BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Ariadne
by Jennifer Saint

Ariadne (5/15/2021)

I know nothing about Greek Mythology. I had a hard time getting into the story. There were a lot of names I don't thing I could pronounce correctly, nor spell correctly if I was asked.

The more I read, the more I wanted to continue reading. Was glad that I read the book, enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't have chosen it to read if it were not brought before me by Bookbrowse. Thanks Bookbrowse.

I Want You to Know We're Still Here: A Post-Holocaust Memoir
by Esther Safran Foer

I Want You to Know We're Still Here (11/15/2019)

First of all, I don't think I can pronounce correctly many of the names of persons in the book.

It was a sad story, but happy in so many ways. I'm happy that Esther was able to find out about life in her past, what happened to her family, and to connect with relatives living now.

Also, not everyone who lived through the Holocaust and moved on were able to go back to their former homes, or former countries, and speak with some of the survivors or to see what their former home sites looked like in the present day.

Every time I read about the Holocaust, I feel sad for what those people went through that experienced it and those that did not survive it. I have to feel very fortunate that I did not have to be in that situation.

I thank the author for telling her family's story and for letting us see through her eyes what her experience was like by going back to her mother's homeland.

Esther was fortunate to still have her mother.

A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza

A Place for Us (3/26/2018)

I liked the way the author began the book in the present time and then went back to the early days of the children and brought the issues of the family from there forward to the present. Usually I rate a book as "I really liked it" or "I didn't like it too much. I don't rate this one either way. I just have to say that I felt very sad for this family as written by the author. Just a note to say that the book brought forth memories in my own family, not of a cultural nature, but of my son who didn't like our house rules and moved out while he was still in high school.
I would be interested to find out what prompted the author to write on the issues in the book since the book is labeled as fiction.

The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns

The Typewriter's Tale (1/24/2017)

I liked the book until I got to the part about telepathic contact of minds and then I lost interest. I thought Frieda was persuaded by her fondness for Mr. Fullerton to not be true to herself. I didn't think she would ever get to Paris.

There were a lot of words in the book that I did not know the meaning of. I spent about as much time with my dictionary as I did reading the book.

This was not one of my favorite books.

Rise: How a House Built a Family
by Cara Brookins

Rise (10/30/2016)

Even though I knew what the book was about before I read it, personally as I began reading, I felt that the book could be labeled as a suspense. I wondered how Cara was going to survive her ordeal with her husband.

I think it took a lot of courage for Cara and her children to take on the project of building a house when they didn't have any experience as builders. The pictures of Inkwell Manor are very impressive. I liked the fact that we were given progress in the house as they went along and also the update on their personal setbacks and achievements.

A great book to read.

The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
by Laura Thompson

The Six (6/16/2016)

First of all, I did not have any previous knowledge of this family or ever heard of any of them. It was a hard book for me to read. I felt that the family was not a loving family and the members were mainly looking out for themselves. I did read the entire book but before I could respond I had to spend some time in the hospital and got lost in the events of my days. I would not recommend the book.

Broken Promise: A Thriller
by Linwood Barclay

Broken Promise (7/14/2015)

The author introduced a lot of characters in the beginning chapters of the book. There were several plots within the book and Mr. Barclay did a great job weaving all of the characters into the story. When I got to the end of the book, I felt that I either missed something in my reading or missed something by not having read a previous book by this author.

The Headmaster's Wife
by Thomas Christopher Greene

The Headmaster's Wife (4/21/2015)

I had a hard time understanding everything about this book. I had to read it a second time in order to fully base my knowledge of what I had read. I really didn't like this book very much.

The Sweetheart Deal
by Polly Dugan

The Sweetheart Deal (2/15/2015)

Since Leo was a fireman, I can guess on why he made an agreement with his best friend Garrett to take care of his family in case something happened to him. Firemen are put it harms way may times. I don't believe he expected his life to be cut short in a skiing accident. The boys had issues in their lives and Garrett being there was a plus. The story dealt with heartfelt issues and I cried when Brian went to the fire station to claim his drawing of his father. I wonder if mom hadn't found the note if she would have been all right with her relationship with Garrett. I especially like the way the author devoted a chapter for each of the boys, Audrey, and Garrett. It helped me to focus on the thoughts and feelings of each one in the household.

The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell
by William Klaber

The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell (12/10/2014)

Lucy's home life must have been unbearable for her to leave her young daughter behind, dress in her brother's clothes and run away, hoping to be undetected. Times were hard in those days and it was very difficult for families to get by and I'm sure a lone woman would have an even harder time, especially raising horses, which is what she wanted to do. I wish that Lucy had written her book as she indicated she wanted to do in her writing in 1855. Bravo to William Klaber for his work in filling in the unknown with what facts he had available in order to make a story that flowed so the reader got some idea of how Lucy survived. It is a story worth reading.

The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale (9/22/2014)

The book begins in 1995 and then jumps back to 1939 to tell of happenings in France prior to and during World War II. Sisters Isabelle and Viann have many anxious moments, problems, etc. and the author keeps the reader engaged as their stories unfold and other characters are brought into the novel. The book tells of feelings and situations, such as despair, ugliness, survival, death, pain, loss, fear, anger, love, shame, horror, secrets, murder, hopelessness, bravery, hunger, tragedy, endurance, memories, heroism, miracles, joy, regret, grief, heartache, sadness. I'm amazed at how much a person can endure and still survive Good read.

Accidents of Marriage
by Randy Susan Meyers

A family's disaster (6/11/2014)

No one wins in the story about this family Many things can happen in an instant that affects people in very devastating ways, and there is no way to reverse what has happened. I believe that Maddy did the right thing in the end, but my sadness is really for Emma, Gracie, and Caleb. Children can't always understand why some decisions are for the best.

The author did a great job presenting this story from start to finish. I feel like everyone should read this book. I'm glad that I had the opportunity.

Mimi Malloy, At Last!
by Julia MacDonnell

At Last (3/3/2014)

This is not one of those "delightful" stories by any means. Mimi had a sad life as a child and it followed her into adulthood. How much sadness, especially beginning in childhood, can one person endure. The death of her mother and the appearance of the "UGLY stepmother" put it all into motion. Then trying to remember as an adult what happened in her childhood, I felt Mimi's memory was blocked due to her experience. Then to top it off, loosing her husband to another woman after have six children was another devastating blow.

In the story of Cinderella, Cinderella got away from her stepmother and found her prince charming. Has Mimi now found her prince charming after all the heartaches she has been through. I felt the author did a great job telling the story in Mimi's voice and leading us on through her story to the tragic outcome. This story was mesmerizing and I could not put the book down once I started reading it.

Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany

The Gift of Life (11/25/2013)

One woman's loss becomes another woman's hope. A single woman's precious l2-year-old daughter Emily loses her life due to being struck by an automobile. Maddie, the daughter of Olivia and James is very ill and needs an organ transplant to save her life. Thus the story takes on more depth when Maddie receives the gift. James and Olivia never want to know who the gift was received from, but Hannah, Emily's mother, learns who received the gift and the story unfolds. Maddie's mother is an abused wife and suffers many beatings by her husband as the story progresses, which puts another twist to the story. I have to say that for me this book was "unputdownable."

The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan

The Sisterhood (5/15/2013)

There were several levels of this book, from year 1552 until 2000. There were several characters in the book and sometimes I found it hard to follow the back and forth stories. All in all I enjoyed the book and became engrossed in the story of Menina Ann Walker's life and the stories within the convents.

A Dual Inheritance
by Joanna Hershon

A Dual Inheritance (4/8/2013)

I thought the book was very well written, although it was lengthy and took me a while to get to the end. In fact, I read the book a second time just to make sure I hadn't missed something. Hugh Shipley and Ed Cantowitz each thought the other would be the most successful after they graduated from college. But I couldn't make a judgment which one won. I guess my judgment of what success is might not be the same as someone else's.

The Spy Lover
by Kiana Davenport

The Spy Lover (12/18/2012)

No story that deals with the civil war (especially in light of the number of casualties on both sides, the maimed soldiers who go on living with their injuries, brothers fighting brothers) could be considered a "happy story." But reading on different levels gives us opportunities to think about all sides of situations. This novel by Kiana Davenport that also deals with the life in a war camp, immigrant soldiers, and nurses tending the wounded. Congratulations to the author for this deeply moving story. She has covered a lot of situations and also included some of her family history. I will be recommending this book to my friends.

The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con
by Amy Reading

Corruption (6/13/2012)

I know we have a lot of curruption today, but I was surprised to read how much corruption that was in the early years of the establishment of the United States. The writer did a good job telling the story, but my take is whether it wouldn't have been better to read Norfleet's book as he actually experienced it rather than read a second-hand story.

Wayward Saints
by Suzzy Roche

Mary from Swallow (11/5/2011)

I have to admit that I never heard of the Roches. It is my feeling that a lot of the people in the traveling music business have demons in their past. The storyline about Mary Saint from Sliced Ham was sad. Her family troubles that caused her to leave home, plus her troubles along the way, and finally ending up back in her hometown after many years did make an interesting read.

A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd

Bess Crawford (8/13/2011)

This is the third book of a Bess Crawford series. I'm sorry to admit that I have not read the first two; but I will.

This book starts with nurse Bess Crawford inviting a young woman she found huddled in her doorway to come into her home and warm herself and then asking her to spend the night since it was late. From there on she is drawn into the girl's and her family's problems. I was intrigued by the story from the beginning and could not put the book down easily. Hopefully, all of us would be as kind as Bess to help someone out, but not become involved in murders as Bess was. This was a great read.

Reviews by Lucy B. (Urbana, Ohio)

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