Normally I'm not bothered by reading slumps - but I think I may've got caught in one at the moment. It seems like I'm reading and not finishing anything - which is doing no good for my current Goodreads challenge target of 200 books (I'm at 135 - which is apparently two books behind schedule.)
Oh well, the important part is to enjoy the reading - and to just keep reading. Which is what I'm off to do!
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Nerd Church! - The Human Creature
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| Church image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
I'll leave you, my dear book-nerds, with a quote from The Book Thief - which I've read about three or four times, and am still staggered by the amount of beauty Markus Zusak fills each page with - it's a quote that, like so much of what Zusak rights, is so very true, and sums up what I feel:
"It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on, coughing and searching, and finding."
Saturday, 5 September 2015
Sorry!
Oops, major lack of posting going on here - even forgot the Friday Fics Fix! But this was probably excusable - I have been v busy with kitty-cat related things. And kitties are awesome! I'll endeavour to return to regular posting soon.
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Nerd Church - Books Matter
Hey guys, and welcome back to Nerd Church - that part of the week where I get all moral and philisolophical (known by normal people as philosophical) in relation to all things nerdy and book-y.
This time I'm going to announce a simple effing truth that I think we forget far too often in today's topsy-turvy society:
Books Matter
I know that a lot of people will know this already - but clearly not everyone. Because if everyone knew and understood that books matter, then the state of affairs that we have in the UK at the moment, with library closures and the downgrading of library services, would not be happening. People had to work so hard in the past to ensure free library services for poorer communities - and with a callous sweep of their destructive fingers, the Tory government is taking away every mode and method of support for communities which need them the most.
It's actually possible that councils throughout the country are breaking the law via the downgrade of library services, and foisting off libraries onto community groups and volunteers.
Guys, books are what can take people from poverty to prosperity - they give hope, magic, knowledge, and inspiration. If we just stand by and let the government erode the things that make Britain a country we would actually want to live in (and don't even get me started on their other poverty-creating measures, as well as their erosion of worker's and individual rights,) then pretty soon the country will look like a Dickens novel - and I don't mean the Christmas celebrations, I mean the workhouses, the starving poor, and the arrogant and unseeing upper classes. We're dangerously close to it as it is. Books matter. People matter. Don't forget it.
This time I'm going to announce a simple effing truth that I think we forget far too often in today's topsy-turvy society:
|
| church image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
I know that a lot of people will know this already - but clearly not everyone. Because if everyone knew and understood that books matter, then the state of affairs that we have in the UK at the moment, with library closures and the downgrading of library services, would not be happening. People had to work so hard in the past to ensure free library services for poorer communities - and with a callous sweep of their destructive fingers, the Tory government is taking away every mode and method of support for communities which need them the most.
It's actually possible that councils throughout the country are breaking the law via the downgrade of library services, and foisting off libraries onto community groups and volunteers.
Guys, books are what can take people from poverty to prosperity - they give hope, magic, knowledge, and inspiration. If we just stand by and let the government erode the things that make Britain a country we would actually want to live in (and don't even get me started on their other poverty-creating measures, as well as their erosion of worker's and individual rights,) then pretty soon the country will look like a Dickens novel - and I don't mean the Christmas celebrations, I mean the workhouses, the starving poor, and the arrogant and unseeing upper classes. We're dangerously close to it as it is. Books matter. People matter. Don't forget it.
Friday, 28 August 2015
Friday Fics Fix!
Just one fic for your Friday fix this week! (Oh no, how will we carry on my dear Reading Addict, without your recs! Ah, never fear erstwhile reader, there is plenty of fan-fiction on the internet, and feel free to look over my past posts for more ridiculous ficcy goodness!)So, this week's fic is (duh-diddle-uuuhhhh!) -
Ripple Effect by Cyhyr.
Mahoosive warnings! There's domestic abuse, references to rape, flashbacks, references to childhood trauma and abuse, murder, and a sh** load of feels! M only.
This is an Avengers College AU (an Alternate Universe where the Marvel's Avengers characters are faffing about in college,) which involves some Steve/Tony and Tony/Loki elements. It's a long one-shot (stand-alone one-part story,) with many, many feels, in which Steve Rogers is a complete douche-bag. Perhaps it goes off on one a bit at the end, but all in all it's pretty good (well, I thought so, but I've been reading fan-fiction for weeks now and no longer know which way is up.)
Tuesday, 25 August 2015
Reviewing the Evidence Again! - Through the Ever Night
Title: Through the Ever Night (US Link)Author: Veronica Rossi
Genre: dystopian, ya, sci-fi
Series: Under the Never Sky
A few starting notes:
As this is the sequel to the awesome Under the Never Sky, my basic rule for reviewing sequels applies - no spoilers for previous books beyond what is in the blurb of this book. With that said and done, I was really looking forward to reading this because I enjoyed the first one - and #2 didn't disappoint.
Premise:
In a world split in two - the pods of Reverie, and the harsh reality of the Outside - Aria and Perry have been trying to find a way to walk the delicate line between the worlds. With things heating up, and both societies in danger, it's going to be a bumpy ride...
Best bits:
I love Aria, one of our protagonists. What we have here my friends is a realistic and imperfect dystopian female protagonist with her own ideas and motivations - I know, what is this???? Is this a strong but flawed female character????? In a dystopian YA novel????? I may have to lie down for a while!
As with the last book, the strength of Rossi's complex world really impresses me. The hardships of both the once-proud Reverie and the dangerous Outside are both painted with confidence and deft skill - it's believable, and the imagery is vivid.
We also have a non-love-interest male friend. I know! And it works so freaking well! Just one of the ways that Ms Rossi takes the well-worn path and adapts the living sh** out of it to create something which manages to feel fresh in a heavily-laden genre.
Not so great bits:
I didn't like Kirra - once you get there, you'll know. But then, I don't think we were supposed to like Kirra - she's mainly there, in conjunction with Brooke, to show how awesome Aria is, I just wish there could've been another way to show the levels of awesomeness in the main character without resorting to creating characters which exist purely to provide contrast.
There are also a few, but noticeable, moments when you want to physically shake either Perry or Arya by the shoulders and tell them to stop being so freaking stupid - but then, I suppose that real people are also pretty damned stupid, and in comparison to other YA protagonists, these two are freaking geniuses. And they do have some apocalyptic dystopian sh** to deal with, so I'll cut them some slack.
Verdict:
I love this book. It's fresh, well-written, and involving, bringing a breath-taking dystopian novel without diving too far into the loony end of the pool. I will definitely be on the look out for the next book.
Monday, 24 August 2015
Girls 'n' books
Lately I've been thinking about the representation of female characters in novels - please, don't groan, I'm going to refrain from tub-thumping as much as possible.
No, I haven't been thinking about it in a totally obsessive-because-I-have-nothing-else-to-do kind of way - more a gentle meandering of my thoughts into this general direction. And why wouldn't I think about it? I am a woman after all - it's sort of natural to consider how women are portrayed in novels.
Which brings us to that most dreaded of topics - the Bechdel test - first used to gage the levels of female representation in films. That isn't to say that if a film - or a book, TV show, whatever - fails the Bechdel test then it's sexist. That's simply untrue. Going back to films for example, Avengers: Assemble is generally thought to have failed the Bechdel test - but it rocks. And Black Widow rocks - she is a complex female character and a f**king inspiration! And if anyone calls this film, or Black Widow, sexist, I will have to subject them to a re-education process that will be long and arduous.
I personally don't like using Bechdel to gage individual films or novels because it reduces things which may be totally beautiful and meaningful in so many ways to a simple arbitrary test. But, I think that it is important to use the Bechdel test over a range of data - so long as we understand that this is just one of a variety of tools we can use for analysis. This is because it shows the bigger picture - yes, it's fine for an individual book or film to fail the Bechdel test, but if they all fail it? Perhaps it says something, perhaps it doesn't - but it raises the point, and the point probably needs to be raised.
So, what about the books that I've reviewed in the last six months? How do the novels and graphic novels (non-fiction is a different kettle of fish, they're slightly restrained by fact,) fare against Bechdel?
The Bechdel test has three parts:
1. Are there two or more named female characters? (The waitress who takes an order and does nothing else, for example, doesn't count.)
2. Do they ever speak to each other?
3. Do they ever speak to each other about something that isn't a male character, or boys/men/male characters in general? (In other words, do they have their own motivations, or are they just there to complement the men?)
Here's how the (fiction) books I've reviewed since about March hold up (although, in fairness, I couldn't remember all the details so I apologise for any mistakes or vagueness):
Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine
Two or more female characters? Yep, definitely.
Do they talk to each other? Check.
About something other than blokes or male characters? If they do, I can't remember it. I'm not saying they didn't... but they can't have had too many conversations that were non-dude-related.
Genju No Seiza vol 1 by Matsuri Akino
Two or more female characters? Umm... I can remember one... was there? I remember one female character, but couldn't honestly tell you whether there were any more. Maybe there was a female ghost? I don't know.
The Shape Stealer by Lee Carroll
Two or more female characters? Yes, there were.
Do they talk to each other? Yep.
About something other than dudes? Urrrmmm, they might've talked about fairies? Or music? Or musical fairies? Ooh! Yeh, there was a fairy-themed discussion, some talk of time-line shenanigans, and questions about a female lover (extra points for diversity!) Bechdel safely passed.
NOS4R2 (NOS4A2) by Joe Hill
Two or more female characters? Yes, definitely. And they rocked.
Do they talk to each other? Yep, quite a lot.
About something other than dudes? Yep, I can think of several conversations. Bechdel test passed with flying colours.
Love is Blind by Kathy Lette
Two or more female characters? Yeh.
Do they talk to each other? Yep.
About something other than blokes? Ummm... not really. Not that I remember anyway. They talked about moving to Australia... but that was to meet dudes...
Cross by James Patterson
Two or more female characters? Yep.
Do they talk to each other? They might... maybe.
About something that isn't men? Probably not - though they might've snuck in a request for coffee or something somewhere.
The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
More than one female character? Yeh, quite a few actually.
Do they talk to each other? Yep, a lot.
About something that isn't blokes? Yeh - they definitely talk about magic and things like that. Bechdel test fully passed.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
More than one female character? Yes
Do they talk to each other? Yup.
About something that isn't men? I think they talk about music... and there may've been one or two other conversations... so yes. Bechdel passed.
A Dreadful Murder: The Mysterious Death of Caroline Luard by Minette Walters
More than one chick? Yup.
Talk to each other? Ummm... I think they might've once... not sure... couldn't confirm or deny to be honest.
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire by Tim Collins
Two or more female characters? Yes.
Do they talk to each other? I think they do.
About something other than men? Possibly. There may've been something about chores or school, but I'm not positive.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Two or more female characters? Yep, practically falling from the rafters compared to a lot of novels.
Do they talk to each other? Again, there's no shortage.
About a topic which isn't dudes? Yes - and often. Bechdel test thoroughly passed.
Bloody Valentine by James Patterson
Two or more females? Yes.
Do they talk to each other? Uhhhhh... yeh actually, they do.
About something that isn't men? A murder investigation. Check. Bechdel (surprisingly) passed.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Two or more chicks? Check.
Do they talk to each other? Yeh, they do.
About something that isn't blokes? Gallery openings, dinner, school, taking a trip together... yup and yup. Bechdel passed easily.
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Two or more females? Yeh, can think of at least four or five.
Do they talk to each other? Yes, throughout.
About something other than men? Angels, demons, nuns, nail polish... I'd say that covers it. Bechdel swum through with ease.
Printer's Devil Court by Susan Hill
Two or more girls/women? Yes, I can think of two.
Do they talk to each other? No, they never actually meet. Bechdel failed.
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire: Prince of Dorkness by Tim Collins
More than one female? Yes, there are.
Do they talk to each other? ...I think they might once or twice.
About something other than men or a male character? I don't actually think so. Bechdel failed (unless my memory is tricking me.)
I'm actually quite surprised at how well some of these novels did - 8/16 passed outright, 6/16 probable but unconfirmed fails, 2/16 confirmed fails.
That's a 50% pass - I was expecting a lot worse! That's not to say that this says anything about the quality of the novels, or the way that women are portrayed in them - but it certainly makes for some interesting data! What about your recent reads? You may be surprised by the results you come up with.
No, I haven't been thinking about it in a totally obsessive-because-I-have-nothing-else-to-do kind of way - more a gentle meandering of my thoughts into this general direction. And why wouldn't I think about it? I am a woman after all - it's sort of natural to consider how women are portrayed in novels.
 |
| Image courtesy of taesmileland at FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
I personally don't like using Bechdel to gage individual films or novels because it reduces things which may be totally beautiful and meaningful in so many ways to a simple arbitrary test. But, I think that it is important to use the Bechdel test over a range of data - so long as we understand that this is just one of a variety of tools we can use for analysis. This is because it shows the bigger picture - yes, it's fine for an individual book or film to fail the Bechdel test, but if they all fail it? Perhaps it says something, perhaps it doesn't - but it raises the point, and the point probably needs to be raised.
So, what about the books that I've reviewed in the last six months? How do the novels and graphic novels (non-fiction is a different kettle of fish, they're slightly restrained by fact,) fare against Bechdel?
The Bechdel test has three parts:
1. Are there two or more named female characters? (The waitress who takes an order and does nothing else, for example, doesn't count.)
2. Do they ever speak to each other?
3. Do they ever speak to each other about something that isn't a male character, or boys/men/male characters in general? (In other words, do they have their own motivations, or are they just there to complement the men?)
Here's how the (fiction) books I've reviewed since about March hold up (although, in fairness, I couldn't remember all the details so I apologise for any mistakes or vagueness):
Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine
Two or more female characters? Yep, definitely.
Do they talk to each other? Check.
About something other than blokes or male characters? If they do, I can't remember it. I'm not saying they didn't... but they can't have had too many conversations that were non-dude-related.
Genju No Seiza vol 1 by Matsuri Akino
Two or more female characters? Umm... I can remember one... was there? I remember one female character, but couldn't honestly tell you whether there were any more. Maybe there was a female ghost? I don't know.
The Shape Stealer by Lee Carroll
Two or more female characters? Yes, there were.
Do they talk to each other? Yep.
About something other than dudes? Urrrmmm, they might've talked about fairies? Or music? Or musical fairies? Ooh! Yeh, there was a fairy-themed discussion, some talk of time-line shenanigans, and questions about a female lover (extra points for diversity!) Bechdel safely passed.
NOS4R2 (NOS4A2) by Joe Hill
Two or more female characters? Yes, definitely. And they rocked.
Do they talk to each other? Yep, quite a lot.
About something other than dudes? Yep, I can think of several conversations. Bechdel test passed with flying colours.
Love is Blind by Kathy Lette
Two or more female characters? Yeh.
Do they talk to each other? Yep.
About something other than blokes? Ummm... not really. Not that I remember anyway. They talked about moving to Australia... but that was to meet dudes...
Cross by James Patterson
Two or more female characters? Yep.
Do they talk to each other? They might... maybe.
About something that isn't men? Probably not - though they might've snuck in a request for coffee or something somewhere.
The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
More than one female character? Yeh, quite a few actually.
Do they talk to each other? Yep, a lot.
About something that isn't blokes? Yeh - they definitely talk about magic and things like that. Bechdel test fully passed.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
More than one female character? Yes
Do they talk to each other? Yup.
About something that isn't men? I think they talk about music... and there may've been one or two other conversations... so yes. Bechdel passed.
A Dreadful Murder: The Mysterious Death of Caroline Luard by Minette Walters
More than one chick? Yup.
Talk to each other? Ummm... I think they might've once... not sure... couldn't confirm or deny to be honest.
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire by Tim Collins
Two or more female characters? Yes.
Do they talk to each other? I think they do.
About something other than men? Possibly. There may've been something about chores or school, but I'm not positive.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Two or more female characters? Yep, practically falling from the rafters compared to a lot of novels.
Do they talk to each other? Again, there's no shortage.
About a topic which isn't dudes? Yes - and often. Bechdel test thoroughly passed.
Bloody Valentine by James Patterson
Two or more females? Yes.
Do they talk to each other? Uhhhhh... yeh actually, they do.
About something that isn't men? A murder investigation. Check. Bechdel (surprisingly) passed.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Two or more chicks? Check.
Do they talk to each other? Yeh, they do.
About something that isn't blokes? Gallery openings, dinner, school, taking a trip together... yup and yup. Bechdel passed easily.
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Two or more females? Yeh, can think of at least four or five.
Do they talk to each other? Yes, throughout.
About something other than men? Angels, demons, nuns, nail polish... I'd say that covers it. Bechdel swum through with ease.
Printer's Devil Court by Susan Hill
Two or more girls/women? Yes, I can think of two.
Do they talk to each other? No, they never actually meet. Bechdel failed.
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire: Prince of Dorkness by Tim Collins
More than one female? Yes, there are.
Do they talk to each other? ...I think they might once or twice.
About something other than men or a male character? I don't actually think so. Bechdel failed (unless my memory is tricking me.)
I'm actually quite surprised at how well some of these novels did - 8/16 passed outright, 6/16 probable but unconfirmed fails, 2/16 confirmed fails.
That's a 50% pass - I was expecting a lot worse! That's not to say that this says anything about the quality of the novels, or the way that women are portrayed in them - but it certainly makes for some interesting data! What about your recent reads? You may be surprised by the results you come up with.
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