Monthly Archives: March 2007

The Keeper by Sarah Langan

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: In a rotting-down town in nowheresville Maine, a woman with a broken mind haunts the minds of the inhabitants, tormenting their dreams and leading them to make deadly choices. Review: I picked The Keeper up after reading about it on SciFi Wire, but I have to say I was disappointed. The writing is assured, and Langan demonstrates considerable ability in bringing the reader inside the characters’ heads. She’s also not afraid of going for the gore, and some of her imagery will be sticking…

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I Don’t Like Jonathan Lethem’s Books But That Doesn’t Make Me Stupid, Stupid

On Reading 6 Comments

Today’s New York Times had a review of Jonathan Lethem’s new book, You Don’t Love Me Yet. I don’t see what the big deal is about Lethem–I thought this book was ably written but lacking vitality, and Motherless Brooklyn made me put it down after about 100 pages because it bored me.

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Luck of the Wheels by Megan Lindholm

American Literature

Synopsis: Gypsy teamster Ki agrees to ferry a most disagreeable boy to another town, and discovers a world of trouble when she and her companions find themselves in the middle of an uprising. Review: Luck of the Wheels, the fourth and final installment in the Ki and Vandien Quartet, is the best Lindholm I’ve read so far. Here, she pushes her protagonists as far as they can be pushed, taking the kinds of story risks that make her books so accomplished. She’s not afraid to…

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The Limbreth Gate by Megan Lindholm

American Literature

Synopsis: A gypsy woman is drawn into a shadow world to fulfill the destiny created for her when she was briefly kidnapped as a child. Review: The Limbreth Gate is the third installment in Megan Lindholm’s Ki and Vandien Quartet, and is perhaps the most conventional of her books. The plotline is a familiar one–a shadow world opens up, sucking the main characters in–and while Lindholm doesn’t exactly take it to new heights, she does deliver a solid, well-written, suspenseful fantasy tale.

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This House of Sky by Ivan Doig

American Literature

Synopsis: A memoir of Ivan Doig’s childhood in western Montana, wrangling sheep and falling in love with words in the company of his father and maternal grandmother. Review: This House of Sky was given to me by my very good friend Karen. She and I have been trading books for as long as we’ve known each other, and I always know that she’ll give me something worth reading.

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The Bird’s Nest by Shirley Jackson

American Literature, On Reading

Synopsis: One girl with four personalities at war for dominance, and her only hope is the doctor who is growing to loathe her. Review: I swear this has never happened to me–I could have sworn I read The Bird’s Nest when I went through my Shirley Jackson phase back in 1998. I found this awesome woman in Canada who found me most of her out-of-print books–except this one–in a used bookstore in Toronto. I knew I didn’t own The Bird’s Nest, but I thought that…

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The Giver Could Become a Movie

On Reading 2 Comments

Cinematical reported today that The Giver by Lois Lowry has had some action on the adaptation front: For years, the book has floated around in development hell. After it was published, it was picked up by Lancit Media, and then RCN Entertainment, but both businesses tanked. Nicole Silver then grabbed it with Jeff Bridges, holding onto the film for nearly 10 years. House of Sand and Fog scribe/director Vadim Perelman wrote a script, and was to direct The Giver starring Bridges, until Walden Media bowed…

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