School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari

American Literature February 7, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Four kids with immobilizing phobias are sent to a very special boarding school to cure them of their fears–if it doesn’t kill them first. Review: I really enjoyed Gitty Daneshvari’s wit in School of Fear. She has a dry sense of humor that really animates all the characters and elevates the book beyond what could have been just a by-the-numbers genre read. You can tell that she really cares about language and wants to put something original into the world, which is not something…

The Great Bazaar and Other Stories by Peter V. Brett

American Literature February 7, 2010 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A selection of deleted scenes from Peter V. Brett’s debut fantasy novel The Warded Man. Review: The Great Bazaar and Other Stories is a fun little read for fans of the world and characters created by Peter V. Brett in The Warded Man and its upcoming sequel The Desert Spear (which is so so so so so good, by the way–watch for my review and an interview with Peter in April!) I enjoyed reading a few more stories about characters I have come to…

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman

American Literature February 5, 2010 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: Two college friends decide to circumnavigate the globe in 1986, starting in Communist China, unaware that one is on the brink of mental collapse. Review: I generally find memoirs to be self-indulgent, solipsistic, and narcissistic. Very rarely do the people with good stories also end up with the writing skills to engage the reader beyond the titillating details that sold the book proposal and turn their personal story into something that has actual resonance, meaning and importance. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven…

Alchemy Arts: Recycling is Chic by Kate MacKay and Di Jennings

British Literature February 4, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A collection of DIY patterns for sewing projects using found objects. Review: The projects in Recycling is Chic were born out of Alchemy Arts, an arts group that began in Edinburgh and now exists worldwide. The book is filled with tons of fun and funky projects, most of which aren’t made with a pattern. There’s everything from jewelry made out of toys (like Monopoly game pieces) to a huipil (Mayan shirt) made from an old t-shirt and fabric scraps to skirts made from curtains…

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

American Literature February 4, 2010 Superfast Reader 18 Comments

Synopsis: The dragons who emerged from their cocoons along the Rain Wilds River were not exactly the fearsome creatures of legend hoped for by many, so a ragtag group of outcasts and misfits are hired to escort them upriver, ostensibly to find a legendary dragon city–if any of them survive. Review: It was SO much fun to return to the world of the Liveship Traders series, which was my favorite of Robin Hobb’s three Six Duchies trilogies. I’m aching to reread all of them again,…

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

American Literature February 1, 2010 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: Sent to Oxford to present at a Jane Austen conference on behalf of her sister, an unemployed young woman pretends to be a pediatrician to impress a handsome bachelor and makes the acquaintance of a dotty old woman claiming to have the manuscript of Austen’s first draft of Pride and Prejudice. Review: Before I get into my review of Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, I need to make a confession. The book’s editor–who also receives a heartfelt dedication from the author–is a good friend…

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Monthly Archives: February 2010