Book Club News: September Issue
Hello Book Clubbers,
In this issue, we share our members’ discussion of The Magician of Tiger Castle, beloved author Louis Sachar’s first novel for adults, a modern fantasy narrated by a centuries-old magician named Anatole. The discussion includes exciting questions like, “Would you drink an immortality potion? Why or why not?”
We also encourage you to browse more book club books that will transport you to the 17th century or earlier.
Amity, a Reconstruction-era story of siblings in pursuit of freedom by Nathan Harris, was just released in paperback—you and your book club can enjoy it with our coverage and related content.
Plus, check out highlighted “beyond the book” articles in our Nature and the Environment category, and see what books we’ll be discussing this fall in our community forum.
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.
The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar
From the Jacket
The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.
From the Discussion
“I loved this book!! It really had me thinking about life and choices we make. The choices the characters make through the story and what they go through is really quite remarkable.” —Shabella_G
“I think this is for adults or young adults. I would compare this to The Princess Bride.” —Dee_Driscole
See what people are saying in response to this question: Anatole drank a potion that enabled him to live forever. If offered such a potion, would you drink it? Why or why not?
17th Century or Earlier Book Club Books
The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar, featured above, is one of nearly 100 recommended book club books with discussion guides in our 17th Century or Earlier category, listing reads set in times long past.
This is one of 100+ themed reading guide categories available to BookBrowse members.
Non-members can browse a limited number of categories, while members can access the full selection. Members also get access to all the content available with each title, including a review and “beyond the book” article.
Featured Paperback
Stay on top of paperback releases for your book club with our Recent Paperbacks section, and discover additional content for featured titles, including reviews, “beyond the book” articles, and discussion questions. Below is just one new paperback we recommend.
Amity by Nathan Harris
Nathan Harris's novel Amity is set just after the conclusion of the Civil War. Siblings June and Coleman were enslaved as children by the Harper family in Baton Rouge. They've now been emancipated, but having found themselves with nothing to their names and nowhere to go, they've opted to stay with the Harpers as servants, working for room and board. As the narrative opens, we learn the family patriarch, Wyatt Harper, has left for the Texas/Mexico border in the hopes of establishing a silver mine, forcing June to go with him, while the now nineteen-year-old Coleman has been left behind with Harper's wife and daughter; no one has heard from Harper and June in the two years since they departed. … continued
Review by Kim Kovacs
Nature & the Environment Articles
At BookBrowse, every review we write is paired with a “beyond the book” article, which expands on a cultural, historical, or contextual topic related to the book.
Along with an article for Amity (featured above) about the (false) Rose of Jericho, you can explore more pieces in our Nature and the Environment category, on Ukraine’s national soil (relating to Endling by Maria Reva), what exactly a hare is (relating to Chloe Dalton’s Raising Hare), carnivorous plants (relating to Sarah Maria Griffin’s Eat the Ones You Love), and sugar beets (relating to Margie Sarsfield’s Beta Vulgaris), all of which are temporarily available to non-members.
Members can access “beyond the book” articles anytime.
Autumn Reading with A Club of One’s Own
Gear up for fall book clubbing with a guide to everything you need.
Whatever your book club goals, A Club of One's Own lights the way to meaningful discussions, comfortable chemistry, engaging reads, and more.
Expanding on our 2019 Inner Lives of Book Clubs, we offer you a practical, inclusive, and inspiring guide to building a book club that lasts.
This guide and others draw from more than two decades of book club research and editorial content. View them all in our Curated Guides.
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.
Currently, we’re discussing The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar, among other books. Starting in mid-September, we feature All Her Beautiful Deaths by A. Rushby.
About BookBrowse
BookBrowse offers a cornucopia of resources for book clubs, including recommended books by genre, time period, setting, and a wide range of themes; advice on starting and running a book club; and much more!
