Announcing Our Summer Book Club Pick!

CANNOT wait for this one. Plus: some book discount codes for you!

Our Summer Book Club Pick is Banyan Moon by Thao Thai!

I’m SO thrilled to announce that our summer book club pick is Banyan Moon by Thao Thai!! The book is being published today and is now available for purchase. (Our poll last week was a real nail-biter; there were three books that were within 1% of one another. Thanks to everyone who voted!)

Here’s a bit more about the book…

Banyan Moon is a debut novel by Thao Thai about three generations of strong-willed Vietnamese women: Ann, her mother Huơng, and her beloved grandmother Minh.

On paper, Ann seems to have it all—attentive boyfriend, thriving career, beautiful lake house—but it all crumbles when she gets the news that Minh has suddenly passed away. Ann must return to her childhood home, a deteriorating manor near the swamplands of Florida, to face her estranged mother, grieve her tremendous loss, and uncover a secret that has followed the family for decades.

I had the chance to read an advanced copy of the book this past winter and was blown away by the beautiful writing, and think you will be too. Many, many passages have been underlined in my copy. I’m so looking forward to a re-read with everyone!

Get the book:

You can buy the book at your local bookstore, library, or however else you like to get your books.

I also reached out to these two shops that support indie booksellers and got some great discount codes for you!:

• Bookshop: Use the code DOWNTIME10 at checkout for 10% off when you order a copy by July 5th.

• Libro.fm: Prefer audiobooks? Use the code ALISHA for 25% off individual audiobooks through the end of August (!!). You can also use the code DOWNTIME for one free audiobook credit when you start a new membership in the US or Canada.

Last but not least, I’ll choose one paid subscriber to win a FREE copy of Banyan Moon. To enter, please leave a comment below with your favorite summer beverage of choice. 🧋 A winner will be announced Friday.

Read the book:

Let’s plan to read the book from now until the end of July. 🌞

Discuss the book:

• A discussion thread will open up in the first week of August for us to discuss and chat! I’ll kick off some threads with a few guiding questions. (This will be open to paid subscribers only.)

• I’m excited to record a chat with author Thao Thai in August and would love to gather any questions you have for her in advance. As you read, you can send in your questions via this form, replying to any of these emails, or writing to alisha@downtimenewsletter.com.

• If you’ve got any q’s or suggestions for our discussion, you can always hit reply or email me.

Truly cannot wait!!!

And the winner of the Bookish Beach Bundle Giveaway is…

The winner of this epic, summery giveaway is subscriber Katie W.!

Thanks to everyone who’s signed up to be a paid supporter of Downtime. I’m looking forward to doing more fun giveaways like this one as a token of thanks. Yay.

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One Small Big Good Thing

Because I can’t possibly send a newsletter without sharing at least one recommendation, here’s a small (actually, big) one: