Who's better?

Once upon a Book Club vs Nowhere Bookshop

We've analyzed the best Book Clubs to help you find the right solution for your needs.

2025 Book Club Reviews

Here you can see how Once Upon a Book Club and Nowhere Bookshop match up head-to-head in a battle for the Best Book Clubs in 2025.

Winner

Once Upon a Book Club

  • Membership costs from $49 per month or up to $570 per year
  • 1 book per month
  • Staff chooses for you

Short Once Upon a Book Club provides a unique reading experience with a curated box containing a newly released book and 3-5 gifts, carefully timed to coincide with specific points in the story. While slightly pricier, ranging from $49 per month to $570 per year, subscribers appreciate the immersive journey and well-written book selections, making it a top pick for adult, young adult, and tween readers seeking a distinctive literary adventure.

Nowhere Bookshop

  • Membership costs from $20 to $27.50 per month
  • 1 book per month
  • 3 boxes to choose from

Nowhere Bookshop, founded by Jenny Lawson in San Antonio, Texas, offers a cozy spot for book lovers to enjoy new releases, author events, and themed book clubs with surprises each month. With adult clubs like Fantastic Strangelings and Happy Endings, plus a spooky option called Nightmares from Nowhere, there's something for every reader. However, the pricing, including a $10 enrollment fee and shipping costs, might deter some potential subscribers despite the positive reviews.

Looking for a fresh way to enjoy books? A book club subscription can make reading feel new again - whether you already tear through novels and want to broaden your tastes or you're hoping to fall back in love with the habit. You'll get more than monthly picks: community, conversation, and a bit of accountability that keeps the pages turning, and you might even stumble across hidden gems you'd never have chosen on your own.

Modern book clubs aren't what you might picture - not a single pick and an in-person chat. These days, virtual clubs work more like a wine subscription: you join the club and receive new books each month. Many also offer online discussions, author Q&As, or member forums to keep the community active and the conversation lively.

From mysteries and sci-fi to historical dramas and sweeping fantasy, book clubs span a huge range of genres, but that kind of choice can make it hard to know where to start. The right club cuts through the noise by curating picks and shipping them to your doorstep, saving you time while keeping a steady stream of books tailored to your interests. Over time, your feedback helps fine-tune the selections so each box feels more personal. You can stick with award-winning titles from renowned and emerging authors in your favorite genre, or step outside your comfort zone and try something new - either way, you'll always have something worth reading.

Skip the hunt through crowded bookstores or endless online catalogs - a book club subscription sends a curated selection straight to your door each month, turning reading into a welcome surprise. Many services let you choose how long you want to subscribe and make it easy to gift a membership to a fellow book lover. Along the way, you'll likely stumble on authors and genres you wouldn't have picked on your own, and some clubs even include notes or community discussions that enrich the experience. It's a simple way to share and savor the joy of reading.

Life moves quickly, so making space to relax and enjoy yourself is essential for balance. A book club subscription delivers hours of entertainment and sparks that monthly thrill of anticipation as you wait for the next picks to arrive. Along the way, you'll discover authors and genres you might never have tried - a small surprise that keeps reading fresh. Treat yourself or a loved one to the gift of literary exploration, and give a little structure to a habit that nourishes both leisure and personal growth. It's a simple, worthwhile investment that offers a satisfying escape from everyday demands.

Choosing the right book club is essential to a fulfilling and enjoyable reading experience. To help you navigate the variety of book clubs out there, here are some factors to consider:

To help you find the best book club for your reading journey, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the top options on the market. We hope our recommendations will help you discover the perfect book club subscription to enrich your reading experience. So, set aside your worries for a moment, find a cozy spot, maybe even light a scented candle, and immerse yourself in a captivating novel. Before you know it, hours may slip away unnoticed as you become engrossed in the journey of your next book!

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Book Club FAQ

How often is it delivered?
These Book Club subscriptions are delivered once a month. They usually ship out on the first or middle of the month. Different services offer different variations on how many months are in the subscription.
What is in the package?
This varies widely based on the service. Some offer just one book, while others might offer two. Some of the boxes are even themed and include unique handpicked gifts to match the book chosen.
Can I choose what book it is?
Usually the different services will have the book picked out in advance. A few offer a choice between several books. The range of books varies greatly. Sometimes a panel chooses the book, and one service even has you work with a special book buyer to find the right book for you.
Are Book Clubs a good gift?
Book Clubs are a great gift! If you already love to read then it gives you new options to read, and if you aren't into reading yet, it gives you the perfect opportunity to start! Having a book picked out and delivered to you once a month will keep your bookshelf fresh.
Is it expensive?
Different options have different costs. Some are as low as $9.99 a month while others might be $50. The main price disparity is in the box contents. Boxes that are just books will be cheaper, while ones with goodies are going to cost more.
Is it a subscription or one time gift?
This is up to the service and you! Some services offer monthly subscriptions for a limited time, others offer month to month with the option to skip a month, and some offer one-time boxes. The only limit is your wallet!
What if I already have the book?
Luckily this isn't a common issue, most of the boxes try to send out new books or even special early releases, so the chance of you having it is slim. There are also options to choose a different book or skip that months delivery for some services. The subscriptions also announce what book they are sending before it sends so you can have some warning to not buy the book.
Is there variety?
There is a lot of variety! Some services offer themed subscriptions, so you can choose which genre of book to have sent each month. Some just offer several options every month to choose from, all different genres. Each service has its own way to keep it fresh, so make sure to find the best option for you!

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Why do people love to read?

While some people develop a love of reading early in childhood, others become increasingly interested in reading later in life. Regardless of whether you enjoy reading popular fiction, autobiographies, or other types of novels, one thing is certain. Reading offers a variety of benefits that you can fully enjoy each time you open up a new book. In fact, these are benefits that you can take full advantage of whether you are in the process of becoming an avid reader or updating your current library with new options. What can you expect when you sit down to read your next book?

The Relaxation of a Good Book

One of the top reasons why people have spent their free time immersed in the pages of a good book for centuries is relaxation. Whether you have been hard at work all day, you are traveling on a long trip or you are stressed for other reasons, sitting down to read a few pages or chapters is undeniably relaxing. The simple practice of reading involves sitting still and engaging in something beyond your immediate surroundings. By taking your mind off of the stressors that you are otherwise immersed in, you are given the chance to relax fully.

Many other pastimes actively engage you in physical activity for a relatively long period of time. Running, crafting and many other activities require a great deal of time spent doing the activity at one time. Reading, however, requires you to be alert, focused and still for any amount of time you have available. You can easily read a book in bed, on a hammock or anywhere else where you have a few free minutes to be still and to disengage from your current surroundings. There is no need to set aside an hour or two of your limited free time to read. Instead, you can read a few pages before bed, while dining alone at a restaurant or even as you sit in a waiting room.

The Ability to Learn New Things

Many people thoroughly enjoy reading on a regular basis because of the ability to learn new things. When you think about educational books, you may think about school textbooks, autobiographies and other non-fiction works. These types of books are rich with facts and can undoubtedly enlighten you in exciting ways. In fact, each time you open a good book, you may learn something new. This enables you to continue growing as a person even if you only have a few minutes each day to commit to the activity.

Keep in mind that non-fiction books are not your only source for education. For example, historical fiction books immerse you in an amazing story that is based on factual events. Whether the event is World War I, the founding of the American colonies or something else, you may be presented with actual historical facts. You can even learn new things by reading romance novels, fiction and more. For example, you can expand your vocabulary by reading regularly. Some books may teach you life lessons or even set the stage for a major paradigm shift. As a result, you may find that you become more worldly and well-rounded when you buy new books online from time to time.

The Entertainment of a Good Story

You can always immerse yourself in a good story by watching a movie, but you may discover that movies lack the rich detail that novels offer. Through a novel, the author can beautifully create an amazing scene that describes sights, sounds, and smells. The setting may be rounded off through a description of the weather, the main character's thoughts, or flashbacks and more. You can learn about backstories and side stories in the plot of a book more thoroughly than you could in a movie. In fact, if you read a book and later watch the movie version, you may find that the movie left out a lot of detail that really made the book so special and memorable. Keep in mind that most movies are between two to three hours long. With a book, the story is not over until the author has fully told it.

It may take you a week or two to get through a good book if you read daily. Throughout this period of time, you may find yourself waiting in anticipation to continue the story when you have time to read again. This anticipation can add to the excitement of the story. You may find your thoughts drifting back to the last few scenes that you read as you go about your day. As a result, reading offers a special entertainment experience that you cannot find on TV or in a movie theater.

An Escape From Reality

For many people, daily life is riddled with stressors. It is easy to dwell on those stressors when you are trying to relax at the end of a long day. After all, your mind will inevitably drift to the day's most critical events, activities and conversations. Even when you lay down to sleep, your mind may be racing as you think about what happened or what may happen tomorrow. When you read a good book, however, you are distracting your mind by immersing yourself in a new world. Your mind is no longer focused on your own life. More than that, after you put down the book, your mind will undoubtedly remain centered on what you have recently read.

In some cases, a book may be more intense and dramatic than a person's own life. By reading even a few pages of a book, you may regain a healthy perception of your own life and its issues. Reading may give you a fresh perspective of your own circumstances. This may even help you to find solutions for your own life. Regardless of the book that you have chosen to immerse yourself in, you will undoubtedly benefit from escaping from reality for even a few minutes each day.

An Expanded Worldview

It is easy to get stuck in a specific paradigm. After all, you experience your life in a way that nobody else experiences their lives. However, this can make it difficult for you to think outside of your box and see the bigger picture. When you read regularly, you will undoubtedly find yourself in new worlds and experiences that you otherwise may never have been able to enjoy. As a result, you are able to expand your worldview. By doing so, you may find that you are more empathetic and open-minded.

In addition to having your horizons broadened widely, reading can help you to experience new cultures, religions, and societies. Doing so can deepen your interest in others in real life. It can also open your eyes to the challenges and plights of other people. The paradigm shift that you enjoy by reading can expand with each new book.

There are millions of titles available for you to choose from across dozens of genres and sub-genres. This means that there are always new opportunities for you to learn, grow and be entertained by books. You can easily find great books by asking friends and family members for recommendations. In addition, you may find a suggestion list or even a best-seller list online. Some people find one author who they love, and they will read all of that author's books before moving on to another author. Regardless of the books that you are interested in, shopping for books online is both fast and easy.

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