BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
In this newsletter, enjoy our video interview with author Ethan Joella, where we discuss his novel The Top of the World, a heartwarming work of 1970s-set fiction touching on love, friendship, and grief.
Also, it’s Banned Books Week! Find important info on fighting book bans in our previous blog article full of still-relevant links and resources.
Book club members are talking about San Quentin Exodus by Bill Smoot, a pleasingly crafted, character-driven novel about a daring prison escape.
In Editor’s Choice, we get lost in the fascinating, bizarre wordscape of The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson, which lends a surreal edge to the subjects of American racism and policing.
And our “beyond the book” article for Barbara Kingsolver’s much-anticipated Partita investigates the composition said to be the most difficult piano suite ever.
Plus, check out free books for members to request, and our latest Wordplay!
Thanks for reading,
The BookBrowse Team
Interview with Ethan Joella
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.
San Quentin Exodus by Bill Smoot
From the Jacket
His only friend is a pit bull he rescues from dog fighting. On the cusp of college, James commits a crime that results in a prison term of thirty to life.
Allison, a young Indiana girl obsessed with Nancy Drew novels, vows that her life's mission will be to solve mysteries and help people. Introverted yet daring, Allison moves to Berkeley to teach prep school and volunteers as a tutor at San Quentin. She meets James when he is approaching fifty, learns his story, and after his parole denial, channels Nancy Drew to plan his improbable escape.
From the Discussion
“One really came to know both James and Allison, the worlds they lived in, and what made them who they were. I really liked the short chapters, each opening another door or clarifying what was happening.” —Marcia_Sailer
“I would say this novel was FANTASTIC. It is the best book I’ve read this year and I will be looking for any books this author writes.” —Candace_F
See what people are saying in response to this question: Literature was important to both James and Allison. James sustained himself in prison by reading novels, and Allison became a literature major (and teacher). How important—if at all—has literature been to you?
For Members
This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 14 titles, including Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li, The Savage Mind by David Treuer, and Partita by Barbara Kingsolver.
We also share recommended titles for book clubs, previews of upcoming books, and more.
Not Yet a Member? Do you love to spend your reading hours immersed in captivating storytelling and intriguing ideas?
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Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are now available to request. Offer closes end of Saturday, October 10.
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 Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson
The Occidental Book of the Dead is a novel of code words and nicknames. It takes place in the southern city of Atlantis, Gorgeous, where everyone says "peace officer" instead of police officer. Jonson, a Black man originally from Atlantis, returns home after a military stint in Germany and joins the police force. At the beginning, he knows for certain that Tucker, a White redneck, is a "rascal" (a racist peace officer who targets Black people) and that his high school girlfriend is still in love with him. Thirteen years later, Tucker is his best friend, his ex-girlfriend is in jail (and he's partly responsible), and he's married to a White woman and living in a ritzy part of town, drowning in mortgage payments and other debt.
When his new rookie, a White former correctional officer, shoots a teenager one night on the job, Jonson has to figure out exactly how much of the truth he should divulge, who he can trust with it, and who is being truthful with him—questions that get harder to answer the more he finds out about the very racist department and the also very racist history of Atlantis.
But that's just the first part, the made-for-TV part. … continued
Review by Chloe Pfeiffer
Beyond the Book
The Most Difficult Piano Suite Ever Composed
Barbara Kingsolver's novel Partita contains details and descriptions of many classical music compositions, including those by Bach, Chopin, and Mozart. But the most meaningful piece explored in depth is Gaspard de la Nuit ("Gaspard of the Night"), a three-movement suite for piano by Maurice Ravel.
The main character, Livia, chooses this suite for her spring jury (a musician's final exam). It's known as essentially the most difficult piano composition ever written, and she chooses it as a means to distract herself from an all-consuming crush. … continued
Article by Rose Rankin
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"K was H"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (N P N G), 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.
