BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Our Missing Hearts: A Novel
by Celeste Ng

Absolutely Beautiful (8/27/2022)

I do not enjoy reading dystopian novels. They make me angry and anxious. But Celeste Ng wrote this and I would read a phone book if she wrote it. Although the setting and plot both were very dark and upsetting, the characters were so well drawn and loving I found this novel to be uplifting, hopeful and inspiring. I cared about and felt like I knew all of the people going through such difficult events. The theme of mother/son love was powerful. One of the best novels I've read all year.

Palace of the Drowned
by Christine Mangan

Not a Page Turning Thriller- Better Than That (3/2/2021)

The back cover of this novel describes it as a fast paced thriller. It is not. Shortly after beginning this story I got impatient. Nothing was happening. I would have rated it only 2 or maybe 3 stars. Thrillers are action packed, fast paced. Rather this book was a beautiful character study of a very damaged protagonist in a incredibly gorgeously described setting. Multiple sentences were meant to be savored not rushed through. As I read more, I grew to love this story and yes the pace did pick up. This is not a quick snack of fast paced junk thrills but rather a delicious experience to be immersed in fully. I highly recommend.

The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
by Anna Malaika Tubbs

Needs More Heart Less Info (11/17/2020)

I loved the opening story the author told of the night she discovered that she was to become a black mother to her son. It was heartfelt, relatable, and so human. I only wish that tone had continued throughout the book.

This book read like a very good, well researched doctoral dissertation. It would make a great supplemental text for a class on race relations or women's studies. I just was disappointed that given its current format it will probably not be read by a more general audience. The readers who could most benefit from learning about these three remarkable women will probably never read this book in its entirety. That saddens me.

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

Interesting Read with Some Limitations (11/3/2019)

The author does a reasonably good job of telling the story of Grace Kelly. The biggest weakness was in the writing of her career development; it read like a dry recitation of one play or movie after the next, and one lover after another without much heart or soul. The strength was her depiction of Grace's contentious relationship with her parents (especially her father) and how that impacted her self esteem and all of her romantic relationships, particularly her marriage. The story became deeper after Grace's marriage.
I am a fan of historical fiction that contain flashbacks and non-chronological timelines. However, in this book it seemed to be a gimmick and frequently broke the flow of the story. I fantasized about being the editor who moved chapters back to their "proper" place.
The read was interesting but could have been better.

Cartier's Hope: A Novel
by M. J. Rose

People Can Surprise You (9/8/2019)

Although I read a good amount of historical fiction, I was unfamiliar with this author. Like other reviewers I found the author's style of giving the reader clues about future events at the beginning the book to be somewhat confusing. Once the story developed I found it to be interesting and the background events to be informative. The details about gems, marketing, social mores, and the press in the early 20th century were gracefully weaved throughout the main story line. I thought the ending was satisfying. Overall an enjoyable read.

Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson

Satisfying Read (4/10/2019)

I am a fan of Joshilyn Jackson and enjoyed her latest work with some reservations.
The first seventy-five or so pages seemed slow and stilted. The narrator seemed strangely disconnected from her own story. I didn't care much about any of the main characters and would have put this book down if I had not agreed to review it.

However, once the two main characters engaged fully in their deadly game, this book became a page-turning thrill. The end was satisfying and complete.

The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel
by Jeanne Mackin

More Than A Story, A Work Of Art (2/18/2019)

The three primary issues in this delightful book are fashion, politics and love. The author does a brilliant job of mixing the three onto a beautiful canvas. The stories about the inner workings of high Parisian fashion pre World War II are fascinating. The two main characters are stand ins for the two conflicting political philosophies. Coco for sympathizing with fascist ideas in her use of classic colors, structure, discipline and perfect lines in her creations. Scape is communist leaning, symbolized by her bold colors, over the top embellishments and rule changing designs. All characters are searching for love to protect themselves from the terror of being alone in these turbulent political times. A fun read that gives the reader a lot to think about beyond the surface story.

American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
by Stephanie Marie Thornton

A Fun, Educational Read (11/11/2018)

I would not expect this book to win any major awards for literary style or originality. I was not inclined to reread sentences or passages for the sheer beauty of the words. This book was just a very interesting, entertaining story about an American Presidential daughter. It was a delightful, well researched romp through the twentieth century populated by familiar political characters. Alice Roosevelt was a witness, and sometimes a participant to major historical events, yet the details of her life were largely unknown to this reader. My interest in reading her life story never waned. A thoroughly fascinating read that I recommend to all, particularly to fans of good historical fiction.

Listen to the Marriage
by John Jay Osborn

An Interesting Approach (5/25/2018)

I am a Marriage Therapist and was intrigued as soon as I heard the premise of this book; the entire story takes place solely in the therapist's office. This is a slice of the life of a particular marriage and illuminates the inner psychological worlds of the husband and wife as well as that of the very clever therapist. There is little drama and heart racing plot twists in this book. The transformation of the parties is subtle, slow and inconsistent but absolutely amazing in its own soft way. Not a read for everyone. I loved it, raced through it and plan to immediately reread it more slowly and contemplatively.

The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams

THE Summer Book (4/13/2018)

I enjoy all of Beatriz Williams' books and this one is my favorite. The uniqueness of this story is not the plotline but rather the time- bending fashion in which it is told. Reminiscent of the hit TV show "This is Us", rather than learning events in a linear manner the reader follows a spiral timeframe circling around, going deeper and deeper in our understanding of the characters.
The setting is a tiny island in Long Island Sound and the tension between the woking class year round residents and the upper class summer people. The time period is presented as June 1930, 1951, 1969; July 1930, 1951, 1969; and finally August 1930, 1951, 1969. A clever style in which to write a very interesting story. I highly recommend it for summer reading.

Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman

An Enjoyable Ordinary Read (11/30/2017)

This is an ordinary story about four ordinary families who live in an ordinary middle class neighborhood in L.A. Nothing really extraordinary happens in the narrative. The writing does not take the reader's breath away. The novel will probably not win any major literary awards.

It is simply a slice of real, honest American life written in a funny, enjoyable voice that grabs the reader by the heartstrings. Five years from now I won't remember details of the plot, but if I'm browsing in a bookstore then I would definitely pick up Waxman's newest work. She writes beautifully about ordinary, flawed characters muddling through life doing the best they can. I enjoyed every page of this wonderful, ordinary story.

Next Year in Havana
by Chanel Cleeton

Excellent Historical Fiction (10/1/2017)

I am planning to travel to Cuba at the end of this month, so I was very excited for the chance to read this book. I learned a great deal about living conditions during the revolution. I thought the author did a very good job of exhibiting various political viewpoints rather than just a standard "bad guys and good guys" presentation. The juxtaposition of conditions in 1958 Cuba with present day Cuba was excellent. Characters were flawed and multi-dimensional. The story line kept me turning pages rapidly and made me even more anxious to visit this beautiful but complicated country.

Young Jane Young
by Gabrielle Zevin

Excellent Author (7/10/2017)

I had read The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, and was eager to read Zevin's new novel. I loved it. It was breezy and fun but had a quiet depth to it. It was about mothers and daughters and making the best of an imperfect life. Zevin does a great job using several different voices throughout the novel. The Choose Your Own Adventure section was delightful. I'm ready for the sequel. A light, fun read with a soul.

The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve

Not Shreve's Best But Still Enjoyable (2/22/2017)

I'm a fan of Anita Shreve and although this was not my favorite of her works it was still solid and very readable. It is set in the state of Maine in the late 1940s. Women were viewed by a certain type of man as little more than property and society reinforced this view in both subtle and obvious ways. It was horrifying to be reminded of the lack of freedom married women had, even this recently. The story was rather predictable and characters were fairly flat - horrible or wonderful. The ending was satisfying. An enjoyable, easy read but nothing memorable.

Underground Airlines
by Ben H. Winters

A Dark Fascinating Read (8/18/2016)

The topic of this alternative history novel is very dark and horrifying. It is a very well written thriller. The characters are complex and the reader cares about their fate. Plot details are clear and the pages turn quickly. Two themes which I found to be particularly powerful were: "Everything happens. Nothing is unbelievable." and What does it means to be a slave (both literally and figuratively) and what is real psychological freedom. The plot was very original and thought provoking. A great very relevant read for these times.

The Children
by Ann Leary

A Tender Family Story (5/1/2016)

When I reviewed Ann Leary's previous novel, The Good House, for BookBrowse in 2012, I gave it high marks. I enjoyed this book even more. Charlotte Maynard's voice was clear, poignant, humorous and brilliant. This novel, although set in rural northern Connecticut, was reminiscent of Ellen Gilchrist's southern novels. And that is quite a compliment.

Leary's characters are strong and well developed. This reader wishes she lived next door to them on that idyllic lake, even if that means being on the lookout for Mr. Clean.

The Dark Lady's Mask
by Mary Sharratt

Heart vs. Brain (2/12/2016)

My heart loved this book. The characters were very developed; the settings were described beautifully. The plot was entertaining and the pages turned quickly. The problem my brain had with this story is contained in the first paragraph of the author's afterward. Most academics have dismissed the theory that Aemilia Lanier was Shakespeare's Dark Lady. I like my historical fiction to be more securely based on history with the fiction added to provide detail and color. Heart says 5; Brain 3.

The Forgetting Time
by Sharon Guskin

Interesting Story with an Inspirational Message (12/9/2015)

Some stories are difficult to break in to. Not this one. From page one, the author opens wide an entire assortment of characters for our reading pleasure.
The plot is entertaining. The characters are believable, complex and well formed. The message is beautifully delivered, softly, not with a sledgehammer.
Life is precious. We are all related to each other. An idea we have all heard before; it is told here in a clear, interesting and beautiful story. I loved it.

Frank & Ava: In Love and War
by John Brady

Interesting but Shallow (7/31/2015)

I don't judge a book by how much I like or don't like the characters. Great books can be full of despicable characters and a story about only virtuous people can be a bore. I did find the tidbits about Hollywood in the 40s and 50s interesting. And that is my problem with how this story was told. Each paragraph was interesting but there was no central theme. I sometimes felt the author was just reporting any unrelated facts that he knew about any and all Hollywood characters. In reading it I had the sensation of multiple facts being thrown at me with very little insight into the motivation of the characters or their inner life. I have no problem with a well written book about shallow people. My problem was this book itself felt shallow and inconsequential and over all more boring than this story should have been.

Fear of Dying
by Erica Jong

Like a reunion with an old friend (4/26/2015)

Erica Jong is a great writer. When she and I were much younger I marveled at her adventures in Fear of Flying. We both have matured and I loved her words of wisdom about grower older and facing death. Her story was poignant, funny, sad and hopefully...just like life itself. I marked numerous passages to reread. A marvelous read.