Category Archives: American Literature

Little Pink Slips by Sally Koslow

American Literature August 26, 2007 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When her magazine is taken over by a bullheaded celebrity, editor-in-chief Magnolia Gold tries to go along to get along–until she gets handed a pink slip. Review: I am not ashamed to admit that I love a good ‘n’ dishy roman a clef. But Little Pink Slips was a HUGE disappointment. I felt like author Sally Koslow was simply recycling material from other, better books, and none of her satire was particularly fresh. Her worse sin of all? Squandering her source material.

Shirley Jackson: So Much More than One Story

American Literature, On Reading August 23, 2007 Superfast Reader 12 Comments

I got a lovely email from Chauceriangirl telling me she loved my blog & expressing her shared admiration for my dear beloved Shirley Jackson. (The link takes you to a great post she wrote about Shirley Jackson inspired by our email exchange.) In her email, she wrote (printed with her permission):

The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

American Literature August 19, 2007 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: The unicorns have all disappeared from the world, save one, who cannot accept that she is the last. Review: I know I said no fantasy for a while, but The Last Unicorn is a children’s books so it doesn’t count. I have long been a fan of the Rankin/Bass animated movie, but never read the book. When it showed up from BookMooch, I couldn’t wait any longer.

Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Shulman

American Literature August 19, 2007 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Despite being both beautiful and smart, former teen beauty Sasha’s love life is a shambles, and–even worse–she’s approaching 30 with rapid speed. Review: I usually don’t say blank is the new blank, but I’ve never been more glad that 30 is the new 20 than after reading this depressing book. When I was in my 20s, I was looking forward to 30, because I had a sense from the women around me that 30 meant a break from a lot of the angst and…

Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess

American Literature August 18, 2007 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: After a teenage girl’s abusive father is released early from prison, she fears that she will be victimized again. Review: I hold Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak to be the perfect YA “problem novel.” These novels take a teen in jeopardy facing off against a social issue, and show how the protagonist overcomes the situation. In the case of Speak, the protagonist has gone mute after calling the cops on a summer party, and can’t tell anybody what happened to her that night. Halse Anderson…

Last Night in Paradise by Katie Roiphe

American Literature August 8, 2007 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: A look at sexual mores in the age of AIDS. Review: I like a good polemic as much as the next person, particularly when it involves people having lots of sex, mostly because I always feel like that’s nice work if you can get it. Last Night in Paradise isn’t hard-hitting investigative journalism as much as it’s an apologia for all the sex that Roiphe and her friends had in the 80s and 90s: “look, we may have slept around but we are always…

The Big Book of Birth by Erica Lyons

American Literature August 6, 2007 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A comprehensive, non-judgmental overview of labor and delivery. Review: I have a dear friend who is a doula and a childbirth educator, and she gave me this book when I became pregnant. The Big Book of Birth is written by the woman who runs Realbirth, where my friend used to teach (before she moved) and where my husband and I will be taking childbirth classes.

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

American Literature August 4, 2007 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A shy 14-year-old Latin scholar finds a passage into Manhattan’s underworld, where, guided by an unhappy ghost named Euri, he hopes to find out how his mother died once and for all. Review: Greek mythology concerning the after life deftly mixes with New York City’s colorful history in The Night Tourist, a marvelous adventure tale that’s as fresh as they come. Suitable for young readers emotionally mature enough to handle themes of death and grief, The Night Tourist is rich enough to satisfy teen…

Grub by Elise Blackwell

American Literature August 2, 2007 Superfast Reader 12 Comments

Synopsis: The trials and travails of a group of young New York City-based novelists. Review: Grub is a reworking of a 19th Century novel. I can’t speak to its success in that regard because I haven’t read the original, but I will say that author Elise Blackwell pulls off a rare bird: a satire brimming with humanism. I enjoyed every line of this book, which reminded me at times of Whit Stillman’s marvelous first feature Metropolitan. This is a galley I’ll be keeping, rereading, and…

Up High in the Trees by Kiara Brinkman

American Literature August 1, 2007 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A small boy deals with the death of his mother by setting his imagination free. Review: Up High in the Trees is a beautifully written book about a most engaging child, but it failed to move me. I’m not really sure why. Sebby, his brother Leo, his sister Cass, and his father are all dealing with a grievous loss, each choosing to isolate themselves in a different way. The overall story shows a family splitting apart then coming back together because of the choices…

reading is my superpower

i read all the books