The Reason for God by Rev. Timothy Keller

American Literature September 28, 2008 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: A rebuttal to the key arguments against Christianity and apologia for the tenets of the Christian faith. Review: Rev. Tim Keller is legendary among Christians here in New York City. He is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a large church that has planted a number of daughter churches throughout the area, including the one that we attend. He is known as a great explicator of Scripture and people often attend services at Redeemer on top of their regular church attendance just to hear…

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

American Literature September 20, 2008 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: Jenna thought her childhood best friend Cameron was dead, but when he shows up at her high school 8 years later, she must confront demons long buried and deal with unresolved issues with her family. Review: I was very impressed with the way Sara Zarr built the suspense in Sweethearts. I was aching to find out where Cameron had been, aching for Jenna to talk to him, aching to see their childhood love burst into adolescent fruition. I could almost barely stand to read…

The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

American Literature September 18, 2008 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: New girl Ana struggles with overprotective parents who push her to succeed, but when she winds up in detention she discovers she is not the only girl in school who has survived a near-fatal incident. Review: I bigtime heart Anne and May, the Good Girls, so I was thrilled to read The Miracle Girls, the first in their new young adult series. Anne and May write Christian fiction that isn’t preachy, and The Miracle Girls makes Ana’s Christianity just part of her life, not…

Home by Marilynne Robinson

American Literature September 18, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Prodigal Jack Boughton has returned to Gilead, bringing joy to his dying father and an ache to his lonely sister’s heart. Review: It breaks my heart to say this, but I don’t think Home lives up to Gilead. Mailynne Robinson’s prose is still astonishing in its simplicity, and the characters are just as sharp as ever. Even her digressions are riveting. But when it was over, I did not feel it added anything to Jack Boughton’s story. If anything, it reads like an appendix…

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, Book 1)

American Literature September 17, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A teenage girl discovers that she comes from a lineage of demon hunters, and finds herself drawn into the ongoing battle between good and evil. Review: I picked up City of Bones after reading a rave review of the next book in the series on the Queens Public Library’s email newsletter for YA picks. It sounded like a fun read, and I was not disappointed. I just got a book light so I can read in bed while Superfast Baby snoozes in her crib…

Aaron Horwitz Remembered

On Reading September 11, 2008 Superfast Reader

A sweet young man with a big smile who looked up to his roommate like an older brother. I remember celebrating his birthday at Serafina and dressing up for Halloween for a rooftop party on the pther side of Bleecker Street. He had trouble getting to work on time, but that day he decided to turn over a new leaf, and that meant he got to Cantor Fitgerald at just the wrong time. I stopped and looked at the tiles on the corner of 7th…

The Civility Solution by PM Forni

American Literature September 8, 2008 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: People are rude–and here’s what you can do about it. Review: I would like to see everyone in the world read The Civility Solution. It always baffles me how much rudeness is out there in the world. When I was pregnant, I was constantly amazed that people would not give me a seat on the subway, for example. Or the ever increasing hordes of cell phone yakkers. As my best friend would say, “The nerve of some people’s children!” I suppose endorsing this book…

Rules for Saying Goodbye by Katherine Taylor

American Literature September 8, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: An episodic look at the life of a California girl living in New York. Review: I do not like to give negative reviews on this blog so I will just say that I finally gave up on Rules for Saying Goodbye with only 70 pages to go. I did not like that it was a memoir disguised as fiction. I wasn’t crazy about the arch, tinny dialogue. I never cared about the protagonist/author. It was not for me. I will say I did enjoy…

Visit Farworld

On Reading September 6, 2008 Superfast Reader

I missed the boat on reviewing this book in advance like I hoped, but please check out Water Keep, a new YA fantasy series set in Farworld. And if you live in in Austin, TX, check this out: I also wanted to mention that I will be having a release party at the Spanish Fork, UT library on Saturday, September 13th from 12-3. Weâ€™ll be having free food, free posters, drawings, and all that good stuff. And 20% of the proceeds will go to the…

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

American Literature September 3, 2008 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: An aging minister writes a letter to his young son, telling him all he’ll never have the chance to tell him when his son is a man. Review: “Just now I was listening to a song on the radio, standing there swaying to it a little, I guess, because your mother saw me from the hallway and she said, ‘I could show you how to do that.’ She came and put her arms around me and put her head on my shoulder, and after…

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Monthly Archives: September 2008