BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
In this issue, we bring you our recent video interview with James Lasdun about his book The Family Man, a sensitive and insightful account of the Murdaugh murders.
BookBrowse book club members are enthusiastically discussing Jackie McMahon’s The Cloak and Dagger Club, an old-school Christie-style mystery set among an actual group of golden-age mystery writers.
And our First Impressions readers are loving Jillian Laine’s Henry Tudor Must Die, an original take on Anne Boleyn’s execution that even dedicated Tudor fans find fresh.
In Editor’s Choice, we review Tom Lin’s Babylon, South Dakota, the story of a Chinese immigrant family, a US military operation, and some strange farmland phenomena.
Plus, read a “beyond the book” article about celebrities who went broke with our coverage of Mary H.K. Choi’s Pool House, see what our members’ recent favorite speculative reads are, and check out our latest Wordplay!
Thanks for reading,
The BookBrowse Team
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Interview with James Lasdun
We recently talked to author James Lasdun about his book The Family Man, a BookBrowse First Impressions selection.
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 Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon
From the Jacket
Inspired by Agatha Christie's real-life Detection Club, a murder among a group of golden age mystery writers meets a second chance romance in this debut novel from author Jackie McMahon.
From the Discussion
“I think book clubs who like to read and solve mysteries would like this book.” —Ann_H
“This book was delightful. I enjoyed it a lot. It was a mystery, a story of a broken relationship, a romance and of course a ‘who done it.’ I liked all the members of the club and I enjoyed figuring out each of their secrets. This is book one of a series. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.” —Paula_Walters
See what people are saying in response to this question: Christine asks Frank about Lucy, and he responds by asking where she goes on Sundays. She backs off, saying “I see your point. Friends can still have secrets.” What did you think of this? What are your thoughts about sharing secrets with friends?
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
Henry Tudor Must Die by Jillian Laine
“This revisionist historical novel reimagines the fate of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn, by altering the well-known beheading narrative. With the help of Catalina of Aragon, the Hellebore Sisterhood, and a bit of witchy magic, Anne survives her execution. United by a desire for vengeance, Catalina and Anne, along with the Sisterhood and a few of Henry's other wives, set out to exact revenge on the king. Brilliantly written and expertly told, this story combines sharp humor with imaginative storytelling. A united Catalina and Anne challenge the patriarchy in a way history could never have imagined.” —Angela_W
“Jillian Laine has developed her characters well, giving each one of the women just the right twist to make them powerful and likeable.” —Jamie_K
“When I saw the title of the book, I wasn't too anxious to get started, as I had read so many other great historical fiction tales about the wives and had also studied the history of the Tudor period…What else could someone tell me? I was in for a pleasant surprise…a wonderful journey ahead, suspended in fact for some playful fantasy and fiction…I will recommend this one to all my book club friends.” —Kay
Editor’s Choice
Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lin
As soon as Hsiu Keng and his wife Lee Mei arrive on American soil, we see their struggle of wanting to fit in while also holding on to their Chinese roots. To assimilate, they change their names to Saul and Mei. Saul still has a packet of chrysanthemum seeds given to him by his mother, one of the few possessions the couple brings from their homeland apart from various gold objects and other necessities. Saul plants the seeds in their new land to "revive the kaleidoscope fields of his youth," and thus the flowers become a symbol of China that haunts the narrative persistently.
The family is able to keep the farm afloat by selling the chrysanthemums, since their sturdy blossoms stay standing despite any hardship that comes to the land—also a symbol of the Hsius' defiance of the adversities they face in the new continent. And the adversities come quickly. … continued
Review by Daiana Gonzalez Videla
Beyond the Book
Celebrities Who Went Broke
One of the main characters in Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi is a celebrity actress who lists her lavish home on a short-term rental site to make ends meet. She had purchased it at the height of her fame and landed in hot water when the roles stopped coming. In real life, too, many well-known stars have spent beyond their means and gone from unimaginable riches to flat broke.
Actor Nicolas Cage famously squandered much of an estimated $150-million fortune, ending up with foreclosed properties and a hefty debt to the IRS. … continued
Article by Jillian Bell
BookBrowse Community Forum
What was your last 5-star read in the sci-fi, speculative, or fantasy genre?
See our members’ responses to this question and join the conversation in the BookBrowse community forum. (Books mentioned so far include work by V. E. Schwab, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, and others.)
In the forum, you can also find recommendations and book club advice, book news, book club discussions, Ask the Author interviews, and much more.
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"Y C T an O D N T"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (The C is A 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.
