BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

A Fireproof Home for the Bride
by Amy Scheibe

The 50's (12/28/2014)

I grew up during the 50's and most of the book rang true. I admired Emily, although I am not sure that in reality, her "independence" would have actually happened. That time was really quite structured and it would take tremendous courage to break free. Since it is written in this time frame, the possibility of Emily seems real. I really liked the story and thought it well written and the characters well done. It would be a good book club discussion I think.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story
by Barbara Leaming

A very good biography (11/11/2014)

I am one of those persons who remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing the day JFK was assassinated. I had often wondered how Jackie lived through the horror of that day without totally breaking down. This biography sheds some light on that and also helps explain some of her later choices. I would have been interested in more about how her PTSD affected her children and her relationship with them. All in all I think the author did a very good job and I certainly better understand, what I thought at the time, were odd choices. She seems to have found some peace in her later years. I appreciated the opportunity to read this book, but would have liked to have discussed it rather than doing a review.

The Fortune Hunter
by Daisy Goodwin

The Fortune Hunter (4/19/2014)

This is a fairly pleasant, fast read, but to my mind, kind of shallow and predictable. I would have thought that if the author was so fascinated with the Empress Elizabeth, that the character development would have been better or that she would have given her more depth. As it was, she seemed self involved and totally unsympathetic. The best characters were Charlotte and Caspar, and other minor characters who made the story as interesting as it was. I am going to do some non-fiction reading on Empress Elizabeth, so I can get some idea of her life as a whole. I would not recommend this to my book club, since I didn't think there is much to discuss and they would probably think, for the most part, that Charlotte was an idiot, despite her unusual "hobby" for the time.

Letters from Skye
by Jessica Brockmole

A wonderful story done in letters (6/11/2013)

I loved this book and thank you to BookBrowse for the opportunity to review it. The characters are deftly drawn and I couldn't wait for the each letter. The author did a great job with depicting the time period and you just loved the characters and their interactions. I would recommend this book to everyone and especially to book clubs since I think there is a great deal in this book to discuss. And I loved the ending.

The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally

World War I from a different perspective (5/26/2013)

I really enjoyed this book because of the author's character development - I really cared about all the characters especially the nurses and what they endured during WWI. I had no problem with the author's writing style and rather liked it. I was somewhat confused by the ending, but on the whole, it was a very satisfying read. I would recommend it to my book club since there is considerable material for discussion. My only negative is that it is a bit too long and could be cut a bit - it may be daunting for some readers.

Crime of Privilege
by Walter Walker

I started out really liking this book, but..... (4/19/2013)

The first part of this book was really fast paced and interesting. I liked the George Beckett character, the plot and his attempt to "put things right" was interesting, but as the story moved along, the characters were not well developed and I lost interest in his "process" that seemed rather clunky and contrived. The fact that powerful people live by different rules isn't new and I have read several books with the same "theme". I probably would not recommend this to my book group - it is sort of "well, so what is new about this??" I wanted to like it better than I did, but have read so many like it - the short chapters were nice though.

Golden Boy
by Abigail Tarttelin

A very interesting read (1/16/2013)

I read this book in two days after returning from Christmas vacation. It was one of the most interesting reads and it stays with you. It is told from several perspectives, which normally I don't care for, but in this case it just made the story more compelling. I felt so much for all the characters, especially Max and how he grows and learns to cope with being "different". I would recommend it for high school reading as well as for a book club. I think there would be a lot of good discussion since so few are familiar with the issues in this novel. I certainly learned a lot! Highly recommended!

Bone River
by Megan Chance

An Excellent Read (11/16/2012)

I really liked this book! The characters were well drawn and I could feel the atmosphere, the cold and wet and the struggles of Leonie. Even though I sort of figured out the ending, the author really made it even more compelling in the way she tied it together. I would definitely recommend this book and it would be a really interesting book group discussion.

Live by Night
by Dennis Lehane

Another Dennis Lehane winner (8/15/2012)

I have read many of Dennis Lehane's books and loved this one! His characters are wonderfully drawn, not to mention his interesting chapter titles. If you are a Lehane fan, you will like this one, although I admit to having had a difficult time with "The Given Day". You are drawn in from the first sentence and it doesn't let up. I would recommend this to anyone who loves crime fiction - not too sure that book clubs would like it though.

The House of Velvet and Glass: A Novel
by Katherine Howe

I really wanted to love this book, but.... (3/26/2012)

It starts very slowly and there are three plots with good descriptions in each. The three stories come come together eventually, but I just wasn't satisfied with the book as a whole. It simply wasn't a real page turner and it took a long time (for me) to finish. The didn't think the characters were that well developed or maybe I just didn't care about them in the end. When I finished the book, I wondered what I was missing, particularly since I read reviews of her other books. I don't think my book group would be very enthusiastic about it either, but maybe I am missing something.

Tides of War: A Novel
by Stella Tillyard

Tides of War (11/11/2011)

For those of us who know practically nothing about the Peninsular War, this could have been a most interesting book. The characters (some) were interesting, although there were far too many and I kept losing interest in most of them. The author does do a good job with setting the historical stage, but overall I thought the novel was unfocused and had a lot of unnecessary detail, at least in the first half of the book. I wanted to really like it, but it didn't hold my interest and it took me longer than usual to get through it.

The Most Dangerous Thing
by Laura Lippman

Interesting characters, but..... (8/8/2011)

I have never read Laura Lippman's books before this one and I must admit that I wasn't all that impressed. The characters were interesting, the plot could have been interesting, but somehow I just didn't care much about the characters or what the "mystery" was. It was a fast read, but just didn't hold my interest. The ending didn't work for me, either---too contrived. Maybe a good editing would help, but in the end, not a very satisfying read. I don't think I would recommend this to my book group.

The Daughter of Siena: A Novel
by Marina Fiorato

A fast, enjoyable read... (4/29/2011)

I really enjoyed this book and thought that the author's descriptions of Siena, the Palio, and especially the rivalries among the various contrada to be accurate and compelling. I have been to Siena and visited several of the contrada churches and learned the history of the Palio and how it is conducted. I loved the story and thought the author did a wonderful job of weaving the descriptions of Siena, the art, the horses, the race, the rivalries and throwing in the Medici curse, it made for a very enjoyable read!

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park
by Cindy Jones

I loved all of Jane Austen's books, but..... (2/8/2011)

I was so disappointed in this book, since I very much looked forward to reading it. I am not sure why, but Lily was extremely annoying and I could have cared less about her and her foray into living "Mansfield Park" and the other characters just equally annoying. I think anyone who loves Jane Austen's novels wouldn't think much of this one.

Three Seconds
by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom

Great read for crime buffs (12/23/2010)

I really enjoyed this book, learned a lot about the Swedish police system, it is fast paced and suspenseful. My only criticism is that it really needs to be tightened up or maybe the translation is the issue. I was distracted by repetitive detail and thought that a good editing job would have helped. But I totally enjoyed it and would recommend it to other crime fiction readers.

Gone Tomorrow: A Jack Reacher Novel #13
by Lee Child

Great escapist entertainment (9/27/2010)

This is the first Lee Child book I have read and I was totally pulled into the story from the very first page. Jack Reacher is such an unconventional hero and I thought "I must find out more about him." I raced through this book and couldn't put it down until I finished. Good plot, tightly written and I ended up wanting to read more by this author! Not sure it would be a candidate for book club discussions, but it sure was a fun read and I learned something.

The Queen's Lover: A Novel
by Vanora Bennett

The Queen's Lover (3/3/2010)

I loved this book! One of my favorite periods in English history and about two characters, Catherine Valois and Owain Tudor, that I had only read about peripherally in the many books I have read about the Lancaster/York and the War of the Roses. Catherine and Owain's grandson, Henry VII ultimately defeated Richard III one of my favorite Kings and one of the most unfairly maligned ending the War of the Roses, and it was interesting to learn about Owain Tudor especially. I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction!

Evening Is the Whole Day
by Preeta Samarasan

Not a Compelling Beginning.... (5/23/2008)

I just couldn't get into this book, perhaps because it requires more time than I was willing to give. The first chapter just wasn't compelling enough to continue. Sorry but I really didn't like this one at all.