BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, First Impressions readers comment on Darby Bozeman’s Summer’s Never Over, an evocative thriller set at a legendary summer camp, and Jaleigh Johnson’s The Reimagining of Thornwood House, a cozy fantasy featuring a mother and daughter caring for a sentient house.
In Editor’s Choice, we dive into Jennifer N. Brown’s suspenseful The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton, in which a modern-day historian researches the titular 16th-century prophetess, endangering her own life in the process.
We also bring you a “beyond the book” reading list for Eve J. Chung’s The Young Will Remember, consisting of fiction and nonfiction about the Korean War and its aftermath—including work by Susan Choi, Eugenia Kim, and others.
The Fiction recipient of this year’s Women’s Prize is a BookBrowse favorite, with plenty of other interesting picks on the longlist, too. See our community forum thread following the award.
Plus, check out our summer schedule for book club discussions and Ask the Author convos!
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 two recently released titles.
Summer’s Never Over by Darby Bozeman
“It’s a highly addictive story and when it stormed as I read it, I had the added magic of Mother Nature to get me into the mood. Greer Olsen is mourning her mother Anita’s death, just days before the grand reopening of Dread’s Cove, five years after a tragic fire destroyed it and killed Stephanie “Steph” Bennett. A summer camp for middle school kids, it was a legend in Georgia for its beautiful setting and great camp experience…Among the guests and mourners are a number of exes (childhood sweetheart, Wes; boyfriend, Trevor; and girlfriend, Chelsea) as well as a frenemy, Margo Porter, who wants answers on what happened five years ago. As the grand opening and memorial service play out, Greer finds things that cause her to want answers too.” —Janine_S
“The tension is strong from the start and never really lets up. I also got strong atmospheric echoes of Dirty Dancing and God of the Woods, which added to the mood. I was invested, surprised, and really appreciated the satisfying, well-wrapped ending.” —Bridgette_T
“Alongside the eerie setting, the story captures a girl's uncertainty as she tries to figure out where she belongs and what she wants…It raises an unsettling question: do we ever really know who someone is—especially when we are still learning who we are ourselves?” —Donna_J
The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson
“This cozy fantasy follows land witch Evelyn Sharpe and her adopted daughter Ruby as they begin a new life caring for the mysterious Thornwood House—a magical, sentient home at the heart of a small village. What they expect to be a quieter existence quickly turns into something far more unusual when the house itself proves stubborn, wounded, and even capable of walking away. As Evie and Ruby work to earn the house's trust, they uncover deeper magic, hidden damage, and a growing sense that ‘home’ is something you build, not just find. This book reads like a warm hug with a touch of whimsy.” —Debra_F
“Another author, Katherine Center, writes (in defense of romance novels) that a predictable arc doesn't make a story less valuable; rather, much of the fun lies in the optimism of the reading process and the details of how the story plays out. These ideas apply perfectly to The Reimagining of Thornwood House, too. I enjoyed it thoroughly.” —Kathleen_L
“I loved this book. The characters were very likeable and easy to relate with. Evie's ability for magic didn't overwhelm her character…I loved all that she did to help Ruby…I loved her courage and wisdom. I think it would be a great book for a book club discussion.” —Debbie_C
Editor’s Choice
The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown
From the very beginning of The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton, the two heroines—the titular Elizabeth and Dr. Alison Sage, a modern-day historian who studies Elizabeth's life as a mystic—both face imminent death, albeit in two entirely different situations. Elizabeth's (historically accurate) story ends with her public hanging after being forced to confess the falsity of her spiritual predictions, which she maintains were visions sent from God; Alison is stuck in some small, airless space, panic rapidly settling in as she searches for a way out. To learn why she has been trapped, readers must go back a week in time. … continued
Review by Maria Katsulos
Beyond the Book
Books About the Korean War and Its Aftermath
Eve J. Chung's historical novel The Young Will Remember explores the history of the Korean War through the perspective of a Chinese American journalist who finds herself in North Korean territory after a plane crash. Falling between World War II and the Vietnam War, both of which were heavily publicized in American media, the Korean War has often been referred to from a US perspective as "the forgotten war," though this international conflict is a key part of American history and has never been forgotten by many.
These books provide further exploration of both the war and its ongoing effects. … continued
2026 Women’s Prize Winners
The Women’s Prize for Fiction, previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction (1996–2012) and the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (2014–2017), is awarded each June along with the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction (since 2024). These awards are open to books published in the UK and originally written in English by women anywhere in the world.
This year’s Fiction prize goes to Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent, which was also the winner of the 2025 BookBrowse Fiction Award. The Women’s Prize for Nonfiction winner is Lyse Doucet’s The Finest Hotel in Kabul. Check out our Awards page for more on these books, and see our community forum discussion covering the winners, the shortlist, and the full longlist.
Discussions & Ask the Author Interviews
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, we’re discussing When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore and A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, among other books.
Starting this week, we feature Merry-Go-Round Broke Down by David Woo and Margalit Shinar.
BookBrowse regularly hosts Ask the Author sessions in our community forum. Stop by to post your own questions and follow along in any interviews that interest you.
Check out this week’s conversation with Lauren J.A. Bear, author of Aphrodite in Pieces, a recent BookBrowse Book Club pick.
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