Get The BookBrowse Anthology, our 880 page collection of our past decade of Best of Year reviews, now available in hardcover!

Reviews by Deborah D. (Newark, CA)

Order Reviews by:
Cloudland
Cloudland: A Crime Novel
by Joseph Olshan
Superficial characters; implausible plot (3/31/2012)
I wanted to love this book, but found myself putting it down several times before finishing it. Joseph Olshan does set the scenes well. Having been brought up in snow country, I could feel to cold of many winters in his description of Vermont. His prose elevates the book …more
Father of the Rain
Father of the Rain: A Novel
by Lily King
This is a 10 star book! (6/16/2011)
I judge a book by its ability to stay with me beyond the last page. I read this book several weeks ago and still ruminate. Lily King ably explores the relationship between a father and daughter during the 70's. Complicating the relationship is the father's ongoing battle …more
In Search of the Rose Notes
In Search of the Rose Notes: A Novel
by Emily Arsenault
A Good Summer Read (6/14/2011)
In Search of the Rose Notes is reminiscent of other psychological mysteries (think Carol Goodman). The enjoyment comes through the intermingling of good characters with the tragedy they are all coming to grips with. Nora returns home to discover her small town isn't nearly …more
A Box of Darkness
A Box of Darkness: The Story of a Marriage
by Sally Ryder Brady
Thought provoking (1/19/2011)
I didn't like this book at first. I felt the author was in denial. However, upon reflection I believe she beautifully described the many convolutions, denials, and complexities of a marriage, especially one that began in the 1960's when women's options were limited. Every …more
Before I Die
Before I Die
by Jenny Downham
Reluctantly a 4 instead of a 5 (7/23/2008)
I really did love this book. I read it in one sitting which is a rarity for me. I give it a 4 only because I found it profoundly depressing and am reluctant to heartily endorse it for young adults.

I guess that would be an endorsement. Ms. Downham writes well enough to make …more
  • Page
  • 1

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    The Devil Finds Work
    by James Baldwin
    A book-length essay on racism in American films, by "the best essayist in this country" (The New York Times Book Review).
1
2
3
4
PrevNext

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Happy Land
    by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

    From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel about a family's secret ties to a vanished American Kingdom.

    Read the Reviews
Who Said...

He who opens a door, closes a prison

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

J of A T, M of N

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.