Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I am not receiving anything in exchange for writing this. I am just a mom and English teacher who loves books.
I am an avid reader. At any given time I have a book downloaded on my nook, a hard copy of a book, and an audiobook downloaded on my phone. Most of the time, I read books from the library. I’m not one to buy books for myself. But, with reading library books there’s a downside–those new releases have such a long waiting list. Or they aren’t even purchased by the library yet. Have you ever waited six months for a library book on a waiting list? I have.
Enter Book of the Month (BOTM)
A few of my bookish friends have had BOTM memberships for a while now. After borrowing several books from their subscriptions and stalking the BOTM Instagram page for months, I finally pulled the trigger. Well, I asked my husband for a subscription for Christmas (can you tell I hate spending money on myself?)
Here’s how it works:
- At the end of each month, the BOTM posts 5-7 choices with various genres in their app.
- You can preview each choice before you make your decision. The preview includes a quick summary, reviews from others who have already read it, a synopsis, and the first few pages of the book. Once you decide on your book, you add it to your cart and checkout using one of your book credits.
- There are options to add more than one book if you choose. You can also skip a month if you don’t care for the month’s choices or if you’re not quite ready to pick up another book.
- The book arrives at your door within the first week or so of the month.
Here’s why I love it:
- It introduces me to new books that I normally wouldn’t come across. I like making “To Read” lists, but sometimes my list on Goodreads is overwhelming (I’ve got over 50 books listed). Their 5-7 choices narrow down my options.
- There’s always a variety of books. One month I chose a romance book, another was a thriller, and this month I chose a sci-fi book. I read various genres, but even if you lean toward one genre, BOTM is pretty consistent with what they offer. In other words, you could probably choose a romance or thriller book each month.
- The books look pretty without their covers. I realize this makes me a nerd, but I like how the books look when you take the book jacket off. They have an old-school, classic vibe. I have piles of books everywhere in my house. My BOTM books have a special place in my living room. Since I’m going to keep up my BOTM membership, I’m already planning to get a bookshelf in my living room to display them.
In case you need further convincing, here are some of the Book of the Month choices from the last years:
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Clearly, they have a pretty good pulse on what’s going to be a good read. I read a lot, but I feel like reading one book a month is manageable for most people. Reading a book that most people will be talking about? Priceless.
