Cozy corner books

As a major bookworm and a big lover of physical books, I’m always aware of the impact my book-buying habits have, not only on my wallet, but also on the planet. That’s why when I saw Second Bloom books on Instagram, I knew I wanted to give them a go!

Second Bloom is a monthly book subscription box where you receive three pre-loved books, along with a few small, bookish goodies. I love the idea of giving gently used books a second chance as it’s better for the environment and helps combat the over-consumption culture we often see in the book world.

Although the books are pre-loved, they’re guaranteed to be of at least good quality, so you can rest easy knowing they’ll be clean, intact and not missing any pages.

Priced at £18.49 for a one-off box, or £15.99 a month if you wanted to choose a monthly subscription – there are two different options to choose from:

Romance box: Exactly what it says on the tin – three pre-loved romance books.

Multi-genre box: Three pre-loved books from a mix of genres.

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll know I love to read a little bit of everything, so the Multi-genre box felt like the perfect choice or me.

My subscription arrived in a lovely pink box, wrapped carefully in bubble-wrap and tissue to keep everything safe. The three books I received were:

Conversations with friends by Sally Rooney (contemporary fiction)

The hunting grounds by Charley Cox (thriller)

Infamous by Lex Croucher (romance)

The contents are a mystery, which I enjoy as it’s a great way of trying new books that I might not have read before. That said, I had already read Infamous – so that one will go in my book swap / charity shop pile.

The bookish extras in this month’s box were a bookmark, a coaster (perfect for the million cups of tea I drink daily), a keyring, a cute quote card and some book review sheets.

I’m really pleased with my first box. I think it’s great value as you get three books, plus some lovely extras for £15.99, not more than I’d pay for the price of one new book! I also love that by subscribing I’m supporting a small business.

I’d definitely recommend giving them a go if you’re looking for a more sustainable way to grow your TBR.

If you want to check out Second Bloom, you can take a look at their Instagram account here.