BookBrowse Editorial Review
Fleishman Is in Trouble: A Novel
by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
(6/19/2019)
Although the characters are a narrow group of firmly elite and upper-class Manhattanites...the greater themes will most likely resonate with many readers. All in all, Fleishman is in Trouble is an astute look at the complexities of long term relationships—both romantic and platonic—and what it means to grow and change while simultaneously staying devoted and committed.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken
(2/20/2019)
McCracken's lush and original writing is the novel's greatest strength, and will appeal to readers willing to while away time hanging out in a local gathering spot. The omniscient narrative tone is somewhat distant and reflective, and yet the details chosen are wonderfully specific and surprising.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon
(8/29/2018)
Three Things About Elsie is a satisfying cozy mystery featuring a charming cast of characters in a setting not often represented in literature. In addition to its escapades and revelations, it’s sprinkled with bits of philosophical wisdom and humor centered around aging.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Barbed Wire Heart: A Thriller
by Tess Sharpe
(4/4/2018)
This gritty, intensely feminist tale, is the antithesis to the popular Breaking Bad television series. Harley was born into this life and yet she struggles with the choices she's made. The author, Tess Sharpe, has written for young adults, and though the content of this story puts it firmly in adult territory, Harley is a character with a young adult sensibility. She is good and honorable to an extreme that challenges credulity and is far more hopeful and idealistic than most people with
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Music Shop: A Novel
by Rachel Joyce
(2/21/2018)
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce is an ode to music—and a ballad about a rag-tag community in a run-down suburb on the symbolically named Unity Street. Although the setting is never specified, creating the idea it could happen anywhere, it is located somewhere in England. This is a story about connections and love in all forms—romantic, platonic, familial, obligatory, even of vocation. Despite being beautifully written and utterly charming, this novel is not perfect. Yet, just as even flaws
BookBrowse Editorial Review
George and Lizzie by Nancy Pearl
(10/18/2017)
George and Lizzie put me in mind of long lazy chats with friends—slightly circular, occasionally random, but always entertaining. Beyond the novel's character studies, the plot is simple and wandering—much like many ordinary lives. The pleasure and tension is created organically by the interactions of two divergent personality types as well as real-life moments such as family changes, friends' blessings and struggles, and finding one's way in the world.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss
(9/20/2017)
Appalachian life is foreign even to most Americans. In many ways, it's easy to think the people of these mountains don't have much in common with the rest of the country. I worry that the novel's conclusion might leave readers' prejudices and stereotypes intact, rather than creating an appreciation and respect for a different pace of life while seeing commonalities in our humanity.
That being said, the novel's clear and evocative prose ultimately creates a portrait of a town both beautiful and
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker
(8/23/2017)
Perhaps not surprisingly, I found Cass's narration the more compelling point of view. Her first-person account reveals the secrets in layers, bit by bit. Walker's side of the story adds a valuable explanation, especially for those readers interested in reaching a better understanding of mental illness and its impact on families, but the choice to tell her sections in third-person point of view feels like a misstep. With each shift in narration, I had to remind myself that Cass was no longer talk
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan
(5/31/2017)
The deftly told story doesn't fit into one specific box. It's a murder mystery, as well as an exploration of transgender identity. Told from multiple timelines and characters' point of view, as well as shifting between various geographic locations in the United States Northeast, it is also a thoughtful character study, contrasting who the characters were in their twenties against who they become thirty-five years later.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Mexico: Stories
by Josh Barkan
(3/22/2017)
Despite the gritty view revealed through the eyes of its complex and flawed characters, and the pervasive violence woven throughout, Josh Barkan's short story collection is a love song to Mexico City. As we spend brief moments with ordinary people living in this large and dynamic metropolis, we are introduced to its food, art, architecture, and even the public transportation system—creating a vivid sensorial experience. By the middle of the collection I found myself weary of the constant presenc
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Everybody's Fool by Richard Russo
(6/22/2016)
Despite the heavy focus on characters, the plot is rich and varied, with plenty of action, suspense and surprise twists. A mixture of manic action and introspective reflection, with a hint of a love story, Everybody's Fool has something for everybody.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork
(2/17/2016)
The Memory of Light sends a message to a depressed teen that he or she is not alone. I would also recommend it to friends and family members looking to understand a loved one's fight with depression. It certainly helps to answer Vicky's question: "How can you love someone and still want to kill yourself?"
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui's Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory
by Julie Checkoway
(1/6/2016)
Sakamoto's decision to teach underprivileged children to swim and to challenge them to dream, changed hundreds of lives for the better. I was deeply moved by the fact that so many benefitted from his firm but compassionate attention and coaching. The final scene, focused on student Keo Nakama thirteen years later is inspiring. As he struggles to be the first person to swim the twenty-seven mile Kaiwi channel between the islands of Molokai and Maui, Nakama draws on the lessons learned from Sakamo
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Black River: A Novel
(2/4/2015)
This carefully told story richly explores themes of loss, revenge and forgiveness, fatherhood, and faith in God through the eyes of one man, Wesley Carver. The precise, evocative prose perfectly mirrors the content of this emotionally wrought debut novel. This a gritty story, dealing with misery and pain. After all, in a prison-town, there is no escaping the fact that bad things happen. Some people commit horrendous crimes. And yet, despite the tough truths, there is also hope, and a deep apprec
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Remedy for Love by Bill Roorbach
(11/5/2014)
The premise is intriguing: two strangers, with nothing in common, are trapped together in a rustic cabin on the outskirts of a small Maine town, as "the storm of the century" rages around them. The set-up is easily believable, as is what transpires over the next few days. The writing is languorous and hypnotic, which works better for the intimate getting-to-know-each-other situation than the physical survival aspect of the story. There's a raw authenticity to the situation and the conversations,
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo
(10/1/2014)
Most of the story takes place within the graveyard, a rich and atmospheric place. Although the setting and the themes of death are a bit mournful, the story never feels overly depressing, primarily thanks to Leigh's slightly sarcastic voice and dark sense of humor.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn
(7/9/2014)
Complicit definitely falls into the genre of psychological thriller; there is never any doubt that Jamie is on the edge of madness. The novel feels like an authentic look at the battle with mental illness; one can see what it might be like to lose one's ability to interpret and make sense of the world.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Be Safe I Love You by Cara Hoffman
(6/4/2014)
Be Safe I Love You is a poignant study of the far-reaching consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder. It reminds us that is not only veterans who are impacted by the horrors of war. It has the potential to damage anyone and everyone.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett
(5/7/2014)
And like the ocean, the story too, with its melancholy tone, holds more than is first seen. It seems as though each scene is both worrisome and soothing. The high moments are laced with a bit of a worry. Wonder is quick to follow danger and threat. From the start, I knew we were on unsteady ground. Something ominous looms in the background against the stark yet beautiful landscape made clear with just the right details. And yet, I was surprised by the harsh intensity of the climactic scenes. The
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Luminaries: A Novel
by Eleanor Catton
(10/16/2013)
This is a book for a patient reader – one who is willing to savor the small moments and precise painting of a town and the characters living within its boundaries. With the meticulous attention given to detail, it is as though Catton is building a place and populating it too. Both the characters and the plot are complex and complicated. At times I felt as though I was working a sort of puzzle, trying to fit together pieces I wasn't sure were from the same box.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
(10/2/2013)
This story sets a high standard and level of expectation as to how a first love and first sexual experience might go. Aside from considering moral or religious implications, for teens trying to gain a better understanding as to how it all works, this book sets a wonderful blueprint.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Weight of a Human Heart: Stories
by Ryan O'Neill
(8/21/2013)
Innovative and provocative, The Weight of a Human Heart thoroughly explores what it means to be human—and to have a heart. This varied – and at times seemingly experimental – collection of short stories travels the wide world and brings readers inside the lives of many different characters.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes, Loretta Nyhan
(7/24/2013)
The story is a good reminder that each generation and culture has its own particular challenges and yet, at the core, perhaps we are all striving for the same love and security. When we are weak and tempted, a true friend might serve as a moral thermometer. And when our hearts break from grief and loss, a friend can be a lifeline, a reminder that life must go on, even in the face of tragedy.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Paperboy by Vince Vawter
(6/19/2013)
Although Paperboy is appropriate for readers age ten and up, I think this novel will appeal to many adult readers looking for a reminder of the moment when one begins to see the world through a wider lens.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina
(4/17/2013)
The conclusion of this rough, yet heartfelt story feels brutally real. There is no easy answer. Piddy has gone to war and bears the scars to prove it. But, she also knows more about herself. And she knows that life - like dancing - requires strength, grace and risks. She's ready to step out and to set her own rhythm, in time with the beat of her heart.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Dinner by Herman Koch
(2/20/2013)
Provocative and unsettling, The Dinner explores parental responsibility for their children's behavior, as well as the extreme lengths a parent would go to protect his or her child. But also, it suggests we face the fact that evil might not be easy to recognize.