The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

You can only read so many books in your lifetime, and since you’d probably like to enjoy the time you spend reading, you don’t want to waste time on a bad book.

That’s why letting tens of thousands of voracious readers do the heavy lifting for you sounds so ideal. They read the thousands of pages, dissect the characters and plots, and then rank each title to determine which is most unforgettable. Then, they tell you. You buy it, and chances are, you love it.

Every year, that’s basically what you’ll find in Book of the Month’s “Best of the Year” lists. Tens of thousands of avid readers choose from 20 spectacular titles – an already pared down list from those curated by experts and celebrity judges throughout the year – to crown one Best of the Year. For being the crowd favorite amongst bookworms, it wins a $10,000 prize.

In 2018, that most unmissable book is "Circe" by Madeline Miller. If you're even tangentially interested in new splashes in the literary community, this won't surprise you. "Circe" is a fleshed-out, contemporary reimagination of a Greek myth, as told through one of the most infamous female figures in the "Odyssey". It's fast-moving, deceptively complex, and crafted with the masterful storytelling for which Miller is making a name. It was also selected by two team members, including myself, as one of the best books the Insider Picks team read in 2018.

Book of the Month is a book club that's best-known for putting American literary classics like "Gone with the Wind" and "Catcher in the Rye" on the map. BOTM announces five book selections each month chosen by experts and celebrity guest judges passionate about books, and subscribers can choose which book they'd like to receive in hardcover that month. It's been around since 1926, and it has a particularly celebrated eye for cherry-picking promising debuts from the pack. "Circe" is not an exception.

Plus, BOTM members get each monthly book for just $14.99 - and they can choose additional titles that month for $9.99 each. That's often lower than what you'd find in the bookstore or on Amazon, which makes a subscription service surprisingly one of the most efficient and economical ways to get new hardcovers of the latest books, which is great for people who prefer physical books and don't always have the patience for library holds.

Below are the 20 nominees considered for Best Book of the Year:

Find more information on each of the nominees here, and sign up for your first month of Book of the Month to select your January books here.