BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Peggy K. (San Diego, CA)

Power Reviewer

Smothermoss
by Alisa Alering

Mountain Lore (5/21/2024)

This a tale of Appalachia and two quirky young girls growing up in a life that forces them to fight for everything they have. The oldest girl haunted by the past and trying hard to understand who she is in truth, must deal with the constant harassment at school and the hard …more

The Witches at the End of the World
by Chelsea Iversen

Careful what you wish for... (8/7/2023)

A lovely story of two young witches. One wishes to be free of a restricted and lonely life. She leaves her home but her sister has nothing but hatred and a desire for revenge in her heart. Her curse will destroy more than ease her pain and cause misery but it is how these …more

The Gifts: A Novel
by Liz Hyder

Angels (3/13/2023)

In many ways this book will generate a lot of questions about miracles, their meaning and what they do for humans. On the surface we have a fairly simple tale about four different women in a time when they were far less valued than today. The miracle brings them all …more

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

Winning the War (12/25/2022)

This is a very good book about WWII but more importantly about the meeting of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt. For those readers who don't like or don't want a lot of in-depth details, this book is perfect. The authors have put together a story that includes much of what …more

Dirt Creek: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor

Hometown (3/21/2022)

There are not a lot of places today where folks know each other because the town is small. The disappearance of a child is a nightmare for any parent and perhaps you might think that living in a small town would make finding that child easier. This book shows you how …more

The Fields: A Novel
by Erin Young

Iowa Corn (10/18/2021)

This is a rather ambitious mystery with tangled storylines but an author who manages to tie them all up very well. The main character is a woman with a past that still haunts her. Riley is a police officer who is struggling to find her way in her hometown.

A murder case will …more

Crossing the River: Seven Stories That Saved My Life, A Memoir
by Carol Smith

Grief (2/21/2021)

Intense,heart breaking loss comes in many forms and the loss of a child may be one of the worst. Finding a way to accept and move on is what this book explores. It is a sad story but also one that the author explores by telling those of others dealing with grief. …more

The Lost Apothecary: A Novel
by Sarah Penner

Poisonous Love (9/9/2020)

Here we meet Nella and Eliza in 18th century London. Nella was raised to be a healer but now supplies women with poisons to end unhappy relationships. Eliza wishes to learn to be an apothecary with Nella.

Enter Caroline who is in modern day London trying to decide what to …more

Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo
by Louise Callaghan

Desert zoo (10/22/2019)

Abu Laith had a dream. This poor mechanic wanted to create a zoo in Mosul right in the middle of a war. Nothing would stop him despite the cultural dislike of animals.

What slowly became a reality became a race to save these animals in the aftereffects of war. With the help …more

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

The Other War (4/23/2019)

This book is a stunning tale of the depths to which men sink in times of war and the heights that some of them reach to save others. This is a tale of Auschwitz from the beginning. That a man would volunteer to go inside a camp where death was the only escape is amazing. It …more

Red, White, Blue
by Lea Carpenter

Agency Scars (7/5/2018)

This is a very analytical book. It is the story of a daughter's search to know who her father really was. Anna's father was not who he seemed to be and only a chance encounter after his death reveals the truth. It isn't Anna's story alone. There is the young agent, the …more

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel

Cats and Friends (5/14/2018)

A delightful collection of stories that will entertain all pet lovers. While these stories all involve a cat they also give us a deeper look into relationships with family and friends. They show how our connections with animals shape so much of our actions. Take this book …more

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
by Elizabeth Weil, Clemantine Wamariya

Loss of Identity (2/20/2018)

This is a breathtaking and heartbreaking novel. It may be hard to understand completely unless you have experienced such a traumatic event but everyone would benefit from reading this tale. Rwanda was and still is a horrific thing. While we may only touch the surface in …more

The Chalk Man
by C. J. Tudor

Children's Games (12/11/2017)

I was struck by the resemblance to Stand By Me which also involved a group of young kids. This story involves a group of young kids who have formed together to find adventure and protect each other from bullies. They create a way to message each other by using chalk figures. …more

The French Girl
by Lexie Elliott

Secrets (9/4/2017)

Kate Channing has made a lot of her life in the past 10 years. The week in France with friends that ended with the break up of a relationship still stings but barely. She has almost forgotten the French girl who disrupted it all.

Then the girl's body is found and remaining …more

The Essex Serpent
by Sarah Perry

Superstition (2/17/2017)

For me this is a rather dark and dour novel with a main character who is somewhat unappealing. Few of the characters really grab the reader. The main character is an intelligent young woman married to an abusive man and his death is a relief. The storyline however remains …more

Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 - A World on the Edge
by Helen Rappaport

Red October (10/15/2016)

Gripping story of the Russian Revolution seen through the eyes of visitors, diplomats and other foreign nationals. Having nowhere else to go really they were witnesses and sometimes victims at the beginning of this revolution. The book reads like fiction in that it feels …more

The Secret Ingredient of Wishes
by Susan Bishop Crispell

Wishes (7/8/2016)

A delightful romance but one also with topics of importance in life. Who hasn't wished that all they wanted could be granted or that their secrets could be hidden away? It sounds so good but in this lovely story we can see the pitfalls of having that ability. Readers of all …more

Crazy Blood
by T. Jefferson Parker

Competition on the Slopes (1/4/2016)

Mr. Parker normally writes mysteries but I believe he will find new readers as well with this book. I found it quite enjoyable to read. Characterization is very strong and despite a plotline that isn't all that original it is still refreshingly new. Readers will also learn …more

The Devil in Jerusalem
by Naomi Ragen

Twisted Faith (7/11/2015)

This is an excellent drama. At the start it appears a simple case of child abuse but before you finish the first chapter you know that there is far more going on. A young couple come to Israel to make a new life for themselves and their religion. Instead the female becomes …more

BookBrowse Book Club

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.

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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.

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

Date Night meets Bel Canto in this hilarious tale.

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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.

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Raising Hare
by Chloe Dalton

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

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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.

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Girl Falling
by Hayley Scrivenor

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

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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.

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