BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Our Missing Hearts: A Novel
by Celeste Ng

Is this where we are headed? (10/24/2022)

This book hit too close to home with the current political situations.
Great characters and I loved Bird. This story made me nervous because some of this is happening today and do we see it?

The Last Russian Doll
by Kristen Loesch

The Last Russian doll (10/17/2022)

In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land...this is story of generations of women interlocked in Russian history. It starts with the overthrow of the Romanov family by the Bolsheviks in 1917 and continues to 1993. Rosie who lives in London takes a position as an assistant and goes to Russia to discover her history. I throughly enjoyed this book and the Russian history interwoven with this story. I had trouble at first understanding the multiple names given to the characters at different times in their lives. I would highly recommend.

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle: UK Title: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
by Stuart Turton

Murder mystery party (8/14/2022)

The author used a wall of post it notes to keep track of all the characters while he wrote it. I felt I needed a wall of post it notes just to read this book. I went back to the guest list so many times I thought about making a copy of it. This book required a lot of concentration to read but overall I enjoyed it. I felt I was at a murder mystery dinner and had clues being thrown at me continually.

All the Lonely People
by Mike Gayle

We all are lonely sometime in our lifetime. (8/14/2022)

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of A Man called Ove. This story starts out as a Jamaican young man going to England for the availability of jobs and money. The life he lives is full of great happiness, grief and loneliness. The characters are so interesting and well done. It is my favorite book of the year. My only dislike was Hubert's used of the word "me" instead of I.

The Empire of Dirt: A Novel
by Francesca Manfredi

Absolutely baffled (6/1/2022)

I just did not get this book, coming of age? Bible related with the frogs, plague, bleeding walls? This book was so confusing. Not a true theme or plot. I don't know what I missed but I sure missed it.

Honor
by Thrity Umrigar

So many things I did not know about India (4/23/2022)

Terrific book. The story is set in India. Smeetha is a reporter and goes to India to help her friend who is having surgery. Her family moved from India to the United States when she was 14. This story relates all the Indian beliefs, customs, Hindi and Muslim conflict and horrible treatment of women. Smeetha takes a journey of awakenings and self discovery.

On a Night of a Thousand Stars
by Andrea Yaryura Clark

Argentina's Political Injustice (2/21/2022)

Paloma returns to her birth country with her mother and father, an ambassador to Argentina. I knew nothing about Argentina's political history before reading this book other than Evita. The story moves between the 1970's and the 1990's. Great story as she discovers the injustice done to her country and her family. The author tells a great story that was compelling and so interesting. She got my attention.

The Magnolia Palace: A Novel
by Fiona Davis

Magnolia Place (1/23/2022)

Fiona Davis does it again. This book was a great crime drama. I knew nothing about the Frick Museum. I did some research to learn more about the history. I love that when a book piques my interest to learn.

The Lincoln Highway: A Novel
by Amor Towles

My best book of 2021 (1/2/2022)

So enjoyed this story of mischievous boys and their misdirected road trip. All the characters were believable. A new favorite author for me.

The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

Learned a lot (1/26/2021)

I only knew that JP Morgan was wealthy. This story of his personal librarian is very engrossing. I knew nothing about manuscripts or books he acquired. She has a story of her own which was never brought to light during her lifetime. I enjoyed the story but was disappointed when the authors at the end of the book relate all the inconsistencies and liberties they took.

The Narrowboat Summer
by Anne Youngson

3 attempts (11/19/2020)

I just could not get into this book

The Madwoman and the Roomba: My Year of Domestic Mayhem
by SandraTsing Loh

Easy read (4/15/2020)

I enjoyed the series of essays. We all find ourselves in at least one but the events are pretty insignificant. I may try another of the author's books.

He Started It
by Samantha Downing

Yes, he did start it. (2/2/2020)

First sentence in book. You want a heroine. Last sentence. Here we are, at the end, and we still don't know who the heroine is. You'll have to figure that out for yourself. So many twists and turns in this book. Just when you think you have a handle on it, a twist and you have to rethink. So challenging who is telling the truth and who is not. I think they all were liars and had secrets.

Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins
by Katarina Bivald

Pining Away for a Better Story (11/30/2019)

Surprised that the main character in this book has died. She worked in a motel her whole life and now is helping her friends and father deal with her death. The story really drags in the middle and I almost didn't finish it but lasted to end to see if it got any better. Just not a favorite.

Creatures
by Crissy Van Meter

This book went on and on- (10/11/2019)

I just wanted this book to end. This story is all over the place. Past, present and future with no direction. I couldn't get past the first line about a dead whale in the harbor. Then the missing mother, alcoholic father and missing fiancé'. Scanned the last pages just to say I finished it.

Ordinary Girls: A Memoir
by Jaquira Díaz

Spanish dictionary needed (9/1/2019)

I overall liked this book and her story. I did not like that I needed a Spanish/English dictionary. I feel I missed some of her book trying to figure out the words. She tells of her childhood of abuse, sex and crime. She was all over the place in telling her story and at times it was hard to follow. Characters were introduced randomly and several times I went who is this. Family was important yet she spent years away from them. She bared her soul in this book.

Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson

interesting Fantasy (6/18/2019)

when I read the premise of this book I decided I would not like it. I was pleasantly surprised that I really liked the read. Fire children, politics and a great ending. I found myself not liking Madison or her husband but did like the decision they made for their children despite the politics. I could not live with myself....

A People's History of Heaven
by Mathangi Subramanian

Over descriptive (2/16/2019)

The story was a little syrupy and not every object needs to be defined by an analogy. I could not get past trying to keep track of 5 girls and their mothers. This is another story like the "Beautiful Forevers".

The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin

Dysfunctional to the max (12/6/2018)

The Skinner family sure had their trials and tribulations in this story. Lots of unrecognized mental illness. I enjoyed the interactions and craziness. The loss of a sibling throws this family into a wild ride. The siblings raised themselves while their mother went through "the pause" and the result of their childhood and how they learned to love.

At the Wolf's Table
by Rosella Postorino

Taste testers for Hilter (10/25/2018)

My first thoughts were, what could you write about a taste tester for Hitler? This was a very compassionate story about Germany women and the perils they faced. The book is very depressing. These women could never catch a break. They got to eat well but their children at home were starving and the husbands were at the front. These 9 women were always at the threat of the guards and each other. This is another window to war and the suffering of people.