Monthly Archives: August 2010

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Now in the hands of rebel forces, Katniss Everdeen becomes the symbol for the battle against the Capitol, even as the human toll of her actions in the arena and out begins to break her sanity. Review: First reads of final books are always tough to evaluate, because desperation to have story questions answered (Team Gale/Team Peeta) make it hard to slow down and enjoy the ride. Mockingjay is much more action-y than the previous two books, and the pacing is fast fast fast.…

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Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold (The Sharing Knife, Book 2)

American Literature

Synopsis: Wedded against custom, magical Lakewalker Dag and his farmer bride Fawn return to Dag’s family home, where they face rejection and ostracism, but when Dag is called out on patrol to battle the most fearsome malice he’s ever seen, they learn that their bond is more than just one of love and may change the world they know. Review: If Legacy weren’t such a strong book I totally would’ve put it down the second my copy of Mockingjay showed up, but Lois McMaster Bujold…

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She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter

American Literature

Synopsis: After her husband leaves her for another man, a model with three teenage boys moves back home to Texas where she runs across the champion bullrider she loved as a teen. Review: I’ve previously enjoyed Jane Porter’s books as being a cut above the usual chick lit/romance genre entrants, but She’s Gone Country didn’t rise to the occasion. While Porter gave Shey a juicy family situation–dead schizophrenic brother, depressed son, gay ex-husband–she never really came to life on the page for me. I think…

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Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold (The Sharing Knife Book 1)

American Literature

Synopsis: A farm girl inadvertently helps a fierce Lakewalker defeat an evil malice, and irrevocably ties her destiny to his. Review: Beguilement is the first installment of a four-book series about Lakewalkers, who are gifted with a kind of magical second sight that allows them to fight evil creatures that steal the life forces of people and animals. Fawn is a farm girl who dreams of a better life, but circumstances have trapped her. When she meets Dag, a Clint Eastwood-esque Lakewalker, she ends up…

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City of Veils by Zoë Ferraris

American Literature

Synopsis: A murder mystery set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, featuring a veiled police officer, an American woman whose husband has gone missing, and the secret history of the Koran. Review: Not impressed by City of Veils, which aims to be a Da Vinci Code for Islam. Conspiracies, coincidences, and religious stereotyping combined with a lackluster plot just didn’t work for me at all. Many thanks to Little, Brown for the review copy.

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