The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell

British Literature February 2, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A bereft woman’s mother’s desperate act triggers a violent spiral affecting a whole community. Review: The Tree of Hands was lesser Ruth Rendell. It dates back to 1986 and she’s really grown as a writer since then. It definitely has her trademark nuanced characterizations but the story wasn’t as gripping as later works like The Rottweiler have been. If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. This message will disappear after 3 visits. Thanks and happy reading!

Revolutionary Road Winner!

On Reading February 1, 2009 Superfast Reader

Renee G, comment #1, chosen using http://random.org: Here are your random numbers: 10 Timestamp: 2009-02-01 21:32:17 UTC Email your mailing address to superfastreader -at- gmail -dot- com and your book will be on its way.

Feast of Souls by CS Friedman (The Magister Trilogy)

American Literature January 29, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: In a world where the price of magic is human life, one woman dares transgress against the prevailing power structures even as an ancient enemy threatens humankind. Review: Man, I hate synopsizing epic fantasy. The premises always end up sounding so silly. That’s a shame, because Feast of Souls actually really intrigued me with its central idea. Basically, there can be no magic without a human life force as fuel. Women who can control the life force become witches, but every act of magic…

Interview with The Warded Man Author Peter V. Brett

On Reading January 27, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

I loved The Warded Man and was thrilled that author Peter V. Brett agreed to answer some questions for me by email. Were you thinking “superhero” when you came up with the character of the Warded Man? If so, how did that trope shape your writing? I grew up reading superhero comics, so I guess that sort of thing was always at the back of my head, but I wanted one key difference. In comics, the superheroes almost always come by their special abilities by…

George RR Martin on Fantasy–VIDEO

On Reading January 23, 2009 Superfast Reader

HT Grasping at the Wind George R. R. Martin reads from the passage he wrote for the book The Faces of Fantasy: Photographs by Pati Perret. “The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams.”:

Win a Special Edition of Revolutionary Road!

On Reading January 22, 2009 Superfast Reader 22 Comments

The good folks at Paramount Vantage will send one of my lucky readers a copy of Richard Yates’s Revolutionary Road and all you have to do is leave a comment on this post!! One lucky winner will be chosen at random. You have until 11:59 EST on January 31st to win. The movie opens wide this weekend. Here’s a clip from the film: Open to the US only, sorry my international friends!

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

American Literature January 13, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Orphaned Kira is tapped to continue her mother’s work as a weaver with mystical powers, but her glimpses into the world lead her to question everything she’s ever known. Review: Gathering Blue is Lois Lowry’s follow-up to The Giver, her dystopian look at a world without pain. Gathering Blue is a much lighter work, and feels like a bridge to the next book in the trilogy, Messenger. I wasn’t really blown away by this book so I’m not going to say much, other than…

The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia by Laura Miller

American Literature January 10, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A literary critic recalls her childhood love affair with CS Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, and her subsequent disappointment at learning that he was a Christian apologist. Review: I confess that I was hesitant to read The Magician’s Book for reasons that Laura Miller herself would understand. Narnia is mine, I tell you, mine! I had a Voyage of the Dawn Treader cake for my sixth birthday–and I still have my coverless copy. I have read and re-read this series more times than I can…

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

American Literature January 7, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A collection of short stories featuring Indian American protagonists. Review: Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake was one of my favorite books I read the year I was pregnant with Superfast Toddler, and I was so happy to get Unaccustomed Earth for Christmas this year. What I love about Lahiri’s stories is that I never feel shortchanged by them. No matter how good a short story is, for the most part I always wish I were reading a novel instead. Short stories are too brief,…

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay

American Literature January 6, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: Sent to a convent on the Welsh Coast during the Blitz, a teenage girl finds herself on the run and afraid for her life–from the scarred, terrifying Mother Superior. Review: I am hoping that Alex McAulay is planning a follow-up to Shelter Me, because while he wrapped up the plot quite well, I certainly did not feel I was done with Maggie’s story. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that where she winds up at the end is just as…

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