BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Lady Cop Makes Trouble: Girl Waits with Gun #2
by Amy Stewart

The Kopp sisters (5/11/2016)

The Kopp Sisters' lives are a fun, light read. Amy Stewart has a good sense of humor, and she does a great job on dialogue. The historical setting is interesting; first woman cop in Paterson, NJ, women cannot vote yet. The fact that these sisters did exist is very appealing. The conversations between everyone is the most enjoyable part. Looking forward to the next book.

The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan

Suspenceful and educational (11/5/2015)

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed, and the explanations of the Muslim culture were very informative. I learned about their interpretation of the moon, their poetry, and their study groups. I have read a number of books about terrorist cells, but being told from the viewpoint of a Muslim was a unique experience. There was very good suspense without the blood and gore usually used in this type of story. I also liked that it was based on a real event. I would recommend this to a lot of my friends and plan to read his first book.

Girl Waits with Gun
by Amy Stewart

A delightful read! (7/9/2015)

Amy blends humor with the time period in a wonderful way. Ladies were ladies, but they could also be independent and feisty. Her characters are well drawn and she creates suspense since you don't know what is going to happen next. I will recommend this book and plan to check out her previous books. It is nice to read a fun story as there are so many dark reads out there.

Fear of Dying
by Erica Jong

Fear of Dying (5/2/2015)

This book should be titled fear of aging and loss of sex. It should be marketed to Jewish mothers as a beach read and comedy. I give it 2 stars. Erica Jong gives women a bad name, wallowing in self pity and martyrdom. As her father and mother are dying, her husband is recuperating (but he is 83) she goes on line to find sex. Many women have much worse problems than she, what a pathetic person.

Shocking Paris: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse
by Stanley Meisler

Engaging as well as educational (12/30/2014)

This is a very enjoyable and informative read. It combines the history of the period and the personal lives of the artists. A lot has been written about 1918 to 1945, but each group of people has their own perspective of how they were affected by the events in history. This book covers artists we are familiar with as well as little known artists. If you do not want to read a biography of each individual artist, this is an excellent book to read about a group of artists. It shows how their careers were shaped by the times they lived through.

Bellman & Black
by Diane Setterfield

A Ghost story (8/30/2013)

Diane is a beautiful writer. Her books are mesmerizing, her words flow. There is so much to think about when you finish her books. I wish she would write more and faster. As you read, it is fascinating to watch everything unfold. Bellman and Black would make a very good book club book; you want to discuss and share ideas when you finish the book. She knows how to write a thought provoking read.

The Caretaker
by A .X. Ahmad

Author has potential. (4/10/2013)

I enjoyed this book, but it could have been better. The author has a lot of potential but tried to do too much in one book.
The cultural and financial differences of the characters were well laid out. The selling of government secrets would make a book by itself, thus it was not fully developed. The senator's marriage and child is another area that needed more depth. Ranjit and his wife's relationship left unanswered questions. Very interesting issues raised but left unfulfilled. I feel the author's future books will be better if he doesn't have so many things going on at the same time.

The Aviator's Wife
by Melanie Benjamin

The Aviator's Wife (12/6/2012)

Wonderful book! One of the best books I have read. I can't say enough about the author's writing. She is amazing; I plan to read her other books now. Everyone knows the basic story of Charles and Anne, but this gives the details and the emotional life they lived. The book flows making it an easy read; you feel you are in the book feeling Anne's love, excitement, despair, heartache, strength and awakening. Anne was enthralled and controlled by Charles. She discovers her talents and strengths as she realizes Charles flaws. She was an amazing woman. I am recommending this book to every woman I know, especially in my age group (68). I was raised to be a wife and mother and put aside any career for myself. We were late bloomers because we put our husband and children first - but we eventually came to know and appreciate ourselves. The next generation should read this to be aware of what their mothers did for them.

The White Forest: A Novel
by Adam McOmber

Potential never realized (8/10/2012)

This writer has a lot of potential. The White Forest is very readable; the setting is great. I could tell it wasn't my style of book but wanted to give it a chance. The ending was really disappointing. Nothing was really explained, and you really didn't know what happened to everyone. Too mystical for me.

An Unmarked Grave: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd

An enjoyable period mystery (4/14/2012)

The author vividly describes the battlefront aid stations in France during WW I. While nursing soldiers, Bess tries to find a killer, without turning into one of his victims. Bess is a gutsy, moral,caring heroine. Interesting characters fill this book, and will create a strong series following. For those who enjoy English mysteries, this is a good read.

A Partial History of Lost Causes: A Novel
by Jennifer duBois

Fabulous writer needs better story line (12/17/2011)

I wanted to rate this on two levels; her writing is a 5 but the story is a 3. I enjoyed her writing immensely and will look for a future book. It was a little too slow and philosophical for me and the characters were not compelling. The scenes of Russia were as I pictured it and loved the use of current politics with Putin. A little bit too many adverbs and adjectives; a more uplifting topic with her style would make a marvelous read.

The Tender Mercy of Roses: A Novel
by Anna Michaels

Unbelievable mix of styles (4/5/2011)

I think the author needs to find her own style. This book seems like it came from six different authors; we have the drunken detective with haunting memories, the Lovely Bones premise, the cowgirls with rodeos, the southern lifestyle and language, and the mystical animal images. Every so often she throws in some flowery adjectives and phrases. I found the book bizarre.

The mystery of who killed the girl gets lost in between piecing together the detective's relationships and her demons. There is way too much going on in one book.

Three Seconds
by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom

A Good Thriller (12/8/2010)

You need to stick with this one and you will be rewarded. I almost stopped reading when Piet entered prison expecting gratuitous violence; but then the action began. Good tension is created as flawed and realistic characters expose corruption and seek to find answers. A satisfying ending.

Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, #6
by Louise Penny

Bury Your Dead (9/4/2010)

A wonderful literary read--the mysteries were well paced and solved. I pictured myself walking the streets of Old Quebec. Really enjoyed learning about the Francophones versus the Anglos and Champlain's story. Wonderful characters with flaws, guilt and regret like every human.

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel
by C.W. Gortner

Intrigue and Politics in the 16th Century (4/30/2010)

C. W. Gortner crafted a believable historical novel of Catherine De Medici's life. He takes the reader behind the castle walls and weaves a web of jealousy and manipulation. It is a fascinating portrayal of marriage between royal families to create alliances between countries. From the bedroom to the board room, life is never dull.

Heresy
by S.J. Parris

An Intelligent Mystery (12/6/2009)

What a novel setting for a murder mystery; Oxford, England, in the 1500's. This is a fun read. Heresy is well written in modern day English (not Old World English). There is love, danger, politics, religion, and interesting characters of all ages.

Even though the setting is during the Inquisition, the political and religious issues are relevant today. The author does an excellent job of describing the sparse and uncomfortable living conditions of this era. Their discourse is intelligent and fraught with double meanings. I will watch for more books from this author.

Cleopatra's Daughter
by Michelle Moran

A Good Love Story (10/1/2009)

Michelle Moran tells a good story even though it slowed down for awhile. I was going to give it a 3 star, but the last 50 pages kept your interest. The historical research was done well but it definitely fits into the "entertainment" category. It is not Book Club material. Joyce

The Last Secret: A Novel
by Mary McGarry Morris

Hang on for a Wild Ride! (4/20/2009)

When Nora discovers her husband is having an affair, her emotions begin a roller coaster ride. Mary McGarry Morris' descriptions of the stages one goes through are unbelievably accurate. What starts as a story of a family's pain, anger and betrayal quickly turns into a page turner when a man from Nora's past arrives in town. Written in tight, powerful sentences, it took all my willpower to keep from reading ahead to find out what was going to happen.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (9/27/2008)

I love a literary mystery, and this one delivers. The reader must be patient at the beginning. The Swedish simplicity of lifestyle and sexual freedom are a little disconcerting, but minor to the mystery. A touch of James Patterson's criminal depravity, but overall a well designed plot with a family's secrets revealed. The characters are well fleshed out. The first of a trilogy; I can't wait for the next two books. How sad he died before this was published.

Heavenly Pleasures: A Corinna Chapman Mystery
by Kerry Greenwood

Heavenly Pleasures (4/17/2008)

Heavenly Pleasures is a good summer read. It is one of a series, "A Corinna Chapman Mystery" written by Kerry Greenwood. Corinna runs a bakery called Earthly Delights on the corner of Flinders Lane and Calico Alley in the city of Melbourne. She lives above the bakery in a Roman apartment house with mosaics and Roman names for all the apartments.

The other tenants in the building and shopkeepers on the street are delightful characters of all ages; e.g. a retired professor, two "goth" girls, a witch (who does fortunes), a woman of wealth and refinement, a computer genius and a multitude of felines with their own personalities. Daniel, a detective, is Corinna's lover and is hired by the sisters who own the chocolate shop "Heavenly Pleasures" to find the person injecting chili sauce and soy sauce in their candy.

If you like quirky, funny characters who help each other in times of need, you will enjoy this book. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith should try this series.