BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Fertile Earth: A Novel
by Ruthvika Rao

The Fertile Earth (5/26/2024)

Ruthvika Rao has written a wonderful book that must be read and reread in order to appreciate every nuance and secret in the story.
In mid 20th century India, the age-old custom of landlords holding all the land and exercising feudal rights over the country population is being challenged by the communists and the Naxalite extremists.
It is during this turbulent time that the story takes place, pitting family members against each other and against those who must support their way of life.

The Stolen Child: A Novel
by Ann Hood

The Stolen Child (4/8/2024)

Ann Hood’s new book tells a bittersweet story of a search for atonement and for freedom from past mistakes. During a hurried journey across France and Italy, a seriously ill man and the young woman caring for him, find that the answers are there for them to discover in the end.

This is a book that is tailor made for a book club discussion, dealing with very human and relatable questions.

At the Wolf's Table
by Rosella Postorino

At the Wolf's Table (10/6/2018)

What a powerful story! Told in the first person by Rosa, a refugee from the Berlin bombings in 1943, who is forced by the SS to become one of the tasters of Hitler's food. Rosa is a very complex and conflicted character, mourning the death of her mother and facing the fact of her new husband missing on the Eastern Front. The added stress caused by the daily risk of death from poisoning only makes her life even more difficult. I foresee this book becoming a "word of mouth recommendation" on every reader's list as well as a book club favorite

Clock Dance: A Novel
by Anne Tyler

Clock Dance (8/2/2018)

Once again Ann Tyler has written a book that will delight her many fans. Willa, the main character, is a middleaged woman, who, although loved and cared for, has always been taken for granted by those in her family.That changes suddenly when she receives a strange phone call that will turn her world upside down. A gentle and encouraging book that is bound to be the choice of many, many book clubs this year

Meet Me at the Museum
by Anne Youngson

"Meet Me at the Museum" (4/5/2018)

"Meet Me at the Museum" Is a thoughtful and beautifuly written novel about the correspondence between two middle-aged emotionally lonely people. A woman in Britain and a Danish man start writing to each other almost by accident. This begins a relationship by mail, which delicately deepens into friendship and ultimately into love. A gentle and worthwhile read

As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner

As Bright As Heaven (10/19/2017)

Susan Meissner's book "As Bright As Heaven" is about family or, more precisely, love of family. The Brights, mother, father and three daughters, have left their quiet Pennsylvania home to move to the bustling city of Philadelphia. Once there, this very close family has to gradually adjust to the many changes in their lives. Including those brought about by the start of World War I and the decimation caused by the Spanish Flu pandemic. Despite these trials they are able to find solace in each other and joy in the tiny baby they adopt. This is an ideal book for book clubs.

The Garden of Small Beginnings
by Abbi Waxman

The Garden of Small Beginnings (4/12/2017)

I loved this book. After a winter of reading somber and slightly depressing books, it was a joy to read this funny and uplifting story. Full of undaunted women, handsome men who wore fitted t-shirts very well, and cute children, who said adorable things, this was fun.

This book should be in every woman's beach bag this summer, it's a really good read

The Weight of Ink
by Rachel Kadish

The Weight of Ink (2/8/2017)

It is very obvious that a great deal of careful research was done by the author, into both the renewal of England"s Jewish community and the Restoration of the monarchy in the late 1650s. Sadly the story that she set during these momentous times, along with an adjacent story set in modern times does not work. The characters, particularly those in the year 2000, are not believable. Nor is the ending which relies heavily on silly coincidences. The book is too long and much tighter editing would have helped greatly as the author is fond of flowery similes and pretentious and often precious descriptions.

The Imperial Wife
by Irina Reyn

The Imperial Wife (6/23/2016)

Two strong Russian women, both ruthlessly ambitious and separated by many centuries, are connected by a fabulous jewel. Catherine the Great owned it and Tanya is tasked by the present day auction house for which she works, to sell it to the highest bidder. The women's story is told in alternating chapters, describing how both are married to weak and dissolute men. In Catherine's case she is able to overcome this impediment, but Tanya's obsession with her husband will lead to disaster. The characters in this book are very believable and the story moves along along at a brisk pace. A good summer read

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (4/6/2016)

This delightful story explores the journey that takes Arthur Pepper from paralyzing grief to being able to live a fulfilling life again. Arthur's beloved wife has died, leaving him bereft, lonely and unable to find any pleasure in life, despite the unrelenting efforts of friends and family. That is, until he makes a startling discovery that will start him on a mission to retrace his late wife's past. What he finds will change his life forever. I would highly recommend this book to book clubs as it is sure to lead to a most lively discussion

The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan

The Language of Secrets (10/27/2015)

Author Ausma Zehanat Khan introduced her readers to detectives Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty in her debut book "The Unquiet Dead". Now they are back in "The Language of Secrets."

This time, Ms Khan , has woven a complex tapestry of events, very loosely based on an incident that took place in Toronto in 2006. Her lyrical writing places the reader in the midst of a Canadian December, invoking feelings of urgency and danger, and making her book hard to put down. The poetry that is very much part of the plot lends a counterpoint to the rest of the story, making the book even more engrossing.

I look forward to the next book in this very exciting new series

Home by Nightfall: A Charles Lenox Mystery
by Charles Finch

Home by Nightfall (10/1/2015)

When I began "Home by Nightfall" I didn't know that this book was the newest in a series by Charles Finch. One reviewer described the writing as between Jane Austin and Charles Dickens, an observation I found to be quite accurate. This gentle and well-written mystery is the ideal book to read on a wintry day in front of the fire with a cup of tea to hand. The description of a Victorian village is somewhat idealized but the characters are well depicted and the story moves along a good pace. It is not for the reader who likes lots of gun-play and cool customers, but for the lovers of Agatha Christie this is just ideal

Backyard
by Norman Draper

Backyard by Norman Draper (10/20/2014)

One does not have to be a gardener to thoroughly enjoy "Backyard" although it may add a tiny extra dimension. The characters in this book are all slightly mad and manage to get themselves into crazy situations which are laugh-out-loud funny. They will stop at nothing to try to win a gardening contest and the results are nothing short of hilarious There is a certain element to each of the characters that makes the reader think, just for a fleeting moment, now where do I know that person from? A funny funny book

Her
by Harriet Lane

Her by Harriet Lane (4/28/2014)

"Her" is a chilling tale of obsession and the evil that it engenders. The story is told from the point of view of two women, Emma, an unfulfilled suburban stay-at-home mother, and Nina, a well known artist. An uneasy relationship is forged between the two and the horror mounts slowly until, at last, tragedy strikes. Or does it? The reader has to decide for herself

A Paris Apartment
by Michelle Gable

The Paris Apartment (4/12/2014)

This book is the ideal book to read curled up before a fire in winter or lying in the sun at the beach in summer. Like Paris itself, it's funny and sad, demure and sexy and altogether delightful. The two main characters, one of which we meet through her diaries, written a hundred years before, and the other a modern woman, consumed by her career. Despite the many years between them, it becomes apparent that they are beset by the same romantic problems involving forgiveness and fidelity. How this is worked out during the appraisal of the apartment's contents forms.

One small annoyance is the use of the word "smirk" used too frequently through the book. Maybe the editor could fix this

The Venetian Bargain
by Marina Fiorato

The Ventian Bargain (12/10/2013)

For lovers of romantic historical fiction, it doesn't get much better than this. Author Marina Fiorato seamlessly joins a love story together with a history of Renaissance Venice in a time of peril. Her heroine, trained as a doctor, is caught up in a plot to introduce the plague into the city, an act of sixteenth century bio-terror. The story is played out against a backdrop of historical accuracy,which makes the author's love and knowledge of the history of Venice very apparent

Lookaway, Lookaway
by Wilton Barnhardt

Lookaway,Lookaway (6/6/2013)

My land. The question is can a lady of a certain age, who lives at that mud-wallow of a lake (Lake Norman,that is) write an unbiased review of "Lookaway,Lookaway"? Well she can try. Of course, Wilton Bernhardt, bless his heart, has written a satire. But we have to ask ourselves, should satire be subtle and light-hearted or heavy handed and just plain old mean. Perhaps the reader should decide for his or her self. Maybe a trip to Charlotte will help make up the mind.

Close My Eyes
by Sophie McKenzie

Close My Eyes (3/30/2013)

Like many of the other reviewers of this book, I read it in one sitting and, like them I am sure that it will be a big seller. However, unlike many others, I read it to find out "why" because I was tipped off as to "who" . The author gave it away by her choice of the names of the main characters in the story. Anyone familiar with anything to do with the legend of Camelot would spot this too. As an American reader I also found the many references to London stores and current British slang a little strange ( although only a minor detail) Nevertheless I enjoyed the book, it was a fun read.

The Woman at the Light: A Novel
by Joanna Brady

Has everything that makes reading a good book so enjoyable (7/16/2012)

This lovely story, based on real life characters, has everything that makes reading a good book so enjoyable. The woman, for whom the book is titled, grows throughout the entire story, becoming stronger and more her own person with every page. The other characters are equally interesting being adventurous pioneers who have come to the very tip of the country, Key West, to seek fortune and fame (or infamy in some cases).

This is the perfect book for book club discussion as it has everything, star-crossed lovers, villains, hard scrabble lives, incredible wealth and a wonderful tropical setting

A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar: A Novel
by Suzanne Joinson

A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar (5/18/2012)

I found this book to be complex and quite fascinating. The characters evolve in the most interesting ways especially the main character, the lady cyclist. She grows from being quite naive, to having the will to carry on despite sometimes overwhelming odds, while still keeping a touching and sometimes irritating vulnerability. I think the author has perfectly captured the essence of British short-sighted attitude of the the Twenties, when the feeling was that Britain and all things British were superior to anything else to be found anywhere

Reviews by Sue Z. (Cornelius, NC)

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Reviews by Sue Z. (Cornelius, NC)

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