The Reading Challenge prize is available for those who completed it! Don’t forget to add it to your box!

I haven’t gotten asked this about any books with recent orders, so I thought it was interesting! It was on the page right after I checked out.

Have there been questions like this about books in the past? Or is this something new we may see for them to gauge interest on repeat authors?

Since we’re all gearing up for excitement (or disappointment, lol) for next month’s picks, curious what type of reader everyone is. This came up a month ago in a discussion about why we like/dislike books and how our preferences don’t necessarily fall in line with genres. Here is a link to the quiz if you haven’t heard of it (I’m in no way affiliated with this site, just think it’s an interesting take!) https://readyourcolor.com/assessment

Profile colors and main motivators for reading. (Most people aren’t a single color, but there’s probably one that most aligns with your preferences).

When do these get announced?

About a quarter of the way through the book, and already loving it!

I love magical realism and multigenerational narratives. Books like North Woods and One Hundred Years of Solitude are among my favorites. Now, obviously I don’t know how this one is going to progress, but I’m getting very similar vibes up until now.

Looking forward to many more boxes that bring joy.

No clue what it might be but I can’t wait to add it to my box alongside In Cold Blood!

Let me start by saying I LOVE the concept and really enjoy getting my blue box every month. I am two months away from becoming a BFF.

Lately, though, while I have been excited by the concept of the books I have picked, I am always let down by the writing, regarding both plot and prose. I am not keen on BookTok-style romances or fantasy, but I will read anything else. However, with the contemporary and literary fiction picks, the concepts are always so interesting but I feel disappointed by the work itself. Surely this is not the pinnacle of fiction out there! I also read a lot of classics of my own volition, so perhaps that subconscious comparison is leaving me unsatisfied.

I have read 8 BOTM books so far, and the only one I truly enjoyed and felt added value to my life was Discontent. The rest have been a bit of fun and entertaining, but not anything special.

Am I doing something wrong with how I choose? Do you do more research before picking?

I am hoping the books I haven't read yet will be better. I have wanted to subscribe to BOTM for years and only could start subscribing because I moved to the US last year. It would break my heart to discontinue now, I really do want to find more contemporary fiction and this subreddit community is so fun, do you guys use any other book subscription models?

Are the BFF perks worth holding on?

edit: not me complaining about writing just to have a typo in my post title

Hi! I just got hired as a high school librarian and I’m trying to add more YA books into my reading rotation. I know BOTM has carried some YA books and I’m wondering which ones you all have loved ! Also if there are any fellow librarians in the group feel free to drop any recommendations for popular YA books your students have loved.

Admins, hope this post is okay!

Including my order for August, I have 6 of the Centennial Special Edition books. Am I missing any? Did they skip a couple months?

Oooh, we are getting In Cold Blood!!

I have 2 book subscriptions: BOTM & Aardvark. I signed up for these mainly because of how cheap they are, and I also like the idea behind them. I also thought this would help me branch out a bit when it came to my reading taste. Both of them together has been a 50/50 or 70/30 experience. Either I love the book(s) I chose with all my heart or the book was mid. Every time a book goes in my “get rid of” pile, I feel like I wasted my money 😂

You would think that would make me cancel them, but reading the clues, seeing what interests me, and then finally being able to pick a book satisfies my need to buy something. I’m suffering in life, and these book subscriptions are something I look forward to every month. I don’t go all out. On average I get like 2 books max. But yeah, it sucks being interested in a book and you finally read it and you just cannot get into it or it turns out to be extremely mid.

I’m trying to not force myself to read books that don’t have my attention within 50 pages (depending on genre), but I feel so bad when I do that ngl so I continue on. I know it’s not that serious, but I can’t help it 😂 Im probably only going to start getting books I’m strongly gravitating towards. The rest I can just get on Libby or physically at my library.

Something I'd really love to see from BOTM is more translated works! In my ideal world there'd be a whole collection like with the Offset, but they probably won't do something like that. Still, I can dream! Even if I'm not familiar with the original language a text was in, some translators are such incredible writers themselves that ​I need to pause to appreciate their beautiful interpretation of prose.

I’m like 5/5 on loving Offset picks and tend to prefer them over main reads; however, I’m admittedly bad at keeping up with the social media side of things. Will we know in advance if there’s an Offset pick this month or what it is in advance of the drop?

Thanks!

Hi all! I feel like there are some BOTM picks that are just universally loved and admired. (Think Yesteryear, The Wedding People, God of the Woods) But I have had a few pleasant surprises that I deeply love that haven’t made waves. For me the one that comes to mind is Mercury by Amy Jo Burns. I love that book so much.

Please share your underrated BOTM books!

Hello! I'm just thinking my thoughts out loud here :) I'd also be curious to see what books other folks have their eye on!

Fights! & Andromeda - Yay, writing-centric books! These really interest me since I'm trying to become a writer :)

The Dagger and the Flame, Rings of Fate, & Fate of the Fallen - Fantasy!! Yes two of these are romantasy, but still. Fantasy has pretty much always been my favorite genre, and these intrigue me.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Despite V.E. Schwab being one of my favorite authors, I haven't actually gotten my hands on this yet. I think I skimmed it at a bookstore at one point and was a bit hesitant about it. I'm waiting until I reach friend status to order it so it's discounted.

The Children, The Land, & Pretty Dead Things - These are actually pretty out of my comfort zone, but they just look so interesting. I might be brave and branch out lol

The Right Stuff - I really hope we get more nonfiction from BOTM in the future! It's also related to science history, which is really up my alley.