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Charlotte Brontë & Shaanxi Cuisine
Kate Atkinson, Princess Joy L. Perry, a new Brontë book, and more ...
BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, book club members are discussing Kate Atkinson’s most recent title in her beloved Jackson Brodie series, the slowly unspooling murder mystery Death at the Sign of the Rook.
We also bring you our First Impressions reviewers’ thoughts on This Here Is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry, an evocative and intimate story of enslaved people in Virginia at the turn of the 18th century.
Fans of bookish history can enjoy our Editor’s Choice review of Graham Watson’s The Invention of Charlotte Brontë, a new account of the famous novelist’s life and creations.
Plus, check out a “beyond the book” article on Shaanxi cuisine related to Automatic Noodle, Annalee Newitz’s inventive tale of a robot noodle shop in a future San Francisco, and see if you can solve our latest Wordplay!
Thanks for reading,
The BookBrowse Team
Book Club Discussions
Discussions are open to all! If you’d like to participate, you can do so by creating an account here. Please note that discussions can contain spoilers.
Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson
From the Jacket The highly anticipated return of "irresistible" (New York Times) private eye Jackson Brodie in the newest installment of the bestselling series hailed as "unputdownable" by Time. Welcome to Rook Hall. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night's end, a murderer will be revealed. From the Discussion “Kate Atkinson is one of my favorite authors. And while this story slowly evolved, I loved it. Her writing is so insightful, brilliant. And the ending chapters highlighted the comic undertone…So worth reading.” —Sonya_M |  |
“I hadn’t read any Jackson Brodie books, but I was able to follow this just fine. Anyone who loves great writing and old-school mysteries like Christie would enjoy this one.” —Cheri_Mcelroy
See what people are saying in response to this question: Jackson thinks the “golden years” should be named the “rust years,” and they come “attended by a retinue of unfriendly ailments” (p. 195). What do you think he means? Do you agree with him?
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
This Here Is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry
“Set against the turbulent backdrop of late 17th- and early 18th-century Virginia, This Here is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry is a searing historical novel that explores the entangled destinies of four families. With a particular focus on two enslaved individuals, Bless and David, and the enslaver Jack Dane/Crewe, Perry crafts a narrative where childhood traumas cast long shadows over the lives and choices of her characters. The emotional landscape of this novel is both vast and intimate. Perry excels at rendering her characters with remarkable depth…The prose is evocative and immersive.” —Patricia S. |  |
“The plot is so compelling that it’s hard to put the book down, and the characters (especially Bless and David) are unforgettable. This Here Is Love would be a perfect choice for book clubs interested in historical fiction.” —Diane S.
“Very few authors have the ability to write about such difficult subject matter, yet capture the reader from page one and provide an extraordinary lesson in history.” —Kate S.
For Members
This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 14 titles, including Moderation by Elaine Castillo, Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie, and Hotshot by River Selby. We also bring you author interviews, an article on publishers reimagining the classics, a giveaway, 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!
Editor’s Choice
The Invention of Charlotte Brontë by Graham Watson
In 1850, two of the Victorian era's greatest novelists met for the first time in England's tranquil Lake District. Elizabeth Gaskell, a burgeoning writer, and Charlotte Brontë, the woman behind the pseudonym Currer Bell, came face-to-face at a meeting arranged by mutual friends. The friendship Charlotte and Elizabeth forged there would last for five years until Charlotte's premature death in 1855; but Elizabeth was a loyal friend even after Charlotte passed away, taking up her nib to pen the first biography of Charlotte's life—a life that Elizabeth considered "tragic to the point of being almost unbelievable." Brontë specialist Graham Watson's superb book, The Invention of Charlotte Brontë, focuses on Charlotte's final years and Gaskell's biography of her. … continued Review by Peggy Kurkowski |  |
Beyond the Book
Shaanxi Cuisine and Biang Biang Mian
Shaanxi cuisine, also known as Qin cuisine, originates from Shaanxi province in north-central China. Outside of Shaanxi, the cuisine has gained popularity in major urban centers like Beijing and Shanghai, and overseas in Chinatowns across the US, Canada, and Australia. Most notably, Xi'an Famous Foods brought Shaanxi-style noodles and street food to mainstream attention in New York City, helping elevate the cuisine's profile internationally. |  |
It was Xi'an Famous Foods' hand-ripped noodles that sparked Annalee Newitz's idea for Automatic Noodle. … continued
Article by Pei Chen
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"I N R S"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (T T O the T), and a detailed breakdown of its meaning and history.
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