Dear BookBrowsers,
A few months ago we published part one of our Best 2016 Book Club Books. Here is part two. All ten novels received 5-star reviews from our reviewers and have reading guides; and all are recently or soon to publish in paperback (and are also available in hardcover and ebook.) And, for a limited time, all the related reviews and beyond the book articles are available for free.
Enjoy!
Your editor,
Davina
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Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey Paperback May 2016, also in ebook. 384 pages. Published by St. Martin's Griffin Sometimes you just want a dash of everything. This moving story set in World War II mixes romance, historical fiction and mystery in generous doses to give a novel that will satisfy even the most difficult-to-please readers in your club. Written as a series of letters, the literary device is as engaging as the story. Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart Paperback May 2016, also in ebook. 448 pages. Published by Mariner Books Nobody -- not even a rich and successful businessman -- tells Constance Kopp what to do. When pushed with her back against the wall, Constance and her sisters decide to do what it takes to protect themselves, societal mores of the early twentieth century be damned. Proof that strong women come in all stripes (and sizes), this spunky novel based on the true life Kopp sisters, will win many hearts and minds. Read the online discussion, review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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The Last Pilot by Benjamin Johncock Paperback May 2016, also in ebook. 320 pages. Published by Picador When you're in the middle of history-making events, it might be difficult to exalt the personal to an equally high plane, but that's exactly what Jim Harrison, a young married pilot who is a crucial component of the U. S. space program needs to do. This crisp debut expertly shows how the most personal details of our lives can clash against collective ambitions and the kinds of sacrifices we're often called upon to make under such difficult circumstances. Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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When the Moon Is Low: A Novel by Nadia Hashimi Paperback Apr 2016, also in ebook. 384 pages. Published by William Morrow Paperbacks Imagine persecution so horrific that you have no choice but to upend your entire life and flee. When her family is targeted by the Taliban, that's exactly what Fereiba is forced to do, three children in tow, A BookBrowse First Impression reviewer noted : "unbelievable love, courage and tenacity of being a refugee as well as the smell of fear are all in this book. Yet, it is somehow hopeful. I learned a great deal about so much and enjoyed this book immensely. Somehow every nation must find a way to welcome and support refugees -- they are leaving a hell we can't imagine." Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman Paperback Apr 2016, also in ebook. 480 pages. Published by Riverhead Books Given that the world just laid to rest a fighter known for his courage and skill at reinvention, this historical fiction novel set in eighteenth-century England will knock you out for its depiction of women fighters who got into the ring and gave it their all with bare knuckles. A mesmerizing book that will give you a ringside seat for a little-known slice of world history, The Fair Fight will give you much to cheer about from the sidelines. Read the online discussion, review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf Paperback June 2016, also in ebook. 192 pages. Published by Vintage In his sixth and final novel Haruf, who died in 2015 just before Our Souls at Night was published in hardcover, returns one last time to the fictional town of Holt, Colorado. In less than 200 pages, he delivers a parting gift to his many fans with another plain-spoken book that speaks to the heart of love and grief, life and death. Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich Paperback June 2016, also in ebook. 320 pages. Published by Putnam Books The romance of the American South is usually presented in high-definition gloss but this winner of BookBrowse's Best Debut Novel award doesn't shy away from the bad and ugly. A compelling portrait of one family's flourishing business that must stand the test of the times, this novel is full of swashbuckling adventure and just plain old fun. Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman Paperback July 2016, also in ebook. 384 pages. Published by Simon & Schuster Travel in both time and space to the early nineteenth century in idyllic St. Thomas and learn about the extraordinary woman who was the mother of Camille Pissarro, the father of Impressionism. A close-knit Jewish community on the island has ties and secrets that are shaken when scandal breaks with one strong-headed woman as its driving force. Another winner from a veteran writer. Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin Hardcover & ebook Aug 2015, paperback Aug 2016. 368 pages. Published by St. Martin's Press Despite its title, this is not a Debbie Downer of a book, but instead a celebration of life in all its glory. Rabbit Hayes is delivered a devastating diagnosis and is determined to infuse her last days with endless love and zest for everything she holds dear. A difficult subject handled with grace, this book will generate many worthy topics for discussion. Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Hardcover & ebook Feb 2015. 448 pages. Published by St. Martin's Press Correction: At the time this blog was published The Nightingale was scheduled for paperback publication in October 2016 - but has now been rescheduled for 2018. One of the highest rated books ever in our First Impressions program (where members read books ahead of publication), this haunting novel of two sisters in occupied France also won BookBrowse's Best Fiction award for 2015. While we have had many perspectives of World War II, this intriguing look at the lives of women during one of history's most traumatic periods yields many fascinating aspects worth mulling over today. Powerful and utterly absorbing. Read the review, excerpt and beyond the book article |
