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Winter Love & a Post-Superbowl Pick-me-up
Colleen Oakley, Eleanor Shearer, Karen Parkman, Larissa Pham, and more ...
BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
Ahead of Valentine’s Day weekend, we bring you two stories about love and relationships.
Book club members discuss Colleen Oakley’s lighthearted novel Jane and Dan at the End of the World, where a couple with a shaky marriage get swept up in a hostage situation on their anniversary. In First Impressions, Eleanor Shearer’s beautifully descriptive Fireflies in Winter, set in 18th-century Nova Scotia, follows a romance between two women, one displaced and the other formerly enslaved.
This week’s Editor’s Choice review offers a cure for post-Superbowl blues. Karen Parkman’s The Jills is about a member of the Buffalo Bills’ cheerleading squad who is alarmed when a teammate of hers goes missing.
We also have a “beyond the book” article about the visual art found in Larissa Pham’s Discipline, the tale of an artist grappling with the memory of an affair with her mentor that disrupted her career.
Plus, 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.
Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
From the Jacket Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise. From the Discussion “The interaction and dialogue between Jane and Dan was great fun. There were a few twists that kept me curious as to how it was going to end.” —Michele_P1 |  |
“I was so surprised and delighted with this funny and engaging book! I put her previous (The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise) on reserve. It was just the right blend of silly and serious for light reading.” —Karen_K
See what people are saying in response to this question: Jane feels that most “want to believe that the person you are with is good or decent,” but in her heart believes “morality isn’t an absolute; it’s situational.” What’s your opinion of this? Do you agree?
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer
“Fireflies in Winter is a beautiful novel set in Canada, at the end of the 18th century. Cora is part of a community of Maroons, exiles from Jamaica, who share space with former slaves and others. Fleeing the pressures of that life, she escapes to the shadowy woods where she connects with Agnes, another young woman. Shearer graphically depicts the beauty and the hardships of living in hiding in the woods, particularly during the harsh winters. She delicately reveals the growing trust and developing relationship between Cora and Agnes…Recommended for fans of historical fiction and book clubs.” —Jean F (Cary, NC) |  |
“Fireflies in Winter is a compelling book…Folded in the snowdrifts, freezing temperatures, and harsh living conditions, was a vibrant love story that slowly unfurled like the first leaves of spring.” —Robin G. (Tallahassee, FL)
“This is a wonderful character-driven story. The writing just drew me in…I just loved reading this book…Perfect winter time book.” —Maureen C. (Ridge, NY)
For Members
This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 14 titles, including Escape! by Stephen Fishbach, Scale Boy by Patrice Nganang, and The Jills by Karen Parkman. We also bring you previews of upcoming books, recommendations for book clubs, 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
The Jills by Karen Parkman
Being an NFL cheerleader is much less glamorous than it appears. As a member of the Buffalo Bills' "Buffalo Jills" squad, Virginia is subject to poverty-level pay, strict appearance requirements, and the attention of creepy men. But for Virginia, a lifelong dancer, the trade-off is worth it. How else would she get the chance to dance in front of a crowd of thousands every week? She also gets to spend time with her best friend, Jeanine, a fellow Jill. While Virginia is the classic eldest daughter stereotype, Jeanine is bold and carefree. So when Jeanine goes missing, others brush it off as just Jeanine being Jeanine, but Virginia is desperate to find her. Did she really just take off to go partying? … continued Review by Jillian Bell |  |
Beyond the Book
The Artists of Discipline
In Discipline, Larissa Pham's debut novel, the main character is a former painter who pursued an MFA but dropped out after an affair with her college mentor and professor ended badly. The book is divided into two parts, and each of the five chapters in Part One is titled after a painter. Pham weaves these artists into the text as the main character, Christine, stumbles across their work—in a museum, for instance, or a bar. Christine provides interesting commentary on each artist as she encounters them. … continued Article by Letitia Asare |  |
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"T N P L H"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (H to M), and a detailed breakdown of its meaning and history.
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