BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson

Kept my interest (3/15/2024)

I was enthralled by this book from the beginning! It was a dual timeline between 1928 and 50 years later. An explosion at a dance hall led to secrets being kept about that night. Daisy, the granddaughter of Rose, wants to write about the dance hall fire with the anniversary coming up. And she is not met with cooperation from those who remember that tragic night. As she asks questions she gets closer to the secret her grandmother is keeping. Once I got started I couldn't put this book down! I think it would be a great book club discussion book.

The Divorcees
by Rowan Beaird

Great read (11/29/2023)

This was a great read! I didn't know there was such a thing as a divorce ranch. It was an interesting concept. This book kept my interest as I read about the different women and each one's reason for wanting a divorce. I did have a little trouble keeping all the characters straight. And when Greer showed up, she stirred things up and had a great influence on Lois. I think this would be a great book club book and I recommend it!

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily: A Novel
by Noelle Salazar

Wonderful book (9/23/2023)

I was hooked as soon as I finished the first chapter! In 2023 a museum curator finds a hidden label on a dress that Greta Garbo had worn. Who is this Zora Lilly whose label is on this dress? I loved the characters and the descriptions of all the dresses that Zora mended and designed! Her rise up from poverty to becoming a successful dress designer and business owner was a great story! She always stayed true to herself and her beliefs! I highly recommend this book!

Wade in the Water: A Novel
by Nyani Nkrumah

Interesting Relationship (12/10/2022)

This is a story of a relationship that develops between Ella, an 11 yr old African American girl and Ms. St. James, a young white woman from Princeton, who came to Mississippi to write about racism. I had a hard time getting into it, but it finally grabbed my attention. The relationship between Ella and Ms. St. James was sometimes easy, but other times it was difficult for them. The book gave you the point of view from both females. I think it would be a great discussion book.

How to Find Your Way Home
by Katy Regan

Enjoyable (10/26/2021)

I enjoyed this book about a brother and sister who have been separated by a tragedy that sent her brother to prison. Emily has been looking for her brother since he got out of prison. They do finally reconnect and their interest in bird watching and the list if 5 things they want to accomplish bring them back together. I wanted to keep reading to find out how Stephen ended up in prison. They both finally confront what happened that day. It is a great book that shows how a family bond never breaks.

The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West
by Carrot Quinn

Enjoyable book (8/3/2021)

I enjoyed this book! Carrot was a brave girl who grew up before she had to. The parts about her childhood broke my heart. Because her mom had mental health issues Carrot and her brother weren't taken care of the way they should have been. Their clothes were dirty and they went hungry. The way she traveled by train were interesting. She connected with the natural world and learned to live without many things that we take for granted. It was sad reading about how her grandparents treated her and her brother when they were living with them. I think this would be a great book club discussion book.

The Yellow Bird Sings: A Novel
by Jennifer Rosner

A great read! (12/11/2019)

I couldn't put this book down! This was a very moving story about Roza and her daughter Shira hiding in a barn to escape capture by the Germans. It is a story of survival and a mother's love for her daughter that is so strong she will send her daughter away to have a better life. While they are separated they both try to survive without the other. I so wanted the story to keep going!

Red Letter Days
by Sarah-Jane Stratford

Red Letter Days (10/18/2019)

I enjoyed the book, although it took me awhile to get into it. In the 50s, Phoebe was a young writer who was falsely accused of being a Communist. She quickly found out who her real friends were. She fled to London to live where she wasn't known and hoping she could live her life free of this stigma. The Red Scare was a part of history I really didn't know too much about as I was a young child at the time. I think this would be a good discussion book for book clubs.

You Were There Too
by Colleen Oakley

Great read (9/3/2019)

I really enjoyed this book! It kept my interest from beginning to end. For Mia to find out that Oliver had been dreaming about her too was a real twilight zone moment for me! At one time, I thought that Oliver just might be making up that Mia had been in his dreams just to get close to her, because I like a twist in a book, but I soon began to believe him. This book also made me think about reoccurring dreams that I have. I wasn't that happy with the ending. I don't want to leave any spoilers.

More News Tomorrow: A Novel
by Susan Richards Shreve

More News Tomorrow (5/1/2019)

I had a hard time getting into the book. I am not a fan of chapters going back and forth in time as I tend to get confused! I stuck it out because I wanted to find out who really killed Georgie's mother. I really liked the relationship between Thomas and Georgie. They had a special bond. There were also a lot of characters to keep remembering who they were and who was related to whom. I don't think the author did a great job doing that.

The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin

Great Story! (1/8/2019)

I had read "The House Girl" a while back and that is why I requested to review this book by Tara Conklin. It was not a disappointment at all! The story of the 4 siblings, their mother and how the death of their father affected them grabbed my attention after the first few pages! There was a lot of disfunction in their family but they all loved each other despite their tragedies. I highly recommend it!

My Lovely Wife
by Samantha Downing

A Winner! (10/8/2018)

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down! Who is manipulating who? Just when I thought I knew everything that was going on, I found out I didn't! If you like psychological thrillers, this book is for you! It would make a great book club discussion book. I will recommend "My Lovely Wife" to all my reader friends!

The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams

Loved this book! (5/10/2018)

I really loved this book! I had never read anything by Beatriz Williams and I want to read all that she has written. I like reading about families that vacation somewhere year after year and those who remain year-round, like Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard, for example and how the locals treat the vacationers. I was hooked from the beginning with wondering why Miranda has returned to the island. But I was a little confused at first because the book jumped from time period to another. But eventually I kept it all straight and enjoyed the book and all it's characters.

Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak

fast read (5/27/2017)

I enjoyed the book! I read it in about 3 days. I thought it was a little predictable at times, but it was a good read. I liked the characters and the setting. Each character had a different personality and a secret to hide and eventually it all came out in the end. I would have liked a different ending, but it was fine.

Cruel Beautiful World
by Caroline Leavitt

Could not put it down! (8/11/2016)

This book really kept my attention! Parts of it were happy times, but sometimes I was really angry and rooting for Lucy to get away from her controlling boyfriend. Lucy thought that running away with her teacher would be all sugar and spice but she soon found out that it wasn't the case. The book gave the stories of all the characters and how they came to be who they are and how their lives were affected. The book was well written and I felt that I was right there rooting for all the characters.

The Book That Matters Most: A Novel
by Ann Hood

A great read! (6/9/2016)

I loved this book! I could not put it down! The book follows Ava, a woman who is divorced and bitter about the situation who reluctantly joins her friend's book club. The theme of the year is "The book that matters most" to each member of the book club. It was interesting to see which books were chosen and the book that Ava chose for herself which has something to do with Ava's childhood and losing her mother and sister when she was young. Intermingled with the book club meetings is the story of Ava's daughter who has gone off to study abroad and how her life is going with that. I recommend this book to anyone! It kept my interest the entire way through the book!

The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian
by David Dyer

Interesting Story (3/8/2016)

The Midnight Watch is about the fictional relationship of the Captain of the Californian and the ship's second officer on the night of the Titanic disaster. The Californian was within sight of the Titanic and because of miscommunication between these two men and assumptions they both made, perhaps more people died than was necessary. I am interested in anything pertaining to the Titanic and it kept my interest the whole way through. The descriptions were vivid and filled with emotion. I would recommend this book to anyone.

The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir
by Ruth Wariner

Great read! (12/9/2015)

I read this book in about 2 days. I could not put it down. Ruth's story was unbelievable. She endured so much as a little girl and didn't have much time to really be a kid. The story of being in a polygamist family was intriguing to me. And their living conditions were beyond belief and it made me sad and angry that Ruth's mom just accepted it and let Lane's other wife have more than she had. This book reminded me of "The Glass Castle". I totally recommend it!

Her
by Harriet Lane

book of revenge (6/16/2014)

I enjoyed the book, but thought it took quite a while for the author to tell us why Nina had it in for Emma and why she was trying to get back at her for something that had happened years ago. The ending was terrible as I felt it should have gone on to tell us what happened to the little boy and how it affected Emma and her family.

Reviews by Tracey S. (Largo, FL)

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