BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Sally H. (Geneva, OH)

Innards: Stories
by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene

Innards (5/17/2023)

I have no doubt that the author is a talented writer. And as with slavery, the US and other governments' dealing with indigenous peoples, and similar abominations, light needs to be shown on apartheid so that it is clearly seen for its abhorrence. Unfortunately, I found …more

Last House Before the Mountain
by Monika Helfer

Last House Before the Mountain (2/12/2023)

I suppose this was an interesting story, but I was so distracted by the writing style that I found it difficult to concentrate on it. Sentences were incomplete and choppy, perhaps due to translation, perhaps the author's style, or perhaps a combination of the two. In any …more

In the Time of Our History
by Susanne Pari

In the Time of our History (9/4/2022)

This book bogged down a bit for me in the beginning (and that could have been me), but once it took off it was hard to put down. Susanne Pari covers topics that are familiar to many families: children rebelling against parental expectations, 'good' girls or boys who morph …more

Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu

I hated to see it end... (2/19/2022)

I absolutely loved this book. It checked all the required boxes for historical fiction and painted a heartrending picture of life in mainland China before, during and after WW2. As should be the case with good historical fiction, I learned things I didn't know. Some parts …more

How to Find Your Way Home
by Katy Regan

How to Find Your Way Home (10/1/2021)

I really, really liked this book. The characters are well- developed enough to be real and inspire empathy, admiration or disgust. The references to birdwatching are fascinating (if you like birds), and the descriptions of the natural world which so sustains Stephen make …more

Flesh & Blood: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life: A Memoir
by N. West Moss

Flesh & Blood (8/6/2021)

I'll be the oddball - I did not like this book, I would not buy this book, and I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was less about infertility and more an excruciatingly detailed and tedious description of dysfunctional uterine bleeding and the time period before …more

Small Days and Nights: A Novel
by Tishani Doshi

Small Days and Nights (11/11/2019)

I would give this book a 3.5, though I wanted to like it more than I did. The characters weren't terribly sympathetic, though Grace seemed to have learned more appropriate treatment of a person with Down syndrome by the end of the book, even if she hadn't figured out much …more

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

Mighty Justice (9/23/2019)

This book is mesmerizing, compelling, and absolutely un-put-downable. The behind-the-scenes descriptions of the courtroom battles against Jim Crow and segregation were fascinating, yet the entire story is told with such warmth that it reads like a novel. Dovey Roundtree is …more

The Shadow King: A Novel
by Maaza Mengiste

The Shadow King (6/16/2019)

I'd give this book 4.5 stars. The layout was a little disjointed at first, as it wasn't always clear when the narrative had gone back in time or whose voice was telling the story. But it didn't take long before I was sucked in and couldn't put the book down. The Shadow King …more

More News Tomorrow: A Novel
by Susan Richards Shreve

More News Tomorrow... (4/18/2019)

...Except that there wasn't any more news, and if the reader is waiting to find out what further information Georgie's father had for her, he or she will be disappointed. The book is disjointed, the premise unbelievable (Georgie has been at loose ends for her entire life …more

A People's History of Heaven
by Mathangi Subramanian

A People's History of Heaven (2/15/2019)

I loved this book: the story lines, the characters, the things I learned about another culture, and the writing. I was sorry to see the book because I wanted to know how everyone's lives turned out. I would recommend this book and plan to suggest it to my book club.

The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin

The Last Romantics - 4.5 (12/14/2018)

I was drawn into this book almost immediately and found it very engaging until the end. The characters are well-developed and real enough that I found myself strongly disagreeing with one or becoming disgusted with another. My only criticism is that the reason for the power …more

Golden Child
by Claire Adam

Golden Child (10/19/2018)

This haunting story pulls you in and doesn't let go until the heartbreaking, but inevitable, conclusion. Claire Adam's writing transports the reader to Trinidad, where you feel the weather, smell and taste the local cuisine, hear the musical Caribbean English, experience …more

Listen to the Marriage
by John Jay Osborn

Listen to the Marriage (6/13/2018)

I wanted to like this book, both because of the author's past successes and because of his personal connection to the topic. However, I found it to be tedious and somewhat unrealistic. The therapist was unprofessional and her thoughts and reactions seemed odd at times. It …more

The Family Tabor
by Cherise Wolas

The Family Tabor - a 4.5 (4/26/2018)

Cherise Wolas is a formidable talent with the ability to weave multi-layered stories that are as compelling and unforgettable as they are intricate. I loved The Resurrection of Joan Ashby and found her second effort to be very good, though perhaps not quite as wonderful as …more

Motherhood
by Sheila Heti

Motherhood (2/8/2018)

I found it extremely difficult to slog through this book. The question and answers with the coins reminded me of asking questions to a toy 8 Ball; the pointless meanderings made me not want to read anything else written by this author. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman

Other People's Houses (12/12/2017)

This book was difficult for me to rate, because although I found the story a little contrived and the characters not very believable, I did enjoy Abbi Waxman's writing. She is funny and irreverent, and while I probably wouldn't recommend the book to my book club, it was a …more

Mothers of Sparta: A Memoir in Pieces
by Dawn Davies

Mothers of Sparta (9/13/2017)

I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a non-fiction book so much; I absolutely loved this book. Dawn Davies is irreverent, hilarious, unfailingly candid, and brutally honest in her descriptions of events in her life. Her writing made me want to know her personally, and …more

Wonder Valley
by Ivy Pochoda

Wonder Valley (7/20/2017)

I had a hard time getting into this book, partly, I think, because none of the characters grabbed me and made me care about what happened to them. Still, the plot twists were odd enough that once I was in, I was committed to finding out how it all ended. The connections …more

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby (6/5/2017)

This debut novel is as accomplished and masterful as its title character. The stories within the story are as engrossing as the book itself, and I was only sorry that they could not be completed. I was pulled under Wolas' spell almost from the beginning and was left …more

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