Hello
In this issue I invite you to travel to 1910 Paris with our new book club book, The
Paris Winter; and explore The
Widow, a newly released thriller that one
reviewer describes as better than The Girl on
the Train. You can also discover two
other just published books our members have
reviewed and rated highly, The
Opposite of Everyone and What
Lies Between Us; and then go "beyond the
book" with the related topics of the Trivedi and the concept of
false
memory. Last, but not least, check out
Sunny's Nights,
publishing on Feb 23, which is just one of 80
notable February books we've previewed; and enter
to win The
Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.
Your Editor
Davina
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 1. The BookBrowse Book
Club
Please Join Us to Discuss:
The
Paris Winterby Imogen Robertson
Published Jan
2016, 368 pages
Set against the
backdrop of the Great Flood, The Paris
Winter is a dark and powerful tale of deceit
and revenge from a masterful
storyteller. "Starred Review. For readers
of historical fiction looking for a complex story,
this is a sure bet and most likely the next big
hit of any book discussion group." - Library
Journal "Starred Review. With a twisty,
well-crafted plot, this novel is rich in
historical detail and robust with personality." -
Kirkus 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
three recent releases.
The Widow by Fiona
Barton Publisher:
NAL
Publication Date: Feb
2016
Thriller, 336
pages
Number of reader reviews:
24
Readers' consensus: 4.2/5.0
Members
Say "This book is almost identical in
style to The Girl on the Train, right
down to the back and forth chronology. Having said
that, I found it more gripping... I absolutely
recommend this book to anyone who likes the
suspense genre. I will be recommending this book
to my book club." - Carol G. (Leesburg,
VA) "Ms. Barton has written a very
readable, credible story that captures the reader
from the first page. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing
the same set of facts and circumstances from the
viewpoints of multiple characters so that I had
some understanding for each person's motivations
and personalities. I look forward to reading more
from this author in the future." - Rosemary C.
(Austin, TX) " The Widow is a
well-written psychological thriller. I really
enjoyed the in-depth character development and the
author's smooth writing style. The book keeps you
guessing and asking dark questions about the
relationship between Glen and Jean. This would
generate good club discussion; I would definitely
recommend it to friends." - Liz B. (Fairview,
TX)
More
info | Read
all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
3. First Impressions: Members
Recommend
The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn
Jackson Publisher:
William Morrow
Publication Date: Feb
2016
Novel, 352 pages
Number
of reader reviews: 21
Readers' consensus:
4.4/5.0
Members
Say
"The development of the protagonist,
Paula Vauss aka Kai, is outstanding. The gypsy
life she led with her mother, the strength she
developed over the years, her acute insight in
difficult situations, her ability to overcome all
the obstacles to become a successful lawyer - this
turned out to be a story worth savoring, and I
did...down to the last word." - Dorinne
D.
"At first I wasn't sure Paula wasn't
just another hard boiled detective/lawyer, but
this story is so much more. The suspenseful story
of her current life and flashbacks to her broken
family drew me in emotionally to the very end. I'm
sure reading groups would find plenty to discuss
here." - Dona H. (Muskegon, MI)
"I'm a big
fan of everything Joshilyn Jackson has written and
this book did not disappoint! Her characters have
such depth and are so real. I love her story
development with flashbacks to the past. I get so
wrapped up when reading her books, I don't know
where the time goes. I highly recommend this
book." - Diane D. (Mount Pleasant,
SC)
More
info | Read
all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
4. First Impressions: Members
Recommend
What Lies Between Us by Nayomi
Munaweera Publisher:
St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: Feb
2016
Novel, 320 pages
Number
of reader reviews: 22
Readers' consensus:
4.5/5.0
Members Say I followed the
narrator's story from Sri Lanka to San Francisco
riveted by what was slowly unfolding. Munaweera's
fluid and poetic prose intensifies the first
person narration and makes the story all the more
moving. The story shows us in heartbreaking detail
how what we do to each other leaves a mark that
isn't easily erased. ... A stunning achievement."
- Joan R. (Chicago, IL) "The story is
beautifully written in the lyrical language of a
poet, yet it captures the devastating and brutal
turns that life can take. You will be unable to
put this book down. Not only do I recommend this
book, I would consider it a 'must read.'" -
Maureen S. (Huntington Station, NY) "Upon
finishing this book I loaned it to my daughter who
said it just right. She said there is so much
garbage out there (meaning books) that it's a
treat to read a good story that is so beautifully
written. I thoroughly agree. This was a wonderful
read and now I'm compelled to read this author's
first book. In short, I loved it!" - Iris F.
(Delay beach, FL) More
info | Read
all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
 5. Beyond the Book: The
Trivedi
Every time we review a book we also explore a
related topic. Here is a recent "beyond the book"
article for The Opposite of Everyone about
the Trivedi - the three main Hindu
goddesses:
The Opposite of Everyone is peppered
with elements from Hinduism, most prominently with
references to the goddess Kali who is widely
revered among Hindus for her ability to quell
chaos during dark times (read the ' Beyond
the Book' for The Strangler Vine to
learn more about Kali).
 According to the tenets of
Hinduism, the Supreme Being takes on the form of
various gods and goddesses each worshipped for a
special reason. At the top of the pantheon are
three gods: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the
preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer. Afforded
equal importance in the religion are their
respective wives: Saraswati, the goddess of
learning; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and
prosperity and Parvati, for love and fertility.
... continued |
6. Beyond the Book: False Memory
Every
time we review a book we also explore a related
topic. Here is a recent "beyond the book" article
for What Lies Between Us on the concept
of false memory, which is one of the primary plot
drives for the book: As the term implies,
false memory is when a person recalls an event or
a detail that has not happened or is untrue in
some particular way. While research into why false
memory takes root is still being conducted, a
number of factors have been pegged as possible
explanations. For example, if you did not attend a
family Thanksgiving twenty years ago but have been
told about incidents that happened during that
eventful get-together over and over again, the
feeling of almost having been there soon might
change to your believing - and then later
recalling - that you were indeed part of the day's
celebrations. In other words, memories can be
slowly implanted by society and what you hear
coming at you.
continued...Read
in full | More
about this
book |
 7. Publishing Soon
Each month BookBrowse previews
80+ notable books. Here is a particularly
interesting title from these upcoming
books. 
Sunny's Nights by Tim SultanPublisher:
Random House Publication Date: Feb 2016, 288
pages Critics' Opinion: 5/5 Buy at Amazon |
B&N |
Indie
Imagine that
Alice had walked into a bar instead of falling
down the rabbit hole. In the tradition of J. R.
Moehringer's The Tender Bar and the
classic reportage of Joseph Mitchell, here is an
indelible portrait of what is quite possibly the
greatest bar in the world (in Brooklyn) - and the
mercurial, magnificent man behind
it.
More about this
book | More
Previews |
 8. Win This Book 
The Winter
People by Jennifer McMahon
Published
Jan 2015
400 pages
Enter
the Giveaway
From the
JacketWest Hall, Vermont, has always been
a town of strange disappearances and old legends.
The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea,
who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind
her house just months after the tragic death of
her daughter. Now, in the present
day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's
farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger
sister. Alice has always insisted that they live
off the grid, a decision that has weighty
consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to
find that Alice has vanished. In her search for
clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara
Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the
floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie
gets sucked into the historical mystery, she
discovers that she's not the only person looking
for someone that they've lost. But she may be the
only one who can stop history from repeating
itself. Paperback reprint. First published
in hardcover Feb 11,
2014 Reviews
"One of the year's most chilling
novels. She melds the mystery genre with the
supernatural for a psychological thriller that is
as scary as it is enthralling." - The
Miami Herald
"Crisp,
mysterious and scary.... Reminiscent of Stephen
King." - USA Today
"A
hauntingly beautiful read." - Oprah.com
" The Winter People is
hypnotic, gripping and deeply moving... A dream
from which I didn't want to wake." - Lisa
Unger, author of In the
Blood "McMahon is a scrupulous
writer, nicely attentive to the nuances of
character and landscape ... The mournful voice of
Sara Shea lingers in the memory, and McMahon,
wisely, gives her the last word." - The New
York Times Book Review
5
people will each win a paperback copy of The
Winter People. 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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