Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts

Wednesday 16 November 2016

My Diverse Welsh Authors TBR

Okie dokes my dearest nerdlets - it's time to combine two of my obsessions, diverse authors and Welsh authors.

A lot of these actually came from a post on black Welsh authors I read the other day, which I will link to here.











So, I give you my modest TBR list of diverse Welsh authors:




Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve by Dannie Abse

Amazon: UK - US



This is a semi-autobiographical novel by Jewish Welsh author and poet Dannie Abse. If you've never read any of his poetry - go. Go and look it up. Read. READ NOW.







dat's love by Leonora Brito

Amazon: UK - US



This is a short-story collection by a black Cardiffian author, and looks pretty awesome.







Sugar & Slate by Charlotte Williams

Amazon: UK - US



This is an autobiography which explores the intersection of Welsh and Guyanese identities - which sounds pretty cool.







Telling Tales by Patience Agbabi

Amazon: UK - US



This is like a re-telling of The Canterbury Tales I think? So I'd probably better read the original first!







Asylum: Docu-Drama by Eric Ngalle Charles

Amazon: UK




This bills itself as a docu-drama(?) based on the true stories of asylum seekers in Wales.









Vicious by Bevin Magama

Amazon: UK - US



This is an autobiography of a Zimbabwean immigrant to Wales, and the tale of his time in the Zimbabwean military.









Proud by Gareth 'Alfie' Thomas

Amazon: UK - US







This is the autobiography of Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas - the first professional sportsman in a team sport to come out as gay, national superstar, and nice local boy t'boot.









Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Amazon: UK - US



I only realised recently that Sarah Waters is Welsh! And I really want to read this, and possibly some of her other books, because F/F historical fiction dammit!!!!











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Tuesday 1 November 2016

Month In Review(s) - October 2016

October is over!!! And I'm sure most of you are currently stuffed with sweets and/or chocolate from Halloween.

So, without further ado my dearest nerdlets - let's get this wrap-up started!









October was a pretty cr*ppy month for me, depression-wise, but I'm lucky enough to have a) family, b) The Bestie, and c) all of you guys.

Seriously, I appreciate you guys a butt-tonne! You make me smile :)





And even though someone who I once considered cool - a fellow bookworm in fact - unfollowed me when I tweeted about LGBTQ+ things, the number of people actually doing that has reduced from what was happening last month.

This is possibly because I've put Sexually Fluid/Queer on my Twitter bio - so the a*shole bigots probably aren't following me to begin with.






And the very lastest day of this month saw my two-year blog anniversary! And with over 40k pageviews over all, and over 7k pageviews this month, DORA is still going strong (and I'm so surprised and happy, you honestly wouldn't believe it!)






So, to the books I reviewed this month:




Young Adult




Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley - historical fiction, LGBTQ+ (F/F)




Adult




Star-Shot by Mary-Ann Constantine - magic realism*, sci-fi* (*ish)



Comics/Graphic Novels





Bread and Butter #1 - contemporary

Tuesday 18 October 2016

The Greek Mythology Tag

I was tagged for 'The Greek Mythology Tag' by both the lovely Emily @ The Paperback Princess and the fantabulous Tina @ As Told By Tina.

Go check out their awesome-sauce blogs because they officially rock!











Zeus - God of the Sky: Favourite Book of Your Own Category




I am going to pick the uber-specific category of favourite vampire detective novel (yes, yes this is a thing; a thing that I read; do not judge me until you've tried my way of life.)

My favourite vampire detective novel is the first in Tanya Huff's Blood books: Blood Price (UK - US.)








Not only is there a vampire detective who writes romance novels in his spare time, but he's also the illegitimate, bisexual, son of Henry VIII - really, what more could you want?!

Plus, this is the series that really got me hooked on urban fantasy - though, unfortunately, it's no longer easy to get hold of copies in the UK (argh!)








Hera - Goddess of Love and Fertility: Favourite Book Couple




At the moment, I'm shipping Linda and Sarah from Robin Talley's Lies We Tell Ourselves (UK - US,) to the point where they're nearly at OTP status right now (plus, canon F/F romance!)









You can read my review of Lies We Tell Ourselves here.



(Fangirling notes:

Shipping = wanting characters to be in/approving of romantic relationships.

OTP = One True Pairing. A relationship you will defend to your last breath. Despite the name, most people have several OTPs.

Canon = Official.

F/F = same-sex female romance.)










Poseidon - God of the Sea: Book that Drowned you in Feels




The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (UK - US.)







I really don't think I need to say any more.









Athena - Goddess of Wisdom and Handicraft: Series with the Best World Building




The Hollows series by Kim Harrison does such a great job of setting up a post-tomato-apocalypse (I kid you not,) urban fantasy world, where vampires, witches, etc. are living out in the open.

Plus LGBTQ+ characters! :)











Hades - God of the Underworld: Book with a Dark Plot




OK, so many I could go for here... you know I like the gothic-y-ness...

I'm going to go with Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (UK - US.) This is definitely not one for the faint of heart.






Even those who've seen either of the film adaptations will be surprised at the brutality and grit of this book, as well as the hugely uncomfortable plot-aspect of the paedophile who is manipulated by our vampire-child, Eli.

Scandinavian horror is a step past Scandinavian noir - though (in this case at least,) exceptionally skilled. You have been warned.








Aphrodite - Goddess of Love and Beauty: 2016 Release with the Most Beautiful Cover




I don't know - a lot of the time, the UK has different covers to other countries anyway...

Oh! I know! The cover of graphic novel The Beauty, Vol 1 (UK - US.) Wow, that is still one of the most striking covers I've seen.





You can check out my review of The Beauty, Vol 1 here.










Ares - God of War: Most Violent Book you've Read



Hahahahahahahaha - OH MY GOD, do you know who you're talking to????

All of the gothic-y-ness often leads to the stabbage. #TrueStory.

It's really hard to measure one type of violence against another, but I'm going to go with The Crow (UK - US) here.







A legendary graphic novel, this includes rape, violence, and a core of pain, melded with James O'Barr's poetic skill and ability to somehow make bleak scenes beautiful.









Hephaestus - God of Blacksmiths: Scorching Hot Character



Loki. Obviously.








(When Loki is Lady Loki, she's also pretty damn hot; #JustSaying)









Artemis - Goddess of the Hunt and Fertility: Kick ass Female Character



Red Sonja - that famous comic heroine who is so often de-clothed and subjected to out-of-character actions by unskilled, misogynistic, hands - is, at her very heart, the woman who will save a kingdom and cut the hand/thing off a molester on the same day.











Apollo - God of the Light and Healing: Sequel that Redeemed a Series


Actually can't think of one right now - my brain is just throwing white noise at me. Sorry!











Hermes - Messenger God: Book with the Best Message



Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig (UK - US.)






Why? Read my review.








Hestia - Goddess of the Home: Book that's the Most Relatable


Luna The Vampire: Grumpy Space by Yasmin Sheikh (UK - US,) because I, too, am a grumpy millennial space vampire.





You can check out my review of Luna The Vampire here.








Demeter - Goddess of Agriculture: Favourite Bookish Setting


I don't know - I tend to forget places pretty easily. Narnia, maybe.










Dionysus - God of Wine and Celebration: Anticipated Release

Ummmm... nothing in particular, in honesty. I have enough books to read right now!

Ooh! I know! There's a new Robin Talley book slated for 2017 called Our Own Private Universe - and I really want to read that!







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