April 2019 Book of the Month Pick

Alright I’ve been slacking on my Book of the Month reading, but I promised myself I’d do better going forward. It’s just they have so many good books to choose from that I have such a hard time choosing and then I get distracted and don’t get around to reading them during the month. So here is my attempt to get caught back up with my Book of the Month reading.

For the month of April there were three literary fictions, one thriller, and one memoir to choose from. I’m not a huge memoir fan so that was pretty much out for me. Regardless there were some great options this month.

Book of the Month April 2019 Selections

Normal People by Sally Rooney
Literary Fiction (Release Date: April 16, 2019)
288 Pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.14

At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school football team, while she is lonely, proud and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal.

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
Mystery / Thriller (Release Date: April 16, 2019)
368 Pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.29

A literary courtroom drama about a Korean immigrant family and a young, single mother accused of murdering her eight-year-old autistic son.

All That You Leave Behind by Erin Lee Carr
Nonfiction – Memoir (Release Date: April 9, 2019)
256 Pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.64

A celebrated journalist, bestselling author, and recovering addict, David Carr was in the prime of his career when he collapsed in the newsroom of The New York Times in 2015. Shattered by his death, his daughter Erin Lee Carr, an up-and-coming documentary filmmaker at age twenty-seven, began combing through the entirety of their shared correspondence–1,936 items in total.

What started as an exercise in grief quickly grew into an active investigation: Did her father’s writings contain the answers to the questions of how to move forward in life and work without your biggest champion by your side? How could she fill the space left behind by a man who had come to embody journalistic integrity, rigor, and hard reporting, whose mentorship meant everything not just to her, but to the many who served alongside him?

Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger
Literary Fiction (Release Date: April 2, 2019)
336 Pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.90

Helen Clapp is a physics professor. She doesn’t believe in pseudo-science, or time travel and especially not in ghosts. So when she gets a missed call from Charlie, her closest friend from university with whom she hasn’t spoken in over a year, Helen thinks there must be some mistake. Because Charlie died two days ago.

Through the grief of the husband and daughter Charlie left behind, Helen is drawn into the orbit of Charlie’s world, slotting in the missing pieces of her friend’s past. And, as she delves into the web of their shared history, Helen finds herself entangled in the forgotten threads of her own life.

Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson
Literary Fiction (Release Date: April 2, 2019)
528 Pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.32

Duty. Honor. Country. That’s West Point’s motto, and every cadet who passes through its stone gates vows to live it. But on the eve of 9/11, as Dani, Hannah and Avery face four grueling years ahead, they realize they’ll only survive if they do it together.

The world—of business, of love, and of war—awaits Dani, Hannah, and Avery beyond the gates of West Point. These three women know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But soon, that adage no longer rings true—for their future, or their friendship. As they’re pulled in different directions, will their hard-forged bond prevail or shatter?

What I Picked

I did good this month and only picked two of the books from the options. Normal People was majorly hyped but it just didn’t seem like my cup of tea so I skipped it. I ended up going with Beyond the Point and Miracle Creek. I read Miracle Creek in April and I loved it. It reads like a good episode of Law & Order SVU, which I am here for. I actually just got around to reading Beyond the Point this month. I have had it on my list since April but for whatever reason, I just wouldn’t sit down and read it. I love the book and you can see my full review of it HERE!

I also ended up adding Lost and Wanted to one of my summer boxes and while I have yet to read it. I’m really looking forward to jumping into it.

WHAT IS BOOK OF THE MONTH?

For those who haven’t heard of Book of the Month club or BOTM, it is a subscription program, similar to audible or other box subscription services, where you get (you guessed it) a new book every month. Each month members are given 5 different books to choose from. BOTM generally focusing on debut and emerging writers, and is known for having helped launch the careers of some of the most acclaimed authors in American literary history. In an attempt to read more books outside my favorite genres without having to siphon through all the duds, I decided to sign up for the monthly subscriptions. It costs me $14.99 per month, I choose 1 of the 5 books on the first of every month, and it’s delivered straight to my door. You can skip any month or roll your credits over to the next month, at any time. Since I started getting BOTM in 2018, I’ve really enjoyed some of the new authors I’ve been exposed to. If you’re interested in joining BOTM, I’ve added my referral code to the bottom of this post, which if you use, you’ll be able to get your first month (book) free!