I have been a Bookmarks Magazine subscriber for many years. They have recently broken out of the print-only model and now offer a print + digital subscription as well as a digital-only subscription. While it’s been fun collecting all of the magazines and passing them around with friends, I’ve really appreciated the ability to cut/paste books to my TBR and ‘To Buy’ lists.
Since starting in 2002, each issue has included a few fun features like book clubs that write in as well as quirky categories that only super-passionate book folks could come up with (think something like Have You Read ’18th-century time travel novels that have cats’ kind of a thing). Like I said, lots of fun.
They also do some straight-up features on categories and authors, as well as a trend piece here or there. Nothing fancy or thought-provoking, but always enjoyable reads from fellow book lovers who often add books to your list.
But I always enjoy the New Books Guide in each issue. Basically, they tally reviews from dozens of sources and average out the rating on a five-point system. Then, they pepper in a handful of sentences from the most positive reviews as well as a handful of sentences from the most negative reviews.
It’s fun to see math play out by categories, authors, etc., and to see which outlets pop up here and there.
If you’re not interested in subscribing, you can pick up Bookmarks Magazine at most Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million stores. I am sure many indie stores carry issues, too. While those print copies are fun to flip through, the functionality of each digital issue is winning me over.
