Summer is coming to an end, but not before August BOTM picks drops 7 new books for us to read. This month felt very well rounded to me. I like that there are two thriller picks but only one was a main pick, but once again I’ll reiterate that while I love having repeat and 3peat authors , I’d rather those be the on-adds instead of main picks. Regardless, there are some great options this month and two of them I was lucky enough to get advanced copies of.
Out of the 7 picks this month 3 were on my August Most Anticipated List, 1 was on my July Most Anticipated List, and 1 is set to be on my September Most Anticipated List.
Check out this Month’s picks below and see what I put in my box below. Nothing catch you eye this month? Make sure to check out my August Most Anticipated and my updated BOTM Add-on Guide for more great reads!





Add-Ons
Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So is a short story collection and debut painting the live of Cambodian-Americans. These stories deal with the complexities of race, sexuality, friendship, and family. I think it’s important to note as well that in December 2020, So passed away at the age of 28, less than a year before his debut was set to release. While I’m not much a short story reader, many readers are raving about his work.
The author of The Herd, Andrea Bartz is back with a new thriller. Set in both Chile and Wisconsin, Emily is struggling to understand her friendship with her best friend Kristen and Kristen’s potentially violent tendencies.
My August Box
I’m actually surprised I ended up with 5 books this month. I almost opted out of getting a physical copy of Damnation Spring and Once There Were Wolves but decided to add them at the last minute.
I actually just finished Damnation Spring last night and I really enjoyed it. I’ll have a review for it later on this week but it gave me What Comes After vibes. The stories are totally different but the lyrical prose and the Pacific Northwest setting, is really where their similarities shine.
I also have been listening to Once There Were Wolves and while I’m enjoying the story, I think I’d prefer to actually read this one, which is why I threw a physical copy into my box.
Both Not a Happy Family & We Were Never Here are my normal thriller picks. Those two along with The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina are all on my Most Anticipated lists, so I was happy to see them as picks this month.
I opted out of The Heart Principle this month, because I have yet to read either of Helen Hoang’s other two books in the series. It’s important to note that each of these can be read as a stand alone, but for me I don’t read enough romance to justify adding it into my box or TBR.
That’s what’s in my box this month! Did we pick any of the same books this month? Let me know in the comments below or over on my Instagram HERE.
Happy Reading!
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 a discount on your first month (book)!
Interested in joining Book of the Month?
Get your first book for $9.99 using code May5 when you sign up using my link!
Either click HERE or enter the url into your browser: https://book-of-the-month.ixmz.net/kvzez https://book-of-the-month.ixmz.net/c/1803400/761424/9782