Our First Impressions read this week is Raft of Stars by Andrew Graff, an immersive coming-of-age story about two boys who find themselves embarking on an unexpected adventure.

Patricia Engel's Infinite Country, our latest pick for Editor's Choice, explores the ways in which life transcends political borders as it follows a family split between countries; the accompanying "beyond the book" article is about the surviving heritage and traditions of the Muisca civilization in present-day Colombia.

Also, if you haven't yet seen our blog post featuring guided travel with author John Shors, be sure to take a look at his upcoming literary tours — and consider signing up for one!

Very best,

Davina

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.

"I am so amazed by the beauty of this book. What a wonderful story filled with characters that I learned to love... The author is an amazing writer. I found myself having to stop after reading a sentence and admiring its perfection. I hope to find more books from this author in the future... It was exceptional. This is one of the best books I've read in years." - Ginny H. (Troutdale, OR)

"I loved this emotionally powerful story of two boys and the community that forms around when they find themselves in trouble. The writing is lush with a very strong sense of place, in this case the woods of northern Wisconsin. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys character-driven novels." - Randi H. (Bronx, NY)

"This is a book that I'd have never picked up -- a coming-of-age story about boys! Really? I won a copy from BookBrowse and knew I had to give it a chance. Wow -- am I ever glad that I did. This debut novel was fantastic -- it not only featured the two young boys but also the adults in their lives... This is a book that I won't soon forget... The time the boys spend on the river is full of perilous situations that had this reader quickly turning pages to find out the outcome. This book is more than a simple coming-of-age novel. It's a story about the bonds of friendship and the lengths that people will go... to help the people that they love -- whether they are family by blood or family by friendship." - Susan R. (Julian, NC)

As a book lover, the chances are that you enjoy traveling to places you've never been through books; and prior to the pandemic, you probably enjoyed traveling in person, which is why I am excited to tell you about John Shors Literary Tours.

You may well recognize John's name from his novels, many of which have been featured on BookBrowse and are bestsellers in the US and overseas (he's been translated into nearly thirty languages). Starting with Beneath a Marble Sky, which transports readers to 17th century Hindustan and the building of the Taj Mahal, to last year's My Midnight Sun (set in modern day Nepal), John brings his settings to vivid life by drawing upon many years of travel and research.

Now, John has combined his love of writing and travel to personally lead small groups (average size is just 10 people with two guides) on tours to the parts of the world he knows intimately. ... continued

See more articles about Places, Cultures and Identities

Review and article by Karen Lewis

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