BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner

King of the Armadillos (5/31/2023)

This book interested me because I went to college about 45 minutes up the River Road from Carville. We would often drive by and admire the beautiful grounds and wonder about the residents. Political commentator, James Carville is from the family that this town is named after. I found the book well written. It is called a novel, but is based on the author's family's experience. We don't know what is fact and what is creativity, but I find it makes for a good story. I will recommend that our book group read this book.

Natural History: Stories
by Andrea Barrett

Natural History (9/4/2022)

I have read and loved Ms. Barrett's previous books, but I found this one more difficult to get into. The author has linked short stories which follow the main character, Henrietta through her life and her interaction with other scholars and her own students. The linking stories technique I have liked with other authors, but this one falls flat for me. I like that she shows women working in self-fulling ways other than housekeeping; and that they worked in a non-traditional field as science.
Thank you for the advanced reader's copy of the book.

Stories from Suffragette City
by M.J. Rose, Fiona Davis

Great idea (11/15/2020)

What a great concept to have different authors write a short story about the same event. This gives the reader a varied perspective on the women's march for the right to vote which was held in NYC, 101 years ago last month. Each story was well written and unique. Thank you for the advanced reader copy.

Hieroglyphics
by Jill McCorkle

Sounded great (6/14/2020)

I really wanted to like this book. The description sounded like the type of book I usually like but this one just didn't come together for me. It does contain reflections on Lil's and Frank's lives but they were too disjointed and random. I couldn't find cohesiveness in the story. This may be how we think when we are reflecting but I struggled reading this one.

Women Rowing North: Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing As We Age
by Mary Pipher

Rowing upstream? (5/14/2019)

The title, Rowing North was interesting. Are we rowing toward our true North? Do we feel we are rowing upstream? I was ultimately disappointed in this book. I am of the age she is speaking of and have found the changes in my body, life, family and work difficult. She discusses all these life events as we age, using real people as case examples. These were interesting but not anything that I didn't know already. I know women that seem to be able to continue to do it all as they age. I ended up not finishing the last 1/4th of the book because I was bored with it. I had previously read and loved her Reviving Ophelia. I appreciate the publisher providing an advanced reader's copy.

Clock Dance: A Novel
by Anne Tyler

Bland (7/29/2018)

I have read all of Tyler's books and really enjoyed most of them. This one left me wanting more. I felt that the short bits of Willa's life that we were shown were not enough to feel like I knew her. The last half of the book was more satisfying and the characters more fully developed. I would not recommend this for my book group to discuss. But Tyler's characters in the last half of the book were quirky and interesting as always.

The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel
by Elizabeth Berg

Not typical of Berg (6/20/2017)

I enjoyed the light hearted book by seasoned author Elizabeth Berg. I've read almost all her previous books and didn't find that this one had the depth that the others did. She does a good job of having three people who are each alone and somewhat unlikely to have connected with each other, form a family unit that supports each characters needs. I would call it a light feel-good read. I think the take away is that we can all be a friend to someone and that we all have different strengths and needs. We need to be aware and open to what life brings us.

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles

News of the World (9/8/2016)

I appreciate the chance to review this book, I have read and liked other Paulette Jiles books and looked forward to her writing and the topic (young girl captured by Indians returned to relatives by an old Army Captain).

She did have appropriate amount of tension to keep the reader interested, but I found that I wasn't connected to the characters. I felt like there could have been more depth in character development. The Captain's way of making a living was very interesting. He went stopped in small towns and read or summarized articles from national and international newspapers for the local folks who couldn't read or didn't have newspapers available. Being set in Texas in a time that was still wild and the towns were small was interesting. It did give you a feel for the time and place.

First Frost
by Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost (11/15/2014)

I have read many of Sarah Addison Allen's previous books and recommend them to friends. I was disappointed in this one. I only read about the first 75 pages then gave it up. The characters did not interest me and the story line was weak. This book did not keep my interest enough to finish.

One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall

Nancy Pearl's rediscovery (4/7/2013)

I'm surprised that Nancy Pearl selected this book to be part of her limited edition rediscovery series. I though the book was OK but not outstanding. It takes place in New England and is about a young woman (Emily) who has been divorced from her husband. The story is about Emily having trouble moving on and finding a suitable life for herself. I usually really like these types of character driven books but this one was not my favorite.

The Art of Saying Goodbye: A Novel
by Ellyn Bache

The art of saying Goodbye (4/11/2011)

This book appealed to me with the description comparing it to authors that I like. It is a major disappointment. I find the characters poorly developed and the story line weak. I'm not going to finish it because I have too many other books to read. Sorry this one wasn't better developed.

Under This Unbroken Sky
by Shandi Mitchell

Under This Unbroken Sky (9/17/2009)

This was a most enjoyable book. I loved the detail of the characters and the description of the land. The reader really gets the feel for the hard life that these people lived. There was an element of surprise as you went along which kept it from being predictable. I would recommend this book.

The Air Between Us
by Deborah Johnson

The Air Between Us (2/23/2009)

The author does a good job of describing the racial tension in the south in the 1960s which I also lived with. The end of the book is a twist which gives the reader a surprise. I didn't feel that all the characters were well developed and some relationships not quite believable. Some of the plot lines could have been more fully developed in the early part of the book, instead it seemed to quickly come together in the end. In all a good read.

How to Build a House
by Dana Reinhardt

how to build a house (3/31/2008)

I found this book to be a really good book. It really touched me and made me feel like I was in her world. It was well written. It is also one of those books that you can read over and over again and never get tired of it. It would probably appeal to teen from the age 14 to 17. I really enjoyed the book.

Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point
by Elizabeth D. Samet

A Soldier's Heart (1/27/2008)

Elizabeth Samet is a civilian who has spent 10 years teaching English to West Point cadets. The reader learns about traditions at West Point and the impact of women attending the traditionally all male academy. The book is sprinkled with her stories of individual cadets and the impact that her class, or the books that they read, had on their lives. She sees their English classes as teaching them to think where in most of their military and other classes, they are learning information. Samet is devoted to developing young military leaders who will be equipped to handle the situations that will come their way. She continues to correspond with former students who tell her of the books they are reading while in combat situations and how this helps them. I found it a very interesting read.

Reviews by Jo B. (DeRidder, LA)

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Reviews by Jo B. (DeRidder, LA)

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