Illumicrate

Paused.The website says new subscriptions are paused for now.

What's in the box: A themed box usually held an exclusive special edition of a new book, and the full box option added bookish merchandise that matched the theme.

Illumicrate is not operating normally at the moment: its website says new subscriptions are paused for now, and its subscription sections show waitlist buttons instead of a way to sign up. When it was running, this UK based service sent out special editions of books, each built around a monthly theme. The main Illumicrate box focused on fantasy. The company also ran sister lines: Afterlight for romance, Evernight for horror on a quarterly schedule, Mindsight for crime and Starbright for science fiction. Subscribers could pick a full box with a book and themed merchandise, or a book only option. The site lists starting prices of £22 per month for the Illumicrate and Afterlight boxes and £22 per quarter for Evernight. Monthly boxes usually shipped at the end of their month, and the company says it ships worldwide. Existing customers could skip a month from their account, but not their first month. The online shop still sells bookish items and exclusive editions from earlier boxes as one off purchases, including a Terry Pratchett collection. The site does not say when or if subscriptions will reopen, so check the website for the current situation before planning around this service.