BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Susan (Maple Grove, MN)

The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway
by Doug Most

The Race Underground (1/10/2014)

I found this fact-filled book about how subways came to be very interesting and readable. A few times I had to push myself a little to read because of all the facts being presented, but others may not find this a problem. I would have liked to see some illustrations - photos, drawings, images of the key players and historic sites mentioned. Overall a good book that also made me wonder about how some other grand projects were accomplished.

Letters from Skye
by Jessica Brockmole

A Story in Letters (6/10/2013)

The author, Jessica Brockmole, of Letters from Skye does an excellent job of developing the novel's characters, relationships and locations. From the first letters I was eager to learn more about these people and the times and places in which they lived. It is fascinating to see how the written word effects the men and women in this wonderful story. A book I will recommend to others and would be a good book club selection.

The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
by Daniel Stashower

The Hour of Peril (12/20/2012)

Slow at times, but full of interesting information about the participants - Pinkerton, Lincoln, the first female private detective and other prominent people of the time. Gives an idea of the mood of the country - how some citizens of the US felt about Lincoln, possible war, slavery.

A book more suited for those interested in history than for thriller fans.

In Search of the Rose Notes: A Novel
by Emily Arsenault

In Search of the Mystery (6/18/2011)

This book is not what I expected – a mystery/thriller. It is more of a coming of age story and would probably be more appealing to high school/young adult readers. I found it slow moving at times and did not care a lot about the characters or the outcome. It is not a bad book, but certainly not above average.

The Crossing Places: A Ruth Galloway Mystery
by Elly Griffiths

“not quite earth, not quite sea” (11/9/2009)

This book pairs archaeology with criminal investigation – a good pairing since both disciplines use clues to solve mysteries. The characters are pretty well developed and interesting. You get a good feel for the locale, and learn about an area that is "not quite earth, not quite sea" which was sacred to Iron Age dwellers. I was intrigued enough with the locale and characters to think I would read the next in the series.

An Edible History of Humanity
by Tom Standage

Focus on Food (2/28/2009)

An Edible History of Humanity helped me look at food/agriculture and how it relates to industrialization, war and society in ways I had not before. Since I generally like histories that focus on a specific topic (e.g. salt, cod, coal), I found this book mostly enjoyable to read - there were, however, times when I felt more details than I wanted/needed were presented.

The Book of Unholy Mischief: A Novel
by Elle Newmark

What a time and place to live (10/20/2008)

A time of guarding knowledge, intrigue and fear. Telling the story with food and food preparation in the fifteenth/sixteen centuries as the centerpiece was for me very interesting - consuming food is essential for survival, but can be much more. A book for those interested in reading about this time period, loyalty and food.

The Invention of Everything Else
by Samantha Hunt

Not What I Expected (1/1/2008)

This book was not what I expected. I hoped to learn more about Tesla than I did. I felt like I was reading a series of short stories, rather than a novel. It did prompt me to do some research on things that were mentioned, so that was good. I would not recommend this book to others - I found the characters rather strange, but maybe geniuses are that way.

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