Everyone thinks they know how literary awards work. You picture a group of dusty academics in a wood-paneled room, arguing over metaphors while sipping expensive sherry. But the Book of the Month Book of the Year award is different. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s entirely driven by the people who actually pay for and read the books.
If you’ve been a member of the club for more than a few months, you’ve seen the blue-boxed packages piling up on doorsteps. You’ve felt that specific rush of dopamine when the "monthly drops" happen. But the annual "Lolly" award—named after Book of the Month (BOTM) founder Harry Scherman’s wife, Helen "Lolly" Scherman—is the one that really moves the needle for authors. It’s the difference between a "good year" and a "career-defining year."
Why the BOTY Award is the Only One That Matters to Readers
Most literary prizes, like the Pulitzer or the Booker, feel like they’re handed down from on high. They're prestigious, sure. However, the Book of the Month Book of the Year is essentially a popularity contest in the best way possible. It reflects what people are actually reading on their commutes, under their covers at 2:00 AM, and in their weekend book clubs.
The selection process isn't some black-box algorithm. It starts with the finalists. Every year, the BOTM editorial team looks back at the 50 to 60 books they featured as monthly picks. They whittle those down based on member ratings and internal data. Then, they hand the keys over to the members.
You vote. I vote. Everyone who spent the year debating whether the "twist" in that psychological thriller was actually earned gets a say.
The winner gets more than just a trophy. They get the "Lolly" and a massive boost in visibility that usually sends their backlist titles soaring. Think about Kristin Hannah. She’s already a titan. But when The Four Winds was in the running, it solidified a certain kind of community dominance. Or look at Taylor Jenkins Reid. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo wasn't an overnight global phenomenon the second it hit shelves; it was a slow burn fueled by the BOTM community that eventually helped it reach "classic" status in the digital age.
The Evolution of the Lolly
Honestly, the club has changed a lot since 1926. Back then, it was a way to bring culture to the masses who didn't live near a big-city bookstore. Now, it's a massive social media engine.
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The Book of the Month Book of the Year used to be a quieter affair. Now, it’s a digital event. In recent years, winners like The Maid by Nita Prose or Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin have shown a shift in what members crave. We’re seeing a move away from "misery lit" toward books that offer high-concept escapism or deeply empathetic character studies.
The 2024 winner, The Women by Kristin Hannah, surprised absolutely nobody. It stayed on the "Most Popular" charts for months. That’s the thing about this award—it’s rarely a shock. It’s a confirmation. It’s the community saying, "Yeah, we all collectively agreed this was the one that stayed with us."
How a Book Actually Makes the Finalist List
There is a bit of a misconception that any book can win. Not true. To even be in the running for Book of the Month Book of the Year, a title has to have been a monthly pick first.
The BOTM judges—who include people like Siobhan Jones and various guest curators—spend months vetting thousands of manuscripts. They’re looking for "unreadability" in the sense that you can't put it down. They want books that spark conversation. Once a book is selected as one of the five (or sometimes seven) monthly options, it’s essentially in the "primary" for the Lolly.
The criteria for the Top 5 finalists usually boils down to:
- Member Ratings: If a book gets a "Loved" rating from 90% of readers, it's a lock for the finals.
- Cultural Impact: Did the book dominate the BOTM Facebook groups and Instagram tags?
- Narrative Freshness: Does it feel like something we haven't read a thousand times before?
The "Lolly" Winners: A Timeline of Taste
If you look back at the past few years, you can see the roadmap of American reading habits.
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In 2021, The Four Winds took it home. It was a heavy, historical epic about the Dust Bowl. People needed something that felt "important" during a time when the world felt fragile.
Then 2022 gave us The Maid. Totally different vibe. It was a cozy mystery with a neurodivergent protagonist. It was charming, slightly odd, and incredibly fast-paced.
2023 was the year of Weyward by Emilia Hart. This was a massive win for debut authors. It proved that you don't need a household name to win Book of the Month Book of the Year. You just need a story that resonates. Weyward hit that "witchy, feminist, multi-generational" sweet spot that was everywhere that year.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Voting
People think you can just spam the vote. You can't. You have to be an active member. This prevents "stan" culture from totally hijacking the results, although authors with big social media followings definitely have an edge.
Another thing? The "Add-ons" count.
When you’re looking at what becomes the Book of the Month Book of the Year, you have to look at the books people were willing to pay an extra $10 or $11 for. If a book was an "Add-on" and still managed to outperform the main monthly picks in terms of ratings, that author is basically gold.
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The Real Impact on Authors
I've talked to authors who have been featured, and they say the "BOTM Bump" is real. But winning the Lolly? That's a different beast.
When a book is crowned, it usually gets a special edition re-release. It gets a permanent spot in the "Best of" section of the app. For a debut author, this is the kind of marketing you literally cannot buy. It ensures your book stays in the conversation for years, rather than weeks.
How to Use the BOTY List to Beat Reading Slumps
If you find yourself staring at your bookshelves feeling totally uninspired, the Book of the Month Book of the Year finalists are your best safety net.
Why? Because they’ve already been "vetted" by hundreds of thousands of picky readers.
Don't just look at the winners. Look at the runners-up. Often, the books that come in second or third are the ones that are a bit more "polarizing" but deeply loved by a specific niche. For instance, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck was a finalist that didn't win, but it remains one of the most uniquely beautiful books featured in the last five years. It’s literally about a man turning into a Great White shark. It’s weird. It’s sad. It’s brilliant.
Actionable Steps for the Avid Reader
If you want to make the most of the BOTM ecosystem and actually have a voice in the next award cycle, here is what you do:
- Rate your books immediately. Don't wait three months. The "Loved," "Liked," or "Disliked" data is used in real-time to track which books are trending toward the finalist list.
- Review the "Lolly" archives. If you are new to the club, go back and look at the finalists from 2020 through 2024. These are the "greatest hits" of the community and are almost guaranteed to be better than a random shelf-grab at a big-box store.
- Watch the "Blue Box" early. The finalists for the 2025/2026 cycles are already being read. Pay attention to the books that get the "Early Release" tag—these are often the heavy hitters the editors are banking on for the big award.
- Don't ignore the debuts. While big names like Riley Sager or Abby Jimenez are BOTM staples, the Book of the Month Book of the Year frequently goes to a debut. Keep an eye on the "Debut" badge in the app; those authors are the ones who usually bring the most original voices to the table.
The award is more than just a gold sticker on a cover. It's a snapshot of what we, as a collective of readers, care about right now. It’s about the stories that made us stop scrolling and start reading. Whether it’s a sprawling historical epic or a tiny, weird story about a man-shark, the "Lolly" is the ultimate stamp of approval in the modern book world.
Check your app in late October or early November. That's when the voting usually kicks off. Make sure you've finished your TBR pile by then so you can vote with a clear conscience.