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 six main selections and five add-on.
Main Picks | Add-Ons | Predictions | My Choices
Main Picks
Wellness
Nathan Hill
Health fads and dysfunctional families and love potions, oh my! Break out your thinking cap for this novel of ideas.
Literary Fiction
When I’m Dead
Hannah Morrissey
When their daughter abruptly goes missing, a medical examiner and cop realize their family’s karmic debt may be due.
Thriller | Early Release
Starling House
Alix E. Harrow
Things get extra spooky at a Southern Gothic mansion after it welcomes a new resident who attracts malevolent forces.
Gothic Fiction | Repeat Author
The Leftover Woman
Jean Kwok
The lives of two very different women collide in unexpected ways through their shared deep emotional bond with a child.
Contemporary Fiction
The Unsettled
Ayana Mathis
After hitting turbulent times, a mother fights for a better future for her son in this lyrical, gutting family drama.
Literary Fiction
The Unmaking of June Farrow
Adrienne Young
Determined to break a generational curse, June Farrow ventures through a shimmering door into mystery and romance.
Fantasy | Repeat Author
Add Ons
The Fragile Threads of Power
V.E. Schwab
From the beloved author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, a new epic fantasy about power, responsibility, and fate.
Fantasy | Repeat Author
My Darling Girl
Jennifer McMahon
During a fateful holiday season, eerie events begin to plague a Vermont family after their dying matriarch moves in.
Thriller
Stars in Your Eyes
Karen Callender
In this charming adult debut, two Hollywood hunks must pull off their greatest acting fear yet: fake dating each other.
Romance
How to Say Babylon
Saifya Sinclair
A gifted poet reveals how books helped her find a voice in a patriarchal Rastafarian household that sought her silence.
Memoir
What We Kept to Ourselves
Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Follow one Korean-American family moving between ‘70s and ‘90s LA as they grapple with the meaning of home and dreams.
Historical Fiction | Repeat Author
Predictions & Thoughts
There are six main and five add-on Book of the Month (BOTM) selections for October, including absolutely no debuts (yet again) and four books by repeat authors. The remaining books are by authors big and small. Both Wellness and The Unsettled are September releases.
I predicted 9 out of 11 books correctly in my October predictions. I did not think When I’m Dead would be a selection since it is technically the third book in a a mystery universe. I also did not have Karen Callender’s new book on my radar. It is suggested for fans of Casey McQuiston, who is a previous BOTM author twice over.
I continue to be disappointed by the lack of debut novels BOTM is featuring this year, but I am happy to see some more diversity this month across genres and among the books’ authors.
I am hoping that Let Us Descend will be a November pick since it publishes at the end of this month and is not included among October’s.
My Choices
I am so happy to see a third nonfiction pick in as many months! You can bet I added it to my box.
Let me start with what I will not be choosing. I read Adrienne Young’s last novel, which was a BOTM pick. It was fine but did not do much for me, so I will be passing The Unmaking of June Farrow. Similarly, I was not impressed with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and will be skipping The Fragile Threads of Power. I have heard good things about The Leftover Woman; however, stories about mothers do not generally interest me. I am going to wait on Stars in Your Eyes until I hear something about it. Similarly, I am going to wait on My Darling Girl as I still need to read Jennifer McMahon’s previous release.
As for the rest, I will likely order them all, although I am debating whether to get Starling House. Wellness is super long but is an Oprah pick and a September release. I am going to give it a shot, but I will likely not read it for awhile due to its length.
I have Hannah Morrissey’s first two books, so I will go ahead and get While I’m Dead. I started the first book at one time and did not finish it because I was not in the right headspace. However, I have a few friends that love her books which I am going to trust.
The Unsettled sounds like an intriguing premise, and I like to grab books by BIPOC authors when BOTM has them. I will also be buying What They Kept to Themselves.
What books did you choose for your October BOTM selections? Let me know in the comments!
