BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

I Am Livia
by Phyllis T. Smith

Good Book (1/13/2014)

I love historical fiction and was looking forward to reading this and I was not disappointed. The author had me hooked from the beginning with the way she described the characters and locations. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

To the Moon and Timbuktu: A Trek through the Heart of Africa
by Nina Sovich

Good Book (7/31/2013)

Loved the author's writing style, which made the book flow easily. There aren't too many authors that can make you actually "see" the places they are describing, but she was able to do that. I am not usually one to enjoy memoirs, but this was a good read and one I would definitely recommend for book clubs.

A Murder at Rosamund's Gate: A Lucy Campion Mystery
by Susanna Calkins

OK book, nothing special (4/24/2013)

Although I liked the author's writing style and the historical period she was writing about, I was not impressed with the actual story line. The "mystery" was easy to solve and her characters were not as fully developed as I would have liked. I would probably give this author another chance and read something else by her, but would not recommend this book to anyone.

Golden Boy
by Abigail Tarttelin

this was just ok (2/13/2013)

I had a really hard time getting into this book, but finally managed to finish it. I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the story. I just found myself not really caring about what was happening.

All You Could Ask For
by Mike Greenberg

Easy Read (11/28/2012)

I thought this book was well written and a quick and easy read. I liked the way he brought his characters to life, and I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen to them. Not sure if I would choose it for a book club selection, but I could see why some people would want to. All in all, it was a decent book but not very memorable.

The Devil in Silver: A Novel
by Victor LaValle

Started strong, finished slowly (9/12/2012)

When I started reading this book, I got right into it and was excited to read it. I liked some of the characters and was interested to find out what was going to happen. However, about halfway through the book, I almost didn't care anymore. I made myself finish the book to see what "The Devil in Silver" was and was not impressed! Overall, this book was just ok.

Beneath the Shadows
by Sara Foster

Easy Read (5/22/2012)

I was excited about getting to review this book - it sounded very interesting. The book grabbed me from the beginning, making me want to continue reading to find out hat happened. The author was great at bringing the characters to life. I just thought that it started to drag a little bit toward the end, and then all of a sudden, the twist was there and then the book ended.
Overall, it was a decent book and I'd be interested to read another book by this author.

All Woman and Springtime: A Novel
by Brandon W. Jones

Good book (4/16/2012)

This book was well written and very easy to get through. I liked the way the author brought each character to life and you really get to know each one - liking some and despising others. I liked the story as a whole - bringing to light the subject of "slavery" today.
I think this would be a good book club read as it would bring about some good discussions.

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

Good, but hard to read (2/14/2012)

I don't honestly think I can write a very good review of this book because I really don't know how to rate it. It was a well written book, and I'm impressed by how well researched it was, but it took me a long time to finish because I couldn't read much at a time due to the subject of the book - it left me a little depressed at times. I'm not sure that I would recommend this book to anyone.

Tides of War: A Novel
by Stella Tillyard

Loved It! (12/6/2011)

What a great novel. I love historical novels but usually they do not meet my expectations, but this one grabbed me from the beginning and held my interest until the very end. I enjoyed the author's writing style and how she was able to bring so many different characters to life with such ease. Her characters were realistic and easy to care about. Although in the beginning it was difficult switching between characters and places, I came to really like going from city life to war life. Definitely looking forward to reading other works by Ms, Tillyard.

The Borgia Betrayal: A Poisoner Mystery Novel
by Sara Poole

Interesting (6/27/2011)

I was excited about being able to review this book. I honestly did not know much about the Borgia family history and the thought of a book about a female poisoner sounded very interesting. Although the author has a writing style that was quite easy to read, I did not feel like her 1st person narrative was done right - simply because I did not believe that Francesca was from the time period the book was set in - she seemed too modern . Also, I didn't feel like I really learned anything about the Borgia family, which is one of the main reasons I love historical fiction.....to learn new things about the people, times and places the books are set in.

The Beauty of Humanity Movement: A Novel
by Camilla Gibb

Decent Book (12/13/2010)

I thought this book was ok. Although I really liked the author's writing style and the way she brought her characters to life, I found the book a little slow in the beginning and found it hard to get into. Even though I I thought the story as a whole was just okay, I found myself caring for each and every one of the characters, which can only be credited to the author's ability to make them so real.

I think that I would definitely recommend this as a book club choice because there are A LOT of different topics this book touches on that would make for great discussions.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel
by Tom Franklin

Good Book (10/11/2010)

I found this to be an easy read and quite enjoyable. The author writes in a way that gets you involved in the story right away and makes you want to know what's going to happen next. I think this would be a great book club choice as it would bring about some good discussions.

The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors: A Novel
by Michele Young-Stone

Interesting Read (5/6/2010)

This book captures you from the very beginning and does not let go until you finish. I enjoyed the author's writing style - she moved the story along nicely and moved the characters very real and unforgettable. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, quick read and it would be a great book club book as there is much to discuss.

Romancing Miss Bronte: A Novel
by Juliet Gael

Decent Story (3/10/2010)

Although the book started very slowly, I gradually got into it and was able to finish. I liked Juliet Gael's writing style, but thought she could have gone a little deeper into character development. I didn't end up feeling like I really "cared for" any of the characters in this book. I would like to read her future books to see how she progresses as an author.

The Things That Keep Us Here: A Novel
by Carla Buckley

Fast Paced and Very Well Written! (11/13/2009)

Oh my goodness......there are not too many books that have you gripping onto the book, feeling anxious and wondering what is going to happen next. The characters were well-developed and real. I loved this book and look forward to future books by this author.

Sweeping Up Glass
by Carolyn Wall

Good Read (8/10/2009)

There aren't too many books that can grab my attention right away, but this was one of them. The writing style was great - the author's character portrayals and her descriptive prose made this a very easy read and kept me wanting more. I think this would be a great book club read as it would garner a lively discussion!

A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean
by Tori Murden McClure

Great Story (4/20/2009)

I truly enjoyed the writing style of this author - it was the type of book you put down and looked forward to getting back to. The story was extremely fascinating and kept me wanting to know more. This is definitely a book I would consider for our book club - I think there would be some great discussions about it.

Holding My Breath: A Novel
by Sidura Ludwig

Sooooooo good! (6/16/2008)

I love this book- Holding my Breath. This book was well put in words!!! I instantly fell in love with all of the characters!! and it was VERY easy to get lost in their stories!!! I love this book and I'm sure I'll read it again!

Cheating at Canasta: Stories: Stories
by William Trevor

A Nice Surprise (11/14/2007)

I am not usually a big fan of short stories, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Trevor's style of writing is easy to read and very enjoyable. I am going to have to read some of his other work.

Reviews by Theresa R. (Sierra Madre, CA)

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Reviews by Theresa R. (Sierra Madre, CA)

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