Fiction

Diamond Ruby

2010, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women, Young Adult /

Awhile back, when I was tired of reading really depressing books and looking for something a bit more uplifting TW suggested Diamond Ruby. When I asked if anyone died or was raped or was emotionally abused, she said, “Well there was this one part … and then another thing…” and so I skipped it. I just wasn’t in the mood.

Well now it’s almost time for Diamond Ruby to go back to the library so I figured I’d give it a shot. And the first 75 pages or so are the most depressing pages ever. OK I’m exaggerating but people die of Spanish Influenza (a pretty horrible death at any time but in the early 1900s… oy) and then there’s a munition factory explosion and then there’s the train wreck and then there’s a 13 year old girl trying to feed her very young nieces and doing whatever it takes (almost) to do that.

DEPRESSING.

Even when Ruby’s luck changed a wee bit, there was a non-stop struggle. Sprinkled with visits by Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey. There’s also a whole lot of non-famous supporting characters and the evil Czar of baseball. And the mob. And… yea, bad things just keep on happening but Ruby survives it all and keeps her family (and her friends) alive.

This was a pretty damn good baseball story. Girls can too throw a baseball.

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Bravo Valentine

2010, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

You’d think I’d have read Brava Valentine a long time ago – all of those ads for Adriana Trigiani that were on BlogHer should have reminded me to reserve the darn thing, right? Well no. I was so busy clicking on the ad every time I saw it that I must have just thought I had reserved it. If I hadn’t seen it just sitting on the shelf during our last trip the library, I might not have read this for ages. Or at least until her next book came out and I was reminded that I’d missed one.

Anyway. This one picks up where Very Valentine left off. And I liked it but I was really getting tired of Valentine’s self  deprecating remarks.  I love the Angelini family (especially the new relatives in Buenos Ares) but Valentine might actually be my least favorite member of the family  – which is saying something since I don’t really love Alfred.  I liked Valentine more in the last book – in this one, while I liked the story and finding out what happened next… the first 100 pages or so almost killed me. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to cut it the hell out.

If there’s another book, she’s not going to do that – right???

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Clementine

2010, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women, Young Adult /

Have I mentioned I really love Cherie Priest? People, are you paying attention. YOU MUST READ HER BOOKS. Clementine was a fabulous piece of steampunk – loosely related to Boneshaker (very loosely) – and it was fantastic. Belle Boyd rocked as a strong female lead. Croggin Hainey and his “fellas” (because let’s not use the word “boys”, ok?) rocked just as hard. I want a dirigible! I also want Dreadnaught – like right NOW.

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Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Company

1 Comment / 2010, Books in Bed, Fiction, From the Stacks Challenge, Women /

This is another book for my From the Stacks Challenge. And again, I have no idea where we picked this up. Possibly at the old FOLS in Gainesville? Or maybe from the Little City book sale here? Who knows. It’s been on the shelf forever and it’s yellow – that’s all that really matters.

About the book itself, I really liked it. It started slowly and I was worried. A Latina woman in a Mexican jail – I didn’t quite “get it” for the first chapter or two. Once I settled into it, I really enjoyed it. Nice story telling. I loved the women prisoners (and the warden and Nora the guard.) I’d like to know what happened to some of those who were released there at the end – not so much Libertdad, (the main character) – but the others. Her friends. We need a sequel to Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Company – but I don’t want it to be about Daughter and Gonzalez…

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Going in Circles

2010, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

I am a Pamie fan girl. A big Pamie fan girl. So it’s no surprise that I really loved Going in Circles. (Why Girls are Weird is still my favorite, though.) I loved that Charlotte made miniatures. I loved that she joined Roller Derby. I loved the whole darn thing. (though honestly, I could have done without the John Goodman narrative – but it did feel very Pamie so I get it.)

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The Dust of 100 Dogs

1 Comment / 2010, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Queer, Women, Young Adult /

Remember when RJ was a pirate-aholic? Remember those good ole days? Before vampires? Sigh. I miss pirates. I had really high hopes for The Dust of 100 Dogs because –  Girl Pirate! And I did like it – or parts of it – but I didn’t like the whole boy/girl romance crap. It started in Ireland when Emir was a child and it lingered throughout the entire book. ‘A woman without a man is like wearing one shoe?’ BS.

Other than that, it was a fun story. But what happened to the jewels sewn into the capes? Did “he” rip those out and just replace them in the chest? Or what…? That wasn’t clear to me. I’m guessing he did because he’s a jerk, right?

And for those who might be wondering – there’s a wee bit of a gay (male) side story. Not a lot but it is there. And that’s why I’m going to drop this in the Queer topic… for those who might be wondering. 😉

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Romancing Miss Bronte

2010, Books in Bed, Classics, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Women /

The problem with a well written novel about a classic author, particularly when the novel is based on facts, is that it makes you want to go back and re-read those old classics. A book like that might spur you to pick up a never-read book by the classic author. Romancing Miss Bronte caused this over and over again. Because not only did I feel compelled to read (and re-read) the works of Charlotte, I realized I’ve never read Agnes Gray… and I was tempted to dig into Elizabeth Gaskell, too. Thankfully, nothing in the story compelled me to re-read Thackeray (shudder – that’s worse than The Moonstone!)

I tried to fight off the urge, but in those last pages, as Charlotte lay dying, I grabbed the iPad and started downloading. Maybe just the act of downloading Agnes Gray and Shirley and Mary Barton will be enough. Maybe I’ll get off easy… unlike any of the Bronte sisters. Or maybe I should download Vanity Fair and read a few pages – that should knock some sense into me, right?

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Beautiful Malice

2010, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

It’s disconcerting to read a novel written by “Rebecca James” – particularly a novel like Beautiful Malice. I’d like to keep our Rebecca James far, far away from this book because she’s already got such a thing for “being safe” – this book might just scare her over the edge. I could NOT put it down even though I wanted to put it down because I knew really bad stuff was going to happen – I just had to keep reading and reading and reading.

Now someone tell me – is this or is this NOT YA? When I first started hearing about it, before release, I heard it was YA. But, it’s not catalogued YA. It feels a little YA but then again NOT YA. I know a lot of YAs are going to read this thing and a lot of adults might not… What do you think?

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Paper Towns

1 Comment / 2010, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

Good grief John Green is brilliant. He writes such smart teenagers. I really like that. There’s nothing worse than reading YA and having a bunch of stupid stereotypical vapid teens. In Paper Towns, even the vapid teens were smart, or at least not stupid. If I’m not careful, I might find myself a bigger John Green fangirl than Sassymonkey.

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How to Say Goodbye in Robot

1 Comment / 2010, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

I’m finally starting to dig into the YA books from the Cybils shortlist. How to Say Goodbye in Robot was a nice book to relax with, after the long crazy week that is BlogHer Con (and its aftermath.) I expected to read it slowly but it was so darn good that I read it in just two sittings. Excellent book, an unhappy/happy ending. Just right.

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