Tag Archives: 21st Century

Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott (Crossroads, Book 1)

American Literature December 20, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A democracy known for peaceful governance by reeves riding giant eagles falls into chaos and possible civil war when the reeves of the north stop responding and a military captain fleeing his murderous brother lands right in the middle of it; meanwhile, a slave sells an eerie, ghost-like girl into prostitution in order to free his sister, who, as a temple prostitute called a Devouring girl, has a few tricks up her sleeve as well as a personal stake in the larger story. Review:…

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

American Literature December 10, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: 4 new stories that probe what ordinary people might do when faced with evil. Review: There were times when I considered putting down Full Dark, No Stars because it went so deep into the blackness. I know that sounds odd, because of who the author is, but for some reason these stories felt compressed in an unpleasant way. When King takes more time to develop his stories and let them breathe, you get some relief from the evil. That’s not the case with these…

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

British Literature December 4, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: As she dies, a former lady’s maid reflects on the scandal that ended the family she served and reveals the truth that only she knew. Review: Kate Morton is rapidly becoming my latest favorite author. With her thrilling blend of Gothic melodrama and intricate plotting, she hits all my favorite buttons, much like her self-proclaimed influences Daphne DuMaurier and Barbara Vine. In The House at Riverton, Morton presents Grace, a lady’s maid who spent her youth in service with a titled family haunted by…

Rescue by Anita Shreve

On Reading November 30, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: An EMT falls in love with a reckless patient, who then abandons him and their daughter, and he struggles with whether he should let her back in. Review: I blazed through Rescue, which doesn’t have the strongest of plots but offers an emotionally compelling story nonetheless. Though it takes a turn for the melodramatic near the end, I stayed with the characters because I found them to be so real. It didn’t offer any grand revelations, nor did it make my toes tingle, but…

The Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer

American Literature November 23, 2010 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A children’s book about the adventures of two foxes, illustrated with real photographs of foxes and including facts about foxes. Review: The Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox is a really sweet book. I loved the pictures of the foxes as they move through their habitat, as well as all the other animals like bobcats and bears and wolves and even some little girls. However, the writing was a little off the mark–it seems written for younger children, but I think it’s a bit…

Microcosmos by Brandon Broll

American Literature November 10, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled: Discovering The World Through Microscopic Images From 20 X to Over 22 Million X Magnification. Review: I read Microcosmos as part of Eco Libris’s Green Books campaign, which aims to showcase books that are published with eco-friendly methods. The book says that it is from a “product group from well-managed forests and other controlled sources.” I don’t really know what that means, but it looks gorgeous! The photos are really amazing, everything from bones to chocolate ice cream to mushroom spores. It’s great…

Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

British Literature November 9, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: After a divorce, Englishwoman Catherine moves to a cottage in the rural Cevennes mountains in France, facing challenges as an outsider at a crossroads in her life. Review: Tapestry of Love is a charming novel that makes you ache to visit the Cevennes mountains. The descriptions of the landscapes and the food and the culture are just so evocative. It’s a near-perfect example of this kind of book. Rosy Thornton’s storytelling is languid and endearing, making this a most relaxing read of the best…

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

American Literature November 8, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: Subtitled, Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks, it’s an exposÃ© of the way that misunderstanding science allows people to profit off of ignorance and fear. Review: Ben Goldacre’s mission in Bad Science is to expose the way that the unscrupulous exploit the public’s misunderstanding of science in order to make big money. He shines a light on homeopathy, nutritionism, AIDS denialists, and more. Along the way he takes the time to educate the reader on how to understand evidence-based medicine, peer review, and scientific…

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Australian Literature November 8, 2010 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A bereft Australian woman travels to Cornwall to uncover the mystery behind her grandmother’s mysterious appearance on a dock in Maryborough at the age of 4, her identity completely unknown. Review: While I had some minor quibbles with some of the stock characterizations in The Forgotten Garden, on the whole I was absolutely riveted by the storytelling. Morton expertly weaves together the stories of three women: Cassandra, a contemporary Australian woman who has received an unusual bequest from her grandmother Nell; that of Nell,…

Resonance by Chris Dolley

American Literature November 1, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Graham Smith notices that his world shifts every now and again, but when a sexy woman claiming to be a psychic tells him that he’s at the nexus of a vast conspiracy, he has to break from routine and maybe just save the universe. Review: I picked up Resonance as a free e-book with no idea what to expect. It was quite a head trip and a very fun ride. Chris Dolley did a great job of keeping the plot moving while still allowing…

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