Reviews by Carol N. (San Jose, CA)

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The Secret Ingredient of Wishes
The Secret Ingredient of Wishes
by Susan Bishop Crispell
From Memphis to Nowhere (7/6/2016)
Lovely caper filled with imagination. . . one learns you must be careful for what you wish for, you may have to live with its consequences. This book is charming and completely filled with mouthwatering descriptions of pies, one of my favorite desserts. Did I get lose …more
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel
by Bryn Greenwood
Roller Coaster Ride (6/13/2016)
May I start my saying. . . this was one hard read! Bryn Greenwood's new book has a very controversial nature to its storyline. The subject matter, difficult to comprehend, but one that I understand does exist in this muddied world we live in. Written to disturb and …more
The Alaskan Laundry
The Alaskan Laundry
by Brendan Jones
Bravo Tara (2/8/2016)
To experience the ultimate Alaskan adventure has always been at the top of my "bucket list." So needless to say, when BookBrowse gave me an opportunity to be one of its first readers, I jumped at it. This rugged novel immediately transported me to Sitka where I found myself …more
Girl Waits with Gun
Girl Waits with Gun
by Amy Stewart
A Strong willed woman... (7/17/2015)
Really fun summer read! Based upon historical fact, 1914, Hackensack, New Jersey, a story of the first woman deputy sheriff in this country. What happens to the three Kopp sisters when a motorcar owned by the town's bad boy hits their carriage? Life begins to be not so …more
Three Many Cooks
Three Many Cooks: One Mom, Two Daughters: Their Shared Stories of Food, Faith & Family
by Pam Anderson, Maggy Keet & Sharon Damelio
Foodie Alert (2/2/2015)
If you are a "foodie," then you are in for a delightful afternoon of reading this series of cooking vignettes. Each one is shared by one mom and her two daughters who cook up original family stories and recipes. Pam, Maggie, and Sharon – they have a strong relationship, …more
Safe with Me
Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany
Safe With Me (12/16/2013)
Having just read "Safe With Me," I am having very mixed emotions about its content.
I was prepared to read about a mother's devastation on the loss of her daughter and her decision to donate the child's organs. I was not prepared to have the domestic violence – the voice of …more
The Disenchanted Widow
The Disenchanted Widow
by Christina McKenna
The Disenchanted Widow (9/3/2013)
Touching on the terrorism of the 1980s in Ireland, the heroine of this novel, Bessie, is sought by the an IRA enforcer - The Dentist. Along with her son, Herkie, she flees Belfast to settle in a busy little village where everyone knows each other and each others business. …more
Her Last Breath
Her Last Breath: A Kate Burkholder Novel
by Linda Castillo
Her Last Breath (5/20/2013)
An easy to read, perfectly plotted mystery that twists and turns through picturesque Amish country in Ohio. This fast paced novel with its very charismatic, empathetic, strong-willed main character, Kate Burkholder, brought up Amish, but left the "life" to pursue her career …more
Close My Eyes
Close My Eyes
by Sophie McKenzie
Close My Eyes (5/1/2013)
What a ride! This psychological thriller deals with the ultimate betrayal. Filled with paranoia and confusion, this plot drags you in and keeps you engaged until the end. What a twisted road, the main character, Geniver, travels – from the lost of her only child at birth to …more
Where You Can Find Me
Where You Can Find Me: A Novel
by Sheri Joseph
Where You Can Find Me (2/22/2013)
A dark, incandescent novel that covers the Vincent family's struggle to return to their life together after having experienced the horrific kidnapping of 14 year old Caleb. Seeking sanctuary from the throes of the incident and the media, the family, sans the father, flees …more
The Good House
The Good House
by Ann Leary
The Good House by Anny Leary (12/4/2012)
This was a good weekend read – chock full of wonderful, flawed characters with some pretty wicked senses of humor. The protagonist, Hildy Good is a 60-year old real estate agent who having survived her Hazelden invention two years earlier needs to prove she is neither an …more
The Forgetting Tree
The Forgetting Tree: A Novel
by Tatjana Soli
The Forgetting Tree (8/27/2012)
The “Tree” is a mystifying, complex novel that focuses on two forgiveness-seeking women, Claire, the citrus farm owner, and Marie/Minna, the enigmatic and beautiful Caribbean care keeper. Their relationship is engrossing, two damaged, but powerful women each seeking …more
The Mark Inside
The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con
by Amy Reading
The Mark Inside (7/10/2012)
After having started this book 3 different times, I finally made it almost to the end and decided enough was enough. Storyline involves a variety con artists and swindlers. Expecting a “Sting-like novel, I found myself getting bogged down with what I though could have been …more
Paris in Love
Paris in Love: A Memoir
by Eloisa James
A Quick Read (3/13/2012)
After a bout with cancer, romance novelist Eloisa James takes a sabbatical and moves her family to Paris to enjoy a year of nothing but experiencing life in the City of Lights. While there she “Tweets” and updates her “Facebook” followers with the quirks and joys of Paris …more
King Peggy
King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village
by Peggielene Bartels, Eleanor Herman
It's not easy being KING! (1/17/2012)
What does a naturalized American and secretary at the Ghanaian embassy in Washington do when she finds herself king of a small fishing village of 7,000 souls located on Ghana’s central coast? She accepts the challenge of a lifetime and begins her 2-year adventure in …more
The Dressmaker
The Dressmaker: A Novel
by Kate Alcott
GOOD READ (10/20/2011)
The Titanic’s 1912 sinking remains a legend steeped in tragedy and mysterious allure. So just in time for its 100-year anniversary along comes Kate Alcott’s, The Dressmaker, a very compelling historical novel about a young woman who survives the disaster only to find …more
Ten Thousand Saints
Ten Thousand Saints: A Novel
by Eleanor Henderson
Coming of Age? (6/20/2011)
This book is a look at the 1980’s in New York’s East Village from the perspective of a close-knit group of teens - a portrait of modern age and the struggles that unite or divide generations. Moving back and forth between Vermont and New York City, Ten Thousand Saints is a …more
Original Sin
Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen
Sinfully Delightful (3/4/2011)
Remember the 1980’s television show, “The Scarecrow and Mrs. King” starring Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner? If so, then this author’s first book will be familiar. Imagine your neighbor is Sally Sin aka Lucy Hamilton living in San Francisco with her handsome husband and 3 …more
The Girl in the Green Raincoat
The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Novel
by Laura Lippman
The Girl in the Green Raincoat - Laura Lippman (11/9/2010)
Having read Lippman’s “What the Dead Know, “ I was anxious to read another one of her creations. “The Girl in the Green Raincoat is a “Rear Window” reincarnation. This Alfred Hitchcock mode novel places a very pregnant, bed-confined private investigator, Tess Monaghan, in …more
The Stuff That Never Happened
The Stuff That Never Happened
by Maddie Dawson
The Stuff . . . (9/28/2010)
I can’t say I loved every minute of Maddie Dawson’s “The Stuff That Never Happened.” At times it made this reviewer step back, much like the author’s middle-aged heroine, Annabelle. I, too, can identify with the longing for yesterday’s romance. This slow moving character …more
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