All posts by Superfast Reader

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…

Scars and Stilettos by Harmony Dust

American Literature January 31, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: How an exotic dancer left the profession and founded a ministry to help other women do the same. Review: Harmony Dust’s story as told in Scars and Stilettos is not without merit. The girl has been through a lot, from childhood sexual abuse to rape to poverty, all of which led her to a soul-crushing career as an exotic dancer. I just wish that the writing had been a little stronger. Nevertheless, this is a powerful story and I hope it helps a lot…

Raven’s Ladder by Jeffrey Overstreet

American Literature January 31, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Led by troubling visions of a shadowy Keeper who is probably benevolent and hoping to find Auralia and her colors, Cal-raven, king of Abascar, leads his homeless people out of exile and into a danger of another sort–seductive House Bel Amica, where brews a danger of a greater kind, related to the tentacles that sprang from the ground and destroyed House Abascar. Review: Raven’s Ladder is the third intallment in Jeffrey Overstreet‘s Auralia thread, began in Auralia’s Colors and continued in Cyndere’s Midnight. The…

My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

American Literature January 28, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Kaylee is a bean sidhe, a soul screamer who thinks she can save lives–until she discovers that some souls–like a talented pop star–are beyond saving because they’ve made a deal with the Netherworld. Review: My Soul To Save is a quirky read with an interesting concept, albeit one that never quite came together for me. I had difficulty grasping the worldview behind the notion of soul screamers and grim reapers (all attractive teens, of course), and so it was hard for me to connect…

Lost to the West by Lars Brownworth

American Literature January 26, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire that Rescued Western Civilization. Review: I was first introduced to Lars Brownworth’s Lost to the West thanks to his outstanding podcast 12 Byzantine Rulers. He presented tangled, complicated history so compellingly that I just had to read the book. The book is a fantastic read. The history is clearly presented with an eye to both the big picture and the little details that bring it all to life. The way he tells it, Byzantine history casts new light on…

Winners–The Lonely Hearts Club

On Reading January 26, 2010 Superfast Reader

Thanks to random.org, the three winners are: 3–Kendell 4–Laura D. 5–Anne Email me with your address! Your Name: (required) Your Email: (required) Your Website: Your Message:

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