Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a

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subscription The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century, and ...

-based

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manageme ...

service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members choose which book they would like to receive, similar to how the club originally operated when it began in 1926. Members can also discuss the books with fellow members in an online forum. In late 2015, in concert with the club's 90th year, the club announced a relaunch into its current iteration. Within two years, the club had grown its membership to more than 100,000 members, primarily millennial women, and the club's presence on social media grew to over 1.2 million instagram followers. Approximately 75% of the club's titles are by up-and-coming authors, and 80% of titles are fiction. The club has also worked with a series of celebrity guest judges who bring broader awareness to new titles, and continues producing its own versions of books that feature special endpapers and casings. In 2016, the club launched a Book of the Year award. In 2017, the club debuted its first ever television advertisement called "Monthly". The club has a tradition of focusing on debut and emerging writers, and is known for having helped launch the careers of some of the most acclaimed authors in American literary history. In 1926 (its first year in operation), the Club featured

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

's ''

The Sun Also Rises ''The Sun Also Rises'' is a 1926 novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, his first, that portrays American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the bu ...

''. In 1936 (its tenth year), the Club selected ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Win ...

'' by unknown author

Margaret Mitchell Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the American Civil War-era novel '' Gone with the Wind'', for which she wo ...

. Mitchell wrote: "I wanted to thank

ook of the Month Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, th ...

from the bottom of my heart for selecting my book. It was quite the most exciting and unexpected thing that ever happened to me." In 1951 (its 25th year), the club distributed its 100 millionth book and selected

J.D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger (; January 1, 1919 January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel ''The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger got his start in 1940, before serving in World War II, by publishing several short stories in ''S ...

's ''

The Catcher in the Rye ''The Catcher in the Rye'' is an American novel by J. D. Salinger that was partially published in serial form from 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst ...

'', which became both the most-censored and the most-taught book in America. In 1978, the Club selected ''

By the Rivers of Babylon ''By the Rivers of Babylon'' is a 1978 thriller novel by Nelson DeMille Nelson Richard DeMille (born August 23, 1943) is an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include '' Plum Island'', '' The Charm School'', ...

'', the first book by

Nelson DeMille Nelson Richard DeMille (born August 23, 1943) is an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include '' Plum Island'', '' The Charm School'', and '' The Gold Coast''. DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack ...

, who later wrote: "I will be forever grateful to Book of the Month for ensuring that my first book, ''By the Rivers of Babylon'', was not my last. When the Club selected ''Babylon'' in 1978, it reached hundreds of thousands of additional readers and became an instant best-seller."

History

Harry Scherman Harry Scherman (February 1, 1887 – November 12, 1969) was an American publisher and economist, most notable as the co-founder of the Book of the Month Club. He also wrote four books on economics. Biography Early life and education Isaac Harry ...

was a copywriter for the

J. Walter Thompson J. Walter Thompson (JWT) was an advertisement holding company incorporated in 1896 by American advertising pioneer James Walter Thompson. The company was acquired in 1987 by multinational holding company WPP plc, and in November 2018, WPP merge ...

advertising agency An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally ...

in 1916 when he set out to create the " Little Leather Library". With his partners Max Sackheim, and Charles and

Albert Boni Albert Boni (October 29, 1892, New York City – July 31, 1981, Ormond Beach, Florida) was co-founder of the publishing company Boni & Liveright and a pioneering publisher in paperbacks and book clubs. Biography Born in 1892 to a Jewish family i ...

, Scherman began a mail order service that offered "30 Great Books For $2.98" (miniature reprints "bound in limp Redcroft") and sold 40 million copies in its first five years."

," ''Current Biography'' 1943, pp 669-671 Sackheim and Scherman then founded their own ad agency devoted entirely to marketing books. The problems of building interest in a new book led Scherman to create, along with Sackheim and Robert Haas (son of

Kalman Haas Kalman Haas (1847–1920) was an American businessman, co-founder of the Haas Brothers and member of the Haas family. Biography Haas was born to a Jewish family in Reckendorf, Bavaria, one of nine children including brothers Charles A. (b. 1825) ...

), the Book-of-the-Month Club in 1926. As Scherman explained it, the club itself would be a "standard brand". "It establishes itself as a sound selector of good books and sells by means of its own prestige. Thus, the prestige of each new title need not be built up before becoming acceptable," he explained later. After starting with 4,000 subscribers, the club had more than 550,000 within twenty years. The size of the club did in fact create the Book of the Month Club as a brand. Being a "Book of the Month Club" selection was used to promote books to the general public. Book of the Month Club was acquired by

Time Inc. Time Inc. was an American worldwide mass media corporation founded on November 28, 1922, by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden and based in New York City. It owned and published over 100 magazine brands, including its namesake ''Time'', ''Sports Illu ...

in 1977; Time Inc. merged with

Warner Communications Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

in 1989. The original judges panel was eliminated in 1994. In 2000, the Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc. merged with Doubleday Direct, Inc. The resulting company,

Bookspan Bookspan LLC is a New York–based online bookseller, founded in 2000. Bookspan began as a joint endeavor by Bertelsmann and Time Warner. Bertelsmann took over control in 2007, and a year later, sold its interest to Najafi Companies, an Arizo ...

, was a joint venture between

Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

and Bertelsmann until 2007 when Bertelsmann took over complete ownership. In 2008, Bertelsmann sold its US subscription business to the private equity firm Najafi Companies. In 2013, Najafi sold Bookspan to current parent company Pride Tree Holdings, Inc.

Membership terms

The club operates a subscription program, similar to other box subscription services, where customers select a membership plan for a set period of time (3-months, 6-months or 12-months) and books are shipped to all members during the first seven days of the month. Historically, when the club operated through mail-order catalogs, membership involved a "negative response" system whereby a member was shipped the monthly selection on a particular date if the selection was not declined before that date. Members had the option to respond by declining the selection or opting to order another book or merchandise instead. No response was deemed acceptance of the selection.

Book of the Year Award

In late 2016, the club announced its first annual Book of the Year Award, the finalists for which are chosen by the club's members. The award is called the "Lolly", in tribute to ''

Lolly Willowes ''Lolly Willowes; or The Loving Huntsman'' is a novel by English writer Sylvia Townsend Warner, her first, published in 1926. It has been described as an early feminist classic. Title "Lolly" is the version of Laura's name used by her family a ...

'', the first book selected by the club back in 1926. "Lolly Willowes" was written by

Sylvia Townsend Warner Sylvia Nora Townsend Warner (6 December 1893 – 1 May 1978) was an English novelist, poet and musicologist, known for works such as ''Lolly Willowes'', '' The Corner That Held Them'', and ''Kingdoms of Elfin''. Life Sylvia Townsend Warner wa ...

, who later went on to become a prolific writer and even wrote short stories for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''. In 2017, the award added a $10,000 prize, and the winner was

The Heart's Invisible Furies ''The Heart's Invisible Furies'' is a social novel by Irish people, Irish novelist John Boyne and published by Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday in 2017. The story revolves around the life of Cyril, who struggles with his sexuality, but it takes ...

by Irish author

John Boyne John Boyne (born 30 April 1971) is an Irish novelist. He is the author of eleven novels for adults and six novels for younger readers. His novels are published in over 50 languages. His 2006 novel ''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' was adapte ...

. In 2018, the members voted ''

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an Magician (paranormal), enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion. She is either a daughter of the Titans, Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse (mythology), Perse ...

'' by

Madeline Miller Madeline Miller (born July 24, 1978) is an American novelist, author of ''The Song of Achilles'' (2011) and ''Circe'' (2018). Miller spent ten years writing ''The Song of Achilles'' while she worked as a teacher of Latin and Greek. The novel tell ...

as best book of the year. In 2019, the members voted ''Daisy Jones & The Six'' by

Taylor Jenkins Reid Taylor Jenkins Reid is an American author most known for her novels '' The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'', '' Daisy Jones & The Six'', and ''Malibu Rising''. Career Reid graduated from Emerson College in Boston and majored in media studies. She ...

as best book of the year. In 2020, the members voted ''

The Vanishing Half ''The Vanishing Half'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Brit Bennett. It is her second novel and was published by Riverhead Books in 2020. The novel debuted at number one on ''The New York Times'' fiction best-seller list. HBO ac ...

'' by

Brit Bennett Brit Bennett is an American writer based in Los Angeles. Her debut novel ''The Mothers (novel), The Mothers'' (2016) was a ''The New York Times, New York Times'' best-seller. Her second novel, ''The Vanishing Half'' (2020), was also a ''New York ...

as best book of the year.

Winners by Year

2016:

Bryn Greenwood Bryn is a Welsh word meaning hill. It may also refer to: Places United Kingdom See also UK location England * Bryn, Greater Manchester ** Bryn (ward), an electoral ward in Wigan ** Bryn railway station * Cornwall Wales * Bryn, an electoral div ...

- ''

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All al ...

'' *

Paul Kalanithi Paul Sudhir Arul Kalanithi (April 1, 1977 – March 9, 2015) was an American neurosurgeon and writer. His book ''When Breath Becomes Air'' is a memoir about his life and illness with stage IV metastatic lung cancer. It was posthumously published ...

- ''

When Breath Becomes Air ''When Breath Becomes Air'' is a non-fiction autobiographical book written by American neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi. It is a memoir about his life and battling stage IV metastatic lung cancer. It was posthumously published by Random House on Januar ...

'' *

Ruth Ware Ruth Ware (born 1977), alias for Ruth Warburton, is a British psychological crime thriller author. Her novels include ''In a Dark, Dark Wood'' (2015), ''The Woman in Cabin 10'' (2016), ''The Lying Game'' (2017), ''The Death of Mrs Westaway'' (201 ...

- ''The Woman in Cabin 10'' *

Blake Crouch William Blake Crouch (born October 15, 1978) is an American author best known for his '' Wayward Pines Trilogy'', which was adapted into the 2015 television series ''Wayward Pines''. Early life and education Crouch was born near the town of St ...

- ''

Dark Matter Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...

'' *

Amor Towles Amor Towles (born 1964) is an American novelist. He is best known for his bestselling novels ''Rules of Civility'' (2011), ''A Gentleman in Moscow'' (2016), and ''The Lincoln Highway'' (2021). Early life and education Towles was born and raise ...

- ''

A Gentleman in Moscow ''A Gentleman in Moscow'' is a 2016 novel by Amor Towles. It is his second novel, published five years after his The New York Times Best Seller list, '' New York Times'' best seller, ''Rules of Civility'' (2011). Background The protagonist is ...

'' 2017:

- ''

'' *

- '' The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'' *

Jesmyn Ward Jesmyn Ward (born April 1, 1977) is an American novelist and a Professor of English at Tulane University, where she holds the Andrew W. Mellon Professorship in the Humanities. She won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction for her second novel ...

- ''

Sing, Unburied, Sing ''Sing, Unburied, Sing'' is the third novel by the American author Jesmyn Ward and published by Scribner in 2017. It focuses on a family in the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi. The novel received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and ...

'' *

Celeste Ng Celeste Ng ( ) (born July 30, 1980) is an American writer and novelist. She has released many short stories that have been published in a variety of literary journals. Ng's first novel, '' Everything I Never Told You'', released on June 26, 20 ...

- '' Little Fires Everywhere'' *

Ruth Emmie Lang Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

- ''

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances Beast most often refers to: * Non-human animal * Monster Beast or Beasts may also refer to: Bible * Beast (Revelation), two beasts described in the Book of Revelation Computing and gaming * Beast (card game), English name of historical Fren ...

'' 2018:

- ''

'' *

Tayari Jones Tayari Jones (born November 30, 1970) is an American author and academic known for '' An American Marriage'', which was a 2018 Oprah's Book Club Selection, and won the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction. Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, the ...

- ''

An American Marriage ''An American Marriage'' is a novel by the American author Tayari Jones. It is her fourth novel and was published by Algonquin Books on February 6, 2018. In February 2018, the novel was chosen for Oprah's Book Club 2.0. The novel also won the 2019 ...

'' *

Helen Hoang Helen Hoang (born 1982) is the pen name of an American romance novelist, best known for her best-selling debut novel ''The Kiss Quotient''. Career Prior to being published, Hoang wrote paranormal and fantasy romances with a martial arts ben ...

- ''

The Kiss Quotient ''The Kiss Quotient'' is a 2018 novel written by Helen Hoang. It follows Stella, an autistic woman who hires an escort in order to explore intimacy with other people. Development Hoang wrote the first draft of what would become ''The Kiss Quot ...

'' *

Kristin Hannah Kristin Hannah (born September 25, 1960) is an American writer. Her most notable works include ''Winter Garden'', '' The Nightingale'', ''Firefly Lane'', '' The Great Alone'', and ''The Four Winds''. Biography Kristin Hannah was born in Californ ...

- ''

The Great Alone ''The Great Alone'' is a historical fiction novel written by American author Kristin Hannah published by St. Martin's Press in 2018. The story follows the Allbright family's move to the Alaskan wilderness and the ensuing challenges they face ther ...

'' * A.J. Finn - '' The Woman in the Window'' 2019: Taylor Jenkins Reid - '' Daisy Jones & The Six'' *

- ''

Recursion Recursion (adjective: ''recursive'') occurs when a thing is defined in terms of itself or of its type. Recursion is used in a variety of disciplines ranging from linguistics to logic. The most common application of recursion is in mathematics ...

'' *

Etaf Rum Etaf Rum is a Palestinian American novelist. Her debut novel is ''A Woman is No Man'' (2019). Early life and education Etaf Rum was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City to Palestinian people, Palestinian parents. Her parents grew up in ref ...

- ''

A Woman is No Man A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...

'' *

William Kent Krueger William Kent Krueger is an American novelist and crime writer, best known for his series of novels featuring Cork O'Connor, which are set mainly in Minnesota. In 2005 and 2006, he won back-to-back Anthony Awards for best novel. In 2014, his stan ...

- '' This Tender Land'' *

Alex Michaelides Alex Michaelides (born 1977) is a bestselling British Cypriot author and screenwriter. His debut novel, the psychological thriller '' The Silent Patient,'' is a ''New York Times'' and '' Sunday Times'' bestseller, with over 6.5 million copies sold ...

- ''

The Silent Patient ''The Silent Patient'' is a 2019 psychological thriller novel written by British–Cypriot author Alex Michaelides. The successful debut novel was published by Celadon Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers, on 5 February 2019. The audiobook v ...

'' 2020:

- ''

'' *

Abi Daré Abimbola "Abi" Daré is a Nigerian author and public speaker who now lives in Essex, England. In 2018 she won the Bath Novel Award, and was a finalist in the Literary Consultancy Pen Factor 2018. Her debut novel ''The Girl With The Louding Voice ...

- ''

The Girl with the Louding Voice ''The Girl with the Louding Voice'' is a 2020 coming of age novel and the debut novel of Nigerian writer Abi Daré. It tells the story of a teenage Nigerian girl called Adunni who becomes a maid and struggles with many things growing up, inclu ...

'' *

Lucy Foley Lucy Foley is a British author of contemporary, historical fiction and mystery novels. Her novels ''The Paris Apartment'' and ''The Guest List'' are ''New York Times'' best sellers. Education Foley studied English literature at University Col ...

- ''The Guest List'' *

Fredrik Backman Fredrik Backman (born 2 June 1981) is a Swedish author, blogger, and columnist. He wrote '' A Man Called Ove'' (2012), ''Things My Son Needs to Know about the World'' (2012), '' My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry'' (2013), ''Britt-M ...

- ''Anxious People'' *

V.E. Schwab Victoria Elizabeth (V. E.) Schwab (born July 7, 1987) is an American writer. She is known for the 2013 novel ''Vicious (novel), Vicious'', the ''A Darker Shade of Magic, Shades of Magic'' series, and ''The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue'', which w ...

- ''

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ''The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue'' is a fantasy novel by the American author V. E. Schwab. It was published by Tor Books on October 6, 2020. The story follows a young French woman in 1714 who makes a Deal with the Devil, bargain with the Dark ...

'' 2021: Kristin Hannah - ''

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'' *

- ''

Malibu Rising Malibu Rising is a historical fiction novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, published June 1, 2021 by Ballantine Books. The book was a ''New York Times'' best seller. It is being adapted by Hulu into a TV show. Plot The prologue opens with Malibu's h ...

'' *

Emily Henry Emily Henry is an American author who is best known for her ''New York Times'' bestselling romance novels '' Beach Read'', ''People We Meet on Vacation'', '' Book Lovers'', and '' Happy Place''. Biography Henry attended high school in Cincinnati ...

- ''

People We Meet on Vacation ''People We Meet on Vacation'' is a romance novel by Emily Henry, published May 11, 2021 by Berkley Books. The book is a ''New York Times'' best seller. Overview ''People We Meet on Vacation'' follows Poppy and Alex, two best friends who are ...

'' *

S.A. Cosby Shawn Andre Cosby (born August 4, 1973, in Newport News, Virginia) is an American author of "Southern United States literature, Southern noir" crime fiction. He resides in Gloucester, Virginia, on the York River (Virginia), York River. Cosby has ...

- ''

Razorblade Tears ''Razorblade Tears: A Novel'' is a crime novel by S.A. Cosby, published in July 2021 by Flatiron Books. This novel debuted at number 10 on the New York Times bestseller list. Jerry Bruckheimer's company has "optioned the story for Paramount. ...

'' *

Sarah Penner Sarah Penner is an American author. Her debut novel, ''The Lost Apothecary'', is a The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times'' best seller. Personal life Penner was born and raised in northeast Kansas. She attended the University o ...

- ''

The Lost Apothecary ''The Lost Apothecary'' is a New York Times bestseller debut book written by Sarah Penner. Fox Broadcasting Company is developing a television adaptation of the novel. Reception ''The Lost Apothecary'' is a The New York Times Best Seller lis ...

References

External links

Book of the Month website
* Book-of-the-Month Club Records. Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. {{DEFAULTSORT:Book Of The Month Club Direct marketing Bertelsmann Publishing companies established in 1926 Book publishing companies of the United States Entertainment companies of the United States Book clubs 1923 establishments in the United States

History

Membership terms

Book of the Year Award

Winners by Year

References

Further reading

External links