A Year of Books
The Ultimate Gift for Book Lovers
A book is a great gift. We’ve always believed that. In fact we shout it from the mountain-tops. But do you know what’s an even better gift? A whole year of great books, chosen to expand your horizons, delight your senses, tickle your funny bone, capture your imagination and leave you with a shelf full of memories, ideas and stories.
Buy one of our Year of Books subscriptions and each month the lucky recipient (FYI it’s totally acceptable to buy one for yourself) will receive a brand new book, chosen by our booksellers for its storytelling flair, its originality, its must-haveness or its unputdownability (those are both real bookselling terms).
Choose from the following packages:
£250
Our flagship fiction subscription package promises the latest and greatest in literary storytelling. Be the first to read the novels we think are destined to be nominated for the most prestigious fiction prizes, and discover those new voices you might otherwise have overlooked.
This is quality fiction that will stand the test of time, in beautifully published first editions, which will sit proudly on your bookshelf for years to come.
Take a look at a few of the books we've already chosen and sent out to our Hardback Fiction subscribers in 2019:
£250
The Fiction in Translation subscription lovingly selects the finest books that our buyers have seen from around the world. Over the course of a year, you will have a chance to enjoy the best writing from Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. We approach this series with a sense of discovery, setting out to unearthing hidden gems of dazzling literary quality. Many of the authors may be new to you, but by the end of the year we hope you will have found your new favourite writers and opened up a world of incredible fiction.
These are some of the books subscribers have already received in 2019:
£140
Our paperback fiction package offers readers a compelling and diverse overview of the best fiction writing of the year. Expect smart page-turners and a series of books that spans centuries and continents, a series that brings together comedy and tragedy and plenty in between. The one thing they’ll have in common? They’ll all be great reads, books we love for their unforgettable characters, their exquisite turns of phrase, their breathless pace or their joyful originality – or often all four. These are must-read books that will stay with you long after you read them.
Here are some of our choices that we've already sent to subscribers in 2019:
£250
Expand your mind with our selection of the very best of informative non-fiction. These are the books that represent the latest and most comprehensive thinking in their field – but always written (and selected) with a general reader in mind. We’ll choose from a wide pool of subject areas, across science, history, literary memoir, politics and psychology. By the end of the year you will have had access to some of the greatest minds of the day, and own a collection of books you’ll want to refer to again and again.
So far in 2019, these are some of the Hardback Non-Fiction choices sent to subscribers:
£135
Our Children’s Classics are precisely that – beautifully published editions of classic children’s novels through the ages. We’ve chosen books primarily for children aged 9-12, but this is also a perfect gift for younger children, leaving them with a perfectly formed library to treasure for a lifetime, and, we hope, a lifelong love of reading.
Subscribers have received these Classics in the first few months of 2019:
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£150
If you’re constantly surprised and fascinated by the world around you, a lover of true stories and real experiences, take an incredible journey with our non-fiction paperback subscription. Like the hardback package, these books are chosen for the general reader, picked out for their ability to take a subject you may know something or nothing about and open it up to you, in a way that leaves you feeling like you understand the world a little better by the end. You’ll meet memorable real life characters, and see the world from wholly new angles in this eye-opening and eclectic series of books.
Here are some of the books already sent out in 2019:
£135
We love picture books – for their clever storytelling, witty rhymes and, of course, their gorgeous illustrations. Each month we’ll pick our favourite new or recent picture book (which is a hard task given the quality and range available) to send to our junior book lovers – guaranteeing a year of magical bedtime stories. Picture books are perfect gifts for children aged 3-5, but are also books that children love to return to again and again, making this a gift that will stand the test of time.
These are some of our choices sent out in early 2019:
How it Works
When you purchase one of our A Year of Books subscriptions, you receive a presentation card to give to the person you’re buying it for. The card explains how to activate their subscription (it’s as simple as sending an email). Once their subscription is active, they’ll receive one book every month, carefully chosen and gift wrapped.
To purchase a subscription, buy online, email ayearofbooks@foyles.co.uk, call us on 0207 440 3273 or see one of our booksellers in any of our shops.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know to help you understand how the service works and decide if it’s right for you. If you have any questions that are not answered by these, please feel free to get in touch with the A Year of Books team at ayearofbooks@foyles.co.uk, who will be happy to help you.
A Year of Books Subscription Packages
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FAQs
- Can I tailor the book selection to the recipient’s/my reading preferences?
There isn’t currently the option to personalise the service. Each month our knowledgeable and experienced booksellers will be selecting the finest, most exciting titles, guaranteed to expand your horizons, delight your senses, tickle your funny bone and capture your imagination.
Full payment is taken up front when you purchase the subscription online, in store or over the phone.
- Can I purchase a subscription package online?
Yes, simply add the subscription package you'd like to buy to your basket and checkout as normal. Your presentation card will be sent to the address you enter in the Delivery Address at checkout.
- What happens if the subscriber has already read the book you sent?
We’re pretty sure that you’ll love the books we’ve chosen but, if our book choice is unsatisfactory or the subscriber has already read it, books in perfect unread condition can be exchanged by post or in store. Subscribers can make a maximum of three exchanges during the year. Postage for the return of books and the sending of replacements is at the subscriber’s expense.
- When can I start the subscription?
You can start the subscription at any time. It will run for 12 months from the date the recipient activates the subscription.
- Can I cancel the subscription and get a refund?
The minimum term for a subscription is 12 (twelve) months. There is no refund other than during the initial ‘cooling off’ period.
There is a 14 (fourteen) day ‘cooling off’ period after the receipt of the first book in which a subscription may be cancelled and a full refund given. In the event of a cancellation, please notify ayearofbooks@foyles.co.uk and return the first book to us in mint condition. The cost of the return is to be borne by the subscriber. On notice of cancellation and receipt of the book, a full refund will be made to the original cardholder.
- Is the service available worldwide?
Yes it is. International delivery is available for an extra £60 (which works out to just £5 per month) to Western Europe, and £100 (just over £8 per month) to the rest of the world. Please see our Delivery Help page for more information on online delivery charges.
- When in the month will I receive my book?
We will aim to deliver your book as close to publication date as possible, and we manage the service so that everyone should receive one book in each calendar month. If a new month begins and you have not received anything, please contact the A Year Of Books team on ayearofbooks@foyles.co.uk or call 0207 440 3273 during office hours.
- How does the subscriber activate the subscription?
Instructions for activation are on the Year of Books gift card and it couldn’t be easier. Simply email ayearofbooks@foyles.co.uk with your name and the name of the person who gave you the gift.
If you don’t have access to email, you can also activate your subscription by calling on 0207 440 3273. The number is manned during office hours but, if we are busy, please leave a message with your name and number and we will call you back.
- When will the first book arrive?
Once the recipient has activated the subscription, their first book will be included in the next scheduled despatch. The A Year Of Books team will confirm when to expect the first book at the point of activation.
To find out more or to purchase a subscription talk with a bookseller in any of our shops, call 0207 440 3273 or email ayearofbooks@foyles.co.uk.
Send someone you love on a reading odyssey today.