Hello,

It's as good a time as any to load up on great historical fiction for your book group.

Our book club members are discussing Susan Meissner's Only the Beautiful, a touching, wide-ranging story that explores the harm of eugenics in America and abroad during and after World War II, as well as Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar, the magic-laden tale of a servant's mysterious gift set during the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

And after bringing you 2023's most popular book club picks, we now look at last year's top historical fiction for book groups.

Plus, we share "beyond the book" articles in our Music & the Arts category, over 700 author name pronunciations and upcoming discussions.

With best wishes,

The BookBrowse Team

Only the Beautiful

by Susan Meissner

From the Jacket

After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler's brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to "different children"—Helen Calvert is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother's peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser's daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers a shocking American eugenics program—and learns that that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.

From the Discussion

"I loved the book. It was heart wrenching to read at times but also very uplifting. The characters were so well-developed; I felt like I was right there with them." —LizB

"Susan Meissner did a masterful job of researching both synesthesia and eugenics and weaving them together in a suspenseful, heartbreaking and very satisfying story. The parallels between Nazi Germany and what was happening in the mental institutions of the United States were chilling." —lynne z

"The way in which the author ended the story was better than I could have imagined and brought tears to my eyes." —Jill

The Familiar

by Leigh Bardugo

From the Jacket

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family's social position.

Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath.

From the Discussion

"I truly enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. It made me seek out other works by the same author. She did an amazing job of creating the feeling of the period." —sweeney

"Luzia is one of my favorite female characters I have had the pleasure of reading in a while. She’s strong and smart and captivating...Would highly recommend this book to multiple readers." —beth annem

"I loved this book! I was interested in it due to the setting and time period of Jewish history but it had me opening up to more of the mystical issues of the story." —laurief

Historical fiction is often a well-loved genre for book clubs. It allows members to learn more about a particular time and place at their leisure while enjoying the twists and turns of a good story and sharing it with others.

We've already published the results of our most recent annual survey showing the Top 10 book club books of 2023, but how did historical novels fare? Here are the works of fiction set in past eras that book club members took the most pleasure in discussing. ... continued

For every title we review, we also write a "beyond the book" article that focuses on a related cultural, historical or contextual topic — a great way to find new books, learn about new subjects and lay the groundwork for fascinating book club discussions!

Our Music & the Arts category includes past and current artistic topics such as the evolution of the song "Strange Fruit," Gentileschi's painting Judith Slaying Holofernes and street artist Shepard Fairey. Members have full access to all articles, while non-members have limited access.

Has your book group run into pronunciation questions? It can be hard to discuss a writer's book if you aren't sure how to say their name! In addition to author bios and interviews, BookBrowse offers pronunciations for 700+ author names.

Recently featured authors with available name pronunciations include Anne Curzan, Ferdia Lennon and Leo Vardiashvili. Feel free to share this resource with your fellow book club members and use it yourself.

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.

We're currently discussing Susan Meissner's Only the Beautiful and Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar, among other books. We feature Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld starting May 2 and Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris beginning May 16.

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