Palace Intrigue & Library Love

The Memory Library by Kate Storey

From the Jacket

For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library.

Each year, on her daughter's birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.

But Ella – Sally's only child – fled to Australia twenty-one years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back.

From the Discussion

"I loved this book and have already mentioned it to the book club I’m currently in. I loved the idea of choosing books and writing an inscription for someone special. I may even start this for my goddaughter." —Sylvia_T

"It’s one of my favorite books that I wish I could read again for the first time. Having experienced a similar, but different situation with my mother, I found myself exploring Ella/my part of the relationship." —Cindy_R

Also, see what people are saying in response to this question: "Do you use your local library? If so, what services do you take advantage of that your library offers? Why do you think libraries are important?"

Babylonia by Costanza Casati

From the Jacket

From the author of the bestselling Clytemnestra comes another intoxicating excursion into ancient history, painting the brutal and captivating empire of gods and men, and the one queen destined to rule them all.

A common woman. The governor she married. The king who loved them both.

From the Discussion

"I loved this book. I thought the writing was beautiful. The vivid descriptions of time and place were breathtaking to me." —Maureen_Connolly

"The exploration of Mesopotamian civilizations, a subject I find endlessly fascinating, was richly detailed, reflecting the author’s extensive research. The characters were well-developed and layered, adding depth to the narrative...The palace intrigue was particularly captivating and kept me engaged throughout." —Barbara_E

"I believe it would be a good book for book clubs, a lot to discuss." —Paula_Walters

January is a notoriously dismal month, but it's also an exciting time for books, when the new year's first great releases begin to tumble forth. Here are a few of the titles we're most looking forward to in the early weeks of 2025. (We feature two in our first e-zine issue of the year this Wednesday, January 15.) ... continued

We offer nearly 300 reading guides for recommended multigenerational stories, including The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan, Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, and The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis. Head over to find more recommendations, both fiction and nonfiction, paired with questions for your next book group discussion.

This is one of 100+ themed categories you can explore on BookBrowse to find the perfect read for your book club or yourself. Members can access all categories and filters to narrow their browsing, while non-members have limited access.

My Darling Boy

by John Dufresne

From the Jacket

Known for his tragicomic voice and unforgettable characters, John Dufresne tells the story of Olney, whose beloved son, Cully, collapses into addiction and vanishes into the chaotic netherworld of southern Florida.

Aided by his terminally ill girlfriend and the colorful inhabitants of a local motel―including a doomsday prepper, an ex-nun, a pair of blind twins with an acute sense of smell, and a devoutly Catholic shelter worker―Olney sets out to save his son. Hilarious and devastating in equal measure, My Darling Boy is a hero's quest for our time, a testament to families touched by the opioid crisis, and a remarkable achievement from one of our most talented authors.

About This Sweepstakes

We have up to 30 hardcover copies of My Darling Boy by John Dufresne to give away. If a winner is in a book club they will receive a copy for each member of their group (up to a maximum of 10 copies); if a winner is not in a book club they will receive 4 copies (one for themselves and three to share with friends).

This offer is open to residents of the USA, except for BookBrowse members, who are welcome to enter wherever they live. If a member not resident in the US wins, they receive an extension to their membership.

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, our members are discussing Kate Storey's The Memory Library and Costanza Casati's Babylonia. We feature Renée Rosen's Let's Call Her Barbie starting this week, followed by Ariel Lawhon's The Frozen River on January 23.