Tag Archives: 21st Century

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams

American Literature

Synopsis: A journalistic survey of the breast, covering evolutionary biology, immunology, culture, politics, and so much more. Review: I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a La Leche League Leader, so I’m very interested in all things mammary. I loved Breasts as I’d hoped I would. A lot of material was familiar to me, but it was presented in such a way where I was able to make new connections and ponder more deeply on the things I already know. Great book, a…

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The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks (Lightbringer, Book 2)

American Literature

Synopsis: The Color War is ON–but Gavin Guile, the only man who can fight back the darkness is losing his powers and facing demons from his past. Review: The Blinding Knife is the second book in Brent Weeks’s stunningly awesome Lightbringer trilogy, which he began in The Black Prism. So far both books have gotten off to a slow start, but once they kick in they are just relentlessly awesome. I feel like Weeks could benefit from a more conscientious editor but his world-building, plotting,…

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The Twelve Days to Christmas by Michele Gorman

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: Hannah thinks her boyfriend is about to pop the question at Christmas–but she doesn’t know what her answer will be, and she only has twelve days to figure it out. Review: Hannah, the protagonist of Michele Gorman’s Misfortune Cookie, is back and just as adorably befuddled as ever. Back together with Sam, who is finally residing in Hong Kong, she has a feeling he’s getting ready to propose, which brings up all of the fears and anxieties she never quite dealt with during their…

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Memoirs of a Time Traveler by Doug Molitor

American Literature

Synopsis: An archeologist finds himself dragged on a zany, madcap adventure through time, his tour guide an indomitable Amazon woman from the future. Review: Memoirs of a Time Traveler is a totally original story that blew my mind and made me laugh. Tonally, it reminded me of Joe vs. the Volcano, a misunderstood and underrated Tom Hanks movie that I just adore. I really appreciated Doug Molitor‘s expert comic timing and inventive imagination. And just what I needed after deciding that Kate Morton’s highly anticipated…

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Accelerated by Bronwen Hruska

American Literature

Synopsis: The father of a third grader in a prestigious NYC private school finds himself pressured to do whatever it takes to keep his son from falling behind–but at what cost? Review: When I picked up Accelerated I thought it was going to be a horror novel and I was really, really disappointed to find it was a straight-up story about the dangers of medicating children for ADHD. I found it really preachy and not that exciting, plot-wise. It just felt very dated. I did…

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The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

American Literature

Synopsis: 2000 pages of epic fantasy set in a vaguely feudal world filled with magic and mayhem–and at the center is Kylar, a street rat turned assassin for hire who finds himself in possession of a mystical object that lets him see the guilt in people’s eyes. Review: I was really impressed by The Night Angel, despite some intermittently clunky writing and some derivative elements (brother-sister incest, anyone?). I definitely lost myself in the story, though books two and three never quite lived up to…

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The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost (Book 1)

American Literature

Synopsis: A boy enters an elite prep school to hide from the mysterious black capped men who are stalking him and who have taken over his family, only to discover a conspiracy coming from another dimension. Review: The Paladin Prophecy is extremely well-written, and despite the presence of many expected genre elements, it showed a lot of imagination. Not surprising, considering that Mark Frost was the co-creator of Twin Peaks, one of the best TV shows of all time. I found so much I liked…

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The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer

British Literature

Synopsis: Subtitled: When Breasts are Bad for Business. Review: The Politics of Breastfeeding is a history of the ways in which breastfeeding is challenged by societal constructs and business entities. For example, a large portion of the book outlines the ways in which formula manufacturers have spend (and continue to spend) billions of dollars to win customers. That’s not so different than any corporation–except these companies are coming up with ways to prevent mothers and babies from being able to breastfeed. In the case of…

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The End of Men and The Rise of Women by Hanna Rosin

American Literature

Synopsis: A sociological look at the transformation of gender roles in 21st century America and beyond. Review: While there was a lot of fascinating research in The End of Men, I couldn’t help but wonder what she was leaving out. I think her claims make for a media-ready argument, but she’s hardly described the totality of the world. People are way more complicated than she’s giving them credit for–particularly the working class types she patronizes by larding their dialogue with colloquialisms. I really don’t like…

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Fleeing Fundamentalism by Carlene Cross

American Literature 4 Comments

Synopsis: The wife of a fundamentalist pastor details her years of abuse at the hands of her hypocritical husband. Review: A friend of mine recommended Fleeing Fundamentalism after hearing that I’d been digging into books on polygamy. Honestly, these kinds of stories are the only kinds of memoirs I want to read–stories about women dealing with extreme personal situations. I definitely appreciated Carlene Cross’s insight into her particular situation, but as is generally the case I was disappointed in the theology-lite. Sadly, Cross came to…

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