BookBrowse: Your Guide to Exceptional Books

Reviews by Shirley L. (Norco, LA)

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The Wild Girl
by Kate Forsyth

Excellent Story But a Bit Slow Moving (4/6/2015)

I was intrigued with the subject matter of this book and enjoyed the author's ability to provide historical details in an entertaining manner. I thought the characters were well drawn and I cared about their experiences throughout the book. I don't need an action packed thriller, actually I prefer character driven stories such as this one. However, on several occasions while reading this book, I had the sensation that somebody had moved my bookmark back and that I was rereading passages. I would recommend editing some of the repetitive sections about how difficult life was under Napoleon's rule. This would make a good read even better.

Juliet's Nurse
by Lois Leveen

Better Nurse than Narrator (7/7/2014)

There seems to be a growing trend in novels to base a story on a minor character from a classic work. In Leveen's work Juliet's nurse becomes the narrator in what is essentially a prequel to Romeo and Juliet. This concept works well here, providing an interesting twist on a well known tale. My one criticism is the voice of the nurse. She seems often detached and unemotional about her own story. Her story feels remote and flat. She talks of her love/obsession with Juliet but for this reader her involvement in her own story didn't jump off the page. This made for a good story which could have been told in a more exciting, immediate voice.

Accidents of Marriage
by Randy Susan Meyers

Rather Heavy Handed (6/16/2014)

I had trouble engaging with this novel. The characters seemed one-dimensional, at times almost stereotypes of particular character types used by the author to make her point. Very early in the story the husband accuses his wife of "social working" him. I felt this way while reading much of this book.

A Paris Apartment
by Michelle Gable

An Interesting Tale of Two Women (3/24/2014)

Michelle Gable does an excellent job of telling the parallel stories of Marthe, a renowned courtesan of Paris' Belle Epoque, and April, a very modern furniture appraiser. Although life has changed greatly in the past one hundred and twenty years, love, the bond between parent and child, the desire to feel important, and the relationship between the sexes remains much the same. The story kept my interest and the final fourth of the book was a page turner. Some further editing in the middle third of the book would move this story from very good to excellent. I would definitely read future works by this author.

Under the Wide and Starry Sky
by Nancy Horan

A Flesh and Blood Love Story (11/11/2013)

I usually enjoy historical fiction about real people, and this book was especially well done. Other reviewers commented negatively about the length of the book, but I never was bored nor tempted to skip sections. This was a multi-dimensional telling of a life-long love story and I would not have wanted any part of it to be cut short. In addition to this very interesting tale of the Stevensons' life there were many ideas to ponder such as the meaning of home, the proper role for woman, the nature of the artist, colonization of native lands, and the ingredients of a successful marriage. Robert comes to see that his wife Fanny was indeed an artist and her greatest work was the way she lived her life. What a pleasure for the reader to be invited to share in learning about this life.

The Affairs of Others
by Amy Grace Loyd

Beautiful Written Not Enjoyable Experience (7/11/2013)

On page 2 the narrator, Celia, tells us that when her husband died a lot of her went with him. It is a tribute to the author's skill that this sense of "deadness" permeated the story. A beautifully written story that I did not much care to read.

The Good House
by Ann Leary

An Entertaining Easy Read (12/1/2012)

If the primary goal of a novel is to entertain, and I think it is, then Ann Leary's The Good House performed this task admirably. I felt like I was in Wendover, Massachusetts, and meeting all of its delightful citizens. Of course they were all flawed; perfect people make for very dull stories. Hildy Good is a very flawed narrator and I loved her realness. She is blunt, unsentimental, self un- aware, manipulative and at times funny as hell. The author's portrayal of her struggles with alcohol are spot on and truly tragic. Not a story to change your life, but a fun, intelligent read that I enjoyed thoroughly. I plan to read other works by Ms. Leary.

The Innocents: A Novel
by Francesca Segal

An Enjoyable Read (5/6/2012)

First and foremost reading a novel should be enjoyable and The Innocents certainly was. The characters were complex and not stereotyped. The description of this modern Jewish community was haunting beautiful. Themes of risk versus safety, the individual versus the family, passion versus comfort were all thoughtfully developed. Lots of shades of gray were provided and no easy answers given. An intelligent, warm, quiet read that I found thoroughly satisfying.

Oxford Messed Up
by Andrea Kayne Kaufman

A Love Story Pure and Simple (3/5/2012)

I have been a therapist for twenty five years and was intrigued by the topic of OCD and Cognitive Behavior Therapy in the description of this book. I loved how this book was written. It is a love story and like all interesting love stories the lovers must have an obstacle to overcome. Enter OCD and other psychological and medical problems. Mental and emotional disorders are never cured by crafty techniques but rather by relationship. It might be the relationship of therapist to patient or as in this story the healing power of a love relationship. Relationship cures. What a beautiful message contained in a beautiful story of two very flawed Oxford students who grow and flourish by loving each other.

Tides of War: A Novel
by Stella Tillyard

Better At History Than Fiction (11/11/2011)

This book provides an excellent history of the British fight against Napoleon in the Peninsular War. The characters are well developed and the writing (particular the section where the soldiers describe their sense of unfamiliarity upon returning home) is often exquisite. The author does a great job setting the historical stage for this story. Therein lies the main weakness of this work of historical fiction. The story is unfocused, cluttered with details, and often wanders vaguely from character to character for at least the first half of the book. Sharper editing would have greatly improved this otherwise worthy work.

Next to Love
by Ellen Feldman

Good Overview of the Effects of War (7/9/2011)

Although not as original as her book "The Boy Who Loved Ann Frank" or as detailed as "Lucy", "Next to Love" gives an insightful overview of life during and after World War II for servicemen, their parents, their wives and their children. Given that the book tells the story of three main families as well as several supporting characters over the span of time from December 1941 to August 1964, an overview of their stories is all the reader can hope to get. The scope of the story means depth of character development gets sacrificed. The story is told in multiple scenes of each of the main characters. Although worth reading for the effects of war, any war, on its participants, and in places displaying examples of beautiful writing, the reader can't help but wonder if the author bit off more than her 291 page book could chew.

The Tudor Secret: The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
by C. W. Gortner

Good Solid Read of An Interesting Year in History (3/16/2011)

There is so much historical fiction written about the reign of Henry VIII and that of his daughter Elizabeth I. It was refreshing and informative to read of the intrigue and power plays at court in the time between these two monarchs. I was fairly ignorant of this period of English history. Basically the plot kept the reader's interest and the characters and their connections were fascinating. At times I think the author could have been more subtle with both plot and characters.
There was a "and then this happened next" quality that could have been smoother and I like my characters with more shades of gray. The good guys were perfect and the bad ones pure evil. Overall a good fun read but not outstanding.

The Devotion of Suspect X
by Keigo Higashino

Pure Genius (12/20/2010)

What a fun, intelligent read. Higashino's characters are fully formed and his plot is as taut and satisfying as a perfect geometry proof. The writing is simple and logical but contains so much - the meaning of love, friendship, justice, loyalty, truth. This is a book that stays with you after you finish the last page and makes the reader want to share it with others. I plan to give this book to my son who is working on his PhD in Math. I hope he takes an afternoon away from his work for this nugget of gold.

The Tenth Song
by Naomi Ragen

The Tenth Song Sings (10/21/2010)

I had enjoyed "The Saturday Wife" and was disappointed in the slow start of this book. The characters seemed all soooo perfect. However, hanging in paid off. The characters grew and matured from their initial positions. The discussion of the impact of rote, formalized organized religion versus a more spiritual community of alive, purpose seeking individuals was quote worthy. The relationships of the family members rang true. All characters were multi-dimensional and interesting. Another home run for Naomi Ragan.

Juliet
by Anne Fortier

Juliet by Anne Fortier (7/6/2010)

The basic concept of this novel, that a modern protagonist is somehow connected to characters in a classic piece of literature, is not exactly original. However, Fortier succeeds with an excellent telling of this tale of a spirited descendant of the historical Juliet. With chapters alternating between present day events and those of 14th century Siena, the writing is smart, the plot complex and believable, and the characters multi-faceted and delightfully human. This book is a fine example of historical fiction at its best.

The Queen's Lover: A Novel
by Vanora Bennett

The Queen's Lover (2/16/2010)

Early 15th century England and France were not easy places to be if you were female even if you were of royal blood. Catherine of Valois, her mother Isabeau, and writer Christine were wonderful characters to tell this story of kings, conflict, betrayals and palace intrigue. The story starts slowly; the first hundred pages read more like history than a novel. The pace picks up and delivers a satisfactory ending.

The Last Secret: A Novel
by Mary McGarry Morris

The Last Secret (4/20/2009)

This book was average at best. The "secret" did not ring true to me and the main character was way too accepting of her husband's behavior. She claims she never even considered divorce. Really! I like my female leads to have a lot more passion than that. I've read other work by this author. This is not her best.

Tethered: A Novel
by Amy Mackinnon

Hauntingly Beautiful Murder Mystery (8/11/2008)

Tethered is a haunting, beautifully written murder mystery Clara, our undertaker narrator, never flinches in her descriptions of death and the agony of life lived unloved. She leads the reader straight down the razor sharp line between life and death. A great book club selection, with lots of opinions and viewpoints to discuss.

Mozart's Sister
by Rita Charbonnier

Mozart's Sister Comes Alive (10/18/2007)

What an engaging story of familiar characters. We get an insiders' view of the dysfunctional dynamics of the Mozart Family. It certainly wasn't advantageous to be born female, although ultimately poor Wolfgang doesn't benefit emotionally from his father's indulgence. At its core, this is a story of how the unconditional love of others can lead a character to bloom. The character development is well done. The main chacter becomes alive and the reader is drawn into her tale.

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