BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Bog Wife
by Kay Chronister

Mixed Genres (8/11/2024)

I enjoyed most of The Bog Wife, but struggled to finish it. I flew through the first 3/4 of the book which I perceived to be about family truths. Things you believe to be true due to the stories you are told growing up. The Haddesley children are raised with stories of a compact with the bog and generations of the Haddesleys. The compact requires to bog to produce a wife for the eldest Haddesley son. The truth behind this compact begins to unravel and I was excited to see what direction the children would go. The novel then took an odd turn into the supernatural with the presumed dead mother. I struggled to get through the book after this. It did not appeal to me at all. I would not recommend this book.

Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Page Turning Historical Fiction (11/6/2023)

I have read other books about the Chinese Revolution, so I was not surprised by the brutality of the treatment that many of the Chinese landowners faced. The Ang family are wealthy landowners. They are warned that the Nationalists are losing the war and they should escape to avoid the wrath of the Communist party. Hai, her sisters and mother are chosen to guard the family home, so the rest of the family can escape to safety. The women are soon forced to leave the home and are faced with huge obstacles as refugees. Many of the friends that they make as refugees are far more generous and caring than the Ang family that they lived with. The mother and her daughters’ treatment in their family home was infuriating. Girls were disposable, and if you didn’t give birth to a boy – you were worthless. This book is a fictionalized account of Eve Chung’s grandparents and is definitely a page turner.

Banyan Moon: A Novel
by Thao Thai

Banyan Moon (5/21/2023)

Banyan Moon features three generations of Vietnamese women and their many broken relationships along the way. Thao Thai explores many different types of relationships in this book- primarily romantic, sibling, female friendship, and mother/daughter/grandmother. The central theme appears to be working through damaged relationships and Ms. Thai explores this from all angles. There is some Vietnamese traditions and history in this novel; however, not as much as I had hoped. My favorite quote in the book really summarizes the book in many ways: "I haven't forgiven her entirely, but I have found my way back to the love."

Stealing: A Novel
by Margaret Verble

Stealing (12/15/2022)

I was excited to be offered this book because I was recently in Utah on a Navajo Indian guided tour of Monument Valley. He talked to us about how his grandfather was taken from his home and put into a Christian boarding school. This book was very eye opening on how cruelly the Native American children were treated at these boarding schools. It sheds light on yet one more of the many ongoing sagas the Native Americans have endured throughout the years. Books like 'Stealing' and 'Killers of the Flower Moon' are published, and it never ceases to amaze me how terrible stories like these are lost so quickly. I recommend this book to everybody, as I hate for history to be lost and with it, the powerful lessons (hopefully) learned.

Natural History: Stories
by Andrea Barrett

Natural History (8/8/2022)

Natural History features women quietly leading the way in science since the late 1800s. The stories feature various female scientists in various times in their lives. In one story they are young, starting their career and falling in love (or not) and in another they are older, retiring, and teaching what they've learned to the next generation. My favorite part was the last chapter which showed the legacy of the women in modern times and their effect on future generations they would never know.

The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins

The Latinist (10/24/2021)

The novel, The Latinist, is a modern day retelling of the story of Daphne and Apollo. The story line is very engaging as Tessa learns that her trusted mentor, Chris Eccles, has written a very unflattering letter of recommendation for her as she searches for post-doctorate employment. She soon makes an important literary/archaeological discovery, and the tides slowly start to turn. That portion of the novel really becomes fast paced and exciting.
It has been years since I have studied any type of Greek mythology so I found myself looking up and learning a lot about the Greek myths and their ancient culture. The book was compared to the Da Vinci Code, of which I am a huge fan, but I think Dan Brown is better able to bring artists and complex ideas down to a layperson's understanding. I found myself somewhat lost in the deeper layers of this novel. I would recommend this to an audience fairly familiar with academia and classic literature.

The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West
by Carrot Quinn

The Sunset Route (7/12/2021)

The Sunset Route, by Carrot Quinn, will undoubtedly be compared to Educated, The Glass Castle and Hillbilly Elegy. Carrot is abused and neglected by her schizophrenic mother, has a father who has given up all parental rights, and has very cold and abusive grandparents. Her saviors, in her memoir, are her friends and strangers. Each friend she meets in the various school systems she attends, and through her travels, give her the love and friendship severely lacking in her family. Strangers even offer her meals, rides and places to stay.
I didn't realize rail traveling was still done and now I'm going to be looking for cars that people could ride on now when I see trains! Carrot was still able to see the beauty in her surroundings and this comes through so well in her writing. I really wanted to see more closure at the end, but found the last few pages to be very profound. I will be writing some of Carrot's final thoughts down for my own reference. I am following her on Instagram now to see what her future holds.

The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
by Sara Seager

The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir (7/10/2020)

I would highly recommend this book to people with an interest in space exploration and anybody who has suffered the loss of a loved one (primarily a spouse). I have not lost my spouse, thankfully, but I really found the space exploration portion of the book to be fascinating. As a woman who has worked as a Chemist for the past 30 years, I could strongly relate to her struggles to be treated equally to her male counterparts. This has, unfortunately, changed very little since I started my career. Sara has had to overcome a lot of difficulties in her life and has conquered challenges both physical and emotional, which makes this memoir interesting and inspiring. I was happy to see Sara so successful in her career, and I am now watching her TED talk and YouTube videos to follow her groundbreaking work.

Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson

Never Have I Ever (4/29/2019)

Never Have I Ever met people like those that are in this book! This book is suspenseful and completely unpredictable; however, I found myself struggling with the plot development for the main characters. Many of their actions/reactions seemed off and it took away from my enjoyment of the book. I can't go into too much detail without giving away the twists and turns of the book. I would recommend this book to people who love Gillian Flynn's type of suspense with surprise twist endings. It's worth reading, even with its flaws, due to the author's ability to build suspense.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel

Travelling Cat Chronicles (5/14/2018)

I recommend this book for anybody who has always known that their pets were smarter than most people. Nana, the cat, has plenty of sarcastic comments throughout the book to keep you entertained; comments that truly fitting of a feline! This book is also a great blueprint for overcoming life's challenges without the bitterness, jealousy, and self-pity the sometimes accompanies people on their journey. Satoru, the main character, faces more challenges in his short lifetime than most, but he faces them with such dignity, that I was inspired. Throw in some insights on Japanese culture and you have an incredible book!

The Scribe of Siena
by Melodie Winawer

The Scribe of Siena (4/25/2017)

The Scribe of Sienna is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction. The book moves back in forth in time from the modern day Tuscan city of Siena, Italy to Siena, Italy in 1347. I am a huge fan of the Outlander series, so my expectations were high; however, I found the time travel of Beatrice, the main character, and the romance between the artist Gabriele Accorsi and Beatrice was awkward, and although it was fantasy, contained difficult to believe plot lines. The details of the Plague, clothing, architecture, people, sounds, and lack of modern conveniences, transport you to Siena in 1347! The overall plot of the book is well done and keeps you guessing until the end.

Manderley Forever
by Tatiana de Rosnay

Manderley Forever (1/6/2017)

I have been intrigued with Daphne Du Maurier for years as several of my favorite authors have name her as one of their biggest writing influences. What a fascinating woman! Tatiana de Rosnay does an excellent job writing this biography as if Daphne du Maurier is actually doing the narrating. Although the biography is a factual account of du Maurier's life, it reads as a novel. I would recommend this book to anybody interested in Daphne du Maurier and/or her many novels and short stories, the process/inspiration of creative writing, strong women, and LGBT issues. I am looking forward to reading many of du Maurier's novels, especially My Cousin Rachel, before the remake of the movie is released this July, 2017

The Comet Seekers
by Helen Sedgwick

The Comet Seekers (8/31/2016)

Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will love this book! It has a great magical quality about it. The characters are well developed. This book is a beautiful love story that develops as if destined to be from the beginning. The male main character, Francois, is raised by a single mother, and their family is visited throughout the generations during the appearances of various famous comets. Viewing snippets of the family members' lives through generations was fascinating. The use of the comets to track time was very original; however, it didn't quite work for me.

Darling Days: A Memoir
by iO Tillett Wright

Darling Days (4/13/2016)

I chose this book because I viewed the "50 Shades of Gay" TED Talk by iO Tillet Wright. I was amazed by the story of her childhood. This book would appeal to readers who enjoyed the The Glass Castle. Darling Days is memoir about a child that thrives in spite of her parents not because of her parents. What a strong voice she has, and what a tale she has for such a young woman. This book will also be a great pick for anybody interested in listening to a voice from the LGBT community. It is very timely with all the debate over the "gender neutral" bathroom facilities. This book would definitely give a book club plenty of topics for discussion!

The Swans of Fifth Avenue
by Melanie Benjamin

The Swans of Fifth Avenue (10/29/2015)

This novel appealed to me on many levels. From a historical fiction perspective, the story includes many very famous socialites of the 1950s and 60s that I had never heard of. The book took me longer than usual to read because I spent half of my time reading and half of it searching people online! I was just shocked at the lifestyles of these people and how they treated their marriages and children. It contained a strong message that money does not buy happiness. As a middle aged women, I could also relate to the changes these women were seeing as their looks faded and the younger generation was taking center stage.

The Wild Girl
by Kate Forsyth

The Wild Girl (4/20/2015)

The Wild Girl was an exceptionally well written novel about Dortchen Wild, wife of Wilhelm Grimm, of the Brother's Grimm. The story will appeal lovers of historical fiction, historical romance, as well as anybody who might enjoy finding the origins of many of their childhood fairy tales. Grimm's Fairy Tales is a household name, but reading about who the Grimm brothers were and how they lived was as fascinating as the fictional rendering of the life of Dortchen Wild. I have spent much time trying to determine what was fact and what was fiction in the story. I would have appreciated if the author, Kate Forsyth, would have spent a little more time at the end of the book listing the portions of the story which were fact based.

House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy

House of Echoes (2/23/2015)

House of Echoes was quite a page turning thriller about a somewhat dysfunctional family that moves to a small town to bring peace and order to their lives. This small town is definitely not as it seems from the surface, and their problems become much worse instead of better. I would have given the book 5 stars, but parts of the book felt recycled from other very popular books in this genre. There are, however, enough unique twists and turns in House of Echoes that set it apart and make for a great read!

First Frost
by Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost (11/7/2014)

First Frost is creative and beautifully written. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading about the Waverly family and the charmed and magical world they live in. The book description entails a "magical stranger" who I felt added nothing to the story. For more than half the book, his purpose is unclear. The story of Violet, an unwed teen mother, is beautiful; however, the author devotes little to her story. In summary, I enjoyed the writing, but found the story line lacking.

The Quick
by Lauren Owen

The Quick (5/5/2014)

The Quick transports you directly to London England, in the late 1800s. This book will appeal to anybody who enjoys historical fiction with a supernatural twist. Readers who aren't strong fans of the vampire genre of books will even enjoy this book. If vampires did exist – this would be their story. I was, however, disappointed in the ending of The Quick. It rambled on long after the main story line was complete.

House of Bathory
by Linda Lafferty

House of Bathory (12/30/2013)

The House of Bathory story line revolves around the historical figure, Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who lived and brutally murdered over 600 women in the early 1600s in Slovakia. Ms Lafferty tells the horrifying and fascinating story of Countess Bathory as well as giving a very interesting history of the lives of royalty and peasantry during this era. Woven into the historical tale is a modern day version of the story that uses Jung's theory of "synchronicity" to make it plausible. The modern portion of the story was very forced and unrealistic. I found myself skimming through the modern day story to return to the historical sections.

Reviews by Elise B. (Macedonia, OH)

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