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BookBrowse Highlights
| January 23, 2014
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Hello,
Just in case you missed last week's announcement - BookBrowse has a new look - which means that we've also redesigned this newsletter!
To the left you'll see the contents broken down into five core sections. While the content will change in each issue, the sections will remain consistent enabling you to jump to the parts that are of interest. It is impossible to deliver even a fraction of BookBrowse's content in newsletter form so what we've done is provide short snippets of information with links to the full articles, reviews and so forth online; and at the bottom of each section you'll find links to additional similar articles on BookBrowse.
If you wish, please let me know what you think of the new design. Please know that if you take the time to tell us what you think, we will certainly be taking the time to read it. Visitor feedback is extremely valuable to us - we read it all, both positive and negative, and action a great many of the suggestions for improvement.
Thanks for reading!
Best regards
Davina Morgan-Witts, Editor
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 Editor's Choice
Orfeo by Richard Powers
Hardcover (Jan 20 2014), 393 pages.
Publisher: WW Norton. ISBN 9780393240825
BookBrowse Rating: 5/5
Critics' Consensus: 5/5
In an age of increasing paranoia, what does hell look like? What happens when an unsuspecting victim gets trapped in its recesses? In a pitch-perfect retelling of the myth of Orpheus, Richard Powers reflects on the life of an everyman, Peter Els, as he is inadvertently pulled into a maelstrom of events beyond his control. In the process, Powers paints a deeply affecting look at a life filled with regret and loss - yet one lived with measured grace. continued...
Reviewed by Poornima Apte
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 First Impressions: Members Recommend
Each month we give away books to US resident members to read and review (or discuss). Members who choose to take part receive a free book (including free shipping) about every three months. Here are their opinions on two recently published books:
 Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: 01/21/2014
Historical Fiction, 496 pages
Number of reader reviews: 25
Readers' consensus: 4.6/5.0
"Under the Wide and Starry Sky is a novelized biography of Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny van de Grift Osbourne. RLS, plagued by chronic lung disease and Fanny, fleeing a disloyal husband and death of a child, find each other in France, opposites attracted like a proton and electron. Nancy Horan's telling is more than a good read; it is a kind of Life Simulator, allowing us to hear the hacking coughs, feel the hard seats of Victorian-age travel, and smell the flowers of Samoa." - Mark O. (Wenatchee, WA)
"Moving, beautifully written and almost poetic. Ms. Horan's story captures you right from the start. I was looking forward to this book eagerly, and started it the minute it arrived on my doorstep. The author takes her time describing scenes and people, yet the story never drags. It is like a nice warm drink by the fire, to be savored and not gulped. I am sure this is another best seller, perfect for book clubs." - Laura M. (Huntsville, TX)
More about this book | Read all the reviews | Buy at Amazon
 Where Monsters Dwell by Jorgen Brekke
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur
Publication Date: 02/11/2014
Debut Thriller, 368 pages
Number of reader reviews: 24
Readers' consensus: 4.0/5.0
"Where Monsters Dwell is a masterfully written tale. The author skillfully transports the reader back and forth through time and continents while weaving a 'just intricate enough' crime investigation. The historical fiction aspects are immensely interesting without detracting from the quick step pace of the story. Somewhat reminiscent to Steig Larssen's writing style but less raw and more elegant. Look forward to more from Mr. Brekke." - Judith S. (Binghamton, NY)
"Small wonder Where the Monsters Are is already an international best seller. It is fascinating, fast-paced, and downright creepy. It is fitting that the book starts with a macabre murder at the Edgar Allen Poe Museum because this book is an homage to Poe... a wealth of fascinating historical information on the controversy surrounding Poe's death as well as on the early practice of autopsies for medical knowledge." - Mary G. (Purcellville, VA)
More about this book | Read all the reviews | Buy at Amazon |
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Book Clubs & Discussions |
 The BookBrowse Book Club
Please Join Us to Discuss:
 Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life
by Gretchen Rubin
Published in paperback Dec 2013
320 pages
In the spirit of her blockbuster #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin embarks on a new project to make home a happier place. More about this book | Join the discussion
 Discussions Opening Soon |
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Discussion opens Feb 11
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Discussion opens Mar 11
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 Book Club Interview  The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Book Club is a 4th grade student book club at Richmond Elementary School, run by Beth Redford. Beth shares the process by which the 4th graders get to read new high-quality literature and help choose the favorite book of the year in Vermont. Read the Q&A
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 Also Recommended for Book Clubs
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Are you passionate about books? Do you like to spend your reading hours curled up with captivating storytelling and provocative ideas?
If that's you, you'll love being a BookBrowse member for just $29.95/year. What you receive for free in this newsletter is a fraction of the reviews, previews, backstories and more available to our members. Start your one-month free trial today!
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Beyond The Book
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 The Legend of The Crane Wife
  Every time we review a book we also go beyond the book to explore a topic related to the book. Here is a recent "beyond the book" backstory for The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness.
The legend, known as Tsuru no ongaeshi, tells of a young man who rescues a crane that has been injured by a hunter's arrow. Later that day, the young man is surprised by a beautiful young woman on his doorstep, who introduces herself as his wife. Admitting that he is poor and cannot support a wife, the young man is surprised to discover that the mysterious woman can support their new family by creating beautiful weavings that sell for a high price. The only condition is that the man is never to watch his wife create her artwork.
Read this backstory in full, plus an excerpt & BookBrowse's review More backstories linked from "Editor's Choice" Only paying members have access to all our reviews and backstories but you will always find 4 free on our homepage, linked above. |
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Author Interview
 A Q&A with Muriel Mharie Macleod whose debut novel, set deep in the back country of early-20th-century Louisiana, tells the story of a missing child, a buried tin of coins, and a terrible secret. Read the Interview | What The River Washed Away
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Blog: Best Books About World War I
The war that began formally in August, 1914 changed the political and geographical map of Europe, the Middle East, and even much of the Far East--and, in broader but very real terms, the Earth itself. In many ways, we are still engaged in this war and the maps are still flowing. Though there was a period of 'entre deux guerres' in the 1920s and early 1930s--a false peace at best--the world has for the most part been on a war-time footing and economy for the past hundred years. It's important to remember that time, to understand the people who lived through it, and to enter into the dynamics, the reverberations of which are still felt in our own time. These sixteen books, including histories, memoirs and novels, are some of the best from and about that period and give us an opportunity to experience this watershed in human history. continued...
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 N ews Last week Quercus (who publish the Stieg Larsson books in the UK and recently opened an office in the US) announced a large and unexpected end of year loss. This week it has announced that it is up for... (more) Jan 20 2014: A survey reveals that 54% of traditionally-published authors and almost 80% of go-it-alone writers are making less than US$1,000 a year. More than 9,000 writers, from aspiring authors to seasoned pros, took part in the 2014 Digital Book World and Writer's Digest Author Survey, presented... (more) Jan 17 2014: The proportion of Americans who read e-books is growing, but few have completely replaced print books for electronic versions. The percentage of adults who read an e-book in the past year has risen to 28%, up from 23% at the end of 2012. At the same time, about seven in ten Americans... (more) Jan 17 2014: Shelf Awareness reports on the Future of Bookselling panel at this week's Digital Book World in New York City: Booksellers on the Future of Bookselling panel at Digital Book World Wednesday in New York City all emphasized the importance of community and making bookstores gathering... (more) Jan 16 2014: By 2015, Japan will start collecting taxes on online sales of electronic books, music and other download content and purchases from foreign companies and websites. At the moment, there is a tax on physical products bought from abroad but there are no taxes imposed on content purchased and... (more)
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Themed Reading
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 Recommended Books Set in Early C20th
BookBrowse has features on 78 books set in the early 20th century. Here are 3 of them.
 The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan
A sweeping, evocative epic of two women's intertwined fates and their search for identity, that moves from the lavish parlors of Shanghai courtesans to the fog-shrouded mountains of a remote Chinese village.
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Jeeves and The Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks
Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves return in their first new novel in nearly forty years: Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks. A brilliantly conceived, seamlessly written comic work worthy of the master himself.
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 The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P. S. Duffy
The Cartographer of No Man's Land offers a soulful portrayal of World War I and the lives that were forever changed by it, both on the battlefield and at home.
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 Readalikes
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Free & Fun
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 Wordplay
Solve this clue "K U With T J" and be entered to win the book of your choice: Enter
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 Why Do We Say?
"Lies, damn lies and statistics"
Find out the origins of this well-known expression, and many others! |
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 Win Books The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston
Publication Date: Jan 2013 Enter the Giveaway
From the Jacket In her small early nineteenth century Welsh town, there is no one quite like Morgana. She is small and quick and pretty enough to attract a suitor, but there are things that set her apart from other girls. Though her mind is sharp she has not spoken since she was a young girl. Her silence is a mystery, as well as her magic - the household objects that seem to move at her command, the bad luck that visits those who do her ill. Concerned for her safety, her mother is anxious to see Morgana married, and Cai Jenkins, the widowed drover from the far hills who knows nothing of the rumors that swirl around her, seems the best choice.
After her wedding, Morgana is heartbroken at leaving her mother, and wary of this man, whom she does not know, and who will take her away to begin a new life. But she soon falls in love with Cai's farm and the wild mountains that surround it. Here, where frail humans are at the mercy of the elements, she thrives, her wild nature and her magic blossoming. Cai works to understand the beautiful, half-tamed creature he has chosen for a bride, and slowly, he begins to win Morgana's affections. It's not long, however, before her strangeness begins to be remarked upon in her new village. A dark force is at work there - a person who will stop at nothing to turn the townspeople against Morgana, even at the expense of those closest to her. Forced to defend her home, her man, and herself from all comers, Morgana must learn to harness her power, or she will lose everything in this beautifully written, enchanting novel.  5 people will each win a paperback copy of The Winter Witch.
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
Past Winners |
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 Discounted Tickets for The Broadway Musical of The Bridges of Madison County  From the page to the stage! Come experience The Bridges of Madison County with a group of 10 or more friends* and you will receive access to the best seats and special early pricing offers. Group tickets range from $59-$99 (average saving of $35-$50 per ticket) For more information on pricing and availability, or to book, call or email Caitlin: 212-704-0004, staff@staceymindichproductions.com Click here for more information*We said to the rep that 10+ might be too large for many book groups and she said that there was some flexibility, so if you're looking for a bulk order but not quite as high as 10 tickets it is likely still worth contacting her. |
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