BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Mountains Sing
by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

A Family Story (1/15/2020)

A beautifully written tragic story of countries at war and the families that suffered. Here, in the United States, we have not seen war for over 150 years. For most of us, war happens there, not here. We read about it and care about it, but we do not live it. Fortunate is a word not strong enough for most of us living in America.

Nguyen Phan Que Mai gives us characters with depth and a story line that is filled with action, insight, and discovery. Written in first person and unfolding back and forth between two time periods, it sometimes took me a page or two to figure out who was talking. The family tree was very helpful, and it might have been a bit more so had there been a pronunciation guide for Vietnamese script. Regardless, these are people I will remember for a long time.

Thank you for a wonderful read. I will share this treasure with my friends.

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt: A Novel
by Andrea Bobotis

A Table of Characters (7/11/2019)

I loved the story. The writing is exquisite. I loved the small town southern setting. I loved the mystery and how the clues revealed themselves slowly throughout the book. I liked the first person narrative; normally, I don't.

I agree with most of the previous reviewers, and I will recommend this book to my reading friends. I look forward to the author's next offering and wish her much success.

However, I make one suggestion. This story has many characters, and I found myself thumbing backward to refresh my memory as to who they were. Please, it would be helpful to include a "table of characters" in the preface.

A People's History of Heaven
by Mathangi Subramanian

A Caste of Jewels (3/5/2019)

Do not be deceived! This is a book of poetry. The words glisten off the page, and they are alive. It has been a privilege to read this story.

Five young women, with their families, friends, and teachers, live in poverty. Yet they find the strength and stamina to fight the destruction of their community. To some readers, the players might be considered misfits, but most readers will cherish their relationships, their insights, and the love they have for each other.

I found the plot to unfold slowly. Normally, this is a distraction. This time, the writing is so beautiful that I loved every page. I look forward to the writer's next offering.

Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris

Fake News (8/19/2018)

This "happily ever after" book started with an enticing premise. What happened when children were sold for survival during the great depression? (Parenthetically, children were sometimes relinquished for adoption, but rarely for cash.)

An unforgivable error occurred when two children, sister and brother, were pictured on a poster with a "for sale" sign. Finding these children and returning them to their mother took many turns, including squabbling newspaper reporters, unwed motherhood, child abuse, family separation, the mob, father-son reconciliation, a night time raid, and predictable romance.

A lot going on, huh! For me, this book quickly dissolves into a soap opera with too many extraneous side stories and no real depth into the lives of those who faced unthinkable choices during this period.

The Family Tabor
by Cherise Wolas

Family Ties (4/24/2018)

First, the plusses: I loved the plot, the story of a three-generation family that seemingly loves and respects each other. All the grownups have successful careers and the children are charming and well-behaved. I enjoyed the interweaving of the families religious experiences into the story.

Yet, each adult is struggling with a crisis they do not share with each other despite their closeness. Guilt reigns supreme.

Not so much plusses. The story is well written and the author deserves credit. But, I wish she had written less. The text is too often wordy and repetitive. There are sentences that ramble. More than once, I skipped a few pages and missed nothing. Several times I found vocabulary I haven't seen since I took the SATs in 1960--sounds petty, huh?

I will watch for the author's next venture.

The Chalk Man
by C. J. Tudor

Hopscotch (11/29/2017)

Hopscotch. Chalk Man had me at page 1 and never let go. I refer to the language and the writing style. I marked a number of passages to read and reread and will use one of them as the introduction to a discussion I am leading later this week. A few brought forth a tear or two. Credit to the author, of course.

The story is fascinating and heart-breaking, a coming of age tale that left the children without oars to navigate their lives. Each character (children, adults, and children as adults) is unique, with motivations and flaws that could only erupt in sadness and defeat. I wanted to root for one of the children, but was left hanging and empty.

All in all, a well-crafted story with lots of twists and turns (like hopscotch) and chalk to keep the game going. I often wished the story was a bit less creepy. Again, the writing is precious, and I will look forward to more from C.J. Tudor. A winner.

The French Girl
by Lexie Elliott

Murder in the Well (9/6/2017)

I waned to love this book. I enjoy mysteries and whodunnits, and I like to read stories about long-term friendships and their changes over time.

The plot line is excellent, but its path meanders with too many frivolous conversations, over wrought writing ("almost fiercely", p.74), and dull characters. The only really interesting character is the young woman who is dead.

Kate, the protagonist in this adventure, did not draw me in, nor did any of the college chums.

Still, my wish for this writer is that she continue to write stories with well developed plots and stronger players. I believe there are possibilities.

No One Is Coming to Save Us
by Stephanie Powell Watts

Saving Ourselves (4/18/2017)

One of the most beautifully written books I have come across in a long time. Special kudos for the conversations: realistic, interesting, and an amazing reflection of the characters' insights into themselves and others. The writing style and the conversations together make this story worth a 5.

Yet, somehow, the plot left me wanting more. No highs, mostly lows, with little growth in characters' behavior regarding each other and their place in life.

I liked the characters and would no doubt enjoy a conversation with each of them. I just wanted more story.

PS: I have never read Gatsby, so I can't comment about the similarities.

Before the War
by Fay Weldon

Anyway... (10/31/2016)

Actually, I give this book a rating of 2plus. I haven't read any of Fay Waldon's previous works. However, she is the main character in this novel, and she certainly seems to enjoy herself.

Waldon writes as if she is composing the book as she goes along--lots of parenthetical comments as she tells her story. I rather liked that approach as I began the read. However, there is no story--just a sorry lot of uninteresting and unlikeable characters.

Mind you, I don't need to like the characters, but I do need to care about them. And, maybe the story and characters develop after 100 pages or so. I will never know. I hope others find more joy in this piece.

I'll check other reviews in a week or so. If there are some positive reviews, I may go back and give this book and second try.

The Children
by Ann Leary

The End of the Family (5/11/2016)

I was hooked on the first page and loved the first third of the story. Quirky, likeable characters, captivating plot, and some laugh out loud funnies. Then, the plot began to meander with a house tour and Mr. Clean. Neither added to the story, and Mr. Clean was a obvious distraction.

Then, for me, the story fell apart. Suppressed hostilities, outright lies, deception, broken relationships, and no opportunities for reconciliation.

The End.

The Two-Family House
by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Upstairs Downstairs (11/4/2015)

I loved this book. No, it's not the next great American novel. But, it spoke to me in ways I could never imagine.

One of four daughters to parents in postwar America, I always knew that my father's biggest regret in life was not having a son.

Loigman's character are well defined and interesting throughout--in their worst as well as their best moments. The chapters are short and each is told from the perspective of one character, though not in first person.

The story is a quick read and moves along to a satisfying climax. Even though the defining moment is obvious to the reader from the beginning, it in no way interfered with my enjoyment in reading and my anticipation of the ending.

Perhaps a bit schmaltzy in places, with characters sometimes too stereotypical, I will recommend this book to others and will look forward to the author's next adventure.

We That Are Left
by Clare Clark

We That Are Left Out (7/21/2015)

I wanted to like this story more than I did.

Clare Clark writes about complex characters whose lives come together around the disposition of a grand, but decaying, estate in post WWI England. The story is well developed as each character's motives and interests are explored and revealed in a series of encounters over a period of ten years.

The writing is generally excellent. Unfortunately there are some passages that seem to run on forever, along with paragraphs that could have been left out entirely. A number of times I found myself skimming over pages looking for the next encounter.

And, in the end, as in the beginning, the characters seemed isolated and self-absorbed, having forged no real connections with each other. I was reading a soap opera. And, come to think of it, the title of the book is an apt title for a soap opera.

Fishbowl: A Novel
by Bradley Somer

A Fish's Eye View (5/6/2015)

As other readers, I found this story original, well written, witty at times, whimsical, and charming. The residents of the Seville on Roxy are unique, each one seeking his or her own truth.

So, why am I giving this story only three stars? I just could not connect to the story. Usually engrossed in a good book, I found my mind wandering and having to bring it back to the page at hand. Wordiness perhaps? Characters too isolated and offbeat?

Still, I would recommend this read for an airplane ride or a day at the beach.

The Book of Speculation
by Erika Swyler

Spectacular Speculation (4/8/2015)

I was excited on the first page, and when the author described language as beginning to knit, I was hooked.

Erika Swyler is a brilliant knitter of words. I enjoyed her writing style as much as I enjoyed the story she created. It's full of mystery, suspense, fantasy, and sorrow. Sometimes dark, sometimes mundane, there is always a surprise.

Although the story is very much plot driven, the characters are not ignored. I left this book, believing I had met some new friends. I look forward to the author's future work.

Blue Stars
by Emily Gray Tedrowe

Supporting our Soldiers and Those They Leave Behind (12/10/2014)

I really wanted to like this book, and in some ways I did. Tedrowe's writing style is unique and spontaneous. I could hear the characters speaking as I read. The story line is also compelling: two families, two lifestyles, two soldiers, and two stories.

I also commend the author's research on the struggles of military life for both the soldiers away and their families at home.

Yet, after 100 pages or so, nothing much had happened. I was not empathizing with the characters at all. The story plodded along a somewhat predictable path with no real surprises.

Psychologists tell us that under stress, we become more of who we are, not less. This story is a testament to that theory. As the two women retreat into their own defenses, they become tedious and less likable.

I still have another 50 pages to go. I'm not sure I'll finish.

The House We Grew Up In
by Lisa Jewell

A Tomb of Sadness (3/10/2014)

There is such overwhelming sadness in this story of a family destined for defeat. Beth said it best. "We're a badly planned dinner party." (p. 142)

As the years go by, the story develops around the Easter holiday at the family home. The symbolism is clear, that suffering evolves into forgiveness and reconciliation as the family, in the last few pages, comes together with hope and a new beginning.

The writing style is precious and the characters are well-delineated. I wanted to care about them all. Unfortunately, for me, the rush of missteps, impetuous decisions, and bad choices turned the players and events into caricatures of themselves.

I was relieved when the story was over and everyone could live happily ever after.

The Headmaster's Wife
by Thomas Christopher Greene

The Headmasters' Lives (12/11/2013)

I was captured on the first page. Police inquiries, illicit romance, set-ups, tragedy, and a reunion of past love.

The writing is exquisite. The story, though, is often disturbing and the time shifts without warning. The ending is much too tidy and not very satisfying.

Still, I might look into the author's previous books.

A Man of His Own
by Susan Wilson

Pax, the Magic Dog (8/14/2013)

There's a fairy tale quality to this story; lives in distress, a dog in shining armour, and compelling characters who live happily ever after. It's a story of lives being put back together rather than being torn apart. It's also a story filled with tension and personal endurance, but without harsh words or emotional outbursts. The characters are controlled, even stoic at times.

The story teller is not in a hurry. The author ambles along at a relatively slow pace, giving each character opportunity to speak. There are no surprises. For me, the story was somewhat unrealistic, somewhat contrived. I became impatient in several places, resisting the temptation to skip ahead. Still, I would recommend this very well written book.

The Last Girl: A Maeve Kerrigan Novel
by Jane Casey

A Delicious Whodunnit (4/22/2013)

I found this story entertaining. It kept me guessing all the way. Generally, I don't care for novels written in the first person, one dimensional at best, narcissistic at worst. But, this story is told through conversation, and it is delightful.

Characters are well developed, and the reader has no trouble keeping track of who's who.

Downsides: The detective Derwent is one eyelash short of being misogynistic, and his sexual bantering with Maeve is tasteless and unwelcome. I also found Maeve's constant wariness of her boyfriend tiresome.

Overall, a good read, and I plan to read her two previous books.

Calling Me Home
by Julie Kibler

Wishing for More.... (12/2/2012)

It is difficult to criticize a story whose subject and characters are so compelling.

I found the story to be well written, if occasionally overtold and often repetitious. The random crossword puzzle injections were welcome and pleasantly distracting.

However, the story itself was predictable. Within the first few pages, I easily anticipated what would happen next, in the same way we predict the next crisis of a good soap opera. As I read, I felt I was always 2-3 chapters ahead of the writer. This story has been told many times.

This is not to say that it is not an important story. However, I learned nothing that enhanced my interest or broadened my understanding of this dreadful piece of American history.

One final thought. The writer developed her main characters in terms of black and white (no pun intended. Isabelle, Robert, and Dorrie were presented as "all good". Dorrie's mother and brothers were presented as "all bad." A story told from the viewpoint of Cora and Nell, whose lifelong struggles of allegiance to two worlds, might have been a better read.

Reviews by Molly K. (San Jose, CA)

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Reviews by Molly K. (San Jose, CA)

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