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Curating Books for a More Diverse Future
Glory Edim's Well-Read Black Girl, June previews, and more ...
BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, join us for our discussion of Amanda Skenandore’s When No One Else Will, a riveting historical novel about events surrounding an illegal women’s clinic in 1940s Chicago.
Meanwhile, our First Impressions readers are finding Look What You Made Me Do by Booker nominee John Lanchester to be an immensely likeable story about unlikeable people caught in a twisty modern mystery.
Our Editor’s Choice review covers Djamel White’s intense debut All Them Dogs, in which a man returning to Dublin gang life develops romantic feelings for his work partner.
Heard of Well-Read Black Girl Books? Check out our article on Glory Edim’s collaboration with W.W. Norton’s Liveright and other publishers and curators working towards a more diverse book world.
Plus, get ready for summer with previews of June releases, and enjoy a new 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.
When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore
From the Jacket Based on the true story of an illegal women's clinic at the center of a high-profile trial in 1940s Chicago and the nurse who risked her safety and freedom to work there, a thought-provoking, powerfully timely novel of courage, sisterhood, and women's healthcare for readers of Kristin Hannah, Kerri Maher, and Audrey Blake. From the Discussion “Winner, winner, chicken dinner! I enjoyed the book, especially as the discussion for women’s rights is a current topic and it is helpful to reflect on the past. I would think this would be a good book club selection, as there is a lot to discuss.” —Dee_Driscole |  |
“I devoured this book and now want to read more from this author. The book is very well-researched, the story is compelling, and the main character is empathetic and relatable.” —Janie-Hickok-Siess
See what people are saying in response to this question: Regret is a recurring theme in the novel. Do you think it’s possible to live a life without regret? How does regret or fear of regret drive people’s choices?
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester
“Infidelity, vengeance, shame and humiliation, people behaving badly—what's not to like? John Lanchester, who never writes the same book twice, weaves a tale of the times…the participants are Kate Hittlestone, who, along with her husband, Jack, an architect, enjoys a seemingly successful marriage…Until a hit series appears on Netflix called Cheating, written by a millennial writer named Phoebe. Eerily, Phoebe seems to know the private language of Kate and Jack's intimate moments (such as "Want your body, disco doll") and special confidences that no one outside of the two of them share…Could it be that Jack and Phoebe were involved in an affair?…Is there another nefarious explanation at work—and if so, what is it?” —Jill S. (Durham, NC) |  |
“I devoured this book! It seemed it was going to be a bit naughty, but that turned out to be an understatement! A couple of times, I literally yelled, ‘No!’ I thought I had it all figured out at the midpoint, but, suffice it to say that I did not.” —Laura D. (Newmarket, NH)
“I’m not sure I have ever liked a book as much as I did this one while at the same time disliking most of the major characters…As far as I could see, there were no winners in this story. But since I didn’t really care about the characters, it was a more than satisfying read!” —Catherine_S
Editor’s Choice
All Them Dogs by Djamel White
Tony Ward is back in Dublin. Having laid low in England for five years like he was instructed to do after murdering a rival gang member, Tony returns to his hometown ready to integrate himself back into the organized crime scene. But since he's been gone, everything has changed. Tony's boss and mentor, Philly Mooney, has been killed, and his partner in crime, Kenny, has had a kid and straightened his life out. But Kenny introduces Tony to notorious crime boss Aengus Lavelle, who soon has Tony working alongside his stepson and enforcer, Darren "Flute" Walsh. |  |
Tony finds himself drawn to Flute; finds himself watching him when they're alone together, feeling things he hasn't felt for another man since his old boss, Philly—but with Philly, it hadn't been reciprocated. With Flute, there's a kind of danger for Tony in imagining new beginnings in a line of work where tomorrow is never promised. … continued
WRBG & Other Diversity Publishing Projects
Yrsa Daley-Ward’s The Catch (2025), recently released in paperback, has a bizarre and intriguing premise: twin sisters who were separated at a young age, adopted into different families after their mother’s death, diverge in their reactions when one of them spots a woman who looks exactly like their mother on the streets of London, seemingly not aged at all and living as she might have had they never been born. |  |
The Catch is the first title in the Well-Read Black Girl Books series under W.W. Norton’s Liveright imprint. The series came about as a collaboration between Liveright and Glory Edim, founder of the Well-Read Black Girl community, which began in 2015 as an online platform and book club and has since grown into a nonprofit organization and recognized name in the literary world. … continued
June Previews
We know it can be tough to keep up with all the new books coming out every month, so we do the hard work for you. We've carefully selected 100+ of the most noteworthy books publishing in June and are continually updating our selections—check them out and get yourself on the library waitlist ahead of the crowd! BookBrowse members can see, sort, and download the full list of previews for all months. Non-subscribers can view books up to the current month and a limited selection of future months. |  |
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Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"Q S, S"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (G the B R), 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.
A Message from Babbel
Spring into a brand new language with Babbel
It’s almost time for sun, sand, and fearless conversations in a new language. Dive into bite-sized lessons, podcasts, and speaking practice from Babbel – and If you start now, you could be ready for your summer vacay.
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