I have done many reviews for Bookbrowse, but this is the first time I have ever had difficulty reviewing a book. I feel conflicted, as there were many things I did like about Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor. Yet, overall, it wasn't a book that held my attention. It is a psychological mystery, and I love mysteries. The characters were well portrayed: Three strong women, Finn, Daphne, and Magdu. It's a mystery for everyone, but it is LGBTQ inclusive, and I really appreciated that. Finn and Daphne have been best friends for years, but Daphne is very controlling. Finn has just fallen in love with Magdu, and Daphne suggests they all go climb a cliff together. The book gets off to a big start as Magdu falls to her death when something goes very wrong. The story revolves around Finn and Daphne, with flashbacks of Finn and Magdu's blossoming relationship. What went wrong up there? Was it an accident, was it intentional? It kept my attention only because I wanted to know how it ended, but I found my interest waning throughout the book. The characters were complex and interesting, but I found the ending disappointing and abrupt. I did like Hayley Scrivenor's writing, though. After I finished the book, I immediately went to the library to get a more recent book of hers, Dirt Creek, and I haven't put it down yet. Like Girl Falling, it has LGBTQ characters. Now I am confused. Maybe I need to reread Girl Falling!

This Book Has it All!

It has been a long time since I sat and read a book for hours, almost finishing it in one sitting, were it not for the late hour. The Stolen Child, by Ann Hood has everything you might want in a book. The author manages to weave in a mystery that keeps you guessing, characters you will feel attached to, and the most incredible scenery that almost jumps off the page. Most of the story takes place in Italy, and I could almost smell the delicious foods that were described so well. The story is about an older man and a huge regret that he has carried with him since he was 18. He finds help in solving this mystery from a young girl looking for adventure.She is just beginning to find herself after a traumatic event in her own life and is eager to leave home. Together they set off for Italy and take you back and forth in time. I got attached to the characters very quickly and cared what happened to them, something that is hugely important to me when reading any book. It captivated me and I could not put it down. I have read other books by Ann Hood and loved each one. If you want to read a book that will touch your heart, this book will reach out to you from the beginning and never let go til the last page.

I need to preface this review by saying I read this book right after reading Migrations, by Charlotte McConaghy, a book that deserved a 10 star review in my opinion. So it is a little unfair to Katy Regan! Both books dealt with following birds, and the love of them, but that is where the similarity ends. How to Find Your Way Home was a very pleasant book to read. I liked the characters and the idea of a sister finding her brother after so many years of not knowing where he was. I read it almost in one sitting. It was very captivating, and had a twist at the end that no one would see coming. The ending totally affected my thoughts about the book in a very positive way. I thought about the characters and their situation for days after I read it. I definitely liked this book, but didn't love it. I do want to read her other book, so she has piqued my interest for sure.

I cannot remember a time when I started a book and did not move until it was finished. A Million Things, by Emily Spur, had me at the first chapter, and nothing was going to stop my reading until I finished this book about an amazing 10 year old girl, Rae, her dog, Splinter, and her next door neighbor, Lettie. Secrets abound in this story and it draws you in by the beautiful prose of this Australian author's debut novel and the unforgettable characters she has created. Rae is used to being alone, as her mom is not always there for her. But something happens that turns her world upside down, and we watch her cope with life in a way that "pierces like a bullet and soothes like a psalm"(Amy Jo Burns). It is a story about unconditional love, extreme sadness, and incredible resilience. "It captures the moments between loss and letting go" says one reviewer. Rae's neighbor, Lettie, an older woman who lives alone with her own secret, plays a significant role and her character is beautifully developed. We watch the relationship between Rae and Lettie grow and bloom, like an old dried up flower that is miraculously and beautifully alive, brought back with life giving water. This novel will stay with you long after it is read. I have the electronic copy, but I plan to buy a hard copy as soon as it is released in the US in August. Oh, keep your Kleenex handy while you read!

I usually cannot wait to review books I read, but I did not feel this way about Morningside Heights. It is about relationships, what we do in adversity, what we do for love. It followed a family living in New York, a mom, a dad, a daughter and a stepson. I did not feel close to the characters, nor care much what happened to them. The story went back and forth in time, and that usually is fine with me, but in this book it was confusing to me. What I did like is that it was about ordinary people, and I did think about Ann Tyler's books, which I love, so that is a positive comment. I do think that book groups would find a lot to talk about after reading this, such as: how would you deal with a spouse who had dementia? Would you feel guilty letting yourself love again? How do blended families work? We all are different, and some may feel more positive about this story than I did.

Good Summer Read

I have been reading so many mysteries lately that Colleen Oakley's book, You Were There Too, was a refreshing change of pace. Set in a small town outside of Philadelphia, this book offers up an unusual premise. What if you had dreams about the same man almost all your life, a stranger you don't know and have never met. And what if you were to meet this man and find out he had been dreaming about you...? Is that crazy premise possible?! It happens to Mia Gradon, an artist who is happily married to Harrison. Think about what might happen to your happy life, to your supposedly perfect marriage. If you find that this catches your interest, pick up this book and find out the complications that ensue. I read this book at breakneck speed, as I wanted to know how Mia and Oliver would handle this amazing scenario, after dreaming about the other for so long, for feeling that they know each other inside and out. Looking back into your life can often unravel your present life in ways you never expected. This book will take you on a fascinating ride. I did feel disappointed at the end, as it wasn't the ending that I wanted, but maybe that is my failing for wanting the fairy tale ending, not the realistic one. It was a fun summer read, but not a book that stayed with me as I had hoped. My interest in this author has been piqued, and I would like to try her other books.

All year I have been taking a class in spirituality and self growth at my local church. Of course we have been using religious books along with our text. The bottom line of the class is "How do we grow spiritually into the person we truly are meant to be?" The class has ended and I learned so much, but never did I expect to find answers to my dilemma in a fresh new novel called Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Wilson. I applied for it as I always do for First Impressions, just hoping I will like the book enough to finish it. But I can truly say that this book was life changing for me, and I believe that many adults as well as young adults can benefit from this simple story of a young woman who is asked to care for two young children over the course of a summer.

Lillian is a college student on a scholarship to a wealthy girls' school. Her roommate is a beautiful, rich girl named Madison, and the two become very close. After a complicated fiasco, Madison leaves school after Lillian, and the two correspond only by letter. But one day Lillian receives a letter from Madison asking her to come and help her take care of her two step children, twins Bessie and Roland. Lillian has a dead end life with no foreseeable future, so she agrees to travel to Tennessee to be their caretaker. What she doesn't know is that the twins spontaneously combust when agitated. Throughout the summer we watch Lillian build a relationship with these children who have never known love or affection, and have been left with a mom who only saw them as a negative in her life. In her own life, Lillian has not had much, if any affection shown to her. She fears that she will not know how to take care of these unique kids. But as the story evolves we watch her find herself in saving them. The universal truth of this story should appeal to anyone who wants to become a better person. It's through loving and helping others that we grow into the people we want to be. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves a good novel. The characters will stay with you long after you are finished reading.

I just finished the last page of Ellie and the Harp Maker. Wow, I cannot remember feeling this way about a book in so long. The plot was simple, the characters were unforgettable, and the author's writing is just perfection. This book should appeal to anyone who appreciates the art of writing. Her characters are easy to relate to, sometimes very quirky, just all around delightful. It's a different kind of love story for sure. Much of the book is told through the eyes of Dan, the Harpmaker, who most likely has Asberger's syndrome. Watching him traverse the world in his own way is fascinating, especially when it comes to love. His world is just as rich, if not more so, than the average person, and he puts his all into the things he loves the most. Ellie Jacobs, comes upon his Harp Making studio one day by chance, and both their lives are forever changed. This book is enchanting, and I read it in two sittings because I could not put it down. A big thank you to Hazel Harper for creating these very special characters. This book is one that I can't wait to share with a good friend, and I hope that the author goes on to write many more books.

When I first read the premise of "Vox", it attracted me immediately. I love dystopian novels, and the premise of the book was fascinating. What would happen if the government, now run entirely by men, were to limit women and girls to saying only 100 words per day? The novel takes place in an "all too realistic near future", says the back cover. Okay, it certainly got my attention. I received it on a Friday afternoon and by Sunday morning I had finished it, barely putting it down while we were at home. So obviously it is a page turner, no doubt about that! I could not wait to see what would happen next. Did I think it was in an all too realistic future? Not sure about that...I think that would be quite a stretch. Not something that I could really imagine happening. Could I be naive? Possibly. I liked the characters but felt they were underdeveloped. I wanted more depth to them and I felt that I knew too little about each one. I would have liked to know the children better too. Did I enjoy the book? Yes, it was very entertaining. But I think it could have been better with more character development and more history of how this came to be. I finished it feeling somewhat disappointed, but definitely not sorry I read it. The author writes a one page introduction to say that she hopes the reader will "consider the gift of language" as we read the book, and I certainly did.

It has been a long time since I read almost an entire book in one sitting. The Stars are on Fire gripped me from the first chapter. Anita Shreve develops her characters in such a fashion that you truly care about what happens to them, and you become quickly invested in watching them grow and change amid devastating circumstances. Grace is in a dull, lifeless marriage, knowing exactly what will happen each day. The book is set in Maine in 1947, the year a fire ravages the coastline, a true event in Maine's history. How Grace handles the aftermath is the suspenseful story of a woman facing the unimaginable. The choices that she faces determine her fate, and you will not be able to stop reading until you turn the final page.

I do think this would be a good book for book clubs. How would each of us face having to start over with nothing but the clothes on our backs? Would we be able to reach deep down and make a new life? Watching Grace transition with her two children is a heartfelt story that will leave you asking yourself, "what would I do?" If you want a novel with amazing character development, and enough suspense to keep you guessing how it will end, The Stars Are Fire is the book for you.

I remember being a child, having the luxury of reading a book in one sitting, devouring it as you would a favorite meal. In adulthood we rarely get that opportunity, too many things to do, places to be, it just doesn't happen. Yet, here I am, stuck on a couch while doctors try and figure out why my hip is hurting. So, when this book arrived in the mail, I started reading in the morning and to my astonishment, read the last page that very afternoon. I could not put it down. I am a huge Ann Hood fan, so I expected to like it, the title drawing me in right away, "The Book That Matters Most". Books have always mattered to me, was this one going to matter to me? Within minutes, I found myself caring about her characters, wanting to know more about this book club that meets once a month. Each of its members was to pick the book that mattered most to them. The novel zeroed in on two central characters, and explored the themes of "love, loss, regret and redemption". A mother and her daughter, a wife and a husband, regrets of the past and a yearning to know the future. I adored this book, I treasure this book, it woke up every sense I had, leaving me sad when finishing it, only because I loved reading it so much and now I was done. I cannot praise this book enough, it will always matter to me.

It's so difficult to talk about Alzheimer's Disease, especially early onset Alzheimer's. But Sally Hepworth has written a beautiful account of two young people with the disease and the things that they want to hold on to the most. Another character enters their lives and makes a huge impact on them as well as untangling the feelings that she holds most dear. For anyone who has been touched by this cruel disease, this book is a gift. I have read many books lately that have so many characters that I have to keep a written list! Thank you Sally Hepworth for keeping it simple. Just a few unforgettable people that will touch your heart. I have read her first book, The Secrets of Midwives, and also recommend it. I will eagerly await her next book!

When I asked to review "The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs", I was a little apprehensive. The last book I requested just didn't work for me and I didn't end up reading it. I need not have worried. This book got my attention from the first page on, and I hated for it to end. I adored the characters, and easily identified with Caroline. How many of us hold on to our worst memories from high school, even letting them shape who we are to become? And how many of us would love the opportunity to confront that high school nemesis, to let them know how they bullied us and made us feel less than who we are?

Well, Caroline Jacobs, a quiet, almost broken woman steps out of her comfort zone, and in that moment the perfect comeback is born. The book also explores the relationship between mother and teenage daughter, finally finding a common goal when they set out to right a twenty-five year old wrong. The book is quirky, fast paced, and just delightful, especially for those of us who didn't quite fit in during our high school years. A great read!

I just finished reading this book and I didn't want it to end! I fell in love with the main character, Miss Lucy Lobdell, or Joseph, as she is known as later. We talk about gays and lesbians openly now, but what was it like in the 1800's? What if a woman were to want the options that men had, or even more, a relationship with another woman. This author takes you to the nineteenth century in upstate New York and other states in a whirlwind story of such a woman. I loved Lucy right away, and was mesmerized by her story. The author clearly did a lot of research for this book. Even if you are not a fan of historical novels, I am not, and I just loved this book.

Julia Spencer-Fleming's newest novel, "Through The Evil Days" brings back her fans' beloved crime solving couple, Episcopal Priest Clare Fergusson and and Police Chief of Millers-Kill, Russ Van Alstyne. Having read a few of the earlier books, I realized quickly that I had missed a few. Her prior books developed the unexpected relationship between Clare and Russ while at the same time gave you a mystery with top notch twists and turns. This book does not disappoint. The characters have come a long way from where I left them. Newly married and expecting their first child, the excitement in their life has not ended. A kidnapping in the small town turns into a full blown mystery that leaves you feeling you know these two characters even better than before. For me, her character development is the biggest attraction, making me want to get back and read the books I missed. Don't you miss this book, if fact, get her first Clare and Russ book, get comfy, and don't expect to get anything done!!