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Reviews by Cathryn Conroy

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We Are Not Ourselves
by Matthew Thomas

This Book Is Profound. And It's Also a Great Disappointment. (4/22/2023)

This book is profound. But it is also a great disappointment.

This is the story of Eileen, an Irish-American from a working class family in Queens, who marries Ed. Together they have a child, Connell. This is the story of their lives--Eileen's determined quest for a large …more

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
by Margot Lee Shetterly

They Helped Break the Color Barrier as They Helped Break the Sound Barrier (4/22/2023)

You don't know this story. This is almost a secret story. Not because it was kept secret on purpose; it was just not deemed to be worth telling. But it is not a secret any longer. Thanks to this book and the movie with an all-star cast we are now privy to the extraordinary-- …more

My Name Is Lucy Barton: Amgash Series #1
by Elizabeth Strout

As Nearly Perfect as a Novel Can Ever Be (4/22/2023)

This is a story about the human condition. Of happiness. And sadness. Of love. And hate. This is a story of life--childhood, marriage, motherhood. It's all here in a very short book that will grab your heart and not let go. It is a simple story written in exquisite prose …more

Anything Is Possible: Amgash Series #2
by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout Is My New Favorite Author (4/22/2023)

I just want to say this first: Elizabeth Strout is my new favorite author. She consistently writes with an empathetic and wise compassion of the human condition. Her books touch my heart.

"Anything Is Possible" is a continuation--not a sequel--to "My Name Is Lucy Barton." Do …more

House of Names
by Colm Toibin

A Chilling and Dramatic Page-Turner (4/22/2023)

If you think Greek mythology is boring, dull and ancient, think again. "House of Names" by Colm Tóibín is an exciting, thrilling and imaginative retelling of the story of Clytemnestra's murder of her husband, Agamemnon, after he brutally sacrificed their 16-year-old …more

The Sleepwalker
by Chris Bohjalian

Brilliant! This Book Will Give You Goosebumps (4/22/2023)

Imagine a mountain. A boulder is on the top. The wind and rain eventually--but slowly--push the boulder inch by inch to the crest. And then gradually it begins to tumble down that mountain...ever so slowly at first and then it picks up an inexorable amount of speed until it …more

A Gentleman in Moscow
by Amor Towles

An Extraordinary and Charming Book (4/22/2023)

In 1922, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is declared by the new-to-power Bolsheviks of being a Former Person and is sentenced to house arrest. It just so happens that the good count, a highly-educated, well-read aristocrat who has never worked a day in his life, has lived for …more

The Leavers
by Lisa Ko

Heartbreaking and Emotionally Raw--But Oh So Important to Read (4/22/2023)

This book will leave you emotionally raw and potentially bruised, but it's worth the psychic pain because the story--illegal immigration and its consequences big and small--is vitally important, perhaps more so now than ever.

After a seesaw life of ups and downs in China, …more

The Nix
by Nathan Hill

This Is Genius! A Must-Read Book Worth 10 Stars (4/22/2023)

Wow! (Sigh.) Wow! (Sigh.) Oh, wait. This is a book review. I should use real words to describe it. Let's see...Genius. Astounding. Mind-boggling. An absolute must-read. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

The title of the book comes from a Norwegian superstition about the …more

Before We Were Yours: A Novel
by Lisa Wingate

A Tragic, Riveting Tale Based on Historical Facts (4/22/2023)

Although it's very sloooow in getting started (Hang in there! It's worth it!), this becomes a can't-put-it-down book that tells a heartbreaking tale based on historical facts. From the 1920s to 1950 in Tennessee, wealthy couples were able to adopt babies and children who …more

Bridge of Sighs
by Richard Russo

Genius. Pure Genius (4/21/2023)

I read the first sentence and thought: "Oooh! This is going to be a good book."
I read the second sentence and thought: "I adore Richard Russo. Such a good author."
I read the third sentence and thought: "Hmmm...this might be a five-star book."
I read the fourth sentence and …more

Bittersweet
by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

This Is the Quintessential Page-Turner (READ IT!) (4/21/2023)

Warning: Do not start reading this book unless you have hours and hours to read. It will suck you in and not let go, and your planned schedule will fly out the window.

Girl No. 1, Genevra (Ev for short), comes from a New York family that is wildly wealthy in money, real …more

The Witches: Salem, 1692
by Stacy Schiff

Serious Nonfiction Ideal for the History Buff (4/21/2023)

The 1692 Salem, Massachusetts witch trials and executions can be considered America's first true-crime story. And a helluva story it is! Mass hysteria turned the idle chatter and bizarre accusations of several bored little girls into mass hangings of innocent people. It …more

Charming Billy
by Alice McDermott

This Is an Irish Catholic Wake--In Written Form (4/21/2023)

This is a novel about life. About death. About memories. About the future. About faith. And the loss of it. About truth. And lies. And secrets. And most of all about the relationships that bind us to one another.

This book is essentially the written form of an Irish Catholic …more

A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline

Beautifully Haunting and Lyrical: A Must-Read (4/21/2023)

You know the painting. It's called "Christina's World." Painted by Andrew Wyeth, it depicts a young woman crawling up a hill toward a home. (Google it. You'll recognize it!) This magnificent book by Christina Baker Kline tells the story of Christina Olsen, the real-life …more

Sacred Hearts: A Novel
by Sarah Dunant

Oooh! Oooh! I Loved This Book! (4/21/2023)

Oooh! Oooh! I loved this book! Set in 16th century Northern Italy, this is the story of a 16-year-old novice entering a convent--absolutely against her will. In this time, women of good birth had one of two choices: marry or become a nun. And neither one was really her …more

The House at Tyneford: A Novel
by Natasha Solomons

Excellent Book That Grabbed My Heart—And Wouldn't Let Go (4/21/2023)

This book grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go! By turns quite humorous and bring-out-a-tissue heartrending, this book by Natasha Solomons is the story of Elise Landau, a 19-year-old in Vienna, Austria in 1938. She has lived a life of luxury in an upper-class world. But her …more

Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality
by Jacob Tomsky

Wait…WHAT?!? People Really Do THAT in Hotels? (4/21/2023)

If you plan on ever staying in a hotel again, read this book first. Author Jacob Tomsky, who has worked in a variety of jobs in two luxury hotels in New Orleans and New York City, gives the inside scoop on how to get the most from your stay. And while most of it is legal, …more

Americanah
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This Is a Book to Be Cherished (4/21/2023)

I just have to say this first: I LOVED this book! And I also have to say that it was a little out of my comfort zone. Written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, this is a book about Nigeria. And Nigerians. And Nigerians who move to the United States. And England. And then move …more

Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story
by Wally Lamb

Laugh, Love and Be Joyful! This Book Is Perfect (4/21/2023)

If you read this book in a public place, such as a crowded commuter train or on an airplane, beware! Parts of it are so laugh-out-loud funny that I had to stop reading to wipe the tears from my eyes.

Written by genius Wally Lamb, this is the story of Felix Funicello, who is …more

BookBrowse Book Club

The Jackal's Mistress
by Chris Bohjalian

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch, a Civil War love story of a Confederate wife and a wounded Yankee.

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Dream Count
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A searing new novel from the bestselling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists, exploring four women's desires.

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