July 12, 2012
Hello
Here's the latest issue of our free twice-monthly newsletter. For those of you looking to do a little armchair traveling this summer, check out these recommended reads and buckle up for some exciting "staycation" adventures!
Thanks for reading!
Davina,
BookBrowse Editor
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Readers Recommend
Each month we give away 200-300 books to members to read and review (or discuss). Here are their opinions on four just published books they've been reading recently:  15 Seconds by Andrew Gross Publisher: William Morrow Publication Date: 07/10/2012 Thrillers, 336 pages Number of reader reviews: 25 Readers' consensus:  BookBrowse Members Say "Andrew Gross keeps getting better. After co-authoring five novels with James Patterson, this is his fifth novel as a solo writer and it's a real page turner. Two fathers (one very successful, one deeply troubled) will do anything for their respective daughters and their lives become intertwined in a very frightening way." - Jeff M. (Morris Plains, NJ). "Short chapters, fast read, fabulous book for the summer!" - Kathy S. (Danbury, CT). "This was the first time that I have read a book by Andrew Gross that was not co-authored with James Patterson and let me tell you I was hooked from page one!" - Jenna B. (Fairfield, CA). "What a great and wild ride it is!" - Lee M. (Creve Coeur, MO). "I really loved this book. It was hard to put down. Characters were developed well and made the book come alive. 15 Seconds is a perfect title. Hard to believe how many lives can be changed in such a short time. One never knows when life will change for better or worse because one person makes a mistake. This book brings drug abuse into the forefront." - Jane C. (Brighton, MI). "Thought-provoking and a very fine read." - Patricia H. (Norman, OK). Read all the Reviews Buy at Amazon |
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Readers Recommend
 The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: 06/26/2012
Novels, 288 pages
Number of reader reviews: 27
Readers' consensus:
BookBrowse Members Say
"The slowing of the earth's rotation does nothing to slow the growing pains of 11 yr old narrator Julia. A coming of age story in an eerily altered world, Age of Miracles is a well written, easily read novel about how life goes on. I recommend this book to young adult and up readers. It would be good for book clubs as a starting point for lots of discussions." - Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL).
"I finished this book only few hours ago but I am still under its spell." - Catherine H. (Nashua, NH).
"I could not put this book down." - Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL).
"The writing is flawless." - Linda P. (Medford, WI).
"The Age of Miracles is a fantastic read and I look forward to reading more books from Ms. Walker." - Alexandra S. (Chicago, IL).
"This book will stick with you; I loved it, and it's a book that I won't soon forget. Get this book; you will not be sorry." - Carole V. (West Linn, Oregon).
Read all the Reviews
Buy at Amazon
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Readers Recommend
 The Woman at the Light by Joanna Brady
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 07/03/2012
Historical Fiction, 336 pages
Number of reader reviews: 17
Readers' consensus:
BookBrowse Members Say
"This book will be one of my favorites for this year! It is the mid-1800s and the U.S. has acquired Florida as a new territory. The Keys are being settled and New Orleans is at its social peak. Emily and Martin, recently married, move to Key West and then are assigned to man the lighthouse at the tip of the Keys on Wreckers' Cay. When Martin suddenly disappears, Emily and her children take on this difficult job of lighthouse keeper. The story is both intriguing and suspenseful." - Patricia D. (Woodland Hills, CA).
"What a great story! Joanna Brady puts everything a reader of historical fiction could ask for into this novel - romance, adventure mystery and family with all its joys and trials. The prose is wonderful as it flows along just like a the story does. A thoroughly enjoyable read." - Joan C. (Warwick, RI).
"Fabulous read! Well written, identifiable characters and realistic settings. Pick this one for a great escape." - Laurie F. (Brookline, MA).
"Wonderful! Slavery, feminism, and a forbidden love. A very rewarding book" - Jan T. (Leona Valley, CA).
"A great story. From the prologue I was hooked. I will recommend this one to my book club." - Adelia S. (Livingston, MT).
Read all the Reviews
Buy at Amazon
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Readers Recommend
 The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con by Amy Reading
Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: 03/06/2012
Number of reader reviews: 18
BookBrowse Members Say
"The subtitle says it all; A Perfect Swindle, A Cunning Revenge and a Small History of the Big Con. The book intermingles education and drama against a suspenseful and emotional, period backdrop. Imagine an historically accurate, The Sting complete with real life descriptions of all the major players and how they interacted with each other and their marks. Throw in where they came from and how they wound up, including the mark's revenge and you end up with a thoroughly enjoyable read." - Jeffrey L. (Washington, DC).
"I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much. I recommend this book to anyone who is a history buff or just enjoys a good story. Don't let the fact that it is a work of nonfiction put you off, it reads like no nonfiction I've ever read." - Maggie P. (Mount Airy, MD).
"What a fascinating book! I have led a rather sheltered life here in Ohio, and I had no idea 'confidence' men would spend such time and effort to pull off a scam--and the psychology and insight that go into the whole thing!" - Lisa E. (Cincinnati, OH).
Read all the Reviews
Buy at Amazon
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Featured Review
Below is part of BookBrowse's review of The Neruda Case. Read the review and backstory in full  The Neruda Case: A Novel
by Roberto Ampuero
Hardcover (Jun 2012), 352 pages. Publisher: Riverhead Books ISBN 9781594487439 BookBrowse Rating:  Critics' Consensus: Review: Does poetry alone provide enough sustenance to feed the soul? Of what value is a life spent creating beautiful art without a true companion to share it with or someone to pass it on to? Fundamental existential questions may concern most of us at some time or other, but these questions haunt the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's last days. Set in the waning era of the Allende socialist experiment, The Neruda Case has the Nobel Laureate's ghost looming large on every page. As the book opens, Neruda is host to a lively party at his beautiful house in Valpara�so. It is here that he meets Cayetano Brul�, an unemployed, wannabe detective. A Cuban immigrant to Chile, Cayetano has followed his lovely Chilean wife back to Valpara�so after she decides to become actively involved in her country's politics. Even though Cayetano is only just getting into the private eye business, Neruda's gut instinct tells him that Cayetano will help him find a link to something he's been missing in his life. His body slowly being eaten away by cancer, Neruda requests that the detective help track down an oncologist Neruda once knew in Mexico City. This oncologist, Angel Bracamonte, researched plant-based cures for cancer and Cayetano assumes Neruda is looking for one last chance at a cure for his disease. As it turns out, Neruda is after something more elemental and personal - he is looking to connect with someone who just might be his daughter; Neruda and Bracamonte's wife had had a brief affair years earlier, which, he is told, may have resulted in a child. But due to inner failings, Neruda had rejected the claim. Now, years later, he is consumed by regret and wants to make peace with his daughter. To reach her though, Cayetano has to first track down the mother, and she proves to be an elusive target. Mexico City leads him to Cuba, then to East Germany and finally, Bolivia, before answers can be found. In each country, Cayetano absorbs the local flavor and moves his case forward with the help of local friends. Reviewed by Poornima Apte Above is part of BookBrowse's review of The Neruda Case. Read the review and backstory in full here Browse the book
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Beyond The Book
 At BookBrowse, we don't just review books, we go 'beyond the book' to explore interesting aspects relating to the story.
Here is a recent "Beyond the Book" feature for Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
It's called an Eterpen, a truly wonderful thing, no messy ink to refill and it dries instantly. He said they have ordered 30,000 of them for the RAF to use in the air (for navigation calculations) and a grateful RAF officer recently smuggled out of France had given one of the samples to Peter, who'd given it to the sergeant, who gave it to Maddie. ...Maddie was ridiculously pleased with her pen.
 The gift that Maddie was so pleased to receive was, of course, the new and exciting ballpoint pen. L�szl� B�r� invented the first commercially viable ballpoint pen in 1938. Other attempts had been made before, but with little success because of issues with the viscosity of the ink and the need to rely on gravity. American tanner John Loud is, perhaps, the rightful inventor of the ballpoint pen, with his 1888 invention to mark leather products - a pen with a rotating ball held in place by a socket that used standard ink. Loud patented this invention, but it only worked well on leather as it was too coarse for letter writing and would rip paper. It is said that 350 other ballpoint pen patents were registered between Loud and B�r�, but none were actually mass produced and sold.
Hungarian journalist B�r� worked as a proofreader and, the story goes, spent countless hours frustrated by having to both refill his fountain pen and fix the smudge marks that inevitably occurred. Then he noticed that the ink on newspapers dried quickly and without smudges, and so with the help of his brother, who was a chemist, he created a pen that used the same ink. The pen had a rotating ball at its tip, which revolved in circles and picked up ink from a cartridge in the body of the pen. After a few failed attempts, they created a brand new design. This design used a piston and capillary action within the pressurized cartridge, which solved the flow-of-ink problem. Thus, the ballpoint pen! B�r� patented his invention on June 15, 1938.
In 1941, B�r�, his brother and a friend, Juan Jorge Meyne, were forced to flee Nazi-occupied Germany. They ended up in Argentina where they filed another patent - this time including Meyne - on June 10, 1941 and formed a company called B�r� Pens of Argentina. They sold their ballpoint pens under the brand name Birome. This new design was licensed by the British who produced the pens (which they called the Biro) for the Royal Air Force pilots. The pens were infinitely superior to fountain pens at high altitudes and, it was not long before the pen's success with the RAF had pushed B�r� into the spotlight.
The ballpoint pen achieved spotty success for the next two decades. The Eberhard Faber Company paid $500,000 for the rights to manufacture B�r�'s pen in the United States. At the same time, Milton Reynolds began manufacturing ballpoint pens after seeing B�r�'s design while vacationing in Argentina. Without buying any of his rights, Reynolds copied B�r�'s design. He made a deal with Gimbels to be the first store in America to sell these new pens. continued...
Reviewed by Tamara Smith
Above is part of BookBrowse's review of Code Name Verity. Read the review and backstory
Browse the book
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Blog
The Sanctuary Bookstore
and Bed & Breakfast
Just back from a wonderful, but all too short, stay at the Booklovers' Bed and Breakfast in Lyme Regis, on the South coast of England. Run by Bob and Mariko Speer (Bob pictured above), the three room bed and breakfast is perched on the top two floors of the Sanctuary Bookstore - a booklover's paradise where antique books jostle for space with the not so antique but often exotic and sometimes rare. From travel and topography to mysticism and religion by way of a generous helping of novels, thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi and much more, The Sanctuary has it all, including a popular section devoted to the most requested authors - a wonderful section in which to pick up a long lost favorite. Downstairs is a bargain basement where all books are £1 or less. And when you've had your fill of books, you can start on the bountiful collection of prints and original works of art - many of which are stored in the downstairs loo, which makes for a convenient seat while browsing the racks. Continued...
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Win
Shine Shine Shine
by Lydia Netzer
Publication Date: Jul 2012 Enter the Giveaway Buy at Amazon From the Jacket A debut unlike any other, Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer is a shocking, searing, breathless love story, a gripping portrait of modern family, and a stunning exploration of love, death and what it means to be human.
Sunny Mann has masterminded a perfect life for herself and her family in a quiet Virginia town. Even her genius husband, Maxon, an astronaut on his way to the moon, has been trained to pass for normal. But when a fender bender sends her blonde wig flying, her secret is exposed. Not only is she bald, but she's nothing like the Stepford wife she appears to be. As her fa�ade begins to unravel, we discover the singular world of Sunny and Maxon, two outcasts who found unlikely love in one another. Theirs is a wondrous, strange relationship formed of dark secrets, long-forgotten murders and the urgent desire for connection.
But with parenthood came a craving for normalcy that began to strangle their marriage and family. As Sunny and Maxon are on the brink of destruction, at each other's throats with blame and fear, Maxon departs for the moon, where he's charged with programming the fledgling colony's robots. And when an accident involving Maxon's rocket threatens everything they've built, revealing the things they've kept hidden, they discover nothing will ever be the same...
Read an excerpt Reviews "Starred Review. Netzer has beautifully crafted an original story with a cast of characters who make up an unconventional but strangely believable family. After all, it is the oddities that make us all human. Readers will laugh, cry, and, ultimately, cheer for Sunny and her husband as their love story plays out from the past to the future. This story will shine, shine, shine for all adult readers." - Library Journal
"A funny, compelling love story from the freshest voice I've heard in years. Shine, Shine, Shine picked me up and left me changed in ways I never expected. Intelligent, emotional, and relentlessly new, Netzer answers questions you didn't know you were already asking and delivers an unforgettable take on what it means to love, to be a mother, and to be human." - Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants and Ape House
"Creating one of the most compelling protagonists I've read in a long time, Lydia Netzer manages to capture the outsider in each of us. Whether looking at the moon, a child, the suburban landscape, or the face in the mirror, Netzer shows us something we've never seen before, something we thought we knew. A beautifully written story where the exception proves the rule: the things that seem to divide us are, ultimately, the very things that unite us." - Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places
5 people will each win a hardcover copy of Shine Shine Shine.
This giveaway is open to residents of the USA only, unless you are a BookBrowse member, in which case you are eligible to win wherever you might live. Enter the giveaway here Past Winners
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Featured Reading List:
1940s & '50s
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Wordplay
Solve this clue "G With T F" and be entered to win the book of your choice from a wide selection Enter NowAll winners are contacted by email. View list |
Answer to the Last Wordplay
T Die W O B O To die with one's
boots on
Meaning:
Originally to die violently but often used today to describe a person who dies while still active. Background: It is not clear whether this idiom originates from the battlefield where soldiers die in combat with their boots still on, or from frontier towns in the 19th century American West - where cowboys died in gunfights (or were hung) with their boots still on. Cassell's Dictionary of Slang notes that from the late 17th century up until the early 19th, the expression meant to be hanged - lending credence to the believe that the expression originates in the American West.
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Author Interviews
Bernie McGill, author of The Butterfly Cabinet
Rae Meadows, author of Mercy Train
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News
Jul 10 2012: Project Gutenberg may have long since been surpassed by the Internet Archive and Google Books, but the granddaddy of all digitization programs is still chugging along and uploading more free ebooks - now totaling...(more)
Jul 09 2012: The "Fifty Shades" erotic trilogy is expected to hit the 20 million-sales mark in the U.S. this week, making it one of the fastest-selling book series in recent memory...(more)
Jul 07 2012: According to his brother Jaime Garc�a M�rquez, Nobel prizewinning author Gabriel Garc�a M�rquez is suffering from senile dementia. Thus it is unlikely that the 85-year-old will complete the second part of his autobiography...(more)
Jun 26 2012: Nine independent publishers have combined to file joint comments objecting to the pending settlements of the Department of Justice's lawsuit with Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster related to e-book pricing. The publishers noted that while they continue to sell e-books under the...(more)
Jun 26 2012: News Corp is considering a division into two companies, splitting its publishing assets - including HarperCollins, the London Times and The Wall Street Journal - from its entertainment businesses, according to a report in the News Corp-owned Wall Street...(more)
Jun 26 2012: The essayist, screenwriter, and filmmaker Nora Ephron has died at the age of 71. She will be remembered for her romantic comedies including Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, and her memoirs including I Feel Bad About My Neck...(more)
Read these news stories, and many others, in full.
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