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Our Editors' Takes on This Year's Books
BookBrowse editors' top picks of 2025, books for members, and more ...
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BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, members discuss Amy K. Green’s absorbing, suspenseful tale of a serial killer’s daughter, Haven’t Killed in Years.
First Impressions readers review The Botanist’s Assistant, another unique mystery, featuring a meticulous accidental detective. (And don’t miss our recent Ask the Author session with author Peggy Townsend.)
In Editor’s Choice, we highlight The White Hot from Pulitzer-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, which covers a young woman’s ten-day life-changing journey.
We also bring you new books for members to request, our favorite author interviews of 2025—and, for the first time ever, BookBrowse editors’ personal top picks of the year!
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.
Haven’t Killed in Years by Amy K. Green
From the Jacket No one is supposed to know harmless office worker Gwen Tanner is the vanished daughter of serial killer Abel Haggerty. But a low profile and a new name aren't going to cut it when an obsessive new killer starts targeting her, in this lively and propulsive thriller with a standout voice. From the Discussion “I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and doesn’t demand 100% believability. There are lots of us who enjoy a good yarn. This book is a very good yarn.” —George_M |  |
“Haven’t Killed in Years by Amy Green is not only troublesome, but sharply written…Her character development is shrewd.” —Carol_N
“I enjoyed this book very much. I found the story fascinating and was never bored. I particularly liked the author’s writing style. It felt very conversational and easy to follow.” —Melissa_C
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
To get more insight into the First Impressions pick below, check out our recent Ask the Author conversation with Peggy Townsend.
The Botanist’s Assistant by Peggy Townsend
“Margaret Finch is precise, intelligent, and invaluable to the charming botanist Dr. Deaver, whom she finds dead in his office. While others believe he died of natural causes, Margaret has her doubts, and her attention to detail makes her a perfect sleuth, quickly finding unlikely allies to help her uncover the truth. I enjoyed every page of this charming, slightly offbeat mystery led by a clever, tenacious, and loyal protagonist. Margaret's scientific plant tidbits were curious and educational. If you like mysteries with quirky characters, precise schedules, and a hint of the strange, The Botanist's Assistant is for you!” —Anke V. (Portland, OR) |  |
“This was a book I looked forward to reading each day…I think this is a good book club read. I think those readers who liked Lessons in Chemistry would enjoy this book too.” —Wendy K. (Rising Fawn, GA)
“Townsend does a brilliant job of developing Margaret's character…The mystery that is the real focus of the novel was also well crafted with just enough misdirection to keep readers guessing. Any direct knowledge of botany is not necessary, but it was also fascinating to learn about as it was sprinkled throughout the tale. It was a great read!” —Mark S. (Blauvelt, NY)
For Members
Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are now available to request. Offer closes end of Saturday, December 6. Books are provided free of charge to BookBrowse members resident in the US with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review or take part in an online discussion forum (depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club). Our basic membership guarantees you at least four books a year when you request each month. |  |
Free books are one of the many benefits of a BookBrowse membership. Join by this Saturday (for just $5.00 a month) to request and receive a book from this list. Don't wait!
Editor’s Choice
The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes
On her eighteenth birthday, Noelle Soto comes home to an envelope from the mother who abandoned her eight years prior. The letter inside, which makes up the main text of The White Hot, details the events of the ten days between April Soto's walking out during a fight with her family, and her decision to leave them for good. Twenty-six-year-old April has lived her entire life in the same house in North Philadelphia with her mother and abuela. Since an unplanned pregnancy in high school, she's been struggling to keep her footing as a single parent while dealing with the sorrow and white-hot rage she feels about her lost dreams. … continued Review by Katharine Blatchford |  |
Our Favorite Author Interviews of 2025
What’s better than reading a book by an author you love? Well, probably nothing, but a good author interview can be a close second. We regularly feature interviews in our digital magazine with writers whose books we review, and in 2025, with your help, we started hosting our own Ask the Author interviews in the BookBrowse community forum. Below, we bring you some of the best Q&As for books published in hardcover or paperback this year from both inside and outside of BookBrowse, which represent just a handful drawn from a pool of many great interviews. We hope you enjoy these conversations and that you’ll join us in 2026 for more fun virtual author visits. … continued |  |
BookBrowse Editors’ Top Picks of 2025
Our upcoming annual Top 20 list will show subscribers’ favorite books of the year, but in the meantime, we thought you might enjoy knowing about our favorites. So, for the first time ever, each member of the BookBrowse editorial team shared a top pick of 2025 along with some runners-up to create our own loosely structured "best of" list. Here’s your chance to get a glimpse of our personal tastes and an inside look at BookBrowse editors as readers. We’re happy to share the books we loved with you, and hope you have fun reading about them! … continued |  |
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