BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL)

Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathan Miles

Anatomy of a Miracle (1/1/2018)

I started the book by reading the acknowledgements at the end to make sure I knew it was a novel and was a bit annoyed with the way the author thanked the characters for their time and energy in helping him put this story on paper. But the premise intrigued me and I did …more

Eternal Life
by Dara Horn

Eternal Life by Dara Horn (11/6/2017)

I am only rating this book average since I found it hard to maintain my interest as the main character Rachel came back over and over as an 18 year old and watched many of her descendants die.She made a bargain that she would never die if her son, the famous biblical …more

Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After
by Heather Harpham

Happiness (5/26/2017)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it very quickly since i like medical memoirs with a happy ending.which I knew from the title. The author did a good job of sharing her daughter's journey and thoughts as she went through the transplant process as a very young child. …more

Tell Me How This Ends Well
by David Samuel Levinson

Tell Me How This Ends Well (3/2/2017)

I would call this book "quirky" which could be clever and enjoyable to read but for me it wasn't. The story line dealt with the different members of a Jewish family wanting to kill the patriarch over the course of a family get together in Los Angeles. The story was set in 20 …more

Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace

Extra-Ordinary Adventures (1/31/2017)

i enjoyed this somewhat quirky but well-crafted book since it touched on many pertinent themes. It was a fast read and held my attention throughout. Finding one's place in the world, finding love and dealing with parent issues were all addressed in this lively book that …more

Mercies in Disguise: A Story of Hope, a Family's Genetic Destiny, and the Science That Rescued Them
by Gina Kolata

Mercies in Disguise (10/27/2016)

This book is not for everyone. It is rather scientific and not everyone's cup of tea. I read it in one sitting since it hit home for me on many levels, recently losing a loved one to a neurological disease and having a close family member go through the same embryo …more

The Book That Matters Most: A Novel
by Ann Hood

The Book that Matters Most (5/31/2016)

I identified with the main character Ava when she became the newest member of a book group that had been in existence for a long time. The fact that one of the members picked my favorite book as the one she wanted to review made me even more excited. Both mother and …more

The Alaskan Laundry
by Brendan Jones

The Alaskan Laundry (2/2/2016)

I always feel that if I learn something from a book and also enjoy it, it has done its job. Tara journeyed to Alaska to take a breather from her life in Philadelphia and the family business, not knowing how difficult it would be physically and emotionally. How she survives …more

When the Moon Is Low: A Novel
by Nadia Hashimi

When the Moon is Low (8/16/2015)

This was a good book but I would not say great. It was fiction but read like non-fiction, we all know how bad things were in Afghanistan when the Taliban came in and how desperately people wanted to leave. I did not find the family's story all that compelling. I was more …more

Maybe in Another Life
by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Maybe In Another Life (5/25/2015)

This was a very quick and enjoyable read, perfect for the summer. At 29 Hannah moves back to where she grew up after a traumatic break up with a married man to reevaluate her life, The author shows us two different paths that her life could have taken which are set forth in …more

Make Your Home Among Strangers
by Jennine Capó Crucet

Make Your Home Among Straingers (4/3/2015)

This was a captivating glimpse into the life of a first generation Cuban American woman who was torn between her family and heritage and striking out on her own. The story grabbed me from the very beginning when I wondered if the plight of the 6 year old Cuban boy who was …more

The Art of Baking Blind
by Sarah Vaughan

The Art of Baking Blind (2/22/2015)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which dealt with friendships and contemporary issues having to do with many aspects of families, letting go of the past, and embracing the future all within the backdrop of a baking competition. Is it great literature? Obviously not, but I …more

He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter's Quest to Know Him
by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton

Not For the Faint of Heart (1/29/2015)

I have no doubt the author accurately portrays the manic depressive illness of her father in the 1940's and the horrendous treatment he was given as evidenced by his writings which served as the basis of this book. I am glad the author got some closure as to why her father …more

The Last Good Paradise
by Tatjana Soli

The Last Good Paradise (11/3/2014)

Had I not been on a cruise ship with nothing else to read I would not have even finished the book. I did not feel engaged by any of the characters or the plot.Giving it a 3 is generous.

The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah

A New High for Kristin Hannah (9/14/2014)

Kristin Hannah is known for her contemporary fiction so I was blown away by this meticulously researched work of historical fiction set in France during WW2. The story focuses on a time when people did not believe that France would ever abandon its Jews or that the Germans …more

Brutal Youth
by Anthony Breznican

Brutal Youth (5/9/2014)

This coming of age, possibly young adult, novel is no doubt destined to become a movie. I had to keep reminding myself it took place in the 1990's and not the 1950's. It was a poor reflection of parochial schools and the bullying that was allowed and even encouraged by the …more

Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany

Safe With Me (11/8/2013)

Organ donation and domestic abuse are two topics of importance that the author, Amy Hatvany, weaves together in this gem of contemporary fiction. The book is all about picking up the pieces when things go wrong and the unlikely circumstances that throw people together. The …more

The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane
by Kelly Harms

The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane (5/2/2013)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan on recommending it to my friends. The writing was sharp and entertaining and I liked ALL the characters which rarely happens. It deals with human nature, relationships and the importance of family or more correctly, the making of …more

Walk Me Home
by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Walk Me Home (3/30/2013)

I loved this book and think it would make a wonderful book club discussion. It takes the concept of family one step further and addresses ingenuity, resourcefulness, self worth and most importantly trust. All gifts do not have to have strings attached and sometimes "thank …more

One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall

One Minus One (3/28/2013)

This book was sweet but uninspiring. It takes place in rural New Hampshire in the late 1960's yet it seemed like the 1950's. The 60's were a time of exploring and taking risks yet this book was no more captivating than references to avocado appliances and harvest gold …more

BookBrowse Book Club

The River Knows Your Name
by Kelly Mustian

A haunting Southern novel about memory and love, from the author of The Girls in the Stilt House.

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The Devil Finds Work
by James Baldwin

A book-length essay on racism in American films, by "the best essayist in this country" (The New York Times Book Review).

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Real Americans
by Rachel Khong

From the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, a novel exploring family, identity, and the shaping of destiny.

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The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris
by Evie Woods

From the million-copy bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop.

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