Joining the Book of the Month Club

Since I’ve been spending more time on Instagram lately, I tend to check out the #bookstagram hashtag a lot. I follow other readers and “bookstagrammers”, and I see a lot more physical copies of books than ebooks, which is what I usually read. I love ebooks! They are super easy to acquire, and you can often get them from the library. You can also find books for free or cheap pretty easily with sites like Freebooksy and Amazon First Reads. Plus, with my Kindle Paperwhite, it’s super easy to read in bed at night, which I do often. But, sometimes, it’s just nice to read a physical book. There’s just something about it… the feel of it in your hand. The smell of a new (or old) book. The pleasure of turning to the next page to find out what’s next. And of course, the pretty pictures you can take with them! I’ve seen a lot of posts on Instagram of books that are from the Book of the Month Club, and I was curious, so I decided to see what it was all about.

What is it?

The Book of the Month Club has been around for quite a while, since 1926. It’s pretty much the first of those “of the month” clubs that you think of. The way it works now is that every month, you get a list of five books. These books have been specially selected out of some of the most anticipated and popular books being released currently. They are all quality selections. So, once you get the list, you pick a book. You pay $14.99 for it ($9.99 the first month). They send it to you in a pretty blue box. Easy peasy. Now, I know you have questions. Let’s get to that. First of all, yes, you can skip a month. Any month you want, any time. You only get a book when you want a book. Second, if you want MORE than one book, you can select more. You can add on up to two more books (from that month’s list of five or from previous month’s selections) for the same price each. And that’s it… still easy peasy.

When It Arrives

So, I decided to sign up! My first month is August. My first book was $9.99. Now, even the normal price of $14.99 for a book is a STEAL. These are brand new, recently-released, hardcover books. They normally retail for somewhere between $25-30 per book. So you’re getting them for half the regular bookstore price or less. And the list of five books that you get to choose from are quality selections. Part of the reason I signed up was because I’d seen a book from my “want to read” list included in August’s selections, The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. So that’s the one I chose this time. I only selected one book for August, but now I wish I’d considered some add-ons. I definitely will think about it for September, as I’ve seen some previous selections I’d like to read.

Once your box ships, you get a tracking number, which you can keep tabs on by using the handy dandy Book of the Month app. Everything about this process and company seems so slick and user-friendly! They have a simple process and an easy-to-use app to track your box and make your selections. Or you can do it all from their website. I had some problems with my book seeming to get “stuck” in Denver, but I contacted BOTM support, and they quickly got it moving again. I got it a couple of days later. Even the box is aesthetically pleasing, in their signature blue.

What’s in the box?

The inside of the box is simple, but still with a nice aesthetic. You get the book(s) you ordered wrapped in plastic, a bookmark (handy!), and a pamphlet that I think is for new members. It explains the club with a bit of detail. Simple, but effective. A pleasure to receive in the mail, for sure. Including a bookmark is, in my opinion, a simple stroke of genius. 

I signed up for the club because I wanted to throw some physical copies in with the mix of ebooks I constantly read. I thought this would be a good way to get a few newly released and popular novels at a reasonable price. So far, I think it was a good decision. I’m already looking forward to September’s box and seeing what my options are and what add-ons I might be able to get. I also look forward to being able to take some pretty pictures for Instagram of the books! I know, that’s a silly reason, but hey – right now, you gotta find joy in the small things, right?

If you’re interested in signing up for the Book of the Month Club too, feel free to use my referral link. I can get a free book out of it! But that’s not why I’m recommending it. If you’re like me and mostly read ebooks and want to throw in some physical books as well, I definitely think it’s a great deal. Especially on brand new hardcover books. And even if physical books are what you’re normally into, if you’re an avid reader (or even if you’re not!) and want to find out what the latest good books are, it’s a good idea for that too. I’m now looking forward to being a member, and I’d love it if you join me… it’s great to have people reading the same thing or even making new recommendations I know I can easily get my hands on!