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 6 main selections and 7 initial add-ons.
Main Picks | Add-Ons | Predictions | My Choices
Main Picks
The Names
Florence Knapp
A devastating and spellbinding story about all the paths we don’t go down – and the alternative futures they present.
Contemporary Fiction | Debut
The Bombshell
Darrow Farr
In this razor-sharp, provocative tale, a headstrong teen held for ransom is drawn into her captors’ revolutionary cause.
Literary Fiction | Debut | Early Release
The Man Made of Smoke
Alex North
A son follows in his father’s footsteps to unmask a serial killer in this eerie, spine-tingling thriller.
Thriller | 3peat Author
Silver Elite
Dani Francis
In a gripping dystopian future, a young woman with psychic powers goes undercover to fight an oppressive regime.
Fantasy | Debut
Home of the American Circus
Allison Larkin
After returning to her upstate hometown, a woman faces old lovers and estranged family – but is it too late for change?
Contemporary Fiction | Repeat Author
Alive Day
Karie Fugett
After a catastrophic injury sends her husband home from war, a young wife is left to deal with the consequences.
Memoir | Debut
Add Ons
Amalfi Coast
Sarah Penner
In a seaside town where an ancient curse reigns, two women must use strength, wit, and magic to put a stop to it.
Historical Fantasy | 3peat Author
The Love Haters
Katherine Center
Turns out it’s hard to hate on love when it’s your job to profile the hottest coast guard on this side of the Atlantic.
Romance | Repeat Author
Aftertaste
Daria Lavelle
Bon appetit! Take a bite out of this poignant, multi-flavored tale about a man who can serve meals to ghosts.
Magical Realism | Debut
I Regret Almost Everything
Keith McNally
The man who made NYC’s downtown food scene what it is recounts his hard-earned path through the culinary world.
Memoir
A Curse Carved in Bone
Danielle L. Jensen
A Fate Inked in Blood ended in betrayal – now, Freya must fight both destiny and desire in this explosive final chapter.
Fantasy | Repeat Author
My Friends
Fredrik Backman
Art really can change your life in this glorious, heart-wrenching summer novel about growing up and growing apart.
Contemporary Fiction | Repeat Author
Walk Like a Girl
Prabal Gurung
Walk in Prabal Gurung’s glitzy footsteps as he confronts the fashion world and empowers change on and off the catwalk.
Memoir
Predictions & Thoughts
There are six main and seven add-on Book of the Month (BOTM) selections for May, including five debuts and six books by repeat authors. Of these books, three are labeled as early releases, although all of these books will be released in May.
I have to say something about this early release creep. Amid yet again more price increases, BOTM has started to label any book published after mid-month an early release. In the past, a book was only labeled as an early release if it was published the next month, and then in the past year or two, BOTM started using the early release label if a book is published the last week of a month. I am annoyed by this to be honest. It is a monthly book box; therefore, a book is only an early release if it is published a month ahead of time. The people who wait weeks for their blue boxes to show up should be similarly outraged.
This month, I predicted six of the six main selections as well as five of the seven add-ons. I am surprised by that there are three memoir picks in one month, especially two written by men. It also seems strange that BOTM has chosen two culinary-world memoirs so close together.
Literary and contemporary fiction are again the primary genres with memoirs and fantasy following right behind. I do feel like BOTM catered to their members who like their tried and true authors this month, despite selecting a number of debuts.
Let’s talk about what books were not among the picks. There actually were not any books that I was surprised BOTM passed over. I thought it was unlikely that BOTM would have Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson. I did think that Manor of Dreams had a fair shot at being selected. I was personally hoping for a thriller other than Alex North’s newest, but I am not surprised that there was not. Essentially, BOTM delivered what I expected for May plus some additional “celebrity” memoirs.
My Choices
My choices this month were relatively easy to make. I was fortunate enough to have ARCs or gifted copies of The Love Haters, Silver Elite, and Alive Day. So that really narrowed down books to choose from.
Despite reading some middling reviews for The Names, I am intrigued by the premise and instantly added it to my box. I have been lacking good thrillers as of late and decided to bank on The Man Made of Smoke, although I was not a huge fan of The Whisper Man. Finally, I love the cover of The Bombshell and the fact it diverges from the type of story we see all too often.
In terms of add-ons, I decided to hold off on buying any. I am curious about Aftertaste, but I am going to wait until I read reviews prior to buying it. I have not been inspired to read beyond Sarah Penner’s debut novel, and I generally avoid celebrity memoirs. Plus, the culinary and fashion worlds are of no interest to me. I have read only one previous Backman book, despite having at least four more on my shelves. The verdict is still out on whether I like his writing or not, and I would like to not spend additional money on his books until I figure it out.
