Book of the Month Review: April 2017 Selections

Though there is no shortage of book subscription boxes to choose from, you can never go wrong with Book of the Month. They have been around the longest (since 1926!), and their reputation for selecting the perfect books for people around the nation has only gotten better each year. If you’re looking for a box that focuses more on the goodies than the books (which is certainly not a crime), you won’t find that here. Though BOTM will occasionally include a random treat (see: ring pops in the May 2016 box), their main focus has always been on the books and the judges’ reasons for picking each one.

If you’re a subscriber to Book of the Month, you get to choose from a list of five selections by their panel of judges each month. The judges range in personality, hobbies, and careers — so the selections are always a wide variety of novel, memoir, thriller, romance, and more.

I am a loyal subscriber to Book of the Month, so every month is great — but this month there are a few books I am especially excited about. Here is a look at the list of selections for April.

The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak

Any fans of Stranger Things in the house? This one’s for you. Filled with ‘80s nostalgia, this coming of age novel focuses on how the dawn of the computer age affected the lives of adolescents living at the time. But you don’t have to be an ‘80s baby to appreciate this book — Judge Tyler Coates says that The Impossible Fortress is “for anyone who ever felt like a weirdo as a teenager.” (So basically everyone, am I right?)

Startup by Doree Shafrir

Judge Glory Edim’s recommendation for this book says it all: “Full of humor and scathing office drama: Risqué text messages. Tech bros. An influx of viral mishaps.” In a nutshell, this book is written for the millennial generation — from open offices and start-ups to how technology has royally screwed with our love loves, Startup will speak to your socially awkward, tech-savvy soul.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Graan

This book is exactly the kind of book I usually gravitate towards — nonfiction, mystery, and murder; what more could you want? Killers of the Flower Moon is about more than just the story of how the FBI got started; it also highlights how the injustices of marginalized people are not only a very real part of our country’s history, but also how they are still relevant today. As judge Sarah Weinman puts it in her review of the book: “History pulsates with evil.”

American War by Omar El Akkad

“Fair warning: this is not a beach read,” states judge Maris Kreizman in her review of American War. If you like fluffy, easy-to-digest books, look elsewhere — this one is set in a dystopian world where the majority of America’s current coastlines are completely submerged in water due to global warming. As a result of our shrinking country, America enters into another Civil War. Not only is this book timely, but it is also just real enough (it’s set in the not-so-distant future) to be terrifying.

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul

Second to true crime nonfiction, memoir-esque collections of essays are my favorite type of read. If you are looking for a “beach read,” then One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter might be just the ticket. This is a debut book from new author Scaachi Koul, and as judge Kevin Nguyen points out, it is just as hilarious as it is truthful. As the daughter of immigrants in Canada, Koul covers everything from light-hearted boy troubles and internet trolls to the more hard hitting issues like racism and sexism.

And bonus: this book is an exclusive to BOTM this month, meaning that if you’re a subscriber you get to read this book before the rest of the world can even get their hands on it.

If any (or all) of these April selections look appealing, start your own Book of the Month subscription today — your first month is only $5!

Follow Christine on Instagram: @christinemassey