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 three add-ons.
Main Picks | Add-Ons | Predictions | My Choices
Main Picks
The Stranger Upstairs
Lisa M. Matlin
Misleading omens and untrustworthy figures abound in this chilling tale about a couple who move into a murder house.
Thriller | Debut
The Intern
Michelle Campbell
This tense struggle between a crooked judge and her intern will amp your pulse and have you looking over your shoulder.
Legal Thriller | Early Release
You, Again
Kate Goldbeck
Let your faith in love be renewed by a commitment-phobe and hopeless romantic who go from enemies to friends to lovers.
Romance | Debut
Evil Eye
Etaf Rum
Forced to confront past traumas and tensions between community and individuality, a woman attempts a personal reset.
Contemporary Fiction | Repeat Author
The River We Remember
William Kent Krueger
A midwestern town descends into chaos after a shocking murder in this lyrical tale from the author of This Tender Land.
Historical Fiction | Repeat Author
Add Ons
Bright Young Woman
Jessica Knoll
In this piercing portrait of a bygone era, a vicious serial killer targeting young women strikes fear into a nation.
Crime Fiction
The Vaster Wilds
Lauren Groff
A young servant girl’s escape from a colonial settlement sparks this exploration of imagination, belief, and history.
Literary Fiction | Repeat Author
While You Were Out
Meg Kissinger
An equal parts moving and dark-humored evocation of mental illness and the ways it can root itself into a family tree.
Memoir
Predictions & Thoughts
There are five main and three add-on Book of the Month (BOTM) selections for September, including two debuts and three books by repeat authors.
I did not make any predictions for this month. While my spouse is home from the hospital now, I am busy caregiving and driving him to chemo and appointments. Because I had to get back to work, I try to preserve all my energy for the things I must do, and that simply does not include making BOTM predictions.
I knew for sure that Evil Eye and The River We Remember would be selections since previously books by those authors have been very popular BOTM choices (and amid my all-time favorites). Because I am a little detached from the book world right now, several of the selections were complete surprises in that I had not even heard about them! I was surprised to see BOTM select The Vaster Wilds since they have not featured a book by Lauren Groff since Fates and Furies (which I detested). But it is nice to see BOTM select a book that will surely make literary award lists. And I cannot believe we have been graced with another nonfiction selection (just after I had given up all hope on BOTM ever including nonfiction again)!
My Choices
I often say that selections by repeat authors disappoint me. However, I have no qualms this month. I am happy that BOTM subscribers who may not have been members in 2019, when Etaf Rum’s and William Kent Krueger’s previous books were selections, will become familiar with these two wonderful writers. I am lucky enough to already have a copy of The River We Remember from its publisher. But I will be adding Evil Eye to my box this month.
I seem to be running low on BOTM thrillers and mysteries, so I am happy to have a few to choose from this month. In fact, I added all three to my box! The Intern was a book I had not previously heard of, but I do enjoy legal thrillers and am hopeful this will be a strong selection. I have heard of the other two thrillers. I am hoping that The Stranger Upstairs will be better than Riley Sager’s Home Before Dark, which I found very disappointing. I have heard positive things so far about Bright Young Women and think Jessica Knoll has used an interesting concept.
In my recollection, it feels like there have been few BOTM romance selections this year. While it has been quite some time since I have seen When Harry Met Sally, I cannot resist a romance that takes place in New York. I already have the perfect picture in mind for posting a review of You, Again.
Despite my ill feelings about Fates and Furies, I want to give Lauren Groff another chance. I know her books in recent years have received much praise from the literary community. The synopsis piques my fancy, so I will give The Vaster Wilds a try.
Lastly, I would have added While You Were Out to my box regardless of its subject matter, simply because I want to put my money where my mouth is and show BOTM that there is a demand for nonfiction selections. Luckily, this book also hits close to home and sounds fascinating.
This may be the first month I have ever received all the book selections. Here goes nothing!
What books did you choose for your September BOTM selections? Let me know in the comments!
