Book Club News: October Issue | |
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Hello,
This month, we bring you two discussions of books that set intimate character depictions against a background of major events.
In Anthony Marra's Mercury Pictures Presents, an Italian immigrant and Hollywood associate producer deals with her chaotic personal life as America becomes involved in World War II, while in Elizabeth Strout's Lucy by the Sea, a divorced woman finds herself spending lockdown with her ex-husband.
Did you know that BookBrowse has interviewed more than 80 book clubs over the years? Below, we share some of these memorable Q&As and invite you to explore more.
Middle age often comes with reflection and a reshuffling of priorities, and can be a fascinating subject for authors and readers. Check out our list of books about mid-life that capture some of the unique characteristics of this period.
Very best,
Davina Morgan-Witts
BookBrowse Publisher
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Discussions are open to all to view and participate, so if you've read a book, click on "discuss."
If you have not, we suggest you go to "about the book" to avoid spoilers.
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Mercury Pictures Presents
by Anthony Marra
From the Jacket
The epic tale of a brilliant woman who must reinvent herself to survive, moving from Mussolini's Italy to 1940s Los Angeles—a timeless story of love, deceit, and sacrifice from the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
From the Discussion
"Historical fiction is at its best when the story is told from the perspective of ordinary people. Mr. Marra does an amazing job of telling these stories with his beautiful writing. Every sentence is a work of art." —angelaw
"This is not typically a book that I would add to my impossibly huge TBR list (historical novels are not my favorite genre). However, it was so good! Marra writes well and I found myself engaged with each and every one of his characters... Even minor details, such as a haircut or a specific drink of whiskey are compelling and relevant." —gloriam
"Portrayals ranging from the international tensions of the pre-war period to intimate betrayals are all set out in moving and poignant ways." —shelleys
"I think this is a wonderful historical novel. The author's writing style is beautiful and he brings his characters and plot into vivid life. Highly recommended." —Borntoread
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Lucy by the Sea
by Elizabeth Strout
From the Jacket
From Pulitzer Prize–winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout comes a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown - and the love, loss, despair, and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.
From the Discussion
"Very subdued, as if Strout was writing through a state of profound shock at what happened in 2020. Reading Lucy by the Sea helped me look at how I may have been processing everything myself at the time — disbelief, anger, resignation, deep sadness, worry, fear, yet also joy, excitement, and gratitude...the small things are the big things, and before the pandemic I might have been taking a lot of them for granted." —acstrine
"I like the four Lucy stories. I reread the first three books to remind me of her life. I like the way this book is written. It is like we are always in Lucy’s mind. We know what she is thinking." —Maggie
"The tone is the tone of 2020. Everything seemed to slow down, yet life continued, people loved and hated, lived and died... The reader is in Lucy's head and inside their own heads reliving their 2020." —reene
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Book Clubs Behind the Scenes | |
Over the past 16 years, we at BookBrowse have had the privilege of speaking with members or facilitators of more than 80 book clubs across the country and the world. In the process, we’ve learned that there’s a fascinating range of possibilities for what book groups are and can be.
These interviews showcase a wonderful variety of books and communities, and are all available for you to read in full on the site. Here is a sampling of just a few recent and past Q&As out of the many fantastic conversations in our archives. We hope you enjoy them and take away some inspiration for your own reading or book club. ...continued
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When it comes to books about those in middle age, the particular topics that emerge often have to do with aging itself and a growing understanding of the limits of human existence. Middle age can also be a time of reflecting on the past, of questioning, from a more mature perspective, the choices one made long ago, and the current cycles and habits those decisions have established.
All of this makes for philosophically rich considerations that many authors turn into literary gold, as evidenced by this list we’ve compiled of books about people in middle age from recent years. All of the books come recommended by our reviewers and several have reading guides provided by the publisher to help build fulfilling book club discussions. Whether you fall into the middle-age range yourself or are somewhere on either side of it, we hope you enjoy these selections. ...continued
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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, 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. | |
BookBrowse offers a cornucopia of resources for book clubs including recommended books by genre, time period, setting and a wide range of themes; advice on starting and running a book club and much more! | |
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.
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