Feminism

Fight Like a Girl

2009, Books in Bed, Feminism, Non-Fiction /

I probably would never have made time to read Fight Like a Girl if it hadn’t been assigned for Michelle’s Intro to Women’s Studies class.

I’ve picked it up several times, in various women’s book stores, but always put it back down in favor of buying something else. Always thought “I should reserve this at the library.” and then never did it.

It’s that kind of book.

It’s also not the best book for someone who spends a lot of time knee deep in feminist issues (whether they are second wave, third wave or fourth wave issues) because it’s a little slow.

It is an excellent book if you’re looking for a what was feminism, what wasn’t it… what is it now, what can it be, what do you want it to be – or not be… type of book.

It’s also an excellent book if you’re looking for more resources and basic ideas for doing feminism or activism of any type. The “how tos” in the back were brilliant, not because they included anything new or unusual but because they were included at all.

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Graceling

4 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Feminism, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I wasn’t going to read Graceling because I am way behind and have a huge stack of books I need to read so that I can review them. Or read so that I can finish my challenges.

But TW insisted Graceling was good. Really good. And I wasn’t feeling very well, so a serious non-fiction book about a GI doctor seemed like less than perfect reading for a stomach flu kind of day.

TW was right. Graceling was really good. Another strong female character. A strong supporting female character. Male characters that run the range of good and evil, some that are a combo of both. And of course, there’s the “Grace”. How those who are graced are treated. What types of graces there are. Very interesting.

*Duh. Just realized the reason we had this book in the first place is that it was a Cybils book. Too bad it had so much competition in that category.*

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The Little Stranger

3 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Queer, Women /

I almost didn’t read The Little Stranger. I was going to boycott Sarah Waters’ latest book because I’d heard it didn’t have a lesbian theme or lesbian characters.

Hah.

It may not have had overt lesbian themes or characters but if Caroline wasn’t a lesbian… well, I think she probably was.

The Little Stranger was a good read, ten times better than Affinity. A good bit better than The Night Watch. It’s no Tipping the Velvet or Fingersmith but it’s pretty darn good.

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Every Soul a Star

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Feminism, Fiction, Young Adult /

The best thing about good YA and middle grade fiction (and yes I cringe every time I type middle grade) is that it’s so darn easy to read while you are in the middle of work life crazyness.

It took me quite a bit longer to finish Every Soul a Star than it should have because of that work life crazyness, but it was good to collapse into bed or escape to the back of the house for a five minute break with this book.

Nice story. Good adult characters and kid characters. Quick, easy read and I am left wondering how they all managed once they left the campground. A sequel? Eclipse chasing somewhere else, maybe? Nah, probably not.

Good Cybils choice – not sure which book won in this category, probably not this one.

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My two favorite Cybils

3 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Young Adult /

When TW was reading The Disreputable History of Frankie Ladnau-Banks she made it sound like just another coming of age story… turns out, it’s a hell of a lot more than that. It’s not even just another girl dates one boy but likes another, boarding school, coming of age story.

This little book is one of the best pieces of YA I’ve ever read. Ever. But, then again, it speaks to the feminist in me.

I see that my behavior disrupted the smooth running of your patriarchal establishment.

Heh.

I’m buying it. A couple of copies actually. Maybe one of our girls will develop just a little bit more “Frankie Landau-Banks-ness” if they read it.

After I finished DHoFLB, I picked up the middle grade, Diamond Willow written by Helen Frost (whose Printz Honor book, Keesha’s House, I loved.) I was a little worried about it because it’s prose… written in diamond shape…with bolded words that tell another mini story.

I worried for nothing.

I loved this book. Totally different from Keesha’s House.

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Art of Modern Rock: Mini Poster Girls

2008, Books in Bed, Comics & Graphic Novels, Feminism, Poetry, Women /

Art of Modern Rock: Mini Poster Girls was not quite an impulse purchase but I didn’t go to Women and Children with the intention of buying it. I saw it, I remembered giving someone (The half child?) a book of rock posters that was really cool and as I flipped through it, I realized this was the “Perfect for Michelle” version of that book. And it is.

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Chloe plus Olivia

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Classics, Favorites, Feminism, From the Stacks Challenge, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Queer, short stories, Women /

Thank freaking goodness I am very, very familiar with the work of women like Judy Grahn, Audre Lourde, Adrienne Rich etc etc etc. If I was not familiar with their work, I would still be reading Chloe plus Olivia well into the new year.

800 pages of lesbian lit. Aye yi yi. Text book style lesbian lit. Oy.

This was one hell of a lesbian anthology and if I had it to do all over again, I’d have read an author a day or skipped around a bit based on what my preference of the day might have been. Trying to read it straight through was not a fun experience and reading lesbian lit SHOULD be a fun experience.

By page 500, I was sick of lesbians… sick of masking… sick of the romantic friendship… sick of the man trapped in the womans body… I did not even want to think about the dangerous flowers or the amazons at that point. I just wanted it done. lol

There are some great writers in this anthology, some I’ve never read and a few I’ve never heard of. Great anthology, really. Just don’t try to read it straight through.

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A Northern Light

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Feminism, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Women, Young Adult /

I’m a little disappointed that I saved A Northern Light for last book (in paper, the real last book for the challenge is on audio, and in the car CD player now.) for my Printz Challenge. It was good, really good, but it didn’t leave me excited or thrilled about Printz the way some of the other really great books might have.

I struggled a bit with the story being told from two different points in time, I’m not sure it was necessary. I also think it’s one of those things that causes teens to throw up their hands and give up on a book. YA authors should not do it unless it just really really must be done. And in this case, I don’t think it needed to be done.

I liked the “word of the day”, I liked the “word of the day duels”, I liked all of the characters and for a brief moment I wanted to live somewhere with a “pickle boat” – then I regained my senses. I also liked the end, not happy – not sad – just “right”.

Good book… should have read it earlier in the challenge.

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The Wednesday Sisters

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Feminism, Fiction, Women /

I usually avoid breast cancer books and had I known this was a breast cancer book, I’d have probably avoided The Wednesday Sisters. I’m glad I didn’t know.

It was time for a really good chick lit story and this was really good chick lit, even with the breast cancer theme. And how often do you read a book set in Palo Alto? I certainly don’t see that very often.

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