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I have…thoughts about the May 2023 Book of the Month picks. I’m a little disappointed by the number of repeat authors and April releases. Most people who were excited for the April releases have already purchased those books, so I feel like those spots were not used wisely for Book of the Month picks.
I know that is going to be the unpopular opinion. But hopefully you are happy with the picks and found something to get excited about this month!
You can join Book of the Month for only $5 using my link.
Related: Is a Book of the Month Subscription Worth It?
In case you didn’t know, Book of the Month (BOTM) is my favorite monthly book subscription box. I love the anticipation of finally seeing the 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 5-7 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 $10.99 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!
May Book of the Month Picks
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
Release date: April 25, 2023
Repeat Author
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.13
After posting a negative book review, a woman living in a remote location begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy—or very, very dangerous—in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.
Book of the Month threw me by picking The Last Word because they did not pick up the author’s last book. The trend has been if they don’t pick the author’s next book, then they typically don’t pick anything from that author again. Now they’ve complicated my prediction process each month because I will need to keep this is mind! I did add this to my May box but I don’t have high hopes for it.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Release Date: April 11, 2023
Repeat Author
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.50
Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.
And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.
I was a little disappointed to see this as a May pick since it was released in April, but I was influenced and ended up adding it to my box.
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Debut Author
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.35
Mikki Brammer’s The Collected Regrets of Clover is a big-hearted and life-affirming debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own, for readers of The Midnight Library.
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
Release date: May 2, 2023
Repeat author
Current Goodreads Rating:
From the bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes, a masterful novel about a couple in a small town who must navigate the complexities of marriage, family, and longing.
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul
Release date: May 2, 2023
Debut author
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.14
A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz
Paper Names by Susie Luo
Release date: May 2, 2023
Repeat Author
New Add-Ons
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Release date: May 2, 2023
Current Goodreads Rating:
When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Release Date: May 16, 2023
Repeat Author
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.46
Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script—from the New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners.
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Release date: May 2, 2023
Repeat Author
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.49
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Debut novel
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.40
A blazing novel set in the world of Ancient Greece, this is a thrilling tale of power and prophecies, of hatred, love, and of an unforgettable Queen who fiercely dealt out death to those who wronged her.
What book(s) did you end up picking in May? Let me know in the comments!
The Collected Regrets of Clover