BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Elisabeth W. (Durham, NC)

What Doesn't Kill Her: A Reeve LeClaire Series Novel
by Carla Norton

Would Classify as a "Beach Read" (5/16/2015)

The very short chapters make What Doesn't Kill Her a breeze to read. The story was fine; kept me reading though nothing outstanding. My issue was that there was no protagonist who had a fully developed character. It was hard to root or feel much for the victim, Reeve, because I felt I barely knew her. The victim's acumen for crime solving required significant willing suspension of disbelief. That said, this book is fine for an entertaining, easy, quick read.

Her
by Harriet Lane

A Tale of Manipulation (6/18/2014)

This interesting book, told in tandem points of view, is a tale of manipulation and revenge. The author immediately brings the reader in on the manipulation and what the manipulator is trying to accomplish. The frustrating part was that you don't find out the why until the last 10 pages of the book - and the why was a big, anticlimactic let down. That said, the story was intriguing enough that I kept reading to get to the why, though I think I would have given up had it been any longer. This book is targeted for women 25.

Flat Water Tuesday
by Ron Irwin

Lots of Rowing, but not much else (6/25/2013)

I enjoy a book where I learn something new. With Flat Water Tuesday, I enjoyed learning about the intricacies of rowing. I expected this book to include more about the boarding school experience, but the Fenton School was barely a backdrop, which disappointed me. At times it was hard to understand the characters' motivation (Why is Rob so competitive with Connor? Why did he run out on the frozen river?) Though I enjoyed the book, it would have been much richer for me with more presence of the boarding school and more specific insight into Rob's motivations.

A Thousand Pardons
by Jonathan Dee

Landing On Her Feet (11/27/2012)

I enjoyed A Thousand Pardons which is about a woman putting herself together professionally after being a stay-at-home mom knocked back by an unexpected divorce. A Thousand Pardons has a similar, contemporary feel to Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, but with less morose undertones. One of the reasons I related to this book is because it points up the financial vulnerability of the stay-at-home mom. It takes a lot of trust and courage to give up the ability to support yourself by letting go of your career to take care of children for the long term. I do think this book is targeted toward women 40-60 and would promote some interesting book club discussions!

And When She Was Good: A Novel
by Laura Lippman

Flat (8/1/2012)

I'm sorry to say that And When She Was Good is not Laura Lippman's best. While it was easy to read, I found there was a lack of character development. A good author shows you a character's personality. I felt like Lippman neither showed nor told me much about the main character's (Heloise) persona. As a result, the characters fell flat for me. In addition, not much happened and thus there was not the compensation of an exciting plot. Bottom line, it was not a character driven book nor was it an action book - so what was it? This is an example of a successful author who was able to publish a substandard book because of the gloss her name brings to the cover.

The Red Book: A Novel
by Deborah Copaken Kogan

The Red Book (3/15/2012)

I enjoyed The Red Book, but felt the author worked too hard to make it PC and created too many convenient situations. The group of four women featured in the story were a little hard to believe as a friend group - a privileged WASP, a short Jewish girl, a black girl who grew up in a CA commune and a Vietnamese girl adopted by an American soldier. I had not heard of Harvard's Red Book and enjoyed the author's use of mock Red Book entries to frame each character's past and future. I think this book is targeted to women 35 - 60 who enjoy books in upper middle class or academic settings.

Falling Together: A Novel
by Marisa De Los Santos

Likeable (10/6/2011)

Once again, Marisa De Los Santos shows her mastery of the language of relationships in Falling Together. Her characters are likeable with convincing dialogue. Though the plot is a bit of a stretch to believe, Falling Together overall is a satisfying read.

Folly Beach: A Lowcountry Tale
by Dorothea Benton Frank

Every Detail Wrapped Up With A Bow (7/6/2011)

I usually read literary fiction, but must say that I enjoyed Folly Beach. The dialogue between the sisters was wonderful with all their "completed for the other" sentences, shared references and verbal eye rolling. I found Frank's play within the book annoying but understood why she used this technique. My main criticism is the extravagant exaggeration of events in the beginning and the improbable convenience throughout, both of which take some serious willing suspension of disbelief. Frank leaves no loose ends dangling which many readers will find satisfying. Overall, a fun read!

Wench: A Novel
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Average writing but intriguing subject (4/11/2011)

This is a genre that I particularly enjoy, so I had high hopes for Wench. I thought it was solid literary fiction, but nothing exceptional, albeit an intriguing topic. The character development was flat as I had difficulty sorting out the slave women and masters until the focus shifted to one particular slave/master relationship. The book ended very abruptly. As a matter of fact, it seemed like Perkins-Valdez couldn't figure out how to end it and thus took a wimpy way out. If you would like to read a book of this ilk, I would highly recommend The Kitchen House. Wench is not bad, it's just not that good.

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
by Gabrielle Hamilton

Frenetic! (4/6/2011)

This book is fascinating, often in that train wreck sort of way. Gabrielle Hamilton is a terrific writer who tells her crazy life story in an unpretentious fashion. The frenetic pace and actions of Hamilton's life give the book the feel of The Glass Castle. I put off reading B,B&B for a while because I am not a true foodie. It did not matter; it's a great read whether you are into food or not.

Friendship Bread: A Novel
by Darien Gee

Pseudo Jan Karon (3/26/2011)

Friendship Bread is an easy to read novel about women in a small town who find their footing after significant emotional losses. Although FB is enjoyable and has a fun premise, what happens as each character journeys back from her loss is very predictable, to the point where I was rolling my eyes. The second half of FB has the feel of a Jan Karon novel, but with a lot more willing suspension of disbelief. If you are looking for an easy read where all issues are tied up with a perfect, happy bow, you will enjoy Friendship Bread. This is definitely fiction written for a middle aged female audience.

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