BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Reviews by Marcia S. (Ackley, IA)

In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel
by Crystal King

Who is Julia? (8/7/2024)

Julia is a woman with no past. She remembers nothing! Now a model, she's hired by artist Salvador Dali and his wife Gala. The site is Italy's Garden of Monsters. The Garden has statures of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. She begins to see and feel unusual sensations, making …more

Everything We Never Knew: A Novel
by Julianne Hough

Not My Cup of Tea (7/14/2024)

I finished the book but it didn't draw me in and genuinely compel me to keep reading. As a Christian, I just couldn't identify with the subject matter. I felt that I was reading science fiction. I did feel some empathy for the characters and what they'd experienced in their …more

The Cleaner: A Novel
by Brandi Wells

Stalking in the Shadows (2/4/2024)

What an intriguing concept for a book— the nightshift cleaning lady getting to know the employees she never sees, through her discoveries (and snooping) while cleaning the company floors and desks. It's also amazing that her behind the scene efforts actually make some …more

The Stone Home: A Novel
by Crystal Hana Kim

What does one do to survive?! (11/14/2023)

It is hard for us to fathom the existance of such institutions, past or present. How does one find the strength to survive? Eunju and her mother, Umma, are imprisoned in a Korean reformatory which is actually a place of forced labor and terror. A fellow prisoner, a young …more

Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy

Finding that which is lost (4/6/2020)

Imagine a world without wildlife. That is the backdrop for this unsettling story about Franny— searching to fill the holes in her life. How can she heal the feelings of loss, abandonment, and wanderlust that control her? She thought she'd found the answer with her husband, …more

Patsy: A Novel
by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Misguided dreams (6/2/2019)

I wasn't a big fan of the main character, Patsy. She basically abandons her daughter, Tru, to join her friend (former lover) Cicely in America. Cicely has lied about her life in America and is actually married and has a child. Patsy works hard to build a life, but ignores …more

After Anna
by Lisa Scottoline

Worth the Read (4/12/2018)

I enjoy Lisa Scottoline and this book didn't let me down. Maggie lost custody of her child, Anna, who is now 17. Anna's father and step-mother are killed in an accident and Maggie finally has the opportunity to have Anna rejoin her life. Her husband, Noah, and step-son are …more

Motherhood
by Sheila Heti

Don't waste your time! (2/9/2018)

I had to force myself to finish this book. It was awful. It was so depressing. The narrator and her mother were both depressed, as was the whole book! The narrator was always whining and blaming others for her lack of decisiveness about having a baby. I also hated the coin …more

All We Shall Know
by Donal Ryan

Didn't like the main character (1/17/2018)

This was an OK book but not my favorite. I just couldn't warm up to the main character, Melody Shee. I understood her need to become pregnant, but not her anger at the world. She doesn't seem willing to take responsibility for anything. I did like the ending as she seemed …more

Best Day Ever: A Psychological Thriller
by Kaira Rouda

Inside the Mind of a Narcissist (1/14/2018)

I don't think I've ever read a book in which I hated the main character, Paul Strom, yet couldn't stop reading. Little by little, the evil within this man is revealed. You can't help rooting for his wife, Mia, to escape. It's a dark book, but I liked it. I didn't give it …more

Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathan Miles

Anatomy of a Miracle (1/11/2018)

I found this a very thought provoking book. Cameron, who has been paralyzed for four years, suddenly rises from his wheel chair and walks. Is is a miracle? Many try to prove or disprove the validity of the occurrence. Others try to profit from it. Cameron seems baffled by …more

The Weight of Ink
by Rachel Kadish

Nothing to rave about (6/22/2017)

The book was long! Take out at least 100 pages! The characters and story line were fine, but too drawn out. I forced myself to read the whole book and regret doing so. I would not recommend this book.

The Weight of Ink
by Rachel Kadish

Just too much (6/18/2017)

The book has two interesting main characters and a good story line. However, it needed to be shortened. I often felt the story was dragging on. It would have been better with 100 less pages, which wouldn't have hurt the story line at all. I saw that someone had written that …more

The One-in-a-Million Boy
by Monica Wood

The boys legacy (4/27/2017)

This was such a wonderful book. The characters are so well-written and you find yourself wanting the best for them. The boy touches hearts and changes lives. It's not your usual "feel good" story, as the characters experience pain.This is the story of their journey. In many …more

American Street
by Ibi Zoboi

From Haiti to America (3/15/2017)

Fabiola Toussant and her mother come to America for a new life. Her mother is detained by customs and Fabiola must live with relatives she doesn't remember. The cousins are quite a mixture of personalities and very tough cookies. Quite the culture shock with a range of …more

My Last Lament
by James William Brown

There is much in life to lament (3/2/2017)

The Last Lament is not a happy story. The main character, Alita, performs laments at funerals. She seems to fall into a trance and memorialize the deceased and their life through verse. When asked to tell her story as a lamenter, she actually tells her life story. The …more

Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace

Edsel Finds His Way! (2/2/2017)

Edsel Bronfman is a character you can't help but root for, probably the most naive man I've ever read about. Yet, one can't help but hope he finds his way and the companionship and love he longs for. Is it an easy journey— absolutely not. The fact that he initially has a …more

Rise: How a House Built a Family
by Cara Brookins

Finding the Strength (10/7/2016)

I so admire the Brookins family who pulled together to build their own house. Perhaps that doesn't sound so fantastic, until you realize that this was done by a single mother and her four children. (However, the youngest was really too young to help.) This family moved from …more

Leave Me
by Gayle Forman

Looking for Answers (7/20/2016)

(I received this book as an Advance Reading Copy.) I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy and enjoyable read. Maribeth Klein is a character I liked and could identify with. After suffering a heart attack, she finds little support or assistance from her husband. Thus, she …more

The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies

There are mysteries to sort out in this book (7/7/2016)

I liked The Tea Planter's Wife. The unanswered questions of Savi's intentions toward the various women in the story, Gwendolyn's interpretations of what was happening and had happened in the past, Laurence's not revealing the family history, Verity's treachery and …more

BookBrowse Book Club

Lies and Weddings
by Kevin Kwan

A forbidden affair erupts at a lavish Hawaiian wedding in this wild comedy from the author of Crazy Rich Asians.

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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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The Girls of Good Fortune
by Kristina McMorris

Brave the Shanghai tunnels in this tale of love, identity, and resilience passed through generations.

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