BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Blind Light: A Novel
by Stuart Evers

The Blind Light (10/24/2020)

An interesting story of two men from different classes. Their commonality the threat of nuclear war and their service at doom town. A story that spans 70 years of the men and their families. The characters were well developed and I felt that I knew them even though I did not always like them. A good read about an interesting time in our history.

Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy

Migrations (4/21/2020)

I put off reading this book because of the uncertain times we are facing. Once I stated reading it I found it to be captivating. Very scary at time, as it addresses rel situations we are facing such as climate change and extinction of species.
Fanny was a modern day hero with issues in her own past. She dealt with her issues and tried to help others on a ship bound journey to follow the migration.
I found this to be a very interesting and informative book and I will recommend it to my book club.

Travelers: A Novel
by Helon Habila

Interesting read (5/10/2019)

This book provides in depth insight into the world of refugees. Though the people come from different countries, their journey to find a better life faces the same obstacles. This book is very relevant to today's world. I liked the format of the book and found it easy to pick up and read a section at a time. I will recommend it to my book club with the idea that each person choose one of the stories to focus on.

Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson

Interesting read (4/16/2019)

This was my first book by this author. I will recommend it to my book club which I think is very different than the one in the story. It is an easy book to connect immediately with. The characters are well developed whether you like them or not is another story. I thought I knew what was happening but was surprised by the twisty ending. a real thriller like many of the young women that are writing This genre. I will read some of Ms. Jackson's other books

The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin

The Last Romantics (1/4/2019)

I was excited to get this book because I loved The House Girl by the same author. I think this would create a good conversation for book clubs. I also think anyone who has siblings or who had a parent die or leave when they were young would identify. The author did a very good job of expressing the uncertainty children feel when losing a parent. The bond between siblings, both the good and the bad were an intergal part of the story. I loved the fact that the story was told over a period of years, starting when the children were young, picking up when they were adults. A family crisis once again calls for the siblings to come together. What I liked most about the story is that I think it is a realistic portrayal of families and relationships. I thought a very thoughtful and well written novel.

Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After
by Heather Harpham

Happiness (6/14/2017)

I usually don't read memoirs but this one was very interesting. Very true to life and real. Having a child that your partner didn't want is bad enough but to have that child be ill on top of it must be doubly difficult. I thought Helen was very level headed both about her partner and her little girl. It shows that life often doesn't turn out as we envision yet with a little flexibility and a lot of effort we can get to a good place. I would recommend this to others

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby (6/6/2017)

A beautifully written book that because of both its length and complexity took some time to read. I really hope to see more of Wolas's work in the future.

This book centered on the core relationships in our lives and how we change as we go through the different ages and stages. It addresses both the joys and dissatisfaction inherent in marriage and motherhood. Also the book showed how we try our best in our parenting but sometimes it just isn't what we intended. It is often the case that what we give up in order to marry and raise a family, is never truly forgotten. If at some point in our lives, we can get in touch with who we are, not who we have become, we can return to our original aspirations, just as Joan Ashby did in this book. I loved the book and will highly recommend it to others.

Home Sweet Home
by April Smith

Home Sweet Home (12/5/2016)

Not as good as I had hoped but interesting anyway. I think the author did a good job of showing the very large differences in city and country living. Also the ability of people to turn totally against a person even though the cause may have been minimal or happened a long time ago. This was particularly true during the McCarthy era but to a large extent true today. I guess for me, it would have been better if the characters were a bit better developed. I understand it was a true story so it is possible that this is difficult to do without taking "creative license "

Rise: How a House Built a Family
by Cara Brookins

Rise (10/18/2016)

I really enjoyed this book. A family who was at an all time low, chose to find a way to escape their past. I loved the fact that the family pulled together to escape a violent and abusive past. The mother, Cara, knew that her children had been damaged by the experience and knew what the safety of a home would mean. The fact that the family built their home brick by brick was even more impressive. She was a fine example for her four children.

A Small Indiscretion: A Novel
by Jan Ellison

A Small Indescetion (12/7/2015)

I really liked this book. I would rank it sort of like The Girl on The Train or Gone Girl. It explored a lot of areas, past mistakes and how they might follow us, the inability to really appreciate what we have and the need to search for even more. It is a good look into how our actions can affect others and how forgiveness can happen with those we love. I enjoyed this book, liked the writing and appreciated all of the twists and turns.

Hunters in the Dark
by Lawrence Osborne

Interesting Book (11/24/2015)

Although it took a while to get into this book, once I did, I found it to be interesting and well written. Think it was a little wordy but the author did a good job of intertwining the ghosts of the past and the present day reality of people who will take advantage of you no matter where you are. I have spent some time in the area and found his description to be very accurate. I will search out his other books and I fully agree that he writes somewhat like Graham Greene.

The Well
by Catherine Chanter

The Well (3/9/2015)

I really enjoyed this book once I decided that I could believe there could be a drought in all of the British Isles. I could understand the panic that ensued because I live in California and we are currently in the midst of a serious drought. I think this book was interesting from a number of different perspectives. First, it showed how quickly people can turn on you, secondly, demonstrated how personal relationships can be influenced by the outside world and thirdly it pointed out how we can rely on outside influences to make sense of our current problems. For me, this was a very interesting and well written novel but I do think in order to read it and get the most from it, the reader must be open something a little bit different. I belong to a book club of 8, I would highly recommend it to three, I am not sure about two but a pretty sure the other three would find the premise unbelievable. I personally, am very glad I read the book. As stated earlier, it was interesting and well written.

Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany

A quick read (11/14/2013)

I sat down and read this book in a day. It was good for a quick read. I think it dealt with a lot of relevant topics such a losing a child, abuse, family dysfunction, fear of relationships and organ donation. To me, the most well developed character was Maddie, maybe because she was the only character written in first person. I did like the way the two stories crossed. I thought the book was an enjoyable read but I don't think I will recommend it to my book club since these days; everyone wants to read something truly memorable.

The Disenchanted Widow
by Christina McKenna

Disenchanted Widow (8/28/2013)

I had some difficulty getting into this book. I was reading another book that I really liked so put this one down for a while. I had a rainy day with nothing to do so finally started reading this. Once I got past the accents, I did enjoy the book. I found the historical perspective of Ireland in the 80's interesting as well as many of the characters in the village. This book served to remind me that so often in life,we end up where never thought about being dealing with people we had no idea we would ever know. I may recommend this to my book club.

The Mouse-Proof Kitchen
by Saira Shah

Mouse Proof Kitchen (6/18/2013)

I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my book club. I think the author was able to take a difficult subject, that of raising a disabled child,and still have the book be entertaining and insightful. The mice (rats) are really just symbolic of all the things we would like to be able to control in our lives but can't. As always, I am heartened by the love that most mothers have for their children even when it comes at a great cost to their own personal freedom. It is a book that I will remember.

Walk Me Home
by Catherine Ryan Hyde

A long walk (4/14/2013)

I didn't realize this book was for younger readers but I am happy I read it anyway. While it was hard to imagine girls this young out on their own it did speak to how resourceful and resilient people can be when necessary. It also showed that when life dosen't turn out as expected, we can move forward and find a new and different life. This book was an easy and quick read.

The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem
by Ken Budd

A travel log (4/22/2012)

I found this book interesting but as others have mentioned it did read more like a travelog. In some way, it also was a lot like a male version of Eat, Pray, Love. I found the fact that he so regretted not having children very sad. I think the death of a parent always makes us think of our own immortality and often causes us to reassess our lives. Reaching outside of our comfort zone, helps us to gain strength and confidence. I do think this is what the author was trying to covey, although to me, it was a bit superficial. I am an avid traveler and have been to the countries mentioned so that part was very interesting. In my book, both traveling and volunteering are two very worthwhile adventures.

Accidents of Providence
by Stacia Brown

A Good Read (12/6/2011)

I enjoy reading historical novels and thoroughly enjoyed this one. I remember loving The Dress Lodger and Perfume and would put this book in the same category. The history seemed quite accurate. The political times and the belief of the Puritans were covered, as well a the place of women in that society. This is both a love story and a crime novel so I think anyone who either, would enjoy this novel. The character development was quite good and the writing was descriptive and easy to read. The book isn't very long and can be read pretty quickly making it a great vacation read.

That Deadman Dance: A Novel
by Kim Scott

Deadman Dance (11/13/2011)

While this book had an interesting topic it was difficult for me to read.. The writing was good but somewhat disjointed. While I really tried to involve myself in the book, I was often confused because of the style in which it was written. The story was slow. I do think the story addressed a very important and dark time in history and I certainly did feel for the Aboriginal people. I do not think the book was bad, it talked about a time in history that should not be forgotten and had pretty well developed characters that I could empathise with. This would be a good book for anyone who is particularly interested in the history of Australia or in colonization. It would not be a good book for someone looking for a good, relaxing read.

A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd

A Good Read (8/16/2011)

I read this book in one sitting. I have never read any of the other Kim Crawford books so I have nothing to compare this one to. I do not normally read mystery books but I do think this book was very interesting.

The characters were well developed and the plot was twisty. The time covered in history was something I know little about so that too was sort of fun to learn about. I will recommend it to the members of my book club that enjoy mysteries and may explore the other Kim Crawford mysteries.

Reviews by Penny P. (Santa Barbara, CA)

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Reviews by Penny P. (Santa Barbara, CA)

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