Note: I received this box for free as a BOTM YA affiliate. This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you purchase using my link. This helps keep my blog running!

Perhaps you’re already heard of Book of the Month, a monthly subscription box (U.S. only) that offers five newly released hardcover books for you to choose from for $14.99/month (free shipping!). I had to cancel my subscription I have a huge number of unread books on my shelf, but I love seeing their selections every month, which range from non-fiction to thrillers to fantasy—there’s bound to be something that interests you! You can add additional books for $9.99, which is such a steal for a hardcover.

Recently, Book of the Month launched a Young Adult subscription box as well! Previously, there were a couple YA selections every once in a while, but if you love YA or are looking to read more YA, this box is perfect for you. Sign up today and get your first book for $9.99 with the code FLEX!

August Selections

For August, I picked the YA historical novel The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, and I absolutely loved it! Set in 1890 Atlanta, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a maid by day and writes an advice column under the pseudonym ‘Ms. Sweetie’ by night. I immediately loved Jo because she’s witty and self-aware, and she explores race and gender in her column. I loved seeing the perspective of a Chinese-American girl in this time period in the South.

The other August selections are:

• House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig (fantasy)
• Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry (thriller)
• Mind Games by Shana Silver (sci-fi/dystopian)
• Color Me In by Natasha Diaz (contemporary)

Past Selections

You can also add additional books from the current month & past months for $9.99. My recommendations from past selections are:

• Wicked Fox by Kat Cho (fantasy) – see my review!
• The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen (contemporary)
• With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (contemporary)
• Descendant of the Crane by Joan He (fantasy) – see my review!
• The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (contemporary)

If you’re a BOTM YA subscriber, let me know what you picked this month!

If You Liked: All Is Well

Today’s book recommendation is not young adult! Last month it was announced that Constance Wu had signed on to play the lead role in the movie adaptation of Goodbye, Vitamin so of course I bumped this book up my to-read list. Constance Wu stars in ABC’s sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and of course, starred in last year’s rom-com Crazy Rich Asians. I’m really excited to see her in more lead roles on the big screen! But, back to the book!

Premise: Ruth Young quits her job and moves in with her parents for a year when her father is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
» Purchase on Bookshop.org

My Spoiler-Free Review

Published back in 2017, Goodbye, Vitamin is written in the format of short diary entries spanning a year, and I found it to be a very relaxing rhythm. I liked Ruth’s direct tone and found her humor very charming. There are little offbeat details and the humor is slightly grim and ultimately, I thought she was both relatable and authentic.

I also felt the seriousness of Ruth’s father’s Alzheimer’s disease in her observations and reflections, the truth of the relationship between her parents, and the way her brother’s relationship with them differs from her own. Goodbye, Vitamin is so captivating and enjoyable without trying too hard. The premise isn’t dramatic but rather, devastating in its ordinariness. I was turning page after page and next thing I knew I was halfway through the book. I definitely recommend this book and I’m so excited for the movie!

I’ve compared this to the Chinese drama All Is Well because that happens to be the only drama that I’ve watched that’s about adulthood and family, and things are more complex than they may seem on the surface.