Rare Birds: The Book Club With A Difference

When it comes to reading I will literally give any genre a go and always ensure I finish even those that turn out not to be my cup of tea. This however means that I often find it hard to choose my next read as I usually have so many recommendations as well as my ever growing, often teetering, ‘to read’ stack. Sometimes I think it would be amazing to have my very own PA to pick my next book giving me that wonderful element of surprise too. To my delight I recently discovered the Rare Birds Book Club, a company that offer to do just that. What I learnt was that Rare Birds is a subscription service with a twist!

Founded in October 2017 by Rachel Wood, an avid reader herself, Rare Birds is based in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Not only does the service surprise their subscribers with a handpicked, secretly guarded monthly title, but also offers them the opportunity to participate in their online digital Book Club. Rare Birds champion female authors so all their picks are written by women and feature a female protagonist. Their aim is to provide subscribers with books they may not have heard of or may not necessarily have chosen for themselves – I love this, some of my best reads have been those that have been passed on from friends or family that I would never in a million years have considered.

I have always harboured the wish to join a local book club as the idea of reading and discussing the same title with like minded people really appeals. However, for me personally there are a couple of reasons why I have never acted upon this. Firstly, is that life is just so busy, especially now having three children who need to be chauffeured around etc. I feel I would find it difficult to commit regularly or be able to keep up with the reading required. Secondly, as a long-term anxiety sufferer attending a traditional book club would take me well and truly out of my comfort zone and I’m not quite ready for that yet. Rare Birds offers a real solution, there is no rush to finish the book, you can read at your own pace and once completed log onto their members area forum and join in the discussions with other subscribers.

Rachel very kindly sent me January’s surprise pick and gave me access to the member’s area to allow me to experience what Rare Birds have to offer. The parcel I received was conveniently letterbox sized, meaning there was no need to be in when it arrived. The book itself was beautifully packaged prolonging the suspense over which title I had received – it was all rather exciting! Also included in my package were details of my online log in and information about the subscription, along with a wonderful information card about the book I received. The novel I was sent was The Wild Air by Rebecca Mascull – review to follow soon! On the members forum each book is reviewed in fantastic detail by Rachel – however be aware there may be spoilers so ensure you finish the book before having a read!

Subscription to the Rare Birds Book Club costs £10 monthly and can be paid on a monthly rolling basis or be prepaid in advance for 3,6 or 12 months. There is also the option to buy a subscription as a gift, receiving a voucher either digitally or by post. I feel that the price is fantastic value for money. The book I received has an RRP of £8.99, add to that the cost of the delivery and already your way over the £10 subscription fee. Plus of course you have the bonus of members only access to the friendly, inclusive online book club community. Each month there is also an additional surprise, sometimes a little something extra inside you parcel or a giveaway exclusively for subscribers.

If your looking for to treat yourself or a book lover you know I think the Rare Birds Book Club is perfect! As someone with a real passion for books it doesn’t get much better for me than a monthly surprise novel delivered to my door with the online forum being a fantastic added extra which only enhances my reading enjoyment.

To find out more about the Rare Birds Book Club you can visit their website or find them on Twitter.