Hey there, fellow Book Nerds! Book of the Month is probably the most popular book box out there regarding price, quality & variety. However, the BEST part of this club is that you get to CHOOSE the book(s) you want, and quite often they offer titles before their official release date! I’ve subscribed to pretty much every book box out there, and this is the one that I’ve had the longest commitment to because I love it so much! Today I’m here to show you the books I selected from BOTM for May, June & July 2019. In the spirit of efficiency, I thought I would combine a few months for you since I’m a little behind!
BOTM Membership costs just $14.99/month for (1) book credit, or less with longer subscription commitments. Each box includes YOUR CHOICE of (1) newly released hardcover book out of their (5) monthly selections, and you can also add up to (2) more books to your box for only $9.99 each. If you have additional credits on your account, you can choose to use those to purchase add-on books instead. The add-on books can be from the current month OR from previous months (as supplies last). You can skip a month whenever you wish and you won’t be charged; and your credit(s) will roll over to the next month. Shipping is always free! Gift memberships are available to purchase as well.
All new monthly titles are available to start selecting on the 1st of the month, and you must also select when to ship your box. You have until the 6th to make your selection(s), or, if you don’t choose a book and ship your box by the 6th of the month, you will be renewed $14.99 for a credit to redeem the following month.
There are a variety of genres offered each month that may include (but are not limited to): Thriller/Horror, History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, YA (Young Adult), Mystery, Romance, Domestic Suspense, Dystopian, Satire, Non-Fiction and Memoir.
COUPON! If you would like to join and get your first month for only $9.99, sign up at this link!
NEW! Book of the Month has a brand new subscription available for all the Young Adult (YA) genre fans! The Book of the Month YA membership is identical to the regular Book of the Month Club (price, perks, etc.) except that subscribers get to choose from (5) YA books each month. To get your first book for $9.99, use code FLEX at checkout!
I am not a Book of the Month affiliate, but I do use their referral program which is available to all members. I pay for my subscription, but there may be other affiliate links within this post where I could potentially earn a commission. Please note however, that I *never* accept compensation in exchange for a positive review. All of my reviews are my honest, personal opinions and contain my own photography (unless otherwise stated).
To see my other Book of the Month reviews, go here. If you’d like to see what I think of all the books I read, you can go to CrazyDogMama’s Book Reviews here. You can also come be my friend (or stalker) at Goodreads.
Book of the Month Review, May 2019
Starting on the first day of each month, you can make your book selection online and ship when you are ready. I always choose to ship right away (which is generally the same or next day), and it takes about a week to get to me in California. I look forward to seeing the new choices available each month, and I have lately started checking for them a day early because SOMETIMES they post them early!
Photo courtesy of bookofthemonth.com
These were the May 2019 choices, chosen by 5 different curators to ensure a great selection. On the BOTM website you can read the descriptions, and the reason why each was chosen by it’s curator. This month they had one repeat author, and one debut author.
“Read.Love.Repeat.” – Amen!
I opted for the 12-month membership because reading is my #1 hobby! How many books I order each month depends on how many titles sound interesting to me (duh), but I haven’t yet wanted to skip a month because there is always a great variety, including additional titles beyond the monthly choices. It’s nice to know I have the option to skip, though.
The books always come shrink-wrapped together with a cardboard bottom, and a paper bookmark. My books have always arrived in perfect condition – no damage at all – even if the box gets beaten up in the mail. The extra item in my box this month is special – May was their launch of the BFF Rewards Program, and here are the perks:
Welcome Tote – Reading looks good on you. Once you get your 12th box, you’ll get a stylin’ tote with a special pocket just for your BOTM.
Birthday Gift – We love a BFF b-day. Get a free add-on during your birthday month and treat yourself.
The Best of the Best – Every winter when we announce the five Book of the Year Finalists, you’ll get to choose the one you want for free.
So, since I’ve been an uninterrupted BOTM subscriber since May of 2016, I got the Welcome Tote on the first month of the launch!
You’ll also notice two out of my three books this month are not from the May 2019 selections – ‘All that You Leave Behind‘ by Erin Lee Carr (Memoir) is an add-on from the previous April 2019 selections, and ‘There’s Something About Sweetie‘ by Sandhya Menon (YA) is an add-on from their special featured titles section. ‘The Bride Test‘ by Helen Hoang (Romance) was my choice from May’s lineup.
I used one credit (required), but then chose to pay $19.98 ($9.99 each) for the add-on books, because that is the best deal price-wise. You can choose to use credits on add-on books if you like, though.
‘The Bride Test’ by Helen Hoang – Retail Value $15 (Amazon does not carry the hardcover version, but currently you can get the paperback version for $7.76.)
Description:
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient comes a romantic novel about love that crosses international borders and all boundaries of the heart…
Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.
As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.
With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.
Why I chose this book: I wasn’t initially interested in this title because ‘sweet romance’ is generally not my thing, but after reading all the rave reviews on this and other Helen Hoang books, I needed to find out what all the fuss was about. I seem to have serious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when it comes to reading, so here we are. I do like the premise though, I have a soft spot for quirky characters.
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
‘There’s Something About Sweetie’ by Sandhya Menon – Retail Value $18.99 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $14.57.)
Description:
“The irresistible companion novel to the New York Times bestseller When Dimple Met Rishi, which follows Rishi’s brother, Ashish, and a confident, self-proclaimed fat athlete named Sweetie as they both discover what love means to them.
Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.
The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?
Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.
Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.
Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?”
Why I chose this book: There are very few YA (Young Adult) genre books that pique my interest, but a friend sent ‘When Dimple Met Rishi‘ to me, and said I would enjoy it, and being that this book is the companion to that one, I had to complete the sudo-series! Lots of rants and raves, so I decided to add it to my TBR pile. We’ll see!
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
‘All That You Leave Behind’ by Erin Lee Carr – Retail Value $26 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $18.88.)
Description:
“Dad: What will set you apart is not talent but will and a certain kind of humility. A willingness to let the world show you things that you play back as you grow as an artist. Talent is cheap.
Me: OK I will ponder these things. I am a Carr.
Dad: That should matter quite a bit, actually not the name but the guts of what that name means.A celebrated journalist, bestselling author (The Night of the Gun), and recovering addict, David Carr was in the prime of his career when he suffered a fatal collapse in the newsroom of The New York Times in 2015. Shattered by his death, his daughter Erin Lee Carr, at age twenty-seven an up-and-coming documentary filmmaker, began combing through the entirety of their shared correspondence—1,936 items in total—in search of comfort and support.
What started as an exercise in grief quickly grew into an active investigation: Did her father’s writings contain the answers to the question of how to move forward in life and work without her biggest champion by her side? How could she fill the space left behind by a man who had come to embody journalistic integrity, rigor, and hard reporting, whose mentorship meant everything not just to her but to the many who served alongside him?
All That You Leave Behind is a poignant coming-of-age story that offers a raw and honest glimpse into the multilayered relationship between a daughter and a father. Through this lens, Erin comes to understand her own workplace missteps, existential crises, and relationship fails. While daughter and father bond over their mutual addictions and challenges with sobriety, it is their powerful sense of work and family that comes to ultimately define them.
This unique combination of Erin Lee Carr’s earnest prose and her father’s meaningful words offers a compelling read that shows us what it means to be vulnerable and lost, supported and found. It is a window into love, with all of its fierceness and frustrations.”
Why I chose this book: I enjoy nonfiction & memoirs, and this one resonated with me because I lost my dad in 2007 and miss him terribly. It’s not that I want to be depressed further about it, it is more of an exercise in feeling my feelings so that I can heal – and also to engage with the experiences of others for that necessary human connection. I’ve heard good things about this book, and I’ve been in a memoir-mood lately. I don’t know why I didn’t just add it to my April 2019 box, but that’s the great thing about this subscription – you can add previous books any time!
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
Each monthly box comes with a complimentary cardboard ‘Book of the Month’ bookmark. This month it looks a little different; the design features my new ‘BFF’ status with BOTM.
On the back is a ‘Thank You’ from the BOTM team for being a loyal subscriber. I always use these included bookmarks for my BOTM books – they hold up well!
Book of the Month Welcome Tote Bag – FREE GIFT per the BFF Rewards Program.
This is a large, heavy duty canvas tote with a big book pocket in front, and their logo on the back. This is going to be my new beach tote, because it is large enough to fit a towel, a book, a phone, a water bottle and anything else I want to bring! Thank you BOTM – I really appreciate any and all gifts!
So what do you think of Book of the Month? The total retail value of my May box was $59.99 ($41.21 using current Amazon prices), not including the value of the tote bag. I paid $32.48 ($12.50 for 1 book credit used from my 12-month subscription + $19.98 for my add-on books) – so this is a fantastic deal, even over Amazon prices! I also think it was a great move for BOTM to start rewarding loyal customers with free gifts and perks; everyone needs to be appreciated! If you are book lover like me, and want get in on the latest releases, I highly recommend this box – you just can’t go wrong. I love being introduced to new authors, and titles I may not have even known about. I’m also more inclined to try new genres I wouldn’t consider otherwise, which is exactly what happened this month!
DON’T FORGET THE COUPON! If you would like to join and get your first month for only $9.99, sign up at this link!
Book of the Month Review, June 2019
Starting on the first day of each month (sometimes a day earlier!), you can make your book selection online and ship when you are ready. I always choose to ship right away (which is generally the same or next day), and it takes about a week to get to me in California. This month, however, I didn’t get my box until almost the end of the month. I heard that they had a stocking/ordering issue for one of the books, and some subscribers (including myself) had late shipping. I’ve been a subscriber since 2016, and this is the first time I’ve ever had a delay with BOTM, so I wasn’t bothered at all.
Photo courtesy of bookofthemonth.com
These were the June 2019 choices, chosen by 5 different curators to ensure a great selection. On the BOTM website you can read the descriptions, and the reason why each was chosen by it’s curator. This month there were two repeat authors, and an early release!
“Read.Love.Repeat.” – I second that!
I opted for the 12-month membership because let’s be real – lol! How many books I order each month depends on how many titles sound interesting to me (duh), but I haven’t yet wanted to skip a month because there is always a great variety, including additional titles beyond the monthly choices. It’s nice to know I have the option to skip, though.
The books come shrink-wrapped together with a cardboard bottom, and a paper bookmark. My books have always arrived in perfect condition – no damage at all – even if the box gets beaten up in the mail.
This is the cardboard bottom of the wrapped books with instructions on how to tag your best book photos on social media.
Here were my June 2019 picks: ‘A Nearly Normal Family‘ by M.T. Edvardsson (Thriller), ‘Ask Again, Yes: A Novel‘ by Mary Beth Keane (Literary Fiction), and ‘Recursion‘ by Blake Crouch (Sci-Fi). You know I pick the best ones, right?!?
I used one credit (required), but then chose to pay $19.98 ($9.99 each) for the add-on books, because that is the best deal price-wise. You can choose to use credits on add-on books if you like, though.
‘Ask Again, Yes: A Novel’ by Mary Beth Keane – Retail Value $27 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $16.18)
Description:
“How much can a family forgive?
A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next 40 years. Luminous, heartbreaking, and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while haunted by echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity, and grace.”
Why I chose this book: This is one of the most anticipated literary fiction books of the summer, and is what I would call a suburban drama. I am a fan of deeply moving stories, and this promises to deliver. I am about 50 pages into it, and I am enjoying the author’s writing style; she has a way of making you feel like you know the characters, with just enough details to involve you, but not bore you. It starts out in the 1970’s over a 40 year span, so I can also relate to the timeline. I’ll be posting a full review of it soon on my next book reviews post!
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
‘Recursion’ by Blake Crouch – Retail Value $27 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $13.95.)
Description:
“Memory makes reality. That’s what New York City cop Barry Sutton is learning as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.
Neuroscientist Helena Smith already understands the power of memory. It’s why she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious moments of our pasts. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.
As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face-to-face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.
But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them? “
Why I chose this book: This is an example of why BOTM is a such great subscription – I wouldn’t normally even LOOK at sci-fi books, but I chose another Blake Crouch book (‘Dark Matter‘) way back from the October 2016 box, and I loved it so much that this pick was a no-brainer. (You can see my review of ‘Dark Matter’ here.) This author keeps you interested and on the edge of your seat, and I’m totally excited to get into this one. If you watch and love the series “Wayward Pines”, then you are already a fan!
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
‘A Nearly Normal Family’ by M.T. Edvardsson – Retail Value $26.99 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $18.83.)
Description:
“M.T. Edvardsson’s A Nearly Normal Family is a gripping legal thriller that forces the reader to consider: How far would you go to protect the ones you love? In this twisted narrative of love and murder, a horrific crime makes a seemingly normal family question everything they thought they knew about their life—and one another.
Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?
Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in an unusual three-part structure, A Nearly Normal Family asks the questions: How well do you know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?”
Why I chose this book: If BOTM features a thriller, mystery, or horror genre book, I select it. Period. However, this ‘legal thriller’ sounds really interesting – they had me at “Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior”.
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
Each monthly box comes with a complimentary cardboard ‘Book of the Month’ bookmark. These are great! I’m picky about bookmarks, and I make use of every one of these.
On the back is a literary quote by Victor Hugo:
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”
So what do you think of Book of the Month? The total retail value of my June box was $80.99 ($48.96 using current Amazon prices), and I paid $32.48 ($12.50 for 1 book credit used from my 12-month subscription + $19.98 for my add-on books.) – so this is an awesome deal, even over Amazon prices! If you are bookworm like me, and want to be in the loop on the latest releases, I highly recommend this box – you just can’t go wrong! I love being introduced to new authors, and titles I may not have even known about. I’m also more inclined to try new genres I wouldn’t consider otherwise, so I’m expanding my horizons, too!
DON’T FORGET THE COUPON! If you would like to join and get your first month for only $9.99, sign up at this link!
Book of the Month Review, July 2019
Starting on the first day of each month (sometimes a day earlier!), you can make your book selection online and ship when you are ready. I always choose to ship right away (which is generally the same or next day), and it takes about a week to get to me in California. Let’s see what books were featured this month!
Photo courtesy of bookofthemonth.com
These were the July 2019 choices, chosen by 5 different curators to ensure a great selection. On the BOTM website you can read the descriptions, and the reason why each was chosen by it’s curator. This month there was an early release, a debut and a ‘3peat’ (an author repeated 3-times at BOTM).
“Read.Love.Repeat.” – Yes, please!
I opted for the 12-month membership because reading is everything. How many books I order each month depends on how many titles sound interesting to me (duh), but I haven’t yet wanted to skip a month because there is always a great variety, including additional titles beyond the monthly choices. It’s nice to know I have the option to skip, though.
The books come shrink-wrapped together with a cardboard bottom, and a paper bookmark. My books have always arrived in perfect condition – no damage at all – even if the box gets beaten up in the mail (like this month!).
My July 2019 picks! ‘Lock Every Door: A Novel‘ by Riley Sager (Thriller), ‘Things You Save in a Fire‘ by Katherine Center (Romance), and ‘Three Women‘ by Lisa Taddeo (Narrative Nonfiction). A little bit of everything!
I used one credit (required), but then chose to pay $19.98 ($9.99 each) for the add-on books, because that is the best deal price-wise. You can choose to use credits on add-on books if you like, though.
‘Three Women’ by Lisa Taddeo – Retail Value $27 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $16.20.)
Description:
“Desire as we’ve never seen it before: a riveting true story about the sex lives of three real American women, based on nearly a decade of reporting.
It thrills us and torments us. It controls our thoughts, destroys our lives, and it’s all we live for. Yet we almost never speak of it. And as a buried force in our lives, desire remains largely unexplored—until now. Over the past eight years, journalist Lisa Taddeo has driven across the country six times to embed herself with ordinary women from different regions and backgrounds. The result,Three Women, is the deepest nonfiction portrait of desire ever written and one of the most anticipated books of the year.
We begin in suburban Indiana with Lina, a homemaker and mother of two whose marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. She passes her days cooking and cleaning for a man who refuses to kiss her on the mouth, protesting that “the sensation offends” him. To Lina’s horror, even her marriage counselor says her husband’s position is valid. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks. When she reconnects with an old flame through social media, she embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming.
In North Dakota we meet Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student who finds a confidant in her handsome, married English teacher. By Maggie’s account, supportive nightly texts and phone calls evolve into a clandestine physical relationship, with plans to skip school on her eighteenth birthday and make love all day; instead, he breaks up with her on the morning he turns thirty. A few years later, Maggie has no degree, no career, and no dreams to live for. When she learns that this man has been named North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year, she steps forward with her story—and is met with disbelief by former schoolmates and the jury that hears her case. The trial will turn their quiet community upside down.
Finally, in an exclusive enclave of the Northeast, we meet Sloane—a gorgeous, successful, and refined restaurant owner—who is happily married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women. He picks out partners for her alone or for a threesome, and she ensures that everyone’s needs are satisfied. For years, Sloane has been asking herself where her husband’s desire ends and hers begins. One day, they invite a new man into their bed—but he brings a secret with him that will finally force Sloane to confront the uneven power dynamics that fuel their lifestyle.
Based on years of immersive reporting, and told with astonishing frankness and immediacy, Three Women is a groundbreaking portrait of erotic longing in today’s America, exposing the fragility, complexity, and inequality of female desire with unprecedented depth and emotional power. It is both a feat of journalism and a triumph of storytelling, brimming with nuance and empathy, that introduces us to three unforgettable women—and one remarkable writer—whose experiences remind us that we are not alone.”
Why I chose this book: A real account of three different women in America documented over 8 years, and how their sexual desires have affected their lives? YES, PLEASE! How could I NOT choose this book? HELLO?!? So, I’m nearly finished with this book, and WOW. I am absolutely enthralled, emotionally wrecked and outraged – all at the same time. We all have desire, whether it’s buried deep or fully realized, and while this book was quite explicit (yay!), I think it should be required reading for both men and women. This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far! Stay tuned for my next round of book reviews, coming soon!
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
‘Things You Save in a Fire’ by Katherine Center – Retail Value $26.99 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $17.70.)
Description:
“From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about courage, hope, and learning to love against all odds.
Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she’s seen her fair share of them, and she’s a total pro at other people’s tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own.
The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie’s old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren’t exactly thrilled to have a “lady” on the crew―even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn’t seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can’t think about that. Because love is girly, and it’s not her thing. And don’t forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping…and it means risking it all―the only job she’s ever loved, and the hero she’s worked like hell to become.
Katherine Center’s Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt and healing tour-de-force about the strength of vulnerability, the nourishing magic of forgiveness, and the life-changing power of defining courage, at last, for yourself.”
Why I chose this book: What grabbed me about this book is the strong & intelligent female character immersed in a male-dominated career, who has to learn to navigate her heart. A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was that girl – a 21-year old blonde who had just graduated from the police academy. So basically, I selected this title because I can relate with the subject matter. I’m picky about my romance, but I feel like this one will have some depth to it. In the author’s short bio above, she states “stories teach us empathy” – and I wholeheartedly agree. If I’m going to read romance, it either needs to make me blush, or nourish my soul. Ideally, both.
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
‘Lock Every Door: A Novel’ by Riley Sager – Retail Value $26 (You can currently find it on Amazon for $15.60.)
Description:
“The next heart-pounding thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager follows a young woman whose new job apartment sitting in one of New York’s oldest and most glamorous buildings may cost more than it pays.
No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.
As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story…until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.
Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew’s sordid past and into the secrets kept within its walls. What she discovers pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.”
Why I chose this book: I love me some thriller/horror books! It helps, too, when the author is one you know & love. This is the 3rd Riley Sager book for BOTM, and for good reason. Sager’s books will keep you up all night reading (and scared if you are a lightweight), and they are 100% pure adrenaline fun! ‘Final Girls: A Novel‘ and ‘The Last Time I Lied: A Novel’ were the previously featured Riley Sager books, and I believe they are still available as add-on’s.
All BOTM books are specially labeled with the BOTM logo on the front of the book jacket, and also on the back with the month/year the book was featured.
Each monthly box comes with a complimentary cardboard ‘Book of the Month’ bookmark.
They usually put literary quotes on the bookmarks, but this one simply says: “Where were we?”.
I actually use these bookmarks – they are sturdy, aesthetically pleasing and perfectly functional.
So what do you think of Book of the Month? The total retail value of my July box was $79.99 ($49.50 using current Amazon prices), and I paid $32.48 ($12.50 for 1 book credit used from my 12-month subscription + $19.98 for my add-on books.) – so this is a great deal, even over Amazon prices! If you as obsessed with reading as me, and want to be in the loop on the latest releases, I highly recommend this box – you just can’t go wrong! I love being introduced to new authors, and titles I may not have even known about, as well as getting first dibs on my favorites. I’m also more inclined to try new genres I wouldn’t consider otherwise, so I’m expanding my horizons, too!
DON’T FORGET THE COUPON! If you would like to join and get your first month for only $9.99, sign up at this link!
Look for the August 2019 Book of the Month review from me – coming soon!!
TTFN, CrazyDogMama – XOXO
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