BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Girl Falling: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor

Dramatic - Girl Falling (9/9/2024)

This was a difficult read for me - confusing to read the description of the cables and the climbing first thing in the book, and the drama among the characters. There was too much emotion, too much crying and worrying about relationships, too many mistakes, legal, illegal and personal crimes among the 3 main characters and too much negative drama throughout the book.

The Divorcees
by Rowan Beaird

How Personality Governs Fitting In (11/15/2023)

I did not realize there were such things as Divorce Camps in the 50's - how things have changed. The author wrote in such detail about the relationships among the girls with their individual personalities and their need to get along. The author described how some individuals can influence and have such a strong hold on others. The author was able to create personality differences among the characters in such a way that there might have been a character one could relate to. Time was a factor as they only had a number of weeks to live at the ranch and you could feel the drama unfold. I think the book would be a good choice for book group members to see how events, effects from the past, and personalities govern behavior.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley

Characters working through relationship (10/19/2022)

Two unlikely characters coming together and trying to mesh very different issues. Sometimes frustrating, sad, and happy, watching the characters develop and try to work together to bridge distances.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars: A Novel
by Kristin Harmel

Magical and Heroic - Goodness vs Evil (5/6/2021)

This was a different WWII novel, a young woman can use her lifetime learning to rescue people suffering from the war; she overcame her solitary lifestyle, using her knowledge of the forest to keep the group safe. Love, courage, goodness vs evil. The book was suspenseful and kept one's attention - the details made you feel you were there watching Yona grow and apply her knowledge and learn how to live a life not so solitary, learning about typical interaction among different people. The end of the story seemed a little rushed after all the wonderful details that filled the novel - that kept my review at 4 stars instead of 5.

At the Edge of the Haight
by Katherine Seligman

Hidden society right in the open (10/27/2020)

When the story begins, you think it will be a mystery, but it's more than that. It describes the hidden society right there on the streets. The book describes the serious homeless situation in your country and how the characters fit into their world on the street. The author lifted the curtain onto a world that most of us will only witness as outsiders. You get a view into the life of Maddy, her close relationship to her friends and wonder through the book why and how the characters got there and what they can do to escape and wonder why they haven't taken advantage of the programs and offers of help. The author touches on the backgrounds of the characters, but the story revolves around their choices and reactions to life in their world. You find yourself cheering Maddy on and hoping she can find a way home.

Daughter of the Reich: A Novel
by Louise Fein

Emotional journey (3/19/2020)

There are many books that describe those terrible times from the perspective of the persecuted. This was the emotional journey of a young girl, daughter of a high ranking Nazi father who falls in love with her Jewish childhood friend. The characters were brought alive on the page and although it was heartbreaking to read, it kept one's attention, reading the horror and cruelty of the time and the ability of some people to rise above it.

The Secrets of Love Story Bridge
by Phaedra Patrick

Grief and guilt are paralyzing.... (1/2/2020)

Story of a man suffering from grief over the passing of his partner and paralyzing guilt for not doing enough to save her. Through some accidental, but heroic acts, he works his way back to acceptance and can slowly forgive himself. Letter writing was a big part of his life, as he grieved and tried to work his way free.

The Girl in White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly
by Kerri Maher

Life behind the curtain.... (11/12/2019)

I enjoyed how the author gave the reader a behind the scenes look into her life beyond her fame. How her family, especially her father shaped her life, her choices and her striving to succeed, as well as her choices in romantic partners. The life she lived had a public and a personal side, not always in sync.

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt: A Novel
by Andrea Bobotis

Slow starting but everlasting.... (7/15/2019)

Slow starting for me as Miss Judith Kratt decides to take a detailed inventory of the contents of her house where she has lived her entire life. The inventory, varied and detailed stirs up memories and family secrets and as the inventory progresses - the secrets, the cruelty and mores of the day come to light. The reader is transported back and forth between a previous era and the present as the characters develop and mysteries revealed. It's one of those books where the characters stay with you after the book is finished

Courting Mr. Lincoln
by Louis Bayard

view of an historical icon as a young man (2/20/2019)

Back and forth among the 3 intertwined characters and their relationship to each other and the culture of the day. The descriptions of Lincoln as a young man hint at the leader he will become in our history books. Not much action in the book - but the 3 main characters and how they work together provide its own suspense.

When We Left Cuba
by Chanel Cleeton

Suspenseful, romantic - hard to put down (12/12/2018)

Story of familial pride, pride in country, love and loss, historical information woven in with our turbulent history with Cuba. The main character, Beatriz was ahead of her time and hers was a story of courage, but at the same time, sad for what was lost.

Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris

Ambition vs moral integrity (8/6/2018)

Historical fiction based in the early 1930's - the author pulls you into the lives of the characters - their past, present and leaves you wondering about their futures. Suspense as the story progresses - watching the characters and how they handle their ambitions with their strong moral integrity.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel

Disappointed (6/5/2018)

I think my expectations were too high for this book - there were so many really high positive reviews. I thought it was a nice story, but it felt more like a children's book in the writing style and that was distracting to me. I liked the strong concepts of love, loyalty and friendship and the ending, although so sad, stays with you. I just wish the writing style was different.

A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Tugs at your heartstrings (3/13/2018)

Writing was beautiful, emotionally descriptive but a sadness ran through the characters' stories. There was much love but competition between keeping those traditions and honoring differences of belief. I had some difficulty with the non-linear development of the story. One is so invested in the characters, the intense regret and sadness was almost too pervasive.

Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak

7 Days of Us Ended too Soon.... (5/9/2017)

I enjoyed the book and the way the author created these multi-dimensional characters, each with layers of personalities and hidden secrets. I think most families have pieces of their personality that are hidden away and the author did a very good job of developing and exposing their personalities - it was evident to the reader what was happening even if the characters did not always immediately recognize. I was sorry to see the book end - realistically funny, sad, encouraging all at once.

Lola
by Melissa Scrivner Love

Disappointed (3/7/2017)

The book was fast-paced and at times, suspenseful. The main character in the story evokes sympathy and pity but at the same time, dislike.

Perhaps my reaction to the book was ignorance in a lifestyle that is very foreign to what I know. I was disappointed in the book because of the writing style, and the need to keep the narrator or descriptors beyond the character voices in the same rough and crude vernacular, in what was possibly the author's intent to make the story more dramatically realistic. The timeline of the story was at times confusing. I had to go back and reread sections to make sure I didn't miss something. I thought the main character was flawed and not believable. The racial and sexist references in the book, woven through the story as an attempt to legitimize the main characters' behavior, seemed overdone.

A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline

Brings the painting to life (12/7/2016)

I enjoyed the book and it made me add the back story to the famous painting, Christina's World.....the author brings the characters to life and describes the incredible hardships endured in a world not really imagined in the painting. Christina's strength of character was impressive and inspiring. It was a book of friendship and love and loyalty and understanding and acceptance - a lot of which we all could use these days.

The Alaskan Laundry
by Brendan Jones

Descriptive and authentic writing - character development bothersome (2/2/2016)

The descriptions of Alaska and life in the Alaskan frontier were detailed and creative, and brought that region to life. The characters were similar - rough, scrappy, course and crude - perhaps mirroring the lives they lead. The main character, Tara, running away from the hurt and loss and perceived blame of her family - just didn't ring completely true. I felt that the author came close, and was very courageous to write the story from the lead character, a female, but sometimes she didn't seem real. The story highlights her bravery, courage and willingness to be successful against great odds, but at times her reactions were distracting against the detailed authenticity of the author's experience in that environment. I wanted to cheer her on in her quest and challenges, but at times just felt distracted.

Maybe in Another Life
by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Path not taken (6/2/2015)

The author does a good job creating the characters and the setting and then weaves two story lines throughout the book, giving the reader what results could happen when faced with a choice. It was interesting to have a view into the alternative to the character's choice. The characters were enjoyable - not great writing, but entertaining.

The Art of Baking Blind
by Sarah Vaughan

Don't read this when you're hungry.... (3/11/2015)

There was a contest to find the next Mrs. Eaden and at the beginning of each chapter was an excerpt from the cookbook she wrote - the prose was wonderfully descriptive of baking and beautifully written.

The characters of the book - the absent, late, Mrs. Eaden and all the contestants, all had back stories which made the book come alive. Some of the characters were developed more than others and I thought some of the character threads started, but not resolved.

Easy read, but in some parts just didn't feel complete. The theme of "things and people are not always how they appear" was strong throughout the book.

Reviews by Lucy S. (Westford, MA)

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