In a book club? Please take our annual Book Club Survey

Reviews by Betsy R. (Gig Harbor, WA)

Order Reviews by:
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
Flower Sisters (4/21/2024)
I enjoyed Flower Sisters in that it explored a relatively unknown historical event ie the fire in the dancehall of this small town. Like others, I enjoyed the characters but some of the plot seemed unrealistic, particularly the "discovery" and story by Daisy about an eventmore
Leaving: A Novel
by Roxana Robinson
Leaving is Amazing (1/17/2024)
This book! I loved it. It has it all-affairs, marriage drama, adult children difficulties-many issues some of us have faced later on in life. Warren and Sarah meet by chance twenty-plus years after their college break-up and find that their attraction is still there..andmore
The Fields: A Novel
by Erin Young
Best debut novel I've read in a long time (12/2/2021)
The Fields is about a young recently promoted detective who works in the town she grew up in. When one of her childhood friends is found dead in a cornfield, she is determined to find out who and why. The story moves into a complex web of theories and possibilities and Imore
Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin
Morningside Heights (6/3/2021)
This novel dealt with several contemporary issues interwoven in the story of Pru, a young Midwesterner in New York, and Spence, her famous older professor husband. Spence begins showing confusion and forgetfulness and is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Another theme is wovenmore
Black Widows: A Novel
by Cate Quinn
Black Widows (2/7/2021)
Black Widows revolves around three very different women who happen to be sister wives. Much of the intrigue of the book is figuring out how these women and their lifestyle...works. The short chapters from the viewpoint of each of them adds to the suspense. Highly recommended.
The Girl in White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly
by Kerri Maher
Girl in White Gloves (1/3/2020)
Grace Kelly was famous a little before my time, so I knew next to nothing about her life other than she was a movie star who married a prince. This novel, based on fact, was a riveting glimpse into both her triumphs and her trials. The author did an outstanding job ofmore
The Widow
by Fiona Barton
The Widow (1/22/2016)
I was interested in reading this book as it was compared to Gone Girl and other recent books with unreliable narrators. The first part of the book was great; the second half not so much. The reader has to pay attention to the times listed at the beginning of each chapter asmore
All Is Not Forgotten
by Wendy Walker
All is Not Forgotten (11/2/2015)
I started this book intending to skim it - instead, I was riveted for the weekend. The shifts in perspective from character to character (indicated in italics) was a little hard to get used to, but it was very effective in allowing the reader to see various viewpoints. Themore
Make Your Home Among Strangers
by Jennine Capó Crucet
Make Your Home Among Strangers (6/4/2015)
This debut novel works on many levels. It centers around a young Cuban girl named Lizet who leaves Miami to attend an exclusive and expensive college in New York. Not only is her culture shock severe, she also has to deal with repercussions from her Miami family. The bookmore
The Art of Baking Blind
by Sarah Vaughan
British story-Art of Baking Blind (3/28/2015)
The first thing of note in this book is how very British it is - different terms (courgette, pudding,etc)-even the various items in the baking contest are different from what Americans would describe. Still, the story of five contestants in a baking contest for the New Mrs.more
Whispering Shadows
by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Whispering Shadows (2/9/2015)
Paul has chosen to live in Hong Kong as almost a hermit when he loses his young son. Through the request of an American woman whom he meets in a cafe, he becomes embroiled in the search for her missing son. This search develops into a level of secrecy and deception thatmore
Safe with Me
by Amy Hatvany
Safe with Me (11/22/2013)
I just now finished Safe with Me by Amy Hatvany; I have not been able to put it down for the past day or so. She has told a story full of heartbreak in a realistic and empathetic way. Hannah, a stylist, and Olivia, a stay at home mom, are connected in ways that they wouldmore
Bitter River: A Bell Elkins Novel
by Julia Keller
Second book just as good (8/6/2013)
The same setting as A Killing in the Hills, Bitter River has the same unique blend of mystery and character relationships. The descriptions are vivid although a little overdone sometimes. Bell, the county prosecutor, frequently must deal with crimes against people she hasmore
One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall
One on One (4/29/2013)
Because I keep a list of books I have read since the 1970s, I realized that I had read this and other books by Ruth Doan MacDougall back then and loved them. And I still liked this one today. Yes it is a little dated, but that is one of the things I liked about it - themore
The Roots of the Olive Tree: A Novel
by Courtney Miller Santo
One of the summer's best (8/23/2012)
I purposely saved my copy of The Roots of the Olive Tree for a vacation because I could tell it would be the kind of book that be perfect-and it was. I love family stories, particularly when they center around women as I have three sisters and three daughters. Much of themore
Cloudland: A Crime Novel
by Joseph Olshan
Read it in one night (3/17/2012)
I did find Cloudland compelling as I read it in one evening; however, while it "had me at hello", I did not find the ending very satisfactory or well-done. I think the various characters and their stories were interesting and could have been better developed had the bookmore
A Good American: A Novel
by Alex George
Good American (1/19/2012)
During a rare snowstorm here in the Pacific Northwest, I decided to read The Good American - and read it straight through in one afternoon. I found the story to be leisurely but entertaining; I also enjoyed the small town setting. The characters
of Jette and Frederick weremore
The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel
by Adam Johnson
Worth reading (11/18/2011)
This is not typically the type of book I would select; however, its unique setting, the original story line and the excellent writing made this a title that I am very glad I read. I would tell readers to be patient as they navigate through the characters and premise becausemore
Next to Love
by Ellen Feldman
Next to Love (7/25/2011)
Next to Love weaves the story of three women, childhood friends from a small town, who loved and then married men who were going off to fight in World War II. One of the aspects that I found fascinating was the way in which the author illustrated the fact that soldiers frommore
Friendship Bread: A Novel
by Darien Gee
Sweet and endearing (3/31/2011)
I did like this book as it had great characters and a setting that drew me in. I had to overcome my bias against books written in the present tense, but once I did, it was a book worth reading. I did not give it a higher rating as I have read other books that seemed similarmore
  • Page
  • 1
  • 2

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Wandering Stars
    by Tommy Orange
    Tommy Orange follows There There with a powerful multi-generational story of survival and legacy.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Three Days in June
    by Anne Tyler

    A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding.

  • Book Jacket

    Fagin the Thief
    by Allison Epstein

    A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.

Who Said...

Beliefs are what divide people. Doubt unites them

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

D to T N

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.