reading is my superpower

She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter

Superfast Reader — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:35:32 +0000

Synopsis:
After her husband leaves her for another man, a model with three teenage boys moves back home to Texas where she runs across the champion bullrider she loved as a teen.

Review:
I’ve previously enjoyed Jane Porter’s books as being a cut above the usual chick lit/romance genre entrants, but She’s Gone Country didn’t rise to the occasion. While Porter gave Shey a juicy family situation–dead schizophrenic brother, depressed son, gay ex-husband–she never really came to life on the page for me. I think it was because she was a model. That made her feel like a clichéd chick lit character, and I had trouble taking her seriously. Also, her love interest being a bullrider just made me giggle more than swoon. Oh well. I’d still try another book of hers, based on the other two I liked, but one more like this one and I’ll write her off as not being for me.

Many thanks to 5 Spot for the review copy.

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Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold (The Sharing Knife Book 1)

Superfast Reader — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:50:05 +0000

Synopsis:
A farm girl inadvertently helps a fierce Lakewalker defeat an evil malice, and irrevocably ties her destiny to his.

Review:
Beguilement is the first installment of a four-book series about Lakewalkers, who are gifted with a kind of magical second sight that allows them to fight evil creatures that steal the life forces of people and animals. Fawn is a farm girl who dreams of a better life, but circumstances have trapped her. When she meets Dag, a Clint Eastwood-esque Lakewalker, she ends up in a fight for her life and that of the whole world. She and Dag embark on a trip to figure out what they’re meant to do with their entwined fates, and fall in love along the way.

There was a lot more romance in Beguilement than I’m used to seeing in fantasy novels, but I was completely swept away by the story. It wasn’t cheesy or overdone, and the mythology really worked, too. Looking forward to seeing how things develop.

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City of Veils by Zoë Ferraris

Superfast Reader — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:38:58 +0000

Synopsis:
A murder mystery set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, featuring a veiled police officer, an American woman whose husband has gone missing, and the secret history of the Koran.

Review:
Not impressed by City of Veils, which aims to be a Da Vinci Code for Islam. Conspiracies, coincidences, and religious stereotyping combined with a lackluster plot just didn’t work for me at all.

Many thanks to Little, Brown for the review copy.

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The Big Ten of Grammar by William B. Bradshaw, PhD

Superfast Reader — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:14:39 +0000

Synopsis:
Subtitled “Identifying and Fixing the Ten Most Frequent Grammatical Errors.”

Review:
Is it just me, or is grammar trendy these days? The Big Ten of Grammar doesn’t have a sexy title but it does aim to up grammar’s profile by educating readers on the most common mistakes people make. You’ve got I/me, that vs. which, commas/semicolons, and the rest of the usual suspect’s (LOL). Plus there is a bonus appendix that offers even more grammar tutelage. I think that this is a great book for the casual writer, because it makes the rules really clear and easy to remember, even though it’s not as flashy as some other recent books.

Many thanks to Synergy Books for the review copy.

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Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming by Elizabeth J. Cockey and Barton M. Cockey

Superfast Reader — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:54:53 +0000

Synopsis:
An illustrated look at the farms of upstate New York.

Review:
Drawn to the Land is a lovely little book filled with portraits, in both paint and words, of several farms in upstate New York. I love a good road trip, and this book inspired me to plan a nice drive this fall. The paintings are all made from photos and have a softness to them that evokes the beauty of the region.

Many thanks to Bridgeway Books for the review copy.

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Faithful Place by Tana French

Superfast Reader — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:31:04 +0000

Synopsis:
When the body of his first love is discovered 22 years after she failed to show up and elope to England, undercover detective Frank Mackey is sucked back into his dysfunctional and dangerous family.

Review:
Faithful Place is yet another perfect read from Tana French. As Frank navigates the crime scene, even after being ordered to stay away from the case, his grief, nostalgia, and brokenness threaten to consume him. Nobody does bittersweet regret like Tana French. My heart ached for all these poor lost characters, whose dreams were all thwarted by the accident of birth and the ties of family.

I did guess the murderer’s identity pretty early on, but I think that was the point, to place us completely in Frank’s point of view. He missed it, even if I didn’t, and that says volumes about who he is. A romantic to the end, when he says that he and Rosie Daly lost the chance to be the happiest two people on earth, you believe him utterly.

I also have to give props to Tana French for her exquisitely musical dialogue. Her use of slang, profanity, and imagery perfectly limns the subtle class distinctions between her characters, which is another huge part of the story.

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Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Superfast Reader — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:57:59 +0000

Synopsis:
Freed from the clutches of the madman who abducted her, a broken young woman tries desperately to make sense of what happened to her.

Review:
I find it really strange that the New York Times gave Still Missing such a glowing review, because while I enjoyed the read I didn’t think it rose above genre expectations at all. The prose is pedestrian and the revelations contrived. Oh well.

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Everwild by Neal Shusterman (Skinjacker Trilogy)

Superfast Reader — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:25:35 +0000

Synopsis:
Allie the Outcast, the Chocolate Ogre, the McGill, and Mary Queen of Snots meet up with Jackin’ Jill and Zach the Ripper and discover that there’s a lot more to Everlost than just limbo after death.

Review:
In Everwild, Neal Shusterman deepens the mythology he created in Everlost, adding new characters and concepts with tremendous panache.

Allie the Outcast has discovered the power to leap into the bodies of the still living, and when she joins forces with a small group of fellow skinjackers, she hones her powers and makes new discoveries about the rules of Everlost. Meanwhile, Nick, now the Chocolate Ogre, is building an army to take on Mary Hightower, the Queen of Snots, whose stranglehold over the children of Everlost is preventing them from reaching their just reward. Suffice it to say that Shusterman always sends the plot in an unexpected direction, keeping me turning pages to the very end. I’m in desperate anticipation of Everfound, the trilogy’s finale, coming out later this year, and plan to seek out the rest of Shusterman’s books.

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Everlost by Neal Shusterman (The Skinjacker Trilogy)

Superfast Reader — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:25:01 +0000

Synopsis:
Two teens find themselves in a limbo world between life and death.

Review:
I first read about Everlost on It’s All About Books and was totally intrigued by Suey’s rave review.

Nick and Allie were victims of a fatal car accident, but instead of making it to the bright white light they were bumped into Everlost. They learn quickly that they have to keep moving or else they will sink through the ground all the way to the center of the earth. There are certain spots where they can walk, and some objects and buildings that have also passed through. And only kids live in Everlost–adults never get lost on the way. Mary Hightower seems to run the show, and everyone fears the McGill.

I really liked how Shusterman subverted expectations and gave us characters who don’t fit the neat little molds you so often find in genre YA. Allie in particular is a different kind of heroine and I was particularly taken by how Shusterman develops her character. I’ve got high hopes for the rest of the series.

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Hunger Games Winners!

Superfast Reader — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:45:54 +0000

The winners, via random.org:

10–Cindy Calvano
7–Nina
3–Heather

Use the contact form below to send me your address. Be sure to mention that this is for Hunger Games.

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