The Book of the Month January 2020 selections are here! Decide which of the five books you want to add to your subscription box.
Last year, my mother-in-law gave me a Book of the Month subscription, and I immediately fell in love. So much so that this last Christmas, I decided to gift myself a renewal of my subscription.
Getting access to new releases at a discounted price (often in advance) is a book lover’s dream. No wonder Book of the Month is so popular among the book community. For me, I love that feeling each month when my little blue box shows up at my doorstep.
This year, I’ve decided to run a monthly Book of the Month post. I’ll highlight the five books chosen each month and let you know my thoughts on the chosen titles.
Even if you don’t have a Book of the Month subscription (yet), I think you’ll find value in looking at a curated list of new releases.
Take a look at the five books this month:
- A Ghostly Thriller
- Tell-All Women’s Novel
- A Quirky Millennial
- Deep Social Commentary
- A Victorian Mystery
Eclectic, right? Keep scrolling to see all the details about the Book of the Month January 2020 selections and to find out which one I’m adding to my subscription box.
What is Book of the Month?
Book of the Month is a monthly subscription book service highly popular among the book community. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll be hooked.
How it Works
Each month, a panel of judges chooses five books for you to choose from. The Book of the Month selections cover different genres and are always special edition hardcovers. Often, the chosen books haven’t been published yet, so you get to be one of the first people to read it.
At the beginning of the month, you choose one book to add to your box and shortly thereafter the little blue box arrives at your door. If you aren’t loving any of the selected books, you just skip that month and your credits will just roll over to the next month. On the other hand, if you want more than one book, you can add-on up to two additional books at a discounted rate. These add-ons can be from the current month’s selection or be favorites from previous months.
Pricing
Book of the Month runs two different pricing plans. On the monthly plan, you get one credit a month for $15. If you are willing to pay upfront, the yearly plan gives you 12 credits for $150, which averages out to $12.50 a book. For a hardcover of a new release, both prices are a steal.
Even better, when you include additional books into your box, they are only $10 each!
Book of the Month also offers 3, 6 and 9-month gift cards if you are considering purchasing it as a gift.
For new subscribers, Book of the Month’s homepage almost always has a special offer to get your first book for $10. But I can do you one better. If you are interested in joining, you can use my Book of the Month Club referral link to get your first book for $10!
Bonus Features
But wait, there’s more. Once you’ve chosen your 12th book from Book of the Month, you join the BFF club and get a special Book of the Month tote.
After that, you’ll get a free add-on every year for your birthday month. Plus, when the end of the year rolls around, you get one of the top 5 Book of the Month selections from the year for free. That’s an additional two books each year for no additional cost.
What are you waiting for? Join Book of the Month and get your first book for $10!
January 2020 Book of the Month Selections
The Sun Down Motel
Simone St. James
In 1982, hoping to earn enough money to move to New York City, Viv Delaney takes a job as a clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York, only to mysteriously disappear. Thirty-five years later, Viv’s niece Carly Kirk returns to the Sun Down Motel to investigate her aunt’s disappearance. Siobhan Jones, Book of the Month’s editorial director, calls it “a proper spookfest” and loved the combination of Stephen King-esque horror, domestic thriller, and amateur detective story.
Topics of Conversation
Miranda Popkey
Miranda Popkey’s debut novel is written as a series of conversations the unnamed narrator has throughout her life. Although unconnected, each conversation lays bare a secret fear the narrator has at that time. Covering motherhood, sex, loneliness, envy and more, Topics of Conversation packs a punch into its small page count. Book of the Month warns that it’s not a novel about plot but a “cerebral” and “salacious” story of ideas.
When We Were Vikings
Andrew David MacDonald
At twenty-one, Viking enthusiast Zelda finds out her brother Gert has been supporting them with rather questionable methods. Thus, Zelda sets off on a quest to become legendary. Born with fetal alcohol syndrome, Zelda is determined to be independent. Her first step: to get her first real job. Quirky and charming seem to be the most common phrases describing this debut novel.
Tightrope
Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Looking back at his childhood in rural Yamhill, Oregon, Nicholas Kristof realized that over half of his classmates ended up dead from drugs, alcohol, suicide, or recklessness. Husband and wife team Kristof and WuDunn set out to detail the damage poor government policies have inflected on working-class American families.I was surprised to see this among the Book of the Month January 2020 selections. Much denser than the usual fare, Book of the Month added a caution that “Numerous facts/figures/uses of historical and/or policy data make this book a challenging read.” Yet, this nonfiction read is also described as a thorough and thought-provoking look at America by two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.
Things in Jars
Jess Kidd
In Victorian London, female detective Bridie Devine faces her hardest case yet – the kidnapping of a young girl. The hidden daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, Christabel is rumored to have supernatural powers. Along the way, Bridie teams up with a giantess housemaid and a tattooed ghost to solve the mystery. Originally published last April in the UK, this Gothic mystery gets its US debut next month.
My Pick
Usually, a specific book stands out as soon as I look at the monthly list. However, going through the Book of the Month January 2020 selections was a process of elimination this month.
I quickly crossed off Topics of Conversations since anything with the description “erotic” is immediately out for me. Though if done well, I can see it being an amazing novel.
My next turn-off, the word “ghosts.” Neither haunted motels nor quirky ghost sidekicks have any appeal to me.
That left me with two January picks to decide between. Light and quirky new adult or heavy fact-based nonfiction.
For my Book of the Month January selection, I’m choosing Tightrope. I have a much harder time finding amazing nonfiction titles than fiction ones to read, so I’m excited to dive into this one.
Which of the Book of the Month January 2020 Selections Are You Going to Pick?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Or are you skipping this month’s selections? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
Anonymous says
Looking forward to news about good reads.