Ten Years of LitJoy: Looking Back, Turning the Page Forward

Dear Reader,

Ten years.

Even writing those words feels surreal.

A decade ago, LitJoy wasn’t a company. It was an idea shared between two readers who wanted stories to last longer than the final page. It lived in book club nights, lengthy text messages to one another, and enthusiastic conversations about fictional characters who felt just as real as anyone we knew.

When we first dreamed up LitJoy, we thought we were creating a book subscription box–a fun way to share the stories we loved with other readers. Looking back now, we realize we were building something much deeper than that. We were building a place where readers could feel seen.

We started with a big idea, $1,000, a lot of late nights, and the belief that stories mattered enough to build something around them. In those early days, we packed boxes during nap time or with toddlers crawling around the kitchen. We answered emails late into the night. We were trying to alchemize our love of books into something real. 

And then you showed up.

What began as a small group of readers quickly grew into something extraordinary: a community of people who care deeply about stories, imagination, and the magic of a beautifully made book.

Reading often begins as a solitary act. You open a book and disappear into a new world. But through LitJoy, we discovered something we hadn’t fully expected: The story doesn’t end when you reach the last page. That’s when the conversation begins!

Readers share theories. Shelves become personal libraries filled with meaning. Stories weave themselves into our lives. Characters linger in our hearts long after the book is closed. Somewhere along the way, LitJoy became what our original book club always hoped to be, a place where readers could gather, connect, and celebrate the stories that shape us.

And in so many ways, you began shaping us, too.

There have been countless moments over the past ten years where you made us feel seen: messages about reading alongside your children, photos of carefully curated bookshelves, stories of boxes arriving during difficult weeks and bringing a small moment of joy.

Those moments remind us that what we’re building together is bigger than books. It is belonging.

Over the past decade, LitJoy has grown and evolved alongside this community. What began as a monthly box has grown into special editions, collectibles, and collaborations with the authors whose stories inspire us.

But through every season of growth and refinement, the heart of LitJoy has remained the same.

We are readers first.

Everything we create still begins with the same quiet question: Would this make a reader feel something?

Because stories matter.

They remind us we are not alone.

They help us imagine new worlds.

They give us courage, comfort, and connection.

Ten years ago, we hoped LitJoy might work.

Today, we are grateful that it has endured.

As we reflect on the past decade, we find ourselves thinking not just about the books we’ve made, but about the lives that have unfolded alongside them, the readers who have grown up with LitJoy, the friendships formed in this community, and the shared love of stories that continues to bring people together.

And while we’ve spent time reflecting on the past, we’ve also been quietly dreaming about the future.

About reading that is slower and more intentional.

About creating space for stories to linger in our lives a little longer.

About honoring the rituals and small moments that make reading feel magical.

Because stories don’t just live on our shelves.

They live in the way we gather, reflect, imagine, and connect.

As we step into the next chapter of LitJoy, one thing remains as true today as it was ten years ago: we are simply readers who want to share our love of stories with other readers.

Thank you for reading with us.

Thank you for walking this journey with us.

Thank you for believing in stories and in the magic they carry.

And thank you for helping us build a place where readers feel seen.

The next chapter is just beginning, and we can’t wait to keep turning the pages together.

With love and gratitude,

Kelly & Alix