This week, our First Impressions pick is At the Chinese Table by Carolyn Phillips, a memoir with recipes that appeals to both the mind and the palate.

Our book club members are currently discussing an engaging historical account of the first female Yale students, Yale Needs Women by Anne Gardiner Perkins, and we're revisiting last year's popular discussion of recent paperback release The Exiles, Christina Baker Kline's novel set in 19th-century Australia.

Plus, we're giving away copies of J. Michael Straczynski's Together We Will Go, a heartwarming tale of friendship and mortality.

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.

"This utterly delightful book combines memoir with recipes. The memoir portion consists of a fascinating account of the author’s years in Taiwan sparked by mouthwatering descriptions of the food she eats as she learns Mandarin and falls in love with the country." - Becky H

"Book clubs should enjoy reading At the Chinese Table and then sampling some of the authentic, accessible recipes. The author's own illustrations throughout the book are also quite good. All told, an excellent effort. Much more than just a memoir. I highly recommend this book." - Laura C

"With Chinese food oftentimes depicted in a homogenous, stereotypical way in mainstream American culture, it was refreshing to see Phillips (a white American woman) go the opposite direction and actually take the time to explore, recognize, and embrace the variety of flavors and nuances of Chinese cuisine (of course, the fact that her Chinese husband is an epicurean who shares her love for good, authentic Chinese food definitely helped)... I love how Phillips covers such a variety of different cuisines from all across Taiwan and Mainland China — from food stalls, street markets, and hole-in-the-wall local diners to traditional family dishes and even "haute couture" fare from fancy restaurants." - Lee L

In the summer of 1969, from big cities to small towns, young women across the country sent in applications to Yale University for the first time. The Ivy League institution dedicated to graduating "one thousand male leaders" each year had finally decided to open its doors to the nation's top female students.

"I loved the book because it is set in 1969, and I was 19 years old then. Even though I was not a feminist at that time, the struggles that the women faced are well documented in this story. These women were pioneers in the area of equality... It was uplifting to read about the battle." - corinne

"I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I was afraid it would be somewhat dry, but it was fascinating from start to finish. Excellently written non-fiction!" - kimk

"I was not at all expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did and read it straight through in about two days... Women may have been admitted into Yale in 1969, but women were NOT REALLY a part of Yale... as I look around me 50 some years later, I realize that there is just as much work to be done today as there was then. Yale STILL needs women!" - acstrine

About the Book / Discuss

Last year, BookBrowse's book club discussed The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline. It received many positive comments, so we're revisiting it now that the book is released in paperback.

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Orphan Train returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant historical novel that captures the hardship, oppression, opportunity and hope of a trio of women's lives - two English convicts and an orphaned Aboriginal girl - in nineteenth-century Australia.

"I loved the character development and the historical accounts. I had no real understanding of Australia starting out as a penal colony and how poorly convicts were treated at that time. I read the book in just a few days... I didn't think another novel could surpass Orphan Train but this book surely did." - Patricia Marie

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and once again, marvel at Christina Baker Kline's ability to tell such a good story while incorporating a lot of history." - rebeccar

"I loved this book. It was a total surprise... At heart, I am a history buff but knew nothing about the history of the convicts' removal to Australia, except that they were sent there. I think that this is why I could not put the book down. I wanted to know more and more... As in all good novels, there is a story and there are peripheral stories. I recommend the whole package!" - sherryk

The discussion of The Exiles took place last winter, so the forum is closed for new posts at this time, but you can read the almost 400 comments on 27 topics, or explore more about the book, via the links below.

About the Book / See Discussion

BookBrowse offers an array of "Beyond the Book" articles, which explore topics linked to our featured books. Members have access to all articles, while non-members receive limited access.

Our linked article for The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline, "Mathinna and the British Treatment of Aboriginal Australians," and the article for Yale Needs Women by Anne Gardiner Perkins, "The First Coed Colleges in the U.S.," are both listed in our People, Eras and Events category.

The Breakfast Club meets The Silver Linings Playbook in this powerful, provocative, and heartfelt novel about twelve endearing strangers who come together to make the most of their final days, from New York Times bestselling and award-winning author J. Michael Straczynski.

"A listless, apathetic young man decides to charter a bus across the country, picking up like-minded cynics along the way to a final destination: death… Acclaimed creator Straczynski manages to strike a note that's lighthearted, peculiar, poignant, and profound all at once." - Newsweek's "21 Enticing Books to Take Along this Summer"

"Together We Will Go is, in the end, about friendship and learning to love." - BookPage

"Sad, thoughtful and humane, filled with vivid characters, Together We Will Go is a hymn to life and a meditation on suffering." - Catriona Ward, bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street

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