whose life is not going to plan; she has lost God, and is settling for jobs that are beneath her. But when she becomes a caregiver to a distraught woman named Jill and befriends her husband, Bryn, she gets to witness the love they share for each other and it shocks her to the core, forcing her to confront feelings she never knew were inside her.
I have not been this moved by a book in a long time. Savage has put into words feelings I could never express about men and women, love, and life. She has told a passionate and honest story with a character unashamedly flawed and extremely relatable.
Other Bits And Bobs!
Newspaper - Such a lovely addition, filled with inspiring stories for a much needed light in a troubled time.
Colouring Book - Love this! But I am so afraid of ruining the pretty pictures that I never stick with these. Maybe I will give them another go.
Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate - Adorable! I love that it is vegan and gluten-free so it is inclusive for everybody while still tasting yummy.
Postcards - I definitely believe that this is a very personalised and relevant touch to the bundle, and that the creators cared about keeping us in contact with loved ones without using screens.
WHAT DID I LOVE?
This was an overall lovely experience and it left me feeling so pampered. I think I was particularly impressed with how this bundle left me with so much to do. Choccy to eat, a good book to read in one sitting, a colouring book to last me through the whole lockdown and postcards to put a smile on my loved one’s faces. All things I can and will get a lot of use out of.
WHAT WOULD I IMPROVE?
I am hard-pressed to think of anything I did not like!
WOULD I SUBSCRIBE?
Yes! Yes, yes, yes. Yes.
You can check out Books That Matter here.
BUT WAIT…
There’s more! We are so excited to announce that Books That Matter have offered our readers a giveaway, head over to our Instagram on Saturday 5th September to find out how to enter!
Disclaimer: This company is not affiliated with us at City Girl! I am reviewing these boxes purely for informative purposes -I promise to only ever tell you about things I have tried and loved!
Written by Jasmine Lowen