All posts by Superfast Reader

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

American Literature January 7, 2010 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: After getting her heart broken by her childhood love, Penny Lane takes inspiration from her parents’ favorite band and forms a “Lonely Hearts Club” that takes her high school by storm. Review: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg is peppy, feisty, altogether modern, and a really fun teen read. The concept isn’t the freshest I’ve encountered, but Eulberg’s fine execution more than makes up for it. Though the book wouldn’t be considered edgy by most definitions, I felt like Penny and her friends…

Don’t Sleep There Are Snakes by Daniel L. Everett

American Literature January 5, 2010 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: The account of a missionary and linguist who has devoted his life to studying the language and culture of the Piraha in the Amazon, a people who have no numbers, colors, origin story, or perception of anything outside the immediate. Review: Don’t Sleep There Are Snakes is a fascinating first person account that looks at a culture that is so utterly alien to our own that it’s hard to believe we could ever have anything in common with them. The Piraha people live in…

Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by AE Moorat

British Literature January 5, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A tongue-in-cheek tale of Queen Victoria’s rule of a demon-infested England. Review: Capitalizing on the unexpected success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter is wittily written and a breezy read, even if the concept feels a bit stale. Many thanks to Hodder for the review copy.

See How Much I Love You by Luis Leante

Spanish Literature January 1, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Santiago and Montse were young lovers, but after their breakup in 1975 Santiago flees to the Western Sahara with the Spanish army, to be caught up in the war between the Moroccans and the Saharawi and become lost in refugee camps until 20 years later Monste, now a doctor, sees his picture and embarks upon a rescue journey. Review: While I absolutely appreciate Luis Leante’s technical excellence and command of historical events, I really couldn’t stay engaged with See How Much I Love You.…

Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card

American Literature December 28, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The seventh son of a seventh son, Alvin Miller is destined for greatness if he can only survive the plots of the Unmaker who stalks him. Review: I loved the alternate America created by Orson Scott Card in Seventh Son, where folk magic abounds and George Washington had himself executed as a traitor after liberating the colonies. The American Indian tribes are the seventh state in the compact creating America, and the French are nowhere to be found. It’s lovely to read a work…

The Killing Doll by Ruth Rendell

British Literature December 28, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A lonely young man sells his soul to the devil so that he will grow tall, but it’s his troubled sister who falls under the sway of the occult. Review: The Killing Doll is an odd little book, with more horror elements than can usually be found in a Ruth Rendell crime novel. I’m used to the pettiness of her characters, but usually there are one or two who engage me. I really didn’t connect to any of these people, and was glad when…

Just An Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson

American Literature December 24, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A collection of unpublished and previously uncollected short stories by the reigning queen of gothic Americana. Review: Short stories are not usually my cup of tea, because they’re over far too quickly. But I’ll read anything that Shirley Jackson writes, and I really enjoyed the stories found in Just An Ordinary Day, which I’ve been reading in fits and starts for several months. Oddly enough, my favorites were among the unpublished pieces. In particular, I greatly enjoyed “My Recollections of S.B. Fairchild,” about a…

Lisey’s Story by Stephen King

American Literature December 19, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Two years after the death of her famous writer husband, Lisey Landon must return to the other world where he both drew his inspiration and unearthed his demons in order to defeat a madman and put her husband’s legacy to rest for good. Review: I listened to the audiobook of Lisey’s Story, narrated by the incomparable Mare Winningham, and this was actually my second encounter with the book, which I have read once before. It’s one of King’s most ambitiously intimate stories, delving deep…

Thank You, Book Blog Secret Santa!

On Reading December 17, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

I participated in the Holiday Book Blog Swap again this year, and received a very sweet Tupperware gift certificate from Patti at Patti’s Reading Corner. Thanks, Patti!

Just Grace and the Snack Attack by Charise Mericle Harper

American Literature December 15, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: An energetic, intelligent, and thoughtful third-grader embarks on a class project to learn all about the potato chip, and along the way learns how to make a zine and deals with some conflict with her best friend. Review: I definitely fell in love with the titular protagonist of Just Grace and the Snack Attack. She’s just a great kid–and author Charise Mericle Harper brings her to life by filling the book with Grace’s lists, drawings, musings, and adorable humor. I loved the way it…

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