All posts by Superfast Reader

Luxury by Jessica Ruston

British Literature 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…

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Stretch Marks by Kimberly Stuart

American Literature

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…

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Girl in the Arena Blog Tour–Day Three

American Literature 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…

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Girl in the Arena–Interview with Lise Haines

On Reading 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. It’s a pleasure to talk with you, Annie! I started tuning in this summer to the sisterhood of YA bloggers. It’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…

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The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine

British Literature

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,…

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Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

American Literature 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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Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax MD PhD

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: An examination of the science of sex differences. Review: Apart from some outdated and irresponsible advice about breastfeeding (says the LLL leader), I got a lot out of Why Gender Matters, which I listened to on audiobook. Dr. Sax talks about how the neurological differences between men and women, and how that influences how we perceive the world and the choices we make. He applies it to teaching and to childrearing. In short, his argument is that gender blind education is harmful because it…

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Divided Allegiance by Elizabeth Moon (The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 2)

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: A free lance after leaving Duke Phelan’s company, Paksenarrion finds high adventure and faces an evil that changes her irrevocably. Review: Divided Allegiance was much darker than Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, with Elizabeth Moon taking Paksenarrion to some very dark places. Yet Moon never loses her connection with the ideals of goodness, courage, and loyalty that made Paks such an appealing heroine, even as she’s shaking that idealism to its very foundation. I always find middle books in trilogies difficult to discuss. I don’t want to…

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The Vampire’s Assistant–Giveaway!

On Reading 11 Comments

Many thanks to Little, Brown for offering 2 of my readers a chance to win prizes for The Vampire’s Assistant movie release, in theaters 10/23. Two (2) winners will receive: Cirque du Freak book Set (3 titles in one book) Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant Locker Mirror To enter, leave a comment on this post. For a second chance to win, post about the contest on your blog and leave the link below. The contest runs until 10/15/09 at 11:59pm EST. And vote for…

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The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

American Literature

Synopsis: A close look at several generations of a family living in Niagara Falls, begun by a woman widowed by suicide on her wedding day who married one of the men who helped her look for her dead husband’s body. Review: I don’t want to waste much time on a review of The Falls at all, because quite frankly it bored me. The characters were well-drawn, the prose thoughtful, the situations dramatic, but none of it added up to a damn story. I didn’t know…

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