BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by donna nueva,

Across Many Mountains: A Tibetan Family's Epic Journey from Oppression to Freedom
by Yangzom Brauen

Tibetan Odyssey (8/6/2011)

Across Many Mountains is an exciting and unique story of the cruel subjugation of Tibet by China. Once I opened the book, I couldn't put it down. I would compare it to Elie Wiesel's "Night" - although Ms Brauen does not present any horrifying details, it illustrates the …more

Beneath the Lion's Gaze: A Novel
by Maaza Mengiste

totally boring (12/29/2010)

I only read 1/2 of this book, as I couldn't stand reading it anymore. the characters were cardboard, the language and descriptions mediocre. I regret having bought it and gave it to the library.

Snowdrops: A Novel
by A.D. Miller

one big snow job (11/23/2010)

I enjoyed this book, reading it in 2 sittings. you get a good flavor of present day Russia and business dealings. characters are well developed and interesting.-one complaint: the narrator is telling this story to a third party, and I found references to this person …more

By a Slow River
by Phillipe Claudel

silence of the dead (10/6/2010)

Hardly to be called a crime novel, this existential novel about murder and relationships in a French town is an excellent read that will leave you thinking about the characters long after you put the book down.--Claudel is a master.

Brodeck: A Novel
by Phillipe Claudel

the other (10/6/2010)

An extremely good and well-written book, Brodeck explores the theme of "the other". villagers in an isolated town show their suspicions about a newly arrived person fron"the outside" and how these initial suspicions lead to extreme violence. I highly recommend this book.

Heresy
by S.J. Parris

a must read (12/17/2009)

Heresy is an absolutely fascinating book! It is about the historical figure, Giordano Bruno, and his friend, Sir Philip Sidney, a poet. Bruno, a philosopher and sometime monk, goes to Oxford in 1583 for a philosophical discourse, and soon is caught up in murder and intrigue. …more

The Year of the Flood
by Margaret Atwood

disappointing futuristic story (7/30/2009)

the only thing I liked about Margaret Atwood's Year of the Flood, was the cover, which is beautiful. I am a great fan of her early works, Handmaid's Tale and Surfacing, which made my disappointment in this book even more surprising to me. I found the story trite and …more

Beijing Coma: A Novel
by Ma Jian

a masterpeice (7/22/2009)

Bejing Coma is masterful,beautiful,and tells a cruel story. Excellently and poetically written, at the same time revealing the horrors of Mao's total infliction of inhumanity upon the Chinese people.the development of the Tiananmen square uprising is told through the …more

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
by Christopher Hitchens

necessary read (6/20/2009)

Chris Hitchens is an astute observer - he gets a little too personal, but,overall his comments are intelligent, although sometimes he can be a bit strident. A must read after God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.

BookBrowse Book Club

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris
by Evie Woods

From the million-copy bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop.

About Discuss
Real Americans
by Rachel Khong

From the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, a novel exploring family, identity, and the shaping of destiny.

About Discuss

Members Recommend

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
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
The Fairbanks Four
by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue

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

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