Monthly Archives: October 2012

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams

American Literature

Synopsis: A journalistic survey of the breast, covering evolutionary biology, immunology, culture, politics, and so much more. Review: I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a La Leche League Leader, so I’m very interested in all things mammary. I loved Breasts as I’d hoped I would. A lot of material was familiar to me, but it was presented in such a way where I was able to make new connections and ponder more deeply on the things I already know. Great book, a…

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The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks (Lightbringer, Book 2)

American Literature

Synopsis: The Color War is ON–but Gavin Guile, the only man who can fight back the darkness is losing his powers and facing demons from his past. Review: The Blinding Knife is the second book in Brent Weeks’s stunningly awesome Lightbringer trilogy, which he began in The Black Prism. So far both books have gotten off to a slow start, but once they kick in they are just relentlessly awesome. I feel like Weeks could benefit from a more conscientious editor but his world-building, plotting,…

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The Twelve Days to Christmas by Michele Gorman

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: Hannah thinks her boyfriend is about to pop the question at Christmas–but she doesn’t know what her answer will be, and she only has twelve days to figure it out. Review: Hannah, the protagonist of Michele Gorman’s Misfortune Cookie, is back and just as adorably befuddled as ever. Back together with Sam, who is finally residing in Hong Kong, she has a feeling he’s getting ready to propose, which brings up all of the fears and anxieties she never quite dealt with during their…

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Memoirs of a Time Traveler by Doug Molitor

American Literature

Synopsis: An archeologist finds himself dragged on a zany, madcap adventure through time, his tour guide an indomitable Amazon woman from the future. Review: Memoirs of a Time Traveler is a totally original story that blew my mind and made me laugh. Tonally, it reminded me of Joe vs. the Volcano, a misunderstood and underrated Tom Hanks movie that I just adore. I really appreciated Doug Molitor‘s expert comic timing and inventive imagination. And just what I needed after deciding that Kate Morton’s highly anticipated…

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Accelerated by Bronwen Hruska

American Literature

Synopsis: The father of a third grader in a prestigious NYC private school finds himself pressured to do whatever it takes to keep his son from falling behind–but at what cost? Review: When I picked up Accelerated I thought it was going to be a horror novel and I was really, really disappointed to find it was a straight-up story about the dangers of medicating children for ADHD. I found it really preachy and not that exciting, plot-wise. It just felt very dated. I did…

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The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

American Literature 5 Comments

Synopsis: Ralph is a mouse who lives in a hotel but thirsts for adventure, and his life is forever changed when he meets Keith, a boy with a motorcycle that’s just the right size for Ralph. Review: It makes me very happy that my 1,000th review on this blog (which launched almost exactly 6 years ago) is a book that I read aloud to my almost 5-year-old daughter. The Mouse and the Motorcycle was a perfect choice for our very first chapter book, and we…

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The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

American Literature

Synopsis: 2000 pages of epic fantasy set in a vaguely feudal world filled with magic and mayhem–and at the center is Kylar, a street rat turned assassin for hire who finds himself in possession of a mystical object that lets him see the guilt in people’s eyes. Review: I was really impressed by The Night Angel, despite some intermittently clunky writing and some derivative elements (brother-sister incest, anyone?). I definitely lost myself in the story, though books two and three never quite lived up to…

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