What’s In The Box! May 2020 Predictions

Well its that time of the month again where we make our predictions and give our reasons for why we think we’re right. As always, remember that these are just guesses and we are human- so, you know we might be wrong but we feel good about these and are happy to report that we have more than five clues this time! We aren’t sure what that means exactly but we’ll leave you to speculate about that and get on to the clues.

The 5 Main Picks

Riddle #1: “Staying Home With the Whole Flawed Family”

 All Adults Here by Emma Straub 
on May 5, 2020 
Goodreads 
When Astrid Strick witnesses a school bus accident in the center of town, it jostles loose a repressed memory from her young parenting days decades earlier. Suddenly, Astrid realizes she was not quite the parent she thought she’d been to her three, now-grown children. But to what consequence?

Astrid’s youngest son is drifting and unfocused, making parenting mistakes of his own. Her daughter is intentionally pregnant yet struggling to give up her own adolescence. And her eldest seems to measure his adult life according to standards no one else shares. But who gets to decide, so many years later, which long-ago lapses were the ones that mattered? Who decides which apologies really count? It might be that only Astrid’s thirteen-year-old granddaughter and her new friend really understand the courage it takes to tell the truth to the people you love the most.

In All Adults Here, Emma Straub’s unique alchemy of wisdom, humor, and insight come together in a deeply satisfying story about adult siblings, aging parents, high school boyfriends, middle school mean girls, the lifelong effects of birth order, and all the other things that follow us into adulthood, whether we like them to or not.
		
		 

Why It Fits: The biggest reason All Adults Here seems to fit is because it’s slated to be a “Read With Jenna” pick. What’s more, Emma is a repeat author with her novel: Modern Lovers as a previous pick. Logistics aside, it’s all about a dysfunctional family and their relationships over the year (which fits the clue). Definitely on brand for Book of the Month.

Riddle #2: “Staying Home With the Wild Exotic Animal”

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks 
on June 16, 2020 
Goodreads 
The #1 bestselling author of World War Z takes on the Bigfoot legend with a tale that blurs the lines between human and beast--and asks what we are capable of in the face of the unimaginable.

As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.

But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing--and too earth-shattering in its implications--to be forgotten.

In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate's extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it.

Kate's is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity's defiance in the face of a terrible predator's gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.

Yet it is also far more than that.

Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us--and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.

Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it--and like none you've ever read before.
		
		 

Why It Fits: World War Z was an add on a few months ago and with BOTM striving to include a solid array of pick it is unsurprising that Book of the Month would add Devolution to the catalogue. Additionally, is blurbed by a handful of authors who have been featured previous on Book of the Month including Blake Crouch (Recursion and Dark Matter), David Saderis (Calypso), and Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower and Imaginary Friend). As you can see this sci-fi horror novel is getting tons of love and attention and while not exactly BOTM normal pick, it definitely sounds like a book they would take a chance on!

Riddle #3: “Staying Home With Her Royal Highness”

 The Queen's Secret: A Novel of England's World War II Queen by Karen Harper 
on April 14, 2020 
Goodreads 
If you love Jennifer Robson or The Crown you will love New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper’s novel about Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. 

1939. As the wife of the King George VI and the mother of the future queen, Elizabeth—“the queen mother”—shows a warm, smiling face to the world. But it’s no surprise that Hitler himself calls her the “Most Dangerous Woman in Europe.” For behind that soft voice and kindly demeanor is a will of steel.

Two years earlier, George was thrust onto the throne when his brother Edward abdicated, determined to marry his divorced, American mistress Mrs. Simpson. Vowing to do whatever it takes to make her husband’s reign a success, Elizabeth endears herself to the British people, and prevents the former king and his brazen bride from ever again setting foot in Buckingham Palace.

Elizabeth holds many powerful cards, she’s also hiding damaging secrets about her past and her provenance that could prove to be her undoing.

In this riveting novel of royal secrets and intrigue, Karen Harper lifts the veil on one of the world’s most fascinating families, and how its “secret weapon” of a matriarch maneuvered her way through one of the most dangerous chapters of the century.
		
		 

Why It Fits: I’m not sure how well this one fits but it sounds like a solid historical fiction novel about Elizabeth, wife of King George VI and the mother of the future queen, Elizabeth. While the synopsis and title fit the provided clue really well, its not really blurbed by past Book of the Month authors or anything telling like that, it features a strong, independent female protagonist, which BOTM loves so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see on this one!

Riddle #4: “Staying Home With That Three Time Catfisher “

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon 
on June 9, 2020 
Goodreads 
USA Today bestselling author Farrah Rochon launches a new series about three young women who become friends when the live Tweeting of a disastrous date leads them to discover they've all been duped by the same man.

Samiah Brooks never thought she would be "that" girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she's been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah-along with his two other "girlfriends," London and Taylor-have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status . . .

For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she's always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there's no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?
		
		

Why It Fits: So a lot of guesses have this clue as being Home Before Dark by Riley Sager because Riley Sager writes under a pseydonym and he’s been a three time Book of the Month author. Its a possibility and I won’t complain if its right, but I think the book is popular enough that it won’t come out until June and there are already at least two thrillers on this list. So Emily are both fairly certain that it is going to be The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon. Its about three women who get duped by the same man- hello answer to the clue! Also, its blurbed by Jasmine Guillory, a previous Book of the Month author. So, while Riley Sager would be fun, I think we will have to wait until June for that one.

Riddle #5: “Staying Home With the Happy Couple”

 A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight 
on May 5, 2020 
Goodreads 
Big Little Lies meets Presumed Innocent in this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia, in which a woman’s brutal murder reveals the perilous compromises some couples make—and the secrets they keep—in order to stay together.

Lizzie Kitsakis is working late when she gets the call. Grueling hours are standard at elite law firms like Young & Crane, but they’d be easier to swallow if Lizzie was there voluntarily. Until recently, she’d been a happily underpaid federal prosecutor. That job and her brilliant, devoted husband Sam—she had everything she’d ever wanted. And then, suddenly, it all fell apart.

No. That’s a lie. It wasn’t sudden, was it? Long ago the cracks in Lizzie’s marriage had started to show. She was just good at averting her eyes.

The last thing Lizzie needs right now is a call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help—even if Zach Grayson is an old friend. But Zach is desperate: his wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Brooklyn brownstone. And Zach’s the primary suspect.

As Lizzie is drawn into the dark heart of idyllic Park Slope, she learns that Zach and Amanda weren’t what they seemed—and that their friends, a close-knit group of fellow parents at the exclusive Grace Hall private school, might be protecting troubling secrets of their own. In the end, she’s left wondering not only whether her own marriage can be saved, but what it means to have a good marriage in the first place.
		
		 

Why It Fits: A Good Marriage seems par the course for Book of the Month. They LOVE thrillers that feature dysfunctional marriages, marriages with dark secrets, marriages that might just not be marriages at all, the list goes on. Bonus points if the story examines the wider implications of the issue- which A Good Marriage does If that isn’t convincing enough, this thriller is blurbed by BOTM’s fiction darling Taylor Jenkins Reid. Out of all the clues this is one of the few that I feel most confident about.

The Add-Ons

Riddle #6: “Staying Home With That Devoted Carpenter”

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
on April 21, 2020
Goodreads

“I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus.” So begins the new novel from the number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings, an extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny in a time of great despair and great hope.
In her fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, a relentless seeker with a brilliant, curious mind and a daring spirit. She yearns for a pursuit worthy of her life, but finds no outlet for her considerable talents. Defying the expectations placed on women, she engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes secret narratives about neglected and silenced women. When she meets the eighteen-year-old Jesus, each is drawn to and enriched by the other’s spiritual and philosophical ideas. He becomes a floodgate for her intellect, but also the awakener of her heart.
Their marriage unfolds with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, James and Simon, and their mother, Mary. Here, Ana’s pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel, partially led by her charismatic adopted brother, Judas. She is sustained by her indomitable aunt Yaltha, who is searching for her long-lost daughter, as well as by other women, including her friend Tabitha, who is sold into slavery after she was raped, and Phasaelis, the shrewd wife of Herod Antipas. Ana’s impetuous streak occasionally invites danger. When one such foray forces her to flee Nazareth for her safety shortly before Jesus’s public ministry begins, she makes her way with Yaltha to Alexandria, where she eventually finds refuge and purpose in unexpected surroundings.
Grounded in meticulous historical research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’s life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring account of one woman’s bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place, and culture devised to silence her.

Why It Fits: This is the other one that feels pretty easy to guess. It kind of felt like whoever writes the clues was throwing all of us a bone. The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd tells the story of the fictional wife of Jesus. I loved Kidd’s novel The Dance of the Dissident Daughter and think this will be a good pick for a lot of people. Plus, its getting tons of buzz and sounds like a solid historical fiction pick for anyone looking for that.

Riddle #7: “Staying Home With the Moms’

The Book of V. by Anna Solomon
on May 5, 2020
Goodreads

Anna Solomon's kaleidoscopic novel intertwines the lives of a Brooklyn mother in 2016, a senator’s wife in 1970s Washington, D.C., and the Bible’s Queen Esther, whose stories of sex, power and desire overlap and ultimately converge—showing how women’s roles have and have not changed over thousands of years.
Lily is a mother and a daughter. And a second wife. And a writer, maybe? Or she was going to be, before she had children. Now, in her rented Brooklyn apartment, she’s grappling with her sexual and intellectual desires while also trying to manage her roles as a mother and a wife.
Vivian Barr seems to be the perfect political wife, dedicated to helping her charismatic and ambitious husband find success in Watergate-era Washington D.C. But one night he demands a humiliating favor, and her refusal to obey changes the course of her life—along with the lives of others.
Esther is a fiercely independent young woman in ancient Persia, where she and her uncle’s tribe live a tenuous existence outside the palace walls. When an innocent mistake results in devastating consequences for her people, she is offered up as a sacrifice to please the king, in the hopes that she will save them all.
Following in the tradition of The Hours and The Red Tent, The Book of V. is a bold and contemporary investigation into the enduring expectations and restraints placed on women’s lives.

Why It Fits: Okay, this is a bit of a stretch but the book is compared to Fates and Furies, which was a pick from Book of the Month and it is also blurbed by two past Book of the Month authors: Mary Beth Keane (Ask Again, Yes) and Ann Napolitano (Dear Edward). Plus, the book follows three strong women centuries apart and if there is one thing Book of the Month gravitates towards, its books with multiple timelines.

Edit to add: I am now thoroughly convinced that Happy And You Know It by Laura Hankin rather than the Book of V.

Riddle #8: “Stay Home With That IG Influencer”

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
on May 19, 2020
Goodreads

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “nothing short of brilliant” (People) Mrs. Everything returns with an unforgettable novel about friendship and forgiveness set during a disastrous wedding on picturesque Cape Cod.
Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.
Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.
A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.

Why It Fits: Okay so some people are saying that Jennifer Weiner as an author is much too popular for Book of the Month but as an extra I think its completely plausible. Book of the Month has featured some very popular authors/titles in the past as extras including: Stephen King, Andy Weir, and Blake Crouch. So popular authors are not unheard of around Book of the Month and since it comes out at the beginning of May so any early release restrictions that might be placed on the title would be irrelevant.

So What Do You Think?

Well, those are our guess. Let us know in the comments what you are thinking