Tag Archives: 21st Century

Spoiler Edition: A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5)

American Literature December 26, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Tyrion becomes a slave, Dany pines for Daario while marrying someone else, her dragons eat children and incinerate a prince, Jon Snow upends 8000 years of tradition, a couple of no-goodniks get baked into a pie, Stannis can haz teh dumb, Theon Greyjoy lives the worst version of a Lifetime movie thanks to the Bastard of Bolton, Arya kills time, Ser Barristan the Bold displays mad skillz, Davos is not dead, Victarion rows his boat, Asha picks the wrong fort to defend, Cersei and…

All Her Father’s Guns by James Warner

American Literature December 24, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A right-wing gun lover falls for a Lacanian psychoanalyst/Romanian emigrÃ© while trying to bring down his pharmaceutical-abusing ex-wife’s run for office, even as their daughter makes a decision that could destroy all of them. Review: “He had five sons by about nine different women” was the phrase that made me fall in love with the satire and humor of All Her Father’s Guns. James Warner’s ability to spin a sentence in an unexpected direction would make this book a crazy wild ride even if…

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

American Literature December 17, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When a reluctant farmer’s wife moves to a tin-roof shack in postwar rural Mississippi, her passion for her husband’s war hero brother becomes part of a web of tension that engulfs the town in hatred and violence. Review: Mudbound took me by surprise. Told from multiple points of view, the story manages to be inevitable without being predictable, with characters who all have very distinct voices. The casual, every day racism of even the most sympathetic characters is shocking to this 21st century Yankee…

11/22/63 by Stephen King

American Literature December 12, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A schoolteacher travels through a wormhole to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating JFK. Review: 11/22/63 started out really strong. I loved the premise and knew that Stephen King would do a lot more than just tell the A-story of Jake Epping, time traveler and would-be history changer. The historical aspects were really well done, particularly through the life Jake builds in small town Jodie, Texas, and the love story is poignant. However, I felt like the ending was a foregone conclusion, and I…

Willow by Julia Hoban

American Literature December 3, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: After accidentally killing her parents, a teen turns to cutting and attracts the attention of a guy who desperately wants to save her. Review: Creepiest love story I’ve read in a long time. Ick.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn, Book 3)

American Literature November 19, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: With the power of Ruin unleashed and the power of Preservation nowhere in sight, fearless allomancer Vin and the remains of her thieving crew are the ones who must save the world. Review: While I have been continually disappointed by the cardboard characters and flat dialogue in the Mistborn trilogy, I was thoroughly satisfied by the mindblowing revelations in the final book, The Hero of Ages. The action is incredible, the world-building up to the highest standards, and there’s even some fascinating theological angles.…

Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls by Leonard Sax

On Reading November 6, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: An examination of the challenges facing parents and educators of girls, from endocrine disruptors in our plastics to texting and the internet. Review: Just as he did in Why Gender Matters, Dr. Leonard Sax brings science and biology to bear on the unique challenges facing girls. His is not an approach that patly accepts culturally constructed notions of gender. Rather, in Girls on the Edge, he shows how the biological differences between girls and boys affect their participation in sports and the classroom, as…

Ascent by Amy Kinzer (The Party Series, Book 1)

American Literature November 6, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Three teens are recruited for an elite leadership training program that will allow them to go back in time and change the moments they regret the most. Review: Wow, Ascent is a fantastic deal–only 99 cents for Kindle! You’d think that such a low price would indicate low quality, but that’s hardly the case. Amy Kinzer‘s writing can certainly compete with traditionally published authors of YA dystopian fiction. I hope she’s working on the next book, because I am a big fan!

The Secret Lives of Hoarders: True Stories of Tackling Extreme Clutter by Matt Paxton and Phaedra Hise

American Literature November 1, 2011 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A&E’s “Extreme Cleaning Expert” Matt Paxton shares all he’s learned in the years he’s been working with hoarders. Review: I puffy heart Matt Paxton. Not only does he tackle cleaning jobs nobody else can handle, he genuinely cares about the people he works with. I loved The Secret Lives of Hoarders and hope he writes another one! Oh, and check out his podcast, Five Decisions Away. It’s only just started but already I love it.

Girl Over the Edge by Amy Kinzer