Tag Archives: 21st Century

Summer House With Swimming Pool, Swiss Family Robinson, Greek Myths, Veggies

American Literature, Dutch Literature, Swiss Literature

I’m mixing up the format up in here. I’m finding that most of the books I read don’t warrant a whole blog post, plus I’m reading a ton of books that I don’t list here because they’re for homeschool, or they’re cookbooks or other reference books. Starting this week, as I approach the end of my 9th year of blogging, I’m going to post a weekly update on what I’m reading. If a book is awesome (like anything written by T. Greenwood), I’ll give it…

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The Peripheral by William Gibson

American Literature

Synopsis: When Flynn’s brother hires her to take his place as a security guard in an online game, she witnesses what appears to be a murder, but the murder weapon (?) is an apparatus that defies her brain’s abilities to comprehend it; meanwhile, publicist Wilf Netherton is approached by an old friend who knows how to make phone calls into the past. Review: The “no spoilers” ethos of blogging does prove somewhat limiting when it comes to complex works like The Peripheral. How much can…

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Revival by Stephen King

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: When Jamie’s childhood pastor loses his faith a spectacular crash and burn, Jamie’s own life takes a header into addiction and suicidal tendencies, but when the pastor comes back into Jamie’s life promising healing, Jamie takes the proffered gift with devastating repercussions. Review: First of all, I liked Revival better when it was called Needful Things. Secondly, I wish Stephen King would stop basing his interpretation of American Christianity off of one church service he went to back in 1962. Every time he explores…

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The Book of You by Claire Kendal

British Literature

Synopsis: After a night she can’t remember that left her with bruises on her thighs, Clarissa can’t shake Rafe, whose unrelenting attentions gain added menace when she starts noticing the parallels to a rape trial she’s attending as a juror. Review: The Book of You had some strong and memorable elements, particularly Claire’s emotional and physical isolation as a result of Rafe’s stalking. Unfortunately, the secondary characters remained largely flat on the page, never serving as much more than an unwitting Greek chorus to Claire’s…

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Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

American Literature

Synopsis: The corpse that kicks off this murder investigation is grosser than gross (think taxidermy and meat glue), and the whole thing goes to a supernaturally dark place for all concerned. Review: Lauren Beukes effortlessly melds the genres of crime and horror in Broken Monsters, to the point where I genuinely had no idea what to expect or how it was going to end. And the ending did blow me away–and haunted me with a nightmare. Eek!

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Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

American Literature

Synopsis: The interlocking stories of Darcy, an 18-year-old who has just gotten a contract for her first novel, and Lizzie, the protagonist of Darcy’s novel who is having a love affair with a Hindu death god. Review: Afterworlds had great promise but Scott Westerfeld loved Darcy too much, and didn’t make her suffer enough. I got tired of hearing the characters talk about how they were all wonderful writers. Even if they are wonderful writers (and Darcy’s novel does have “the juice”), it grates. But…

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The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

British Literature

Synopsis: The residents of a London apartment building come together during a bizarre accident, but have no idea of the secrets they are all keeping (hint: one guy turns girls into mummies). Review: The Killer Next Door was so so so good and it reminded me a lot of Ruth Rendell, a writer I love. In fact, it had a very similar premise to Tigerlily’s Orchids, which I read recently but didn’t blog. I think I liked Alex Marwood’s version better.

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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

American Literature

Synopsis: A reporter heads back to her hometown to write about a serial killer, only to find her own past coming back to haunt her. Review: I didn’t love Sharp Objects, but I will admit it’s a good page-turner. I just couldn’t get past the central character conceit, that she’s carved her body full of words. I knew someone once who gave himself a home tattoo of the word “TRUST” after the Hal Hartley movie, and it took up like half his leg because it…

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The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks (Lightbringer)

American Literature

Synopsis: In the third Lightbringer book, bastard son turned full spectrum polychrome Kip Guile finds himself fully immersed in politics and war, while ex-slave Teia discovers that her seemingly obscure talent for drafting a color invisible to all but a few might in fact make her a key player in the coming of the apocalypse–or its prevention, and ex-Prism Gavin Guile’s past sins wreak their vengeance on him as he becomes a color-blind galley slave. Review: Awesome, awesome, awesome. Brent Weeks’ strongest book yet and…

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Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer (Southern Reach Trilogy)

American Literature

Synopsis: In the conclusion to the Southern Reach trilogy, the answers to the mysterious area known only as Area X may be revealed to Ghost Bird, Control, and someone with a deep connection to the enigmatic lighthouse keeper. Review: I read Acceptance about as avidly as I read the first two books in the series, making sure to read slowly so as not to miss any of the small pebbles and stones constructing the majestic stone wall that is the Southern Reach Trilogy. He knows…

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