BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Jennie R. (Highland, CA)

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

The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

So enjoyable... (2/10/2021)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, and feel the authors did a fine job of filling in the many gaps in a historical account with what might've been Belle's life story. The tension was so vivid...passing as a white woman while feeling the injustice of the necessity to …more

Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas

Impressive first novel... (3/9/2020)

I was impressed with the book overall; finishing in two days, as I found the story compelling, almost seductive. A school students attend for three years straight, with an almost guaranteed future, but with no contact from the outside and no visitors and no belongings of …more

The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
by Mira Ptacin

Very informative! (11/1/2019)

Before reading 'The In-Betweens' I knew very little about Spiritualism and its history. I didn't even realize mediums had an organized 'religion' complete with churches. I very much enjoyed the education provided by this informative and unbiased book, and extend my thanks …more

Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson

A pleasant surprise! (6/11/2019)

When I read the premise of this one, I thought it might be a little too 'out there' for me, but decided to give it a go. This was my first Kevin Wilson novel, and what a pleasant surprise! I read it in two days and enjoyed every page. It's witty, funny, moving and totally …more

The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin

Bravo! (11/29/2018)

I devoured this story within a couple of days and was sorry to come to the end. It is a riveting tale of the complicated and tangled relationships that exist in a family, especially when loss and depression feature in such an enormous way. Each of the Skinners had an …more

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
by Anissa Gray

Congratulations to Ms. Gray on this debut! (10/25/2018)

What an excellent read. The female characters in this novel were so well drawn...I had a mental image of each one in my head as I read this novel. So real, so compelling, so complicated and juicy and messy. Just like a real family. Completely believable and relatable for …more

Paris Echo
by Sebastian Faulks

Loved this book! (8/20/2018)

I loved this book from start to finish. It would be a great book club book, with lots of discussion worthy topics. The characters were believable and filled out just right. I felt I got to know 'Tariq', the young man from Morocco, the best, as he narrated every other …more

The Devoted
by Blair Hurley

No promises... (6/4/2018)

I can't promise my review isn't skewed by the fact I'm a Buddhist. At first, I thought this may have been the main reason I enjoyed this book so much, in spite of finding the main character, Nicole, a bit unbelievable at times; too many conflicted traits for one character! …more

Our Lady of the Prairie
by Thisbe Nissen

Mixed feelings... (12/9/2017)

I loved parts of this novel, and disliked other parts. Phillipa was so, so everything! She was not a character I could feel sympathy for...much too selfish, but part of me sort of fell in love with her anyway...I applauded her honesty. But, while she was aware of her …more

Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak

Enjoyable read! (5/22/2017)

This book was a quick and entertaining read. I enjoyed the development of the characters very much. The only relationship that didn't completely ring true for me was between the two sisters, Phoebe and Olivia. The two seem to have no commonalities, but when their family's …more

BookBrowse Book Club

The Lilac People
by Milo Todd

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See, a poignant tale of a trans man’s survival in Nazi Germany and postwar Berlin.

About Discuss
Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

About Discuss
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Based on the author’s family story, comes an extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ escape from Taiwan.

About Discuss

Members Recommend

The Seven O'Clock Club
by Amelia Ireland

Four strangers join an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts in Amelia Ireland's heartfelt debut novel.

Read the Reviews
Serial Killer Games
by Kate Posey

A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

Read the Reviews
The Original Daughter
by Jemimah Wei

A dazzling debut by Jemimah Wei about ambition, sisterhood, and family bonds in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.

Read the Reviews
Ginseng Roots
by Craig Thompson

A new graphic memoir from the author of Blankets and Habibi about class, childhood labor, and Wisconsin’s ginseng industry.

Read the Reviews