BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel
by Crystal King

Wanted to leave the table (8/27/2024)

Having previously read Circe by Madeline Miller, which was a thrilling retelling of Greek mythology, I chose to review In the Garden of Monsters. Unfortunately, the comparisons stop at the reference to Greek mythology. I found Ms. King's writing to be quite repetitive in her descriptions of how the characters felt, behaved, and thought. The endless descriptions of food, drink, table settings and the servers became mildly nauseating especially when the menu included frogs, larks, and boars. The main character, Julia, was vexing and childish. The addition of Salvador Dali and his wife, Gala, enriched and confounded the plot. Many of the conversations and events including them did not seem plausible, especially for 1948. Given that the story is a surreal fantasy, why include actual people? Yet, I must admit that I wanted to know how the novel ended and how Julia would ever figure out what was really happening to her. If you are a lover of mythology, then you might enjoy this book.

Romantic Comedy: A Novel
by Curtis Sittenfeld

Funny Girl (5/3/2024)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how at show that is based on SNL comes together. I found the characters believable and lovable. I was rooting for Noah and Sally! The novel is current and refreshing. There are some laugh out loud moments and endearing ones as well. The addition of emails and text messages was well placed and the timing of the relationship was also perfect. If you enjoy books that focus on the realities and pitfalls of romance, you will love it.

Help Wanted: A Novel
by Adelle Waldman

Not for me (1/24/2024)

Unfortunately, I had a difficult time engaging in and relating to the characters and storyline of Help Wanted. Obviously working in retail is difficult yet I did not feel sympathetic to the workers' plight. I found the use of the names Big Will and Little Will distracting, and I was not interested in knowing how the story would end or what happened to the myriad of characters. There were a few moment of levity but not enough for me to recommend the book to others.

Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

Far out! (7/22/2023)

This tale definitely stretched the limits of my knowledge about astronomy, Zimbabwe, and elite private college programs. The overall story was quite interesting but personally boring in regards to the descriptions of the stars and constellations. I enjoyed the characters and I found the dialogue to be authentic. However, I found it hard to believe that Rosa's "terrors" took so long to be diagnosed when she was in the US, and I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying. I wanted more answers to her father's relationship with Mr. C., and to know if her relationship with Peralte continues.

The Long Ago: A Novel
by Michael McGarrity

Easy like a Sunday Morning (4/10/2023)

I had never read a Michael McGarrity novel and pseudo-mysteries are usually not my preferred genre. So, I thought I would come out of my comfort zone and was pleasantly surprised. Mr. McGarrity's style was warm and laidback, honest and unassuming. descriptions of meals occurred more than I can recall in most novels, and the majority of the characters had excellent manners most of the time. I learned things about ranching and Vietnam - two very disparate topics. Although the time period was '63 to '65, at times I felt the word choices and situations suggested an earlier era and put me in mind of an old western. Perhaps that is because the author seems to be a gentleman who wanted to tell a sweet story while taking his time. I did not feel that I couldn't put the book down, but I wanted to know how it all turned out for every character.

The Lost English Girl
by Julia Kelly

Feeling a mother's pain (3/4/2023)

The primary story of Viv, Joshua and Maggie is a sad tale but a realistic one where love triumphs in the end. I did not know that children were evacuated from Liverpool during WWII, and Viv's pain at leaving her daughter behind was palpable.The description of Catholic expectations and rules in the 40s, and the feelings toward Jews was spot on. The supporting characters (Viv's mother, Rebecca, Moss in particular) were so well drawn that their personalities came to life on the page. Transitioning between Joshua and Viv's viewpoint (and occasionally Maggie's) was very effective, as was the decision to tell the story in 5 year increments. I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction and don't mind shedding a few tears.

Wade in the Water: A Novel
by Nyani Nkrumah

Engaging and heartfelt (11/14/2022)

The story of Miss St. James and Ella will stay with me for a long time. I found it to be an easy but thought provoking read, and I could not wait to pick it up each day. Katherine's story is so unfamiliar to me, and I found it hard to believe that it happened between the late 50's to 1983. Yet, I was intrigued by the challenges she faced growing up in the South and then reconciling that upbringing with what she learned in Princeton. Her friendship with Ella was an important part of the story, but I felt that Ella stole the show. While my heart broke for Ella because of the abuse she endured, deep down I knew she would find her way. I wanted to know more about where her road leads beyond these pages. I hope they make it into a movie or mini-series.

Fly Girl: A Memoir
by Ann Hood

More like a history lesson than memoir (4/24/2022)

Unfortunately, this book felt more like reading "a history of flight attendants" than a memoir. The use of precise dates, makes of planes, and chronological order of events was quite textbook-like. The few lines which were laugh out loud funny and spoke to the heart were too few and far between. I found much of the information repetitive and insulting. Perhaps if I had never flown on an airplane, I would have needed to read detailed explanations of what a flight attendant does on a flight. This story just did not hold my interest.

The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins

It is a love indeed (10/26/2021)

I found The Latinist to be an intriguing tale of obsession but did not consider it a "mystery" in the truest sense of the word, because we know who did what to whom from the start. Having earned a doctorate myself, I recall the delicate balance between mentor and student and how easily the lines can be blurred. Tessa and Chris' relationship delves perfectly with the fate of Apollo and Daphne. Mr. Prins prose is lovely to read and I appreciated the additional illustrations and bold print to delineate emails and epigraphs. However, the many references to early Roman poetry were a tad tedious as Latin was never an interest of mine. Yet, I found the book hard to put down and what an ending! This book is for the reader who wants and enjoys an intellectual challenge but not likely for mass market.

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

Something is missing (7/28/2021)

Having enjoyed non-fiction "survival" stories in the past such as Wild and Educated, I eagerly dove into Carrot's story and was immediately intrigued and scared by the details of riding freight trains. Her raw and honest details of her abusive and terrible childhood gave me a "I can't look away" feeling similar to watching a horror movie. However, her writing style was choppy and disjointed at times. Descriptions of nature and daily activities seemed to come out of nowhere, and I felt that her need to tell us about all the times she needed to take a st was unnecessary. I learned much about the perils of riding freight trains, the value of dump diving, and the ease of shoplifting; yet, I was disappointed that the last 10 years of her life were omitted. I celebrate that she survived and went on to write about her life to date despite having only a sketchy high school education. I also hope Carrot got the counseling she clearly needs, and she finds the love she is seeking.

Lady Sunshine
by Amy Mason Doan

A blast from the past! (6/1/2021)

Lady Sunshine was an easy read and kept me intrigued. The descriptions of the Sandcastle and its surroundings were vivid and easy to picture, and references to the 70's (Max Factor!; the Hustle) let me feeling nostalgic. I did not guess the ending as it seemed a cruel and unlikely outcome for most involved. I felt that Jackie's relationship with Paul was an afterthought and did not contribute meaningfully to the story or either of their lives. In fact it put me in mind of the plot to many Hallmark movies. This novel is a "beach read" as others have referred to it, but definitely not a deep dive into the character's lives.

Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin

Simply Honest (4/18/2021)

Morningside Heights came at me quickly and kept me riveted through all the details, the dialogue, and the feelings. The prose is straightforward and realistic. It is still hard to believe that the novel spans forty years in the lives of Pru and Spence Robin. Because a good part of the story is focused on their children, I selfishly found myself wanting more details about their marriage prior to Spence's decline. Being a wife in my late 50's, I could only dreadfully imagine if my spouse had Alzheimer's. Mr. Henkin's ability to evoke feelings and move you through time is effortless. I would recommend this book to all married people (whether in a book club or not).

With or Without You: A Novel
by Caroline Leavitt

Just not feeling it (5/16/2020)

I had hoped that a story of woman coming out of a coma and dealing with a changed life and old relationships would be insightful or at least moving, but I was very disappointed. The three main characters are continually grappling with questions of "What should I do?" as if they were teenagers rather than 40 something adults. Their impulsive decisions alternately either lead to the "heat" of desire or the "nausea" of a mistake realized too late. I almost started to count how many times the words "heat" and "nausea" were used in this novel. Overall the book felt too much like a soap opera tale to me, and I could not connect with any of the characters. The ending is somewhat unresolved, but I found myself not caring about the resolution. Perhaps if you are looking for a very quick, unsubstantial beach read, this book may interest you. If not, pass for a story with well developed characters who make thought out decisions.

The Last Train to Key West
by Chanel Cleeton

The Perfect Escape! (3/21/2020)

The Last Train to Key West was a joy to read from start to finish. I loved the author's choice to tell the story from the viewpoint of each of the three women lead characters.Each woman was unique and fully developed. Her style was easy to read and full of vivid details. Having visited Key West recently, I was immediately intrigued with the setting and the topic of the 1935 hurricane. The description of the devastation was spot on and truly disturbing.The way that the women's emotions were expressed on the page and their lives became interwoven by the end of the story was sweetly unpredictable. This is a wonderful escape novel for any woman.

Actress
by Anne Enright

Insightful story with luscious language (11/13/2019)

Actress by Anne Enright is a daughter's reminiscence of her mother, Katherine, who was a brilliant actress in her time, yet struggled with mental health issues. I still cannot decide how I feel about Katherine as a mother. Along the way, we get to know Norah and I like her quite a lot.

The story includes scenes in Ireland, New York and England populated by many flawed male characters. Ms. Enright's rich language filled with vivid descriptions and honest realizations caused me to stop, reread and ponder many sentences in awe. For example in describing one of her mother's friends, Norah remarks, "It was always lovely when he was in the room, and yet no one had a good time." My only slight criticism of the story is that switches in time and place occur often requiring quick adjustments. Read this novel for keen insights into relationships and beautiful prose.

Crudo
by Olivia Laing

Not for the faint of heart or Trump supporters (10/23/2019)

This book felled most of the members in my book club as it is a departure from any novel we have ever read!. It is written in a stream of consciousness style and refers to many events occurring in the real and fictional (TV) world of 2017. I found the book to be confusing at times and laugh out loud funny at others. The main character was unlikable but somehow I wanted to root for her and her marriage anyway. If you are open to a completely different kind of story with no preconceptions of a plot, read this 133 page book (preferably in one sitting). Many of my fellow book club members gave up on it after putting it down.

Reviews by Elizabeth L. (Langhorne, PA)

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Reviews by Elizabeth L. (Langhorne, PA)

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