Happy New Year! For the first issue of Highlights in 2022, we take a look at reviews from our First Impressions readers for The Latinist, a taut psychological thriller about classical studies recommend to fans of both Dan Brown and Donna Tartt.
We also revisit our book club discussion of Gabriela Garcia's Of Women and Salt, which is now out in paperback. This novel explores themes of family, immigration and addiction with remarkable depth. You will also find news of our upcoming book club discussions below, as well as a recent blog post about New Books in the Public Domain.
Thanks for reading,
Davina Morgan-Witts
BookBrowse Publisher
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Each month we give away books to BookBrowse members who live in the U.S. to read and review. Members who choose to participate receive a free book about every 3-4 months. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
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The Latinist
by Mark Prins
"Waiting for the next academic thriller in the vein of Donna Tartt? The Latinist by Mark Prins was it for me. Multiple storylines take the reader from the halls of Oxford to the streets of Rome and back again, where classical academics and archaeologists put together pieces of lives and stories long ago forgotten. The author creates seamless intersections between art, life, myth and truth. In the main plotline, a classics professor's obsession with his beautiful student illustrates the power of politics and control. Like a Dan Brown bestseller, this novel connects the myth of Apollo and Daphne with the lives of the professor and his student in unexpected ways. The reader can see how the characters' lives are reflected in the puzzle they are trying to solve. I thoroughly enjoyed this smart and suspenseful literary tale." - Laurie S., Minneapolis, MN
"This is an extraordinary debut novel. I was quickly swept into the world of classical studies at Oxford. Many themes of ancient texts -- obsession, ambition, passion and intrigue --- are deftly handled with characters as complicated as Odysseus. I found myself constantly reexamining my assumptions about the characters throughout the novel. Because of the complexity of the characters and themes, I think this would be an excellent book club selection. A nice bonus is the chance to learn a bit of Latin and enjoy some lovely poetry." - Joan R. (Chicago, IL)
"Between the suspense of sabotage and the mystery of an obscure Roman poet, the book takes us from Oxford to the coastline of Italy, and it all comes to an exciting finish. Recommended for fans of literary thrillers, such as The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz-Zafón, and A.S. Byatt's Possession." - Lupita G. (Plantation, FL)
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W.W. Norton & Company. Novel. 336 pages. Published January 4, 2022
Readers' Consensus: 4.2/5 Number of Reader Reviews: 27
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Last year, BookBrowse's book club discussed Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia. It received many positive comments, so we're revisiting it now that the book is released in paperback.
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From the Jacket
A sweeping, masterful debut about a daughter's fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born.
From the Discussion
"Of Women of Salt is beautifully written, and the characters were believable and engaging. I appreciated how the author connected the familial traumas from one generation into the next. The contrast between the US treatment of immigrants based on their country of origin is vividly depicted." - sjd
"I really enjoyed it overall. I liked that it was a multi-generational immigration novel about women that was messy and a little weird in both structure and subject matter. That's still not the expected route for such stories to take, and it's an approach that upends popular narratives suggesting that immigrants and marginalized people need to be perfectly sympathetic or exotic objects in order to be seen as human or worthy of attention. It's not a book that particularly asks for the reader's sympathy, but it engages on a deep level and offers a close-up and interesting view of several flawed, willful women." - elisabethc
"I really enjoyed this book! I liked traveling through time learning about cigar making, revolutions, immigration, and deportation. I fell in love with each character and saw how in each woman, the previous generations still lived within them. I felt like the ending came together beautifully." - Jessica F
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The discussion of Of Women and Salt took place last spring, so the forum is closed for new posts at this time, but you can read through over 200 comments on 25 topics, or explore more about the book, via the links below.
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Flatiron Books. Novel. 224 pages. Paperback published January 4, 2022
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For Members: The BookBrowse Review
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The just-published issue of The BookBrowse Review is packed with new reviews and articles; plus author interviews, recommendations for book clubs and previews of notable books publishing soon.
This twice-monthly magazine is just one benefit of being a BookBrowse member.
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BookBrowse for Libraries
In addition to individual memberships, we also offer library subscriptions, so all patrons have full and free access to BookBrowse's premium content from anywhere at any time, simply by entering their library card number.
Here is a sample of subscribing libraries: Leon County, FL; Bloomingdale, IL; Fort Dodge, IA; Mill Valley, CA; Scarsdale, NY. Ask your library if they subscribe to BookBrowse, or check for yourself at bookbrowse.com/library.
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Current & Upcoming Book Club Discussions
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Discussions are open to all, so please join us! If you would like to receive a message when a particular discussion opens, sign up for a one-time notification. You can also find inspiration for your group among our more than 150 past discussions.
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BookBrowse Blog: Books Entering the Public Domain
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In our latest blog post, we discuss books that are entering the public domain this year, including Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. What does it mean when a book enters the public domain?
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With so many new books published every month, it's difficult to find the standouts, the ones which are really worth your time. This is why hundreds of thousands of readers rely on BookBrowse to do the hard work of sifting though the multitude of titles to find the most promising new books, with a focus on books that entertain, engage and enlighten.
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BookBrowse Highlights is one of our four free newsletters. We also offer Publishing This Week every Sunday, and Book Club News and Librarian News monthly.
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