BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Mating for Life
by Marissa Stapley

Mating for Life (3/3/2014)

I thought this was a lovely book with interesting and believable characters. Each chapter focused on one person, surprisingly, sometimes even very minor ones. There were a lot of thought-provoking issues about family and romantic relationships. Sometimes because the focus changed to another character, the reader is left to fill in the gaps of what happened to the previous character. I was occasionally left wanting more details about the main characters and could have done without some of the minor ones. Overall, the book kept my interest and could lead to a good book discussion.

Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany

mixed feelings (11/6/2013)

I was fortunate to receive an advance reader copy of this book. I have mixed feelings about the book. On one hand, it was a compelling read that was hard to put down. On the other hand, I was only prepared to read about the devastating loss of a child and her organ donation; I didn't expect to read about a book about domestic violence, and I didn't really want to. I have read enough books about domestic violence, and I think this didn't add to the genre.

I would have preferred the book to have focused on the organ donation part of the story. I didn't appreciate the addition of wife beating, and it detracted from the more interesting and unusual theme of organ donation for me. I think fans of Jodi Picoult would appreciate this book, but the stress I felt reading it would keep me from recommending it to book groups.

Under the Wide and Starry Sky
by Nancy Horan

Under the Wide and Starry Sky (10/31/2013)

I received an advance copy of Under the Wide and Starry Sky. I found it a welcome addition to the other recent historical novels about the wives of famous people, the women behind the men. Since I didn’t know anything about the life of Robert Louis Stevenson, I found it particularly interesting to learn about him, and his wife led a fascinating life as well. I also enjoyed reading about the time period and the places they traveled. One would never have expected someone in poor health to have managed to travel to the most far-flung places in a time when travel was so difficult. The author brought to life the challenges of Stevenson’s health, finances and relationships. Although the book was a little longer than I would have liked, it was a unique story. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction, and I think it would make a good choice for book discussion groups.

Ostrich: A Novel
by Matt Greene

Ostrich by Matt Greene (8/25/2013)

I was happy to be given the opportunity to read Ostrich as I’d heard comparison of it to two of my favorites, Wonder and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. It did not disappoint me. I thought this was a great read, particularly reminiscent of the book Wonder which I also loved. There was a lot of humor in the book. The only thing criticism I have is that I wasn't crazy about the format of the ending of the book. I would also like to mention that I think the title of the book was absolutely perfect. I look forward to reading more by the author and highly recommend this book.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
by David Sedaris

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls (6/23/2013)

I listened to the audio version of this book which was read by the author. There were several times when I laughed out loud listening to it. Would make a great book to listen to during a car trip.

The Mouse-Proof Kitchen
by Saira Shah

Mouse-Proof Kitchen (6/10/2013)

The book deals with a very difficult subject, a child born with severe health problems and how the parents cope with this. It was thought-provoking, but certainly won't appeal to everyone. More difficulties arise with stress in the marriage, ethical decisions regarding the baby's medical issues and relationships with family and friends. The tough subject matter is offset by interesting descriptions of what it was like for a British couple to move to a decrepit house in France and the people in the community.

Although I found the book to be a compelling read, I would be very selective about recommending it to someone I didn't know well, because it could be very disturbing to people who have related issues.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
by Therese Anne Fowler

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (3/19/2013)

I found Z very interesting, especially having read both The Paris Wife and The Aviator's Wife and other readings from that time period, so this added to my impression of the 20's. I previously had known very little about the Fitzgeralds, so I appreciated learning about them and more about the time period.

I found the book well-written, and I think book groups will appreciate reading this book. I think there are lots of issues which could be great for discussions.

The Abundance
by Amit Majmudar

The Abundance (3/15/2013)

I loved this book! It's beautifully written, very easy to relate to the characters. Although I am not Indian, I could feel the universality of family relationships portrayed in the book. Given the subject matter, it could have been a depressing book, but the author succeeded in making it a compelling read. I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book, and I think it would be an excellent choice for book discussion groups.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel
by Maria Semple

Where'd You Go, Bernadette (12/17/2012)

I'd highly recommend this fun read. I couldn't put the book down; there were lots of unexpected twists and turns. This was a unique book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Salvation of a Saint
by Keigo Higashino

Salvation of a Saint (8/30/2012)

I thoroughly enjoyed Salvation of a Saint which I received through the First Impressions program. I would never have known that this book was translated from Japanese; the translator did a great job. This book is completely different from The Devotion of Suspect X which I also greatly enjoyed. Although the solution to the mystery is far-fetched, the book was unique and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this book to mystery-lovers who don’t want formulaic books.

My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante

My Brilliant Friend (6/12/2012)

I was very disappointed in this book. Although I appreciated learning about life in Italy in a poor community in the 50's, I found the book tedious. I was bored by the extensive recounting of her early childhood, and I was unsatisfied with the ending. The prologue of the book promised something that it never delivered for me.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake: A Novel
by Jenny Wingfield

Homecoming of Samuel Lake (5/24/2012)

I absolutely loved The Homecoming of Samuel Lake which I won in an ARC giveaway. It’s the best book I’ve read thus far this year. I had been apprehensive that it might be too religious for me, but it wasn’t at all. I agree with the positive comparisons to To Kill A Mockingbird. The characters are unique and well-developed, and the book is beautifully written. There was an underlying suspense in the story that made me unable to put the book down. I would highly recommend it to all readers and book groups.

An Unmarked Grave: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd

An Unmarked Grave-another great read (4/5/2012)

I thoroughly enjoyed this 4th book in the Bess Crawford series. I received the book as part of the First Impressions program, reading it immediately after the previous book, A Bitter Truth, which was great too. I raced through both books. Although I like Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge books as well, this series isn’t as dark and has a faster pace. This book has an interesting murder scenario, great character development and I found it interesting to learn about the flu epidemic during WWI. I would highly recommend this book and the series (which should be read in order) to readers who enjoy Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs books. These books all provide a great sense of what life was like during this time period.

Losing Clementine: A Novel
by Ashley Ream

great read! (1/11/2012)

I was pleasantly surprised that I very much enjoyed this book which I received through an early reviewer program. Given the subject matter, it was a relief to find a lot of humor and sarcasm to lighten the mood. There were several key missing pieces of information that were eventually revealed in the book which added elements of mystery to the story. I would highly recommend the book.

The Good Father: A Novel
by Noah Hawley

The Good Father (12/5/2011)

I found The Good Father a compelling read, very thought-provoking and discussion-worthy. It reminded me of books I enjoyed by Jodi Picoult and Rosellen Brown. I like that it was told mostly from the father’s perspective, both as a parent facing one of your worst nightmares and integrating his career as a doctor who is a diagnostician. My only criticism of the book is that the author is a little heavy-handed trying to include all the research he did on assassins, guns, etc., although it was probably intended to show the father’s need to do comprehensive research on the subject.

I think book discussion groups would appreciate reading this book, and it will provoke interesting discussions about divorce, custody and new families.

The Leftovers: A Novel
by Tom Perrotta

Skip this one (11/5/2011)

I was very disappointed in this book. I thought the characters weren't developed well enough, and I found myself not caring what happened to them. There were some interesting concepts developed, but very little follow-through. Based on the trajectory of Perrotta's writing, I think I will skip his future books.

The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel
by Adam Johnson

Orphan Master's Son (10/26/2011)

The intense book was compelling to read, but couldn’t have been more disturbing. If only a fraction of what was described was true, North Korea must be a nightmarish place for its inhabitants. I found some of the 2nd half of the book difficult to follow because of changes in perspective and events being out of sequence. I was glad the author managed to include some humor/satire with the horrifying story, and I am glad to learn something about North Korea.

Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante

Turn of Mind (4/26/2011)

A great read. I flew through the book, hardly able to put it down. It reminded me of Still Alice, as far as imagining life with dementia and the vulnerability associated with it, but it had the added suspense of a murder investigation, interesting history which gets revealed in lucid moments, and peripheral characters who made you wonder about their motivation.

A Lesson in Secrets: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
by Jacqueline Winspear

A Lesson in Secrets (3/3/2011)

I am a huge fan of the Maisie Dobbs series. Winspear writes beautifully about British life post-WWI. The characters are well-developed, and you learn about the trauma the war caused throughout the country. The mysteries are intended to stand alone, but I would highly recommend that they be read in the order written.

This book starts a transition from post-WWI life to pre-WWII, and the on-going characters have the beginnings of major changes in their professional and personal lives. I recommend the book, but thought some of the minor storylines in it detracted from the main story. I look forward to the next in the series.

Reviews by Lori

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