Category Archives: American Literature

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

American Literature

Synopsis: Offered the chance to infiltrate the training academy for the elite ruling class in a future where Mars has been colonized, a young miner who once believed in love transforms himself completely into a ruthless killer. Review: All comparisons between Red Rising and Ender’s Game and The Hunger Games are entirely and awesomely appropriate. I’m almost sad I got a review copy because I’ll just have to wait that much longer for the next installment in the story. The storytelling, worldbuilding, character development, and…

Read More »

Evolving in Monkeytown by Rachel Held Evans

American Literature

Synopsis: Subtitled: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions. Review: If you grew up evangelical, you pretty much have to read Evolving in Monkeytown. Rachel Held Evans nails it perfectly. I have never felt such a kinship with a book in my life. I felt like the ending sort of wandered off, but that didn’t take away from its powerful message–that questions are more important to faith than answers.

Read More »

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

American Literature

Synopsis: A young boy steals an invaluable painting in the wake of a bombing, and it comes to dominate his life. Review: If anybody actually follows this blog, they probably think I am dead. I have never gone this long without posting a review! It’s been 3 weeks! What a way to start the new year. Basically, what happened was that I started a reread of Game of Thrones. Then my friend loaned me a copy of The Goldfinch, so I started reading that at…

Read More »

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

American Literature

Synopsis: Subtitled “Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants.” Review: In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell reframes many underdog stories, some famous, some obscure, to reveal that there’s more to coming from behind than just luck and good fortune. The underdogs in his stories, including Huguenots hiding Jews in Vichy France, black children facing police dogs in Birmingham, Alabama, a scrappy basketball team comprised of short girls from nerdy families, Br’er Rabbit, and of course, David, the shepherd boy who became a king, won…

Read More »

The Circle by Dave Eggers

American Literature

Synopsis: When Mae gets a job at The Circle, the greatest tech company in the history of the world, she tries to reserve a little bit of privacy for herself, but The Circle is an all-consuming fire of connectivity and transparency. Review: I’ll blog about The Circle, but please do not like, share, or tweet this post. I certainly do not want you taking a selfie with this blog post, applying a sepia filter, and posting it to your stream. Please just read this book…

Read More »

Buying In by Laura Hemphill

American Literature

Synopsis: When Sophie Landgraf takes a job as an analyst at an investment bank, she has no way of anticipating how the financial changes of 2007-2008 are going to change her life. Review: I am perpetually frustrated by storylines where someone is working very hard to succeed at their job, and nobody in their life seems to be supportive of them. I really hate watching fictional characters whine about how the main character is spending too much time at work and not enough time socializing.…

Read More »

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

American Literature

Synopsis: When she is kidnapped in Somalia by Muslim extremists, an aspiring photojournalist sends her mind to a peaceful “house in the sky” to keep her soul intact during the brutalities of her year-long captivity. Review: After reading A House in the Sky, when my older daughter said she wanted to go to “all the countries” and learn “all the languages,” I was like, “NOOOOOO!” Amanda Lindhout’s journey began with her insatiable wanderlust, as a backpacker for whom no country was too rough. She attempted…

Read More »

Cartwheel by Jennifer DuBois

American Literature

Synopsis: When exchange student Lily Hayes is accused of murdering her roommate in suburban Buenos Aires, her every move falls under scrutiny from her father and the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, and what seemed like childish impulsivity now appears sociopathic, even to those who loved her. Review: I devoured Cartwheel in almost on sitting. I haven’t been one to follow any of the high-profile cases the book is based on, such as Amanda Knox, but I find Lily Hayes to be the kind…

Read More »

Harrowgate by Kate Maruyama

American Literature

Synopsis: When Michael comes home to meet his infant son for the first time, his wife Sarah doesn’t seem like herself, refusing to leave the apartment and spending all her time with an older postpartum doula known only as Greta. Review: So creepy! Harrowgate had a lot going for it–claustrophobic atmosphere, eerie premise, and menacing secondary characters. It’s no spoiler to tell you that Sarah isn’t all there, but this is a ghost story with an agenda beyond delivering scares. As spooky as it is,…

Read More »