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Reviews by Ruthie A. (Jersey City, NJ)

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Tuesday Nights in 1980
by Molly Prentiss

Promising Debut! (1/6/2016)

I have mixed feelings about this book; the descriptions in the novel, of places, art, personalities, etc were compelling. I felt, like Lucy, like a newcomer, frightened, thrilled and in awe of the portrayal of the city. The mood and tone were perfectly conveyed, this author …more

Fallen Land
by Taylor Brown

Gripping, Tense and Beautiful! (11/13/2015)

Two orphaned teens and a noble horse flee bounty hunters, renegades, the desperate, the displaced, the hungry, and a terrible prophecy. I love historical fiction, especially when I learn something new. This is a time/era/story I knew very little about, told in such a …more

The Book of Speculation
by Erika Swyler

Intriguing, Mesmerizing Mystery! (4/1/2015)

This is a fast paced debut novel that grabs the reader and takes them on a wild ride. A mystery, told with dual narratives alternating between Simon - a librarian in the present day, and Amos, a mute born in 1780, the story literally starts on the edge of a cliff. An …more

The Rabbit Back Literature Society
by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen

Wasn't magical for me... (10/29/2014)

The premise of this novel, a young teacher being asked to join a writer's secret society, piqued my interest, and I settled down eagerly to read this book. I became nervous when I started to read about goblins, gnomes and elves, and things just got worse.

Our main character, …more

The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel
by Michel Faber

Thought Provoking Not Really Sci-Fi! (9/7/2014)

I loved The Crimson, The Petal and the White, but this book is as different as two books could be! This is also a book I might not have picked up had I known what it was about - not a Sci-Fi fan, nor would the religion heavy theme have attracted me. Would have been my loss!

…more

The Quick
by Lauren Owen

Victorian Gothic with a BIG Surprise! (4/13/2014)

It is best to read this book with no foreknowledge so try not to read reviews as they may spoil the "surprise"! I will not reveal it here, so proceed!

The books begins with young Charlotte and James, living in the family mansion, their mother dead, father away. Fairly …more

BookBrowse Book Club

Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Based on the author’s family story, comes an extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ escape from Taiwan.

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The Lilac People
by Milo Todd

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See, a poignant tale of a trans man’s survival in Nazi Germany and postwar Berlin.

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Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

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