Category Archives: American Literature

Shadow Gate by Kate Elliott (Book Two of the Crossroads)

American Literature

Synopsis: The Hundred swirls with intrigue, magic, and war as long-gone Guardians awaken and the eagle-riding reeves join with fierce outlanders to make war against a sorcerous foe, while an avenging demon casts new light on the accepted practice of slavery. Review: Shadow Gate was a good second book. It told an exciting, thrilling story while laying the groundwork for a big conclusion. Not much more to say until I read the finale, up next.

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The Write Start: A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage, from Scribbling to Forming Letters and Writing Stories by Jennifer Hallissy

American Literature

Synopsis: A guide for parents to teach their children how to write, from scribbles to stories. Review: I plan on homeschooling the Superfast girls so I’m always keen to read these kinds of books. I found The Write Start to be engaging, informative, and useful. I have started using some of her techniques, like “boss hand” and “helper hand” with Superfast Preschooler, and she’s responded really well. Hallissy makes teaching writing sound fun and achievable by ordinary parents.

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This Glittering World by T. Greenwood

American Literature

Synopsis: After the body of a badly beaten Navajo man is discovered in the snow outside his home, Ben Bailey takes the investigation into his own hands, with devastating consequences for his own disordered life. Review: With every book of hers I read, I become convinced that T. Greenwood is my favorite contemporary author. This Glittering World is one of her best yet, achieving the same level of intensity and feeling as her second novel (and my favorite) Nearer than the Sky. Protagonist Ben Bailey’s…

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Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott (Crossroads, Book 1)

American Literature

Synopsis: A democracy known for peaceful governance by reeves riding giant eagles falls into chaos and possible civil war when the reeves of the north stop responding and a military captain fleeing his murderous brother lands right in the middle of it; meanwhile, a slave sells an eerie, ghost-like girl into prostitution in order to free his sister, who, as a temple prostitute called a Devouring girl, has a few tricks up her sleeve as well as a personal stake in the larger story. Review:…

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Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

American Literature

Synopsis: 4 new stories that probe what ordinary people might do when faced with evil. Review: There were times when I considered putting down Full Dark, No Stars because it went so deep into the blackness. I know that sounds odd, because of who the author is, but for some reason these stories felt compressed in an unpleasant way. When King takes more time to develop his stories and let them breathe, you get some relief from the evil. That’s not the case with these…

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Game of Thrones by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Political powers battle for control of the Iron Throne, while to the north supernatural powers threaten, and in the south a dispossessed royal begins to raise an army. Review: I wanted to reread Game of Thrones before the HBO series launches in April, and decided I’d give the audiobook a try. I am so glad I did. The narrator, Roy Dotrice, not only has a magnificent voice but sets all of the characters apart from each other. He’s just amazing. As for the story,…

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The Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: A children’s book about the adventures of two foxes, illustrated with real photographs of foxes and including facts about foxes. Review: The Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox is a really sweet book. I loved the pictures of the foxes as they move through their habitat, as well as all the other animals like bobcats and bears and wolves and even some little girls. However, the writing was a little off the mark–it seems written for younger children, but I think it’s a bit…

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Microcosmos by Brandon Broll

American Literature

Synopsis: Subtitled: Discovering The World Through Microscopic Images From 20 X to Over 22 Million X Magnification. Review: I read Microcosmos as part of Eco Libris’s Green Books campaign, which aims to showcase books that are published with eco-friendly methods. The book says that it is from a “product group from well-managed forests and other controlled sources.” I don’t really know what that means, but it looks gorgeous! The photos are really amazing, everything from bones to chocolate ice cream to mushroom spores. It’s great…

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Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: Subtitled, Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks, it’s an exposé of the way that misunderstanding science allows people to profit off of ignorance and fear. Review: Ben Goldacre’s mission in Bad Science is to expose the way that the unscrupulous exploit the public’s misunderstanding of science in order to make big money. He shines a light on homeopathy, nutritionism, AIDS denialists, and more. Along the way he takes the time to educate the reader on how to understand evidence-based medicine, peer review, and scientific…

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Resonance by Chris Dolley

American Literature

Synopsis: Graham Smith notices that his world shifts every now and again, but when a sexy woman claiming to be a psychic tells him that he’s at the nexus of a vast conspiracy, he has to break from routine and maybe just save the universe. Review: I picked up Resonance as a free e-book with no idea what to expect. It was quite a head trip and a very fun ride. Chris Dolley did a great job of keeping the plot moving while still allowing…

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