So Obsessed With: Book of the Month

So Obsessed With: Book of the Month

• May 22, 2019

Have you heard about Book of the Month? It's a book subscription service, and I finally caved and signed up in April. But... it wasn't my first time using it! So, I thought I'd write a little bit about what it is, why I previously canceled it, and why I signed back up. And at the bottom, I'm reviewing four recent BOTM reads!

But first, in case you've never heard of it, here's how it works. Each month, a team of BOTM judges select five of their favorite new releases. You pay $14.99 per month for one credit, and you use that credit on the book of your choice. Shipping is always free, and you can add up to two additional books to your box for $9.99 each. If you don't like that month's selections, just skip the month. You'll keep your credit and can use it for add-ons to future boxes. The books are from a wide variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction. Here's their FAQ page for more info.

At the beginning of the month, you can sign in to see the five choices. You'll see the cover, title, genre, a short description, and whether or not it's a repeat BOTM author. From there, you can click on a book to learn more.

Here's an example using one of April's selections, Miracle Creek by Angie Kim. You can see the same general information about it, and I personally love the "Good to know" section. Some other icons you might see include: 400+ pages, Emotional, Literary, Quirky, Non-linear timeline, etc. Basically, this info can help you decide if a book is right for you! Below this section, the judge who selected the book will write about why they chose it. This review can be a deciding factor, as can noting the judge who chose it. In the same way that I prioritize recommendations from some readers over others, I can learn whose taste in books most closely aligns with mine.

There's also an extensive list of books that you can add on to your book. You can choose past month's selections, additional books from that specific month, or "extra" books that BOTM has made available. You can sort these selections by months, genre, what's trending, members' most loved, and so on. It's pretty cool, and I've definitely taken advantage of the option to add-on books.

But why did I cancel in the first place? Well, I tried BOTM back in 2016, right after my son was born. They had a three-month special promotion for Mother's Day, so I signed up. It wasn't the best timing for a book subscription service. With a newborn, I was reading more sporadically and gravitating towards stories and authors that were familiar to me. BOTM often features books that weren't previously on my radar, and I struggled over what to pick. There's more information about each book on the website now, which I appreciate.

Back then, I wasn't impressed with the quality of the books I'd received. This is the biggest thing that's changed since 2016! The books are now a consistent size and almost always have the same branding (the BOTM logo at the top of the spine), which wasn't the case when I tried it. But one thing worth noting – if there's something special about the regular edition of a book (matte lamination, deckle edge pages, spot gloss, etc.), you don't find that on the BOTM edition. I assume i's to keep the books affordable and easy to mass produce. I totally get it, but that is the reason I won't buy the BOTM edition for certain books. I want those extra details!

Now, if you scroll back up the main image for my post (or this photo on my Instagram), you'll notice a pretty big stack of BOTM editions that I own. None of those are from my 2016 membership – they're all from thrifting! The more my stack grew, the more I wanted to sign back up for BOTM. I could tell the selection of books had improved. It seemed like a better blend of new-to-me and things I already wanted to read. Plus, let's be real, I was experiencing some FOMO. There are a lot of bookstagrammers with this subscription, and I was constantly seeing their boxes in my feed! When Kelly mentioned that she was interested in joining, too, I couldn't resist any longer.

Here's what I chose for my April box:

1. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – A book that I read and adored earlier this year! I already own two UK editions. But I had to have this one, too. Why stop at two when you could have a whole collection? 

2. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim – A courtroom drama that's been alllll over bookstagram recently. Sometimes I just can't resist the hype! I just finished this one a few days ago and absolutely loved it. Review coming soon!

3. Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson – An adult contemporary story about West Point, the military, and three female friends. I've read this one already and really enjoyed it! I'll post my review tomorrow.

I planned to end with reviews of four BOTM books that I recently read... but this post is already too long. So, I'll share those reviews tomorrow instead. If you're a member, I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments. And I'm happy to answer any questions, if you've got them. There was so much more I could have said!

Want try Book of the Month and get a free book?

Just use my referral link to sign up!

(I'll get a free book, too. So thank you, if you do.)