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BookBrowse Highlights
| April 16, 2015
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Hello,
This issue brings a bumper crop of books reviewed by our members as part of our First Impressions program - all five are just published and cover a range of genres including history, memoir, suspense and mystery. In addition, don't miss our review of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison's God Help the Child, which publishes next week; and go "beyond the book" to explore selective mutism in children.
Best regards
Davina
BookBrowse Editor |
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Some of BookBrowse's content is free but full access is for members only. Not yet a member? Consider subscribing.
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  1. 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 five just published books:   Whispering Shadows by Jan-Philipp Sendker Publisher: 37 Ink/Atria Books Publication Date: Apr 2015 Novel/Mystery, 352 pages Number of reader reviews: 63 Readers' consensus: 4.4/5.0 Members Say"Whispering Shadows is a novel of modern China: the legacy of the Cultural Revolution and its continued effects on those who survived its cruelty; an investigation into the disappearance of an American businessman involved in a joint venture with a Chinese partner; a love story, and the long, emotional recovery of a father who has lost his young son to leukemia." - Vivian H "Whispering Shadows is much more than a murder mystery as Sendker deftly explores with tenderness and compassion the deepening friendships between painfully wounded people who, despite their flaws and vulnerabilities, risk building a trust that transcends cultural lines and personal struggles with their own past demons." - Linda N "Jan-Philipp Sender has a remarkable gift with words and story. I will read anything he has written from now on. Highly recommended for anyone who is willing to feel and to hope and love." - Frankie G. |
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2. First Impressions: Members Recommend
 Shocking Paris by Stanley Meisler Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Publication Date: Apr 2015 History, 256 pages Number of reader reviews: 19 Readers' consensus: 4.1/5.0 Members Say "A wonderful and informative history that reads like a novel. This book spotlights Jewish artists in the 'School of Paris' considered outsiders whose art portrayed their struggle to survive in a life of fear and despair during WWII German occupation. A great read for art history and WWII buffs!" - Mary O. (Boston, MA) "This book is a fascinating look at a part of WWII rarely discussed. And the fact that it is written in an easy-to-read, interest-keeping style makes it even better! I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the lesser known aspects of this time period." - Mary D. (Claremont, CA) "I devoted years to obtain my degree in Art History and many more hours in independent study, opening this book was like finding buried treasure. A must read for all who are consumed with the desire to understand history, and a true gift for art history buffs." - Lydia M. (Lakeview, OR) |
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3. First Impressions: Members Recommend
 House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy Publisher: Ballantine Books Publication Date: Apr 2015 Gothic Suspense, 400 pages Number of reader reviews: 21 Readers' consensus: 4.3/5.0 Members Say "This book had a little of everything: suspense, family drama, mystery and history, together they made a great book. There is a sense of foreboding from the first pages. You know something isn't right but you don't know what it is. The author really takes his time telling the story and building the suspense. You don't know who is dangerous and who can be trusted. It is only in the last pages that all is revealed and it is worth the wait. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books from this author." - Mary M. (Lexington, KY) "It was Duffy's descriptive sentences I loved the most: You always hid razors in your words, Benji.' You will enjoy this spine-chilling book. I am already waiting for Brendan Duffy's next book - I hope it's even creepier!" - Darcy C. (San Diego, CA) "What a fabulous first novel. It really is rare for me to find a book that draws me in as much as this one did. Do yourself a favor and read it." - Carole P. (Framingham, MA) |
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4. First Impressions: Members Recommend
 Her Name Is Rose by Christine Breen Publisher: St. Martin's Press Publication Date: Apr 2015 Novel, 304 pages Number of reader reviews: 30 Readers' consensus: 3.8/5.0 Members Say"This beautifully written tale with its mysteries revealed along the way had me cheering for Iris and Rose as the story reached its satisfying conclusion." - Harriette W. (Raleigh, NC) "When I settle in with a book, I always hope to gain access to new places and ideas, or the ability to look at the familiar in a new way. Her Name Is Rose is your ticket to just such experiences. Rose is a gifted teenage violinist studying at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. Her adoptive mother, Iris Bowen, is compelled by circumstance to track down her daughter's biological mother. This search takes us on a fascinating journey from Ireland to London to the US and back. Music, from classical to regional folk music to modern jazz, serves to connect the various richly developed and sympathetic characters on both sides of the Atlantic. This is a wonderful adventure, not to be missed." - Katherine D. (Rochester, NY) "I think book clubs would enjoy the book, and find many things to discuss in it." - Christine (Wisconsin) |
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5. First Impressions: Members Recommend
 Three Many Cooks
by Pam Anderson, Maggy Keet & Sharon Damelio Publisher: Ballantine Books Publication Date: Apr 2015 Memoir, 336 pages Number of reader reviews: 24 Readers' consensus: 4.3/5.0 Members Say"My copy of Three Many Cooks will become dogged eared as it is passed from family member to family member!" - Debbie-Lyn C. (Kitty Hawk, NC) "This memoir from a former Cook's Illustrated test-kitchen cook and the two daughters she raised is truly a beautiful read! Three story tellers; one fluid point of view. "Is that even possible?" I thought at the outset, but now I know it's not only possible, but it is essay and memoir literature at its best! Where will this book end up on my shelf - with my favorite cozy reads or my best go-to cookbooks? Firmly right in the middle, I would say!" - Laurin B. (Appleton, WI) "Book clubs with 'foodies' would enjoy the discussion food plays in our lives - both for sustenance and it's ability to bind people through shared experiences." - Shawna, (TX) |
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 6. The BookBrowse Book Club
Please Join Us to Discuss:
Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway
Published Apr 2015, 400 pages
The award-winning author of How to Be an American Housewife returns with a poignant story of estranged sisters, forced together by family tragedy, who soon learn that sisterhood knows no limits.
More about this book | Join the discussion
Mark your calendar for upcoming discussions!
(click for information on each book)
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 7. Editor's Choice 
God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
Hardcover (April 21, 2015), 192 pages. Publisher: Knopf. BookBrowse Rating: 5/5, Critics' Consensus: 5.0/5 Buy at Amazon | B&N | IndieReview: Internationally acclaimed author Toni Morrison returns with a beautifully told, heart-wrenching story set in contemporary times - of Lula Ann Bridewell, a young black woman. Rejected by her mother because of her dark blue-black skin, Lula Ann has nevertheless built a successful life. Even if Pecola, the protagonist in Morrison's first novel, The Bluest Eye, struggles against her appearance, desperate in her desire for light skin and blue eyes, Lula Ann embraces her blackness. She makes it part of her beauty - always wears white clothes and shortens her name to Bride. She is the brains behind a successful new cosmetics company and is in love with her boyfriend Booker. But Bride's life will soon implode... (Reviewed by Poornima Apte) Full access to our reviews & beyond the book articles are for members only. But the four most recent Editor's Choice reviews and beyond the book articles are always available for free. |
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 8. Beyond the Book: Selective Mutism  Every time we review a book we also explore a related topic. Here is a recent "beyond the book" article for:
Academy Street by Mary Costello Hardcover (April 07, 2015), 160 pages. Buy at Amazon | B&N | IndieMary Costello's Academy Street follows the life of Tess Lohan, an introverted Irish woman who often feels anxious in social settings, largely preferring the world of books and imagination to external interactions. At various times in her life, she finds herself at a loss for words, in situations that "[take] all her talk away." It's likely that Tess suffers from "selective mutism," an anxiety disorder (found in children more often than adults), whereby the person is unable to speak in certain social settings, such as school, or wherever there is an expectation of verbal communication. The intensity of this social anxiety can be painful for the child, who is literally afraid of speaking in these settings. However, children with selective mutism are able to talk without inhibition if and when they feel safe, relaxed, and secure... Read this "beyond the book" article, and the review in full(reviewed by Elena Spagnolie) |
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 9. Publishing Soon Each month BookBrowse previews 80+ notable books. Here is a particularly interesting title from these upcoming books.  Rain: A Natural and Cultural History
by Cynthia BarnettPublisher: Crown
Publication Date: Apr 21, 2015
History, Science & Current Affairs, 368 pages
Critic's Opinion: 5/5
Rain is elemental, mysterious, precious, destructive. It is the subject of countless poems and paintings; the top of the weather report; the source of the world's water. Yet this is the first book to tell the story of rain.
Cynthia Barnett's Rain begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together science - the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rains - with the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River. It offers a glimpse of our "founding forecaster," Thomas Jefferson, who measured every drizzle long before modern meteorology. Two centuries later, rainy skies would help inspire Morrissey's mopes and Kurt Cobain's grunge.
Rain is also a travelogue, taking readers to Scotland to tell the surprising story of the mackintosh raincoat, and to India, where villagers extract the scent of rain from the monsoon-drenched earth and turn it into perfume.
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 10. Win This Book
 Hyde by Daniel Levine Published
Paperback Apr 2015
304 pages
Enter the Giveaway From the Jacket What happens when a villain becomes a hero? Mr. Hyde is trapped, locked in Dr. Jekyll's surgical cabinet, counting the hours until his inevitable capture. As four days pass, he has the chance, finally, to tell his story - the story of his brief, marvelous life. Summoned to life by strange potions, Hyde knows not when or how long he will have control of "the body." When dormant, he watches Dr. Jekyll from a remove, conscious of this other, high-class life but without influence. As the experiment continues, their mutual existence is threatened, not only by the uncertainties of untested science, but also by a mysterious stalker. Hyde is being taunted - possibly framed. Girls have gone missing; someone has been killed. Who stands, watching, from the shadows? In the blur of this shared consciousness, can Hyde ever be confident these crimes were not committed by his hand? 5 people will each win a paperback copy of Hyde. 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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