Tag Archives: 21st Century

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

American Literature 6 Comments

Synopsis: Jenna thought her childhood best friend Cameron was dead, but when he shows up at her high school 8 years later, she must confront demons long buried and deal with unresolved issues with her family. Review: I was very impressed with the way Sara Zarr built the suspense in Sweethearts. I was aching to find out where Cameron had been, aching for Jenna to talk to him, aching to see their childhood love burst into adolescent fruition. I could almost barely stand to read…

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The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

American Literature 6 Comments

Synopsis: New girl Ana struggles with overprotective parents who push her to succeed, but when she winds up in detention she discovers she is not the only girl in school who has survived a near-fatal incident. Review: I bigtime heart Anne and May, the Good Girls, so I was thrilled to read The Miracle Girls, the first in their new young adult series. Anne and May write Christian fiction that isn’t preachy, and The Miracle Girls makes Ana’s Christianity just part of her life, not…

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Home by Marilynne Robinson

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: Prodigal Jack Boughton has returned to Gilead, bringing joy to his dying father and an ache to his lonely sister’s heart. Review: It breaks my heart to say this, but I don’t think Home lives up to Gilead. Mailynne Robinson’s prose is still astonishing in its simplicity, and the characters are just as sharp as ever. Even her digressions are riveting. But when it was over, I did not feel it added anything to Jack Boughton’s story. If anything, it reads like an appendix…

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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, Book 1)

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: A teenage girl discovers that she comes from a lineage of demon hunters, and finds herself drawn into the ongoing battle between good and evil. Review: I picked up City of Bones after reading a rave review of the next book in the series on the Queens Public Library’s email newsletter for YA picks. It sounded like a fun read, and I was not disappointed. I just got a book light so I can read in bed while Superfast Baby snoozes in her crib…

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The Civility Solution by PM Forni

American Literature 7 Comments

Synopsis: People are rude–and here’s what you can do about it. Review: I would like to see everyone in the world read The Civility Solution. It always baffles me how much rudeness is out there in the world. When I was pregnant, I was constantly amazed that people would not give me a seat on the subway, for example. Or the ever increasing hordes of cell phone yakkers. As my best friend would say, “The nerve of some people’s children!” I suppose endorsing this book…

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Rules for Saying Goodbye by Katherine Taylor

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: An episodic look at the life of a California girl living in New York. Review: I do not like to give negative reviews on this blog so I will just say that I finally gave up on Rules for Saying Goodbye with only 70 pages to go. I did not like that it was a memoir disguised as fiction. I wasn’t crazy about the arch, tinny dialogue. I never cared about the protagonist/author. It was not for me. I will say I did enjoy…

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Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

American Literature 1 Comment

Synopsis: An aging minister writes a letter to his young son, telling him all he’ll never have the chance to tell him when his son is a man. Review: “Just now I was listening to a song on the radio, standing there swaying to it a little, I guess, because your mother saw me from the hallway and she said, ‘I could show you how to do that.’ She came and put her arms around me and put her head on my shoulder, and after…

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Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: High school senior Jill is “all girl”–except for 4 days out of the month, when she turns into Jack, who happens to be in love with her best friend. Review: Cycler has quite the premise, with Jill literally transforming from girl to boy once a month, right after her period ends. Girly girl Jill wants nothing to do with horny boy’s boy Jack, and has an elaborate ritual to keep memories of his four days at bay. Her mom loathes Jack as well, and…

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Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel

American Literature

Synopsis: A parenting book that looks at the bigger picture of raising adults, not children. Review: Grace Based Parenting really resonated with me. I’ve been a bit frustrated as I read about parenting, because it seems like everything has to be a method, a program, or a way of life. I have really been searching for a framework in which to carve out my own path with Superfast Baby, and this book gave me just that. Dr. Kimmel is a youth pastor, and I have…

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My Child Won’t Eat by Carlos Gonzalez, MD

Spanish Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: A reassuring guide to help parents promote healthy eating habits. Review: Superfast Baby has not shown much interest in solid food, so My Child Won’t Eat was really helpful for me. Basically it reassured me that I can trust my instincts that she is getting the nutrition she needs from breastmilk, and that quality (ie, healthy food) is more important than quantity (no force feeding).

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