I’ve tried different book subscriptions, but the only one that’s stuck is Book of the Month. I think it’s because it’s simple: no book swag, just the best new books releasing each month. It’s constantly exposing me to authors and books I never would have learned about any other way. Out of all of the books I got this year, these were my five favorites from Book of the Month.
The Wishing Game
About the Book
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Genre: Fantasy
Book Review
A whimsical, heartfelt tale about how favorite childhood books have the power to change lives.
Sarah, a broke teaching assistant, wants nothing more than to adopt her sweet protege, Christopher. But her finances block her from even being considered as a foster parent for him. Instead, they share a love of the Clock Island Adventures book series and dream of a better tomorrow.
When Sara gets invited to the real Clock Island to participate in a competition run by the reclusive writer, she has to confess to Christopher she’s been there before: she once ran away from her unloving home to seek refuge on the island. The prize would secure her and Christopher’s future, if her knowledge of the book series and its creator is enough to win.
Sara’s great as Christopher’s fierce protector, who believes above all else he deserves to be loved. She also meets a fascinating cover artist named Hugo, who’s made his own home on the island for several years. Sparks fly as the two begin to figure out what makes the other tick.
Clock Island is part fantasy, part run-down dream. The creator of the book series started to bring his books to life on his own private island, but never finished. It’s a playful place, where the numbers of the clock are marked by places: the lighthouse at twelve, the beach at five, the wishing well at eight.
This book reminds readers of the power of imagination and a will to make dreams come true.
The Unmaking of June Farrow
About the Book
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
Genre: Fantasy, Suspense
Book Review
You can only walk through the door three times.
When June Farrow begins to see things that aren’t really there, she thinks she’s falling prey to the madness that led to her mother’s disappearance and has haunted generations of Farrow women. She’s determined to keep herself sane as long as possible, working with a doctor on bloodwork and keeping a journal of the mysterious happenings. But when her grandmother dies, she inherits a mysterious picture, and suddenly everything June thought she knew turns upside down. She knows she must walk through the mysterious door that keeps appearing to find out what’s happening to her.
A spellbinding story that weaves together generations of Farrow women and the choices they each made when confronted with the door.
Spanning generations, this is part love story, part fight for survival as one woman tries to break the curse that has plagued her family.
The Vampires of El Norte
About the Book
The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Genre: Gothic Fiction, Thriller
Book Review
A second-chance love story set against a horrifying backdrop of monsters both human and supernatural.
Captivating and terrifying, this book takes a look at the dark heart of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to seize that which they covet – land. When Nena and Nestor are children, they face a terrifying monster that gravely injures Nena. Believing her dead, Nestor flees. Now grown up, he returns to find Nena alive. But she wants nothing to do with him, believing he abandoned her. As the daughter of a hacienda owner, her path should have never crossed with a vaquero’s son in the first place, but both find old feelings rising to the surface. Now Nestor must fight literal monsters while trying to win Nena’s love and overcome their class differences.
Set in what will become the state of Texas, this book dove into a time period I didn’t know much about, when Mexican landowners and Texas Rangers fought for control of territory. The brutality Nena’s family faces is heart wrenching.
Nena and Nestor’s forbidden love story brings much-needed warmth and life to the book. It provides a perfect counterpoint to the terror of the vampires they must fight. The author leans into the monstrousness of vampire legends, shying away from humanizing them at all.
A captivating, page turning story of love in the time of monsters.
Advika and the Hollywood Wives
About the Book
Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Review
A whirlwind romance takes a dark turn when Advika begins to suspect her husband makes a habit of pursuing talented women and ending their careers.
This book shows how easy it can be for anyone, even someone strong and talented, to fall into a toxic relationship. Advika is a struggling screenwriter who’s bartending part-time at A list events when she meets Julian, a much-older man who’s just won an Oscar. He sweeps her off her feet, whisking her away to a fancy house on the beach. But Advika begins to suspect he’s sabotaging her career at the same time his first wife dies and offers Advika a million dollars in her will if she’ll divorce Julian. Advika begins digging into Julian’s past – giving each of his past wives a voice as Advika learns their stories through journals, interviews and a failed reality TV show.
This was a fascinating peak at four strong women and a man who struggled to keep up.
The Kingdom of Sweets
About the Book
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
Genre: Fantasy
Book Review
In this darkly gothic reimagining of the Nutcracker, Clara and her twin sister Natasha are whisked away to a land of sweets that slowly gives way to the grim horror that lies beneath.
Twins born on Christmas are supposed to be lucky, but Natasha has never felt that. At her christening, her mysterious godfather named her “Dark” and her sister Clara “Light.” Now beautiful Clara dances, the center of society, while Natasha hides in the shadows. But when Clara allows herself to become engaged to the boy Natasha loves, dark forces both within and without conspire to set Natasha and Clara on a collision course. Their envy and hate will define the rest of their lives.
This book is both gorgeous and gruesome, a well-imagined delight, whether the setting is historic Russia or the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I enjoyed the nods to the original story, but the author adds in her own elements, including a mysterious toymaker who makes magical toys with a dark side. In the magical land, dark forces thrive on vengeance, showcasing the way the sisters hurt each other as they each were trapped in the role society had for them.
This book has some interesting things to say about beauty and societal expectations, but it’s all wrapped in the trappings of a dark nightmare of a fairy tale.
Need more recommendations? Find all of my book lists here.
