Tag Archives: 21st Century

Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb

American Literature

Synopsis: Outcast dragon keepers escort group of stunted dragons towards what they hope is their ancestral home, while threatened by dangerous lands without and traitors within. Review: Dragon Haven is actually the second half of the story begun in Dragon Keeper, and really they could’ve been just one book. (Though I do not begrudge any extra revenue to the gifted author Robin Hobb.) I really can’t say much about the plot of this book without giving away spoilers, so you’ll just have to be satisfied…

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Winged Wonders: A Celebration of Birds in Human History

British Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: A compendium of trivia, history, biology, and references to art, mythology, poetry, and literature for 19 different birds. Review: Winged Wonders is a real rara avis of a book. Basically, it’s a collection of all sorts of information related to a bunch of different birds, like the raven, the heron, the cuckoo, the falcon, and many more. There are poems, myths, historical references, and basic biological facts, all of them really compelling and quirky and fun. What I really love about this book is…

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Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

American Literature

Synopsis: Incarceron is a living prison from which no one can escape, but when the warden’s daughter makes a shocking discovery, she works to break Incarceron’s protections with the aid of a boy who believes he was born on the outside. Review: I attempted to listen to the audio book of Incarceron, but the late stages of pregnancy has made it impossible for me to concentrate on anything more complicated than nursery rhymes. But the concept really grabbed me, so I snagged a copy through…

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Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee

American Literature 7 Comments

Synopsis: The psychology of hoarding in its different manifestations. Review: Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things is eminently readable, a prime example of the best of what popular psychology has to offer. Great case studies, analysis that goes deep but never wonky, and well-chosen anecdotes bring the multi-faceted issue of hoarding to life. What struck me the most was the insight that hoarders are people who see more beauty and complexity in the world than most people, sort of like aesthetic savants. They…

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On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig

American Literature

Synopsis: A primer on classic Christian apologetics. Review: All spring, I’ve been immersed in a series on Renewing Your Mind, RC Sproul’s podcast, that has gone in-depth into the classic philosophical, reason-based arguments for the existence of God. It’s heady stuff, and so I leapt at the chance to review On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, in the hopes that the information would complement that provided by the learned Dr. Sproul. I was quite pleased to find that William Lane Craig covers…

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The Whole World by Emily Winslow

British Literature

Synopsis: Three Cambridge students working with the blind daughter of a famous novelist have their lives disrupted when one of them disappears. Review: In her other life, Emily Winslow is a well-respected crafter of puzzles, and that expertise shines through in the intricate plotting of The Whole World. Through the use of multiple points-of-view, Winslow creates a layered mystery where it’s nearly impossible to figure out what really happened–but when you learn the truth, it all makes perfect sense. I loved the Cambridge setting and…

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Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn

American Literature

Synopsis: MILFs in Brooklyn! Review: Amy Sohn is a writer who’s been on my radar since I first moved to New York City in 1995, and it’s like she’s lived the public, more successful version of my life. Her single girl escapades got published in the New York Press; I was an escapading single girl who read the Press every week. She wrote a novel loosely based on her own life that got turned into a movie; I do movie adaptations of books whose writers…

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The Hungry Season by T. Greenwood

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: Stricken with writers’ block after the death of a loved one, a writer moves his family to a remote New England cabin to try to rebuild, while a fan makes her way across the country to realize her dream of being with him. Review: I’m a longtime fan of T. Greenwood‘s nuanced character portraits and sticky situations, and The Hungry Season is her best yet. I really can’t say enough good things about this book, which takes an excruciating look at the breakup of…

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Try to Remember by Iris Gomez

American Literature

Synopsis: When her father’s behavior begins to deteriorate, Colombian immigrant Gabriela tries to hold her family together as best she can. Review: Try to Remember has a lot going for it. Gabi is an appealing protagonist caught in a intense situation, afraid that her father’s increasingly erratic behavior will get them all deported. Iris Gomez’s sharp observations of culture and psychology didn’t go unnoticed by, even though ultimately I never totally engaged with this story. I kind of feel guilty that I got bored with…

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