BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Susan B. (Rutledge, MO)

If you'd like to be able to easily share your reviews with others, please join BookBrowse.

The Gifts: A Novel
by Liz Hyder

very satisfying in most respects (4/12/2023)

I really enjoyed the early parts of this novel: interesting characters and setting, paranormal/inexplicable goings-on that were nonetheless extremely believable in context, and a time period I generally enjoy. What I didn't personally find as appealing was the descent into …more

The Lost English Girl
by Julia Kelly

interesting story (2/16/2023)

I quite enjoyed this story and learned a few things about wartime Britain and the child evacuations I hadn't known before (always a plus in my opinion). For the most part I found the characters interesting, and several of them quite relatable and/or likeable. My only …more

Ghost Season: A Novel
by Fatin Abbas

intense, challenging, excellent read (12/29/2022)

This was a rough one for me, content-wise, but certainly worth reading in my opinion. Unsurprisingly given the setting (civil war in Sudan), this was an intense read, with much challenging content. I learned a lot about the cultures written about, appreciated windows into …more

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley

twists and turns, quite funny at times but ultimately unsatisfying (10/13/2022)

This story has humor, and some good writing, but for me the plot had too many highly improbable twists and turns, including some that were too far beyond misdirection for me to enjoy. I can't really explain without spoiling some plot points, but I went back and reread …more

Dinosaurs: A Novel
by Lydia Millet

sweet, somewhat spare, thought provoking, enjoyable (10/3/2022)

I quite liked this book, though it wasn't my usual kind of read. I think it spare in dialog and exposition, such that I sometimes found myself unsure of exactly what was going on. This was likely reader error, as I'm not used to the style and unfamiliar with the (sub) …more

The Immortal King Rao: A Novel
by Vauhini Vara

not like other books, definitely worth a try (4/27/2022)

Very interesting book, and I've thought about it quite a bit since finishing, though I'm still not sure where I land on it overall. I found it quite well-written and very wide ranging in content, though the latter sometimes led to some disorientation for me. Part dystopian …more

I Want You to Know We're Still Here: A Post-Holocaust Memoir
by Esther Safran Foer

heart-rending and powerful (12/16/2019)

I found this post-Holocaust memoir a challenging but fulfilling read. The subject matter is often intense and horrifying, yet the book also has some heart-lifting and even humorous moments. I would have loved a list of names and places and their relation to the author and …more

You Were There Too
by Colleen Oakley

well-written, not for me (9/11/2019)

Though I found it well-written enough, and I did keep reading to the end, I think I am not the target audience for this book and didn't enjoy it much. I found several of the main characters unappealing and I struggled to feel sympathy for the POV character's struggles. I …more

Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir
by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman

Intriguing, touching, and deeper than it seems (1/16/2019)

I found this book a very interesting read. At first I thought it was going to be only a comic novel (and it was quite funny at times), but it ended up also being a reflection on growing up female in a misogynistic culture, as well as touching on regional and class issues. …more

Golden Child
by Claire Adam

interesting, had hoped for arresting (10/26/2018)

This book was well-written, and introduced me to a place and culture I was unfamiliar with, which I quite enjoyed (as well as the time I spent down a number of internet rabbit holes about Trinidadian food and vocabulary.) Other than the non-golden child Paul, however, whose …more

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel

heartwarming, and heartbreaking (5/23/2018)

I love cats and travel, and greatly enjoyed my one trip to Japan years ago, so I truly enjoyed much of this book. I particularly appreciated the sections depicting the story from the cat's perspective, which I found touching and hilarious (despite my usual discomfort with …more

A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza

heartbreaking, touching, excellent read (3/21/2018)

I found this to be an excellently written, educational, and deeply moving read. I was not very familiar with the culture and religion of the family portrayed in the book, and I enjoyed learning more, even undertaking quite a few internet side-journeys into Islamic culture, …more

Stay with Me
by Ayobami Adebayo

Interesting in some ways; wanted to like it more than I did (8/22/2017)

This was fairly well written, and included interesting details of a society and culture I am not familiar with. Most intriguing to me was the sense of what it might be like living in a politically unstable country under military rule. Remarks about elections and continued …more

The Essex Serpent
by Sarah Perry

excellent intriguing read (3/3/2017)

This book wasn't quite what I expected, but I really enjoyed what I got: a well-written, intriguing, sometimes creepy, feels-real story. It is very much written for an English audience-- there were many historical, place and other references that I as an American didn't get. …more

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

heartbreaking, interesting (11/26/2016)

This was a compelling read that definitely kept me turning pages. It was also heartbreaking in many ways, due to the nature of the disease it portrays and the lack of a cure. I was surprised at how strong my opinions were about the choices the different people in the book …more

The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies

melodramatic and unfulfilling (7/22/2016)

Your mileage may vary, but I found the plot overly melodramatic and the characters (for the most part) unlikable, clueless and racist. I had hoped to learn about the culture of a country I know little about, but instead I learned colonial attitudes toward the culture. I …more

The Railwayman's Wife
by Ashley Hay

Interesting and touching story of trauma and recovery (2/16/2016)

I really enjoyed this book, I think particularly because I have emotional ties to Australia (where the story takes place) and have a trauma history (as do many of the characters). Something about the writing felt fresh and different to me; it wasn't a standard "chick lit" …more

The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir
by Ruth Wariner

painful to read (11/12/2015)

I've seen this book called heartwarming. I can understand that for others it might be, but my heart was hurting so much I wasn't able to feel much warmth. Terrible things done to women and children out of misguided faith, ignorance, or stupidity are still terrible things. …more

Maybe in Another Life
by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Well done, moving, engaging read (6/11/2015)

I was expecting the plot device (following two parallel stories branching out from a single decision a woman makes) to feel contrived or difficult to follow, but the author did a lovely job of it. I was engaged, interested, surprised, and moved. Excellent job with something …more

Make Your Home Among Strangers
by Jennine Capó Crucet

painful at times, but worth it (5/2/2015)

I was quite affected by this book, and glad I read it. The similarities to my own experience were often painful to read, but also affirming. Even more painful was witnessing the main character's cultural "clash of worlds" in Miami during the thinly-fictionalized Elian …more

BookBrowse Book Club

Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A searing new novel from the bestselling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists, exploring four women's desires.

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

Raising Hare
by Chloe Dalton

A moving and fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, and loss through one woman's friendship with a wild hare.

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
Fagin the Thief
by Allison Epstein

A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.

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
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
The Dream Hotel
by Laila Lalami

A Read with Jenna pick. A riveting novel about one woman's fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

Read the Reviews

Who Said...

At times, our own light goes out, and is rekindled by a spark from another person.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

B O a F F T

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Reviews by Susan B. (Rutledge, MO)

BookBrowse Book Club

Members Recommend

Who Said...

Wordplay

Newsletter