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Reviews by Elyse R.

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River Sing Me Home
by Eleanor Shearer

Powerful beyond words (9/10/2022)

This was one of the best books I have read in ages! Imagine a novel that grips your entire being both physically and emotionally throughout the story. Every aspect of this story was so well crafted, from the scenery (I was always there with the characters), to the …more

Metropolis: A Novel
by B. A. Shapiro

Survival in a storage facility (7/23/2022)

What a clever concept carried out by a cast of characters, from varied walks of life, with one thing in common…life has gotten a bit too difficult for each of them in different ways. Yet this storage facility has given them each a chance to escape, figure things out, and …more

Blind Man's Bluff: A Memoir
by James Tate Hill

Now I see (9/18/2021)

I found myself drawn to this book as my dearest friend is legally blind and has been for almost 25 years. What I found was not what I expected. I did appreciate the author's honesty and style of sharing his story, but I often found myself thoroughly disgusted with his …more

Mrs. March: A Novel
by Virginia Feito

Poor Mrs. March (7/16/2021)

I finished reading Mrs. March weeks ago, yet every time I look at this cover, I shudder. This psychological rollercoaster of a ride kept me reading to discover what was really going on in the mind of poor Mrs. March. At times one feels disgust for her, at other times pity. …more

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel
by Laura Imai Messina

Wind telephone carries hope (1/22/2021)

This story is based upon a true story of the wind telephone in Otsuchi, Japan, built by a gentleman upon the loss of his cousin as a way to deal with his grief. The location of this phone booth is a windy piece of land, thereby lifting your words off into the wind. The …more

When All Is Said: A Novel
by Anne Griffin

Ripple effect (4/4/2019)

I applaud Anne Griffin for her ability to evoke so much emotion from the perspective of one old Irish man. By the end of the book it is clear that a simple act or word in one's life can, and does, have a ripple effect and often through generations. This is about how we love, …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 new graphic memoir from the author of Blankets and Habibi about class, childhood labor, and Wisconsin’s ginseng industry.

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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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