Archive for the ‘Fiction’ Category
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30
Sep
2010
Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell
It is systematically impossible to review this book without comparing Shandi Mitchell to Willa Cather. Similarities include, but are not limited to: Eastern European immigrants to the harsh prairies of North America; suicide; vast landscapes; early 20th century; complex characters (particularly strong women).
28
Sep
2010
I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
The last thing Eliza wants is to hear from the man that kidnapped her for a week when she was a teenager. But that’s exactly what happens when Walter sees her picture in a magazine (because, you know, he’d know her anywhere) and decides to contact her from death row.
9
Sep
2010
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
The Bean Trees was Barbara Kingsolver’s debut novel, back in the ’80’s. One chapter in, and you can already see the foreshadows of the voices she would create over the next few decades.
31
Aug
2010
Fables vol 7: Arabian Nights (and Days) by Bill Williamson
The Arabian Fables have sent a delegation to Fabletown, led by Sinbad. Cultural differences abound but guess who steps in to save everyone’s face? King Cole, the former Mayor.
24
Aug
2010
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
In Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s debut novel, Wench, Lizzie, Sweet, Reenie, and Mawu are all brought to the Tawawa resort in southern Ohio for the summer by their masters. Perkins-Valdez researched the real retreat where it was common for Southern gentlemen to bring their slave-mistresses. Of course, being in a free state has a certain lure, and for the first time, their eyes are open to real possibilities of living free. An edifying friendship forms, one that none of the women have ever been able to have with other slaves, due to their status as the master’s mistress.
17
Aug
2010
Ruby and the Stone Age Diet by Martin Millar
Ruby and the Stone Age Diet was one of Martin Millar’s first books. It came out something like 20 years ago (indeed, a blurb from Neil Gaiman says that he’s been reading Millar for 20 years) in the U.K., but was only just published earlier this year in the U.S. by Soft Skull Press.
13
Aug
2010
The Sandman: Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman
Here we have Fables & Reflections the 6th volume of the Sandman series. This is one of those volumes that doesn’t have an over-arcing storyline, so Imma break it down for you.
10
Aug
2010
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Spoiler: the guy lives at the end. But you and I already knew that, considering that the sequel, Linger, is already out. I actually would have really enjoyed some delicious tragedy where he died and the next book could have been about some of the other werewolves, but this is YAPARANORMALROMANCE and that just isn’t going to happen. Thus I never felt any sense of urgency whatsoever, which might’ve brought the book up from “meh” to pretty ok.
6
Aug
2010
The Last War by Ana Menéndez
I really wanted to love this book, but it’s over-narration killed it for me. Never in recent memory has it taken me so long to get through a book so short (just over 200 pages).
2
Aug
2010
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
I…actually liked this book. I had invited my Inner Teenaged Self up from the basement where she’s usually kept and we read it together. She liked it, too. So, here is is Inner Teenaged Self (you can picture her has having purple spikey hair, fishnet tights, and doc Martins, and that will be a pretty accurate description of me my Sophomore year of high school).
