BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Beth C. (Sioux Falls, SD)

America for Beginners
by Leah Franqui

Through New Eyes (3/18/2024)

I really enjoyed this book. It covers the search that Pival Sengupta from Kolkata (Calcutta), India, makes in the United States to find out what happened to her son. She is a widow, but her husband disowned the boy when he came out while in California. Then they received …more

The Mystery Writer: A Novel
by Sulari Gentill

Reading about Writing - The Mystery Writer (12/15/2023)

I enjoyed this book very much. It has a plot that keeps the reader on their toes. The main character is engaging and the other characters are interesting. The writer, Theodocia Benton, and her brother Gus are native to Australia which gives them a slightly different …more

Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History
by Lea Ypi

Free - What Does freedom Mean (11/10/2021)

Albania is not a country that we hear about frequently. It's a small country across the Adriatic Sea from Italy and Greece. It is closely related to the Balkan countries and was generally under Soviet influence after WWII. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Albania …more

The Shadow King: A Novel
by Maaza Mengiste

Disturbing History - The shadow King (6/26/2019)

I wish I could say that I loved this book because the subject matter is something we should be aware of, but I didn't love it. Maaza Mengiste's writing is full of detail and poetic descriptions, however the descriptions were often so violent and horrific that it was hard to …more

Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces
by Dawn Davies

A Memoir in Pieces (9/6/2017)

Dawn Davies has put together an outstanding selection of vignettes from her life - the memoir in pieces, called "Mothers of Sparta." Only one of the pieces refers to the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta, but Davies compares and contrasts some of its methodology for …more

Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story
by Mac McClelland

Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story by Mac McClelland (Memoir) (12/31/2014)

This is a remarkable book for several reasons. First, Mac McClelland is an excellent writer and pulls the reader right into her story. Second, McClelland very bravely shares her own worst moments as well as some of her best times. Third, she delves deeply into the causes, …more

Mating for Life
by Marissa Stapley

Mating for Life (3/22/2014)

To paraphrase Tolstoy's opening in Anna Karenina, happy families are all alike, but every unhappy family suffers in its own way. In Mating for Life, Marisa Stapley introduce an extended family with multiple dysfunctional characteristics. Helen, the matriarch, has always …more

The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan

The Sisterhood (5/14/2013)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I usually shy away from novels that delve into the Spanish Inquisition. However, this novel deftly weaves the story of a South American adoptee who grew up completely unaware of her real background and the story of a Spanish …more

With or Without You: A Memoir
by Domenica Ruta

With or Without You: Memoir by Dominica Ruta (11/14/2012)

Dominica (Nikki) Ruta was a child in the 1980s. Her parents didn't marry, but she knew them both well since they lived in the relatively small community of Danvers, MA. The title of the book, "With or Without You" comes from the song by the group U2 which was popular at the …more

Oxford Messed Up
by Andrea Kayne Kaufman

Oxford Messed Up -a Wonderful Story (3/19/2012)

I loved this book. Andrea Kaufman has done a marvelous job of creating characters with major personality flaws (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and substance abuse) and turned them into people with heart and substance. Gloria, the obsessive Rhodes scholar, is studying the …more

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo

Behind the Bearutiful Forever: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (1/8/2012)

Katherin Boo is an aclaimed reporter for "The New Yorker" and "The Washington Post." She took her excellent reporter's skills into an immensely poor slum area of Mumbai, India, to document how the global economy is affecting the residents of these unseen places. This …more

Wayward Saints
by Suzzy Roche

Wayward Saints - Finding Their Way (11/10/2011)

Literally, "Wayward Saints" by singer, Suzzy Roche, is a quirky novel about a mother and daughter, Jean and Mary Saint. Each is fighting to overcome issues that darkened their lives as Mary was growing up. They are also working through current problems - Jean's abusive …more

Falling Together: A Novel
by Marisa De Los Santos

Falling Together (9/13/2011)

Like Marisa DeLos Santos's 2008 novel, "Belong to Me," this is a very enjoyable novel about people that are inherently likeable. Three friends from college drifted apart and six years later are trying to get back together. I found the premise a little lacking, in that while …more

The Sweetness of Tears: A Novel
by Nafisa Haji

I Loved "The Sweetness of Tears" (5/28/2011)

Nafisa Haji's newest novel, "The Sweetness of Tears" is a wonderful book that has engaging and well developed characters, an interesting plot line, and a plethora of information on Pakistani life. Haji deals with family life and culture in Karachi as well as the differences …more

Things We Didn't Say: A Novel
by Kristina Riggle

"Things We Didn't Say" (5/7/2011)

Kristina Riggle's current book is a nice piece of women's fiction. It deals with a dysfunctional family and their efforts to cope. The way she handled addiction recovery and lapse seemed quite realistic.The characters are well-drawn, so it is easy to care about them. Each …more

Outside Wonderland: A Novel
by Lorna Jane Cook

Outside Wonderland - An Unusual Book (2/10/2011)

First, I want to say that I enjoyed this book, for the most part. It is unusual in that it is written from two perspectives; the three adult siblings who were orphaned as children and their deceased parents who observe them from the afterlife. Unfortunately, there is no …more

Ever By My Side: A Memoir in Eight ~~Acts~~ Pets
by Dr. Nick Trout

Memoir of a Veterinarian (12/30/2010)

Dr. Nick Trout, veterinary surgeon, grew up in England. At the age of 9, he finally got a puppy after years of requests. His German Shepherd, Patch, became a close companion to both Nick and his father. They were also very fond of the television series that told the stories …more

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
by Amy Chua

Clash of Cultures (10/28/2010)

Amy Chua, daughter of Chinese immigrants, had what she felt was a traditional Chinese-American upbringing. All of the emphasis was on success - in school, selected activities, and work. Family always came first and being second was failure. When her own daughters were born, …more

Mockingjay: The final book of The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

Young Adult Book Grabs Oldster (9/9/2010)

The Hunger Games series was intended for young adult readers. It was suggested to me by a young friend and I was happily surprised that the series was not "just" for the young. The series, and "Mockingjay" in particular cover a number of ethical issues that we all can …more

The Ghost of Milagro Creek
by Melanie Sumner

The Ghost of Milagro Creek - Who is the ghost? (7/1/2010)

Melanie Sumner has created a fascinating novel set in the barrio of Taos, New Mexico and the surrounding area. It is a story that is both simple - best friends growing up together and loving the same girl, and extremely complicated. She tells the story from multiple …more

BookBrowse Book Club

A Map to Paradise
by Susan Meissner

From the USA Today bestselling author of Only the Beautiful. 1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

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The Husbands
by Holly Gramazio

The Husbands delights in asking: how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

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The Jackal's Mistress
by Chris Bohjalian

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch, a Civil War love story of a Confederate wife and a wounded Yankee.

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Becoming Madam Secretary
by Stephanie Dray

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating novel about an American heroine France Perkins—now in paperback!

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