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BookBrowse Highlights
| May 7, 2015
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Greetings!
Twenty years ago, Caryl Phillips was already a name to watch in the world of literary fiction. A playwright of some renown, he had also produced a steady stream of notable novels gaining him a spot on Granta's 1993 list of Best of Young British Writers. Arguably it was his 2004 Commonwealth Writers Prize for The Distant Shore that won him the wider audience he richly deserves. Now Phillips is back in fine form in The Lost Child, with its trademark rich and atmospheric writing that he is loved for. Our review by Jennifer Wilder also features a Beyond the Book about another impressive British writer, Emily Bronte.
The Lost Child is just one of the books to discover in this packed issue. As always, we're proud to feature the very best writing tailored to your tastes. And, just in case you missed it last week, if you're looking for last-minute Mother's Day gift, check out our recommendations
Best wishes,
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.
Find out more!
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 1. The BookBrowse Book Club 
Scent of Triumph: A Novel of Perfume and Passion by Jan Moran
Published Mar 2015, 384 pages
"From war-torn Europe to the sunny climes of Southern California, Scent of Triumph is a captivating tale of love, loss, determination and reinvention. A page-turner."
- Karen Marin, Givenchy Paris |
2. The BookBrowse Book Club
Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime by Scott Simon
Published Mar 2015, 256 pages
"I'm getting a life's lesson about grace from my mother in the ICU. We never stop learning from our mothers, do we?"
Unforgettable is not only one man's rich and moving tribute to his mother's colorful life and graceful death, it is also a powerful portrayal of the universal bond between mother and child. |
Mark your calendar for upcoming discussions!
(click for information on each book)
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3. First Impressions: Members Recommend
Each month we give away books to U.S. resident members to read and review (or discuss). Members who choose to participate receive a free book about every three months. Here are their opinions on three recent releases.  The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Novel. May 2015. 416 pages
Number of reader reviews: 27
Readers' consensus: 4.0/5.0
Members Say
"Start with a British baking contest similar to "The Great British Baking Show" on PBS. Add a search for the new Mrs. Eaden (a British Julia Child). Mix in four everyday women who love to bake and, for spice, one gentleman wishing to escape his all-female household. Put them through their paces on a variety of difficult but tasty baked treats. Stir in detailed biographies of their actual home lives, longings and psychological tics. Dust with the biography of the real Mrs. Eaden whose recipes they try to emulate. Bake with all the ensuing tension over who will win and you have a winning novel best not read on a hungry stomach." - Barbara G. (Lisle, IL)
"I thought this an excellent book and would recommend it for book clubs and those who love cooking, food and stories about the part of our lives we keep hidden and the part we show to the world." - Carol N. (Indian Springs Village, AL)
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4. First Impressions: Members Recommend
 Dangerous When Wet by Jamie Brickhouse Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Memoir. Apr 2015. 288 pages
Number of reader reviews: 16
Readers' consensus: 3.9/5.0
Members Say
"I don't easily give 5 star ratings to books, but Jamie Brickhouse has earned one with this book. He can really write, and he has an epic story to tell of his path to hedonism-laced alcoholism and his winding road to redemption. I'm glad he made it back and realized his abilities as a writer. He shows a great deal of insight into the reasons for his life choices, and he vividly brings to life those who impacted him, including the bigger than life Mama Jean. I appreciate his forthrightness and vulnerability and am grateful he has shared his powerful story. Bravo!" - Rosemary C. (Austin, TX)
"Every time I put the book down, I went back to read 'just one more chapter.' Being approximately the same age as Jamie, I understood the world in which he existed. I laughed out loud, and cried... It was a satisfying read that hit just about every emotion." - Sheila B. (Danvers, MA)
"This is a book that is going on my favorites shelf." - Colleen P. (Floresville, TX)
More about this book | Read all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie
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5. First Impressions: Members Recommend
 A Passion for Paris by David Downie Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Travel/Art. Apr 2015. 320 pages
Number of reader reviews: 12
Readers' consensus: 4.2/5.0
Members Say
"Paris is the city of my soul so having a review copy of David Downie's A Passion for Paris was a gift in the midst of a dreary winter's end! For anyone in love with the City of Light, Downie's wonderfully written book offers new (and often irreverent) insights into what many feel is the most romantic city on earth. This delightful book now occupies pride of place among many others on my bookshelf written about Paris...and will go with me on my next trip so that I can follow Downie's footstep through that beautiful city." - Nan G. (Mazomanie, WI)
"I have never been to Paris but Paris has always been on my mind and David Downie's latest book, A Passion for Paris beautifully illustrates why that is so! ... All in all, I heartily recommend it for anyone who has been, is going to, or is just curious about Paris and its exciting role in the world of the arts!
"There is so much history and detailed information about the age of Romanticism packed into this book and it was fun to read... Tour groups heading to Paris would enjoy reading and discussing this book as would history and literature students. Take this book with you to Paris!" - Chris W. (Temple City, CA)
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 6. Editor's Choice: Novel 
The Lost Child by Caryl Phillips
Hardcover (March 01, 2015), 272 pages. Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. BookBrowse Rating: 5/5, Critics' Consensus: 4.7/5 Buy at Amazon | B&N | IndieReview
The Lost Child is a modern novel constructed within a historical frame, invoking one of the most enigmatic figures in English literary history - Emily Brontë. Onto the backstory of Brontë's Wuthering Heights, author Caryl Phillips layers a twentieth-century saga of family disintegration in which more than the eponymous child is lost on the Yorkshire moors, which are moody and dark, a place of council flats, social services, and youth football leagues. ... continued Full access to our reviews & beyond the book articles are for members only. But there are always four free Editor's Choice reviews and beyond the book articles available.
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7. Editor's Choice: Young Adult Novel 
The Game of Love and Death
by Martha Brockenbrough
Hardcover (April 01, 2015), 352 pages. Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books. BookBrowse Rating: 5/5, Critics' Consensus: 4.8/5 Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie
ReviewThe Game is pretty simple. Death picks her player at birth. Love picks his. They wait until a prescribed time when their players must choose to allow the love they feel for one another to be realized - or not. If they do choose love, well, then Love wins the game. But if they don't...then Death wins. And with her win comes the price of one player's life. This is the game that has been played by Love and Death through eternity. Flora and Henry are the chosen players in Martha Brockenbough's incredibly inventive and vibrant young-adult novel, The Game of Love and Death. ... continued Full access to our reviews & beyond the book articles are for members only. But there are always four free Editor's Choice reviews and beyond the book articles available.
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 8. Publishing Soon
Each month BookBrowse previews 80+ notable books. Here is a particularly interesting title from these upcoming books.  1920 by Eric BurnsPublisher: Pegasus Books Publication Date: May 2015 History, 400 pages Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie
Book Jacket
"The Roaring Twenties" is the only decade in American history with a widely applied nickname, and our collective fascination with this era continues. But how did this surge of innovation and cultural milestones emerge out of the ashes of The Great War? No one has yet written a book about the decade's beginning. Acclaimed author Eric Burns investigates the year of 1920 ... continued
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 9. Themed Reading: Mysteries for Book Clubs
Whatever your interests you can find the books that are just right for you by browsing and cross-referencing our recommended reading lists by genre, time period, setting and wide variety of themes - including Mysteries. We published a special feature on Mysteries for Book Clubs last week.
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 10. Win This Book
 The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
Published
Hardcover Apr 2015
352 pages
Enter the Giveaway Reviews " The Turner House opens in spring 2008, a time characterized by simultaneous despair and hope for Detroit's African-American community. On the one hand, the city was in the throes of financial crisis - unemployment was high and property prices had crashed to all-time lows. The novel uses African-American dialect and imagery to good effect. For instance, Viola says, "You know Cha-Cha's gone do what he wanna do. Ain't no democracy in this family." Her speech sounds authentic but doesn't tip over into the realms of caricature. The Detroit city motto would make a good one for the Turners, too. They have been through so much - addictions, losses, betrayals - but still, "We hope for better things." - BookBrowse "Utterly moving and tough as nails, The Turner House is a love story as immense as the family it describes, and as complicated as the city that made them. A clear-sighted ode to the bonds that make and break us, to resilience across generations, to shared joys and solitary struggles, Flournoy's debut is as fresh and bold as they come. Commanding and un-putdownable." - Ayana Mathis, author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie 5 people will each win a hardcover copy of The Turner House. 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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 About BookBrowse
Get to know BookBrowse through our 4-part introductory series:
Back issues of this newsletterYou might also be interested in the content of our About section, including how we got started, profiles of our editorial staff and reviewers, and answers to frequently asked questions. |
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