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 four initial add-ons.
Main Picks | Add-Ons | Predictions | My Choices
Main Picks
Ready or Not
Cara Bastone
A surprise pregnancy forces a young Brooklynite to take stock of her life, uncovering a romance hiding in plain sight.
Romance
The Mayor of Maxwell Street
Avery Cunningham
A Black debutante working undercover as a journalist is thrust into prominence and danger in Prohibition-era Chicago.
Historical Fiction | Debut
The Resort
Sara Ochs
Welcome to the party! This remote Thai island might have dead bodies piling up but don’t fret. Here, have a drink.
Thriller | Debut
Heartless Hunter
Kristen Ciccarelli
Out: Cat and mouse. In: Witch and Witch Hunter. Welcome to a bloody world brimming with magic, romance, and intrigue.
Fantasy
The Women
Kristin Hannah
Tracing a coming-of-age and a nation gravely divided, an epic tribute to undersung female heroes of the Vietnam war.
Historical Fiction | 3peat Author
The Fox Wife
Yangsze Choo
Taking inspiration from Chinese folklore, this winter tale follows a fox seeking revenge in the dangerous world of men.
Historical Fantasy | Repeat Author
Add Ons
Good Material
Dolly Alderton
A stand-up comedian tries to find insight and humor in the disastrous end of his relationship with the woman he loves.
Literary Fiction
Neighbors and Other Stories
Diane Oliver
This newly discovered classic explores the intimate, everyday moments and horrors found in life under Jim Crow.
Short Stories | Debut
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard
Natasha Lester
All that glitters ain’t gold — beneath the glamour of fashion lies forces conspiring to corset women and their ambitions
Historical Fiction
Hard by a Great Forest
Leo Vardiashvili
Following bread crumbs left behind by his brother and father, a Georgian émigré tries to put his family back together.
Literary Fiction | Debut
Predictions & Thoughts
There are six main and four initial add-on Book of the Month (BOTM) selections for February, including four debuts and two books by repeat authors. The two early releases are both January releases. Later in the month, BOTM added two additional add-ons, one of which is a debut. BOTM has again dropped a number of books during the month. All four of the mid-month add-ons were included in my predictions.
I predicted 8 out of 10 books correctly in my February predictions. I did not include in my predictions, Neighbors and Other Stories and The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. To be honest, Neighbors and Other Stories was completely off my radar. It will be published by Grove Press, which is not a publisher that has worked with BOTM in the past. While Astrid Bricard seems like an obvious BOTM pick, I thought because the author is already established that BOTM would bypass it.
I think we all knew that The Women would be a BOTM pick since Kristin Hannah’s last few books were selections.
I was a little surprised by Dolly Alderton’s newest book, Good Material, being a pick. Originally, I did not have it among my predictions, but once I saw that Come & Get It would be an Aardvark pick, I swapped it out for Good Materials. Alderton is not a past BOTM author; however, she is quite popular.
The app hints pointed to Ready or Not, The Mayor of Maxwell Street, and Heartless Hunter as selections. I am curious to see how popular Ready or Not will be among BOTM subscribers with its unexpected pregnancy trope. I think this month will also be a test for BOTM whether romantasy sells among its subscribers. They may also be trying to boost sales and better compete with other boxes by including this very popular subgenre. I just hope people are prepared for them not to carry an entire series to its end.
I am excited to see The Fox Wife among this month’s books. I was not sure if BOTM would make Yangsze Choo a repeat author.
The Resort seems like a pretty obvious BOTM selection, but I am happy to see BOTM feature a debut novelist in the thriller genre. I do think there were a few more interesting thriller choices by debut novelist. However, I am not surprised by BOTM choosing to go with what they know is successful among their members.
With February being Black History Month, it is nice to see that BOTM featured a few Black authors. I, of course, would rather see books from Black authors every single month, but I know it was a compliant in the past that they had no books about Black stories during the month people thought they should.
Finally, let’s talk about the books that were not in the drop. I am a little sad not to see My Side of the River or another nonfiction selection. The same goes for The Book of Doors. It seems like an obvious BOTM pick from the synopsis, but it is always difficult to be certain without reading a book.
Note: I include mid-month add-ons as selections for the month in which they are posted online. So any books that were added in January prior to the February drop, I include in the January selections post.
My Choices
One of my goals for 2024 is to read books from my subscription boxes within 30 days. Since it has not been a full 30 days since I received last month’s books, I am still working on reading those. As a result, I will be waiting a few days until I order my books.
Personally, I am not super excited by this month’s books. I already have an ARC of The Women, so unless I absolutely love that book, I will not buy a finished copy. Similarly, I really want to read The Fox Wife. However, I think there is a decent possibility I will be sent a finished copy by the publisher.
I am not much of a fantasy reader nor do I enjoy the unexpected pregnancy trope. For now, I will be skipping Ready or Not and Heartless Hunter. I am a little curious about The Resort, but there are other thrillers I would like to read before picking it up.
I have never read a Dolly Alderton book, despite her popularity. I have at least one of her past books. I also instituted a rule this year, in an effort to reduce my shelves, that I must read an author’s books that I already have before buying another from them. Sadly, I am sticking by this and will later by Good Materials.
I just have not been in a historical fiction mood lately, and since I do not foresee that changing in the next month, I am going to pass on The Mayor of Maxwell Street and The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard.
It looks like I will be waiting to order my February box until later in the month. When I do, it will likely contain The Fox Wife, Hard by a Great Forest, Neighbors and Other Stories, and possibly Good Materials.
What books did you choose for your February BOTM selections? Let me know in the comments!
