Booktok Box Advent Calendar Novels & Stories

Curiosity spread through the room as everyone gathered around. Daniel carefully opened the first box. Inside were dozens of children’s books. The second contained handwritten bookmarks decorated by students from every class that had participated during the reading week. One by one the volunteers lifted them from the box. “Thank you for reading with me.” “Please visit again.” “My favorite dragon was the grumpy one.” “Books are better when someone reads them out loud.” Emily held up a bookmark covered with bright yellow stars. “This one is beautiful.” Oliver pointed to another.

She'd have been in less of a state right now if it hadn't taken her two days to work up the courage to open it. She could still feel the way her heart rate quickened as she untied the brown craft string and gently tore at the seams of the paper. She recalled the confusion as she found herself staring at a shoebox for a pair of R.M. Williams Craftsman boots. Men's, size 10. "Peculiar...." she thought to herself as she lifted the lid of the box. Hidden under a few layers of tissue paper was a book she had never seen before. A lump formed in her throat as she inspected the cover—"Chance, Fate & Chocolate Cake: When Adventure Calls, Don't Hesitate. By Callum Buchanan." The author's name caused h

"No return address." The package is small, rectangular. Brown paper, twine tied in a clean knot. Deliberate wrapping, like someone took time. Ava perks up. Medication forgotten. "For me?" "Let's see." I pull the twine loose, peel back the paper. Inside: a hardcover book. ‘The Paper Bag Princess’ by Robert Munsch. The cover shows a girl in a paper bag facing down a dragon, crown askew, determination written across her illustrated face.

Emily's POV: As I lifted the lid of the box, I was taken aback by the beautiful silver necklace, adorned with a small crystal pendant that sparkled like a diamond. But that wasn't all - nestled beside the necklace lay a small, leather-bound book, its cover embossed with the title "You Are Beautiful" in elegant, cursive script. I felt a lump form in my throat as I picked up the book, running my fingers over the soft cover. "Ethan, this is...wow."

“Chocolates, all your favorites.” He passed me another box. “This is a subscription.” I took the box and opened it. “Book club?” Alex nodded. “I know how much you love to read so every month you’ll get your favorite book at your doorstep. No matter how old or how unique, you’ll get it.” I stared at his beautiful face. “That’s so considerate.” “Yes now all I need is a mug that says ‘Best boyfriend ever.’” “I already gave you a mouse pad that says that. Don’t get too cocky now.”

Mathias warns me to not open it. “Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Tawny flips the simple catch on the box and opens the lid. Inside is a single leather-bound book, about five or six inches thick, with pressed paper. The book was indeed old. I lift the book out, place it next to the box it came in and open the cover. “Well, that sucks,” Clicking her tongue and throwing her hands on her hips, Tawny says, “Are all the pages written in code?”

There is no mate bond, but having him close makes me feel more secure. “I can’t wait for you to see this.” He rubs his thumb on the top of my hand as he leads me to a store. It’s rare Bronx gets so excited about surprising me. We approach a bookstore with a dusty, old window display. In gold paint, there is a picture of a pan flute and a goat. The images are peeling and sundried as if they’ve been there forever. Over the pictures are the words ‘The Barded Goat Used & Collectible Books’.

Even when they bought all those, there were precisely four boxes that remained and needed to be unwrapped. The first box was a necklace. It was tiny and shiny with an intricate design. I bet it was Danika’s father who might have bought it. “Oh my, this is beautiful,” she exclaimed. “Look at these patterns.” Danika pointed at them. “This looks like a leaf pattern,” she said as she examined it, before stretching out her hand. “Here, help me fasten it on my neck.” After helping her, she took out another one. This box was flat, very flat, and I wondered about the kind of gift that could fit in there. She opened it, and a book was inside — blinking at us.

"It's Christmas?" "Yeah. Christmas morning." Grace looked at the box. "Is that...?" "For you. Yes." "Aiden, you didn't have to—" "I know. But I wanted to." He picked up the box and held it out. "Here." Grace took it slowly. The wrapping paper was simple. Green with a white ribbon. She sat down next to him and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a sketchbook. Black leather cover. Thick, cream-colored pages. High quality. Grace stared at it. "A sketchbook?"

His words about me begging for it flash through my mind, and I’m reminded of how wrong I really was. I hear shuffling around, and then he’s back in my view, holding a black box in his hand. He stands beside the bed and opens the box to reveal a delicate necklace. It looks like a chain of rubies with a small cluster of diamonds set along every inch. There’s a large diamond set in a buckle at the front, and the clasp at the rear looks to be almost sturdy. He takes the necklace out of the box and crawls onto the bed. Straddling me, he leans over and puts it around my neck, leaving the buckle lying against my throat. I feel the weight of it around my neck, and I hear a click as he stares into my