BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson

Too descriptive (2/22/2024)

Possum Flats is not a place where I would want to live nor read about. I was unable to have any connection with the characters. Left me feeling like I was peeking into lives that should have remained secret.

Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Lesson in history...albeit fictional (10/31/2023)

A story of perseverance, determination, family support, and four women walking their way through the ups and downs of Chinese politics beginning in the 40s. The women are strong and determined albeit a somewhat dysfunctional family group of 4.

Devil Makes Three: A Novel
by Ben Fountain

Verbose (8/29/2023)

For example: "They held hands on the way to the dance floor, and when she
pressed close, their bodies stuck as if coated with some sort of epithelial adhesive."

I wasn't willing to slog through more pages of this wordy prose. I will read his other book and see if I like it better.

The Long Ago: A Novel
by Michael McGarrity

Twists and turns (2/26/2023)

This book should engage anyone who likes mystery and romance combined. The varying locales and settings are interesting and should be known to many. A group of characters entwined through mishaps and misunderstandings kept me wondering to the end if the mystery would be solved. A quick read that held my attention throughout the different chapters. The author went from one area to another seamlessly. A good book to take on vacation. Not labeled as mystery but I found it to be so.

The Critic's Daughter: A Memoir
by Priscilla Gilman

A catharsis (1/3/2023)

A grueling memoir of life in a dysfunctional family. I wanted to read it because I usually enjoy memoirs. This memoir may be enjoyed by an armchair psychologist. I am not one but had my own reactions to it as though I could help this person if I could only talk to her. Difficult to be 'critical' about a critic's life but I really think it was a way to make the author feel better about herself.

Ghost Season: A Novel
by Fatin Abbas

Descriptions abound (11/11/2022)

Set in north Africa where life is difficult. Multitudes of descriptive prose. Characters easy to connect with if you enjoy that intensity. Section VII includes a 'report' that was unneeded. I skipped it. Final pages led to an expected conclusion but was tedious to read.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley

eReader TheTrue Story of Tanner and Louise (9/30/2022)

I found the subplot difficult to fathom. Much like a modified Thelma and Louise. I finally skipped to the end so I could post a review. Would have been easier read to with a book in hand.

The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado

So many names to remember (7/31/2022)

The Family Izquierdo family tree should alert you to the many characters you'll find in this book. I'm not pleased with the short story collection format. I found it difficult to go from family to family and time to time. It also would have helped if I had more than a smattering of Spanish. While I tried figuring out the Spanish words in context, that often didn't work. I did finish the book but I struggled to do so.

Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu

Historical fiction at its best (2/12/2022)

While not really enjoying the 'narrative' style of this novel, I found it impossible to put down. I marveled throughout for the strength of the female characters. I marveled at the resiliency of all in the story. Meanwhile I learned much Chinese/China/Taiwan history that I had never known before.

New York, My Village: A Novel
by Uwem Akpan

Love Africa but not this book (8/16/2021)

I stopped reading after 120 pages. Never did connect with the publishing office employees. Watching Ekong gradually find his footing in NYC was interesting but the interaction with his family in the US and his overseas wife were superficial. I wanted to like this book but didn't finish it.

Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin

Everyman’s story (3/28/2021)

The revolving doors of these families kept me engaged and eager to read the next part. A story of love, mistrust, abandonment, forgiveness, and care for one another. Poignant and bittersweet. I devoured this book in a few hours.

Of Women and Salt
by Gabriela Garcia

More a novella than a book (12/31/2020)

So much to learn while reading this book. From El Salvador to Cuba to Miami. The plight of immigrants trying to find ways to survive. I have been to Cuba (2000) and saw only what the "tourists' were taken to. This book opened my eyes to more of the reality. Poignant and informative even in fiction form.

A Girl is A Body of Water
by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Skimming 30 (7/11/2020)

This was a difficult and long read. A plethora of names of people and places that was difficult to follow. The Sio and Kirabo story spanned the length of the 500 pages. I forced myself to finish this book.

Daughter of the Reich: A Novel
by Louise Fein

Written for tweens (3/11/2020)

The writing reminded me of something that might be written for 10-12 year olds experiencing their first 'crush.' I skimmed the entire book because I could not go through it page by page. Maybe I'll try again in a few months to see if I like it more.

The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
by Katherine Sharp Landdeck

Trivial Pursuit info (1/4/2020)

Great personal stories of five of the original pilot groups. I met a WASP on a tour to Cuba in 2000. Wish she'd been mentioned. The best part of this non-fiction for me was the final chapters (starting on page 263) telling of the women's lives after the flying group was disbanded.

Small Days and Nights: A Novel
by Tishani Doshi

A sense of familiarity (11/1/2019)

Having recently read "The Dutch House" this book seemed to me to cover the same territory, i.e. an old family home, a dysfunctional family, a mother who is distant. I enjoyed the book because I like reading about other cultures. I think anyone interested in Indian culture would enjoy this book. I also think if you care about mentally challenged people you might feel yourself nodding along in recognition as you read the book.

The Shadow King: A Novel
by Maaza Mengiste

400 pages of myth of is it history (6/20/2019)

I wanted to like this book after waiting for weeks for it to be delivered. I struggled through three-fourths of it and felt rescued when the "Shadow King" finally emerged. Perhaps if I knew more of the history of Ethiopia the story would have been more compelling. I read to the end and was mystified by the "fantasy" of the ending pages. I found it a strange way to end the book.

I did find myself engaged by the character, Ettore of Foto. A conflicted man caught up in a war which had no meaning for him.

Travelers: A Novel
by Helon Habila

So many characters (4/25/2019)

This novel addresses the plight of asylum seekers and refugees around the world. The characters are interconnected throughout, but I found it difficult to follow their trajectories. When I read this book my mind kept thinking of what is going on today with regard to 'illegal" immigrants....aka....asylum seekers. It's not a pretty picture nor were the individual characters stories in this book. I asked to read this book because I have lived on the African continent and am always interested in reading about the various nations and citizens. I sometimes re-read books that intrigue me, but this isn't one that I will re-read.

Ellie and the Harpmaker
by Hazel Prior

Poignant and believable (3/24/2019)

Ellie confused me. Clive annoyed me. I fell in love with Dan. The depictions of nature were mesmerizing. I was right in the midst of all their glory. I read this in less than one day. I was so involved with the characters I had to get to the end. I wondered from the beginning if Dan was at one end of the autism spectrum but that was never addressed and it didn't matter. What does matter is the idea that you make choices in life everyday. Sometimes they're good choices. Other times they're not...but life continues and making choices is important.

The Affairs of the Falcóns
by Melissa Rivero

The story of our times (11/30/2018)

I followed the path of the undocumented families with trepidation knowing that this story is being written daily in the USA. I found love, lies, fear, dreams denied and the constant tug between here and 'there'....wherever there might be for those who strive for a better life in a sometimes unfriendly place. This was a page-turner for me because I felt the veracity of the problems the entwined families suffered.

Reviews by Judith G. (Ewa Beach, HI)

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