BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Continental Affair: A Novel
by Christine Mangan

The Continental Affair by Christine Mangan (7/6/2023)

What a lovely, imaginative novel Christine Mangan gave to her readers! The caper that Henri and Louise experience through the well known cities of Europe is captivating, full of mystery, includes true danger and is just a delight to read. I loved this book!
Each protagonist carries a secret from their past; Louise's final reveal was quite unexpected and disconcerting; Henri's secret reveals were more expected. The author's description of Europe's large cities-Granada, Paris; Belgrade, Istanbul were vivid and exacting to this reader. Her use of language, plot, theme and character building was superb! Henri and Louise became like old friends as I delved deeper and deeper into this haunting, engaging story. The premise was unusual--Ms. Magnan evokes intrigue, cold, heat, fright, images of the cities, an "Agatha Christie-like" train ride to Istanbul and so much more through her novel. The Continental Affair is sure to become a favorite of those who read it's pages. I would highly recommend this as a choice for book clubs--the ensuing discussions would be robust!

Iron Curtain: A Love Story
by Vesna Goldsworthy

Iron Curtain (1/20/2023)

A refreshingly different story of life behind the Iron Curtain. The book is so interesting to me because it is from the standpoint of a privileged, wealthy young woman growing up behind the Iron Curtain. It is curious that the author never reveals the exact country, which is for the reader to decide. Vesna Goldsworthy, the author, herself was raised in such a country. (although Serbia, as part of Yugoslavia, was quite a different "communist" country than the USSR). The plot, the descriptions of both countries is so vivid. We, as Westerns, often forget how we are perceive. Reading about the way Milena and Jason lived in London painted a very different picture than the way Milena had assumed life would be in the West. The book is so well written--we wordsmiths love to see English so well presented! I would highly recommend Iron Curtain for individuals or book club discussions---an O'Henry conclusion will amaze the reader.

The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins

The Latinist by Mark Prins (10/31/2021)

The author presents an intricate twist of words in this debut novel to engage the reader in the age old story of love, obsession, exploitation of power and intense ambition using the myth of Apollo and Daphne as his backdrop. It is a difficult book to immediately like--it will take the reader over 100 pages to really become "hooked"! Although the complex character studies are outstanding, the description of locales in England and Italy are breathtaking, the use of the English language is beautiful, this novel would not be appreciated by those with no training in academia or classical literature. I would recommend The Latinist for book clubs as it lends itself to much discussion.

A Theater for Dreamers
by Polly Samson

A Theater for Dreamers by Polly Samson (4/7/2021)

A Theater for Dreamers is a pleasant, somewhat confusing, book. The author introduces so many characters it is difficult to remember all of them. Samson's writing is lyrical and descriptive--the reader is immersed on a magical Greek island.

The story is a coming of age for young, recently motherless Erica as she searches for the truth about her mother's young life, too. She meets Chairman on Piraeus, beginning an unusual friendship with her mother's friend as she tries to understand what her mother wished for her to find in the lovely little village. Erica will remain here throughout her life, even though others left to resume their lives in England. I would recommend this book, but not the top of one's reading list.

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
by Anissa Gray

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls (10/23/2018)

The author presented an aspect of crime, incarcerated women, which was completely new to me. I did become a little confused with all the many characters. Ms. Gray didn't seem to have time to introduce and expand upon how all fit together. Since the reason for Althea and Proctor's trial and crime were not mentioned until halfway through the novel, the plot seemed disjointed. The reader can assume Ms Gray was trying to "hook" us into her story.
It was well written, which is always a pleasure to read. I would recommend this title to book clubs because a myriad of conversations could result during a discussion.

The House of Broken Angels
by Luis Alberto Urrea

The House of Broken Angels (3/15/2018)

The House of Broken Angels is the essential story of America--the de la Cruzes, a first generation American family, with one foot in California and the other still in Mexico. The family is flawed, complex, messy like any extended family. Urrea weaves the story in his usual, poetically beautiful language. The many Spanish words/phrases were rather daunting to a non Spanish speaker--although most are understandable within the context of the sentence or paragraph. Of course, the use of Spanish words makes the novel more interesting and believable, too. The pace of the story does become slower towards the end of the novel; otherwise, the pace moves quickly and is easy to read. I would highly recommend this to a book club--it lends itself to countless discussions of history, immigration, current political happenings, love of family and complications of the human experience.

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas

Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas (6/19/2017)

The debut of Cherise Wolas' book at one moment was stunning and at the next moment, incomprehensible. The plot would be interesting, then Ms. Wolas would switch to a bizarre story line. The plot is actually a story within a story. The main character, Joan, projected many complexities. It is very well written, but difficult to follow what was happening. This would be a good recommendation for book clubs to dissect through discussion.

The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns

The Typewriter's Tale by Michiel Heyns (1/17/2017)

The Typewriter's Tale is a bit of a challenge to read. The author writes in very proper Jamesonian English--it can be a bit of a challenge for modern day readers. Yet, the story is interesting and quite provocative. The reader can once again see that famous people can be "bigger than life" and quite eccentric. Those who support such people are not usually recognized nor remembered. The author paints a vivid picture of the invisibility and struggles of women as the "typewriter" tells her story. This book could be recommended for students of English or Anglophiles--most book clubs would not enjoy the descriptive, tedious narrative.

Home Sweet Home
by April Smith

Home Sweet Home by April Sweet (12/28/2016)

Exceptionally Outstanding are the best words I can find to describe "Home Sweet Home"! Without a doubt, this is one of the very best books I have read (and I'm very old; therefore, I've read many books). The author paints an interesting picture of this period in our history--early 1950s and McCarthyism. The story of the Kusek family revealed a side of bigotry and prejudice not often found in story lines of modern books. It was an eye opener for me to realize bigotry is abundant throughout our country--a sad observation. Ms. Smith's writing was masterful and portrayed how quickly people will jump to wrongful conclusions. It helped me to understand life and actions about the Western part of the country and why folks may still hold the same prejudices today. The story is well written, engaging and tragically based on the lives of a real family. Highly recommended for individuals or book clubs!!

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
by Kathleen Rooney

Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk by Kathleen Rooney (10/4/2016)

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is a charming and exciting book to which I can relate (senior citizen). Ms. Rooney paints a fascinating story of a strong, independent woman who became the highest paid advertising woman in 1930s America--a great feat during this era. Her career was magnificent, but her personal life was filled with depression and unhappiness. The entire story is presented in a one evening walk around Lillian's beloved New York City as she reflects with poignancy her 84 years of life. Along the way, Lillian meets a multitude of interesting characters. The format is great and writing is superb. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for book clubs. It is a tale full of interest!

A Certain Age: A Novel
by Beatriz Williams

A Certain Age (3/26/2016)

"A Certain Age" is well written, giving the readers a glimpse into the Roaring Twenties. Beatriz Williams presented an intriguing, albeit common, plot as she wove the historical facts throughout her story. I would recommend the book as an average or beach read--nothing spectacular, but entertaining.

The Shore: A Novel
by Sara Taylor

The Shore (6/5/2015)

The Chesapeake "shore" area is indeed a beautiful, almost wild part of our country. The Shore in no way reflected the vast majority of it's population. There was far too much violence, drugs, hopelessness as the story droned on and on. There seemed to be no thread to the plot--yes, same characters, but a very confusing read. For those who like "The Goldfinch", this book would prove to be a good recommendation--very dark, rambling and quite unbelievable!

Blue Stars
by Emily Gray Tedrowe

Blue Stars by Emily Tedrowe (1/2/2015)

I really wanted to love this book because of the subject matter, but found the plot and writing to just be average. The characters chosen by Ms. Tedrowe were not very representative of most military personnel. The book seemed a bit disjointed causing a lack of engagement on my part. I wouldn't recommend the book, but many folks might enjoy it. Mothers and sweetheart of our service members should be remembered and respected for their sacrifices, too.

Where Monsters Dwell
by Jørgen Brekke

Where Monsters Dwell by Jorgen Brekke (11/22/2013)

This book is, indeed, a thriller! It is dark and at times, creepy, but also, very readable and will keep the reader engaged throughout the story (actually three mysteries within one book). The historical information was most interesting. Brekke's writing style reminds me of another Norwegian author, Jo Nesbo, whom I recently discovered. The beginning of the story is a little slow moving, but soon begins to captivate the reader. As with many books, the romantic involvement of the two detectives, one from Norway and one from the USA, is rather unrealistic. But authors always have to include romance of sorts to "hook" the majority of readers.
All in all, a first rate mystery thriller--I would rate it better than "The Da Vinci Code".

The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally

Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally (5/20/2013)

I plowed through this book in order to write a review for BookBrowse; otherwise, I would have stopped reading after the first 50 pages. The writing is quite good, but nothing seemed to flow throughout the 500 pages. His character development is quite in-depth and descriptive. The plot of the story, Australian nurses serving in WWI, is unique. I would recommend this title to others with the caveat that I did not enjoy it.

One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall

One Minus One (5/12/2013)

Nancy Pearl, whom I greatly admire, is the presenter of this book; otherwise, I would not have completed reading One Minus One. Nancy states that there are 4 "doorways" to a work of fiction. The author chose the doorway of character. Emily is a newly divorced woman, forced to return to the classroom as a high school teacher. She is devastated by the divorce and makes many unfortunate decisions. She lets her heart (emotions), not her head (sensibility), determine her fate in this novel. The writing is exceptional, but I didn't enjoy the story. I would not recommend this title.

Indiscretion
by Charles Dubow

Indiscretion by Charles Dubow (11/25/2012)

Alas, another novel-same theme: "Man can't keep his pants zipped"! There was not much to the story to engage the reader. Forced myself to finish the book thinking surely something different would happen to the main characters. I would only recommend Indiscretion to those who enjoy a good, trashy read.

The Roots of the Olive Tree: A Novel
by Courtney Miller Santo

Roots of the Olive Tree (9/5/2012)

This novel was a good read, but nothing exceptional. It is an intriguing theory which is set forth by the author. Although the author sought to leave the reader with a surprise ending, I thought it was too far-fetched.

Until the Next Time: A Novel
by Kevin Fox

Until the Next Time by Kevin Fox (2/29/2012)

My expectations for Kevin Fox's book were high; unfortunately, this book did not capture by interest. The first half of the book is somewhat engaging; then, the author begins to ramble into a mix of politics, romance, spirituality and violence. The book is termed suspense, but the theme drifts into reincarnation and mysticism. Too many characters were introduced who are not particularly reflective of the Irish people. Although some readers may enjoy this book, I found it to be a disappointment.

A Partial History of Lost Causes: A Novel
by Jennifer duBois

Partial History of Lost Causes (12/27/2011)

Reading this novel proved to be laborious. The theme is strange. Readers seeking in-depth character analysis will enjoy this book. Ms. Dubois painted a bleak picture of present day Russia. Yet, the facts are accurate, reflecting the political climate.
Often authors have difficulty with the conclusion of a story--not so with Ms. Dubois. I liked the ending, only wishing it would have appeared after 200 pages instead of 400 pages!
Ms. DuBois writes every well. It is always nice to read an author possessing a fine command of the English language.

Reviews by Judy W. (Tucker, GA)

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Reviews by Judy W. (Tucker, GA)

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