BookBrowse Highlights: Visit Paris in the 1920s

BookBrowse Highlights

Hello,

This week, we cover two books recently reviewed by our First Impressions readers. The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher is a work of historical fiction centered around Shakespeare and Company, the Parisian bookstore founded by Sylvia Beach and frequented by Hemingway and James Joyce, among others.

Honor by Thrity Umrigar is a taut, engrossing journey into the gender and religious-based tensions in contemporary India.

You can also read our review of Myriam J. A. Chancy's What Storm, What Thunder, featuring a Beyond the Book article on Haitian Art. Plus, we have a new Wordplay and answers to the Big Holiday puzzle.

Thanks for reading,

Davina Morgan-Witts

BookBrowse Publisher

First Impressions

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 two recently released titles.

Honor

by Thrity Umrigar

"Honor was one of the best books I have read this year. Not only was it beautifully written but the story enlightened me about the struggles of women from India as well as the animosity that still exists between Hindus and Muslims. I highly recommend this book." - Amy W. (Annapolis, MD)

"At first I was reluctant to read this book, thinking I was familiar with honor killings from the many newspaper and magazine articles that I have read. Thrity allows us to experience all the emotions and feelings of Meena Mustafer beyond a newspaper report. She takes us into the families and everyday lives of all those that are affected. All of the characters are well developed and we see them as people, not statistics. This is an ideal book for book clubs, as it will generate lively discussions. I enjoyed this page-turner from beginning to the end and look forward to reading any future book by Thrity Umrigar." - Alyce T. (San Antonio, TX)

"There are only a handful of books that I don't want to end because I am so taken into the story; and when it does end, I cannot get it out of my mind. Honor is one of those books. It is hard subject matter to read about, but Umrigar does it in such a way that you feel the injustice, the hate, the pain, but can continue reading. She is a master at balancing the horror of what mankind is capable of, while also showing the love, loyalty and compassion that lives within so many. Loved the book, loved the title, loved the cover. Such a simple image, but really the start of a love story. Highly recommended!" - Kate S. (Arvada, CO)

Read More Reviews / Author Backstory

Algonquin Books. Novel. 336 pages. Published January 4, 2022

Readers' Consensus: 4.7/5 Number of Reader Reviews: 38

The Paris Bookseller

by Kerri Maher

"Shakespeare and Company was a renowned Paris bookstore established in 1919 by a woman, Sylvia Beach. It was a time when Hemingway, Ezra Pound and James Joyce lived and wrote and frequented Sylvia's bookstore, which was an anomaly, since women were not encouraged to excel outside the home. In addition to the bookstore, Beach undertook the publishing of one of the most controversial novels of the time, James Joyce's Ulysses. The Paris Bookseller is well-written, the descriptions bring the 1900s clearly into view, and the story, mostly factual and well-researched, is excellently woven around the authors and the difficulties of the time. It tells the story of a remarkable woman." - Arden A. (Longboat Key, FL)

"It was with mixed emotions that I finished The Paris Bookseller. I could hardly stop reading it but I hated to see it end. This has been my favorite book of the year. Kerri Maher is masterful in using real people, events and settings. I was not familiar with Sylvia Beach or Shakespeare and Company and I truly enjoyed learning about her influence on literature. The author brings all of the other real people to life and reveals their personalities. I would love to discuss this book in a book club. The characters are rich and deserve a deep dive into their lives and relationships. I think this book will appeal to people who enjoy historical fiction and literature lovers. I will watch for more Kerri Maher books in the future." - Jan, Colorado

"This was a fun book for book lovers. Many famous authors made appearances in the midst of a great storyline. The heroine is a strong woman with lofty goals during a time when women weren't looked upon as successful entrepreneurs. There are surprises throughout the book that kept my interest while reading. It is well-written and the descriptions make you feel like you are there. I highly recommend this book for all types of readers." - Terrie J. (Eagan, MN)

Berkley Books. Historical Fiction. 336 pages. Published January 11, 2022

Readers' Consensus: 4.0/5 Number of Reader Reviews: 33

For Members: Available to Request Now

Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are available now. Request at bookbrowse.com/arc before end of Saturday, January 15.

Books are provided to members free of charge with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review of a pre-publication book or take part in an online discussion forum, depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club.

Due to publisher restrictions, books are only available to U.S. residents. Members who take part fairly regularly generally receive a book about 3-4 times a year.

If you're not currently a member and wish to become one, join and request a book before end of Saturday and you will receive it. If you are a past member, you can renew here.

Editor's Choice

What Storm, What Thunder

by Myriam J. A. Chancy

Organized as a series of vignettes that could stand alone, chapters are narrated by alternating first-person characters. Storylines and fates interconnect in often unexpected ways, propelling the dramatic tension. Multiple points of view bring readers in close to lived experience during catastrophe. Each character reveals thin slices of trauma that, in total, could be overwhelming. But in short chapters, I found myself fully immersed in each character's emotions and fate.

We meet Ma Lou, a woman who runs a market stall in Port-au-Prince. Raised a Catholic, she also embraces elements of traditional vodou. The earthquake shakes her faith but she carries on with business, despite the fact that many of her friends, neighbors and family members perished in the disaster. Her son, Richard, lives in France, where he's a wealthy executive for a multinational bottled water company. As he describes, "It's my challenge to package something that everyone should be able to raise from the earth but can't—they have other things to do—and sell it back to them, as if it had never been theirs in the first place." Richard's daughter, Anne, works as an architect in Rwanda, but returns to Haiti to reconnect with her grandmother, Ma Lou, and eventually volunteers in rebuilding efforts...

Beyond the Book: Haitian Art

Tin House Books. Novel. 320 pages. Published October 5, 2021

Review and article by Karen Lewis

Wordplay

Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a 6-month membership to BookBrowse.

"L's G T Show O T R"

Enter Wordplay

Our last Wordplay feature was the annual Big Holiday Wordplay, a favorite of BookBrowse readers, which requires participants to decode clues featuring the titles of 10 classic books and their authors. Thanks to all who entered and left comments, we appreciate your enthusiasm.

You can view the answers to the Big Holiday Wordplay and see the winners on the BookBrowse website (winners are contacted by email; we'll post their names into the record when all have responded). You can also challenge yourself with past puzzles in the Wordplay archive.