I have been a member of the Book of the Month Club since July of 2022. At first, I was very skeptical about joining because I am poor and cannot usually justify buying brand new books. I decided to take the leap, and I have now been using the service every month since!

If you are on the bookish side of the internet, you have probably heard of Book of the Month. In case you haven’t, or if you’re considering purchasing a subscription, here is a breakdown of the service and my thoughts:

Cost: The cost of a monthly subscription recently went up to 17.99, but they do add tax, so it comes out to a little over 18 dollars with a monthly plan (my most recent credit cost $18.05). Typical prices for a new release hardcover, especially titles from debut or lesser known authors range from 25 to 40 dollars, so you do get a decent discount as opposed to purchasing elsewhere. 

A monthly credit will get you one book from the selections, but you can pick up to five “add-ons” each month (with the exception of tier one membership, see in the Membership Tier section), which cost less than the monthly credit and you can use them to add another monthly selection, or any of the previous month’s selections. 

Selection Process: Book of the Month has a team of readers that parse through 100s of newly released books each month and select five to seven as the monthly selections. They always have different genres to choose from, so there is usually a book for every reading taste! I have particularly enjoyed their thriller and contemporary fiction selections.

Skipping: If you do not like any of the books they are offering in a given month, you can skip that month’s box, and your credit will transfer over to the next month. (I personally have never skipped a month, no regrets!)

Branding: Most of the books come with a Book of the Month emblem on the front cover and on the spine. An unpopular opinion, but I actually love the branding. I do wish it was completely consistent, though, because most of my books have the emblem on the spine but three do not, which is annoying when I want to display them all together on my shelf. 

Book of the Year: Every year, Book of the Month holds a contest to crown the “Book of the Year”, as  voted on by members. 2022’s Book of the Year was Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. This may seem inconsequential, but it will come up in the next section, so I wanted to note it.

Membership Tiers: There are three tiers of membership, the first having zero perks and no title, and the other two being Friend and BFF. The benefits of both of those tiers are as follows:

Friend: You get this title after you ship three boxes. Benefits are 11.99 add-ons, ability to select up to five books per month, and access to the Blue Box Boutique (where you can get book of the month magnets, stickers, and other various items). 

BFF: You get this title after shipping twelve boxes. You receive all the perks from Friend tier, plus a free BOTM tote bag, a free add-on the month of your birthday, and a free Book of the Year finalist of your choice every year. 

How Many Titles Have I Loved/Liked/Disliked?: Book of the Month gives you a virtual bookshelf, and as you read the books, you can rate them from “Disliked” to “Loved”. For my breakdown of book quality, I am going to count the add ons I have purchased in addition to my monthly selections. That being said, I have disliked one book, liked one book, and loved fifteen, which is pretty damn good! I currently have seven unread BOTM books on my shelf, so take that into consideration. 

Best Title I Read: The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer 

Worst Title I Read: No Exit by Taylor Adams

The Verdict: With all of the information above taken into consideration, the answer to the question “Would I recommend Book of the Month?” is a resounding YES. It is an investment, but I am super glad that I have joined and stayed. This is the only subscription I pay for just for myself, and it has been so nice to open up the app every month and select some new books to enjoy! 

If you choose to try Book of the Month, click the first link in this article, and when you sign up I get a free book credit at no extra cost to you! 

Do you use Book of the Month? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments!