Hello
Many readers love to discover authors through their debut works, others believe that an author needs to get a couple of books under the belt to hit their stride. Both camps will be happy with this issue which is stuffed with first and second novels.
I hope you discover many new and wonderful authors to add to your must read list!
Your Editor
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  1. The BookBrowse Book Club
Please Join Us to Discuss:
 A Small Indiscretion: A Novel by Jan Ellison
Published Jan 2015 in hardcover & ebook
Published Feb 2016 in paperback, 352 pages
Named one of the best books of the year by San Francisco Chronicle
With the emotional complexity of Everything I Never Told You and the psychological suspense of The Girl on the Train, O. Henry Prize winner Jan Ellison delivers a brilliantly paced, beautifully written debut novel about one woman's reckoning with a youthful mistake.
"Astonishing ... This voice is alive. It knows something. It will take us somewhere. The magic is accomplished so fast, so subtly, that most readers hardly notice ... Lovely writing guides us through, driven by a quiet generosity ... This voice knows something, and by the end of the novel, so do we." - San Francisco Chronicle, Book Club Pick
More about this book | Join the discussion |
 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 two recent releases.  The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: Feb 2016
Mystery, 336 pages
Number of reader reviews: 20
Readers' consensus: 4.2/5.0
Members Say "This was a terrific book. Inspector Khattak is a very captivating and complicated character. As a Muslim man in Canada, he is portrayed with empathy and compassion." - Ann W. (New York, NY)
"Khan's novel is fast-paced, with complex, engaging characters and intricate plotting. The subject matter is extremely timely and implicitly warns us of the danger of making facile judgments about a very complicated issue. Above all, the story grabs us from the beginning sentences and doesn't let go until the final resolution. An absorbing read!" - Rebecca H. (Bolton, CT)
"It is rare that I am so taken by a book that I place reading it before all else. That is the case for The Language of Secrets - a compelling read. From the first chapter to the last, the pace of Khan's writing is perfect. Her subject matter, a Muslim terrorist plot, and her knowledge of police procedural work, make for an exciting, if not heart pounding, read. Khan's characters are compelling for their intelligence and warmth. I like The Unquiet Dead, but The Language of Secrets excels. Bravo!" - Karna B. (Long Beach, CA)
More info | Read all the reviews B uy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
3. First Impressions: Members Recommend
 I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Publication Date: Feb 2016
Historical Fiction, 400 pages
Number of reader reviews: 19
Readers' consensus: 3.6/5.0
Members Say
"Wow! In this reader's opinion Gable's second novel deserves a strong 5 rating. The author loosely based the story on a real person she discovered while doing research for her first novel... I am hoping for a sequel !" - Deborah P. (Dunnellon, FL)
"I loved reading this book! The author's writing style is outstanding .... both literary and approachable. The characters are well developed and likable and the story is interesting and complex. Set mostly in 1972 and 2001, the story is historical and contemporary. It involves wars, romance, and love: between mother and daughter, elderly and young. Love of literature and art also play a role as well as love for the city of Paris. I highly recommend this book!" - Gail L. (Dallas, TX)
"I found this book to be a compulsive page turner and was sad when I had to bid the inhabitants a farewell. ... I've already purchased Michelle Gable's first novel because of how taken I was with this one." - Maggie P. (Mount Airy, MD)
"Perfect for Anglophiles, historical fiction readers and book clubs." - Patricia W. (Richmond, VA)
More info | Read all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
 4. Free Issue of the BookBrowse Review
 The BookBrowse Review is our twice-monthly membership magazine published online. From time to time we make an issue available to all visitors, not just our members - and last week was one of those times. Just in case you missed the email last week (and you're not already a member), here is the link so you can explore all our in-depth reviews, intriguing "beyond the book" articles, previews of notable books publishing soon, and more - for free! |
5. This Month's Free Books
Members - here's a reminder of this month's books - available to US-resident members to request to read and discuss or read and review. Offer closes Feb 14th at 3pm ET. https://www.bookbrowse.com/arc
Not a member: Free books are just one of the benefits of membership. If you've been considering joining, doing so by Sunday would be a great idea because you can use the $6 coupon to save on an annual membership, and you'll also be able to pick one of these great books to read and review, or discuss: www.bookbrowse.com/join |
Your Guide to Exceptional Books!
Use coupon code BB216 to save $6 on a one-year membership and get a year of good reading about good reading for just $29. Join Today!
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Offer Expires Feb 14, 2016. Valid for an annual subscription for new members and returning members whose previous subscription expired more than 6 weeks ago.
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 6. Publishing Soon
Each month BookBrowse previews 80+ notable books. Here is a particularly interesting title from these upcoming books.  The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate HamerMelville House, Feb 16, 2016 Novel, 336 pages Critics' Opinion: 5/5 Buy at Amazon | B&N | IndieAlternating between Beth's story and Carmel's, and written in gripping prose that won't let go, The Girl in the Red Coat - like Emma Donoghue's Room and M. L. Stedman's The Light Between Oceans - is an utterly immersive story that's impossible to put down ... and impossible to forget. |
 7. Author Interview  Sally Andrew discussed the inspiration behind her first novel, Recipes for Love and Murder - the first in a new series set in rural South Africa - a flavorful blend of The #1 Ladies Detective Agency and the Goldie Schulz series with added recipes! Read the Interview | Recipes for Love and Murder |
 8. Wordplay
Solve our fiendish Wordplay puzzle, and be entered to win the book of your choice!
This week's Wordplay Solve this clue: "K Y Feet O T G" Enter now The answer to last Week's Wordplay: I I A I Wind T B N G
"It is an ill wind that blows nobody good"
Meaning: One person's misfortune is often another person's good luck
The British have lots of sayings drawn from the sea, and in particular, the navy. In the days of sail, a battle could be won or lost on a change of wind direction.
The first known reference is in John Heywood's 1546 book of proverbs (An yll wynde that blowth no man to good, men say). But this early version doesn't have the twist found in current usage - that something that causes harm to one person/group, is probably benefiting someone else (such as an El Nino year that can bring much needed rain to some parts of the world, but catastrophic floods or droughts to other parts.)
It is possible that Shakespeare was the first to use it in this way when he included the phrase in his 1591 play Henry VI.
Henry's son replies to his father:
Ill blows the wind that profits nobody.
This man, whom hand to hand I slew in fight,
May be possessed with some store of crowns;
And I, that haply take them from him now,
May yet ere night yield both my life and them
To some man else, as this dead man doth me.
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 9. Win This Book
 The Queen of the Night by Alexander CheePublished Feb 2016
576 pages
Enter the Giveaway From the Jacket Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer's chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all... Reviews "A sweeping, richly detailed historical novel about a young woman's tumultuous trajectory from circus rider to renowned soprano at the Paris Opera." - People "It's the ball gowns and roses, magic tricks and ruses, hubris and punishment that will keep the reader absorbed until the final aria, waiting to see whom fate will curse and whom it will avenge." - TIME Magazine "A luminous tale of power and passion. Chee gives us an unforgettable heroine and a rich cast of characters - many of them real historical figures. The story dazzles and surprises right up until the final page." - J. Courtney Sullivan "A night at an opera you'll wish never-ending." - Helen Oyeyemi 5 people will each win a hardcover copy of The Queen of the Night. 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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