BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Tilli F. (Florence, MA)

The Scribe of Siena
by Melodie Winawer

A romp through the 14th Century (4/16/2017)

when I first started this wonderful book I wasn't sure i would like it. But I was soon hooked. The main character, Beatrice, is memorable. The love interest is faintly drawn so that the strength stays with Beatrice throughout. The idea of skipping between centuries at first …more

News of the World
by Paulette Jiles

News is Still Good (8/25/2016)

This is a delightful book. That may seem a strange adjective to use about Texas after the Civil War. But the author manages to mix tales about the region and time to bring it to life, and to portray he characters, particularly Johanna, so that they walk off the pages.

And …more

Shelter
by Jung Yun

disappointing (12/1/2015)

I have mixed feeling about this. There are times when it is good, for instance the description of transplanted Korean life. There are times when it is bad, for instance the description of the affair with the hero, which comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. It seems like an " …more

The Same Sky
by Amanda Eyre Ward

two tales in one story (10/23/2014)

I awaited this book eagerly because I had read several novels about the plight of children escaping from Central and South America and found the stories gripping. At first this book grabbed my attention with the story of Carla, a Honduran child, but that attention dwindled …more

Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth

An amazing Story (8/30/2014)

At first I was confused. It seemed to be two unrelated stories. Then I was absorbed. The life and times of Charlotte Rose was very interesting. Then I was frustrated. I wanted to hear more about Rapunzel and I still didn't understand how the two were connected. And by the …more

Small Blessings
by Martha Woodroof

The best book I've read (5/14/2014)

This is simply a wonderful book. I can't think of enough superlatives. First the language is imaginative and beautiful - a joy to read. Then there are the characters. They jump off the page at you. Who can forget Rose and Tom and Henry and of course Agnes - where would we …more

City of the Sun
by Juliana Maio

A good read (1/21/2014)

I was at first put off by the colloquial style of the author but then got into the story. It is interesting because of the setting. Egypt during the second world war is something I knew nothing about, and the mixture of Egyptians, Arabs, English and Americans, and the power …more

The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally

Daughters of Mars (5/21/2013)

This was a difficult book for me to read. This author has a style that puts great distance between this reader and the characters. Thus even though there are many horrible things that happen during the course of the book: the Australian experience at Gallipoli and on the …more

Fever
by Mary Beth Keane

Fever - a book for those who like history (3/18/2013)

This is a fine book. I accepted it because I knew nothing about Typhoid Mary except her name, and wondered why her memory had lasted so long. And now I know. Mary Mallon endured a tough life and survived despite it. But beyond that, this book gives a vivid and informative …more

Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen
by Mary Sharratt

Illuminations (9/18/2012)

This is an engrossing book. Mary Sharrat's style brings the characters to life and the environment in which they lived. And Hildegard von Bingen is an amazing character. The plot has many cliffhanger turns which keep you reading. I knew nothing about her when I took this …more

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