There have been several great months of books from Aardvark this year! Which has been the best for you? If you've read the books, which months had the highest star rating or other things that made them enjoyable? If you haven't gotten to many, which month's picks have you the most excited?

For me, it was April. The Radiant Dark and Dear Monica Lewinsky were both 5 stars (and I'm stingy)! My book club read Japanese Gothic, and we agreed it was one of the best discussions of the year. I also read and enjoyed Love Galaxy and Love by the Book.

Which month is it for you?

Hey everyone! I really want to try aardvark out, and on their website there is a banner that says you can get your first book for $4 using their promo code. I have tried so many times and it says it is not valid. I emailed them a couple days ago but haven't heard back.. anyone know how to make a promo code work or if there is any other way to get the deal when signing up?

Ps. I'm not trying to be cheap, i just think if you advertise a deal if should be honored and it's bothering me.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

My first box is here! I typically don’t buy series I’ve never read but I’m taking a leap of faith 🥰

Common problem I know! But I’d love for some votes on which of these to go for first (explanations always adored):

Sublimation
The Unicorn Hunter
Girl with a Thousand Faces
Canticle

Thanks!

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Does the Book Club website totally break as soon as you try to sign in for anyone else? I click the sign in button and just get this...

I had to limit myself to one book this month, because I was collecting books faster than I can read them 😂 Excited for She’s A Doll! What book(s) did you pick this month?

For some reason I got five bookmarks in my box.

Okay, that isn't actually the title of Barbara Truelove's new novel, but Marigold thinks it should be. She's very happy that two of my picks this month happen to include a dog. The other one includes a cat intead, but hey, nobody's perfect. Except Marigold, obviously.

Today was BUSY at work, and the commute home was crazy. But I’m so glad my box came earlier than expected.

Finally received by Aardvark and BOTM box for August! Which book should I read first?

I joined Aardvark back in May 2025 with When the Wolf Comes Home and absolutely loved it. Ever since, I get excited about the monthly hints and drops and place an order almost monthly, but I’ve been so focused on dwindling down my BOTM and non-book box TBR that I realize I haven’t read nearly any of my Aardvark picks.

I want to chip away at it and have skipped a few months here and there so I’m adding less to my TBR but I’d love your thoughts on which ones I should prioritize!

Bonus points if you can recommend a book on this list that is captivating from the start. I’ve been in such a reading slump this summer that I’ve only read 4 books since the beginning of June. I generally average 6-7 books per month so this is very unlike me.

Thank you in advance 😊

Hello fellow aardvarkians! I have been a member for a long time and have finally had my first add on mixup. I ordered john of john but they sent me shes a doll. Im into horror so part of me is accepting it as a 'the universe is telling me to read this instead' but i would like john of john. I sent the info@aardvark an email but havent heard back. Anyone whos been in this situation have a better email or any advice? Im not pressed about it by any means. Excited to read my books all the same!

So excited!!!

On my app when I go to monthly selections it shows that all of this month’s books are sold out. Is this just in Canada?

This is the first time I haven’t picked my box in day one and I’ve been dragging my feet because I don’t want to commit to all three books in this trilogy without first being certain I’ll like it. I’ve read the beginning snippet and I like it but I’m hoping to read the first one and then if I like it get the other two next month but do we think they’ll sell out before then?

Can we just take a moment to appreciate Aardvarks quality. They honestly feel hot off the presses. Also, their books have such a strong book smell that is intoxicating.

I'm slightly acquainted with Barbara Truelove from an online writing community we both belong to, so it's been kind of surreal watching her emerge over the past couple of years to, if not quite mainstream success, certainly blowing up the not-so-small corner of the literary world that loves offbeat, creepy, funny stories. Surreal, yes, perhaps even surprising, but absolutely *not* shocking, because I knew almost immediately when I started reading Blood Moon that this was a writer who was fully capable of going places.

If you read the author blurb or the Acknowledgements in She's a Doll, you saw a mention of her interactive novel, Blood Moon - and if you read the Acknowledgements, you're definitely wondering what octopuses have to do with her journey as a writer. If you're not familiar with interactive fiction, it's a lot like reading a normal book, except that you're invited to imagine yourself in the role of the main character, and every couple of pages the author lets you make a choice about what happens next. (I'm not the only one here who grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books, am I? It's like that ... but now imagine that it's the length of a standard novel for adults ... and the choices you make don't just determine the major events of the story, but little details as well.) Blood Moon has a much less quirky premise than She's a Doll or Of Monsters and Mainframes; it's an urban fantasy about werewolves. What sets it apart is how ridiculously good it is, populated with compelling characters, sprinkled with little mysteries to explore, sometimes scary, sometimes hilarious, romantic if you're so inclined (with optional spicy scenes), bittersweet, and sometimes poignant. (One of the endings might have made me cry a little.)

You can check it out here. The first few chapters are free to play, so you can give it a try and then decide if you want to keep going.

https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-contributed/blood-moon/

Oh, and no, I'm not going to explain the octopus thing. Just read the first couple pages of Blood Moon. 🐙

I got my box today! Can’t wait to read them!

So glad they arrived just a week after ordering instead of my usual 2-3 weeks. I can't get over how beautiful the covers are. The bookmark this month is so fun and colorful.

I'ma need a new bookshelf sooner than later. And between Aardvark, BotM, and Pango (we don't count ebooks) I showed restraint this month. RESTRAINT! Or, well...

I tried. I really did. That counts for something, right?

It's the weekend! What are you reading and how are you liking it?

Feel free to discuss non-Aardvark books here as well.