Category Archives: American Literature

Healing Paradise by Gay Courter

American Literature September 14, 2011 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: As WWII encroaches, Rozy braves judgment and trials, both personal and professional, to be one of only 4 women in her class at Cornell Medical School, finding passion for her work and a love that may not survive the rigors of her life as a doctor. Review: In Healing Paradise, Gay Courter has done a great job developing a most fascinating world, that of medical school in the late 1930s/early 1940s. I loved seeing the inner workings of medical school, and the ways in…

The Magician King by Lev Grossman

American Literature September 6, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Now a king in the magical land of Fillory, Quentin still fights with the demons of depression and purposelessness, so he goes on a quest and risks losing Fillory forever. Review: You have to understand what Fillory means to Quentin to truly understand his position at the outset of The Magician King. He has literally gotten everything he has ever wanted–he is a king in the magical country from the books he loved as a kid. It’s as if you grew up loving Narnia,…

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

American Literature August 27, 2011 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Plucked from Brooklyn to attend an elite college for magicians, Quentin hopes that his life will be an adventure like those he read about as a kid, but the drama of real life and his own penchant for melancholia keep getting in the way. Review: The Magicians was almost crazy-making thanks to Lev Grossman’s unmatched talent for letting emotional suspense simmer behind the already awesome plot. I was so caught up in the drama of Quentin’s love life and friendships that I wanted as…

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

American Literature August 13, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A coming of age story about a girl growing up in Williamsburg in the first half of the 20th Century. Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of the most wonderful books of all time. It’s almost too perfect in its humor, poignancy, and wisdom. I’ve read it countless times since I was a bookish kid like Francie Nolan, wishing I could buy penny candy and sleep in the front room on a cool fall night. My heart broke for her all over…

The Space Between by Alexandra Sokoloff

American Literature August 8, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A girl fears that her dreams of a brutal school shooting may come true, and an outcast dwarf and the most popular boy in school seem to hold the key. Review: Alexandra Sokoloff is the Lois Duncan of the new milennium. I love her brand of paranormal thrillers, which feel fresh and familiar at the same time. Her heroines are intriguing, with many hidden depths, and Anna in The Space Between is no exception. I tore through this novella, which reminded me of both…

Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson (Katie Chandler, Book 1)

American Literature August 6, 2011 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: An ordinary New York City girl gets recruited by a magical agency precisely because she is immune to magic. Review: Cute, light, and fun, Enchanted, Inc. was exactly the palate cleanser I needed after gorging on A Dance With Dragons. I especially loved that Shanna Swendson didn’t feel the need to make Katie klutzy or ditsy. She wasn’t afraid to have Katie be outspoken and assertive. She was my kind of girl and I really enjoyed spending time in her head.

A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5)

American Literature July 23, 2011 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: You really need to read the first 4 books. Review: I have never anticipated a book the way I anticipated A Dance with Dragons, not even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This will be a spoiler-free review. I plan to listen to the audio book next month and that review will be spoiler-filled. I was thoroughly entertained and satisfied by the book, and loved what happened in the new POV characters, especially Reek. I am impressed by Martin’s manipulative abilities–he is in such…

Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke

American Literature July 23, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Aliens take over the world with nothing but benevolence and peace, but are the changes they bring ultimately good for the human race? Review: I listened to the audio version of Childhood’s End thanks to a sale on Audible. I was really hooked the whole time, despite Clarke’s detached style. I felt the story held up mostly well, some 60 years after publication. However, Clarke was unable to imagine how radically sexual and gender politics would change in that time, and so the personal…

The Midwife’s Confession by Diane Chamberlain

American Literature July 14, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: After the suicide of their friend, an underground home birth midwife, best friends Tara and Emerson discover a mare’s nest of secrets that threaten the happiness they’ve worked so hard to create. Review: I found no surprises in The Midwife’s Confession, which is a decent but not great read. I found the whole thing a little frustrating, waiting for the characters to catch up with me. But it was nice to see home birth portrayed as a safe and reasonable option, rather than an…

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn, Book 2)