KATIE BANDURSKI FOR TASTE OF HOME
Pros:
- High-quality books you can trust
- Mix of new and established authors
- Choice of hardcover or audiobook
- 5-7 selections per month
- Diverse genres and plot lines
- Fast, free shipping
- Easy to cancel or pause
Cons:
- Book selections skew toward female readers
- No curation; all picks are the same for each member
Out of all the services we tested, Book of the Month Club tops our list as the best book subscription. After creating an account, readers are treated to a page with all of the month’s selections for both hardbacks and audiobooks. Each month, members follow this formula by choosing from a collection of five to seven curated new releases. Each book only costs $17.99 with free shipping, making it one of the best budget options we tried.
“If you’re an avid reader with a keen eye for new releases, you can’t beat the Book of the Month club. This subscription service is like having a well-read friend preview all the best new books on the market and send their top recommendations your way every single month,” says Deputy Editor Katie Bandurski in her Book of the Month Club review.
KATIE BANDURSKI FOR TASTE OF HOME
Katie initially tested Book of the Month Club for three months in 2024—July, August and September. To ensure the service holds up, she retested it roughly a year later in May, June and July 2025. Each time, she’s left impressed with the service. In fact, her and two other editors have gifted this service to friends and family, and it’s always received well.
“One other cool aspect of Book of the Month Club is that these titles aren’t the same trade hardback books you’d pick up at Barnes & Noble,” says Katie. “Each cover includes a Book of the Month logo on the dust jacket, as well as an embellishment with the month and year on the cover. The books are all a standard size, too, for easy display on your bookcase.”
Between the prioritization of new releases and quality of the picks, Book of the Month Club is an appealing gift for friends, family, or even yourself. Plus, it’s a great way to save money if you’re an avid reader. Katie notes that as of press time, each of the books (including her favorite inclusion, “Husbands & Lovers” by Beatriz Williams) cost less than the asking price at both Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
EMILY WAY FOR TASTE OF HOME
Pros:
- Very inexpensive
- Gives new life to old books
- Lots of genres available
- Books match genre picks
- Choice of either two or four books per month
Cons:
- Titles are not new releases
- Some books arrive visibly used
- Underwhelming packaging
CrateJoy is home to many of our favorite food subscription boxes. But the website also offers tons of other gift of the month clubs, including one of my favorites: Used Books Monthly. Unlike other book of the month clubs, titles are not new releases. Instead, they’re older titles that may have flown under my radar, which is pretty fun if you’re always looking for new authors like I am.
Each month, subscribers receive a package that includes two or four gently used books that match their preferred genre. Available genres range from historical to fantasy and science fiction. There’s also a handy text box upon checkout. This allows customers to include any notes about their favorite authors or additional specifics related to their chosen genres. My favorite inclusion during my three month subscription was “Amped” by Daniel H. Wilson, a gripping philosophical science fiction novel from a new-to-me author.
EMILY WAY FOR TASTE OF HOME
It’s worth noting that this is a budget service at only $8 to $16 per month, depending on the number of books. As such, the packaging isn’t anything fancy—it’s just a standard manila envelope. Because of this, it may not be the best service for gifting. That said, the books are packaged with care and arrived with only slight damage from previous readers. It’s clear that Used Books Monthly vets each option to ensure it meets their quality standards.
While this isn’t a luxe book club that offers new releases and snazzy add-ons, it’s an excellent way to breathe new life into older titles. Each of the books I received fell directly into my genre picks and introduced me to titles and authors I never would have otherwise heard of! For someone like me who appreciates a little surprise each month, this is a great option that’s also sustainable.
EMILY WAY FOR TASTE OF HOME
Pros:
- All inclusions are classics
- Books wrapped in gift paper
- Included coffee is locally roasted and fresh
- Many books come with a custom dust jacket
Cons:
- Inconsistent branding and quality
- Shipping from the UK is pricey
Bookishly’s Book Club is ideal for those who love brewing up a hot beverage while they’re thumbing through a classic. Each month offers a new literary classic, along with a bag of freshly roasted coffee or espresso beans. Because this service ships from the U.K., shipping is a bit pricier than usual. However, the subscription itself is relatively inexpensive at only around $17.55 per month.
Editor Mary Henn was impressed with the attention to detail in her first and third shipments, which contained copies of “Persuasion” and “Five Children and It.” She especially loves that each book comes wrapped in printed paper. This makes unboxing feel like unwrapping a gift, adding to the surprise element.
EMILY WAY FOR TASTE OF HOME
“The first and third packages arrived as described, each containing a paperback literary classic with Bookishly’s exclusively designed dust jacket and a matching bookmark. Both also included PERKuLATTE coffee grounds and a ‘Classic of the Month’ card that matched the design on the dust jacket and bookmark,” she says.
As for the second box, it wasn’t quite the same experience. Mary notes that instead of a new book with a custom dust jacket and matching synopsis card, she received a vintage copy of “Howards End.” While she appreciates the inclusion of vintage books, she also was surprised by this as vintage books are not in the club’s description. Even still, Mary enjoyed the service and would recommend it to folks who appreciate classic literature.
For those who prefer tea to coffee, there’s also a tea and classics option.
KATIE BANDURSKI FOR TASTE OF HOME
Pros:
- Excellent array of books and fun add-ons
- Giftable packaging
- Popular authors and fairly new releases
- Customization options available
- Good value
Cons:
- Pricier than other subscriptions
Those looking for the best book subscription that doubles as a care package can find that with Books & More. Unlike the others on this list, literature is only half the focus. Each monthly package comes with a choice of either one or two books, plus a whole host of extras. It really feels like getting a gift in the mail every month, according to Deputy Editor Katie Bandurski.
In her boxes, she received tons of fun extras alongside a new paperback. Inclusions range from small gifts like tea bags and stickers to larger items like gratitude journals, earrings and lotion. Each book was relatively current, though not brand new. Overall, Katie’s picks ranged from 2016-2023 and skewed towards female readers. Her favorite was “One True Loves” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, an author she’s already familiar with.
KATIE BANDURSKI FOR TASTE OF HOME
“For the price, I think you get quite a lot. The value is really good. I honestly thought the boxes got better as time went on with more and bigger add-ons,” says Katie. “You do have the option to customize your box more to your liking, but I did not take advantage of that feature.”
Customizations include subbing out extras for an additional book, or rotating between extras or bonus books each month. While it’s pricier than other subscriptions at around $44.99 per month for one book, the extras make it worth the cost. It’s an excellent pick for both gifting and self care, especially for those who enjoy exploring current authors.
What to Look for When Buying a Book Subscription
When shopping for a book club, there are many considerations. First—and for many customers, most importantly—is price. Some folks don’t mind splurging a little on a service, while others prefer to save on their books. Book of the month clubs typically range wildly in price, from as little as $10 to as much as $200 per month. We recommend establishing your budget before shopping around.
Much like a tea club, there’s also personal taste to think about. While some readers enjoy customizing the experience down to choosing their own titles like with Book of the Month Club, others don’t mind—or even prefer—a surprise aspect. Either way, we encourage readers to choose a service that allows them to select their favorite genres. Or, pick a service that lets you pause each month if you choose from a pool of titles like Book of the Month Club.
Additionally, it’s important to think about the number of books you want to receive per month. Some book of the month clubs offer a single read per month, while others come with several titles. Think about how much you read and whether you’ll get through all of the titles before the next shipment.
Next, decide whether you’re open to older titles, or just want new releases. For folks who don’t mind receiving dated reads, a budget service like Used Book Club may be perfect. Those who are more interested in the latest and greatest in literature should expect to pay a bit more.
Lastly, think about whether you want additional inclusions, such as gourmet coffee, candles or other fun bonuses. While some book clubs only offer the books themselves, others come with an assortment of goodies. These typically make nice self care purchases and cozy gifts for readers.
How We Found the Best Book Subscription Boxes
To find the best book subscription boxes, we first gathered four editors who love reading and have different tastes in genres. From there, we researched the most popular book of the month clubs. After reading through hundreds of reviews, we narrowed down our list to six of the most popular services.
Each editor purchased a three month subscription to at least one of the services and documented our experiences. We took detailed notes on the entire experience, from the ordering process, customization, cost vs. value, whether the books matched our genre requests and any packaging and extras. We compiled our notes and compared the services, choosing to review only those which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Other Book Subscriptions We Tested
BookBrews: Our tester liked that each box came with a sweet chocolate-y treat and either tea or coffee, depending on the customer’s pick. The books were also spot on based on our editor’s genre picks. That said, we didn’t love that the coffee beans arrived in breathable drawstring bags—we’d definitely prefer something airtight for added freshness! We also found the price point rather high for what’s received.
Plot Twist Parcel: We do not recommend this subscription. The third parcel never came, and the two that did included “goodies” like cheap paper bookmarks and stickers. This is super disappointing because the seller advertises lotion, tea, book lights and other exciting inclusions. While the price is pretty low, you really do get what you pay for.
FAQ
How much is a book of the month subscription?
Book of the month subscription prices vary. Price are based on whether the books are new releases, how many come in a box and whether they include additional goodies. Typically, the cpst of a book of the month club ranges between $10 all the way up to $200, with most averaging at around $20.
Are book subscription boxes worth it?
For those that love surprises as much as they love reading, a book subscription box is definitely worth it. They also make great holiday and birthday gifts for bibliophiles and comforting gifts for friends going through a hard time.
Why You Should Trust Us
You could say that we’re professional gift of the month club connoisseurs at Taste of Home. Between coffee subscriptions, puzzle clubs, flower delivery and candle of the month boxes, we’ve tried more than our fair share of monthly clubs. As book lovers in our spare time, we also take our reading seriously. While testing these book of the month clubs, we explored several different genres in order to gauge the value of each. We also purchased three month subscriptions of each to test multiple shipment experiences.