Tag Archives: 20th Century

Seraphina Sequel! Station Eleven, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Praying Life

American Literature January 26, 2015 Superfast Reader

I just got my e-hands on an e-ARC for Shadow Scale, the sequel to Seraphina, and it’s not disappointing. Full review will be posted on the release date. I joined a book club but missed the first meeting because production widow. I was so bummed, because Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven was a great one for a discussion. I have long been fascinated by depictions of our world with the lights off, but usually they leave me with the megrims and a sense of…

Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb (Fitz and the Fool, Book 1)

American Literature May 3, 2014 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: After bringing dragons back to the world in the thrilling conclusion of the Tawny Man trilogy, past-haunted bastard Catalyst Fitz has now retired to a quiet life under an assumed name, but when his post-menopausal wife claims she is pregnant, and a pale messenger with an ominous message dies in his holdfast, Fitz wonders if the wheel of history is bringing his beloved Fool back into his life–for better or for worse. Review: Count me among those who had a major freakout upon realizing…

Something Blue by Ann Hood

American Literature February 5, 2014 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When Katherine leaves her fiancÃ© at the altar, she heads to New York City to crash with her ex-best friend, only to find a less-than-warm welcome from Lucy, who has man troubles of her own. Review: While the friendships in Something Blue were satisfyingly nuanced, I was left somewhat cold by the overall story. I loved visiting the New York City of the late 1980s/early 1990s, because some of the restaurants mentioned were places I went to when I moved to Manhattan in 1995.…

Everything She Ever Wanted: A True Story of Obsessive Love, Murder, and Betrayal by Ann Rule

American Literature August 28, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Pat Taylor Allanson was a southern belle whose dream of owning an elite horse stable was on the verge of coming true, until her husband was arrested for murdering his own parents, and Pat’s penchant for drama had people wondering if there was more to the story than what it appeared–and what about that arsenic? Review: I admit it, I have a thing for true crime, particularly Ann Rule, and this is not the first time I’ve read Everything She Ever Wanted. It’s not…

A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George

British Literature August 7, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When a young woman is suspected of murdering her father, a mismatched team of detectives, both haunted by their own ghosts, seek out the truth and risk losing themselves. Review: I am very picky about the detective novels I will read, and A Great Deliverance had everything I look for–emphasis on character over procedure, excellent sense of place, and complicated interpersonal dynamics. The story was definitely dark but not edgy, which I also like, and I fell in love with the partnership between public…

Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule

American Literature July 15, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The true crime account of the murder of a brilliant attorney by her sociopathically narcissistic husband. Review: I was looking for a quick and easy read and decided to return to an old favorite. Dead by Sunset is one of Ann Rule’s best books, offering an exquisitely detailed portrait of a narcissist and the destruction he created in the lives of his wives (5 of them), girlfriends (too numerous to count), kids (sadly he was a bad father to 6 kids), and business associates.…

The Shining by Stephen King

American Literature February 17, 2013 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: Dysfunctional family gets collective ass kicked by haunted hotel. Review: I think The Shining is probably my favorite Stephen King book–and that includes the Dark Tower books. And I’m always tickled at how different it is from the Kubrick movie–and how I can love them both as complete works without needed them to resemble one another. My husband decided he’d give King a try, having never read any of his books, and asked me which one. I didn’t hesitate before recommending this one to…

Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla

American Literature November 7, 2012 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The story of Squanto, the Native American who helped the pilgrims and journeyed to England. Review: I read Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims, aloud to my almost 5-year-old, and I have to say I’m a little obsessed. First of all, I was prepared to stop if it veered into anything offensive, like a noble savage stereotype, and that never happened. All I felt like I needed to explain was that we don’t say “Indian” anymore, we say “Native American.” Bulla does give Squanto a…

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

American Literature October 3, 2012 Superfast Reader 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…

The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

American Literature October 3, 2012 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A high school girl agrees to help a mysterious stranger rescue his little sister, whom he claims has been kidnapped by her father. Review: I used to love me some Lois Duncan back in the day (Stranger With My Face, anyone?) but this one just didn’t do anything for me. Many thanks to Laurel Leaf Suspense for the review copy.

reading is my superpower

i read all the books