Welcome to February! A new month always excites me because it means *NEW* Book Club Selections! I am going to be profiling all of the popular mainstream book club selections this month, starting with the Book of the Month. I am a (paying) member of BOTM and have been enjoying it since the beginning (or at least the beginning of its massive relaunch). I think their selections have been great. They have profiled very buzzy books, new and hotly anticipated titles, and included many genres from YA to historical fiction to memoir and everything in between. This month did not disappoint and as an added bonus, it seems BOTM is joining forces with two of the most popular mainstream, celebrity-driven book clubs, Oprah and Jenna Bush Hager.
BOTM Description: A darker, dirtier version of Gossip Girl, where filthy-rich Manhattan kids are up to more than you would think.
THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE by Abi Daré
BOTM Description: A hopeful coming-of-age, where a young Nigerian woman strives to finish her education and live the life she wants. (This is a #ReadwithJenna selection. Jenna Bush Hager has been making monthly book club selections and profiling them on both her Instagram channels as well as on the Today Show. Her picks have been excellent thus far).
YOU ARE NOT ALONE by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
BOTM Description: An unexplained NYC suicide leads one woman to connect (accidentally-on-purpose) with a mysterious, elite group.
BOTM Description: For the Serial fans: An infamous jury is stuck with another murky murder ten years after their controversial verdict.
AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins
BOTM Description: This month, we (BOTM) are partnering with Oprah to offer her most recent Book Club pick to our members. (Lots of controversy around this one and I find it very upsetting. I understand that one of the mantras you learn in school is “write what you know,” but I didn’t realize it was such a binding piece of advice. Does this mean if you are a woman, you can’t write a novel from the point of view of a man? There have been some really great op-ed pieces on this subject and I encourage everyone to read widely. Bottomline, my heart goes out to Jeanine Cummins who has been savagely and ruthlessly attacked on social media and at signings. I recently heard that her publisher had been forced to cancel her tour to ensure her safety.)
