BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Aleta S. (Bainbridge Island, WA)

Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art
by Christopher Moore

Feeling Bleu? (2/24/2012)

Murder, passion, mystery, humor, history, beauty, and magic: something for everyone, but too much for some. Profanity, addiction, fornication and other debaucheries abound (but so do reproductions of great masterpieces). The outrageous bits have the benefit of good context, …more

The Tender Mercy of Roses: A Novel
by Anna Michaels

A Tender Story of Strong Characters (4/7/2011)

Anna Michaels succeeds in weaving a basket of colorful, distinctive voices in her first novel, The Tender Mercy of Roses. Hardscrabble country, rodeo and law enforcement life in Alabama set the stage for prejudice, envy and tangled relationships that twist this murder …more

Stash
by David Matthew Klein

Stash (5/14/2010)

The unremarkable lives surrounding a suburban family tumble out of control as small decisions cascade into a landslide of unanticipated consequences for the characters in Stash. Readers tour the many reasons and substances often used to seek pleasure and numb pain while …more

The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
by Maureen Lindley

The Potential Remains (8/26/2009)

I began this selection with anticipation because I especially enjoy historical fiction. A strong, unique female protagonist driven amidst events of war and intrigue held great promise.

Eastern Jewel seemed not to reach its potential. I was ultimately unable to overcome a …more

The Toss of a Lemon
by Padma Viswanathan

Fate, Faith and Family (8/22/2008)

The Toss of a Lemon is a swim through southern Indian culture, religion, politics and social change in the early to mid-20th century. The lifelong experiences and relationships of Sivakami, a teenaged Tamil Brahmin widow, her extended family and servants depict in detail …more

Someone Knows My Name: aka: The Book of Negroes
by Lawrence Hill

An Unflinching Look at History (11/20/2007)

The story of Aminata Diallo chronicles not only her capture as a child in Africa, but also her subsequent search for freedom in many unforeseen places and circumstances. As events unfold, Hill highlights a little known chapter of American and Canadian history inspired by …more

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Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by *Parade* and *The New York Times Book Review*, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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