Book of the Month is a subscription box in which members choose up to 5 hardcover books to receive each month.
You can sign up here to get your first book for $5.
This month, Book of the Month (BOTM) chose five main selections and six add-ons.
Main Picks | Add-Ons | Predictions | My Choices
Main Picks
The Wishing Game
Meg Shaffer
This moving, transportive story follows four bookish souls competing for a rare book from their favorite author.
Contemporary Fiction | Debut
Ink Blood Sister Scribe
Ema Torzs
In this epic adventure, two estranged sisters bear the weighty responsibility to protect their magical family library.
Fantasy | Debut
She Started It
Sian Gilbert
Revenge is a dish best served with champagne! And on this remote tropical island, it’s the only thing on the menu…
Thriller | Debut
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
Lisa See
A sumptuous tale about female friendship and leadership in 15th-century China, challenging women’s place in society.
Historical Fiction
Banyan Moon
Thao Thai
A dilapidated Florida mansion is more than a home in this multigenerational story of Vietnamese mothers and daughters.
Literary Fiction | Debut
Add Ons
The Fire-Star Weekend
Elin Hilderbrand
Feel sand between your toes and sun on your skin in this breezy treat from reigning Beach Read Queen Elin Hilderbrand.
Contemporary Fiction | Repeat Author
The Whispers
Ashley Audrain
A suburban neighborhood devolves into chaos (and recriminations) when a boy mysteriously falls out his bedroom window.
Contemporary Fiction | Repeat Author
The Spectacular
Fiona Davis
Dust off your dancing shoes, this glitz and glam Radio City Music Hall story is certain to put some pep in your step.
Historical Fiction | Repeat Author
My Murder
Katie Williams
Wife, mom, serial killer victim, clone. In this futuristic twist on domestic suspense, a woman tries to solve her own murder.
Literary Fiction
Mid-Month Add-Ons
Love, Theoretically
Ali Hazelwood
Physicist by day, fake girlfriend by night—life seems to be in stable orbit until a new colleague swoops in comet-like.
Romance | Repeat Author
The Only One Left
Riley Sager
From the King of Thrills and Chills, a new story with unexplained murders, a spooky cliff mansion, and lots of secrets.
Thriller | Repeat Author
Predictions & Thoughts
There are five main and six add-on Book of the Month (BOTM) selections for June, including four debut novels and five novels from repeat authors. Two of the June selections were May 30th releases – The Wishing Game and Ink Blood Sister Scribe. There were also two mid-month add-ons from popular repeat authors.
I predicted 11 out of 11 books correctly in my June predictions. Still, I was a little (pleasantly) surprised that the new S.A. Cosby book and Zero Days were not included in this month’s selections. But I am happy to see another month with four debut novels.
Even before the app spoilers were posted, I was sure that Ink Blood Sister Scribe would be a pick as well as The Wishing Game. They both just screamed BOTM to me.
She Started It seemed like the obvious debut thriller pick to me, although I also thought Don’t Forget the Girl had a chance.
I am delighted to see My Murder as a pick. I really waffled whether it would be or not. I like when BOTM mixes it up. I think it is going to be a super fun read.
I am a little curious if the The Whisper is in fact contemporary fiction, as BOTM has labeled it, or more along the likes of suspense. I am personally very excited to read it either way.
There were a few books that I thought had extremely high likelihoods to be selections, like Good Night, Irene and The Rachel Incident, that are not picks. Then again, there are only so many selection slots to work with, and we never know what goes on behind the scenes with publishers.
I did expect for there to be more literary and contemporary fiction books this month. I also fully expected a romance selection… and all I needed to do was wait a week or so until BOTM announced Love, Theoretically as an add-on. The additional email stating The Only One Left was also not a surprise by any means.
My Choices
Personally, I am happy with this month’s BOTM selections. It was easy to fill my box with 5 books! Yes, I love that new option!
Thanks to a kind publisher, I already have a copy of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women.
I was overjoyed this morning to see Banyan Moon among the picks. From its synopsis, it is reminiscent of some of my past BOTM favorites. And I am still in my Asian historical fiction era.
I love a book with women behaving badly, especially when it is a thriller. So, She Started It was an easy add to my box.
The Whispers was, without a doubt, the book I most hoped to see when the page loaded this morning. I could not add it to my box quick enough.
I think My Murder sounds like a very fun book and love when literary fiction crosses over into suspense and thriller territory. I have some fairly high expectations for this book.
Finally, I did end up adding The Spectacular as my fifth book. I have read Fiona Davis in the past. Her books are usually solid 4 star read for me, and I cannot resist a book about a New York landmark.
I am holding off on getting The Wishing Game and Ink Blood Sister Scribe. I am not big on fantasy and am not in the current mood to read either. Sometime down the line, I am buy them if I see a lot of great reviews from friends I trust.
If you read my June predictions, you know that I am not an Elin Hilderbrand fan and continue to be disappointed by BOTM’s relationship with her. I have no intention to read any of her books.
While I could have shipped a box with either or both of the later add-ons, neither particularly appealed to me. I have heard that Ali Hazelwood’s books following her debut have essentially been the same story. I also stopped reading Riley Sager a few books ago. But I am sure many people will be pleased to see these books.
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What books did you choose for your June BOTM selections? Let me know in the comments!
