Hi, everyone! I’m back with the previously promised ONE YEAR update on my thoughts as a new Book of the Month subscriber. My previous 3 Month post can be found here. It bears repeating that this is my personal experience with BoTM based on my reading preferences and purchasing decisions. Please use my thoughts as a jumping point or reference 🙂
Post is not affiliated or sponsored in any way. I just like books.
A quick recap: What is Book of the Month and How does it Work?
For those who haven’t heard of it, Book of the Month is a monthly subscription service. Subscribers pay a monthly fee of $15 for a ‘credit’ to use towards a book (or $13.99 if you pay for a year up front). The first month can be cheaper for new members if you use a rep’s code, typically ~$10. There are always five book options that change each month selected by their team in a mix of genres. Some are debut authors, some returning authors, and some are early releases available slightly before general public. They seem to always have a mystery/thriller available which is what I’ve been getting (in addition to some others you’ll see later on). Subscribers can choose to skip the month if nothing appeals to them, or you can be manic like me and not only use the $15 credit but add up to two additional books for $10 each 😅
More details on their page – https://www.bookofthemonth.com/how-it-works
12 Months of BoTM Reads
Alright here’s the juicy part of the post! 😉 Below is a table on how my Book of the Month experience has progressed over the last twelve months since joining late February 2021 through now.
| Month | Book | Genre | Verdict | Comments |
| 💘Feb | The Survivors by Jane Harper | Mystery / Thriller | 😐 | This was a pretty good mystery/thriller early release, slow build and set in a small beach town. Overall I liked but didn’t love this pick. |
| ☘️Mar | In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo | Contemp. Fiction | 😥 | Didn’t read |
| The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner | Historical Fantasy | 😥 | The Lost Apothecary is a debut historical fantasy, a genre I haven’t had much experience with. I’m glad I was able to give this one a try for reduced cost to buying in store, even if I didn’t end up liking it. | |
| Too Good to be True by Carola Lovering | Mystery / Thriller | 😍 | This one was really fantastic! My mystery/thriller pick for this second month panned out super well, and I’ll be keeping this to re-read in the future. A new favorite! | |
| 🌷Apr | The Hunting Wives by May Cobb | Mystery / Thriller | 😥 | My pick of the month’s five options, a thriller with an unlikeable narrator, murder, and some heat. Didn’t end up liking this one, but it is as advertised. Lots of alcohol, shooting, salacious nighttime activities, and murder. |
| The Push by Ashley Audrain | Mystery / Thriller | 😐 | Another creeping thriller pick I’ve seen a lot of other readers enjoying on blogs and booktube. The writing style is a bit different and took some getting used to (first person “you did X” format). I got really into this but the topic ended up being more disturbing than originally thought so I dropped it. If you’re a-ok with disturbed child books this would be a fantastic read, though! | |
| The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood | Contemp. Fiction | 😍 | This is the pick I’ve actually already read as an eARC on NetGalley but loved it so much I saw this and wanted to pick it up again. Excellent again on second read! | |
| 🌻May | The Maidens by Alex Michaelides | Thriller | 😐 | Pretty good; brings in an academic setting. I was surprised to find the MC dealing with recent grief was a huge component of the book. |
| 🌞June | <skipped this month> | —- | — | ——- massive TBR pile guilted me into skipping once lol –——- |
| 🏄July | 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard | Psych. Thriller | 😐 | Didn’t know how I’d feel about my first pandemic-centered read but it was pretty solid! |
| A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson | Legal Thriller | Still on my TBR… | ||
| The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides | Mystery / Thriller | 😍 | I can see why so many people are raving about this! Definitely my cup of tea. Even though I had an inkling how it was going to end, I enjoyed my team in the story! | |
| 🍁Aug | Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena | Mystery / Thriller | 😐 | Fun at the time but a little forgettable a few months on |
| The Martian by Andy Weir | Sci-Fi | 😍 | Did some sci-fi add-ons this month and so glad I did! The Martian was such a fun read! | |
| Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir | Sci-Fi | 😍 | Somehow this was even better than The Martian! | |
| 🌇Sep | Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney | Mystery / Thriller | 😍 | Atmospheric and tense, great read |
| 🎃Oct | Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart | Mystery / Thriller | 😍 | Solid read, went in a slightly different direction than I expected |
| Dark Matter by Blake Crouch | Sci-Fi | 😐 | Pretty good, kept me hooked but didnt really kick up until 2/3 through. Multiverse was fascinating, though | |
| The Ex Hex | Fantasy Romance | 😥 | Wasn’t for me | |
| 🦃Nov | Home Before Dark by Riley Sager | Mystery / Thriller | 😍 | Wow this was a neat read. Reminded me a bit of Turn of the Key |
| Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade | Fantasy | 😐 | Alright, not my favorite by Kel Kade but glad I gave it a try | |
| 🎄Dec | A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham | Mystery / Thriller | 😍 | Tense and fun! |
| Sourdough by Robin Sloan | Fantasy | 😍 | My sporadic add-on for the month to lighten up my recent reads; charming story! | |
| ❄️Jan | Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins | Mystery / Thriller | 😍 | Excellent read – island trip gone wrong! |
| 💘Feb | The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen | Mystery / Thriller | TBR!! |
My Thoughts
Overall since starting the subscription I’ve ordered a total of 24 books, skipping only one month.
Of the books I’ve finished there’s been 3 I didn’t like at all😥, 8 I enjoyed😐, and 11 I loved😍 (not including February’s pick which I’m still working on). That’s a pretty solid ratio and indicates they have books I’m generally drawn to. Of the ones I rated poorly many were a stretch outside my normal comfort zone. So not only did I overall find the BoTM picks interesting, I also felt the price bar was low enough to try new things.
I’ve also really enjoyed their custom reading challenges. 2021’s was 12 books read, 5 different genres, and 3 debut reads. This years’ has a fascinating ‘bonus’ challenge to be unlocked in addition to a refreshed initial three. So curious what it might be!
On whole I’ve enjoyed the service and will probably continue with it until the monthly options become uninteresting. Now that I’ve hit a year I also look forward to their “BFF Rewards,” which include a free birthday month add-on and end of year finalist freebee. (Yay free things~)
If you enjoyed this post and do decide to sign up for Book of the Month, please consider using my referral link. I get no monetary kickback, but I do get a free book credit if you decide to give it a try 🙂
https://www.mybotm.com/clge9n4avx5
Has anyone else tried or subscribed to Book of the Month? Let me know how your experience has been! 📚🥂
Renee Reviews 