BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, escape the stresses of everyday life with our First Impressions reviews of Syou Ishida’s Welcome to the Kokoro Cat Clinic, a cozy episodic read that goes great with cats, coffee, and pumpkin spice.
In Editor’s Choice, we dive into acclaimed YA author K. Ancrum’s latest, Adam, Mine., an immersive ode to Frankenstein for anyone who loves a good gothic atmosphere. Discover more books set in Europe to fill out your fall reading.
You can also check out our “beyond the book” article on the infamous Roy Cohn, the subject of Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark’s biography American Scoundrel, and his influence on Donald Trump and the politics of today.
Plus, we have new and upcoming book club discussions, and a fresh Wordplay!
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 one recently released title.
Welcome to the Kokoro Cat Clinic by Syou Ishida
“Whether you're a cat lover or not, you'll love this book by Syou Ishida. Welcome to the Kokoro Cat Clinic is a cozy read, presented as a collection of linked short stories. This is the third book in the We'll Prescribe You a Cat series but can easily be read as a standalone. Magically, the mysterious mental health clinic, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, appears to those who are in need…Warmth, humor, and a bit of mystery are woven throughout the stories. E. Madison Shimoda has done a superb job of translating this Japanese novel to English….A great choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy a bit of whimsy.” —Laurie_M
“[A] delightful, cozy book that centers around a mysterious mental health clinic that offers a very specific and unusual form of treatment: cats! As a cat lover and a therapist, I found the issues addressed and the proposed solutions fairly legitimate…I can strongly recommend the book not only as a pleasant read, but as food for thought from a psychotherapeutic point of view.” —Megan_J
“I've always thought of myself as a dog lover, but after reading this book, I would really like to get a cat.” —Candace_F
Editor’s Choice
Adam, Mine. by K. Ancrum
The year is 1890, and Victor Frankenstein is studying abroad in Ingolstadt, Germany, where he is a prodigy among his older classmates. Victor is fascinated by "the alchemy of the body." He is ambitious and reckless, traits faithful to the character in Mary Shelley's classic novel, and swears to his peers that he will perform a successful human reanimation by the end of his thesis. In Ancrum's version however, Victor, desperate after multiple failures and running against the clock, kidnaps another man, Elias, and mutilates his body to fake a success. Due to the dangerous alchemy used for his demonstrations, Victor's and Elias's souls become attached, forming an emotional bond between the two even as they go their separate ways … continued
Review by Daiana Gonzalez Videla
Books Set in Europe
If the historical German atmosphere of K. Ancrum’s YA Frankenstein adaptation Adam, Mine., featured above, gets you in the mood for more books set in Europe, we’ve got you covered with nearly 800 recommended titles in our Europe category.
Browse through to find fiction and nonfiction exploring a variety of periods and places, from northernmost Norway to the Greek islands and everywhere in between.
This is one of 100+ themed categories available to BookBrowse members. Non-members can browse a limited version of our category lists, while members can access the full selection.
Beyond the Book
Roy Cohn and Donald Trump: Mentor and Protégé
Roy Cohn first entered young Donald Trump's orbit at a private dinner in a chic New York venue in late 1973. Trump was twenty-seven years old and an aspiring real estate mogul who worked for his father, Fred. This first encounter is related in Trump's bestselling 1987 book The Art of the Deal. Asking Cohn for legal advice in light of a government discrimination suit against Trump's company, he recalls Cohn responding: "Tell them to go to hell and fight the thing in court and let them prove you discriminated."
In his biography of Roy Cohn, American Scoundrel, Kai Bird recounts that the case was eventually settled out of court. … continued
Article by Peggy Kurkowski
Discussions
Discussions are open to all, so please join us! If you would like to receive a message when a particular discussion opens, you can sign up for a one-time notification. You can also find inspiration for your book club among our more than 200 past discussions.
This week, we’re talking about Dear Missing Friend by Susan McGuirk, among other books. Starting next week, we feature Reset by Kevin Charles.
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"N P N G"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (Y A S N Y), and a detailed breakdown of its meaning and history.
Want to play even more word games? Try our daily book trivia and see if you can get to the top of the leaderboard.
