BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, our First Impressions readers review Chanel Cleeton’s An Infinite Love Story, about the 1960s American space program, appreciating the novel’s focus on the perspective of astronauts’ wives.
You can also enjoy our enthusiastic discussion of India Hayford’s Days of Sun and Shadow, focusing on a nature-loving young woman in the early-1800s American South.
In Editor’s Choice, we explore Isabel Waidner’s As If, which follows two men who look almost identical and begin to switch lives.
We also bring you a “beyond the book” article on author Dave Eggers’ visual arts career alongside his latest novel Contrapposto, and a featured reader review of Marilynne Robinson’s beloved Home.
Plus, set aside some time to peruse our most anticipated books of 2026 from July through December, and mark your calendar for your own favorite picks!
Thanks for reading,
The BookBrowse Team
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton
“I loved this novel! An Infinite Love Story is very different from Chanel Cleeton's other books, many set in Cuba. This one takes place in the 1960s and concerns America's early space program…Television journalist Vivian is an independent woman determined to guard her settled, well-ordered life…When Vivian and Joe become a couple, and he gets tapped for astronaut training, her life is upended. Rather than providing lots of technical details about space flight or astronaut training, Cleeton's novel focuses on the astronauts’ wives…the pressure on these women to perform, to be perfect, and to be always available to the media is intense.” —Jean_F
“I grew up and became a woman during the space race and this book brought back vivid memories of the times and events. It gave me a perspective on the role wives were forced to play.” —Jacquelyn_L
“The story about the love Joe and Vivian had for each other was heartwarming. How they met, how they dealt with the pressures of married life, and their different vocations left this reader hoping for them to experience all the best life could offer. This book is one a reader won't want to put down. The questions listed at the back would certainly stimulate book club discussion.” —Ann_H
Book Club Discussions
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Days of Sun and Shadow by India Hayford
From the Jacket
Born into tragedy but gifted with a powerful connection to the natural world, a resilient young woman comes of age amid the wild beauty of early-1800s Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas in this incandescent, hauntingly moving epic about home, horses, human connection, and the transcendent awe of nature for readers of Go As a River and The Giver of Stars.
From the Discussion
“This is MY KIND OF BOOK! I have found the prose to be exceptional. I also feel that it is full of symbolism and I love that.” —Karen_B1
“I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the time period and learning about the history of that time and region. It was heartwarming to see how a few extraordinarily kind and loving people can make a huge difference in the lives of others, especially those who feel unloved and unnoticed.” —Patricia_Williams
“I could not put this book down!…Such an easy read and constantly in motion, i.e., what’s going to happen next? The main character Emilie is amazing and really enjoyed her relationship with horses. Wonderful story!” —Ruth_Hollandsworth
Editor’s Choice
As If by Isabel Waidner
Depressed after his wife's death, middle-aged actor Aubrey Lewis spends most of his time holed up alone in his apartment. That is, until he meets Lindsey Korine, a random man on the street who invites himself over. Each man thinks the other is odd, but they have one big thing in common—physically, they are nearly identical. Lewis has an audition for what could be a career-revitalizing role scheduled for the next day, but he's so depressed that he has little interest in going. So Korine, who always dreamed of being an actor, decides to go in his place, and lands the role—as Lewis. The two men proceed to step into one another's lives. Korine makes his TV debut, and Lewis moves in with Korine's family.
If it's not obvious from that plot description, this is an absurd story with a plot that defies belief—especially when a third unrelated doppelgänger appears. But Waidner's unusual novel is underpinned by a sense of wit and whimsy that makes the Kafkaesque dream-logic a joy to follow. … continued
Review by Jillian Bell
Beyond the Book
Dave Eggers, the Artist
The protagonist of Dave Eggers's novel Contrapposto is Cricket Dibb, a talented young man who wants a career as an artist. Throughout the book he relays his sheer bliss in creating a work of art he knows is good. In spite of his ability, he runs into roadblocks; galleries won't hang his work because they don't feel it's commercial enough.
Eggers writes convincingly about the joys and challenges an artist might face, in part because he himself once aspired to become a painter. … continued
Article by Kim Kovacs
Most Anticipated Books of 2026 (July-December)
2026 has already been exciting for books, and the second half is looking especially enticing.
Here we have a wide range of contemporary and historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers to keep you up at night, speculative works that reckon with past, future, and parallel worlds, and nonfiction to reckon with the current one. Watch out for these books in our upcoming e-zines, and in our First Impressions program and book club discussions. … continued
Reader Reviews
Write your own review for any book on BookBrowse to share your thoughts with the community. Just go to the Reader Reviews tab to get started.
Reviews are published upon approval, and we regularly feature the best recent reader reviews. Below is one example.
Plus, you can now follow your fellow reviewers using the button at the top of any review, and be followed by others.
Home by Marilynne Robinson
“This is a quiet and contemplative book with very little plot; instead, it's a character study that is both profound and deeply sad. Like Gilead and Lila, this novel philosophically examines life's biggest questions, but in this case it does so in a retelling of the Gospel of Luke's parable of the prodigal son: How do we forgive, especially ourselves? Why are we here? What is a soul? What is a family? Who is God? What does it mean to die?…Unlike most book series, you do not need to read these novels in any particular order. They each—Gilead, Home, Lila, and Jack—blend into the others in an imaginative way. And while each one stands alone, together they form a resonant whole.” —Cathryn_Conroy
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