This week, our First Impressions readers speak highly of the latest historical fiction novel from M.J. Rose, The Last Tiara. It's a gripping story about a daughter piecing together the mysteries of her mother's life after discovering a tiara hidden in the wall of their New York City apartment.
Our Editor's Choice review is for Chatter by Ethan Kross, a pop psychology book about anxiety and negative self-talk. We also have a new Wordplay and, for members, a bumper crop of seven new titles to request for review or discussion.
Very best,
Davina
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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 Last Tiara
by M.J. Rose
"I found myself drawn into the mystery of the Faberge-designed Romanov tiara found in the walls of a New York apartment. The story is told in alternating chapters by mother, Sophia, and her daughter, Isobelle. This technique is effective in filling in the backstory of Sophia's life in Russia during World War II and her subsequent move to New York City with her daughter. Both are strong women and this is a good read that held my interest as the story unfolded to reveal the details." - Carol R. (North Mankato, MN)
"Having not read any of Rose's books before, I didn't know what to expect. What I got was a book rich in the history of 20th century Russia before 1950 with touches of mystery, art history and romance. Sometimes using different narrators in different time periods seems contrived to me, but in this book it works beautifully. Sit back, relax, and prepare to be transported into other eras as you read this book." - Nancy D
"I went in not knowing what to suspect. What I found was a historical mystery well written, heart wrenching full of witticism, romance, and informative. Rose's command of how a woman thinks was superb and her definitions of many nuances of interpretation of life experiences were most interesting. I found myself taking some notes, looking up words, and just overall enthralled with the story." - Barry E
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Blue Box Press. Historical Fiction. 437 pages. Published Feb 2, 2021
Number of Reader Reviews: 16, Readers' Consensus: 4.1/5.0
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For Members: Available to Request Now |
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Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are now available. Request at bookbrowse.com/arc before end of Saturday, February 13. If you're not currently a member and wish to become one, join today, or renew your membership; then request a book by end of Saturday and you will receive it.
Books are mailed to members free of charge with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review or join an online discussion, depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club.
Due to publishing restrictions, books are only available to US-residents. Members who take part fairly regularly generally receive a book every three to four months.
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Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It
by Ethan Kross
Chatter is like a balm for an anxious soul. Author Ethan Kross is an experimental psychologist, a neuroscientist and a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, as well as the director of the university's Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. In this book, Kross presents an insightful, science-based and remarkably readable look at introspection — the ongoing, silent conversations people carry on with themselves throughout the day — and how to control it.
Using a combination of research, scientific grounding and personal experience, Kross writes about an academic subject in layman's terms while providing down-to-earth, honest advice. His presentation is easy to grasp but never condescending, and his thoughtful inclusion of anecdotes of his own and from others guards against making readers feel intellectually or emotionally intimidated. ... continued
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Beyond the Book: Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel was born in 1979 in Fort Pierce, Florida. At an early age, he threw himself into baseball as a way of escaping a tumultuous and often violent home life. In 1997, as a pitcher for Port St. Lucie High School, he was named "High School Player of the Year" by USA Today. By his major league baseball debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999, he had racked up several pitching successes and respected titles in the minor leagues: He was named "best pitching prospect" in both the Carolina and Midwest Leagues; he was also the Carolina League's All-Star starting pitcher, Baseball America's first-team Minor League All-Star starting pitcher and the Cardinals' Minor League Player of the Year.
However, as is detailed in Chatter by Ethan Kross, in 2000 Ankiel suffered a debilitating battle with anxiety ... continued
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Crown. Science/Advice. 272 pages. Published Jan 26, 2021 |
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Current & Upcoming Book Discussions |
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Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win the book of your choice from a selection of titles, or a 6-month membership to BookBrowse!
"A Man's G T D W A M G T D"
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The answer to last Week's Wordplay: T M T C, T M T Stay T S
"The more things change, the more they stay the same"
The first recorded use of this expression is by French critic, journalist and novelist Alphonse Karr in 1849 in Les Guêpes, a monthly journal he founded: Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808-1890) was a French novelist, critic and journalist. His father was the German pianist and composer Henri Karr. Jean-Baptiste was educated at the Collège Bourbon in Paris, one of France's oldest and most prestigious schools, where he later taught. Between 1832 and 1880 he published at least a dozen novels. In 1839 he became editor of the daily newspaper, Le Figaro and also launched Les Guêpes, which earned a reputation for its satirical wit.
He moved to Nice in 1855 where he was able to indulge his love of fishing and flower cultivation, according to Wikipedia he "practically founded the trade in cut flowers on the French Riviera."
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Webinars for Public Librarians |
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Building Community Through Book Clubs: We'll explore we actionable insights for librarians from our two recent research reports: The Inner Lives of Book Clubs (2019) and Book Clubs in Lockdown (Nov 2020). Next date: Feb 15.
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A 30 minute Guided Tour of BookBrowse for Libraries, an award-winning, curated readers' advisory tool for librarians and patrons. Next date Feb 19.
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At BookBrowse, we believe that the very best books don't just entertain and engage, they also enlighten, wrapping us in their world, giving us a window into the lives of others or a mirror to reflect on ourselves. These are the books we seek out and feature on BookBrowse, both fiction and nonfiction. |
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Published every Thursday, BookBrowse Highlights is one of BookBrowse's four free newsletters. We also offer Publishing This Week every Sunday, and Book Club News and Librarian News monthly.
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