Category Archives: American Literature

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: A tight-knit group of 4 couples must deal with the sudden and suspicious deaths of two of their own. Review: The Castaways put me off at first because it reminded me of The Big Chill, a movie I’ve never liked. I’ve never really been able to put my finger on why, except I know it has something to do with Glenn Close’s smug smile throughout. Perhaps it was because although they were ostensibly reuniting because of a death, they were so solipsistic in their…

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You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by Allison Bottke

American Literature

Synopsis: Dancing hairdresser Susan loves disco and dreams of opening a Disco Hall of Fame, but secrets from her Studio 54 past may ruin everything. Review: I’m totally the wrong demographic for “boomer lit,” and I never really connected with the characters in You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. I felt like the Christian aspect didn’t go very deep, with much of the God-talk feeling like Oprah-theology, not orthodox Christianity. It just was not for me.

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The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes

American Literature

Synopsis: Lucy only wanted to save her sister after a accident, but a lifetime escorting souls to hell wasn’t quite the price she had in mind, and now she wants out. Review: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns was a quick, breezy read. Elizabeth Leikness has imagination to spare when it comes to her plotting, and I never quite guessed what was coming next. She has a wonderfully satirical wit, but her book isn’t superficial at all. Lucy’s job is to wrangle the truly wicked…

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The Down and Dirty Dish on Revenge by Eva Nagorski

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: A history of revenge and handbook for “serving it up nice and cold to that lying, cheating bastard.” Review: Breezy and snazzy, The Down and Dirty Dish on Revenge does a lot with what seems on the surface to be a thin premise. Eva Nagorski looks at revenge in literature, through history, and across different cultures, with almost a sociologist’s eye. She peppers the book with real-life anecdotes of revenge both creative and mean-spirited. And she closes the book with a chapter on the…

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The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome by John F. Wasik

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Subtitled “Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream,” this book analyzes the housing crisis and reflects upon ways that America can move forward with affordable, environmentally sustainable architecture. Review: The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome is a good companion piece to James Howard Kunstler’s A Geography of Nowhere. Author John F. Wasik offers a cogent overview of the current housing crisis along with an analysis of the unsustainability of the current fads in American housing. He explains trends in environmentally conscious architecture and building, and offers his ideas…

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The Unseen by Alexandra Sokoloff

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Reeling from a betrayal by her fiance, a psychologist finds herself fascinated by Duke University’s research into the paranormal from the early 20th century, and decides to replicate one such experiment that ended in tragedy and closed down the department for good. Review: I’m so glad Superfast Toddler took a loooooong nap today because I don’t think I could’ve taken another night trying to read The Unseen in a dark bedroom with only a tiny booklight. I finished in the bright June sunshine and…

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Christless Christianity by Michael Horton

American Literature 5 Comments

Synopsis: An examination and critique of the current state of Christianity in America, which shows the pervasive influences of Pelagianism and Gnosticism–these heresies are closer than you think. Review: Michael Horton had me at “Joel Osteen.” I was blown away by the incisiveness of Christless Christianity, a stunning work that made me so, so thankful to be attending a church deeply rooted in Reformation orthopraxis. The first section of the book deals with the prosperity gospel, looking at Osteen and others of his ilk who…

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Sister and Husbands by Connie Briscoe

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding, Beverly calls things off, in turmoil over the marriage troubles her sisters have been going through. Review: Sisters and Husbands is a good soapy read, with lots of drama and romance, though not so much that it goes over the top. Connie Briscoe’s characters are dealing with very real issues, and she doesn’t shy away from painting them in an unflattering light. I tend to like my chick lit either more satirical or way further out there (a…

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How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph by Linda Massey Weddle

American Literature 4 Comments

Synopsis: A guide for parents for Bible study activities from age 2 through the teenage years, centered around Biblical knowledge and moral character. Review: I thought that How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph had some good ideas for educational activities for parents, but after reading Christless Christianity I read it with a much more critical eye. Modern-Day Joseph does contain the semi-Pelagian notions that we “make a decision for Christ” and that just doesn’t fly with Reformed (read Calvinist) me anymore. What I thought was…

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The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax

American Literature

Synopsis: When novelist Kendall Ames is dropped by her publisher and her husband, she faces a case of writer’s block so severe that her best friends–also novelists–decide to help her writer her next novel and let her take all the credit. Review: I’m a sucker for novels about writers, because they always get me off my butt and working on my own stuff. And of course I like good chick lit, so I was primed to enjoy The Accidental Bestseller. The plot was a strange…

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