Book of the Month Review: July 2017 Selections

Book of the Month is kind of the best subscription box ever — if you’re a book nerd like me, that is. On the first of every month, Book of the Month offers you five of the latest and greatest books to choose from that have been selected by their panel of judges. If you’re a BOTM subscriber, you get to pick whichever book sounds the most interesting. And if you can’t choose just one, you can add up to two more books to your box for only $10 each!

Book of the Month has been killing it so far with their summer reading selections, and the book choices for July are no exception. No matter what kind of book (or books) you like to take with you on your summer vacation, BOTM has your back this month.

The Child by Fiona Barton

The Child follows a journalist, Kate Waters, who is investigating the discovery of a baby skeleton inside an old house in London. There’s unreported crime, untold secrets, and unending suspense as Kate gets nearer to the truth.

Fiona Barton is already an NYT bestselling author because of her first novel The Widow, so I’m sure that her next mind-bending thriller won’t disappoint. The Child was just released at the end of June, but it’s already on Time’s list of the “Top 10 Thrillers to Read This Summer.” So if you enjoy psychological suspense, you should go ahead and add it to your list too.

Final Girls by Riley Sager

We’ve all heard stories about horror-movie level massacres, both real and fiction — but have you ever wondered what happened to the survivors of those massacres? This thriller novel follows three of those survivors, referred to as the “Final Girls.” Though these three women have nothing in common except for their horrifying pasts, their lives become intertwined as they realize they still aren’t safe, no matter how long it’s been since the massacres they survived.

Final Girls doesn’t come out until July 11th, so if you’re a Book of the Month subscriber, you get to read the book that Stephen King dubbed “the first great thriller of 2017” before the rest of the world can even get their hands on it!

The Windfall by Diksha Basu

If thriller-suspense novels aren’t really your thing, then you’re still in luck; Book of the Month always includes a variety of genres to satisfy any taste. The Windfall is a comedic novel set in modern India that follows one family and how their changing social and financial status influences their relationships with one another.

Everyone loves a good rags-to-riches story, but The Windfall is especially interesting because it examines how much different that story looks when it takes place within a culture that is significantly different from our own.

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

Goodbye Vitamin follows 30-year-old Ruth, who, after losing her fiance and her job, decides to move back home to get some comfort from her parents. However, she arrives to find both of her parents in different states of disintegrating mental health and realizes that they currently need her more than she needs them.

The loss of one’s parents — even when they’re still technically sitting right in front of you — is something that is both inevitable yet also utterly impossible for even the most self-assured person. Throw in a mid-life crisis, and the only solution is comedic relief for this kind of all-consuming grief. Khong uses her debut novel to approach a usually depressing and difficult subject with a fresh — and funny — perspective that we all need to hear.

American Fire by Monica Hesse

Another thing you can usually count on from Book of the Month is the inclusion of at least one non-fiction book — which, as a lover of non-fiction, I personally appreciate. This month’s nonfiction pick is American Fire, a true-crime story that follows the rise and fall of one Virginia town that was destroyed by arsons — or was it already dying before the fires even began?

Monica Hesse is a Washington Post reporter who shares how she uncovered the truth behind the story, beginning with interviewing the arsonist who confessed to the crimes. If you enjoyed Truman Capote’s approach to true-crime in In Cold Blood, then you should definitely check out American Fire.

Book of the Month is also throwing in a few extras that you can add to your box for just $9.99 this month: Hunger, a memoir by Roxane Gay (who also happens to be a former BOTM judge), and The Poisonwood Bible, an epic novel (and a classic that everyone should read) by Barbara Kingsolver.

If any of these picks strike your bookworm fancy (can I have them all please?), then make sure you sign up for Book of the Month before they’re gone!

P.S. If you decide to sign up for two months or more, use the code TOTALLY at checkout to get entered to win a free Book of the Month sturdy canvas tote!

Follow Christine on Instagram: @christinemassey