BookBrowse: Your Guide to Exceptional Books

Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us
by Anna Malaika Tubbs

Author supports her viewpoint with detail. (5/4/2025)

Although I agree with author in most instances, I need to better digest much of what was said. Have we ever done better? As a white woman, I understand the truth within this work. However, it leaves me with much internal pain. I am alarmed at my age to leave my world in such disarray. I see the big issues such as climate and equality heading down a bad path. I worry much for my granddaughters, who are not active in saving their world. Frankly, I have been uninvolved too. It is challenging enough to keep my own world in order. Thanks for the wake up call!

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
by Liza Tully

Tried to find it wonderful! (3/5/2025)

Book moved very slowly for the first half. I did not learn to appreciate the two major protagonists until the action picked up later in book. This book did not lead the reader to the final reveal adequately in my view. It was a challenge to apply the title of the book to content; a little silly. The end with Trevor and his mother was too easy. This book would be great for the reader who just follows the author on the trail they lay out.

Songs of Summer
by Jane L. Rosen

Loved it! (12/23/2024)

Serious subject, but enrobed in a rom-com movie plot. Maggie May, the main protagonist, has quite a weekend on Fire Island. The musical themes as chapter titles were very engaging and had me humming. Great time of year for a heartwarming read! I needed that!

Fagin the Thief: A Novel
by Allison Epstein

Exceptional read. (12/4/2024)

The author has a clear writing style that I appreciated very much. Each character was an individual, with identifiable traits. Although many in the story had negative relationships the book was true to its intent. It was easy to follow and more than kept my attention. I galloped through it for fear it might slip away (ebook). One of my favorite Book Browse reads over the many years I have participated with this program. Thank you.

The Naming Song
by Jedediah Berry

I love words. (7/15/2024)

But I have my limits. Building a society where every word has a new name is too much for me. This book I rated good because of the quality of the writing, but I often got lost between the names and the places and the new words. I think it was too long. I wanted to stop reading when it seemed repetitious, but I trudged on. I am so glad that most of BB reviewers found it wonderful. Good for them!

The Cleaner: A Novel
by Brandi Wells

Book had great start! (2/2/2024)

The cleaner had very strong opinions on everything in the office and manipulated that world in order to help. Difficult to not give away too much in review. The middle dragged in my opinion. Had to finish it, in order to find out what finally happened to cleaner. She had totally wrapped herself up in the lives of the office workers. An aside, the plural pronoun for M annoyed me, no end.

The Divorcees
by Rowan Beaird

Changing Your Future in just six weeks! (11/11/2023)

The women in this book mostly wanted a change. Except Greer. I would have liked more detail on Mary Elizabeth. After her husband showed up, she was more interesting. Unwrapping Lois and making her into a living character showed her as a woman who had never controlled her own life. Lois made good decisions at the end. I see her with a reasonable future. The middle of the book was very slow, too much Reno and casino life.

King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner

Many themes and subthemes! (5/24/2023)

This book captures many perspectives: family, environment, history, music, relationships, and more. Knowing some information about Carville before reading the book, I found the title to be very apropos. Involving Victor in some Carville research caused me to question the role of Wendy Chin-Tanner's father in this history. My favorite elements were the depth of musical understanding Victor developed and the life at Carville. The book was unlike most books I have enjoyed. However, it is high on my list of forever books.

Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood
by Tanya Frank

Motherhood (2/15/2023)

Difficult to review, because anything I write might be something I expect a reader would want to discover for herself. How do we understand this malady of Zach. Many different diagnoses and treatments in two different countries. The challenge of two sons, so different from each other. A wife who seems to get short shrift. The author's love of the sea and sea life. I'd love to see this family in ten years.

The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill
by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch

Nonfiction Thriller (12/29/2022)

One of best books I read this year. Very smooth writing. I have read several Meltzer books, and have never been disappointed. This era of history happened when I was under six years old. School history classes give WW2 short shrift, and much of this was very new to me. I plan to reread it soon and maybe pick up some other books about the era. A winner!

The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado

Love Spanish in Book (8/21/2022)

I appreciated the use of Spanish in the book as I am bilingual. However, it might have annoyed me if it were a language I didn't know. I wanted to love the book, but the short-story format developed the characters in a disjointed fashion in my mind. I gathered cultural understanding through the various vignettes which I liked. However, I would have preferred a straightforward more plotted story.

Dirt Creek: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor

Very Australian (3/24/2022)

So many books by Australian authors seem to be written for American readers. This book used vocabulary that is not common to Yanks. Had to look some words up! You feel the oppressive heat overlain with dust. Dirt Creek, for sure! Sweat! The kids had important roles in the tale. I didn't think the ending was excellent: shocking, yes! We all have things in our lives like Sarah, that could finish us off. So far Amira hasn't chosen to ruin her life.

Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey
by Florence Williams

Heartbreak takes many forms. (11/28/2021)

This is one of my favorite BookBrowse offerings. So glad I received it. The parts on rejection hit me. I feel so sorry for the author. Her way out of the pain would not be mine. But we all suffer in different ways. The science woven together with the anecdotes and stories made it very understandable. Many of the statistics were very much applicable to my own story. I imagine almost everyone could use this book to some degree, if they were honest. I am going to share it with my niece who is a therapist and suffered a similar marital breakup. I may wait until it is published and buy her her own copy. I need to reread and remember more.

How to Find Your Way Home
by Katy Regan

Finding your way home? (10/9/2021)

Stephen did find his way home! Lucky man. He could have done it sooner. He was altruistic, but messed up more lives than he saved. I was depressed for much of the book, but the birding was great! What did Stephen expect of Emily? Lots of drama throughout, but little positive resolution for most of the characters (my opinion).

The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West
by Carrot Quinn

Memoirs (8/6/2021)

I am not a fan in general. But Carrot seems to remember her life in a colorful way. Many of us suffered similar lives, but did not shoplift or hop on trains. I appreciate her ability to escape part of her problems. But like all of us we don't escape scott-free. Hope she continues to lead a life she can tolerate.

A Million Things
by Emily Spurr

Unusual Friendship (5/2/2021)

Rae had been raising and taking care of herself and her dog for a long time. I found her maturity unremarkable. Many of us remember what that was like for us as kids. We grew up fast too. We applaud her for her moxie, staying clear of the authorities as long as possible. Thank God for Lettie. She gave Rae a cause. This author is a real clear teller of tales. I appreciated the writing very much. One of my favorite BookBrowse books ever.

Palace of the Drowned
by Christine Mangan

Not a thriller, a downer (3/31/2021)

I almost gave away the finish! It turned out the way I anticipated. Very predictable. If Frankie had not met Gilly, but she did. I love Venice, have been there several times. I did not feel the author captured it...as other reviewers noted. Not my Venice. However, getting lost is so easy. She got that right.

Big Girl, Small Town
by Michelle Gallen

I feel conflicted! (11/7/2020)

Darkly hilarious? Engaging and satisfying? I found this book to be challenging. Majella would be someone I would probably not engage with in real life. She is certainly randy most of the time. Sex with anyone, anytime. Being of Irish heritage, some of vocabulary was comprehensible but much of it was hard to read. The detail was daft. I suppose many people enjoyed knowing what each customer ordered and ate. Me not so much. Having been to Ireland, this book gave me darker information regarding "the troubles". Another perspective is always welcome. I am glad I felt obligated to finish the book. The ending gave me more respect for Majella. Hope it works out.

Miss Austen
by Gill Hornby

For me, Isabella was the true protagonist! (3/6/2020)

I am a Jane Austin Fan, but I found Cassandra to be a little tedious. She exhibited great love and affection for her family members. My emotion went to Isabella.. She was so depressed for much of the book and was barely able to function. Jane's books revived her.I was overjoyed that she finally married her love.The details and mores of life of that period were very engaging. Daily living for the middle class and above had so many rules and habits. Hornby is an excellent writer and there were memorable lines.

Small Days and Nights: A Novel
by Tishani Doshi

I wanted to like it! (11/20/2019)

I thought that the story of a young woman who was put together with a sister who so needed her would make their lives more interesting and fulfilled. That is not what I found. I was over it pretty quickly. A great deal of detail was interesting but tedious. I see that other reviewers were more positive, but for me it was difficult to get through.