BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The French Girl
by Lexie Elliott

A Promising Debut (9/11/2017)

I enjoyed this whodunit surrounding a decade-old murder that has resurfaced among college friends. I especially appreciated the constant appearance of the title character, who provided a silent but effective addition to the novel. While the ending was not completely satisfying, I enjoyed the tangled relationships, deceptions, and ultimate realizations of what happened that fateful evening 10 years ago. I would recommend this book to book clubs and mystery lovers. A quick read.

Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace

Slow but Engaging (2/14/2017)

This novel is a sweet story of an innocent man "coming of age" after winning a free beach vacation that required a companion. Edsel worked at his budding relationship and eventually grew by leaps and bounds. This book was slow at the beginning as Edsel's quest for a companion seemed hopeless. However, it gained speed as it went on, leaving the reader anxious to discover the ending. The characters were well-developed and there are some terrific themes for book clubs to discuss. Nicely done!

I See You
by Clare Mackintosh

Engaging Thriller (11/12/2016)

Wow, I did not see this ending coming! I See You is a well-written psychological thriller that builds beautifully to its surprising climax. Don't skip the very last page or you'll miss a lot! The premise is hauntingly believable and I could definitely see this becoming a movie, not unlike The Girl on the Train. Would love to see this become a series with these multi-faceted characters. Loved it!

Cruel Beautiful World
by Caroline Leavitt

Cruel Beautiful World (8/23/2016)

This novel has great potential to be more of a psychological thriller but the story line is kept too shallow for that to happen. The plot is interesting and keeps the reader turning pages. I would have liked more insight into what different characters were thinking throughout the story. Would also love to know what happened to the characters after the novel ends. It has good potential, just scratches the surface of this phenomenon in American culture.

Falling
by Jane Green

Great Beach Read (6/20/2016)

I brought this book to the beach and what a great idea that turned out to be! This is perfect chick lit with a plot twist to keep things interesting right to the end. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books from this author.

Darling Days: A Memoir
by iO Tillett Wright

Sad Memoir (4/16/2016)

I'm not sure if memoir is the word since the book ends with the author only in her 20s but iO certainly tells a heart-wrenching story of her childhood. This is a timely account of gender identity issues, questionable (at best) parenting skills, and a never ending quest for personal happiness. This would make a good book club choice, given all the psychological issues that iO faces in her troubled youth.

The Widow
by Fiona Barton

Creepy Good (12/5/2015)

The Widow is a well-written psychological thriller. I really enjoyed the in-depth character development and the author's smooth writing style. The book keeps you guessing and asking dark questions about the relationship between Glen and Jean. This would generate good club discussion; I would definitely recommend it to friends.

Every Anxious Wave
by Mo Daviau

So So Sci Fi (10/19/2015)

So this book was a bit out of my reading comfort zone but I thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately, it did nothing to improve my opinion of science fiction, wormholes, time travel, and the like. I found the characters uninteresting overall and wondered most about Wayne, who was absent for the majority of the novel. The romantic relationship seemed forced and unnecessary; I found myself scanning pages in search of the main plot again. I would not recommend this book to my book club friends although I'm sure there is an audience out there who will enjoy it.

The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
by Matthew Dicks

Whose Comeback is it Anyway? (6/4/2015)

This is a light and easy read. While I enjoyed the ease of reading, I found the high school incident requiring a "comeback" to be fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Something a bit more traumatic might have triggered such a response but I had trouble buying that this mom went to such great lengths to find revenge against her former best friend. And honestly, she didn't even want the revenge as it turned out. Her daughter should get full credit for the perfect comeback, not Caroline herself. I thought the dialogue between mother and daughter was well-written, especially coming from a male author. Overall, an easy read that could spark some deeper conversation but not well enough developed in plot or character.

A Good Family
by Erik Fassnacht

Long and Wnding Story (5/14/2015)

I found this book overly long and rambling at times. The story is told from the viewpoints of different family members and I often found the chapters to be so unrelated that they didn't seem to be from the same book. I found Barkley to be the most interesting character and wanted to learn more about his life, often skimming other chapters in favor of those about him. This book seemed disjointed and I would not recommend it to friends or my book club.

Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir
by Jamie Brickhouse

What a Ride! (3/8/2015)

This memoir of a young gay man's struggle with multiple addictions kept me intrigued to the end. It's a psychological self-study of the downward spiral he faced, while keeping readers both entertained and heart-broken with his decisions in life. Mama Jean was a larger-than-life mother figure who loved Jamie to the end but may have done unintentional harm with her undying devotion. I really enjoyed this book and wish Jamie much success in his future endeavors.

The Sweetheart Deal
by Polly Dugan

Enjoyable but Predictable (2/10/2015)

The Sweetheart Deal is a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the format of short chapters with alternating characters featured. The ending is predictable right from the beginning but there are some twists to keep the pages turning. I would like to have had another chapter or two, perhaps a glimpse into the future a few years later. Overall, I enjoyed this book and think it would be interesting for a book club discussion.

Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story
by Mac McClelland

A Rambling Read (12/29/2014)

Irritable Hearts is a memoir that is lost in vague textbook talk. The first half is painfully slow going with a mostly unexplained major event that triggers the author's PTSD. The rambling tale seems disjointed and I found myself rereading pages constantly to try to stay on track. The book evolves into a sort of autobiographical textbook saga which I found uninteresting and consistently difficult to read. While I certainly empathize with the author's struggle to find peace with her diagnosis, I found this to be an underwhelming psychological case study.

Descent
by Tim Johnston

An Emotional Read (11/2/2014)

Descent is a psychological family study for the first half then picks up speed to become a true 'movie' thriller by the end. I found the beginning to be a bit slow and had to adjust to the chapters alternating between various characters. This is, overall, a well-written novel that tugs at the heartstrings while keeping a gritty, tough facade. Excellent character development keeps the reader turning pages to the satisfying conclusion. This book would be excellent for a book club.

Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth

Bitter Greens (8/9/2014)

I'm not sure I like the title of this novel but I certainly enjoyed reading it. The back cover alludes to Philippa Gregory and I wholeheartedly agree. The author nicely weaves together historical fiction in the style of Gregory along with the fairy tale, Rapunzel. Sadly, my advance copy was incomplete and I did not get the last few pages but I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy historical fiction.

Her
by Harriet Lane

Ominous Reading (5/8/2014)

Her is a novel that grows more ominous with each chapter. I found it difficult to engage early on but the second half picked up speed. It's interesting to have the perspective of both main characters, while still maintaining some mystery about what would happen next. The ending was too vague for my liking, though I'm sure I know what happened. Would have liked another chapter or two for closure. Overall, an enjoyable read and good for book clubs.

The Quick
by Lauren Owen

A Cumbersome Read (4/18/2014)

The Quick is cumbersome, in more ways than one. It's a large book at 500 pages and the extensive cast of characters and winding plot is honestly a bit exhausting. I did not find it an enjoyable read, especially as I am not particularly fond of the "vampire" genre. It was dark macabre on every level, with characters who showed little or no redeeming qualities. Just not the book for me.

Mating for Life
by Marissa Stapley

Good, not Great (3/10/2014)

This is a fairly quick read focusing on the relationships of three sisters and their mother. I found the title to be a bit misleading as most of these characters have had multiple relationships with men and do not appear terribly successful at "mating for life". The story flows nicely as the chapters rotate among the different women. The opening blurbs about wildlife at each chapter are interesting, if a bit unnecessary. This is a book that would work for book club or make a light read for a weekend vacation at the lake.

Reviews by Liz B. (Fairview, TX)

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