BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by William B. (East Peoria, IL)

All Is Not Forgotten
by Wendy Walker

Almost All Forgotten (10/14/2015)

Maybe I'm reading too much. I read this, enjoyed it, but have already forgotten most of it. A breezy read.

Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave

Remembering Some (6/9/2015)

Not a bad read, but outcome is pretty obvious from the start. I did enjoy the narrative outline with the protagonist's declining state of mind.

A Good Family
by Erik Fassnacht

A Good Family Is a Good Read (5/6/2015)

Characters you really care about highlight this debut novel set in Chicago.

The Last Flight of Poxl West
by Daniel Torday

Poxl West (1/3/2015)

I was not as crazy about this as some others. It is a decent, well written novel I read a couple of weeks ago and have already mostly forgotten. Certainly not a 5 star effort in my book

The Headmaster's Wife
by Thomas Christopher Greene

Headmaster's Loves (12/24/2013)

In very simple prose, an effective, well-told tale with a couple of suprises.

Once We Were Brothers
by Ronald H. Balson

Once We Were Brothers Fails (8/1/2013)

I really hate to give bad reviews, but this book fails on a couple of levels. First, the writing is pedestrian. Secondly, the plot is difficult to accept. There are numerous inconsistencies and logical difficulties. Perhaps most troubling to me as a seasoned reader of this period (Poland during the Nazi period), the author gets the history wrong. I could almost go no further than page 44 when speaking of 1935 and Heydrich's secretary, Balson suggests she "knew about the plans for the Final Solution! It just gets worse after this. A well educated attorney that needs the basics, and I mean basics, of the Holocaust explained to her. The entire mechanism for the unfolding of the story is terribly "clunky"

The Face Thief: A Novel
by Eli Gottlieb

Face Thief A Success (12/27/2011)

This book is exactly what is meant by the term literary thriller. Gottlieb's prose sings and the pages turned themselves. If I read a better book in 2012 I'll be surprised. I also recommend his last book, Now You See Him

The Leftovers: A Novel
by Tom Perrotta

The Rapture? (7/13/2011)

I'll read whatever this guy writes. I thought, like Little Children & Abstinence Teacher, this book was funny, interesting and sometimes insightful. Don't look for hard science fiction in this, the novel is more concerned with people's reactions and frustrations due to the world changing events.

Man in the Woods
by Scott Spencer

Man's Best Friend (8/9/2010)

Spencer is always a dependable read. His latest is no exception. The ambiguous ending will be great for book club discussions. The author's observations and wit, his compassion are two of my favorite things about his writing. I enjoyed the plots central conflict because I'm afraid I would have acted the same as the protagonist.

Stash
by David Matthew Klein

A Strong Marriage (6/10/2010)

Very enjoyable first novel, compelling story. I would recommend this for book clubs. The ending, in particular, would be good fodder for conversation.

Crossers
by Philip Caputo

Superior Thriller! (12/29/2009)

If all thrillers were this well written, with characters this well developed, I might read nothing else but thrillers. It seems to me that most "thrillers" do not thrill. They are often generically written and unintelligent, Not so with Caputo's new book. I am in the process now of checking out his backlist. I love that...when you find an author to begin reading...with an extensive backlist. This novel touches on terrorism, illegal immigration, drug smuggling with some sex and romance tossed in.

The Angel's Game
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Creepy thriller - No Sophomore Jinx (7/6/2009)

Although there are plenty of holes in the plot, loose ends not tied up, I enjoyed this second effort of Zafon's. The narrative is surprisingly compelling, the author kept me turning the pages, There are enough scenes in dark towers, cemeteries and dank bookstores (indeed bibliophilia plays an integral part of the story), the Devil his own self, to keep even the jaded horror fan interested. I think the author succeeds less in his depiction of historical place and characters. Seems the book could have been set anytime, anyplace, characters are a little too modern. But it still worked for me.

Top Picks

My Friends
by Hisham Matar

The title of Hisham Matar's My Friends takes on affectionate but mournful tones as its story unfolds...
James
by Percival Everett

The Oscar-nominated film American Fiction (2023) and the Percival Everett novel it was based on, ...
But the Girl
by Jessica Zhan Mei Yu

Jessica Zhan Mei Yu's But the Girl begins with the real-life disappearance of Malaysia Airlines ...
Patriot
by Alexei Navalny

On the 17th of January, 2024, colleagues of Alexei Navalny posted a message to his Instagram account...