Need a cozy sweatshirt, bookish tote, or mug? Get one at the BookBrowse Merch Store!

Reviews by Margaret R. (Claremont, CA)

Order Reviews by:
Bad Animals
Bad Animals: A Novel
by Sarah Braunstein
Grabbed Me At The First Page (1/24/2024)
This book was a very good read and, as I reviewed the posts already written in praise of the book, I do not want to be redundant. I do want to add, though, that this would be an excellent book club selection because it has the multiple levels of plot structure, character …more
Surviving Savannah
Surviving Savannah
by Patti Callahan
Surviving Savannah (3/30/2022)
I often lean toward historical fiction when looking for a good next book to read. A balanced novel of well-researched facts and talented fictional writing is pure delight.
Ms. Callahan presents both of these talents but leaves the story lacking. A good editor would have, …more
How to Find Your Way Home
How to Find Your Way Home
by Katy Regan
Big Topics and pPersonal Stories (12/3/2021)
Katy Regan writes about big topics such as homelessness, family secrets, loyalty, fear, and the balm of nature. Within this extensive web, she carefully builds characters who bring us intimately into these worlds. The powerful vignettes that describe moments in time with …more
Beasts of a Little Land
Beasts of a Little Land: A Novel
by Juhea Kim
Unrealized Brilliance (9/4/2021)
Beasts of A Little Land grabbed me immediately. The first chapter was elegantly written, with the setting, character, and plot poised to launch a great book. Then the writing continued as if two different authors were writing the book. While it introduced us to compelling …more
The Blind Light
The Blind Light: A Novel
by Stuart Evers
The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of (10/29/2020)
"The dead have insistent voices; they cut and jab. His father's especially." "The same sprung vigilance to her posture, though; like she was ready to dodge an oncoming hazard."

I often read before going to sleep and so it was with The Blind Light. There was little sleep that …more
The Smallest Lights in the Universe
The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager
Raw and Illuminating (7/22/2020)
It is usually not a good idea to start the review of one book by immediately comparing it to another. This, however, seems to be a good time. All the while I was reading The Smallest Lights in the Universe, I was thinking of Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren. Women scientists …more
The Madwoman and the Roomba
The Madwoman and the Roomba: My Year of Domestic Mayhem
by SandraTsing Loh
A Disappointment (4/17/2020)
Only once have I simply stopped reading a book and put it down because it was so bad. If it were not for my responsibility as a reviewer to finish Sandra Tsing Loh's new book, this would have been the second time.

What has happened to Sandra Tsing Loh? Her books were a joy, …more
Miss Austen
Miss Austen
by Gill Hornby
A Great Read (2/22/2020)
I loved this book and not only because it made me guffaw. Hornby has written this little masterpiece in a slightly edgy 21st century Jane Austen voice to create a new perspective on the Austen family story. Needless to say, all the themes are there: financial vicissitudes, …more
Small Days and Nights
Small Days and Nights: A Novel
by Tishani Doshi
Small Days And Nights (12/26/2019)
Tishani Doshi is a poet and for me, Small Days and Nights was a an Odyssean poem trapped in a novel. The raw physicality and sensual passages throughout this book left me emotionally engaged, frustrated, and anxious. This is not an easy read and its intentional lack of …more
Cartier's Hope
Cartier's Hope: A Novel
by M. J. Rose
Cartier's Hope (10/5/2019)
Good historical fiction teaches at a gut level and Cartier's Hope does not disappoint. As we follow our main character, a woman with two identities, one inherited the other invented, through the streets, townhouses and tenements of New York City in the early 20th century, …more
  • Page
  • 1

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    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.
1
2
PrevNext

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Dream Hotel
    by Laila Lalami

    A Read with Jenna pick. A riveting novel about one woman's fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.

    Read the Reviews
  • Book Jacket

    Fagin the Thief
    by Allison Epstein

    A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.

    Read the Reviews
  • Book Jacket

    The Antidote
    by Karen Russell

    A gripping dust bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraskan town.

    Read the Reviews
  • Book Jacket

    Girl Falling
    by Hayley Scrivenor

    The USA Today bestselling author of Dirt Creek returns with a story of grief and truth.

    Read the Reviews
  • Book Jacket

    Raising Hare
    by Chloe Dalton

    A moving and fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, and loss through one woman's friendship with a wild hare.

    Read the Reviews
  • Book Jacket

    Jane and Dan at the End of the World
    by Colleen Oakley

    Date Night meets Bel Canto in this hilarious tale.

    Read the Reviews
1
2
3
4
5
6
PrevNext
Who Said...

When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which ...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

B O a F F T

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.