BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Joanne V. (Towanda, PA)

Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray

Harlem Renaissance (9/29/2024)

Firstly, thanks to Book Browse and Net Galley for this ARC! I enjoyed Victoria Christoper Murray and Marie Benedict's "The Personal Librarian" and looked forward to Ms. Murray's book, which she had mentioned briefly in an earlier interview with Marie Benedict. I admit to …more

The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton

A Good Mystery (1/7/2024)

I totally enjoyed this book! The author did a fantastic job with her description of the house, the locale, and all the characters. It was an easy and fast read and although there were two separate time periods, it didn't detract from the mystery like some books I have read. …more

Becoming Madam Secretary
by Stephanie Dray

Excellent Historical Fiction (11/1/2023)

Thank you, BookBrowse, for selecting me to review this book. I was not familiar with the author nor really knew much about Frances Perkins. What an impressive woman and she accomplished so much when women were largely ignored! Even though we have made progress, I still can' …more

Two Storm Wood: A Novel
by Philip Gray

A Difficult but Compelling.... (12/23/2021)

I have never read anything by Philip Gray or much about WWI, but I would highly recommend this book. The writing, plot, character development are terrific! It was not a particularly easy read and I am going to re-read it when I don't feel rushed. The book describes the …more

Never Saw Me Coming: A Novel
by Vera Kurian

An easy and entertaining read, but..... (6/8/2021)

This was an entertaining "thriller" but I didn't think the characters well developed or very interesting and there were too many "events" that came out of nowhere. And I didn't like any of them except Andre. The ending was a real disappointment, even though it was a …more

Daughter of the Reich: A Novel
by Louise Fein

1930's Germany and the rise of Hitler (3/14/2020)

This was a well researched and interesting fictional novel of 1930's Germany and the rise of Hitler. I am also reading the first in a series of non-fiction books on the Third Reich by Richard Evans. I thought the writer did an excellent job in describing the various events, …more

And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton

Another glimpse of Camelot (12/20/2019)

I really liked this book especially the first person narrative and the obvious extensive research done by the author. I still remember exactly where I was when I first heard President Kennedy was assassinated and the days following. It was sad to remember and I have …more

Red Letter Days
by Sarah-Jane Stratford

The McCarthy Era (11/6/2019)

I really enjoyed this book dealing with an era that I have not read much about although was in my early teens during this time. It was quite similar to another one I was reading at the same time, "The Chelsea Girls" by Fiona Davis that was based on the same theme and time …more

You Were There Too
by Colleen Oakley

A disappointment (8/25/2019)

This book was not very interesting to me and I found it a bit trite and silly. Probably because I had just finished "The Overstory" before reading this. I didn't finish it and I did try so that I could do a review, but it just didn't hold my interest at all.

The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather

Witold Pilecki, an unknown hero (5/12/2019)

Mr. Fairweather has produced an awesome book about a little known Polish hero who endured the horrors of Auschwitz - how and why he comes to be there and what happens to him after WWII is both compelling and disturbing. This book should be required reading for both high …more

Courting Mr. Lincoln
by Louis Bayard

Really Good Historical Fiction (2/9/2019)

I really, really enjoyed this book! I have never read anything by Mr. Bayard, but I had read Irving Stone's "Love Is Eternal" many years ago - it reminded me of that book. This is a much smaller book in that it covers the early years of the Lincoln/Todd relationship, but it …more

My Lovely Wife
by Samantha Downing

A really creepy story (10/19/2018)

Whoa, who are these people? I kept thinking about that as I raced through this book - of course, thinking I knew the ending - not so! I am not so sure I would recommend this for a book club, it is disturbing and the characters totally unlikable. Usually this would put me …more

The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams

The Summer Wives (4/20/2018)

This was my first Beatriz Williams novel and I did enjoy it. I didn't think it a historical novel or a mystery, but just a good romance set in a great locale. The author does a good job with her characters and I really liked the back and forth in different years. I figured …more

Young Jane Young
by Gabrielle Zevin

Not nearly as good as her first book (7/23/2017)

I really loved "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry" - not so this one. Perhaps it is the title - in my view, I think it is a dumb title! I just couldn't find anything sympathetic about the characters - and it was so "Monica Lewinsky" that I just didn't like anyone. I realize that …more

The Twelve-Mile Straight: A Novel
by Eleanor Henderson

An excellent read, but difficult at first (5/13/2017)

I really loved this book once I got into it. The characters, plot, and especially the writing are excellent. Interestingly the author lives nearby in a town where I lived some years ago. I would definitely recommend this to my book group as I think there are so many things …more

The Half Wives
by Stacia Pelletier

The Half-Wives, a very interesting title, but.... (1/12/2017)

I did not like this book, mostly because I didn't care about the characters. The writing was OK and the history surrounding burials in San Francisco interesting. The ending was predictable and trite. I did finish it, but wouldn't recommend it to a book group, even though I …more

Victoria
by Daisy Goodwin

Early years of Queen Victoria (11/2/2016)

I am not a particular fan of Daisy Goodwin's novels, but found this one to be an easy and interesting read about the first few years of Queen Victoria's reign. The character of Lord Melbourne was most interesting and I thought, the best developed. It was also interesting to …more

Falling
by Jane Green

An easy, but not very satisfying summer read (6/2/2016)

I am not really sure about this book, while it was an easy read and one that went by quickly, it was unsatisfying. I didn't think the characters were well developed and I didn't really "get" the attraction. There could have been more substance to them and I didn't really …more

Crazy Blood
by T. Jefferson Parker

Really good book about Olympic-level ski racing (1/14/2016)

I am a big fan of Mr. Parker's books and totally enjoyed this one. I loved the descriptions of ski racing and the competition and found the characters well developed (although not very likable) and was thoroughly entertained. He did not disappoint and I would recommend this …more

The Well
by Catherine Chanter

I really tried with this book..... (2/25/2015)

I am not sure why, but I just didn't like this book at all. The author's prose is exceptional, but I didn't like any of the characters, with the exception of Lucien. And I was so impatient with the pace....maybe I was just not in the mood for this type of story. I do think, …more

BookBrowse Book Club

A Map to Paradise
by Susan Meissner

From the USA Today bestselling author of Only the Beautiful. 1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

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Becoming Madam Secretary
by Stephanie Dray

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating novel about an American heroine France Perkins—now in paperback!

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The Husbands
by Holly Gramazio

The Husbands delights in asking: how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

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