In our first 2022 issue of Book Club News, we bring you a new discussion of My Broken Language, a memoir from Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes.

We're also revisiting two of last year's book club selections now out in paperback: Jane Harper's small-town seaside mystery The Survivors and Gabriela Garcia's multi-generation immigrant novel Of Women and Salt.

Plus, we have an exciting (and extensive) new interview with two founders of cookbook book clubs!

Very best,

Davina

A Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright tells her lyrical story of coming of age against the backdrop of an ailing Philadelphia barrio, with her sprawling Puerto Rican family as a collective muse.

"I loved the author's poetic ability to embrace her heritage, to grasp it and share it with the rest of us. Her musical talent was so great, and to think she wasn't content to rest on her musical laurels, but then had to attack playwriting and drama...What a story! What a life!" - dorinned

"I enjoyed this book very much...it is beautifully written. I just love the command and use of the English language. What a treat! The book is so descriptive, I found myself visualizing the author's surroundings and family members, which added a different dimension to the various storylines." - melissa c.

"The language, the characters, the message - I found all so profound and moving. And what gifts Quiara has...Plus the discipline and fortitude she applied to her self-education in music and other areas is more than impressive. Brava!" - paulak

About the Book / Discuss

Last year, BookBrowse's book club discussed The Survivors by Jane Harper and Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia. They received many positive comments, so we're revisiting them now that the books are available in paperback.

Coming home dredges up deeply buried secrets in The Survivors, a thrilling mystery by New York Times bestselling author Jane Harper.

Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.

The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.

"Jane Harper is a conjurer, keeping the plot suspenseful...I loved the way the puzzle all fit together, leaving me wanting to read 'just one more chapter' before I turned out the light!" - Mary Alice

"I have read all of Jane Harper's books and am definitely a fan. The Survivors did not disappoint and is perhaps my favorite. Perhaps it is the change of venue from scorching desert to a seaside community, which evokes the perfect way Harper creates a sense of place." - paulak

"I enjoyed my first Jane Harper book. I’ll definitely read another. The character and setting development kept me reading...I recommend this book and I think it would be a great book club choice!" - cindyb

The discussion of The Survivors took place last winter, so the forum is now closed for new posts, but you can read through all the comments on 28 topics, or explore more about the book, via the links below.

About the Book / See Discussion

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.

"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

The discussion of Of Women and Salt took place last spring, so the forum is now closed for new posts, but you can read through all the comments on 25 topics, or explore more about the book, via the links below.

About the Book / See Discussion

Do you enjoy reading and cooking? If so, have you ever thought of combining the two into a book club focused on cookbooks? In this extensive Q&A, Marie and Sally share everything you need to know to start your own cookbook book group!

Usually published once a month, Book Club News is one of BookBrowse's four free newsletters. We also publish BookBrowse Highlights every Thursday, Publishing This Week every Sunday; and Librarian News monthly.