Book Box Unboxing: The Abominable Book Club (Nov box) #abominablebookclub

“The Abominable Book Club contains all the dark magic of a haunted bookshop, summoned directly to your doorstep!”

It’s time to unbox the second Abominable Book Club Box (and wow, am I late with this unboxing!) This box continues to build in excitement on Instagram, and deservedly so; you see, after the first box, the team asked for feedback/suggestions for future boxes, and it’s clear the team not only took on board some of the suggestions, but implemented them for this second box. I loved the first box, by the way, but the fact that the improvement in boxes is clearly evident shows a lot of promise for the future of this box. I’m thinking, finally there’s a UK-based box that I may just stay subscribed to for the foreseeable future!

The cost of this box is £19.99, and they ship internationally. Each month you’ll receive a featured book, a locally sourced luxury snack, a handful of hot drinks and a second-hand paperback.

So what was inside:

Like the last box, you’re immediately greeted by this bookmark spookmark, featuring micro-fiction written by one of the owners, Owen. After reading that, aren’t I glad I’m more of a shower person!

The locally sourced snack was Salted Caramel Shortbread by Shelly’s Shortbread. And as usual, a random assortment of tea and hot chocolate. I enjoy the tea, my son enjoys the hot chocolate, this box is family-friendly! Also, note the tea and hot chocolate was in the striped paper packet, sealed with a sticker, whereas last month it was loose in the box; a little change that has hugely improved the presentation!

An unexpected, but very welcome, addition to this box was a code for a free ebook. I hope this is something that will be reoccurring, if not every month then at least every now and again. While I love bookish items, snacks, and hot drinks, the main reason I subscribe is for the books, so the more books, the better! One of the great things about this box is all the horror books I’m discovering, like this ebook.

Greener Pastures by Michael Wehunt

In his striking debut collection, Greener Pastures, Michael Wehunt shows why he is a powerful new voice in horror and weird fiction.

From the round-robin, found-footage nightmare of “October Film Haunt: Under the House” to the jazz-soaked “The Devil Under the Maison Blue,” selected for both The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror and Year’s Best Weird Fiction, these beautifully crafted, emotionally resonant stories speak of the unknown encroaching upon the familiar, the inscrutable power of grief and desire, and the thinness between all our layers. Where nature rubs against small towns, in mountains and woods and bedrooms, here is strangeness seen through a poet’s eye.

They say there are always greener pastures. These stories consider the cost of that promise.

The feature book:

The Lingering by SJI Holiday

Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history

When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution…

At once an unnerving locked-room mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre.

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I knew this day would come, I just didn’t realise it would come so soon – I already own a copy of The Lingering. But, I have read and reviewed it, and I loved it, so it goes to show these guys chose a great book! Had this been the only book in the box, I would have been gutted, but I have the ebook, and the second-hand book, both of which I don’t already own. And from the hints dropped, on Instagram, about next months book, I’m willing to bet money that I don’t already own it!

The second-hand book:

I’ll never tire of this packaging, it’s the perfect way to wrap a horror book! So, what book did Brother Immanas choose for me this time….

Jericho Falls by Christopher Hyde

When a freak accident causes a truck to overturn in Jericho Falls, a lethal virus is unleashed, and only Sheriff Jack Slater and a handful of people with a strange immunity can stop it

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Ooo, I love a good pandemic novel, and the reviews on Amazon for this one are really good, so thank you Abominable Book Club for introducing me to another horror author! The edition I have was published in 1989 (I think, and that was a reprint), so this is old-school horror. King has shown me I really enjoyed older horror so I have high hopes for this novel!

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The Complete Box

If you like what you see, head over to the The Abominable Book Club website and subscribe now. I’m looking forward to next month’s box, and if you still need more convincing, I’ll be unboxing it on the blog too! As I’m so late to post this unboxing, I can confirm that December box was fantastic, and I have received this box three times now, and each box was better than the last!

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