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Reviews by Julie M. (Golden Valley, MN)

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The Devoted
by Blair Hurley

A Struggle (5/25/2018)

I struggled to finish this book and wanted to bail several times. I usually like a character trying to find their way and lots of family drama, but this one just didn't resonate with me.

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

Stories Can Heal Us (2/27/2018)

This is the stunning story of Clementine and her survival of the Rwandan genocide, her emigration to the United States at age 12 and her coming of age in a new country. She is heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time. As a lover of literature myself I loved how she …more

Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman

Good Beach Read (1/4/2018)

The novel reminded me of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, only lighter and funnier. A neighborhood full of secrets that are all about to be exposed. Quick moving and fun this will be out just in time to make your summer vacation "To Be Read" list.

Never Coming Back
by Alison McGhee

Call Your Mother....Now! (9/5/2017)

Alison McGhee does a brilliant job of portraying what mothers will sacrifice for their children and the pain of watching a loved one disappear into the awful disease of early onset Alzheimers. Clara is living with regrets, secrets and loss. She blames her mother and has …more

My Name Is Lucy Barton: Amgash Series #1
by Elizabeth Strout

Excellent Read (5/25/2017)

I recently re-read this book for one of my book groups and enjoyed it even more the second time. This is a journey through Lucy’s relationship with her mother and to some degree her father. Her mother comes to be with Lucy in the hospital while they navigate their emotions …more

Anything Is Possible: Amgash Series #2
by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout Does It Again (5/25/2017)

Anything is Possible is the sequel to My Name is Lucy Barton which I absolutely loved, and I was worried that it could only be disappointing in comparison. I couldn’t have been more wrong! This book is even better than the first. I took some minor characters from My Name is …more

Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak

Family Drama Galore (5/10/2017)

The Birch family is quarantined for the week between Christmas and New Year's when their oldest daughter comes home from treating victims of the Haag epidemic abroad. Every member has a secret or is misunderstood and being together for a whole week forces them to confront …more

My Last Lament
by James William Brown

Coming of Age Greek Tragedy (3/31/2017)

This is a beautifully written novel focusing on the lives of three young people struggling to create lives in Greece in the aftermath of WWII and their relationships with each other. Aliki, a lamenter is our narrator and we see everything through her eyes as she recalls her …more

I See You
by Clare Mackintosh

Mackintosh Proves Her Skill With Sophomore Offering (11/22/2016)

The success of her first novel, I Let You Go, made Clare Mackintosh wonder whether her second effort would measure up at all. She need not have worried! This novel grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go with twists and turns right up until the last page. I …more

Underground Airlines
by Ben H. Winters

Alternate History Story (9/22/2016)

I thought the concept was good and the alternate history idea was intriguing to me which is why I wanted to read it in the first place. I felt the flashbacks to Castle's past were hard to follow and I didn't feel sold on the concept of the Civil War never happening nor did …more

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel
by Bryn Greenwood

Five Stars!! (4/29/2016)

This is one of the best books I've read so far this year! The characters are fully drawn and even though the dialog is sparse they all have a lot to say and Greenwood made every word count. This is about family and who that is for us may not be determined by blood, but who …more

A Certain Age: A Novel
by Beatriz Williams

Great Summer Read (3/28/2016)

Williams' novel starts in a slow simmer as she reveals her characters to the reader before really grabbing them with the plot making it a great lazy summer day read. The author sets the scene exceptionally well and I could almost hear the jazz, taste the gin and feel the …more

The Two-Family House
by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Two Families-One Fateful Decision (12/2/2015)

This was a wonderful read about two families living almost as one. Characters were well developed and the story had it all. Family dynamics, secrets, love, jealousy and heartbreak. A split second decision made by two mothers on a snowy night has lasting repercussions and …more

The Devil in Jerusalem
by Naomi Ragen

Skillfully Written Cult Story (7/12/2015)

We would like to believe that since we are intelligent, well read people that we would never be sucked into this type of lifestyle. Naomi Ragen's new novel shows us that it does happen to people just like us and throughout history happens time and time again.

I will be …more

The Same Sky
by Amanda Eyre Ward

Heartbreaking and Haunting (11/14/2014)

Carla is an unforgettable character. I struggled to remember she is only eleven years old. She is wise beyond her years due to her life experiences,but at times her innocence shines through. Alice's story was less interesting to me and I wish the book had told Carla's …more

Brutal Youth
by Anthony Breznican

Brutally Sad (6/1/2014)

This book did hold my interest until the end, but I was amazed once again the awful things people will do to one another in order to feel better themselves. Why do we join in even when we know it is absolutely the wrong thing to do? This book explores the need to be …more

Mating for Life
by Marissa Stapley

Learning to Love Yourself First (4/2/2014)

This book has wonderful women characters who are all looking for love and meaning in their lives. I could see parts of myself in each of these women. Good exploration of mother/daughter relationships,sister relationships and how the absence of their fathers impacted their …more

Doing Harm
by Kelly Parsons

Junk Food Suspense (11/12/2013)

This novel is not great literature, but sometimes you just want a quick, fun, wild ride through a novel. Doing Harm does a pretty good job of providing it. It will grab you and not let you go until the end. I thought the part where his wife shows up at the end was a little …more

Once We Were Brothers
by Ronald H. Balson

Predictable Good Holocaust Story (8/8/2013)

This was a good story of one family's journey through the Holocaust. Story had a good pace and kept me captivated enough to keep reading even though I suspected how it would probably end. Ben Solomon was the type of character you couldn't help but feel his pain and want to …more

The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan

Past and Present (5/21/2013)

If you liked "The Eight" by Katherine Neville or "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks this book will appeal to you with common themes of secrets, the need to know your ancestry and history. This story is not as strong as the above mentioned books, but it did hold my …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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