A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
Want to rekindle your love for reading or give the gift of a good story? Book of the Month Club makes it easy with vetted new releases.
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Buying a gift for a bookish loved one should be easy. But when they already have dozens of bookmarks, book lights and a dedicated e-reader, the pool of gifts for book lovers dwindles. And let’s be honest—buying a book for voracious readers is like playing a guessing game. Reading is a personal hobby. Numerous factors, such as genre and author, contribute to a person’s taste. It’s almost impossible to blindly buy a book that appeals to a friend or family member unless you know exactly what’s on their wishlist.
When it comes to finding gifts for book lovers, our editors found a foolproof hack: Book of the Month Club. This monthly book subscription allows readers to choose a book from a pool of new releases. Each month delivers a roster of 5-6 freshly published novels across several genres, all pre-vetted by book lovers. A synopsis is provided for each, so your recipient can pick exactly what they like to read—no gift receipt needed! Here are all the reasons why Book of the Month Club ranked as the best gift of 2025.
Surprise the reader in your life with a fresh new book every. single. month. Even better? It's shipped directly to their door!
Instead of blind book subscriptions, Book of the Month Club provides a selection of options—all new releases from both well-known and rising authors—and subscribers choose the one they’d like to read each month. The site offers about five book picks, spanning several different genres that differ from month to month. Subscriptions are charged monthly, but you can also purchase a specific duration of 3, 6 or 12 months as a gift.
Books arrive as hardcovers by default, but digital readers also have the option of snagging their book in audio format. All picks are newly published, but some choices are early exclusives that have yet to reach shelves, giving readers a peek at upcoming literature. And if you don’t love a month’s offerings, you can choose to skip the month and bank your credits for use on a future book you do like.
We also appreciate that Book of the Month Club incorporates details that make it feel like a real club, complete with bespoke book covers. Each comes with a Book of the Month logo on the dust jacket, as well as an embellishment with the month and year on the cover. They’re also all the same size, which lends to a cohesive look on your shelves. Even the packages are fun to find on your front porch with their eye-catching blue box and large logo.
Deputy Shopping Editor Katie Bandurski is a huge fan of the service. She 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. I also tried the service for three months, from September to November 2025, and had a similarly impressive experience.
“I like that Book of the Month doesn’t pigeonhole itself into specific genre recommendations every month,” says Bandurski. “In August, for example, there were no historical fiction titles. But in July, there were two. This makes me feel they are truly recommending the best of the best in new releases.”
After enjoying six months of reads, Bandurski notes that the service truly shines in its curation. Ultimately, she chose Husbands & Lovers by repeat author Beatriz Williams as her first novel. That said, it was a tough choice—all the offerings sounded equally exciting. The selections continued to spark her interest each month as her subscription went on. And, at $17.99 per hardcover book, the cost per novel is less than buying the books new at Barnes & Noble.
Between the flexibility and care built into each Book of the Month club experience, it’s a surprising and delightful gift for anyone who enjoys a good read. Content Director Nicole Doster and Shopping Editor Mary Henn both gave the book subscription as a gift during the 2024 holiday season—to rave reviews from their loved ones.
“I needed a gift for the family member who ‘has everything’ and also loves books—and BOTM was the perfect find,” Henn explains. “With BOTM, she can choose books she doesn’t already own from a curated list. Buying a subscription as a gift is super easy, too! I opted for a physical card, which was tucked in a little gift basket with other goodies.”
Our tester (an avid reader) was wow-ed by the thoughtful, curated books each month.
Those seeking the perfect gift for their favorite readers (or for themselves—we don’t judge) can subscribe on the Book of the Month club website.
Prices start at $17.99 per book, though the brand frequently offers the first book for only $9.99. There’s also the option to purchase three, six or 12-book memberships, priced at $59.99, $99.99 and $199.99, respectively. Give the gift of choice to bookish friends and family and guarantee they end up with a fiction novel they’re actually a fan of!
