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Art Crime & a Coen-worthy Civil War Satire
Taylor Jenkins Reid, Dennard Dayle, Nell Stevens, Molly Beer, and more ...
BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week in First Impressions, we bring you Angelica, Molly Beer’s account of early American historical figure Angelica Schuyler Church, best known to many from the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical Hamilton.
Reviewers also comment on Nell Stevens’ The Original, a luxurious summer read with many layers: historical detail, suspense, art history, art crime, social commentary, and drama around family and marriage. Members can see additional coverage of Stevens’ novel in our most recent e-zine (pssst, members, it’s also time to request free books!).
Meanwhile, anyone can enjoy our Editor’s Choice review of Dennard Dayle’s How to Dodge a Cannonball, a Civil War-era satire with dialogue worthy of a Coen brothers movie, along with a “beyond the book” article on astronaut Sally Ride accompanying our review of Atmosphere, the latest from Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Plus, join us in welcoming Roselle Park Veterans Memorial Library to BookBrowse, and if you’re a patron, start taking advantage of your member benefits!
Thanks for reading,
The BookBrowse Team
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on two recently released titles.
Angelica by Molly Beer
“Molly Beer's nonfiction work is a depiction of the early years of the American colonies, primarily through the perspective of Angelica Schuyler Church. Daughter of noted general and statesman Philip Schuyler of Albany, NY, Angelica was deeply interested in politics. Given the prominence of her family, she became acquainted with and ultimately friends with the likes of Lafayette, George Washington, and even Thomas Jefferson…Angelica was unusual for her time in that she lived abroad for a while in both Paris and London and was renowned as a gracious and influential hostess…I found Beer's book fascinating both for its history of three early wars and for its setting in upstate New York.” —Jean F. (Cary, NC) |  |
“I first became aware of the Schuyler sisters through the musical Hamilton, so was eager to read this biography. Molly Beer's research is impeccable.” —Mary L. (Greeley, CO)
“The book is both poignant and topical and forces comparisons to the current political and social climate…Angelica would be an excellent choice for book clubs and those who appreciate social and political history.” —Gerrie B. (Carmel, IN)
The Original by Nell Stevens
“The original here is author Nell Stevens…she weaves a tale that is at once Victorian in its setting and mores and contemporary in its unvarnished look at queer relationships. We feel the intense rapture that the protagonist Grace has copying great works of art as she pursues her freedom through money she earns from the sale of the fakes. Ultimately, this is a philosophical musing about what is authentic and what is not and when the copy may be the better of the two. Wrapped up in a thrilling tale, Stevens’ novel is a master class in gorgeous writing.” —Molly O. (Aurora, CO) |  |
“I rarely give a 5 review, and rarely read books about art. This book had my attention from the first page…I enjoyed Grace's description of the paintings she copied and googled them while reading.” —Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
“I enjoyed this book because it has a little of everything: family drama, classic art, forgery, a bit of suspense/mystery, and turn-of-the-century lifestyle. It would be a good pick for book clubs because there are lots of talking points.” —Gail G. (Hernando, FL)
For Members
This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 14 titles, including The Original by Nell Stevens, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Flashlight by Susan Choi. We also bring you plenty of reading guides for featured books, Our Most Anticipated Books for July-December 2025, handpicked previews of upcoming releases, and more. Not Yet a Member? Do you love to spend your reading hours immersed in captivating storytelling and intriguing ideas? |  |
Then a BookBrowse membership is for you! What you see on BookBrowse for free and in this newsletter is just a small part of what is available to members — for just $5.00/month! Join Today!
Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are now available to request. Offer closes end of Saturday, July 5.
Want to review our book club guide, A Club of One’s Own? Members have a chance to receive it as part of our First Impressions program this month.
Books are provided free of charge to BookBrowse members resident in the US with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review or take part in an online discussion forum (depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club). Our basic membership guarantees you at least four books a year when you request each month.
Free books are one of the many benefits of a BookBrowse membership. Join by this Saturday (for just $5.00 a month) to request and receive a book from this list. Don't wait!
Editor’s Choice
How to Dodge a Cannonball by Dennard Dayle
How to Dodge a Cannonball tells the story of Anders, a poor white boy from Illinois who, like his family members before him, twirls flags during war. Naive, garrulous, and focused above all on self-preservation, he deserts from one side of the Civil War to the other and back again. When his involvement in the ill-fated Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg goes awry, he deserts the Confederacy, takes the uniform of a dead Black Union soldier, and joins an all-Black regiment, passing himself off as an "octoroon." The dialogue hits the same sweet spot as a Coen brothers movie, funny and literary without getting too cute. And Dayle's narration is wry, ironic, and as keenly observant as the best stand-up. … continued Review by Joe Hoeffner |  |
Beyond the Book
Sally Ride, First American Woman in Space
Joan Goodwin, the protagonist of Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel Atmosphere, applies to NASA to be one of America's first female astronauts and is accepted to the program as part of Group 9. Group 8 (both in the book and in reality) included Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel into space. Sally Kristen Ride was born in 1951 in Encino, California. … continued Article by Kim Kovacs |  |
Welcome to Roselle Park Veterans Memorial Library
Roselle Park Veterans Memorial Library of Roselle Park, New Jersey now subscribes to BookBrowse! If you are a library card holder here you can now access all member-only content using your library card at http://bookbrowse.com/RPVML, and you can also subscribe to their patron newsletter. |  |
Not sure if your library subscribes to BookBrowse? You can check here. For more information on BookBrowse for Libraries, see here.
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