All posts by Superfast Reader

Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) by Patrick Carman

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: With Atherton inverting, a young boy with a penchant for climbing and his friends go on a journey of a lifetime through the hidden corridors of the only world they’ve ever known. Review: Rivers of Fire, being the middle book in a trilogy, concerns itself with questions of war and evolution. Everything on Atherton is in flux, from society to the ecosystem to geology itself. I don’t want to give too many spoilers for book 1; suffice it to say that our heroes remain…

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The House of Power (Atherton, Book 1) by Patrick Carman

American Literature

Synopsis: Atherton is a world with three levels, which have always remained apart; however, when the top level begins to sink the entire society is threatened and a young boy may be the only one with the key to survival. Review: I was glad that I knew very little about The House of Power before reading. The dust jacket is deliberately, thankfully obscure, and the story doesn’t yield its treasures readily. I love the pacing of the exposition, which kept me in suspense but not…

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Crocodaddy Giveaway!

American Literature 6 Comments

I’ve been having a great time on the Crocodaddy book tour. And I’m so pleased that author Kim Norman is hosting a giveaway for readers of this blog! Leave a comment by midnight tonight EST, and I will choose a winner at random to receive a signed copy. (US only, please!) The other participants are here: A Christian Worldview of Fiction, A Mom Speaks, A Pathcwork of Books, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Booking Mama,Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, KidzBookBuzz.com, Looking…

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Kim Norman Interview (Crocodaddy Blog Tour Day 2)

American Literature 3 Comments

Kim Norman, author of Crocodaddy, answered some questions for me. Thanks, Kim! The book is partly inspired by your own young sons. How does being a mom affect your writing? When my boys were little, I loved reading to them. I find reading children’s books to be very inspirational. My creativity is particularly sparked by wordplay, so I really miss those whimsical conversations you can have with a 4-year-old. Because they lack a long vocabulary history, they take words very literally, which can lead to…

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Crocodaddy by Kim Norman (Blog Tour Day 1)

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: An illustrated children’s book about a boy who takes a fantastic ride on the back of a friendly crocodile. Review: Crocodaddy follows a young boy as he faces his fears and wrestles with a crocodile. Playfully illustrated by David Norman, the book uses surfing and snowboarding imagery to represent our hero’s imaginative ride. Older preschoolers will love how the rhymes evoke action, movement, and play, and it seems natural that they will want to play Crocodaddy themselves. I will have an interview with Kim…

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So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: A pastor facing a spiritual crisis receives counsel from a man who may be St. John. Review: So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore has a lot of great insights into the crippling effect that the legalism of religious obligation can have on anyone’s faith. I was with the book for the first two-thirds, nodding my head in agreement as John enlightens Pastor Jake about seeking life and salvation from God, not from rituals like Sunday morning worship or weekly Bible study.…

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Present Tense by Dave Duncan (The Great Game)

Canadian Literature

Synopsis: Book two in this trilogy has our unjustly accused hero crossing back to WWII-era England, hoping to escape from the law so he can enlist on the front lines and narrating the story of his time as a battle commander Nextdoor to his cohort of rescuers. Review: I was not quite as enthralled with Present Tense as I’d hope to be, but I still enjoyed it. I get frustrated when fantasy stories rely too heavily on the notion of prophecy, because then the story…

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Past Imperative by Dave Duncan (The Great Game)

Canadian Literature 5 Comments

Synopsis: An upper class young man on trial for murder in WWI England finds his destiny entwined with a girl on the road with a traveling troupe of actors in an alternate vaguely medieval world ruled by capricious and contentious gods. Review: I really enjoy Dave Duncan’s writing–he’s imaginative and not afraid of getting a little literary, and always comes up with great characters. Past Imperative (Round One of the Great Game) was a welcome departure from the usual epic fantasy in that half of…

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Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton

British Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: It started out as just another car insurance problem, but for call center worker Mina, the conversation with Peter just might turn wonderfully personal. Review: Crossed Wires is a sweet, gentle, tender book. The sole bit of edge is provided by Mina’s wayward teenage sister, but she spends most of her time offscreen (so to speak) where she can’t wreak too much havoc. The romance between Mina and Peter unfolds quietly and organically. Author Rosy Thornton doesn’t try to make things too cutesy, which…

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The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett

On Reading 2 Comments

Synopsis: Jane Austen manners + Bronte sisters gothica + magic = too much pastiche and not enough depth. Review: I loved the concept of The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, but I just could not remain interested in this book. The writing was lazy, oscillating between high-minded prose awkwardly imitating Austen or George Eliot, and sloppy grammar and anachronisms that brought the whole thing crashing down. Story-wise, I couldn’t focus on tracking the development of the mythology and presentation of the core story elements for the…

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