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Food, Films & Multigenerational History
Evie Woods, James Baldwin, Rachel Khong, reading guides, and more ...
Book Club News: April Issue
Hello Book Clubbers,
In this issue, we bring you selections from the week’s featured reading guides, along with a discussion of Evie Woods’ The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris, a cozy mystery-romance that may be just the mood enhancer you need.
You can also explore our members’ opinions on James Baldwin’s The Devil Finds Work, an insightful book-length essay about race and racism in American film, and Real Americans by Rachel Khong, a multigenerational story that takes an unexpected turn.
When searching for book club reads, use our genre filters to browse 1,800+ curated reading guides and find exactly what you’re looking for!
And be sure to check out our exciting lineup of upcoming discussions.
With best wishes,
The BookBrowse Team
Book Club Discussions
Discussions are open to all to view and participate, so if you've read a book, click on "discuss." If you have not, we suggest you go to "about the book" to avoid spoilers.
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
From the Jacket For Edie Lane, a recipe for disaster doesn't require that many ingredients. Take an unhealthy amount of wishful thinking and a sprinkle of desperation and that's how Edie left everything behind in Ireland for her dream job at a bakery in Paris. Except the bakery isn't in Paris — and neither is Edie. From the Discussion "This is a movie of a book — in other words, you keep reading because you care about all the characters and the story unfolding before you.” —Lesley_F |  |
"The book is a cozy and since I’m sick of snow and ice in April in Vermont and was feeling a bit down and mentally lazy, it hit the spot. I went to bed on a cold snowy day at 2:30 in the afternoon and just read the whole thing by dinner time…I loved it.” —Katherine_P
See what people are saying in response to this question: Edie says, “Ever since I could remember, I’d been obsessed with the city of love.” What is it about Paris, in your opinion, that leads so many to think of it in those terms? Have you been to Paris? Would you like to go, if you had a chance?
The Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin
From the Jacket Baldwin's personal reflections on movies gathered here in a book-length essay are also an appraisal of American racial politics. Offering a look at racism in American movies and a vision of America's self-delusions and deceptions, Baldwin considers such films as In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and The Exorcist. From the Discussion “I found it fascinating, how quickly he juxtaposes topics or points of view using several films, artists, and his personal life.” —Tonyia_Robinson |  |
"Most of all, I was struck—and then restruck—by Baldwin’s incredible writing…It was powerful and I think it will permanently affect how I look at films, TV, and much more.” —Judith_G
“As a retired teacher, I couldn’t help thinking that an entire course could be built around this book.” —Patricia_M
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
From the Jacket Real Americans begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City, when twenty-two-year-old Lily Chen, an unpaid intern at a slick media company, meets Matthew. Matthew is everything Lily is not: easygoing and effortlessly attractive, a native East Coaster, and, most notably, heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. Lily couldn't be more different: flat-broke, raised in Tampa, the only child of scientists who fled Mao's Cultural Revolution. Despite all this, Lily and Matthew fall in love. |  |
From the Discussion
“I like how Khong masterfully wove together the story across generations and continents.” —Gabi_J
“I loved it!…One of the best moments for me while reading occurred at the end of the first section, when I realized that the book that I thought I was reading and enjoying was going to be so much more!” —Laura_D
“It’s hard to describe what this book is ‘about’ as it covers so many different, interesting and important topics, current and historical. I loved the author’s writing style and became immersed in the characters’ lives immediately.” —Melissa_Chaitin
Featured Reading Guides
BookBrowse presents a rotating selection of featured reading guides for titles we've reviewed to help you with ideas for possible book club reads and to keep your discussions running smoothly. Below are a couple we’re featuring in our lineup this week.
The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B. Miller The plot is so much richer than a simple period piece or art heist yarn; everything about it is complex, from the relationships between the characters to the moral ambiguities one must navigate in wartime. The Curse of Pietro Houdini checks all the boxes for truly great historical fiction: authentic, likable characters, exquisite writing, engrossing plot, and absorbing historical detail. This is a must-read for fans of World War II fiction, particularly those who've enjoyed novels like All the Light We Cannot See and City of Thieves. |  |
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams The scenes set in the 1920s are lushly described, with vivid details of luxurious outfits and raucous bars. This time of growing Black wealth and a buzzing cultural scene is juxtaposed with the rapidly gentrifying Harlem Ricki lives in. Readers of Tia Williams' earlier Seven Days in June will be delighted by a cameo from that novel's protagonist, who gives a lecture on voodoo that Ricki attends. Williams' fans can only hope that this might mark the beginning of an overlapping literary universe in the style of Taylor Jenkins Reid. |  |
Filter Discussion Guides by Genre!
Did you know you and your book club can filter BookBrowse’s more than 1,800 free reading guides by genre? The next time it’s your turn to pick a book for your group, easily find discussion-ready reads that suit your tastes, or explore a category you’re less familiar with if you’re in the mood for adventure. Anyone can browse our general genre categories, while members get advanced filtering and the ability to create a search using multiple categories, including theme or subgenre, setting, and time period. |  |
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 Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin, Real Americans by Rachel Khong, and The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods, among many other books. Starting this week, we feature Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. |  |
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