Monthly Archives: February 2011

A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: The war of the Five Kings heats up, with intrigue, conspiracy, regicide, betrayal, and black magic abounding. Review: First of all, I am outraged beyond belief that Random House couldn’t get Roy Dotrice to perform the audiobook version of fourth installment of this series. It’s breaking my heart that I can’t continue listening to his incomparable narration. His work is masterful, bringing all the intensity of the plot and subtlety of the characterizations to life. It’s really depressing to me. A Storm of Swords…

Read More »

The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

German Literature

Synopsis: When a child turns up gruesomely murdered, the midwife is accused as a witch, and the local hangman must turn up the real culprit or else torture and execute his innocent friend. Review: The Hangman’s Daughter seems to be one of those books that everyone is talking about, probably because the price on Amazon is so low. I enjoyed the historical detail from 17th Century Germany but the plot really let me down. It became a rather run-of-the mill thriller of the kind that…

Read More »

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1)

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: The early rise of the mage who who became the Kingkiller and who now owns a humble tavern. Review: This my second time reading The Name of the Wind, in anticipation of the upcoming release of Wise Man’s Fear. I’m very very very very exciting. The book mostly held up well on a second reading. I was surprised at how fresh it seemed to me, a testament to the depth of Rothfuss’s vision. You can read my original review here.

Read More »

Labor of Love: A Midwife’s Memoir by Cara Muhlhahn

American Literature

Synopsis: The autobiography of a homebirth midwife in New York City. Review: Labor of Love is a book that really meant a lot to me. I had both of my daughters at home with midwives and worked quite hard this spring lobbying Albany to pass the Midwifery Modernization Act. My first midwife is featured heavily in the book as she is a good friend to Muhlhahn, and it was nice to encountar her in a different way. Muhlhahn became a divisive figure after an unflattering…

Read More »

Fall to Grace by Jay Bakker

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s son Jay, a pastor of a hipster church that meets in a Brooklyn bar, gives an exegesis of the book of Galatians and urges the church to return to grace-centered theology. Review: I found much to admire in Fall to Grace, most notably Bakker’s firm grasp of the freedom that grace offers the believer in Christ. However, I just couldn’t get past his round dismissal of the book of James. Bakker would have us believe that the book was…

Read More »