If you’re a big reader (and I’m assuming you are since you’re reading this blog!) then you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program and book subscriptions such as Book of the Month and Litjoy Crate.
A big question I hear from many readers when it comes to these programs is if they are worth the money or not. It’s a good question, considering that KU currently runs at just under $10 a month and a typical book subscription box can run anywhere from $15-60 depending on the subscription type.
So here’s what I think:
Kindle Unlimited: Worth it, but with caveats
With KU, you get to read up to 20 ebook titles at a time for free. It can be a pretty sweet deal since many authors throw their books into the program. That said, you’re not likely to find a ton of new releases in the program. It’s also really only worth it if you’re a voracious reader and you cover at least 3-4 books a month. Your typical Amazon ebook will run about $3-6 so to make the price worth it, you’d need to read a few books at minimum.
Book of the Month Club: Worth it if you’re not picky
BOTM’s gimmick is that they pick 5-7 books every month that members can choose from. One book a month runs about $15-17 and you can add on more books if you want for similar prices. It’s not a bad price per se, considering it’s similar to what you would pay for a new release in-store or maybe slightly discounted. My issue with BOTM, and why I unsubscribed, is that you aren’t guaranteed to like any of the choices. You can skip a month without paying but I’d personally just rather buy books directly that I 1000% want to read.
Book boxes such as LitJoy Crate, OwlCrate: Save your money
I love a box of goodies as much as any person and for that reason, I was an enthusiastic member of OwlCrate for months. Unfortunately, they are not cheap, and many of them want you to pay for several months’ worth at a time (think quarterly or semi-annually.) In addition, a lot of these boxes include special items that revolve around a central theme for the month’s book. Sounds cool and it can be cool, but the problem is that not every item is going to be a winner.
With Owlcrate, I sometimes got candles that smelled awful to me, or really cheaply made jewelry. I didn’t really like getting items that were useless to me and it made the overall cost of the box not worth it.
Have you tried any of these subscriptions before? What do you think?
Cailin Riley 
I do BOTM, but I tend to be interested in at least one book most months or I just skip here and there. It’s cheaper than hardbacks in stores and the add-ons are a lot cheaper for hardbacks. However, I don’t like most book boxes because I tend to not need/want the extra items and it becomes a waste of money.
Lauren @ http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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