BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Rosemary C. (Golden, CO)

The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
by Bart Yates

Sweeping Story, Unique Format (5/18/2024)

This is a lovely book that kept me entranced. I highly recommend it, and it might appeal most to older readers. It's fascinating that the concept of writing twelve not lengthy chapters, each covering one day in the life of a long-lived man, works so well. Blending real life …more

Above the Salt: A Novel
by Katherine Vaz

A lyrical and epic story (9/23/2023)

I very much enjoyed this book.Vaz writes in lyrical prose and the story is compelling and poignant. Initially it seemed to move a bit slow, but pushing through was worthwhile. I think this would be a good book for book clubs to talk about, especially regarding the …more

Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

A Well Written Novel about Explorations (7/9/2023)

I enjoyed this book and its themes, although at times I found the pace of it uneven. And although the author is an excellent writer, at times I was put off by redundant adjectives and descriptions. It's an interesting exploration of the effect of an absent parent on a child …more

The All-American: A Novel
by Joe Milan Jr.

Intense and Absorbing (3/4/2023)

A gifted writer tells a compelling story, funny at times as well as heart-rending. His YA novel creates a very human character to explore Asian American identity and adoption and immigration nightmares. I was immediately pulled into the intense and absorbing story told from …more

Moonrise Over New Jessup
by Jamila Minnicks

An Engrossing Novel (1/1/2023)

I became thoroughly engrossed in this book, drawn in by the elegant prose, the vivid characters and New Jessup, Alabama. Jamila Minnicks provides a careful examination of the differing viewpoints among members of this black community about the benefits and deficits of …more

The God of Endings: A Novel
by Jacqueline Holland

Excellent Writing, Engaging Story (10/16/2022)

I ordinarily wouldn't think to read a novel about immortal characters who nourish themselves with blood, but Holland has created a main character in Collette who mesmerized me. In beautiful prose describing parts of Collette's centuries' long life, the author provides a …more

Dinosaurs: A Novel
by Lydia Millet

Simply a lovely book (9/3/2022)

I read this book in one sitting - that's how much it captivated me. Lydia Millet as created characters and a setting that are incredibly compelling. I was touched that the main characters, though flawed, were all trying to be decent, good people. I especially came to …more

Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History
by Lea Ypi

Thought-provoking (11/25/2021)

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Ypi is a gifted writer who creates a vivid picture of her coming of age during the political and cultural changes in her home country of Albania. The stories she tells personalize the effects of these dramatic changes on her family and others …more

New York, My Village: A Novel
by Uwem Akpan

Very Readable but Perplexing (9/5/2021)

I'm left with mixed feelings about Uwem Akpan's book. On one hand, I found it culturally interesting and clever at times. On the other hand, the writing is somewhat jerky and the storyline could give the reader whiplash. Perhaps that's the writer's point, mirroring the …more

Everybody: A Book about Freedom
by Olivia Laing

Such a Journey! (5/22/2021)

Laing's takes us on a sweeping odyssey to explore the effects of liberation on the human body. Her prose is evocative and her research impressive. This book would be a great book group selection to provoke thoughtful discourse.

Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob
by Russell Shorto

Interesting Family History (3/21/2021)

Russell Shorto is a good writer and has written an interesting history of his family, focusing on his grandfather's time as a small time mafia boss specializing in gambling. Overall I enjoyed the book, including the fact that Shorto takes on a psychological excavation of …more

The Prophets
by Robert Jones Jr.

A book of both beauty and horror (10/25/2020)

Reading this book was an intense experience, but it was mesmerizing. The writing is lyrical and beautiful while telling a story about the horrors of slavery as well as the great love between two slaves. This would be a good book club selection, allowing for much discussion …more

The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager

Life in the Dark and Light (7/12/2020)

Sara Seager has written a touching memoir that I found quite enjoyable. I particularly appreciated how she wove the themes of darkness and light throughout, comparing and contrasting the value of each not only in her work as an astrophysicist but also in her personal life …more

Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy

Gorgeous prose, deeply moving story (4/13/2020)

I very much enjoyed this book, though at times the subject matters and the depth of feeling the words evoked in me were painful. I'm very worried about the effects of climate change, so the story was particularly compelling. The portrayal of repeated trauma in Franny's life …more

The Prisoner's Wife
by Maggie Brookes

Intense Portrayal of Prisoners of War (2/3/2020)

I was caught up in this story inspired by true events. The author's thorough research about the prisoner of war and labor camps is evident. I could vividly see the overcrowded barracks, smell the stench of unwashed bodies and imagine the hunger of starving humans pushed to …more

The Secrets of Love Story Bridge
by Phaedra Patrick

A Pleasant, Heart Warming Book (1/12/2020)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book with sympathetic lead characters who are striving to be better people. Having the story revolve around the tradition of lovers placing locks on bridges is a good device for telling Mitchell's emotional struggles. It would be a good …more

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

A Poignant Memoir (11/19/2019)

I thoroughly enjoyed this very heartfelt, readable story-even though it is a tough one. Esther Safran Foer compellingly describes her search for the story of her father's first wife and child and how he survived the Holocaust. The book will appeal to anyone who has grown up …more

Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights
by Dovey Johnson Roundtree , Katie McCabe

A trailblazing life (9/16/2019)

Dovey Roundtree's account of her life is an excellent read. Writing in her nineties, she shows profound reflection on how her childhood formed her and led her to take on racism and sexism throughout her working life-and thereafter. This would be a good book club assignment, …more

Yale Needs Women: How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant
by Anne Gardiner Perkins

Higher Education and the Second Wave Women's Movement (7/15/2019)

Anne Gardner Perkins has carefully documented an important time in the modern women's movement and made it come alive by zeroing in on the experiences of the first women admitted to Yale and the efforts made by them and other allies to increase the number of women to a …more

Beirut Hellfire Society
by Rawi Hage

Dramatically Displays the Horror of War (5/8/2019)

This is a hard book to describe, but I found it profound, touching, visceral, honest and full of dark humor. Hage writes beautifully, lyrically, angrily and starkly about living in a city consumed by war and death. The main character, a young man who is the son of an …more

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Becoming Madam Secretary
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A Map to Paradise
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The Jackal's Mistress
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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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