The subject of our most recent book club discussion is another propulsive read from the authors of The Nazi Conspiracy, Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch: Their earlier book The First Conspiracy tells the relatively unknown story of a plot against George Washington in the days before American independence.

In Editor's Choice, Susan Meissner's Only the Beautiful, a historical novel taking place between the 1930s and '50s, examines the eugenics movement in the United States and Nazi Germany through the perspectives of two young women — one of whom secretly experiences synesthesia, a condition we explore further in our accompanying "beyond the book" article.

We also have new books for members to request, more current and upcoming discussions, and a new Wordplay!

With best wishes,

Davina Morgan-Witts

BookBrowse Publisher

In 1776, an elite group of soldiers were handpicked to serve as George Washington's bodyguards. Washington trusted them; relied on them. But unbeknownst to Washington, some of them were part of a treasonous plan. In the months leading up to the Revolutionary War, these traitorous soldiers, along with the Governor of New York, William Tryon, and Mayor David Mathews, launched a deadly plot against the most important member of the military: George Washington himself.

"I enjoyed this book because it covered a different aspect of Washington’s life as Commander of the Continental Army and because of details about Tryon’s manipulation and deceit leading up to the battle of New York. Though mentioned briefly, it was also interesting that code breakers were needed early on." - Jill

"I loved it. The book examined areas of the Revolutionary War about which I was unfamiliar. Moreover, the writing read as a novel would, making the book an easy, enjoyable read." - angelaw

"Very educational and easy to read. I'm going to recommend it to my book club." - PKH

Members! This month's First Impressions books are now available to request. Offer closes end of Saturday May 27.

Books are provided free of charge to BookBrowse members resident in the U.S. with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review or take part in an online discussion forum (depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club; this month, all books are for review). Members who choose to take part generally receive a book about every 3-4 months.

Not yet a member? Free books from our monthly First Impressions and Book Club offers are one of the many benefits of a BookBrowse membership. If you're interested in becoming a member, or renewing a lapsed membership, and do so before end of this Saturday (the 27th), you'll have the opportunity to request the book of your choice from these six titles. As a new or returning member, if you request just one title you have a very good chance of receiving it; if you request two or more titles, you will definitely receive one of them.

Plus, if you sign up right now during our Spring Sale (which ends May 31), you'll get 20% off of our regular annual rate.

Roseanne "Rosie" Maras' life has imploded. Her family is dead, her new guardians, the Calverts, treat her like a maid, and she's just discovered she's pregnant. Even worse, her darkest secret—she sees colors when she hears sounds—has been revealed, making her circumstances even more dire. Robbed of her freedom, Rosie finds herself fighting for her future and the future of her unborn child. Years later, her old friend Helen Calvert returns home to America after spending World War II in Europe. Expecting to find Rosie still living with her brother and sister-in-law, Helen is shocked to hear what became of her. Determined to find Rosie, Helen finds herself encountering the same discrimination against differently abled individuals as she did living under the Nazi regime. Spanning from the 1930s to the 1950s, Susan Meissner's Only the Beautiful explores the eugenics movement in America and Nazi Germany through the eyes of two women determined to reunite a young girl with her family. ... continued

In Only the Beautiful, the historical novel by Susan Meissner, readers are introduced to Rosanne "Rosie" Maras, a teenage girl who has lost her family and is placed under the care of her parents' former employers. To most, Rosie seems like a normal girl, but she's hiding a secret: when she hears sounds, she sees colors. When her secret is revealed—amidst other shocking discoveries—Rosie is sent to a state home where doctors try to "cure" her of what they deem a disability.

Today, Rosie's ability is known as synesthesia, defined as "a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway…leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway." In other words, when people with synesthesia experience a sensation via one sense it also activates another sense, such as a sound invoking an image of a certain color. ... continued

Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!

The answer to the last Wordplay: O M Dead B

Meaning: I will not allow that to happen

This expression appears to date back to at least the 18th century but, according to Google's Ngram viewer (which tracks references in books by time period), gained popularity around the 1850s, and has substantially gained in popularity since the start of this century.

It is almost always used in the first person, even in reported speech. For example: "The official rhetoric from the business community toward any tax increase continues to be an over-my-dead-body 'no'" —Boston Globe, 1989

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.