Women

Unclean Spirits

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women, Young Adult /

TW said I should read Unclean Spirits and it seemed like a smart choice for the trip home from BlogHer Food. There was no way I’d be able to read anything deep or serious, not with that level of exhaustion, illness and frustration.

As it was, I could only barely read the fluff (in a dark, deadly sort of fluffy way) and it took about twice as long to finish as it should have.

Jayne is a pretty solid female character. Oh she has her problems but she’s a teenager. With bad parents. And a crazy uncle who didn’t prepare her for what she was stepping into. (People, learn a lesson – if you’re going to leave someone a gazillion dollars and the job of fighting demons, prepare them for the task – even if you are sure you aren’t going to die for ages and even if you think the person you’re leaving the money and the job to is too young to hear it. Prep is good. Really it is.)

I’m not dying to read the next book but I won’t turn my nose up at it if it appears on my library list.

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Drawing in the Dust

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Women /

TW put Drawing in the Dust on my bedside table. When I asked her why, she said because it was good and I should read it.

When I picked it up last night she asked me why I was reading that.

See what I live with????

She was right, it was good. It was worth reading. I read it straight through.

I never used to read these Biblical excavation/mystery types of stories, now I seem to read them all of the time. (I blame HER for that – it’s a good thing most of them are interesting.)

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Woman at Point Zero

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

Michelle’s financial aid and scholarship money was slow to come through and she needed her text books (Michelle is obsessive in her need to pre-read her textbooks prior to the first day of class. It’s a little weird) so I ordered them for her.

When I saw the two non textbooky books required for her woman’s studies class, I thought I had read Woman at Point Zero. In fact I was sure I had read it. But after reading the synopsis, and the reviews. I decided I had only heard about it or read about it – so I reserved a copy for myself at the library.

Nope, I hadn’t read it. No, I don’t think it’s quite as compelling as some of the Amazon reviews indicate it is. Yes, it’s a terrific book for an woman’s studies intro class. (I think Michelle will like the other assigned book better than this one… but I could be wrong. We’ll find out…)

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The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Women /

Well, it’s no Ya-Ya Sisterhood but it’s not bad. At least not until you hit the last chapter. And then it was just annoying enough to make me regret reading The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder.

I hate it when authors do that. Was it really necessary? Really, Rebecca Wells, was it? I don’t think it was. Ruining a perfectly good book like that? Tsk tsk.

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A Homemade Life

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction, Women /

Not all blogs should become books. Molly Wizenberg’s Orangette is not one of those blogs. Her blog, which then became the book A Homemade Life was fabulous. And remember, I’m no foodie.

That’s really why I think it was a great book, it can speak to everyone. There’s a little something for everyone. And the stories, often about food and cooking and recipes are not a turn off to those of us who don’t “get” the whole food thing. Because we do get the relationships thing.

Wizenberg does the relationship story just as well as she does the food story. And, because this is so, I would like to try a half dozen of those recipes. That’s saying something.

* I would like to note that I do not know Molly. I am not a long time Orangette fan. I’ve read it before, a few times, but it has never been in my feedreader. I have no personal connection to the woman or her blog that colors how I felt about the book. (Odd since most blog to books that I read, I read because I do have a connection to the author.)

* Also, if you live in Seattle or are visiting, I’d recommend you check out Delancey. I would, if I lived there (or was going for a visit.)

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5 Ways to {blank} your blog

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction, Women /

Deb Rocks is funny. She’s more than funny. It doesn’t matter if she’s leaving comments on BlogHer, or on Twitter or blogging. The woman makes people laugh. In a smart way.

Her book, 5 Ways to {blank} your blog is funny – in a smart way. Totally what I expected to see.

It’s full of laughs. Full of great blogs that you should visit. Full of smart tips, sometimes masked as non-tips.

Buy the book and then go {blank} your blog. It will be funny. We’ll all laugh with you… and probably at you.

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Kabul Beauty School

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction, Women /

Yes I’m just now getting around to reading Kabul Beauty School. Thank goodness for the From the Stacks Challenge because I’m sure if I didn’t force myself to do this challenge every year, a whole slew of great books I’ve purchased would go unread. Like this one.

There are just too many books and not enough damn time.

I liked it. I’ve heard a lot about it and was a little worried that I wouldn’t like it. There are a lot of non-fiction books, written by westerners, about Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan that I’ve just plain hated. Thank goodness, this wasn’t one of them.

I loved the story. I loved the idea of the beauty school. I loved a look at the people and the culture – and the culture clashes.

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Highway to Hell

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women, Young Adult /

I didn’t mean to start reading Highway to Hell. I simply lost the book I was supposed to be reading and this one was nearby. If I had realized it was the third in the series, I’d have worked harder to find the book I’d lost. I hate reading a series out of order.

Maybe that’s why it took me so long to finish it?

Nah. It took me so long because I was a) exhausted post-BlogHerCon b) sick c) working my butt off.

If I hadn’t been experiencing all three of those things at once, I’d have finished it in a day. And probably enjoyed it a good bit more than I did.

It was a fun book. It must by YA but I’m too exhausted, sick and busy to double check. If it isn’t labeled YA, it should be.

Demons. Evil geniuses. Brujas. Great girl power characters.

I have the first two books in the series now and I look forward to going back and starting at the beginning.

**updated** No wonder the characters in this book seemed so familiar… we read book 1, Prom Dates from Hell in 2007. And loved it.

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Not Flesh Nor Feathers

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women, Young Adult /

Yay for Cherie Priest! Not Flesh Nor Feathers was excellent, as expected (since I read the first 50 pages before putting it down in favor of reading book 2 first.)

I love Eden. She’s a great character. I love her supporting characters, too. I was shocked by the ending of this one. And a wee bit sad too. But, it was a nice way to handle a situation… errr I’d say more but I don’t want to spoil it for y’all. Just read the series.

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