BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Jan M. (Jenks, OK)

If you'd like to be able to easily share your reviews with others, please join BookBrowse.

Wayward Saints
by Suzzy Roche

A Pleasant Surprise (12/3/2011)

I'm a senior reader who is not "in to" rock music, so I was prepared not to like this book. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The author, quite skillfully, told the story of a mother and daughter's estrangement and some of the reasons behind their distant and difficult …more

The Beauty of Humanity Movement: A Novel
by Camilla Gibb

A difficult life of diligence and dedication. (12/18/2010)

This was my first Camilla Gibb book, but it certainly will not be my last. She has a lovely style that paints beautifully descriptive pictures of a land and it's people with whom I'm not well acquainted. My husband was a Vietnam vet who often wished to return to see the …more

The Nobodies Album
by Carolyn Parkhurst

Interesting concept but difficult read (6/15/2010)

Carolyn Parkhurst had a wonderful story to tell, but in my opinion an awkward approach to it's telling. I loved the analogy between life's consequences and book endings, However, the randomly placed variations of other books into the central story about Milo were …more

Beautiful Assassin: A Novel
by Michael C. White

BEAUTIFUL ASSASSIN (3/13/2010)

This was my first Michael White novel, but it certainly will not be my last. He hooked me right from the start and held my attention through the end. I was originally drawn to this book because I had visited Russia and some of the places mentioned were familiar to me. It …more

The Wives of Henry Oades: A Novel
by Johanna Moran

A no win situation (12/4/2009)

I really enjoyed this book. It was written in such a way that I "felt the pain" of all the major characters.

With this book, Ms. Moran has woven the basic facts from a court case into a tapestry of life's difficulties. Poor Henry Oades was in a no win situation with two …more

Serena: A Novel
by Ron Rash

Serena by Ron Rash (9/10/2009)

As a somewhat “over the hill” reader, I enjoyed Serena. I have some letters written by my grandfather describing his life in a logging camp during the Depression. Ron Rash’s description of the harshness of the times was much the same as those described by my Grandfather and …more

Baking Cakes in Kigali
by Gaile Parkin

Baking Cakes in Kigali (5/31/2009)

My reaction as I read this book was "sweet." The repetitive detail about cakes and the tea were almost too much at first, but later on I began to see that there was more to Angel. Her wisdom and compassion and sometimes devious methods made for an interesting read. I loved …more

Water, Stone, Heart: A Novel
by Will North

Water, Stone, Heart (5/3/2009)

This book covered everything - suspense, love story, geography and history lessons, and human relations.

The descriptions of the landscape and gentle people encouraged me to include Cornwall in my list of places I would like to visit. The writer has talent for revealing the …more

BookBrowse Book Club

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.

About Discuss
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.

About Discuss
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.

About Discuss

Members Recommend

Serial Killer Games
by Kate Posey

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).

Read the Reviews
The Original Daughter
by Jemimah Wei

A dazzling debut by Jemimah Wei about ambition, sisterhood, and family bonds in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.

Read the Reviews
Awake in the Floating City
by Susanna Kwan

A debut novel about an artist and a 130-year-old woman bound by love and memory in a future, flooded San Francisco.

Read the Reviews
Ginseng Roots
by Craig Thompson

A new graphic memoir from the author of Blankets and Habibi about class, childhood labor, and Wisconsin’s ginseng industry.

Read the Reviews