Tag Archives: 21st Century

So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: A pastor facing a spiritual crisis receives counsel from a man who may be St. John. Review: So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore has a lot of great insights into the crippling effect that the legalism of religious obligation can have on anyone’s faith. I was with the book for the first two-thirds, nodding my head in agreement as John enlightens Pastor Jake about seeking life and salvation from God, not from rituals like Sunday morning worship or weekly Bible study.…

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Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton

British Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: It started out as just another car insurance problem, but for call center worker Mina, the conversation with Peter just might turn wonderfully personal. Review: Crossed Wires is a sweet, gentle, tender book. The sole bit of edge is provided by Mina’s wayward teenage sister, but she spends most of her time offscreen (so to speak) where she can’t wreak too much havoc. The romance between Mina and Peter unfolds quietly and organically. Author Rosy Thornton doesn’t try to make things too cutesy, which…

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The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett

On Reading 2 Comments

Synopsis: Jane Austen manners + Bronte sisters gothica + magic = too much pastiche and not enough depth. Review: I loved the concept of The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, but I just could not remain interested in this book. The writing was lazy, oscillating between high-minded prose awkwardly imitating Austen or George Eliot, and sloppy grammar and anachronisms that brought the whole thing crashing down. Story-wise, I couldn’t focus on tracking the development of the mythology and presentation of the core story elements for the…

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B As In Beauty by Alberto Ferraras

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Overweight B hates her life, but when she’s adopted by a fairy godmother running a most unorthodox service, she gets in touch with her outer beauty but runs the risk of losing the inner beauty she’s had all along. Review: I really enjoyed B as in Beauty, despite the rather tawdry story elements. Alberto Ferraras has created a winning heroine and set her against some well-imagined set pieces that are titillating but never sleazy–or, at least, B never comes off as sleazy. I really…

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The Glass of Time by Michael Cox

British Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Upon arriving at Evenwood as a lady’s maid, young Esperanza Gorst discovers that she is in the center of a plot to topple her mistress. Review: The Glass of Time is Michael Cox’s follow up to The Meaning of Night, continuing his Wilkie Collins-esque tale of intrigue and revenge with a Bronte-inspired suspense melodrama. I devoured it like a madwoman in an attic. Raised a lady in France, Miss Gorst is an unlikely choice for a lady’s maid. Her breeding and manners make it…

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Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

On Reading 2 Comments

Synopsis: As her father’s wedding approaches, Christine needs help more than ever to process her grief over her mother’s death, but her friends are all fighting with each other. Review: The second book in the Miracle Girls series, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do has a darker tone than Miracle Girls, and as a result goes a lot deeper. Angsty Christine is angrier and sadder than any of Anne & May’s protagonists to date, and in her pain she’s eminently relatable. They also do a…

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This is Water by David Foster Wallace

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: Subtitled “Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life.” Review: This is Water is the text of a speech that David Foster Wallace gave to Kenyon’s class of 2005 at their graduation. It’s a meditation on importance of finding meaning in life. I was prepared to be angered by this work, given Wallace’s ultimate suicide. I have a hard time believing that someone who ended his own life could teach me how to live mine to the fullest. Surprisingly, Wallace’s…

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Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz

American Literature 4 Comments

Synopsis: A Princeton admissions officer faces a long-buried secret in the height of application season. Review: The college application process, shrouded in secrecy and constructed with fuzzy logic, proved quite fascinating in Admission. Watching Portia speak to prospective students, looking over her shoulder as she read through applications, and hearing her defend a process most believe inherently unfair and corrupt perked up a book with an otherwise unimpressive plot. Portia and her long-time boyfriend Mark have reached a crisis in their relationship, just as Portia…

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Laura Rider’s Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: A married couple starts sending love emails to a popular public radio personality, leading to tragicomic results. Review: In Laura Rider’s Masterpiece, Oprah-blessed Jane Hamilton’s latest protagonist is a woman who dreams of being Jane Hamilton. Laura Rider is the owner of a midwestern garden center who’s been nurturing the fantasy of becoming a writer for ages. A chance meeting with new neighbor Jenna Faroli, the host of a “Fresh Air”-type show on public radio, gives Laura the impetus to take her dreams more…

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Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

American Literature 4 Comments

Synopsis: Carter just can’t believe he’s still a virgin, but hopefully starting high school will change all that! Review: Carter Finally Gets It was really not for me. I am very sensitive now that I’m a mom and it was really hard to read about 13- and 14-year-old girls dressing like prostitutes. I just don’t want to read about children being sexually active as a comedy.

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