Tag Archives: 21st Century

Generation Me by Jean M. Twenge

Synopsis: Subtitled: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled–and More Miserable Than Ever Before. Review: I picked up Generation Me after hearing Dr. Jean M. Twenge interviewed on The White Horse Inn, a favorite podcast of mine. While I really appreciated the depth and breadth of her research, and agree with many of her conclusions (particularly the importance of teaching self-control instead of self-esteem), I lost her when she began interpolating her own opinions on child rearing. Her derision (as a childless person)…

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The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (Lightbringer, Book 1)

Synopsis: Color is magic and war is imminent, and when a corrupt leader discovers his bastard son, the game may change forever. Review: Wow. The Black Prism completely blew me away! I had heard absolutely nothing about it before buying it thanks to a $2.99 Kindle deal. I figured I could risk it. I had a little trouble getting into it at first, mostly because I have started and given up on so many bad fantasy novels that I’m primed for disappointment. I wasn’t sure…

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Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle

Synopsis: Lucretia, a 12-year-old girl living in the projects in Queens, just wants to spend her birthday with her best friend, but the boarded up apartment on the top floor might be inhabited by people who have a different plan for the girls. Review: Scary, smart, beautiful, haunting, powerful, resonant–can I please have a few more adjectives of praise to apply to this fabulous novella? Victor LaValle might be the most exciting contemporary writer I can think of. He is endlessly imaginative, a brave writer…

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The Vault by Ruth Rendell (Inspector Wexford)

Synopsis: An underground vault with four bodies is found underneath a picturesque London home–and one of them was put in there much later. Review: I love Ruth Rendell but I was really bored by The Vault, a sequel of sorts to A Sight for Sore Eyes, which I really enjoyed. I think it’s that I don’t really care for Inspector Wexford as a character. I’ve read a few of those books and I haven’t liked a single one. I also found the mystery just not…

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Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway

Synopsis: Struggling writer Dawn West is barely eking out a life in Manhattan, but when a chance encounter at a party leads to a job collecting data on Charm Magazine’s 50 year anniversary of their 10 Girls to Watch Feature, Dawn finds out that getting her foot in the door is only the first step to success. Review: I absolutely fell for Ten Girls to Watch–this is chick lit at its finest. Not only was it well-written, with humor and emotional precision, but it also…

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Broken Harbor by Tana French

Synopsis: Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy has a spotless record of solves, but when he’s partnered with a street smart rookie on the murder of a family in a boom economy development turned recession slum outside of Dublin, the ghosts from his past threaten his ability to play by the straight and narrow. Review: I am a huge fan of Tana French and Broken Harbor definitely lived up to my expectations. First of all, her sense of mood and place is just brilliant. She sets the…

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The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger

Synopsis: Amina is a Bangladeshi woman who moves to Rochester to marry George, a man she met on the internet in the hopes of securing a green card and bringing her parents to America. Review: I had really enjoyed Nell Freudenberger’s Lucky Girls story collection when I read it years ago, but she fell off my radar as an author until I came across a description of The Newlyweds while aimlessly browsing for new fiction. I found the premise intriguing and I was curious to…

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Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers)

Synopsis: When an FBI agent’s undercover contact is killed in a seemingly random accident, the presence of a striking young woman leads him back into the world of profiling, possible on the trace of a rare female serial killer. Review: I have long been a big fan of Alexandra Sokoloff‘s paranormal thrillers, and was excited to see what she would do with a different genre. Huntress Moon is a pitch-perfect serial killer thriller, with a riveting, suspenseful plot enhanced by vivid descriptions and truly fascinating…

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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Synopsis: When his wife goes missing, an angry writer-turned-bar-owner struggles with feelings of guilt, as the circle of suspicion hones in on him. Review: Gone Girl is the kind of thriller I swoon for–a killer hook, messy interpersonal dynamics, and the kind of twists that feel inevitable and fresh at the same time. I was definitely drawn into the game in a big way, and was glad I didn’t know much about the book beyond the blurb. I am not sure it ever hit the…

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Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto

Synopsis: Essays by a prominent educator on the ways that the public school system is failing students. Review: Dumbing Us Down is a pretty famous book in homeschooling circles because it provides some great reasons for opting out of public schooling. My beliefs about public school are only a small part of why I’m choosing to homeschool, but I appreciated Gatto’s well-articulated arguments about the inherent problems with public school. I think he’s a credible voice because of his stature as an educator, a Teacher…

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