Book advent calendars have exploded in popularity over the past few years. They promise 24 or 25 days of literary surprises: books, bookmarks, candles, teas, and various bookish merchandise culminating in Christmas.

They’re also expensive, often costing what you’d pay for 10-12 books purchased individually. Are they worth it, or are they just Instagram-friendly marketing to people who identify strongly as readers?

What You Actually Get

Most book advent calendars include a mix of physical books and book-adjacent items. A typical calendar might contain 3-5 actual books (usually paperbacks), bookmarks, art prints, candles, tea samples, reading socks, and other items marketed to book lovers.

The books are usually from small presses or indie authors. This is partly about keeping costs manageable and partly about discovery. You’re unlikely to get bestsellers everyone already owns.

The quality of non-book items varies enormously between calendar brands. Some include genuinely nice candles and well-designed merchandise. Others fill space with cheap items that feel like afterthoughts.

The Cost Calculation

A book advent calendar typically costs between $200-400 AUD depending on brand and shipping. That’s significant money.

Breaking down the value: if you get 4 books worth $20 each, that’s $80 in books. The remaining $120-320 covers the other items plus packaging, curation, and profit margin.

Whether that’s worthwhile depends entirely on how you value the non-book items and the experience of daily surprises. If you love bookish merchandise and the calendar delivers your aesthetic, it might justify the cost. If you mainly want books, you’d do better buying them individually.

The Surprise Factor

Part of what you’re paying for is surprise and anticipation. Opening a new door daily and discovering what’s inside creates a ritual around reading and book culture.

For some people, this ritual has genuine value. It makes December feel special and builds excitement around books. The experience matters as much as the items themselves.

For others, surprise is less appealing than choosing exactly what you want. These readers would rather spend the same money on books they’ve specifically selected.

Quality Control Issues

Because you can’t see what’s included until you’re opening daily doors, quality control is difficult to verify beforehand. You’re trusting the calendar creator’s taste and curation standards.

Some calendars are curated thoughtfully with items that genuinely work together thematically. Others feel like random assemblages of whatever the creator could source cheaply.

Reading reviews from previous years helps gauge quality, but calendars change annually. Last year’s excellent curation doesn’t guarantee this year’s.

The Small Press Advantage

The strongest argument for book advent calendars is the small press and indie author exposure they provide. These calendars introduce you to books and writers you might never otherwise encounter.

If you value literary discovery and want to support small publishers, calendars can be effective vehicles for that. You’re essentially paying for curated discovery of emerging voices and niche publishers.

This only works if the curation is good. Bad curation just means you’re stuck with books you don’t want and won’t read.

Alternatives to Consider

Instead of a pre-made advent calendar, you could create your own. Buy 12 books you actually want, wrap them, and open one every other day in December. Add bookmarks or other items you genuinely like.

This costs less and ensures you get books you’ll actually read. You lose the surprise element but gain control and value.

Some bookshops offer build-your-own advent calendars where you select items and they package them. This splits the difference between complete surprise and complete control.

The Environmental Question

Book advent calendars generate substantial packaging waste. Each item is individually wrapped or separated, all inside a larger box that’s often not recyclable due to mixed materials.

If environmental impact concerns you, this is a mark against pre-made calendars. The waste-to-value ratio is poor compared to buying books individually.

Some calendar makers have moved toward more sustainable packaging, but it remains an issue across the industry.

Who Should Buy Them

Book advent calendars work best for people who:

• Genuinely love bookish merchandise beyond just books
• Have disposable income and view this as holiday entertainment rather than pure reading investment
• Value surprise and ritual
• Want to support small presses and are willing to take chances on unknown books
• Collect book-related items and appreciate curated discovery

Who Should Skip Them

Avoid book advent calendars if you:

• Primarily want books and would rather choose them yourself
• Find most bookish merchandise impractical or unappealing
• Are on a tight book budget and need maximum reading value per dollar
• Dislike surprise and prefer knowing what you’re getting
• Already have strong preferences about what you read and don’t need curation

If You Do Buy One

Research thoroughly. Look at unboxing videos and reviews from previous years. Check the calendar maker’s reputation and prior customer experiences.

Order early. Popular calendars sell out, and international shipping times mean November orders might not arrive before December.

Manage expectations. You probably won’t love everything included. Accept that some items will miss your taste or needs. That’s inherent to surprise boxes.

Consider whether you want fiction, non-fiction, or mixed. Some calendars specialize while others include variety. Match to your reading preferences.

The Verdict

Book advent calendars aren’t inherently good or bad value. They’re right for some readers and wrong for others.

If you love the ritual, appreciate curation, and value bookish items beyond books themselves, a well-made calendar can be worth the investment. It provides 24 days of joy and discovery that cash-value calculations don’t fully capture.

If you’re primarily a practical reader who wants maximum books per dollar and prefers choosing what you read, skip the calendars. Spend that money on books you’ve specifically selected and you’ll be happier.

The middle position is trying it once to see whether the experience justifies the cost for you personally. Treat it as an experiment rather than a commitment. You’ll know by December 25th whether to repeat next year.

Making Your Own

Creating a personalized book advent calendar is genuinely satisfying. Buy books throughout the year when you find good deals. Collect bookmarks, tea samples, and items you actually want.

In late November, wrap everything and number the packages. Open one daily through December. You get the ritual and surprise (you’ll forget what you wrapped) at a fraction of the cost.

This approach also lets you include books you’re genuinely excited about rather than taking chances on unknown titles.

Book advent calendars represent the commercialization of book culture, but they can also create genuine joy and discovery. Whether they’re worth it depends entirely on what you value and what brings you pleasure in your reading life. Choose accordingly.