BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Paula W. (Winfield, IL)

The Jericho Deception
by Jeffrey Small

"Logos" - in the beginning was the Word.... (3/27/2013)

Although I began "The Jericho Deception" with some misgivings, the first few chapters drew me in so deeply --- I just couldn't put it down. Recipe --- put in some terrorists, an explosion, a quest to be able to "give " people an experience with God -- "up close and personal" …more

Salvation of a Saint
by Keigo Higashino

Coffee, Tea, or Milk? (9/19/2012)

This is the first book I've read by a Japanese author. So, to clear the air, I'd like to say that I had difficulty keeping track of the Japanese names---never exactly sure who were male and who were female. So this was more of a challenge to follow than I normally have. So …more

Sentinel: A Spycatcher Novel
by Matthew Dunn

Not my cup of vodka (6/12/2012)

Before I read Sentinel, I read Spycatcher. I liked the first---but I think reading the second adventure was too much for me--too many spies, too many twists, too many difficult Russian names, too many descriptions of esoteric weapons (there was even a glossary!), too many …more

Niceville: A Novel
by Carsten Stroud

10 Thumbs Up (5/7/2012)

Startling. Creepy. Violent. Funny. Unique. Unpredictable. Puzzling. I could not put this amazing tale down. If only Josh Whedon would make it into a movie! It's not for the faint-hearted, but it's a rollicking good read.

In Search of the Rose Notes: A Novel
by Emily Arsenault

Editor, Please!!! (7/27/2011)

It caught my attention. I could see what mystery was going to be and was interested. I like secrets shrouded in the past. The writing was good. HOWEVER! The novel was too long! The same ground was covered again and again. Good editing would have tightened this up and made …more

Jamrach's Menagerie: A Novel
by Carol Birch

A Truly Terrible Book (2/27/2011)

From the very first paragraph..."I was born twice. First in a wooden room...,and then again...in the Highway, when the tiger took me in his mouth...." - this novel was full of terrible and awful events.

Jaffey's adventures are terrifying and amazing , nothing like I have …more

Gone Tomorrow: A Jack Reacher Novel #13
by Lee Child

Had Me at the First Sentence! (11/10/2010)

"Suicide bomber are easy to spot." Gone Tomorrow grabbed my throat from the get-go and never let loose till Jack Reacher was on his way again. Plot twists and reversals and surprises abound--plausible implausibilities-- and I couldn't put this book down. Caution: a couple …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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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.

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