Gift Cozy Corner Books

In the age of digital screens, the feel and smell of a real book can evoke a sense of nostalgia that tempts us to lose ourselves in the pages. 

Dawn Cramer, the creative force behind Cozy Corner Books, a small business with a shop inside downtown Akron’s Northside Marketplace, wants to introduce the smell of print pages to a whole new generation. More than making sales, it's her mission to encourage people to develop the passion for reading, one well-chosen story at a time.

The real question though, is, do you judge a book by its cover? 

If we’re all being honest with ourselves, the answer is most likely yes – at least a little bit. How many books have we all passed up in the library, bookstore, or kindle shop because the cover art didn’t catch our eye?

Cozy Corner Books has a solution that will allow you to introduce your mom, dad, or grad to a new book in their favorite genre without you or your giftee being influenced by the cover.

In fact, Cramer gave her shop the tagline “Home of Blind Date with a Book.”  

It’s just what it sounds like. 

You select a book without ever seeing the cover or knowing the title or author. The book has a small, limited teaser attached – think of it as the book’s Tinder profile.

Then, you unwrap it and delve into an unexpected read. 

Blind date with a book is a popular literary trend. Cramer found the idea on the internet and realized its potential right away. 

"That's so cool," she said. "Why not make something like that and put my own personal twist on it?" 

For Cramer, selecting the books for each bundle is a labor of love. She searches local bookshops and library sales, making sure that every book satisfies her high standards for both diversity of genre and quality. 

She carefully chooses books with at least a three-star rating on sites like Goodreads to ensure her consumers have a pleasurable reading experience.

Once she has the book in hand, Cramer creates a short teaser tag that gets attached to the brown kraft paper wrapped book. One such teaser:

Meet your date…

Mystery – paperback

Goodreads Rating: 3.35

·      A novel steeped in secrets and unspoken truths

·      Hard to put down

·      Two mothers, two sons, a trail going cold…

First line: “Colleen Mitchell’s world could be reduced to the two folded sheets of paper she held tight in her left hand.”

Another on a children’s book:

Diary Fiction

Age: 9-12

·      First book in a series

·      Great for those that are starting a new school

·      A cool book with humor boys will enjoy

But the books themselves are not the end of it. 

Cramer builds each bundle with unique touches and presents them in wacky packaging with adorable accompaniments like book worms – gummy worms with a custom label. Every little element, such as the notebooks, pens, and stickers, has been carefully chosen to add fun and excitement to the reading experience.

Among Cramer’s fundamental values is inclusion. She thinks that everyone should be able to access literature, regardless of reading inclinations or age. 

Because of this, Cozy Corner Book provides a "build your own bundle" option so that clients can customize their choices to suit their own preferences. Dawn makes sure there is something for everyone, offering everything from young adult novels and children's packs to the increasingly popular "spicy" romance genre.

Love the concept? 

Cozy Corner Book Boxes rely heavily on customer input. 

When happy clients find new favorites in their bundles, Cramer loves to hear from them. She doesn't, however, rest on her laurels. To keep her blind dates interesting and novel, she is always changing and improving them. 

When it comes to creating the bundles, Cramer is also dedicated to sustainability and environmental friendliness. She selects recyclable materials for her packaging, lessening her impact on the earth while bringing happiness to readers.

Cramer finds that making new relationships with other book lovers is the most fulfilling part of creating Cozy Corner Book Boxes. 

"Books just kinda feel like an escape in a lot of ways,” Cramer said. “…To be able to talk about books and reading has been a really fun experience.” 

Cozy Corner Books offers the ideal escape for moms, dads, and grads alike. No matter what genre they like, any bibliophile will get a kick out of going on a blind date with a great book bundle.

Or, if they really love books, consider a Cozy Corner Books Box subscription. Box subscriptions are a three-month commitment with books delivered to their door. One benefit of boxes, outside of a continuous source of reading fun, is that the purchaser saves 10% on the cost of the box.

You can build your own bundle or subscribe at https://www.cozycornerbookboxes.com or visit their shop at Northside Marketplace at 21 Furnace St. in downtown Akron. 

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