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Reviews by Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)

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L.A. Women
L.A. Women
by Ella Berman
Uninspiring with Unlikable Characters (3/9/2025)
If you are a fan of books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you will enjoy this book about Hollywood in the 1960s & 1970s. I have always thought TJR's books are overrated & boring. I struggled to finish L.A. Women. I did not like or feel empathy for any of the characters who …more
Beast of the North Woods
Beast of the North Woods: Monster Hunter Mysteries #3
by Annelise Ryan
Cozy Mystery Meets Mythical Creature (11/2/2024)
This book is a quirky cozy mystery replete with murder, the search for the mythical Hodag in the woods of Wisconsin, and investigation by a crypto zoologist, a study completely new to me. The intellectually eccentric characters bring a lovely level of charm to the story …more
Harlem Rhapsody
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray
A Beautiful Story (9/17/2024)
Until I read this book I was unfamiliar with Jessie Redmon Fauset. Her trajectory during the Harlem Renaissance touched the core of my soul. This amazing woman overcame prejudice based on sex and race to promote the fledgling careers a brilliant black writers of the early 20 …more
The Story Collector
The Story Collector
by Evie Woods
Engrossing (7/26/2024)
This book started off a bit slowly; but I became engrossed with the duel stories of Anna and Sarah. There are magical moments, charming characters and wonderful Irish lore. Ultimately, I couldn’t put the book down. I did skip some paragraphs…the reason for 4 stars; but …more
Pony Confidential
Pony Confidential
by Christina Lynch
Charming Road Trip Meets Mystery (6/14/2024)
Pony Confidential was way out of my typical book choices; however, the story exudes charm and empathy that focuses on the way humans and animals communicate and bind. The tale (intention pun) is told from the alternating voices of a wrongly imprisoned Penny and her Pony …more
The Funeral Cryer
The Funeral Cryer: A Novel
by Wenyan Lu
Ordinary Life in Rural China (2/25/2024)
The Funeral Cryer is an interesting study of uneducated people living in villages in rural China where the old ways remain amid modern technology such as mobile phones.
I am appreciative of BookBrowse and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this story about people who …more
The Adversary
The Adversary: A Novel
by Michael Crummey
Dark, Violent, Beautifully Written (12/31/2023)
The Adversary by Michael Crummy is not an easy read. The grim, dark, brutal story takes place in perhaps early 19th Century Mockbeggar, with the primary business being salted cod fisheries, on the coast of Newfoundland. The book follows the hatred and competition for …more
Daughters of Shandong
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung
Resilient Women in a Patriarchal World (10/28/2023)
Daughters of Shandong is a must read for fans of Wild Swans, Peach Blossom Spring, and books by Lisa See and Amy Tan. This story celebrates the strength & resiliency of women who were 'less than' because of having been born female. Even today, sons are preferred in …more
Killers of a Certain Age
Killers of a Certain Age
by Deanna Raybourn
Totally Entertaining (10/8/2023)
This book about retiring women assassins being stalked is delightful. It is refreshing to read about dynamic women of a certain age that remain clever, agile, funny, cunning, strategic, and collaborative. Huzzah! To the moral assassins ridding the world of evil doers. Love …more
The Witches at the End of the World
The Witches at the End of the World
by Chelsea Iversen
Beautiful writing/lackluster plot (8/19/2023)
The atmospheric descriptions of places and people provided a beautiful setting for The Witches at the End of the World set in rural Norway. I've been entranced by witches since I first met The Mayfair Witches By Anne Rice decades ago. So, my expectations were high. The two …more
The September House
The September House
by Carissa Orlando
A Real Page Turner (5/10/2023)
The September House started out strong with Margaret & Hal finding their dream house, a stately Victorian that had been on the market for ages. Margaret loves the house despite the strange happenings that tend to peak during the month of September. Of course the perfect …more
The Long Ago
The Long Ago: A Novel
by Michael McGarrity
The Long Ago - An Engaging Read (3/12/2023)
I read The Long Ago in one day. I waffled between rating the book 'good' or 'very good' and decided that while the story has some predictability and a few slow parts, overall, I loved the themes of loyalty, ties that bind, that family isn't necessarily biology, and the role …more
The Last Russian Doll
The Last Russian Doll
by Kristen Loesch
Beautifully Written Russian Family Saga (10/8/2022)
The Last Russian Doll is one of the most compelling books of historical fiction that I've read in years. The themes feel nearly as sweeping as the best of Russian literature encompassing forbidden love, romance, world war, civil war, treachery, mystery, political upheaval, …more
Surviving Savannah
Surviving Savannah
by Patti Callahan
Loved Surviving Savannah (3/17/2022)
From the first lines I was mesmerized. I love historical fiction, Savannah, the early 19th Century, tales of shipwrecks and miracles of survival, the alternating time frames, triumph over tragedy and loss. This story has it all. And Ms. Callahan tells it beautifully.

To …more
Peach Blossom Spring
Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu
Beautiful & Timely (2/19/2022)
Peace Blossom Spring is a beautifully written story about family ties, the effects of world, civil war when it is impossible to know who can be trusted, a mother's strength and determination, the value of stories that resonate throughout a lifetime, resilience, memories, …more
Housebreaking
Housebreaking
by Colleen Hubbard
Deconstructing Sorrow (10/23/2021)
Housebreaking is the story of Adela 'Del' who has inherited the dilapidated family home after the death of her father. She returns to her hometown and makes a deal with her uncle, which requires her to dismantle the house. To me this is the story of fractured families, …more
The Personal Librarian
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Fascinating Story of an Amazing Woman (2/1/2021)
Once I started reading The Personal Librarian, I couldn't put it down and finished it the same day. What a truly remarkable story about Belle Da Costa Greene who became the personal librarian and curator of J. P. Morgan's unequaled collection of illustrated medieval …more
The Fountains of Silence
The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys
Beautiful and Disturbing (11/8/2020)
This beautiful novel provides some insights into the Franco regime post WWII, about which I had very little awareness. My familiarity with Franco was essentially limited to the fact he was a dictator and that SNL repeatedly reported that ‘Francisco Franco is still dead’. …more
All the Devils Are Here
All the Devils Are Here: Chief Inspector Gamache #16
by Louise Penny
Gamache in Paris Still Excellent (11/8/2020)
Armand & Reine-Marie find murder, intrigue, heartache and betrayal while in Paris awaiting the birth of Annie’s & Jean -Guy’s second child. While I missed the eclectic residents of Three Pines, this book did not disappoint. The reader is gifted with insights into …more
Piranesi
Piranesi
by Susanna Clarke
Fascinating & Bizarre (8/26/2020)
Piranesi is a fascinating story in an alternative universe setting that was at times challenging for me to plow through. This genre is quite different from my usual preferences. I was intrigued enough to keep reading while questioning why I continued. I was caught up in the …more

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