Book of the Month June picks are here and I have thoughts. This month’s lineup feels a little different from the typical BOTM vibe, it’s a bit of an eclectic mix and I’m not sure all of them scream “BOTM pick” to me. That said, the add-ons are surprisingly strong this month and there are a lot of debuts across the board, which I always love. BOTM and book subscriptions in general are one of my favorite ways to discover new authors, and this month has plenty of opportunities for that. Let me break it all down.
Reminder: if none of this month’s picks are calling your name, don’t forget to scroll through my Most Anticipated New Releases for more inspo. And if you’re looking to bulk up your box, check out my regularly updated BOTM add-on recommendations, you might just discover a new favorite tucked in there.
June’s here. The books are calling. Let’s do this.
June MOST ANTICIPATED
Summer 2026 MOST ANTICIPATED
BOTM ADD-ON GUIDE
June 2026 Picks
June Add-ons
My Picks
The main picks this month are Summer’s Never Over, Nymph, The Children by Melissa Albert, The Lowe Job by Grace Alexander, The Shrouded Queen by Ashley Tropea, Main Characters by Bobby Palmer, and The Missed Connection by Tia Williams. I’ll be honest, I’m not overly thrilled by the options. It’s a weird mix to me and feels a bit “un-BOTM” compared to what they typically curate. I have copies of most of these already, so I’ve had a chance to look through them.
The Children is the one I was most excited about going in. I’m about halfway through it right now and I’m not totally sold on it yet. It’s slower than I anticipated but I think I’m right at the point where it’s about to pick up, so I’m reserving full judgment. The Shrouded Queen is one I’m genuinely interested in and I do have a copy, but it’s a duology and BOTM has a tendency to not carry a whole series, so I wouldn’t want to grab it here and then have to hunt down the second book elsewhere. That’s always my hesitation with series picks from BOTM. Summer’s Never Over is going to be my pick this month. It felt like the strongest standalone option from the main lineup that’s in my wheelhouse.
The add-ons are where this month gets more interesting and honestly feel more like traditional BOTM to me. Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick is a debut that caught my attention and I’m adding it to my box. The Midnight Train by Matt Haig, The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh, and Land by Maggie O’Farrell are all solid options from established authors. Dolly All the Time would absolutely be in my box if I didn’t already have a copy, I really enjoy Annabel Monaghan’s books and she hasn’t let me down yet. Lovers XXX seems like an odd pick and I haven’t heard much about it so I’m iffy. Hopeless Necromantic also feels like a weird BOTM choice. It wasn’t on my radar but it sounds fun. That said, it’s another first-in-a-series situation so I’ll skip getting it from BOTM for the same reason as The Shrouded Queen.
I’m really liking what BOTM is doing with the BOTM 100 and the Offset books. It’s an interesting concept and I’ve been loving the cover art. It would be a great way to build a classics library with beautiful editions. This month’s picks are The Catcher in the Rye and Worry Doll by Laura McPhee-Browne. I couldn’t find a place to purchase Worry Doll in the US outside of BOTM, so it could be a good grab if you like having something a little more exclusive in your collection. I’m skipping these though since I already have a copy of The Catcher in the Rye and I’m not that into the ‘Offset’ vibe and don’t have mental capacity in this season of life to tackle them.
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, over on my Instagram HERE, or on my TikTok HERE.