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I had a hard time narrowing down my list of Book of the Month predictions for September 2021! There are so many good books coming out and many of them are from authors who have been featured by Book of the Month in the past.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know Book of the Month (BOTM) is my favorite book subscription service. I love the anticipation of finally seeing the five monthly picks and always have fun trying to guess what may show up on the app on the first of every month.
If you aren’t familiar with BOTM, you can check out my full review of this subscription service. The basic idea is BOTM chooses five books from different genres every month and members can choose their pick when the books go live. You can also add on up to two more books for only $9.99 each.
If you don’t like any of the picks, you can choose to skip and save your credit for the next month, which is honestly the best part of this service to me. I don’t like subscription boxes that only offer one book selection that you don’t know ahead of time. If you are interested in trying BOTM, you can use my link to get your first book for only $5!
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Thriller Prediction
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
This is one of those rare months where I could see BOTM offering two thrillers (or calling one a thriller and one a mystery) because there are some good choices from repeat authors and publishers BOTM has worked with in the past. Never Saw Me Coming is being published by Park Row Books, and a quick scroll through their website showed a ton of previous BOTM picks and authors!
This sounds like a really good twisted psychological thriller about a college student, Chloe, who is in a study on campus for psychopaths (students who lack empathy or emotion). Participants in the study must wear a smartwatch that tracks their movements and moods. One of the participants in the study is murdered, and now Chloe finds herself in a game of cat and mouse as she determines who she can trust in the study.
Romance Prediction
Portrait of a Scotsman (League of Extraordinary Women #3) by Evie Dunmore
Release date: September 7, 2021
There is almost zero doubt in my mind that the third book of this beloved series will be the BOTM romance pick for September! Even if it is not the main pick, I still see this being an add-on option. BOTM is generally pretty good about finishing series if they were popular with members.
Hattie, a banking heiress, and Lucian, Hattie’s father’s business rival, find themselves promised to each other after a bit of a scandal and are not happy about the arrangement. Portrait of a Scotsman features a marriage of convenience with an enemies-to-lovers twist that is sure to be a hit with fans of this historical romance series!
Mystery Prediction
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Release date: September 7, 2021
Lisa Jewell is a safe bet for a mystery pick, but I could also see BOTM making this an add on since it is a repeat author. I’ve been told by a trusted reviewer that this is their favorite Lisa Jewell book, so I am really excited to get my hands on it either way!
A teen mom goes missing after a date. Two years later, a girl walking the woods near a boarding school finds a note on a tree instructing someone to “Dig Here.” What happened the night of the teen mom’s date and how is it connected to the woods near the boarding school?
Fantasy Prediction
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
I hate to even mention this one and get anyone’s hopes up, but last year we were surprised by The Invisible Life of Addie la Rue by V.E. Schwab, which was also a book published by Tor. So I feel like maybe there is a chance this will pop up, especially since BOTM has been picking fantasy more often this year. Under the Whispering Door follows a man who is given a second chance at life for one week before crossing over to the other side.
Literary Fiction Prediction
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Release date: September 28, 2021
This is a genre-bending novel sure to be on many BOTM member’s radar! Honestly, I’m not even sure which genre I should make this the prediction for because it sounds like there may be some fantastical elements to the story. Set in three different time periods, Cloud Cuckoo Land explores characters entering adulthood during challenging times and places. The characters become beautifully intertwined as a common story connects them.
Historical Fiction Prediction
The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli
Release date: September 21, 2021
Everything about this from the story to the cover screams BOTM pick! Told in dual timelines, this historical fiction novel that explores the mysterious subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the museum employees who went to incredible lengths to keep the painting safe during World War II. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, but even I think this sounds incredible and hope it is a BOTM pick in September!
Add On Predictions
Add on books are never guaranteed, but members have come to expect at least one new add on book each month. These books can not be chosen as a main pack in your box, but they can be added to your box for $9.99 each.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Release Date: September 14, 2021
This seems like a pretty safe bet for BOTM, but they’ve only had one of the author’s previous books as a pick before. Honestly, I think this cover is awful so it hasn’t made me super interested.
Apples Never Fall is about the Delaney family and their missing mother. A mysterious stranger showed up at their house one night and then both the stranger and the family matriarch are gone. Some of the children suspect their father has something to do with it, but the others aren’t so sure.
The Last Graduate (A Deadly Education #2) by Naomi Novik
I am only mentioning this one because I think there is a very small possibility BOTM picks up the second book in this series. Since they pulled the book from the app entirely after a controversy last year and never restocked it, I don’t think we will see it as an add-on (even though they’ve picked the author’s books a couple of times), but I felt it was worth mentioning for those who may not know the sequel is coming out.
Do you agree with my predictions? What book do you hope shows up as a August 2021 BOTM pick? Let me know in the comments!
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