The Best $15 I Spend Each Month

Last year, I saw an ad for the Book of the Month Club and wondered why I’d never tried it before. I decided to subscribe for a month and see how I liked it. Every month, the Club releases five new hardcovers, in various genres (typically literary fiction, historical fiction, thriller or mystery). You can choose one or more each month, skip the month, or you can also buy past Club picks, often at a price lower even than Amazon.

Six months later, I look forward to getting my book in the mail. It is a highly curated list that doesn’t disappoint. The literary fiction choices, especially, are truly gems – they are relevant, poetic and thoughtfully written, and never experimental or dense. Especially during COVID, when I can’t travel and books have been my sanctuary, I have been finding some escape in this subscription. It’s worth every bit as much as Netflix, and more.

A little history: The Book of the Month Club, dating back to 1926, has a tradition of focusing on debut and emerging writers, and has launched the careers of writers like Ernest Hemingway and Margaret Mitchell. Today, it’s been modernized – from its streamlined app and website to its contemporary picks – but still keeps the emphasis on quality of the original Club.