Zoë Strauss, founder of Book Brigade (Photo by Jay Paul)
Zoë Strauss has a passion for reading. So when the pandemic caused her to take a step back from her job as an athletic trainer, she decided in late 2021 to move forward with an idea she had for a subscription-based reading box service, Book Brigade.
“One of the big parts with reading that I loved was sharing books with my friends and family, and then they would read it, and then we would talk about it,” Strauss says. “I loved that aspect of it because it brought people together.”
There are three box types: young adult fiction, adult fiction and adult nonfiction. Each box includes the book of the month, a custom postcard print and three to five items sourced from small businesses. The items included each month usually correspond with the book’s theme; Strauss has included teas from Carytown Teas, dried bouquets from local floral design business Moody Blooms and Illinois-based Novelly Yours candles.
The book included each month is a surprise until subscriptions are delivered, but Strauss reveals hints on her website. The literature will always be a different genre, it could be a hardcover or paperback version, and it may be a newer or older title. Subscriptions start at $39.99 monthly, and there are also three-month and six-month options.
Strauss also offers custom boxes, allowing customers to select their own book to include based on what’s left over from previous months. It’s a one-time purchase with no subscription required.
Strauss encourages sharing and will provide a shipping label to a customer who wants to send their book to someone else. If the customer would like to keep their book, they can request a copy to be mailed to a person of their choice. There’s no charge for this service, but it’s limited to four times during the year.
Strauss says she wants to build an in-person community with readings at local businesses that will be open to subscribers and nonsubscribers alike. She’d like to bring in authors and speakers for Q&A sessions and may even incorporate online gatherings since some subscribers live outside the Richmond area.
“I really just want to give [people] a way to get a different reading experience each month while also giving them a way to join a community of other people who are also reading similar books,” she says.
