Books in Bed

That’s So Gay!

6 Comments / GLBT, Reading Lists /

It seriously stinks that the majority of books on Out.com’s Best in Books list are GAY and not LESBIAN.  What is with that?  It’s always been that way but it seems to get worse with each passing year.  Queer lit might be here to stay but it’s pissing me off.  I mean HOW doggone GAY?! (Not that I want to turn this into an us/them sort of thing, I just want a little equality in the list.)

Another thing that is annoying is my library only has one of these (besides the entirely too mainstream "What do you mean those dudes were gay?" Son of a Witch).  And as much as I like a good gay boy book (Have I ever told you about my Robert Rodi fixation???) I don’t like them well enough to BUY them.  Toss some lesbian books on the list and I might spring for a few.  Ya know?

I’m going to have to do some research and make my own BEST of LESBIAN LIT list!  Anyone want to help?

Thanks to Daily Dose of Queer for pointing out the OUT list!

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2006 Healthy Wealthy & Wise

1 Comment / Non-Fiction, Reading Lists /

This evening I noticed the Penguin UK list of books to read in 2006. I noticed it first because I saw it on Reading Matters and within minutes saw it on Sassymonkey Reads.



I love the idea of choosing one book a month in each category, “Healthy, Wealthy & Wise” plus one “Must Read” but I’m not thrilled with the Penguin UK list. This has me wondering which books I’d recommend in each category. And it has me wondering, how would an American list differ from the UK list? How would a Canadian list differ from both?



Very interesting. I think I’ll see if I can do four a month in those categories. It will help me with my non-fiction/classics stuff from my 101 Things in 1001 Days list.



What would you choose for each category?



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Uncontrolled Flight – FLEE!

2006, Books in Bed, Don't Read This, Fiction /

The Art of Uncontrolled Flight was disappointing. Women in the military, flying even, you’d think it would be good, right? It wasn’t. Bits and pieces of it were good but mostly, it was boring and not very original. More dsyfunctional family stuff. A dead mom. Dirtbag father. Typical military men. Boring. And then there was the troubling section where they jumped from war scene to war scene and mixed the years all up. What was that about? I didn’t get that at all. The dots never connected for me if they were suppose to somehow connect.

Blah.

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What Do You Do All Day?

2006, Books in Bed, Fiction /

This was one of the better “mommy” chicklit books I’ve read in awhile. Lots of mommies, working daddies, the token gay boy mommy and NYC all make it slightly predictable but still fun to read.

I have one complaint, it’s not a “chat board” it’s either a chat room or a message board. You’d think folks could get that right by now, wouldn’t you? Hmmm wonder when I’ll read a mommy chicklit book that includes mommy blogs instead?
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Low tide, boy is it ever

2006, Books in Bed, Fiction, Religion /

Okkkkk, I’m a little disappointed that my first book of 2006 was an evangelical novel set in the Carolina Lowcountry. I had no idea Grace at Low Tide was an evangelical novel. TW read it ages ago and I thought “Grace” was a reference to the dog-gone Grace Bridge!

When I started reading the book last night, after a couple of pages I turned to TW and said “ummm there’s a lot of God in here” and her reply was “not really”. Umm if that’s not a lot of God, I don’t want to know what is.

Totally not my cup of tea. Too sappy. To much God and Jesus and praying for me.

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Marley & Me

1 Comment / 2005, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I’m finding it a little weird that my last book in 2005 is a dog book. A really good “bad dog” book but still a dog book. I am sick to death of dogs. I’m sick to death of my “bad dogs” and constantly rant and rave about these dog gone dogs. And yet… I totally, completely, thoroughly enjoyed Marley & Me. I’m not sure I have laughed my way through any book I’ve read this year the way I did with this one.

I’ve had a lab, (mine was black though), and while he was “a bad dog” he wasn’t Marley bad. I’ve got two cockers at the moment who are definitely “bad dogs” but they aren’t Marley bad (well Jake is worse in some ways since he’s actually BIT people). And as much as I rant and rave about all of the bad dogs I’ve had in the past and have right now, I can completely understand why people keep their bad dogs and love them to boot.

Marley & Me – great dog book. Funny and then sad at the end. I’m glad it was my last book of 2005 and hope I find one I enjoy as much in 2006.

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The Lightning Thief

2005, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

TW, Michelle and I really enjoyed listening to The Lightning Thief on the way to Charleston and back again this weekend. Michelle seemed highly disappointed when it was over. She’ll be glad to hear the next book in the series is coming soon – though April seems a long time to wait, at least it’s not like waiting for the next HP book.

Percy Jackson is a troubled 12 year old who finally discovers just WHY he’s troubled – he’s a half-God, son of …. I won’t tell you whose son he is because that would ruin a good part of the book for you. Imagine being half mortal and half God… and having monsters sniffing around after you to try and kill you for being half-God. Troublin, troubling, troubling!

A quest, lots of monsters, lots of Greek mythology presented in a fun way.

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Cookbooks for Christmas

2005, Books in Bed, cookbooks /

This was a big Christmas for cookbooks at the Flamingo House. Here’s scoop:

Elaine Magee, who I adore and have the pleasure of working with sent me her new Comfort Food Makeovers cookbook. I read the introductory pages and sifted through the recipes on Christmas Eve. Awesome, as are all of Elaine’s books.

Speaking of Elaine’s books, I gave the Fry Light, Fry Right cookbook to my mom, my ex mil and TW’s mom. I have a copy for Jenn but seem to have left it at home so I guess she’ll get it for her birthday or something.

I gave TW and prince Joe the Grilled Cheese: 50 Recipes to Make You Melt cookbook that I saw mentioned in the Village Voice cookbooks for the holidays article. It’s a foofy little book with lots of interesting (and impossible to find in our little college town) ingredients. I bought it because Joe loves grilled cheese but he doesn’t love his mother’s grilled cheese. He loves mine.

Michelle and TW got Shakespeare’s Kitchen. Lots of yukky meat recipes but interesting all the same for the Shakespeare effect and it will be interesting for them to play with.

Oops, forgot I also bought my Son In Law the Weber’s Real Grilling. He seemed pretty excited about it.

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Trolls and Gay Boys???

2005, Books in Bed, Fiction, GLBT, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Troll: A love story – now that was a weird book! I can barely believe that I spent time on this little bit of fantasy but on the other hand it was oddly endearing. Weird but endearing? So that’s why I spent time on it!

A gay man and those who love him (which include a veterinarian, a Filipina mail order prostitute bride, a not-gay man who is really gay, some other really smart dude with a lot of books and a troll cub). WEIRD, WEIRD, WEIRD.

Really short chapters with bits of troll lore and news articles and stuff tossed in between the chapters. Weird, weird, weird.

I mostly didn’t understand the abused Filipina prostitute mail order bride bit. Was that really necessary to the story? I mean really.

I don’t think I can actually recommend this but if you’re looking for weird gay boy troll stories, this is a good one.

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