The Handy Answer Book for Kids by Gina Misiroglu

American Literature October 21, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Lots of answers to the kind of questions kids like to ask. Review: The Handy Answer Book for Kids is a great little reference book, filled with pictures and charts and other visual delights. The questions are a lot of fun, ranging from the profound–“Who is God?”–to the trivial–“How does a vacuum cleaner pick up dirt?” Parents will find lots of springboards for great discussions of important ideas and issues. Kids will love all the tidbits of information. There is a good discussion on…

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

American Literature October 20, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A collection of essays written by Gladwell and published in the New Yorker. Review: Bite-sized is how I like Malcolm Gladwell, and What the Dog Saw contains some of Gladwell’s most memorable essays. His profile of Ron Popeil, creator of the Showtime Rotisserie, stands as one of the finest pieces of writing I’ve ever encountered, and this past spring I assigned it to my writing students, who were suitably enthralled. Gladwell gives you the greatness behind the showman veneer, as well as some of…

Oath of Gold by Elizabeth Moon (The Deed of Paksenarrion)

American Literature October 19, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: In her final adventure, soldier turned coward turned paladin Paksenarrion finds herself on a quest to crown the true king, a quest that will bring her face to face with darkest evil. Review: Oath of Gold concludes the Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy in a most satisfactory manner, no matter how trite my one-liner may seem. (Have I mentioned lately how hard it is to summarize epic fantasy?) I was thoroughly satisfied by the breadth of the journey upon which Elizabeth Moon sets her intrepid…

The Vampire’s Assistant–Winners!

On Reading October 16, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Thanks to random.org, the 2 commenters who will win copies of The Vampire’s Assistant from Little, Brown are… #10–Renee G #7–Bethie Email superfastreader -at- gmail -dot- come with your mailing address! Thanks to all who entered!

Luxury by Jessica Ruston

British Literature October 16, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: The drama and tragedy surrounding the friends and family of a wealthy hotel magnate. Review: Since I have read and re-read the novels of Jacqueline Susann about a million times, I’m always on the lookout for the next big, juicy, trashy read. Olivia Goldsmith does it for me; so did The Best of Everything. And now I can add Luxury to my greatest hits list of decadent, over-the-top smutty books that make me feel like I’m taking a vacation in my head. Logan Barnes…

Stretch Marks by Kimberly Stuart

American Literature October 15, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When a yoga-loving vegetarian gets knocked up by her deadbeat boyfriend, her cruise ship hostess mother moves on in, and hilarity ensues. Review: Stretch Marks was cute enough, but it wasn’t the most original take on the subject I’ve ever read. I liked Mia well enough, but at many points I felt like her struggles were genuine enough. It also bugged me how blind she was to her ex-boyfriend Lars’s shenanigans. It’s not like my expectations were that high, but I was hoping for…

Girl in the Arena Blog Tour–Day Three

American Literature October 14, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

It’s the third and last day of the blog tour for Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines, and I’m going to copy from My Own Little Corner of the World and post Lise Haines’s own article about how she came up with the idea for the book. I have to confess that the Gladiator world culture was the least organic element of the book. I really had trouble believing how mainstream it was. I can certainly envision young women being brainwashed into going to…

Girl in the Arena–Interview with Lise Haines

On Reading October 13, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

As part of the tour for Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines, I’m very excited to present this interview with her! Thank you so much for your time–loved the book! Thank you. Itâ€™s a pleasure to talk with you, Annie! I started tuning in this summer to the sisterhood of YA bloggers. Itâ€™s an amazing network. Your background prior to Girl in the Arena is poetry and so-called “literary” fiction. How did you end up writing a novel with a strong genre sense geared…

The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine

British Literature October 12, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: An MP arranges a kinky, consensual abduction for his mistress, but when a chance car accident takes her life, he chooses to keep silent, with devastating results. Review: Everything is connected–except when it isn’t. In The Birthday Present, Barbara Vine follows a scandal-that-wasn’t over the course of four years to show how a secret poisons everyone it touches, and how unrelated events can become part of a story because they appear to fit. The story is told mostly by Rob, brother-in-law to Ivor Tesham,…

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

American Literature October 12, 2009 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: After the death of her mother’s seventh husband in the gladiatorial arena, a teenage girl finds herself betrothed to his killer–unless she can fight her way out of it. Review: When I first picked up Girl in the Arena, I was expecting some kind of Hunger Games ripoff. That’s not a bad thing, per se–I love those kinds of books. But my expectations weren’t that high, and so I was more than pleasantly surprised when I discovered how original, complex, and downright literary Girl…

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Monthly Archives: October 2009