Amberlight Valley Favorites: Once Upon a Book Club
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Interactive Reading Magic for Cozy Souls
There are few things I love more than sinking into a story with intention, the blanket pulled up, the tea steaming, the world outside soft and quiet while the pages unfold. For as long as I can remember, I’ve never just read a book… I’ve entered it. The difference, I think, is ritual.
There’s a quiet magic that happens when you treat reading as more than something to do while waiting in line or scrolling before bed. When you give it time, space, and atmosphere, reading transforms into a doorway… one that asks you to slow down, breathe deeply, and let yourself be carried away.
Of course, not every day allows for candles and playlists and cozy corners. Life gets full and messy. But whenever I can, I try to return to the practice I call The Ritual of Reading, to make the experience feel less like a quick distraction and more like a small ceremony of presence.
If you want to create a cozy reading ritual of your own, here’s how I do it: The Ritual of Reading: How to Create a Cozy Reading Experience
Which brings me to one of my absolute favorite bookish delights…
Why I Love Once Upon a Book Club
There are book boxes… and then there is Once Upon a Book Club, where the magic leaps right out of the pages and lands in your hands. It’s immersive. It’s whimsical. It feels like story alchemy.
What makes OUABC special is the way the team collaborates with authors to transform story elements into real-life treasures… a scarf from the book, a journal the character uses, a symbolic item wrapped in mystery until the exact moment you reach that page. It’s like the story whispering, Here… this is for you.
Depending on the box you choose: holiday, romance, fantasy, young adult, or special editions for kids and tweens… the emotional experience shifts. But every single box shares the same spark of wonder: the moment a fictional world becomes tangible.
One of my greatest joys as an author was seeing young readers open the OUABC edition of The Christmas Witch. They were thrilled not only because of the beautiful packaging, but because the story gifts felt real to them. And here’s a fun secret… All of the items included in the OUABC special edition of The Christmas Witch appear in the film. I wanted the worlds to connect, for readers to feel that what they held in their hands mattered to the story itself.
The Magic of Unboxing
Opening an OUABC box feels like unwrapping a story in layers.
The first thing I always notice? The box itself. They design the exterior to look like a giant book and seeing one sitting on my porch makes me light up every single time.
Inside each box are gifts wrapped and labeled with page numbers. Despite my desire to peek… I wait until the exact moment, unwrap the gift, admire it, and then go back to the sentence that called it forward. For a moment, it feels like I’m inside the story, like I’m part of the scene.
Some of my favorites?
A glass cutting board (still used daily!)
The pink teacup from The Spellshop
And from The Christmas Witch: Brigid’s journal and Cerridwen’s scarf, two items that mean so much to my heart and my story world.
And honestly? Sometimes it feels like I’m on a quest… gathering magical items I might need to face the big boss at the end. It’s part treasure hunt, part cozy ceremony, part pure joy.
A Story Experience Like No Other
When I heard Once Upon a Book Club was releasing a new box, I perked right up! OUABC Lite is a little enchantment for readers who crave immersion without the full unboxing experience.
The new OUABC Lite box! Get 10% off any Once Upon a Book Club order with code Dalea10
OUABC Lite is a book-only box with interactive envelopes tied to page numbers, each filled with sensory, story-inspired paper treasures like mini art prints, stickers, bookmarks, or QR-coded surprises. Once you’ve opened them, everything tucks neatly back inside the hardcover, turning your finished book into a keepsake you can revisit anytime.
One of my favorite parts? It’s not a subscription, and book selection genres range from historical fiction and thrillers to fantasy and sci-fi. Each box also includes a themed quote print and collectible sticker, plus access to online discussion groups on Facebook and, starting in 2026, StoryGraph.
If you’re a reader who loves immersion, ritual, and a touch of whimsy, Once Upon a Book Club is such a beautiful way to deepen that connection.
It turns reading into an adventure.
It turns moments into memories.
It turns stories into something you can touch.
From one bookworm to another, trust me, you’ll love it.
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