Culture Carton Review September 2021: Anthony
Culture Carton is a men’s subscription box designed to make tasteful improvements in your daily life, from intellectual growth to self care. For September they’ve paired a contemporary novel with three outdoorsy items (‘tho indoorsy types will find them just as handy). *
* They kindly sent us this box for review.
Culture Carton is based in the US and offers three subscription options (all prices in USD):
Book Club — Get the handpicked book of the month from Culture Carton. Start building your library now with the best of classic and modern fiction. $16/month + free US shipping.
Standard — All the best men’s lifestyle items and a book every man should read delivered to your doorstep monthly. $45/month + shipping.
Essential — All the best lifestyle items, hand picked by the Culture Carton team, delivered monthly. $35/month + shipping.
Culture Carton also ships outside of the US. Shipping costs vary.
Each box includes a product card that describes the contents in brief, along with the retail value. I’ve quoted from it in italics below.
Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony
“Our book this month is Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony ($17). This modern classic will keep you hooked from page 1. This tells the parallel stories of two men whose lives have somehow intertwined. It will make a great addition to your bookshelf.”
Here’s the publisher’s description:
“A young congressman discovers a mysterious stuffed aardvark on his doorstep and sets out on a rip-roaring journey to find out what it means.
It’s early one morning on a hot day in August, and millennial congressman Alexander Paine Wilson (R), planning his first reelection campaign and in deep denial about his sexuality, receives a mysterious, over-sized FedEx delivery on his front stoop. Inside is a gigantic taxidermied aardvark.
This outrageous, edge-of-your-seat novel hurtles between contemporary Washington, DC, where Wilson tries to get rid of the unsightly beast before it destroys his career, and Victorian England — where we meet Titus Downing, the taxidermist who stuffed the aardvark, and Richard Ostlet, the naturalist who hunted her. Our present world, we begin to see, has been shaped in profound and disturbing ways by the secret that binds these men.”
If your guy’s bookshelves curve under the weight of novels by Kurt Vonnegut and Bret Easton Ellis then this political satire might be on the money. Kirkus Reviews called it “weirdly compelling and compellingly weird,”; The Guardian “an achingly funny farce,”; and Publishers Weekly “[an] idiosyncratic satire is full of wonders and warnings.”
Multitool by Tactica
“This month’s items are all about tasteful additions to our outdoor gear. First the M100 Multitool by Tactica ($40). This compact, lightweight, and design-forward multi-tool is the perfection addition to your everyday carry.”
A bottle opener, wrench, screwdriver, ruler (metric and imperial) and package opener all in one. I might have accidentally misplaced it. In my purse, LOL.
Skin-Repair Spray by BLDG Active
“Next, a revolutionary new wound and skin-repair spray by BLDG Active ($25). This simple to use, medical-grade spray is great for everyday use.”
This natural, non-toxic, sting-free spray is recommended for minor cuts, scrapes, rashes, insect bites, burns, sunburns and other minor skin irritations. We haven’t tried it, but it’s as effective and versatile as described then it sounds like a must, indoors and out.
Pocket Notebook from Word
“Finally, a high-quality pocket notebook from Word ($12). This pocket notebook will be a perfect place to keep track of your adventures, or to-do lists.”
Three pocket notebooks any list-maker will love. I might make off with one of these too.
It’s next to impossible to curate a box that’s one-size fits all but September’s Culture Carton comes pretty close with a mix of practical and versatile items useful for myriad purposes and a novel that sounds perfect for fans of political satire. This one is valued at $94.
What do you think of September’s Culture Carton? Is there a guy in your life who’d like it?
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