I’ve Received This “Amazing” Subscription Box for 4 Years, and It’s the Best Gift Idea I Recommend to Everyone

Ever since I was little, I have loved reading. On days when I was sick from school, I would pull out a hamper filled with little storybooks and surround myself with them on the couch, reading my way through each one to make me feel better. And now as an adult, my apartment is well and truly covered in books, from memoirs and fictional tales to coffee-table tomes and cookbooks. Naturally, you would be right in assuming that I also love shopping for books. That is perhaps why one subscription service has stood well above the rest for me. 

That subscription service? Why, it’s Book of the Month, of course! With this box, I get a cool new read every month for way less than it would cost me to buy that same book on Amazon or at my favorite bookstore. Not to mention, this subscription comes with a number of amazing perks that keep me coming back year after year. (P.S.: They also have some gifting options, if you’re needing an exciting present for your favorite bookworm!)

Let me be so for real right now: Book of the Month is how I affordably meet my (self-appointed) reading goals. (Although, to be clear, I do love running around my local Barnes & Noble with a stack of books in my arms when I can). But if there is one thing I look forward to every month, it’s getting to pick my Book of the Month book from a curated selection of five, six, or seven options (the number fluctuates month to month). The options are almost always fiction of some type — from romance and historical fiction to sci-fi and thrillers, among others — but I have seen a memoir as an option here and there. And the books are usually new or recent releases, sometimes even early releases, both from authors you love and authors who are making their debut. 

Okay, so here’s how it works: Each month, you’ll go through and decide on which of the listed books you want to claim as your official Book of the Month, and then they’ll send it to you with free shipping! I find that my books usually come pretty quickly — like within a week or so of placing my order. Every book from Book of the Month is a hardback, which is honestly a good deal, as you’re paying as low as $14 a month for a book that could easily be between $20 and $30 otherwise. Plus, you can also get additional books whenever you order for the month, whether that’s getting multiple monthly picks or choosing from their large library of books that include picks from past months and recent additions. 

I’ve personally been subscribing to Book of the Month since 2020. When COVID-19 hit, I went a little wild with subscription boxes, and this was one of the boxes I signed up for. And now four years later, it’s easily my favorite subscription box ever. And there are a few reasons for that. For one, the book selections are top-tier. This year alone, I found myself ordering multiple monthly picks month after month because there were so many interesting options. Because of Book of the Month, I’ve discovered some really amazing reads that I might not have picked up otherwise, like The London Séance Society, Listen for the Lie, and, my all-time favorite book, The Silent Patient. 

For another, there are some really cool perks when you become a Book of the Month BFF. You achieve this status after you’ve ordered a year’s worth of boxes. To me, the best thing about being in the BFF status is that I get a free book in my birthday month, which happens to be December, so I actually just got mine! 

Plus, Book of the Month has an amazing app. It’s where I go to pick my monthly book(s). But it’s also where I go to track which of those books I’ve read. They have a tab labeled “Challenge” that keeps track of all the Book of the Month books you’ve read or still have yet to read, and you can earn badges based on what you’ve read. For example, I can get the Book Boss badge for reading (or listening to; Book of the Month also offers audiobooks) 15 books this year. But I can also earn badges for reading four books over 400 pages, writing five reviews, and/or reading a variety of genres. And if you complete a certain number of badges, you can win a prize!

Because of its under-$20 price, awesome book options, and fun perks, Book of the Month has had me excitedly coming back month after month for years. Of all of the subscription boxes I’ve come and gone from over the years, this is one that’s held steady. And if you want to give it a try, the brand is actually offering a deal right now where you can get your first book for $5 when you use the code TINSEL. So, go get that book!

Buy: Book of the Month Subscription, starting at $13.99 per month