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The Power of Monet's Nymphéas & Monica Lewinsky
Aphrodite, Monet, Monica Lewinsky, a fae lord, and more ...
BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, our book club members discuss Aphrodite in Pieces, a highly original myth retelling about the famed goddess of love.
In First Impressions, Moorea Corrigan’s Thistlemarsh combines post-World War I history with lush historical fantasy.
Our Editor’s Choice review covers Julia Langbein’s Dear Monica Lewinsky, in which a woman enlists the help of a magical Monica Lewinsky to guide her through examining an affair she had with a professor as a college student decades ago.
We also bring you a “beyond the book” article on Monet’s Water Lilies that relates to Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s romantic literary novel Almost Life.
And see if you can solve our latest Wordplay!
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.
Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J. A. Bear
From the Jacket Experience the myth and magic of antiquity's most alluring—and provocative—goddess as never witnessed before, in this gorgeously rendered, unflinching, and deeply vulnerable retelling from the author of Mother of Rome and Medusa's Sisters. From the Discussion “I absolutely loved it. I especially liked that Aphrodite was telling her story. Instead of one long story from someone else’s perspective, it was done her way and it was like a lot of short stories within the bigger story.” —Charla_W |  |
“I am definitely recommending it to my book club. I have enjoyed several books that are rewrites of Greek mythology. None of them really have the same originality as this book.” —Paula_B
See what people are saying in response to this question: Aglaia, one of the Graces, tells Aphrodite that “War is desire made bloody.” (p. 20) What do you feel she means? Do you believe she’s correct?
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan
“Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan is a cozy historical fantasy that braids post-WWI grief with fae folklore and a slow-burn romance. When Mouse Dunne inherits a crumbling, faerie-blessed estate, she must restore it in a month or lose everything—including her chance to care for her traumatized brother. Enter Thornwood, a dangerous and compelling fae lord offering magical help at a price. Corrigan excels at atmosphere: moss-damp halls, breathing walls, and a house that feels alive with memory and magic. Mouse is a quietly stubborn, deeply human heroine, and the banter and wary trust between her and Thornwood give the story emotional pull.” —Ann B. (Kernville, CA) |  |
“The story moves along at a perfect pace, keeping us interested and giving lush details to frame the moments.” —Linda V. (Independence, KY)
“The novel feels grounded, thoughtful, and quietly confident in its choices. The story is firmly female-driven, with romance present but never overpowering the narrative.” —Bridgette T. (San Angelo, TX)
For Members
This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 14 titles, including The Witch by Marie NDiaye, Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein, and Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. We also bring you recommended reading guides, 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? |  |
Then a BookBrowse membership is for you! What you see on BookBrowse for free and in this newsletter is just a small part of what is available to members—for just $5.00/month! Join Today!
Editor’s Choice
Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein
Forty-year-old Jean is thrown into emotional upheaval when she receives an invitation to her former professor's retirement party. Because this isn't just any professor. Two decades earlier, on a study abroad trip he was supervising, Jean lost her virginity to him, and she's been unsure how to think about the incident ever since. After reading the invitation, she proceeds to get extremely drunk and dig through a box of her old things, where she finds a journal entry from that summer of 1998. In it, she wrote derisively of Monica Lewinsky, whose story was all over the news at the time. Realizing now how similar their situations were, a distraught and intoxicated Jean cries aloud to Monica as if praying…and Monica hears her. … continued Review by Jillian Bell |  |
Beyond the Book
Claude Monet's Water Lilies Series
After the death of his first wife in 1879, Monet remarried and relocated to Giverny, where he began work on his Nymphéas, or Water Lilies series. Nymphéas refers both to the scientific name for water lilies, and to the story from Greek mythology in which nymphs lured Hercules' companion Hylas into a lily pond to drown. In 1927, eight Water Lilies panels were installed in the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris. The Musée de l'Orangerie is where Erica and Laure gaze upon Monet's Nymphéas in Kiran Millwood Hargrave's romantic literary novel Almost Life. |  |
It is in this room that Erica first realizes the extent of her romantic feelings toward Laure, and as their relationship evolves and takes on different forms in the decades to come, the meditative quality of the Nymphéas is what tethers the two women to the simplicity of their young love for one another. … continued
Article by Rachel Hullett
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"W the G G T the T G G"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (K I U Y H ), 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.
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