BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian
by David Dyer

The Midnight Watch (2/26/2016)

I was eager to read this as my oldest son was quite the Titanic aficionado when he was young and I spent 2 years listening to all things Titanic. I enjoyed this novel about the California's lack of response the night of the tragedy. I knew nothing about this aspect of the tragedy and did not realize there was a ship other than the Carpathia nearby. It was well-written and compelling, but I am not always a huge fan of multiple viewpoint stories ( I feel like this device is over utilized lately). Also, it was very frustrating to read about the Captain of the California who was probably portrayed realistically. His lack of responsibility and remorse the book left me vaguely dissatisfied, while actually describing the situation realistically.

The Swans of Fifth Avenue
by Melanie Benjamin

They are not like us (10/23/2015)

I read and loved The Aviator's Wife and was interested in this new novel by Melanie Benjamin. I grew up in the Bronx and read Liz Smith starting around age 7, so I knew of all these characters. As an adult, I was just not interested in them or their self-absorbed world. Truman Capote may very well have been a literary genius and Babe Paley's great love, but Benjamin's research and writing were not enough to keep me interested in their story of betrayal. Setting the stage in the first section of the book, I felt the writing and story was repetitive; I understood they were wealthy and lived differently than the rest of us. The payoff of the end was a let down as the finale of the book mattered to the characters but not the outside world. Benjamin's mistake was thinking these characters were more intriguing than they actually were for the rest of us.

The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
by Matthew Dicks

Comeback or Go Ahead (6/12/2015)

When Caroline Jacobs utters a 4 letter word directed at the PTO president, she seems to come unstuck from 25 years of passivity. She has always been unable to speak her mind and has carried wounds and slights with her since high school. After her daughter gets in trouble at high school, Caroline takes her daughter out of school and goes back home to right the wrongs of her high school years. This is my third Matthew Dicks novel and I enjoyed it, but felt that some of the characters were not well developed and we never did get an answer as to what was going on in her frenemy's marriage. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but a good breezy read.

The Fortune Hunter
by Daisy Goodwin

The Aristocrats at Play (4/27/2014)

Daisy Godwin has written a novel about English aristocracy in the1870s. Charlotte Baird is an orphan who will come into her very healthy inheritance at the age of 25. She has taken up the new form of media, photography as a hobby as she finds parts of her life suffocating, with its expectations of behavior. She has several suitors, but only eyes for Captain Bay Middleton who has served in the regiment with her brother, Fred. The novel encompasses one season of fox hunting and culminates with the wedding of Fred and his well- born fiancée Augusta. The story is based on true characters, although Godwin has taken liberties with them, as little is known about some of them. It is an interesting, romantic story, but it could have been shorter as the second part dragged. It kept my interest, as I was eager to see how it ended.

The Last Enchantments
by Charles Finch

Escape to Oxford (11/15/2013)

The Last Enchantments is the story of Will Baker who flees New York for a year of studying George Orwell at Oxford. It really depicts well the insularity of academic life where daily routine and interactions can be disproportionally important compared to the outside world. The Oxford parts of the book were my favorites. I felt that the personal relationships were less successful. There was lots of falling in and out of love which felt very superficial. Writing a first person narrative, the author Charles Finch tries to make Will Baker the sympathetic hero, but at times Will was just very shallow and self absorbed.

Lost Luggage
by Jordi Punti

4 Christophers! (8/31/2013)

Lost Luggage, the award winning novel is translated from Catalan and tells the story of Gabriel Delacruz and his life as a mover in Europe. Raised in an orphanage, he grows up and with his best friend, Bundo joins an international moving company in Barcelona. This offers both young men many opportunities to meet people and Gabriel is a very charming young man who ends up with 4 wives and 4 sons, all variations of Christopher. It is a wonderful story, but its long descriptive passages may be off putting to those who prefer more plot driven fiction. It was really enjoyable, but occasionally I longed for a more straightforward story.

One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall

Trying to be a Plus One Again (4/14/2013)

First published in 1971, Ruth Doan MacDougall's novel One Minus One is the story of Emily, newly divorced from her high school sweetheart, trying to make a new life for herself, while remaining desperately in love with David her ex-husband. Even though he had an affair with a colleague, Emily is unable to muster any anger at him. This dates the novel, but it is well-written and worth reading for the nostalgia of the 60s.

Indiscretion
by Charles Dubow

An excellent debut novel... (10/26/2012)

While this debut novel has some commonality with "The Great Gatsby" (and the narrator acknowledges as much early on), this is a very different story. Taking place in modern day New York City and its environs, Indiscretion is the story of a successful author and his almost perfect life. When he behaves indiscreetly, a chain of events is set in motion. Well-written, with fully realized characters, this story is compellingly readable. The characters will stay with you for days after you have finished reading about them. Book clubs will enjoy this book, parsing out the motivations and actions of the different characters.

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

It's All About the Con (7/3/2012)

Amy Reading has written an interesting history of con artists and swindles in the 1920s alongside the personal history of a Texan named J. Frank Norfleet who was the victim of a con. While the history of the con and swindlers can be a bit dry, Norfleet's story of revenge is interesting and it may be interesting to narrative nonfiction lovers.

Beneath the Shadows
by Sara Foster

What Happened? (5/20/2012)

This mystery is set in the northern wilds of England. Grace's husband disappeared a year prior while out walking their infant. The baby was returned unharmed in her carriage, but her father never came back. While Grace is trying to find some answers, she discovers she may not have known her husband as well as she thought she did. In a nice touch, while staying in this scary, old house she reads Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Oxford Messed Up
by Andrea Kayne Kaufman

Not Really an "Issues" Book! (3/8/2012)

Even though both main characters in Andrea Kayne Kaufman's Oxford Messed Up have medical and psychosocial disorders, this book is so much more than that. The story of Gloria Zimmerman going to Oxford to study dead feminist poets and meeting Henry Stone under awkward circumstances is utterly delightful. I recommend it for book groups as well literary fiction readers, especially those with a "thing" for Van Morrison and his music.

Three Weeks in December
by Audrey Schulman

Africa in 2 Centuries (1/4/2012)

The author wrote an ambitious novel about The Congo during the month of December in 1899 and 2000, utilizing two different protagonists from the same family. The stories involving Africa were interesting on their own, but the addition of the main characters personal issues decreased my enjoyment of this story. Sometimes, less is more and I think the author tried to do too much. It would make a good book group book because of the various issues presented and that seems to be the author's audience.

Wayward Saints
by Suzzy Roche

Rock Star Returns Home (11/29/2011)

Not being familiar with Suzzy Roche's music, I had no idea what to expect going into this novel. Mary Saint was the front person for Sliced Ham, a band which played and wrote controversial songs, clearly meant for angry, young fans. She is now older and wiser and tring to decide what the next chapter of her life holds. I enjoyed the story line, as we see Mary re-enter the world, but the anger in her youth seemed self indulgent, as did her later fragility. Fans more familiar with Suzzy Roche will probably enjoy this book much more.

A Trick of the Light: Armand Gamache Series #7
by Louise Penny

Another great visit to Three Pines (7/12/2011)

A Trick of the Light is the seventh in the Three Pines/Armand Gamache series of mysteries and is as well written and as enjoyable as the first book in the series. After the opening of artist Clara Morrow's solo show at the Musee in Montreal the villagers from Three Pines return home for a celebration. The next morning Lillian Dyson, a former friend of Clara's is found dead in Clara's backyard. Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are quickly trying to solve the case which revolves around the art world in Montreal as well as Clara's childhood. There is also drama with Gamache's team. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy this installment, but newcomers can easily catch up with these very interesting characters.

A Good Hard Look: A Novel
by Ann Napolitano

A Look at Small Town Life (4/13/2011)

Flannery O'Connor was a Southern novelist and short story writer who had moved up North to live and write. She returns home to her mother in this novel, as she has become chronically ill with lupus and can no longer stay alone. As told through the eyes of several of Flannery's neighbors, seemingly benign interactions set in motion changes which affect them all. An engaging story which will resonate even after you have finished.

Reviews by Kate G. (Bronx, NY)

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Reviews by Kate G. (Bronx, NY)

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