The Book of the Month May 2023 selections are here! Decide which of the books you want to add to your subscription box.
Book of the Month is my favorite subscription box. Every month, I choose between their curated book selections, and voila! A blue box arrives at my door carrying one (or two or three) new books for me to read.
Except for a curve ball they threw in March 2022.
Instead of five books, Book of the Month says it will vary its selection count. I guess they want to keep us on our toes.
Still, every month, I will highlight the books chosen 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.
Keep scrolling to see all the details about the Book of the Month May 2023 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 at least 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 them.
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. Or, after your third box, you can choose from five member favorite books for your month’s selection instead.
On the other hand, if you want more than one book, once you’ve chosen your initial 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, be favorites from previous months, or be new releases specially included in the add-on catalog.
Pricing
Book of the Month runs two different pricing plans. On the monthly plan, you get one credit a month for $17. If you are willing to pay upfront, the yearly plan gives you 12 credits for $168, which averages out to $14 a book. For a hardcover 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 this Book of the Month Club referral link to get your first book for $5 right now!
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 at a discounted price!
May 2023 Book of the Month Selections
The Collected Regrets of Clover
Mikki Brammer
Ever since her kindergarten teacher dropped dead at school, Clover Brooks has felt a strong connection to the dying. Working as a death doula in New York City, Clover spends so much of her time easing the final days of the dying that she has forgotten how to live. Until a fiesty old woman’s dying request sends Clover on a cross-country trip that forces her to navigate friendship and love in the realm of the living.
Yours Truly
Abby Jimenez
With her divorce about to be finalized, Dr. Brianna Ortiz’s life seems to have been sidetracked. Not only is her brother running out of time for a kidney transplant but also the new annoying doctor, Jacob Maddox, is likely going to steal her promotion. But after Jacob sends her a letter, she finds he is quite the opposite of what she thought. When he volunteers to be a kidney donor for her brother, she finds she can’t resist him, especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.
The Last Word
Taylor Adams
House sitter Emma Carpenter lives in a secluded life at a beach house on the Washington coast. After leaving a one-star review on a poorly-written horror novel, Emma finds herself in an online argument with the author. When strange things begin to happen at night, Emma begins to suspect that the author might be stalking her.
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
Crystal Smith Paul
When legendary white actress Kitty Karr Tate leaves her entire estate to the St. John sisters, three wealthy Black women, the media has lots of questions. As Elise St. John sorts through Kitty’s journals, she finds something that will change her world. For Kitty’s rise to fame from a segregated Southern town is a tale of unexpected family, sacrifices, and crimes that could ruin the St. John family.
The Half Moon
Mary Beth Keane
When his boss retires, longtime bartender Malcolm jumps at the chance to buy The Half Moon. But Malcolm quickly learns that turning a profit is harder than he anticipated. Meanwhile, his wife Jess’s long battle with infertility has her reassessing her life dreams. Three months after Jess walked out, Malcolm learns a secret about her, a bar patron goes missing, and a blizzard strikes in this tale of a marriage in crisis. I was less than impressed with The Half Moon, feeling as is its choppy narrative lacked any emotional draw.
Paper Names
Susie Luo
Susie Luo’s debut multi-generational novel contemplates what it means to be an American. Seeking a better life for his family, Chinese engineer Tony immigrates to the United States and begins working as a doorman in Manhattan. As the child of immigrants, Tammy struggles to balance her parents’ expectations and her own desires. After an act of violence, Tony’s family becomes intimately entwined with Oliver, a handsome white lawyer with family secrets living in the building Tony works.
Not Feeling the May Books?
Sometimes, it happens. If none of the May 2023 Book of the Month selections are calling your name, don’t despair. After your third box, you now have another option!
Previously, if you didn’t love the five choices, you would have to skip the whole month. Now, you can choose a member fave for your monthly box and then add-on up to two more books if you choose.
Member Faves:
May’s New Add-Ons
Recently, Book of the Month has started including a few extra releases on top of their monthly selections. Once you have picked your main selection, you can choose to add-on one of these new books (or any past release) to your box.
May’s New Books:
My May 2023 Picks
Rumor has it that Reese Witherspoon is picking Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? for her May book club pick, so I thought I’d pick it up. I’m hoping for a combo of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Vanishing Half.
I’ve been regretting not picking Pineapple Street since it came out in March, so I knew it was time to add it to my box. My readers keep asking me if I’ve read it yet, while dropping hints that I will love it if I do.
Lastly, I decided I wanted to round my box out with a thriller, so I figured I’d try Taylor Adams’ new book. I think I’m hoping for a good spooky read in the lines of Riley Sager or Simone St. James.
Which of the Book of the Month May 2023 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:
Birdie says
Pineapple street…read it, I must’ve missed the hype?