Hello
This week brings the opening of a new book club discussion of June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, in which Hollywood meets small-town Ohio in 1955, starting reverberations that last for generations. We also share our members' views of two just published books: The Typewriter's Tale by Michiel Heyns, in which we view the intriguing life of Henry James through the eyes of his typist (aka typewriter), Frieda Wroth; and The Fifth Petal, Brunonia Barry's long awaited sequel to The Lace Reader. Then we revisit The Summer Before the War, one of our 2016 favorite books which is just out in paperback. If you're not familiar with Helen Simonson, either from this book or her debut novel, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, I encourage you to check her out. Lastly, we go belong the book to explore the addictive game of pachinko; and find out about The Hundred-Year Walk, Dawn Anahid MacKeen's biography of her grandfather's experience during and after the Armenian genocide.Thanks for reading! Your Editor, Davina
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  The BookBrowse Book Club
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June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
Published in paperback Feb 2017. Also in hardcover & ebook
From the New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet comes a novel of suspense and passion about a terrible mistake that changed a family forever: "A crumbling family home, a shockingly large inheritance, a small-town mystery, and a high-wattage Hollywood star: June is atmospheric, ambitious, and filled with enough intrigue, betrayal, passion, and heartbreak to keep you reading all the way to the explosively satisfying end."
-- Christina Baker Kline,
bestselling author of Orphan Train
More about this book | Join the discussion
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 First Impressions: Members Recommend The Typewriter's Tale by Michiel Heyns Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: Feb 2017
Historical Fiction, 288 pages
Number of reader reviews: 34
Readers' consensus: 3.5/5.0
Members Say "If you are fond of Henry James, you'll find The Typewriter's Tale to be just the ticket; full of long, delicious, delectable sentences, themselves filled with admirable adjectives, fulsome feelings, and sensitive sensibilities. A good weekend's read." - Carol T. (Ankeny, IA) "The idea for this book is an intriguing one: a period in the life of a famous author (Henry James) as seen through the eyes of his typewriter (today we would call her his typist). Because James, his family, friends, and even the servants view her as little more than the machine itself they feel quite free to say and do anything in her presence, thus giving us a 'fly on the wall' view of James' habits and relationships." - Anna S. (Auburn, AL) " The Typewriter's Tale is an enjoyable novel especially for readers who know something of the famous James siblings - Henry, William, and Alice." - Dottie B. (Louisville, KY) "The author has mixed fact with fiction to write a very good book." - Portia A. (Monroe Township, NJ)
More about this book | Read all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
First Impressions: Members Recommend
 The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: Jan 2017
Mystery, 448 pages
Number of reader reviews: 11
Readers' consensus: 4.6/5.0
Members Say
"Excellent! Thank you BookBrowse for my copy! Bruonia Barry wrote The Lace Reader ten years ago. A wonderful, suspenseful book set in contemporary Salem, Mass. The Fifth Petal is the sequel and totally worth the wait. The story involves a gruesome murder twenty-five years ago, the Salem witch trials and a new crime. It is a fascinating look into Salem's past and present. It is also an amazing read. If you haven't read either book, do so now!" - Carole P, Framingham, MA
"To me, the main character is the city of Salem and it's fascinating history. Ms. Barry makes the area come alive with her vivid language... Very entertaining!" - Sandra L. (Delray Beach, FL)
"Barry is a masterful story teller and historian. She says it took her five years to complete this book, and after reading it, I can't believe it didn't take her much longer, so filled with backstory and interesting folklore in Salem." - Shirley P. (Colorado Springs, CO)
"I'll happily read anything else this author writes!" - Diane D. (Mt Pleasant, SC)
More about this book | Read all the reviews Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie |
 Editor's Choice: New in Paperback  The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson Paperback (Feb 2017), 512 pages Publisher: Random House BookBrowse Rating: 5/5, Critics' Consensus: 4.3/5 Buy at Amazon | B&N | Indie Review and article by Megan Shaffer Review: Set on the cusp of World War I, The Summer Before the War exudes strength and spirit as a small town attempts to assimilate its age-old rules of class and etiquette with the realities of a country going to war. Twenty-three-year-old "spinster" Beatrice Nash makes her way to Rye (see ' Beyond the Book') where she intends to teach Latin at the local school. Armed with mere fortitude and wit, Ms. Nash hopes to eke out a living while maintaining her integrity and independence: "... I crave only to be allowed my work, and my rest, away from the stupidities of society." The Summer Before the War will appeal to lovers of historical fiction, and, like Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, dazzle book clubs. The town of Rye and its coastal surroundings are sure to pique curiosity and entertain those with an interest in history. Simonson's latest work is a treasure and serves as a social commentary of the times leaving much room for discussion on issues of race, gender bias, sexuality, and politics ... 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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 Beyond the Book: Pachinko 
Every time we review a book we also explore a related topic. Here is a recent "beyond the book" article for Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
"If you are a rich Korean, there's a pachinko parlor in your background somewhere," Min Jin Lee writes in her novel Pachinko. Several of her Korean characters end up working in pachinko parlors, despite their differing levels of education and their previous experience.  Pachinko is essentially an upright pinball machine. Gamblers pay to borrow a set of small steel balls that are loaded into the contraption. Pressing a spring-loaded handle launches them onto a metal track lined with brass pins and several cups. The aim is to bounce the balls off the pins and get them to land in the cups before they fall down the hole at the bottom. A ball landing in a cup triggers a payout, in the form of extra balls dropping into the tray at the front. Officially, there is no monetary payout because gambling for cash was until recently illegal in Japan; instead, balls are exchanged for tokens or small prizes like pens or chocolate bars, or more balls. Usually though, there is a storefront near the pachinko parlor where the tokens can be exchanged for cash or grocery vouchers ... continued Read in full | Also available: review & excerpt
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 Author Interview   Dawn Anahid MacKeen shares how the Armenian genocide shaped her family and why it matters that Turkey still denies this dark history - a topic she explores in The Hundred-Year Walk, a biography of her grandfather's courage in the face of terrible odds. Read the Interview | The Hundred-Year Walk
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