BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Victoria
by Daisy Goodwin

A Tedious Read (11/27/2016)

I struggled to get through Victoria. I am afraid I read this book from today's perspective. I got so tired of reading how Victoria would only be happy if she married. She would come into her own if she had a man to guide her. Too much detail was given to her infatuation with Lord Melbourne. This book was more romance than historical fiction.

Since She Went Away
by David Bell

An entertaining mystery/thriller (7/7/2016)

David Bell writes a good entertaining mystery/thriller. The book is well-paced and has just the right amount of plot twists to keep the pages turning. I especially like the relationship between Jenna Barton and her son, Jared. Jenna is a single mom and it is refreshing to see their relationship working, lots of love and trust there. Otherwise Jenna's behavior is a bit odd because of her best friend's disappearance. That is what keeps the novel interesting. I also liked that the novel was set in Kentucky. I wish there would have been more description about the setting. My only opportunity to travel to Kentucky may be through books. I would recommend this book as a good beach read, entertaining but easily put down for a swim or cold beverages with friends.

The Opposite of Everyone
by Joshilyn Jackson

The Opposite of Everyone (12/7/2015)

I struggled with this novel. I'm not sure if it's because of the subject matter or just going into the dark, rainy days of winter. Mother/daughter relationships, abandonment, foster care, divorce, and alcoholism are the tough issues included here. Paula, the main character, is prickly and hard to like but that is exactly how she is supposed to be and by the time I got to the end of the novel, I admired the skill with which she was written. My favorite parts were when Joshilyn Jackson wove Hindu myths into the telling of Paula and Kai's story. I'm glad I stuck with the book because the ending was just beautiful. I know the perfect friends to recommend this book to.

The Good Neighbor
by Amy Sue Nathan

Chick Lit! (8/15/2015)

Some people may see a book described as chick lit in a negative way but for me its about women telling their stories. Its our way of connecting and sharing what we learn in life. It gives women courage and strength to do the things that need to be done. In The Good Neighbor its the bond between a recently divorced woman and her elderly neighbor. They learn from each other what they need to move on. Most of what happens in this novel is predictable but that doesn't make it any less of a touching story.

The Witch of Painted Sorrows: A Daughters of La Lune Novel
by M. J. Rose

The Witch of Painted Sorrows (4/7/2015)

I am a first time reader of MJ Rose's novels and I was surprised by how well I liked the book. I was expecting just another pararomance novel. Reading The Witch of Painted Sorrows is a sensory experience. Art, history and books are my passions and I was thrilled by how Rose used these to create such a vivid novel from the Belle Epoque period in Paris. The interest in the occult was very big during that period and the use of that interest definitely spiced up the pages of this novel. It has made me curious about other novels by MJ Rose.

The Same Sky
by Amanda Eyre Ward

The Same Sky (11/18/2014)

The Same Sky reads fast but deals with tough issues that cannot be ignored. The novel covers the lives of Alice who lives in Texas dealing with the heartache of not being able to have a child and Carla, an eleven-year-old girl, who with her brother tries to make her way from Honduras to Texas. What I liked most about these two characters is their resilience and their faith to believe that they will get what they want. They never gave up on their dream. I found Carla's story particularly compelling because it was like something ripped right from the headlines and is an ongoing and volatile issue within this country. Hope is what drives these two and with it comes the possibility of happy endings.

Mating for Life
by Marissa Stapley

Mating for Life? (3/10/2014)

This book is like sitting down and having a great conversation with a lifelong girlfriend. It encompasses all parts of women's lives and their relationships. This novel is guaranteed to make you laugh and cry, and have every other emotion in between. I loved it because of the relationships and the emotions, its characters and their stories. I felt like the author made me an active part of the story, not someone who was watching the action from a distance. I loved that the chapters wove the different characters into a tapestry made from their challenges and triumphs, and above all the love they have for each other. Stapley obviously loves to read with her references to books and the reading life. I also found interesting that at the beginning of each chapter, she included how different animals mate. It's a book that touched my heart and I will remember it for a long time.

How to Be a Good Wife
by Emma Chapman

How to be a good wife? (8/31/2013)

From the very beginning of this book, there was something unsettling about it. I would pick it up, read a little, and then, put it down. Something about it felt sinister. Emma Chapman paints a portrait of a woman, older, her son having recently moved out and not quite sure what to do with herself. As her story unfolds, it becomes clear that something is definitely not right. The imagery in this book is outstanding. Another positive about the novel is that it is a fast read. Once I got into it, I could not put it down. Its definitely a book that make you ask yourself what would I do if this happened to me or someone I loved.

Ghostman
by Roger Hobbs

Ghostman (1/5/2013)

If you are a fan of the heist and how it all works, or doesn't, then this is the book for you. It's kind of an Ocean's Eleven meets Quentin Tarantino. The workings of a heist are beautifully crafted in Ghostman but be prepared for tons of violence. This is a gory one. I am impressed with the detail in Roger Hobb's first novel and this has the potential of becoming a series. I am not sure that is the author's intent but I can see where its main character's story is not finished and there are clues that other characters need to be explored further. The story follows a past job and the fixing of a job that has just happened. "Jack" is called in to fix it. His specialty is to make the players of a job like ghosts, vaporizing when it is done. Hobb's imagination is amazing, either that or he has lived quite the colorful life so far for someone so young. I expect to see more from this author and his ghostman, Jack.

The Edge of the Earth
by Christina Schwarz

The Edge of the Earth (10/26/2012)

I instantly liked Trudy Swann. She is a woman born in Wisconsin at the end of the 1800s. Trudy marries a dreamer, moves to "the edge of the earth", a lighthouse on the wild Central California coast. This is a life she is unprepared for, but I loved how she adjusts to this new life. Her exposure to the marine life along the coast is an awakening of sorts, a discovery of the kind of person she wants to be. This is a book about women, the power of their friendships, their shared experiences and the strength and knowledge that women take from each other to make life more bearable under harsh conditions. That's what makes this a great book for discussion groups. Once again, Christina Schwarz gives her readers an unforgettable experience.

The Roots of the Olive Tree: A Novel
by Courtney Miller Santo

The Roots of the Olive Tree? (7/16/2012)

Being from Northern California, I was very excited to read The Roots of the Olive Tree. I ended up being disappointed. I think there were too many characters and too many secrets to unravel and too many gaps in the story left blank. By the time I got to the end of the book, I had a hard time figuring out what the author was trying to tell me. Was this supposed to be a story about family, women, relationships, longevity, olive growing, prison reform, forgiveness, what? These all make for great elements in a story and when combined can become something special. But more often, it’s best to leave things in their purest form, like many good olive oils, and see what develops.

Paris in Love: A Memoir
by Eloisa James

Paris Deserves Better (4/27/2012)

A book written about Paris deserves more than tweets and facebook updates with the occasional essay thrown in. Eliosa James had some lovely descriptions of her experience in Paris but the format for the book was unsatisfying. It was hard to feel connected to her as she jumped from what she saw from her apartment window, to the exploits of her daughter in school, and then to a cooking experience or shopping trip. The part I liked the most were the essays. Read those and skip the rest.

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir
by Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen Gets It! (4/15/2012)

Anna Quindlen puts into words what it is to be me, a woman of a certain age (50s). This book of essays connects the issues that are important to women like me. Marriage, friendship, parenting, the care of aging parents and solitude are just a few of the topics that will either make you laugh or cry or more than likely do both. The essays are meant to be savored and mulled over until you read the next one. They will get in you touch with a part of yourself that you may have thought has gone missing. It’s definitely not a book to be gobbled down in one sitting. In the end, Anna Quindlen’s list of hopes will make you want to read this book again and again.

Three Weeks in December
by Audrey Schulman

Three Weeks in December (1/8/2012)

Audrey Schulman tells us a story of Africa from two perspectives, set 100 years apart. There is Max from the year 2000 sent to Africa to find a plant that has amazing pharmaceutical benefits. Then there is Jeremy, an engineer, sent to Africa to build a railroad in 1899. Each character is challenged by their task and things within their life that sets them apart from society, one is gay at the turn of the century and the other has Aspergers which is misunderstood even now. Add life threatening events to each of their stories and you have a compelling and moving novel, a story that you can't help thinking about for days after finishing it.

The Most Dangerous Thing
by Laura Lippman

The Most Dangerous Thing (8/25/2011)

Throughout this book there is a secret that is alluded to again and again. I really think the secret is something that changed as I read farther and farther into the book. Laura Lippman explores the perspectives of the people involved, why it happened and why it remains a secret. Guilt, penance and regret are all themes from this novel that would make it great for book discussion groups.

Snowdrops: A Novel
by A.D. Miller

Snowdrops (12/31/2010)

At the beginning I found this book compelling. I found the descriptions of Moscow and its inhabitants in the early days of capitalism fascinating but dismal at the same time. As I read further, I was put off by the greed and decadence and lack of caring by and for its main character, Nick Platt. I found Nick to be as cold as a Moscow winter. The writing is well done but to classify it as a psychological drama will lead more readers to be disappointed then not. I was hoping for some dramatic ending and felt it fell flat and like Nick Platt longing for something that I just wasn’t going to get.

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean
by Susan Casey

The Wave by Susan Casey (9/5/2010)

The ocean has always been a mystery to me. It’s something that you show respect to and never turn your back on. Susan Casey has written a book about the people who race to ride the big waves, who study the science of the waves, the ships that disappear without a trace and those that have survived its extremes. She introduced me to Laird Hamilton, a surf god. You really need to check out Hamilton’s ride at Teahupoo on YouTube. It’s awesome. This book isn’t for everyone but I thought it interesting as well as suspenseful as I read the stories of men who have gone up against the volatile nature of the ocean, sometimes with tragic results. There is little room for error on a sea of 50 - 100 foot waves.

The Nobodies Album
by Carolyn Parkhurst

Second Chances? (7/6/2010)

I love this book but it’s hard to put into words what would make you want to read it. Carolyn Parkhurst does not disappoint her readers giving us another novel with excellent writing. The Nobodies Album is rich with the kind of writing that makes you want to sigh when you get to the end of a page and wanting more when you finish the novel. Basically the book is about being able to rewrite your past. It’s a book within a book, part mystery and part exploration of the relationships we hold dear and the ones that we didn’t get to finish, AND what if we were given the chance to put things right. It’s a truly exceptional read.

The Hand that First Held Mine: A Novel
by Maggie O'Farrell

The Hand That First Held Mine (3/17/2010)

Identity? What defines you as a person? What are the many factors that make us the person we will become? Maggie O’Farrell explores this subject in her latest novel, The Hand That First Held Mine, through the lives of two women, Lexie and Elina. We meet Lexie in the mid 1950s just as she leaves home for London. She becomes a journalist in the avant-garde art scene. Elina lives in today’s world just as she has become a new mother. Due to complications during the birth, her boyfriend, Ted, is having a hard time with the fact that he has almost lost Elina. O’Farrell does a fantastic job of capturing those sleep deprived days of early motherhood. Discussion groups will love this novel because of the wealth of topics; love, loss, environment, parentage, greed, anger and so on, that make up the ingredients to the character of the person we become.

Alice I Have Been
by Melanie Benjamin

Mystery solved? (11/9/2009)

The relationship between Lewis Carroll and his muse, Alice Liddell, has always been shrouded in mystery. Their relationship, even from a modern point of view, seemed creepy and inappropriate. Alice was a child who was wise beyond her years and the photos he took have captured that look. Melanie Benjamin does an excellent job of blending the culture of the Victorian Age and what might have happened into a fascinating tale of the real Alice in Wonderland. We get to know who that woman was. Alice Liddell’s own mother described her as “reckless” but could she be better described as someone who found it hard to conform in such a restrictive society and that all Alice really wanted to do "was shape her own destiny". It makes the mystery even more intriguing!

Reviews by Christine P. (Gig Harbor, WA)

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Reviews by Christine P. (Gig Harbor, WA)

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