BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Janis H. (Willow Street, PA)

Panther Gap: A Novel
by James A. McLaughlin

About that trust fund (3/16/2023)

I finished this book almost two weeks ago, but a reread of several sections had to happen before I could write an honest review. The author likes to jump into a scene as the action is happening, especially in Chapter 1. He moves quickly from one scene to another with no …more

The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

A Reluctant 4 (2/3/2023)

After I finished it, I felt happy that she is receiving the long overdue recognition that she deserves. She is a strong-willed and brilliant woman who walks among the high society of NYC's white women’s fashion world and the male dominated critics of the NYC art circle as …more one of their own: a highly educated and knowledgeable art buyer backed by J.P. Morgan. The only truth to the former statement is that she is not any of those beliefs except that she is backed by J.P. Morgan. She is "home-schooled" in Renaissance art by her father and her personal ability to transcend the adversity of being Black. Being fair-skinned her mother registers the family as White forcing the father, an earlier supporter of civil rights and the first man of color to graduate from Harvard, to leave the family and continue his advocacy of equality for all races elsewhere. According to the authors, Pierpont Morgan sees something special in her and hires her to be his personal librarian as soon as he meets her. She blossoms immediately to a force with which to be reckoned. She is quick witted, has a quick eye for forgeries and a quick tongue. Plus carrying the symbolic wallet of JP Morgan is a great aid. All that being said, I finished the book, but I have a serious problem with first person narratives. I disagree that the authors use this technique to make the reader feel closer to the character. After her assertiveness with JP Morgan during the interview, I did not care for her brashness. She alienated me. I read on because I had seen the library and decided that somehow she had done what she promised. I accepted the fact that she had to lie about her ethnicity to succeed, but then she mentions that her age is 27 not 23 as she leads everyone to believe. Yhus the unreliable first person narrative enters my mind, and I ask myself what else isn't the truth. Since she burns all of her papers at the end of the book and the author's admission that they filled in the blanks, I was slightly disappointed in her love affair with the art collector and Renaissance art authority, Bernard Berenson. The authors allowed it to take over the story and minimize the art she purchased for the library while she cavorted with Berenson in Europe. Again, since she burned all correspondence at the end and there contained no mention of her in any of Berenson's writing, I asked myself how much of her personal life is true. I still believe in what she achieved very much; I am just so exuberant as to how it was written. (less)

The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill
by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch

Sensational Page Turner (12/30/2022)

The Nazi Conspiracy is apparently a well known theory known to many World War II scholars and fans. I was only aware that the Big Three Conference in 1943 occurred in Teheran with Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, and the famous picture of the three in history publications …more

Good Husbands: A Novel
by Cate Ray

They played; they paid (3/22/2022)

Although the plot of Good Husbands reminds me of a few movies and books, Cate Ray works wonders with what happens when a buried and secret life is unearthed in a letter written by a dying woman to the wives of three men thirty years after their cruel and inhumane deed. The …more

The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager

Reaching the unreachable star (7/9/2020)

I received The Smallest Lights in the Universe as an Advanced Reading Copy from BookBrowse. I was pleasantly surprised because my third least favorite genre is a memoir, and my least favorite genre is anything to do with science fiction or space travels. Seager changed my …more

Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas

Not what I expected (3/20/2020)

Jessica Williams, Executive Editor of Harper Collins, writes that Catherine House blends the gothic elements of beloved Rebecca, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. The Catherine House is not Rebecca's Manderly or Jane Eyre's Lowood; nor is Viktoria, although callous and …more

The Guest Book
by Sarah Blake

Overhyped! (6/24/2019)

If you don't mind at times reading a sentence consisting of 58 words, you will enjoy this book. If you don't mind reading a book in which settings change rapidly with few transitions, time periods skip from decade to decade, and characters appear and reappear, then Sarah …more

Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens

Absolutely, a priceless book (6/24/2019)

No matter what else is written in 2019 this will always be among my top three fiction books of the year. Through the eyes of Kya Clark, an abandoned child. Delia Owens gives a new perspective to the lowlands and this almost uninhabitable portion of North Carolina. At times …more

The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather

A Voice for Witold Pilecki (5/2/2019)

Witold Pilecki, a second lieutenant in the Polish calvary reserves, answered his country's call to bring his troop of 90 trained volunteers to defend Poland when the resistance learned that Hitler signed a pact with Stalin that would eventually destroy his country. In order …more

The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns

A new meaning to watching paint dry (1/12/2017)

Michiel Heyns reincarnates Henry James's 1907 Garden Room, where he dictates his novels to Frieda Wroth, The Typewriter, at Lamb House in Rye, England. Written in Jameson style complete with compound complex sentences and vocabulary, which SAT Prep students should …more appreciate, and I might add, punctuated correctly, as I know for certain because I checked the online website OWL from Purdue University, Heyns employs subtle humor to develop the multi-layered Frieda, the manipulative Morton Fullerton, and the flamboyant Edith Wharton. Suffragettes emerge in the background urging women to fight for equality, but the choices are few; hence encouraged by Aunt Frederica, Frieda, "whose future, though very indefinite, had never included a vision of 'taking dictation' that would deprive her of any independent agency," and the "chronic regard of Mr Dodds, an apothecary, whose placid courtship as well as his persistent odor of the tincture of iodine she had been fleeing, graduates from the Young Ladies Academy of Typewriting.

"The worst part of taking dictation is the waiting." (First line in book) "at the point from which the school-child, comma, with eyes raised to the wall, comma, gazes at the part-colored map of the world. Full stop." . . . "she clattered obediently after him, then halted, while he continued his treading of the carpet." Then, the dashing Morton Fullerton, a long time friend of James, bursts unannounced through the doors of the Garden Room, and Frieda is smitten.

At this point I realized two important facts: I was smitten with the Mr. Heyns's writing; and I wanted to peek into the mind of Henry James whose works I have not given much thought in the past forty years.

I conclude that I could have researched more about Edith Wharton, but why dispel the fond memories I have of her characters, that I am not sure of the accuracy of Mr. Heyns's portrayal of her and Morton Fullerton, although I do recall mention of their affair from past readings. Neither I am not sure if Mr. James would have been so easily duped by their actions and their use of him.
What is most important about The Typewriter's Tale is Frieda's coming of age. The effects of her betrayal to Mr. James weighed heavily on me throughout the book. Her telepathic communication with Mr. Fullerton via the machine, the typewriter, not the person Miss Wroth, and her interpretation of his physical silence after their afternoon fling in the local hotel was both sad and humorous. The mutual understanding of Frieda and James at the novel's conclusion reaffirmed Henry James brilliance and Frieda's awareness of herself.
It takes a committed reader to accept The Typewriter's Tale pace, its structure, and vocabulary usage. I admit that I did have to reread some paragraphs and check the meanings and part of speech of some of the vocabulary; but, the quasi love triangle of Wroth, Fullerton, and Wharton, the mutterings of the James's servants, and the recognition of some of the phrases from his novels create an interesting trip back to the 19th century.

I did enjoy the book. (less)

The Opposite of Everyone
by Joshilyn Jackson

Recommended for book clubs (12/15/2016)

Birdwine, an ex lover, in a moment of compassion tells Paula Vauss that she is unlike others. She is the opposite of everything and everyone. Her stay in foster care has provided her with a tough and uncompromising exterior which a high powered, expensive divorce lawyer …more

Edgar and Lucy
by Victor Lodato

Prediction: One of best books of 2017 (11/28/2016)

Lodato's smooth style of writing flows through the novel from beginning to end. Although his use of a water motif, which becomes more apparent as the novel winds to its conclusion, terrified me at times, I absolutely loved this book. Similar to smooth flow of water as it …more

Fates and Furies
by Lauren Groff

A Worthy Undertaking (8/30/2016)

Complaints surrounding this book baffle me. I am rating it a 5 because I had to round up to a whole number. If I could have, I would have given it a 4.9 because of the transition to one particular death scene. Some people quit after Chapter 2. At that point, however, I …more

Cruel Beautiful World
by Caroline Leavitt

A Thought Provoking 4 Day Read (8/18/2016)

I received this book from BookBrowse and Algonquin Publishing as an Advanced Reading Copy and wish to thank both groups. What caught my attention in the pre publicity promotion was a quotation from Lily King, one of my favorite authors: "Backdropped by the Vietnam War and …more the Manson murders Cruel Beautiful World is a fast-moving page turner about the naivety of youth and malignity of power." For me it was a stretch to comprehend that the two historical events play a major role in the plot. They are briefly mentioned; however, I could only find a possible connection between the Manson girls and the actions of one character.

Since I have been recently glued to the Olympics, I will add that in my overall rating of this book this minor flaw is only a one thousandth point of a deduction.
The reason I want to give this book a 5 is Leavitt's characters. The events in the span of their lives from a 16 year old girl to an 82 year old man in an assisted living facility are authentic. How many boys and girls have made a reckless decision at the age of sixteen and lived through the disastrous consequences of their decisions? Not all have had tragic endings, but I think readers will relate to the consequences of the reckless decisions of Lucy on many different levels. How many young girls with low self esteem have found a charismatic teacher, who if he asked, you would lie on railroad tracks for him? If you haven't had a teacher who brought out the best in you, then perhaps you will not understand why Lucy Gold falls in love and runs away with her English teacher, William Callahan. If you are a parent, aunt, or big sister or simply a friend of an adult who loses a child, you will grieve with Iris, the aunt who raised Lucy and Charlotte, Lucy's reticent and pragmatic older sister. If you have ever fallen head over heals in love and the recipient of your love does not meet your expectations; but you still love him or her, you might be able to come to terms with the relationship of Iris and Doug. If you live with the guilt that you somehow have failed a loved one, you will relive that guilt through Charlotte and Patrick. Watching Iris and Joe, I do believe that a second chance at love can be a reality. Much has been written about the connections that residents in assisted living make, but Iris deserves love at age 80.

I will let the readers decide on the character of William Callahan. Although I was saying to myself in the first part of the book, "You are making a terrible decision William" in regard to Lucy, I thought that maybe they might work. The author is so good at manipulating the reader that I began to question my allegiance to Lucy, but then she places Charlotte and William in a conversation and his action haunts me even twelve hours after I have finished the book.

I think the book is due to be published in October of 2016. I think it will rise quickly on the best seller list. I think also that because the characters could exist today that teenagers and parents will take notice as well as older children caring for their elderly parents. I don't think polls exist on favorite characters in fiction of the year; but in case I have missed them, I am voting for Iris as my favorite character of 2016. (less)

The Fair Fight
by Anna Freeman

Seeing 17th century England from a different perspective (4/29/2016)

Although I am not a fan of boxing, I am recommending this book to all readers who might ignore a book about female boxers in the 18th century. The brutality and consequences of the boxers' life in the ring are there, but Anna Freeman uses that setting to show life among the …more

Fallen Land
by Taylor Brown

Fallen Land (12/1/2015)

The devastated , murderous terrain of the mountains of the western boundaries of the Civil War and the burned soil of Georgia creates a backdrop for the desolation which the surviving inhabitants of the Fallen Land face in the wake of Sherman's march to the sea.

Although …more

Frank & Ava: In Love and War
by John Brady

Frank and Ava in Love and War (8/13/2015)

Tabloids feed us a daily diet of the fortunes and misfortunes of our entertainment idols, but the plethora of scandals we absorb pale in comparison to the firestorm that Frank Sinatra "The Voice of the 40s" created when he divorced his nice Italian wife Nancy to marry …more

The Headmaster's Wife
by Thomas Christopher Greene

The Headmaster' Wife (5/6/2015)

I received The Headmaster's Wife through First Impressions from Book Browse, and I have shared it with many of my reading friends. From the mysterious first chapter to the end, it kept us engaged. It reminded me of Lolita and A Perfect Mind. It made me grieve with Dick Ives. …more

Whispering Shadows
by Jan-Philipp Sendker

When do you say, "Enough is enough?" (1/12/2015)

Whispering Shadows is the perfect way to start a year of great reading. It presents a mystery to solve, but more importantly, it examines how people overcome the traumas of their past. Zhang Lin, a homicide detective, battles his demons with his humanity. Journalist Paul …more

Descent
by Tim Johnston

What If? (11/6/2014)

"Descent" speaks to all members of a family who have lost a child. Whether or not Tim Johnston purposefully set the horrific action in the pristine setting of the Continental Divide to illustrate the corresponding violence in nature and man, he captures the loneliness and …more

BookBrowse Book Club

Becoming Madam Secretary
by Stephanie Dray

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating novel about an American heroine France Perkins—now in paperback!

About Discuss
A Map to Paradise
by Susan Meissner

From the USA Today bestselling author of Only the Beautiful. 1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

About Discuss
The Husbands
by Holly Gramazio

The Husbands delights in asking: how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

About Discuss
The Jackal's Mistress
by Chris Bohjalian

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch, a Civil War love story of a Confederate wife and a wounded Yankee.

About Discuss

Members Recommend

The Antidote
by Karen Russell

A gripping dust bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town.

Read the Reviews
Girl Falling
by Hayley Scrivenor

The USA Today bestselling author of Dirt Creek returns with a story of grief and truth.

Read the Reviews
Jane and Dan at the End of the World
by Colleen Oakley

Date Night meets Bel Canto in this hilarious tale.

Read the Reviews