BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Kathleen

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen

Sally Sin Book One (2/21/2011)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, despite not all of it being "believable". I had a hard time deciding how to rate the book: I wanted to give it a 5 for sheer fun and reading pleasure, but it simply doesn't have the quality of a 5-star b00k. That being said, I am …more

The Beauty of Humanity Movement: A Novel
by Camilla Gibb

The Beauty of Humanity Movement (12/19/2010)

I loved this book! Being a baby-boomer, I have long wondered why there have not been more books written about the Vietnam War and its after effects. The author writes with great sensitivity about some very difficult issues. I was impressed by her ability to weave together …more

The Hand that First Held Mine: A Novel
by Maggie O'Farrell

The Hand That First Held Mine (3/14/2010)

I loved this book and highly recommend it. The language is beautiful, the characters are memorable, and the parallel plots reward the reader with more than the sum of the two stories told separately. Maggie O'Farrell recognizes the importance of detail in creating …more

The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education
by Maya Frost

The New Global Student (11/7/2009)

I loved this book and have already recommended it to others; it is a book that can change lives. I truly wish that this book had been written ten years ago when my own children could have benefited from its unconventional but well-researched advice. While this book will not …more

Burnt Shadows: A Novel
by Kamila Shamsie

Burnt Shadows Review (5/3/2009)

This is an incredible book. It is beautifully written and complex. I can’t seem to stop thinking about the characters. My only complaint is that it may be too complex or ambitious for one book. When the scene shifted to New York, I felt like I was reading a different book …more

Shoot the Lawyer Twice: A Rep and Melissa Pennyworth Mystery
by Michael Bowen

Why So Intricate? (8/18/2008)

This book is well-written, and I suppose if I re-read it, everything would be connected up and I would appreciate the author's ingenuity and inventiveness. However, I would rather not work that hard. There are way too many characters and blind alleys such that, by the end …more

Madapple
by Christina Meldrum

Madapple: Captivating and Complex (5/1/2008)

Madapple is a very good read and evoked many emotions in me. I was captivated by the characters in this story and at times, was even willing to suspend rational thinking and accept the "miracle birth". The terrible truth took me by surprise, which hopefully is more …more

Dervishes
by Beth Helms

Great Read for Book Clubs (12/15/2007)

I strongly recommend this book for book clubs or for people who like to struggle with untidy issues. Dervishes is not a tidy book. On the contrary, it raises more questions than it answers, and is disturbing on many levels. The constantly shifting voice can be confusing, …more

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by *Parade* and *The New York Times Book Review*, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

About Discuss

Members Recommend

Serial Killer Games
by Kate Posey

A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

Read the Reviews
Ginseng Roots
by Craig Thompson

A new graphic memoir from the author of Blankets and Habibi about class, childhood labor, and Wisconsin’s ginseng industry.

Read the Reviews
The Seven O'Clock Club
by Amelia Ireland

Four strangers join an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts in Amelia Ireland's heartfelt debut novel.

Read the Reviews
The Fairbanks Four
by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue

One murder, four guilty convictions, and a community determined to find justice.

Read the Reviews
One Death at a Time
by Abbi Waxman

A cranky ex-actress and her Gen Z sobriety sponsor team up to solve a murder that could send her back to prison in this dazzling mystery.

Read the Reviews