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BookBrowse Highlights
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May 21, 2015
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Hello,
I challenge you to find a more intriguing close to an advertisement than this one: They fight in close jackets, short petticoats, coming just below the knee, Holland drawers, white stockings, and pumps.
This was how one of the earliest women's boxing matches was publicized in eighteenth-century London, and female-fighters from that period form the central theme for Anna Freeman's engaging debut, The Fair Fight, which won BookBrowse's highest rating. And you can read a short history of bare-knuckle boxing in the novel's related Beyond the Book section.
BookBrowse is all about packing a punch - delivering knockout recommendations and giving you a ringside seat for everything exciting happening in the world of books.
Happy reading!
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. The BookBrowse Book Club
Please Join Us to Discuss:
The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin
Published in Paperback March 2015, 480 pages
"This is a triangle story of the woman who at 16 became the Empress of Austria, Sisi, termed the most beautiful person in Europe - and of an all-too-dashing cavalry captain who is poor but appealing. And, a unique British heiress bent on bending the rules. I just loved it. The backdrop of true history is there, certifying all the enlightened romance, confusion and drama of an English period of 'manners' and change into a modern world."
- New York Social Diary, Liz Smith
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 2. 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 Well by Catherine Chanter Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: May 2015
Novel, 400 pages
Number of reader reviews: 61
Readers' consensus: 3.9/5.0
Members Say "This book is so beautifully written. A mystery, yes, but so much more. It has so many levels to it and just made me keep on wanting for more. I believe this would be a great book for a book club because there are so many layers to discuss and would elicit many opinions." - Barbara B. (Holbrook, NY) "Every now and then a book comes along that makes you hold your breath. The Well is that book. Ruth Ardingly has recently been released under house arrest to her farm in Britain called 'The Well'. While the rest of the UK is suffering from severe drought, the Well never suffers; always having sufficient rainfall & water. Unfortunately, a series of events are conspiring to doom this new start. For readers who like books about complicated relationships as well as a good old fashioned 'whodunit', this book is for you. This is Catherine's first novel and I will be anxiously awaiting any further novels she chooses to write." - Colleen L. (Casco, ME) "This is a wonderful beautifully written first novel with unique twists and turns. The style of writing and character development is first rate. One of the BEST novels I have read in a long time! A real joy." - Mary O. (Boston, MA)
More about this book | Read all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
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 3. First Impressions: Members Recommend  The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan Publisher: Little Brown & Company
Publication Date: May 2015
Novel, 320 pages
Number of reader reviews: 22
Readers' consensus: 3.8/5.0
Members Say "This book is about death, love, friendship, promises and betrayals. It is also about families and the realities and daily challenges after a great loss. The characters and the dialogue are wonderfully developed. You can believe that this family lives on your street. Grief is a very personal emotion and Ms. Dugan explores all the facets in this heart wrenching novel. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good love story. I also believe book clubs would find several good topics to discuss." - Sharon R. (Deerfield, IL) "I had the feeling I was in the home myself - perhaps like a doll-house with the outer wall removed as I watched these realistic characters simultaneously struggle with this tragedy in their own way." - Vy A. (Phoenix, AZ) "This was a heartwarming love story. The story is told in chapters written from the perspectives of several of the main characters. This was an enjoyable book, perfect for a snowy winter weekend." - Roseanne S (Connecticut)
More about this book | Read all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie
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4. First Impressions: Members Recommend  Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: May 2015
Thriller, 368 pages
Number of reader reviews: 22
Readers' consensus: 4.3/5.0
Members Say "Set in the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, the islands are remote, barren and inhabited by few. There are still minefields there from the Falkland War. Suddenly and with rapid succession, children begin to disappear from the island. The islanders all know each other so it is with reluctance that they begin to suspect one of their own. This is an excellent stand-alone book that will surely be a bestseller. This book is suitable to mystery book clubs, general book clubs and individuals who like well plotted thrillers." - Kathleen S. (St Louis, MO) " Little Black Lies is the best kind of thriller, the kind that grabs the reader early on and doesn't let go until the very end. The plotting is intricate and brilliant, the characters are well developed and believable, and the setting is beautifully described as well as integral to the plot. This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller, particularly fans of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad books and Peter May's Lewis Trilogy." - Terri O. (Chapel Hill, NC) "Completely gripping psychological thriller... I found I was unable to put it down. It's the best read I've had in quite a while! I strongly recommend it to everyone." - Laure R. (Fresno, CA)
More about this book | Read all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie
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5. Editor's Choice 
The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman
Hardcover (April 14, 2015), 480 pages. Historical Fiction. Publisher: Riverhead Books. BookBrowse Rating: 5/5, Critics' Consensus: 5.0/5 Buy at Amazon | B&N | IndieReview: Anna Freeman's debut novel, The Fair Fight, highlights the world of boxing in England during the late 18th century. The book is narrated in the first person by three individuals: Ruth, a young woman who's grown up in a house of prostitution and is tapped as a fighter by one of her mother's clients; George, a middle-class gentleman with high-class friends, all of whom like to gamble; and Charlotte, a well-off woman who becomes acquainted with both George and Ruth through her brother, George's close companion. The plot follows these three as Ruth and then later her husband Tom engage in high-stakes bouts and as the others become increasingly invested - financially and emotionally .... continuedFull 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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 6. Beyond the Book: Bare-Knuckled Boxing  Every time we review a book we also explore a related topic. Here is a recent "beyond the book" article for The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman:
Bare-knuckle fighting has probably existed ever since humanity learned to make a fist, and it has been practiced as a sport since at least the 3rd millennium BCE. The earliest records are found in Sumerian reliefs from that time period, and ancient Egyptian artwork from the 2nd millennium BCE depicts an audience watching barefisted contestants. The ancient Greeks believed that the gods on Mount Olympus boxed for sport, and consequently made it part of the Olympic Games in 688 BCE. Homer also makes reference to boxing in The Iliad - the earliest written version of which dates to roughly the same time period.
Boxing lost popularity as Rome declined and wasn't revived until the late 17th century in England. The first documented "boxing match" is thought to have taken place in 1681 in Britain when Christopher Monck, the 2nd Duke of Albemarle scheduled a bout between his butler and his butcher (the butcher won). Boxing at the time was a far different activity than the sport we know today, more resembling a street brawl than an organized pursuit with rules and guidelines; kicking, gouging, biting and hair-pulling were all permitted (although hitting below the belt was outlawed as unsportsmanlike in 1743). Women often fought in short skits and were sometimes topless as well. continued....
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 7. Publishing Soon
Each month BookBrowse previews 80+ notable books. Here is a particularly interesting title from these upcoming books.  Stalin's Daughter by Rosemary SullivanPublisher: Harper
Publication Date: Jun 2015
Biography, 752 pages
Critic's Opinion: 5/5
Buy at Amazon | B&N | IndieBookBrowse will review Stalin's Daughter in June
From the Jacket: With access to KGB, CIA, and Soviet government archives, as well as the close cooperation of Svetlana's daughter, Rosemary Sullivan pieces together Svetlana's incredible life in a masterful account of unprecedented intimacy. Epic in scope, it's a revolutionary biography of a woman doomed to be a political prisoner of her father's name. Sullivan explores a complicated character in her broader context without ever losing sight of her powerfully human story, in the process opening a closed, brutal world that continues to fascinate us.... continued
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 8. "What If?" Books for Book Clubs Just in case you missed it, in the latest issue of our Book Club Newsletter we focus on speculative fiction - books that fire your imagination by asking a very basic and intriguing question: what if? For a limited time you can read our full reviews and beyond the book articles on all eight books for free More in our book clubs section including:
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9. News May 19 2015
The Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai (pronounced Laas-lo Krasna-hor-kai) has won the Man Booker International prize for his "achievement in fiction on the world stage". Chair of judges Marina Warner, the academic and writer, compared Krasznahorkai's work to Kafka - the author's own personal ... (more)
May 19 2015
Botanist and historian Mark Griffiths believes he has cracked an "ingenious cipher" to identify Shakespeare in an engraving in a 16th-Century botany book. Griffiths made his discovery when he was researching the biography of pioneering botanist John Gerard (1545-1612), author of The Herball or ... (more)
May 13 2015
In just three years the Little Free Library movement has grown from zero to 25,000 locations in 72 countries. More than 40 million books have changed hands through this network due to the efforts of volunteer stewards who install, curate and sustain the book exchanges. To celebrate its third birthday last Saturday, May 16, Little Free Library asked fans to bring new or gently used children's and young adult books to neighborhood Little Free Libraries. They have also started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to build 50,000 free book exchanges ... (more)
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 10. Wordplay Solve our fiendish Wordplay puzzle, and be entered to win the book of your choice!
This week's Wordplay
Solve this clue: "Pull Y U B T B"
The answer to last Week's Wordplay: L Said, S M
"Least said, soonest mended"
Meaning: A bad situation can best be forgotten if not talked about.
According to America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Titelman, this expression is first recorded in Remains of Early Poetry (c.1460). We were unable to find reference to this title and date but did find Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, collected and edited by William Carew Hazlitt (1864). If this is the earliest known reference in English then earlier uses can be found in Spanish. For example, Cervantes expresses the sentiment in
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