BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

A Ladder to the Sky: A Novel
by John Boyne

A Ladder to the Sky (9/6/2018)

This is my third John Boyne novel, and each is so different I had no idea what to expect. Wow- this one blew me away! The main character is like someone from a Patricia Highsmith novel - he is completely unscrupulous, and yet is able to use his charm and good looks to go after those who have what he most covets. Watching him entrap and manipulate the people he chooses to use is mesmerizing and still I was shocked at the depths to which he would go to achieve success. I could not put the book down, and it remained riveting until the final page.

So Much Life Left Over
by Louis de Bernieres

So much life left over (8/1/2018)

I found the book an easy read - characters were well developed and I liked the way the author tied them together. Overall, however, the book did not make a lasting impression on me; flipping back through I am remembering enjoying it, but when I originally finished it I promptly forgot it and moved on to my next book.

French Exit
by Patrick deWitt

French Exit (2/6/2018)

The back cover describes this as a brilliant and darkly comic novel; while I will concede that DeWitt is a very good writer, I think his style is not for me. I did not like the characters, found the comedy overdone, and while it was an easy read, and did work as a send up of high society, it just seemed too silly to pique my interest.

Force of Nature: Aaron Falk Mystery #2
by Jane Harper

Force of Nature (11/8/2017)

I was very excited to receive a copy of Jane Harper's new book because I so enjoyed her first, The Dry. Unfortunately this book didn't measure up. I wish she had focused more on Falk, a returning character; instead Harper spent a lot of time on the back stories of the other characters in the novel, and while this may have been to add to the plot mystery, the back stories seemed somewhat contrived and didn't hold my interest. I was much more interested in the parts of the novel about the detectives and I found myself skimming through the other parts. Hopefully future books will spend more time on Falk.

The Heart's Invisible Furies: A Novel
by John Boyne

A Slice of History (7/12/2017)

In a novel covering the course of one man's lifetime, the author weaves together both history and societal prejudices using a mixture of humor and sadness. While I found many of the characters overdrawn, I enjoyed the book, and the clever way Boyne both set up and tied the storyline together.

Lola
by Melissa Scrivner Love

Absolutely Blown Away (3/3/2017)

Melissa Scrivener Love has introduced a new heroine to cheer for. Lola is a total badass, but also whipsmart, and with an amazing head on her shoulders. I was torn between reading the book in one sitting and savoring it over a few days. Savoring won - now I just hope the author follows up with a second book.

Edgar and Lucy
by Victor Lodato

Edgar & Lucy (11/18/2016)

What a wonderful book. Both uplifting and disturbing, with characters that are at once unrelatable and yet completely human. While the book is about the relationship between a mother and her son, it is also about love, land loss, and mourning and somehow manages to be a feel good book at the same time. It is unlike anything I have read in a long time.

Underground Airlines
by Ben H. Winters

Underground Airlines (9/18/2016)

I absolutely loved this book. The writing was spot on, and while I could have read it in one sitting, I kept closing the book because I didn't want it to end. As an alternative history, it is compelling, gripping, and frighteningly plausible. The plot twists were impossible to predict, the dialog was great, and the main character was very human. I would highly recommend it.

The Book of Speculation
by Erika Swyler

The Book of Speculation (4/17/2015)

Wonderful and magical story which switches back and forth in time. The main character is an out of work librarian who receives a mysterious old book in the mail. As he (and we) become engrossed in the book, the connections between the past (in the old book) and the present become eerily real.

Everybody Rise
by Stephanie Clifford

Everybody Rise (3/7/2015)

Perhaps my lukewarm response to this book is due to the fact that I do not know any people like the ones portrayed in the story. I am sure they do exist, but I found them all so unappealing that I could not bring myself to care about any of them. Adding that to a fairly predictable story line, left me disappointed with this debut novel.

Juliet's Nurse
by Lois Leveen

Juliet's Nurse (7/11/2014)

I think it is a risk to tackle a book about characters so well known and loved as Romeo and Juliet. That said, the author does manage to successfully evoke the atmosphere and has created a thoughtful and provocative look at the story from Juliet's nurse's point of view. While I did not necessarily like her portrayal of all of the characters, I found myself praying that the story wouldn't end the way I knew it had to, just as I always do when I read Shakespeare's play.

Island of a Thousand Mirrors
by Nayomi Munaweera

Eye Opening View of Sri Lanka (4/3/2014)

I am often drawn to books about other countries and for that reason was very interested in reading this book. While I was fascinated to learn about the clash between the Tamil and Sinhala people, what particularly struck me was how differently the lives are for women in that culture. Because the author gave more weight to Yasodhara I could relate far more to her dreams, fears, and motivations than I could for Saraswathi. That being said, I found it somewhat hard to be as sympathetic to her as perhaps I should have been. Regardless, however, I think the book is well worth reading.

The Deepest Secret
by Carla Buckley

Too Many Secrets (12/14/2013)

While the author aimed for a book which would pull at the readers' heartstrings, I, as a reader was unmoved. While the plot of the story was good, each character had secrets to the point of absurdity; I found none of them believable or relatable, and therefore had very little interest in the outcome of the story.

Once We Were Brothers
by Ronald H. Balson

Once We Were Brothers (8/23/2013)

I very much wanted to like this book. The premise was good, and the author clearly knew a lot about his topic - both the holocaust and the law. However, the writing style was amateurish and I often felt that I was getting a lesson in either history or the practice of law. I didn't find the characters either real or appealing and although the ending of the story was engrossing, I think many other books have covered this topic far more compellingly.

Ghostman
by Roger Hobbs

Ghostman (12/31/2012)

Wow! I can't believe that this is Roger Hobbs' first book. The book is fast paced, exciting, and extraordinarily well written. While the protagonist may be on the wrong side of the law, I can't wait to meet him again in future books. A great read.

The Land of Decoration: A Novel
by Grace McCleen

Fantasy and Imagination (3/16/2012)

Grace McCleen has done a very good job of capturing the voice of 10 year old Judith McPherson, a lonely girl raised by a passionately devout widowed father. I was initially entranced by the characters, but, unfortunately, soon found them all to be so stereotypical as to be unbelievable. I was moved at the end of the book [edited for plot spoiler]. Overall, however, I was disappointed in the book, especially because I thought it began so promisingly.

The Leftovers: A Novel
by Tom Perrotta

A Stunning Scenario (7/17/2011)

Tom Perrotta has created a novel brilliantly blending science fiction and reality. While the premise of the book; that millions of people have been plucked from the earth is fantastic (although not utterly far fetched for some very religious souls), the remaining peoples' responses to The Sudden Departure are so real as to make the story utterly believable. While reading the book, I wondered how the author could possibly end it; the ending he created gives a sense of new beginning and hope, and is perfect.

The Sweetness of Tears: A Novel
by Nafisa Haji

The Sweetness of Tears (3/4/2011)

I found The Sweetness of Tears to be a thoroughly engrossing book. The book is told from the viewpoints of different characters in the story, and although occasionally I had to remind myself whose story I was reading, I found them all to be compelling and very real. While the author tackles a number of different topics: politics, war, family, religion and friendship, by the end she succeeds in tying everything together in both a thought provoking and thoroughly satisfying way.

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul: A Novel
by Deborah Rodriguez

A Taste of Afghanistan (11/11/2010)

In her book A Cup of Friendship, Deborah Rodriguez gives the reader a rich portrait of life in Afghanistan. Through the different characters, the reader is introduced to the many people who come together at the coffee shop of the title. Unfortunately, while I found the story enjoyable, I found the characters so stereotypical that none of them were compelling enough to truly care about.

The Lovers: A Novel
by Vendela Vida

The Lovers (4/6/2010)

Vendela Vida's book about a widow traveling to find herself is sure to speak to many people about love and loss. In Yvonne's escape to Turkey, the location of her honeymoon, she desperately seeks to form connections with random strangers, and one feels her sense of loneliness. What seems like a simple story ultimately has unexpected twists and turns, and the ending is utterly satisfying.

Reviews by Julie G. (West Hartford, CT)

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Reviews by Julie G. (West Hartford, CT)

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