Month: March 2015

Top Ten Books Recently Added to My TBR List

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8a00a-toptentuesdayI’ve been off my writing game lately. Busy week/weekends, work, and life all distract. I even passed on last week’s Top Ten! For Shame!!  So, briefly, I’ve compiled this week’s list from The Broke & The Bookish which is Ten Books recently added to my TBR List. I’d love to hear your suggestions!

1.  On Immunity: An Inoculation, by Eula Biss.  I just picked this audiobook up on a whim, so it will be one of my next listens.  She has good reviews for what appears to be a well rounded discussion/argument for vaccines.

2.  A Madness So Discreet, by Mindy McGinnis. Historical Fiction Thriller set in 1890 following a main character struggling with her own sanity. McGinnis’ book isn’t out until the fall, and I cannot wait!  Plus, look at that lovely cover art!

3.  Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days Book #1), by Susan Ee.  Another blogger recommended this series to me and warned me not to be put off by the angels.  Since I love post-apocalyptic fiction, I decided to listen to her suggestion!

4.  Partials (Partials Sequence #1), by Dan Wells.  More Post-apocalyptic YA and another blogger recommended read.  The blurb had me at “for fans of The Hunger Games, Battlestar Galactica, and Blade Runner.”  It piqued my interest further with the concept of war between humans and genetically engineered beings.

5.  Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch #2), by Ann Leckie.  I just finished the first one in this series, and I can safely place it somewhere in my all time favorite top ten books.  Good sci-fi with themes of culture, identity, social norms, and gender.  I’m looking forward to the second with the third due out sometime this year.

6.  Blood Red Road (Dust Lands Trilogy #1), by Moira Young.  More post-apocalyptic fiction with strong female characters. I’ve had two different people recommend this book to me recently, so it should probably be tackled sooner rather than later.

7.  Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality, by Christopher Ryan & Cacilda Jetha.  Yes, this one totally switches gears! I love studying gender, relationships, and how/why we are built the way we are.  After a good discussion with one of my friends, she told me about this book which she too had just put on her To Be Read list.

8.  Shift (Silo #2), by Hugh Howey.  I reviewed Wool about a month ago. This is the follow up, though it is more of a prequel.  I already have the audiobook, so it’s just a matter of time before I listen to it.

9.  The Good House, by Tananarive Due.  This was one of those “on a whim” purchases on Audible (it was on sale). It looks good though! Supernatural thriller…haunted house…good reviews…I’m in!

10.  Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, & the Body, by Susan Bordo.  I’ve read selections from this book. Correction, I’ve TAUGHT a selection from this book.  However, I am ashamed to say I’ve never read it! I forgot about this one until recently, and so, I’m making it my goal to read it before the year is out! Bordo always has a good way of analyzing culture and the body, both male and female.

Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR List

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8a00a-toptentuesday

Another Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and the Bookish!  My TBR list is always growing and changing, and I have TONS on my list right now. These 10 really are just a sampling. I’d LOVE to hear some of the ones on your list right now.

1.  Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1), by Ann Leckie.  I’m actually already on this book and LOVING it. Gender identity? Sci-Fi? Complex social issues? Check, Check, and Check!

2.  Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2), by Brandon Sanderson.  I started this when it came out a year ago and just set it aside without finishing. It’s definitely time to catch up, especially since Sanderson just can’t go wrong.

3.  Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5), by Marissa Meyer.  Such a great YA series! I’ve been waiting for this book for over a year.

4.  The Glass Arrow, by Kristen Simmons.  Dystopian feminist fantasy? Yes. Also, the author owns greyhounds, so must…support (yes we’re a cult, so what!).

5.  Saga, Vol #4, by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples.  I’ve been loving this series so far.  You can’t go wrong with Vaughn!

6.  Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1), by Susan Ee.  This series was just recommended to me by nettan-the road so far. I couldn’t resist the description…this will happen soon!

7.  While Beauty Slept, by Elizabeth Blackwell.  I’m a sucker for retelling fairytales, and this one sounds very well done. Plus, I have an autographed copy from ALA. WOOOOO!!!

8.  Silver in the Blood, by Jessica Day George. Another advanced reading copy from ALA. This one doesn’t come out until July, but it looks great!

9.  What is Remembered, by Alice B. Toklas.  A coworker who shares my love of reading, modernism, and the expats living in Paris, gave me this for Christmas. Toklas…Gertrude Stein..what’s not to love?

10.  The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad #5), by Tana French.  I’m not usually into murder mysteries, but Tana French has a way of creating wonderful stories with well developed characters. My dad and I have bounded over Tana French, and he gave me the newest in the series for Christmas.

Book #10 – The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood

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It should be no surprise to anyone that I’m writing about this book.  It should surprise you that it has taken me this long into my life to actually read Atwood. What have I been doing with the last 30 years of my life?!

The Handmaid’s Tale is one of those landmark texts, the kind that generations upon generations of inspired readers share, handing you their well loved, worn copy. Looking at you with gleaming, affected eyes, they eagerly push the book into your hand with a smile that reads of change and opened minds.

Maybe I’m being too sentimental and overselling Atwood.  Still, my point is that The Handmaid’s Tale was written with an important purpose, and 30 years later it still excels at that purpose. (Well I’ll be damned…I just realized that this year is the 30th anniversary of the book…huh…perfect!).

The premise is as follows:

In the not so distant future, the United States has erupted into a completely different world known as Gilead.  In response to increasing liberalism, feminist movements, changing views on religion, etc., Gilead has restructured the entire nation, issued total control over the remaining society, and outlawed anything and everything from women in the workplace to wearing makeup to printing books,  Only one state religion is allowed and women possess only 3 jobs: Wife, Martha, or Handmaid (though you could count the Aunts as a fourth, but they’re an extension of the Handmaid).  Women exist to serve their roles as related to their house and man. This is how they contribute to the greater good of society.

Atwood focuses on the Handmaid, Offred (Literally Of Fred). Most of her days are spent alone, in silence. She is not allowed to read. She leaves the house once a day to purchase food at the market.  Monthly she goes through the Ceremony where she has sex with the Commander (aka Fred), hoping to conceive by him. Offred is one of the valuable women who still have viable ovaries in this transitional society. If she cannot conceive, she will be deemed worthless.

First Edition Cover (source Wikipedia)

Atwood fills Offred’s days with monotony, reflections on her life as it as, and dreams of her life before. We are given glimpses of her lost hopes, her missing family, the horrors of the transition into the Handmaid’s role, and her struggles in her current household where she just wants to survive a little longer. She can barely even hope to find a way out. The story is structured to make us feel the sluggish, oppressive, passing of time, the tense fear of committing the slightest sin. The whole society, not just women, are controlled and stifled to an extreme.

In the extremeness of her story, Atwood creates a lens through which we can critique our current culture.  The world of Gilead is just a funhouse mirror version of our own, twisted, curved and quite cracked.  Still, its basic structure comes from our world’s very real issues with gender roles (male as well as female), religious influence, political power, and the domestic space of the home.  The norm of the world is a blanket we wrap around ourselves.  Atwood’s ability to tear it away through her close scrutiny is why The Handmaid’s Tale remains a phenomenal unconquerable text.

Obviously, I’ve touched on perhaps my favorite discussion point, so I’ll share a few texts below if you’re interested in further reading. Many more exist, but these are ones I’ve found particularly enlightening.

Of Woman Born: Motherhood by Experience, by Adrienne Rich.*                  *This one above all closely relates to Atwood’s work.

The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan.

The Second Sex, by Simone de Beauvior.

Sexual Politics, by Kate Millett.

I’d love to hear your thoughts or any books, articles, (non-fiction or fiction), you would like to share!

Book #9 – Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray

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Since I took so long to complete the 4 reviews for the rest of my February books, I ended up filling some of my reading with somewhat lighthearted fair. After Wool, I couldn’t delve quickly into something very complex (just too many thoughts). So, I read Libba Bray’s second book in the Gemma Doyle series, Rebel Angels.  That statement may, in fact, be a bit misleading since the world of Gemma Doyle is actually a bit complex, if not the deepest.  What I really love is that Bray has some of the loveliest blending of history and fantasy I have ever come across.

The basic premise for the series is as follows:  Gemma Doyle is a 16 year old girl living in India with her family in 1895.  After her mother’s mysterious death, the family returns to England and Gemma is shipped off to Spence, a girl’s boarding school.  Once there, she must deal with strange visions, a mysterious boy following her, and of course the social society of teenage girls.  Magic and tense friendships send her on a strange journey to understand who she is and the legacy her mother left her.

I cannot praise Bray enough as an author, and I’ve really just dipped my toes into her works.  However, since the Gemma Doyle series is her first full series, some of it is a bit rough around the edges. I loved book #1, A Great and Terrible Beauty, with it’s very well researched Victorian setting, ties to India, and mythical, mysterious, magical Realms.  Plus, I LOVE it when I can’t quite see all the twists coming (keep me guessing guys, it’s way more entertaining that way).

Rebel Angels, book #2, picks up where book #1 ends with only a short gap of time, and unfortunately it seemed stretched a bit thin at parts (specifically where the magic is involved).  Regretfully, I also saw the twist coming from approximately page 10.  I was actually angry when my suppositions ended up being the supposed “twist.” Sometimes, it’s okay, because the author has kept me guessing even if I see the twist, or “think” I see it.  That didn’t happen here.

Despite that, I still recommend Rebel Angels.  I’ll be starting Book #3 sometime in the near future, so I can see if she strengthens anything there. I know part of the problem with the series is because it is her first.  Diviners is just plain amazing, so it’s nice to see her depth and style develop.

On a side note, if you’re bored, go read Libba Bray’s bio on her website. It just makes me happy…

Ten Books for Readers Who Like “Female Action/Heroines/Dystopian” topics (ie Hunger Games)

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Another Top Ten Tuesday brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.  How I love them so! I’ll admit though, that this week’s Top Ten is a bit of a challenge. For Readers Who Like….a certain Genre? A certain Character? A specific book/series? Yogurt? I dunno…the possibilities are endless (though I doubt I can recommend books based on Yogurt).

I’m going to bite the bullet and go the easy route, since this is only my second “Top Ten Tuesday” list.  Therefore let me present:

The Top Ten Books for Readers Who Like:

Let me clarify a bit before we get to the list.  These are Dystopian or female-action oriented reads. It’s all about the heroines kicking ass.   Honestly, we could leave the Dystopia out of it!  I chose this, because it’s been on my mind lately, and because, though I enjoy The Hunger Games trilogy, I get bogged down by the end (in other words, I HATE IT), and I think there are other books out there tackling the subject matter in better ways. So, enjoy. Tell me what you think! Any others you think should also be included? I’m certainly not an expert, and I know there are tons out there that I have yet to read.

1-3.   The Graceling Realm Trilogy by Kristin Cashore (Graceling, Fire, & Bitterblue).  I have to include the entire series, because they are just that good.  It isn’t a Dystopian series but the heroines are all strong, realistic characters (book two even features a female archer).  It is action oriented, in a broken world, with strong character development, and of course, romance.  Cashore’s heroines deal with relationships in a decidedly more adult and less trivial manner than many young adult books treat love (including Hunger Games).  She provides alternative ideas of what expectations a person should have in a relationship, and her characters are well rounded and ever evolving.  Of course, you also have the battle for freedom, rebellion, and some intense dark moments throughout the three stories. Really, I can’t recommend the series enough.

4.  Wool, by Hugh Howey.  I just reviewed this book, so of course it’s at the front of my mind.  Howey creates an amazing and mysterious Dystopian world in his Silo Saga.  I’ve only read book #1, so I can’t speak to the rest of the series, but it boast a strong female character who is logical, intelligent, determined, and strong.  It has rebellion, and truth seeking, and yes, a little romance.  One of the best Dystopian books I’ve ever read.

5.  The Glass Arrow, by Kristen Simmons.  

Okay, I can’t REALLY  recommend this one since I only just bought it and haven’t read it but come on…it looks like it will fit and I can’t WAIT to start. Seriously, the only reason I haven’t opened it up yet is because I have to finish this book club book first.  Just read this (and the rest of the description) and you’ll understand: “The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.”

6-9. The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce. Really, you could count ANYTHING by Pierce. I also recommend Wild Magic from The Immortals quartet, which directly follows the events of the first series. They are for a slightly younger reader, but all of them have strong female heroines who we watch grow up throughout the series.  Alanna, our main heroine, must hide her gender and true talents, battle her way into becoming a respected knight, and help save her kingdom from upheaval.  All of this of course takes place while she is turning into a woman and trying to decide who and how to love.  Yes, we get a love triangle here, but it doesn’t bother me like the whole Peeta/Gale debacle.  Also, the relationships are realistic: troubled but not over-dramatized, physical as well as emotional. And her choices might just surprise you.

10.  Cinder and the entire Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer (though I can’t vouch yet for Fairest and Winter isn’t out until November).  Back to Dystopian fiction here, though really it’s just straight sci-fi and not a Dystopia. Meyer writes an entirely addicting series.  We have a futuristic world with yes, fairytales, and our Cinderella is, of course, a cyborg (part human/mechanical-tech parts…not to be confused with AI or full robot from other futuristic tales).  We have romance, action, and even a bit of a whining heroine. Really though, the little bit of whining, which is expected with Cinderella in my opinion, is my only complaint. I started to get annoyed with the romantic story, but Meyer fleshed it out so startling well and realistically in Scarlet and Cress (yes also fairy tales), that it has become one of my favorite examples of HOW you do romance in fiction (nearly up there with Cashore).

If I Were a Book Character I Would Be…

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How could I forget World Book Day?! How?!  Something must be wrong in my head…Thankfully, it doesn’t matter that much since I pretty much make it a point to honor books and their influence on my life each and every day. Therefore, it’s never too late to have a little bit of fun!

Over on The Bookie Monsters, Tash shared a short and sweet post about the character she would choose to be (Matilda, FYI which I totally love).  So, why not join in?

If I were any book character I would be:

Jenna from Sister Light, Sister Dark and White Jenna, by Jane Yolen.

sisterlsdIf you’ve read any of my (very few) posts, I have mentioned these books multiple times, so this shouldn’t be surprising. They were such a formative part of my youth, especially of my reading identity, or for my entire identity really.

The main reasons I would love to be Jenna are:

First and foremost, she kicks ass.  She is young when this prophecy is thrust upon her, and though she is not necessarily the “go conquer the world” girl, she is about protecting her people and writing the wrongs of the land.  Basically, she’s an Amazonian princess. Think Xena, but less cheesy.

I’ll admit, I wanted to BE Xena as a kid. I didn’t crave the clothes really, but I did love how she was a tough woman beating down all the slimy guys around her. And no, I’ve not turned out to be a man hater.  Perhaps this is why Jenna resonates with me so.  In an all female society, she does not hate men like many around her or become the doting housewife. Yolen makes Jenna into someone who wants, deserves, and ultimately finds an equal partner to fight alongside her, save the kingdom with, and eventually rule with her.

The second reason I would love to be Jenna is because of her shadow sister, her “sister dark,” Skada, who can only appear at night by moonlight or lamplight in the shadows.

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Seriously, I just love the 80s art work! I know there are two other editions now, but *sigh* I can’t get enough of these original covers.

This is the magic of the Dales, of the women who raised Jenna, who can call forth these shadow halves. For an only child, it was powerfully alluring.  I always wanted a sister.  To be able to have a partner in crime that is nearly a second skin still sounds wonderful. (I mean, I’ve gotten close with my husband but still…).

Wrap all of this together with the songs, legends, history, and folklore that ties the main tale together, and it is a world I would not mind experiencing.  I’m only sad to see some reviews of these books aren’t that positive (ehem, Goodreads), so maybe it doesn’t hold up that well. But for me, being White Jenna with her sister Skada, is still a dream, and a clear explanation of who I have indeed become in the real world. Yolen made magic happen for me. So Jenna will remain part of my shadow self forever.

Book #8 – Wool: Omnibus (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey

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Well, I promised to get caught back up on the books I’ve finished this last month and here I am!  I can’t think of a better place to start than with perhaps one of the best pieces of dystopian fiction to emerge in recent years.  The popularity of Hunger Games started a surge on the market of dark, futuristic worlds where “ordinary folk turned heroes” fight for justice, equality, etcetera, etcetera…I’ve always enjoyed dystopian tales, so I’m OK with this trend.  However, as with all fads, the true gems of the bunch are few and far between.  Wool by Hugh Howey is one of these diamonds.
Howey started this series as a novelette, self published on Amazon. It received such high praise that fans clamored for more, and the book was born.  Wool is actually a collection of these first 5 short stories and is book #1 in the Silo Saga (you can rest assured I’ll be reading the other two soon enough!).  The 5 stories tie together into one nearly seamless tale about living within the strict boundaries of a highly controlled society. When those rules are challenged, and the the lies that built them addressed, everything and everyone must either change or ultimately be destroyed.

Without giving too much more away, the story is essentially set on Earth, sometime in the distant future, where society lives underground after some unknown long-ago disaster destroyed everything on the surface and filled the air with toxic chemicals.  This space underground is a huge silo, 144 floors deep.  Every once and a great while, someone breaks the law by saying they want to go outside. They are sent outside to Cleaning, an act in which they clean the sensors/cameras on the top of the silo (which give the upper levels a view of the bleak landscape outside) and summarily die from exposure (even in their cleaning suits).  One Cleaning sets a series of events into motion which bring the lies to the surface and the Silo to it’s knees.

Art by Jasper Scheurs

The dystopian idea of people left to survive underground indefinitely is a great sociological exercise. Howey uses this experiment to his advantage to explore how society and culture is constructed or created; how the pieces work together but eventually wear around the edges to create gaps.  What happens when the entire world is built on falsehoods? Who do you trust and how do you deal with the sudden confrontation of this altered world?

Character development in Wool is also very solid. You probably know by now, I’m big into strong, or at least realistic, female heroes.  Howey succeeds at this as well.  Jules is a wonderful character: strong, believable, and vulnerable in the right ways.  She is a born leader with clear morals and beliefs about building and maintaining her community. Her rise, fall, and dangerous adventures in the silo unite all the stories. Jules is the vehicle for change who is believable for her imperfections as well as her honorable actions.

In the end, go read this book. It may stand for a long time near the top of my favorite books.

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books (from the past 3 years)

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, with a new list prompt each week. What a wonderful way to try to get back in the writing rhythm.

This one will be quick, since I didn’t know about the weekly list until today! In no particular order, here are the top ten books I’ve read in the last 3 years (some may actually be a little outside of that time frame, but it’s all relative anyhow).

1. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is one of my more recent reads. I can’t believe it took me this long to get to this feminist classic. I’ll be reviewing it more in detail soon.

2. The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan.  Keeping up with my constant focus on gender studies and persisting stereotypes of domesticity, it is of course fitting that I’ve read Friedan. She is a must if you are interested at all in the feminist movement or gender studies in general.

3.  The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery.  I read this probably closer to 5 years ago, but it resonates with me still. Few novels have such beautiful language and bring out such sincere emotions.

4.  The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson.  Few people can create complex new worlds like Sanderson. Here, he is in his element, setting up a world and an epic fantasy series that promises to be more than divine!

5 & 6.  The Name of the Wind & The Wise Man’s Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss.  For now I lump them together, since Rothfuss is still writing the series.  Talk about true character development and depth!

7.  Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer.  This book about Everest is a little outside my norm.  Recommended by a friend, I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Krakauer really brings to life the longing for conquering Mt. Everest while displaying the complexities of increased commercial climbs and the horror of one of the deadliest days on the mountain.

8.  The Art of Asking, by Amanda Palmer.  I’ve reviewed this book already just back in January. I still love it. I still maintain that the message is valuable for all of us.

9.  The Diviners, by Libba Bray.  1920s supernatural horror. Really. What isn’t to like?! Bray sets up a supernatural-historical-world blend like only she knows how. I couldn’t see all the twists (yeah!), and I cannot wait for Book #2. Please hurry!

10. Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. Really, I recommend the entire trilogy (Phedre’s Trilogy).  For some, the first book starts slow. However, I love the complex political building Carey does here.  The series only get’s stronger.

11. Fire, by Kristin Cashore.  Again, I could go on forever about the entire trilogy (Graceling Realm), but instead I’ll just mention my favorite of the three.  All of them are great, but this one is perhaps the most consistent.

Random musings from an absentee blogger

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Do you ever have that crazy itch for change? It’s like a constant nagging, no, it’s a little tug, pulling on that loose thread you’ve meant to remove from your favorite sweater. The tugging can go on for ages as the thread slowly unravels overtime, until one day enough of it is missing to finally make you notice that you’re no longer very warm.

Well I’m not as warm as I once was… and not just because of the awful weather we’ve been having lately.

It doesn’t help that change is forcing itself upon me. Don’t get me wrong, this is mostly good, just damn uncomfortable. You see, as much as we need change, none of us ever seem ready for it. We may even crave it, but that sweater is do damn comfy, it’s easy to avoid putting on a new one.

This is why I’ve neglected the blog for three weeks. I’ve been spending time reflecting, probably too much. Writing usually seems to help, so it would’ve done me some good to write sooner, but a lot of these changes are private things I can’t air.  Therefore, they wind up woven in my offline journal, and this little blog focused mainly on reading takes a temporary backseat. But tonight I’m trying something new by sharing some of these thoughts. Seeing where it leads, and yes the regularly scheduled reading review program will return shortly.

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Sometimes I look at a landscape, and I lose my breathe. It may be simple, a lone winter bare tree sprouting in the midst of a golden prairie.  

It might be the mundane.

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Snow covered woods blurred through the window of a moving train.

It  could even been the majestic urban tourist viewpoint.

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Such as a New York City from the top of Rockefeller on a cold February morning.

Each of these moments, minute and fleeting, tugged at that fraying sweater of my cozy little life.  Silly, I know, but don’t you sometimes just feel those paused breathes around you? That simple silent call of “Look here! This is you! Inside. Feel it? Feel you? Now look there. All of that. You’re part of it. What are you going to do about it?”

I’m tired of looking though, and I do fear some of the leaps I need to take, the decisions I need to make to move forward. But that fear also pushes me, because I can’t ignore it anymore. I feel the cold of stagnation. The inspiration I once found in the world around me has returned. Little tree hugger hippie me, feeling what was around me has grown up. And maybe, just maybe, I’m finally ready to let the flower child self meet adult me. Maybe if I put the two selves together, my new whole can tackle putting on a new sweater, slough off the old, and begin again.

So there…those are my random musings. They dance around my overly self critical mind, and sometimes come out as nonsense. Perhaps this will help clear the clutter a bit. Perhaps one of you will understand, and together we can both get somewhere in the middle of all of this thing called life.  (And perhaps I really just need Spring to hit so I can stop being a shivering shut in…that may also be a factor in my current mood… just a little).