Book a Week in 2014 - BW6

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dearhearts.  Today is the start of week 6 in our quest to read 52 Books.  Welcome back to all our readers, to all those who are just joining in and to all who are following our progress.  Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews.  The link is below in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - Dante's Inferno:  Happy February!   This year marks the 700th Anniversary of Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the first cantica of The Divine Comedy.     Inferno is considered one of the great classics in literature and is on Susan Wise Bauer list of Poetry in Well Educated Mind.  I've never read it, so figured now would be the perfect time.  And as long as we are reading Inferno, why not go to Italy. Plus will be continuing with my Centuries challenge and exploring the 13th Century this month.  More on Italy and centuries challenge next week.  You can find out more about Dante and read Inferno online here, here or  here.

Join me in reading Dante's Inferno. 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

 

 

Link to week 5

[Robin M]

Carrying over Stacia's question from the week 5

I find it fascinating that many of you read primarily works by female authors and, if you read male authors, those tend to be non-fiction works.

 

Why do you tend to enjoy/select works by female authors more often? Is it a conscious or unconscious choice? Just curious....

 

Am I the anomaly? (Surely there must be someone else here who reads predominately male authors for fiction?)

Gave it some thought and realized I only read romances and paranormal's written by female authors.  For some reason I can't bring myself to read a contemporary romance or paranormal romance written by a male author.   Honestly, when it comes to romantic and/or sex scenes, I just can't stomach a male writer.  An aversion for some reason.  Romantic suspense - yep all female authors.  Though it is Interesting to find  that all the thrillers, supernatural thrillers and mysteries I read are by men:  James Rollins, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Lee Child, David Baldacci to name a few.   Science fiction / fantasy is split 50/50.   Looking through my current TBR piles - the mix is almost split equally 50% male and female.    

[SunnyDays]

Happy Sunday!

 

"I like reading about women more than I like reading about men and I think part of the reason for that is that I'm trying to understand the female experience within a male-dominated world. The questions that arise as I read often reflect either my own experience or else themes and trajectories that are still unfolding me as a woman."

 

Shukriyya, I love this, and I think this may play a role for me as well.

 

I'm about 10% through The Goldfinch. Still pondering whether to join the Inferno read. :)

[Robin M]

I read the first couple chapters of Sharon Kay Penman's Here Be Dragons (13th Century Wales and the King John era) and can already tell I'm going to like it.  Whew!  Would have been horrible after waiting so long to read it and found out didn't like her writing.   I'll be reading this version of Dante's Inferno translated by Allen Mandalbaum which has the Italian version on the left facing page and the English translation on the opposite right page. 

 

 

Scary cover. 

 

In the midst of reading a urban fantasy Dead Man's Deal, #2 in the Asylum tales by Jocelynn Drake.  

 

 

[mlbuchina]

Last week I finished up The Lunatic, and In a Sunburned Country.  I really enjoyed both.  The Lunatic was really funny the first half of the book, and then the hilarity kinda died down, and the plot came together for a nice ending.

 

Here is my review of In a Sunburned Country:

 

Very enjoyable. Whenever I listen to, or read, Bill Bryson, I immediately want to go where he's gone and see what he's seen. Now if only those plane tickets to Australia weren't so darned expensive.

 

This week, I have started listening to The Rowan, by Anne McCaffrey.  It is one of my 5/5/5 books in the category of sci-fi/fantasy favorites.  I plan on joining in with the Inferno RAL.  I also started reading If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, which I think will fit into the winter reading challenge, and the around-the-world challenge for Italy.  I find I'm having a hard time getting into the rhythm of If on a Winter's Night a Traveler.   Just when I start to get into the story, the narrator starts talking directly to me again.  It is going to be an interesting ride if that keeps up. 

 

I don't think I'm quite ready to totally leave Japan yet, as I still want to read The Devotion of Suspect X and The Sound of Waves.

 

 

The Roundup:

 

1.  The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

2.  The Winter Ghosts, by Kate Mosse (winter challenge)

3.  The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami (around the world challenge, Japan)

4.  360 Degrees Longitude, by John Higham (5/5/5 challenge, travelogue)

5.  Ring, by Koji Suzuki (around the world challenge, Japan)

6.  Spiral, by Koji Suzuki (around the world challenge, Japan)

7.  The Lunatic, by Anthony C. Winkler (around the world challenge, Jamaica)

8.  In A Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson (5/5/5 challenge, travelogue)

[Kareni]

While I don't keep track of books read, I suspect that my percentage of female authors is quite high due to this:

 

 

For me at least the low percentage of male authors is related to a fairly high percentage of fluffy mysteries, paranormals, and historical romances. Those areas seem to be dominated by female authors which makes my 25% male author almost inevitable since those genres are always a part of my stack.

 

In my case, it's primarily romances (historical, contemporary) and paranormal novels.

 

Gave it some thought and realized I only read romances and paranormal's written by female authors.  For some reason I can't bring myself to read a contemporary romance or paranormal romance written by a male author.   Honestly, when it comes to romantic and/or sex scenes, I just can't stomach a male writer.  An aversion for some reason. 

 

You might try the Night Stalkers series by M. L. Buchman who is a male author; the series is military romance.  I'd be interested in what you think.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Continuing last week's conversation over here...

 

ETA:  As I think about it more, I tend to *majorly* dislike books by women marketed to women.  Even if you throw out romance, and romantic paranormal, and romantic family drama, and romantic cozy, and the dreaded "chick lit", female authors whose books are talked up and get major pre-publication publicity rarely interest me.  I'm thinking of books like Wild, Night Film, The Lifeboat.  (The most recent I can think of is The Goldfinch, but I can't comment on that one since I haven't read it yet.)  I used to think that I'm just onery and hate whatever's popular, but now I think that publishing houses have an idea of what women readers want and I simply don't fit into the traditional 'female reader' mold.  Shrug.  Whatever.

 

I must say I agree with this a lot & think this also describes my experience.

 

I came of age with the great women visionary writers like like Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, Margaret Lawrence, Germaine Greer, Margaret Drabble. The Golden Notebook loomed large in the atmosphere of our home. My mom's friends would gather with their white wine and their restlessness and discuss these books and these themes. As a young girl on the verge of womanhood I would sit outside the door and listen and I had the sense of a fresh breeze, a wild wind blowing through the room and over me. These authors were writing unapologetically about the realities and inner lives of women. That's the kind of author I still gravitate towards.

 

Interestingly enough, my book club is reading Lessing's The Golden Notebook for our next meeting. I may have a wait since all the library copies are currently out. (Wondering if a school is currently reading it?) I haven't read works by those authors, except Atwood (but I've never been able to enjoy her writing; I definitely feel out-of-sync saying that as so many people love Atwood's writing/work/ideas).

 

I started asking these questions out of mere curiosity & hadn't given it much thought myself, but as I've pondered it the past day or two, some random thoughts I've had...

 

-- I totally agree with Paisley about the state of works being pumped out by many female writers today, aimed specifically for female audiences

-- I like cutting edge, new, often experimental fiction & I find that women writers in these areas are fairly rare; plus, a few of the ones I've tried have just not been appealing for various reasons. One thing that jumps to mind (but I can't think of a specific, exact example right now) is that modern, cutting edge, 'female' writing often includes things like menstruation, etc... as a central theme. That just doesn't call to me in books I read. And it makes me disappointed that it seems to be the fallback position for a female/feminist writer trying to write cutting edge fiction.

-- Shukriyya said she likes to read works by female writers because she is "trying to understand the female experience within a male-dominated world". Again, without any concrete examples at my fingertips right now, I can't say that I've been blown away by books that have explored this topic. Many times I've found the books boring, banal, & not enticing enough to make me want to continue reading in that vein. (Not picking on you Shukriyya, but just wanting to point out that I've had the opposite experience, I suppose.)

-- Because of these experiences with some very modernist female writers, it makes me often turn away from/less likely to try modern female writers. I know I'm stereotyping....

-- I don't think I like books that are too obviously aimed to a particular subgroup, whether that be women, men, teens, or whatever. I want a story that transcends the pigeonhole....

 

That said, this whole discussion is making me ponder consciously trying to add some female writers to my list this year, expand my horizons a bit again. I suppose Lessing's book will be a good place for me to start, eh?

 

I have no desire to reread Nin but I have been thinking about Colette.  It has been a long time...  So imagine my surprise when I googled her this morning and learned that the director of Call the Midwife will direct a revamped stage version of Gigi!

 

Again, never have read either, so perhaps more for me to consider reading.

[SunnyDays]

Stacia, what books by Atwood have you read? I loved The Handmaids Tale, and there was a books of short stories by her I enjoyed... But I've tried a couple others that I couldn't even get through.

 

Let's explore this a little: what titles has everyone read that would fall under this theme of the female experience? I think of things like The Handmaids Tale and The Red Tent. I haven't read Greer, Nin, or Colette but would be interested in exploring those.

[Murmer]

I find that I read a pretty good combination of male and female writers but it really does depend on genre....many romance fluff I read is written by women whereas much of the non-fiction I tend to read on my kindle is done by men, but a lot of the ebooks I have on my computer are written by mommy bloggers I follow.

 

Finished: Surrounded by Strangers by Josi Kilpatrick

Rain Song by Alice Wisler (didn’t like)

The Unwired Mom by Sarah Mae

 

Working on:

Fiction: Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Kindle: Witches under Way by Debora Geary

Non-fiction: Five in a Row Vol 2 by Jane Claire Lambert

Phone: Lies, Da** Lies, and Science by Sherry Seethaler

Computer: The Happy Family by Richard and Linda Eyre

Well Education Mind: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Angel Girl: The Aesop for Children by Aesop

Sweet Boy: Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales Book

Autobook: Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

 

Total Read for 2014: 18

[Violet Crown]

Let's explore this a little: what titles has everyone read that would fall under this theme of the female experience? I think of things like The Handmaids Tale and The Red Tent. I haven't read Greer, Nin, or Colette but would be interested in exploring those.

Read, in my youth:

The Handmaid's Tale. Found it offensive.

The Second Sex. It irritated me.

Having It All. Caused me to swear off reading anything off my mom's bookshelf.

Backlash. Bored.

 

I think there must be something wrong with me.

 

On the other hand, I'm really, really liking St Hildegarde's Scivias....

[Stacia]

Read, in my youth:

The Handmaid's Tale. Found it offensive.

The Second Sex. It irritated me.

Having It All. Caused me to swear off reading anything off my mom's bookshelf.

Backlash. Bored.

 

I think there must be something wrong with me.

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with you. This is similar to my experience.

 

As far as Atwood is concerned, I tried reading The Handmaid's Tale (didn't finish it because I hated it), read The Blind Assassin (hated it), tried one other one (can't think of the name now) but didn't finish (also hated it).

 

Read The Red Tent & didn't especially care for that one either. Really not my style or my 'thing'.

[Julie Smith]

I'm just trying to use this thread to encourage me to read something that is not a book out loud for the kids - or with the kids. - I am not aiming high here, and I know that. :)

 

So with that in mind I read several Zits comic books, and many parts of You Are Now Less Dumb.

[marbel]

I used to read a lot of Nin, Colette, and Atwood.  I married and had kids rather late in life, and when I made the transition from single working woman to housewife/mother, I lost patience with all of them.  It wasn't intentional, but more like some switch flipped in my head.  Maybe it was because I no longer saw myself in the pages, I don't know.   I don't like to think that I'm that self-centered that every book I read has to validate my choices in life, but <shrug> maybe that's the case.   Maybe in my mind those authors are in the same group as the shrill women who chastised me for quitting work to stay home with my kids.  

 

Not really related, except that it's a female author:  anyone enjoy Sarah Orne Jewett?  It's been a long time since I read her but I remember loving her books.

 

*****

 

So, I read another whole book last week!   And now my count for the year is two, with several books in progress:

 

Complete:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Book Thief

 

In process:

Have His Carcase

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Middle Ages *

The Civilization of the Middle Ages *

A Circle of Quiet

Basic Economics *

 

* Homeschool books I'm reading along with my kid(s)

 

[shukriyya]

Continuing last week's conversation over here...

 

 

I must say I agree with this a lot & think this also describes my experience.

 

 

Interestingly enough, my book club is reading Lessing's The Golden Notebook for our next meeting. I may have a wait since all the library copies are currently out. (Wondering if a school is currently reading it?) I haven't read works by those authors, except Atwood (but I've never been able to enjoy her writing; I definitely feel out-of-sync saying that as so many people love Atwood's writing/work/ideas).

 

I started asking these questions out of mere curiosity & hadn't given it much thought myself, but as I've pondered it the past day or two, some random thoughts I've had...

 

-- I totally agree with Paisley about the state of works being pumped out by many female writers today, aimed specifically for female audiences

-- I like cutting edge, new, often experimental fiction & I find that women writers in these areas are fairly rare; plus, a few of the ones I've tried have just not been appealing for various reasons. One thing that jumps to mind (but I can't think of a specific, exact example right now) is that modern, cutting edge, 'female' writing often includes things like menstruation, etc... as a central theme. That just doesn't call to me in books I read. And it makes me disappointed that it seems to be the fallback position for a female/feminist writer trying to write cutting edge fiction.

-- Shukriyya said she likes to read works by female writers because she is "trying to understand the female experience within a male-dominated world". Again, without any concrete examples at my fingertips right now, I can't say that I've been blown away by books that have explored this topic. Many times I've found the books boring, banal, & not enticing enough to make me want to continue reading in that vein. (Not picking on you Shukriyya, but just wanting to point out that I've had the opposite experience, I suppose.)

-- Because of these experiences with some very modernist female writers, it makes me often turn away from/less likely to try modern female writers. I know I'm stereotyping....

-- I don't think I like books that are too obviously aimed to a particular subgroup, whether that be women, men, teens, or whatever. I want a story that transcends the pigeonhole....

 

That said, this whole discussion is making me ponder consciously trying to add some female writers to my list this year, expand my horizons a bit again. I suppose Lessing's book will be a good place for me to start, eh?

 

 

Again, never have read either, so perhaps more for me to consider reading.

 

 

Stacia, what books by Atwood have you read? I loved The Handmaids Tale, and there was a books of short stories by her I enjoyed... But I've tried a couple others that I couldn't even get through.

 

Let's explore this a little: what titles has everyone read that would fall under this theme of the female experience? I think of things like The Handmaids Tale and The Red Tent. I haven't read Greer, Nin, or Colette but would be interested in exploring those.

 

See, The Red Tent is not a book I am drawn towards. I tried but it didn't work for me. I guess that's the book you were referring to with your menstruation reference, Stacia?

 

At this point in my life I'm more interested in the subtleties of the female experience and less in the obvious and outer trajectory of being female within a patriarchal world. Gail Godwin's books come to mind. I read a lot of her earlier work in my thirties. Alice Hoffman is another writer whose work I enjoyed. Margaret Laurence's work is a stellar example of superb writing. I read a lot of Barbara Pym at one point. I tend towards books that are less plot driven and more character driven because I'm interested in the inner experience of what it is to be a woman within the confines of a culture. I'm less inclined to read an author who writes 'about' the female experience and more inclined to read someone who writes 'from' that place, quietly without fanfare or the need to make a point though there is a time and place for that too. I suspect that a lot of books that I might find interesting and deem specifically 'female' wouldn't be ranked too high on the various lists and may not even be categorized that way.

 

'Untold' is a luminous and beautiful book that weaves the female experience with subtlety.

 

These are wonderful questions, Stacia. I love that we are on seemingly completely opposite ends of the spectrum wrt our literary inclinations because it makes for such interesting dialogue and wonderful personal questions to reflect on and expand into. Being asked to formulate one's ideas on something that lives so close to the surface of one's skin as to seem indistinct from it is a good opportunity to locate and then articulate aspects of one's own personal mythology.

 

Read, in my youth:

The Handmaid's Tale. Found it offensive.

The Second Sex. It irritated me.

Having It All. Caused me to swear off reading anything off my mom's bookshelf.

Backlash. Bored.

 

I think there must be something wrong with me.

 

On the other hand, I'm really, really liking St Hildegarde's Scivias....

 

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with you. This is similar to my experience.

 

As far as Atwood is concerned, I tried reading The Handmaid's Tale (didn't finish it because I hated it), read The Blind Assassin (hated it), tried one other one (can't think of the name now) but didn't finish (also hated it).

 

Read The Red Tent & didn't especially care for that one either. Really not my style or my 'thing'.

 

Well y'all are reading the wrong Margaret Atwood  :lol:  HT and BA didn't interest me in the slightest, a fairly unpopular opinion I might add. But Alias Grace, Surfacing, The Edible Woman, Lady Oracle, Bluebeard's Egg those were fabulous.

[aggieamy]

Since I've been on an Agatha Christie/Dorothy Sayers/Georgette Heyer kick lately most of my books have been written by women.  I love mysteries - particularly British mysteries - and those were written primarily by women it seems.  

[Stacia]

I don't even know what books I've read that would fall under the female/feminist category. I know there are plenty in that category I *haven't* read because I've often tried to avoid those books, completely stereotyping them as something I wouldn't like anyway.

 

Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin -- Hated it. The Handmaid's Tale -- Couldn't finish it because I hated it so. Have zero interest in trying Atwood again.

 

Anita Diamant: The Red Tent -- Meh at best/definitely not my style. No interest in reading anything else by her.

 

Catalina de Erauso: Lieutenant Nun -- Not well-written & somewhat strange, but an interesting life for the times.

 

Ellen Gilchrist: Collected Stories -- Usually I don't like short stories; found this to be a decent, fairly interesting collection. Even so, little to no interest on my part to read her again.

 

Rebecca Wells: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Gag. (This might be chick lit, though, & not belong in this list at all.) Never plan to read her work again.

 

Gail Goodwin: Evensong. Ugh.

 

Rachel Kushner: The Flame Throwers -- Loved this book. Looked at a young woman in the 1970s. Though the character was groundbreaking in her own way, she was also incredibly passive. Hmmm.

 

Helen Oyeyemi: Mr. Fox -- Here is an excellent book that I would include in this list as the central theme is one where a female muse takes on a male author because he always kills off the heroines of his stories. Love this book!

 

I'm sure there are others I could add to my list. Plus, there are probably others that I've tried & discarded before finishing. I know many of these may not be quite the categories we're discussing, but they're ones I can recall that are at least close....

[LostSurprise]

I'm about 50/50 with male and female authors. I read a lot of literary fiction and science fiction. I don't think I lean toward one or the other. I just read what appeals to me. 

 

This week I read Code Name Verity because it magically appeared in my library order. I liked it quite a bit, but I wasn't surprised by anything. It was just fun to have a novel about a friendship between 2 (late) teen girls. I also enjoyed the feeling that they were figuring out what they were good at and working to help others. There was danger. There was uncertainty. It seemed like real girls becoming real women. Well, other than the spying part. ;) Enjoyable. I would recommend it to the teen girls in my life. 

 

And I read some Terry Pratchett (Mort) because dh was reading some aloud to me last weekend and it seemed easier then getting around to The Goldfinch which also came in this week but I'm not sure I'm ready for it. The usual Pratchett silliness and snark. This one centers around Death (one of my favorite characters) taking on an Apprentice. I thought the light parody of first love (the bubble of reality overtaking the bubble of unreality) was a good one and I enjoy the silly lines. 

 

Best Book of the Year **

10 Best Books *

 

10. Mort by Terry Pratchett~fantasy, Disc world series, Death.

9. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein~youth fiction, WWII, female pilots and spies.

8. Still Life by Louise Penny~mystery, Inspector Gamanche series, Quebec. 

7. The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell~literary fiction, mystery, multiple narrators.

6. The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich~fiction, northern plains, WWI/WWII, relationships, Finally Finished!/Dusty Book. *

5. Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger~youth fiction, boarding school, spies, steampunk. 

4. Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown~fiction, pirates, food, colonialism.

3. The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution by Keith Devlin~non-fiction, Mathematics, 13th century, Indian-Persian numbers.

2. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli~youth fiction, 13th century, disability, read-aloud.

1. Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki~fiction, story within a story, Japan/Canada, Zen. *

 

Working on: 

The Lives of the Heart (yeah, dragging this one out a bit because I'm enjoying it)

The Letters of Abelard and Heloise

The Labyrinths

When I Was a Child I Read Books

hopefully something else that's light

[mumto2]

As far as Atwood is concerned, I tried reading The Handmaid's Tale (didn't finish it because I hated it), read The Blind Assassin (hated it), tried one other one (can't think of the name now) but didn't finish (also hated it).

:lol: When I joined this group last year it appeared you were all reading and loving Atwood. I tried Blind Assasin and Handmaid's Tale and just could not do it. I didn't want to post that I did not get the enthusiasm. It is fascinating that not everyone loves those books. No offence to those that do I wish I had enjoyed them.

 

Not going to attempt to add Robin's quote about not enjoying male author's romance type novels but it made me wonder if that was why I didn't care for "A Reliable Wife" which I still can't beleive I didn't like. It had great potential and story wise I should have loved it. I didn't like a single character and I think the reader was meant to care about the wife. Maybe my dislike was because it was a man writing what I would consider to be romance/romatic suspense? This was apparently a popular book......just pondering.

[Jane in NC]

I don't even know what books I've read that would fall under the female/feminist category. I know there are plenty in that category I *haven't* read because I've often tried to avoid those books, completely stereotyping them as something I wouldn't like anyway.

 

Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin -- Hated it. The Handmaid's Tale -- Couldn't finish it because I hated it so. Have zero interest in trying Atwood again.

 

Anita Diamant: The Red Tent -- Meh at best/definitely not my style. No interest in reading anything else by her.

 

Catalina de Erauso: Lieutenant Nun -- Not well-written & somewhat strange, but an interesting life for the times.

 

Ellen Gilchrist: Collected Stories -- Usually I don't like short stories; found this to be a decent, fairly interesting collection. Even so, little to no interest on my part to read her again.

 

Rebecca Wells: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Gag. (This might be chick lit, though, & not belong in this list at all.) Never plan to read her work again.

 

Gail Goodwin: Evensong. Ugh.

 

Rachel Kushner: The Flame Throwers -- Loved this book. Looked at a young woman in the 1970s. Though the character was groundbreaking in her own way, she was also incredibly passive. Hmmm.

 

Helen Oyeyemi: Mr. Fox -- Here is an excellent book that I would include in this list as the central theme is one where a female muse takes on a male author because he always kills off the heroines of his stories. Love this book!

 

I'm sure there are others I could add to my list. Plus, there are probably others that I've tried & discarded before finishing. I know many of these may not be quite the categories we're discussing, but they're ones I can recall that are at least close....

 

Atwood:  I read The Handmaid's Tale back when it was published to much acclaim in the late '80's.  For me it was an interesting and provocative read in part because up to that point I read few Dystopian novels.  Since then, I have not read any other Atwood nor have I read many other Dystopian novels.  Just sayin'.

 

Anita Diamant:  Nope.  Never found the interest.

 

Catalina de Erauso: Not on my radar.

 

Ellen Gilchrist: Collected Stories -- I liked an Ellen Gilchrist short story collection that I once read.

 

Rebecca Wells: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Echoing Stacia: Gag.  Double gag. 

 

Gail Goodwin: Not on my radar.

 

Helen Oyeyemi: Mr. Fox -- OK, I will add this to my long library list.

 

Life is too short to read stinky books! 

 

 

 

[shukriyya]

I don't even know what books I've read that would fall under the female/feminist category. I know there are plenty in that category I *haven't* read because I've often tried to avoid those books, completely stereotyping them as something I wouldn't like anyway.

 

Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin -- Hated it. The Handmaid's Tale -- Couldn't finish it because I hated it so. Have zero interest in trying Atwood again.

 

Anita Diamant: The Red Tent -- Meh at best/definitely not my style. No interest in reading anything else by her.

 

Catalina de Erauso: Lieutenant Nun -- Not well-written & somewhat strange, but an interesting life for the times.

 

Ellen Gilchrist: Collected Stories -- Usually I don't like short stories; found this to be a decent, fairly interesting collection. Even so, little to no interest on my part to read her again.

 

Rebecca Wells: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Gag. (This might be chick lit, though, & not belong in this list at all.) Never plan to read her work again.

 

Gail Goodwin: Evensong. Ugh.

 

Rachel Kushner: The Flame Throwers -- Loved this book. Looked at a young woman in the 1970s. Though the character was groundbreaking in her own way, she was also incredibly passive. Hmmm.

 

Helen Oyeyemi: Mr. Fox -- Here is an excellent book that I would include in this list as the central theme is one where a female muse takes on a male author because he always kills off the heroines of his stories. Love this book!

 

I'm sure there are others I could add to my list. Plus, there are probably others that I've tried & discarded before finishing. I know many of these may not be quite the categories we're discussing, but they're ones I can recall that are at least close....

 

Margaret Atwood :: see my post above

Anita Diamant :: Nope

Catalina de Erauso :: don't know her

Ellen Gilchrist :: sounds vaguely familiar but I can't place her

Rebecca Wells :: don't know her but that book you mentioned, nope

Gail Godwin :: love

Rachel Kushner :: nope

Helen Oyeyemi :: don't know her

 

 

[The Governess]

I am almost caught up on my reading! Last week I finished Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. It was a light read, and the ending of the trilogy didn't make me want to throw it across the room (a la Allegiant), but at the same time it was a little too predictable and neatly wrapped up to feel satisfying.

 

I'm currently reading Socratic Circles by Matt Copeland. There are some great ideas here on how to facilitate Socratic dialogue in a group of teenagers.

 

This year's books:

 

4. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

3. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

2. Smart but Scattered - Dawson and Guare

1. Anna Karenina - Tolstoy

[Guest]

Just wanted to pop in!

 

Stacia, thanks for letting me know about the Goodreads newsletter, I subscribed to a couple and I'll see which ones I like.

 

I am reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo.  When I picked it up, I realized that it is going to be a sort of a downer book, and I'm okay with that. My eyes need to be opened to some of the atrocity that is out there. I also just found out that it is non-fiction, which I didn't realize as I was reading it; it doesn't read like non-fiction. I've noticed that the author's thrown a few comments in there that have led me to believe that her and I probably wouldn't see eye-to-eye in real life, but so be it. Has anyone read this? Unless someone speaks up with a terrible review, I will probably continue through it. I'm also reading Winter Garden. :)

 

As for male/female authors, I am surprised in looking over my reading lists that I am split about 50/50 as to what I read. I originally thought I'd be more male-heavy since I am not a big chick-lit reader, but as I was reading through my lists, I have read some amazing female authors - Erin Morgenstern, Laura Hillenbrand, Candice Millard, Agatha Christie...right off the top of my head and recent. I like all kinds of genres; I'm more interested in the topic, I guess.

 

Total books read in 2014: 12

[Angel]

"I like reading about women more than I like reading about men and I think part of the reason for that is that I'm trying to understand the female experience within a male-dominated world. The questions that arise as I read often reflect either my own experience or else themes and trajectories that are still unfolding me as a woman."

 

 

 

I think I'm a little dense.  What the heck is this supposed to mean?

 

 

 

I haven't read works by those authors, except Atwood (but I've never been able to enjoy her writing; I definitely feel out-of-sync saying that as so many people love Atwood's writing/work/ideas).

 

 

-- Because of these experiences with some very modernist female writers, it makes me often turn away from/less likely to try modern female writers. I know I'm stereotyping....

 

 

 

The Handmaid's Tale. Found it offensive.

 

 

 

I don't even know what books I've read that would fall under the female/feminist category. I know there are plenty in that category I *haven't* read because I've often tried to avoid those books, completely stereotyping them as something I wouldn't like anyway.

 

Margaret Atwood:  The Handmaid's Tale -- Couldn't finish it because I hated it so. Have zero interest in trying Atwood again.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

Prickly post alert...it may be dangerous to read farther  ;)

 

I have zero interest in any book that leans toward a feminist viewpoint.  That may be why I am so into historical fiction and fantasy.  I like strong, spirited women but I I like an even stronger man for them to lean on/rely on. I tend to find that in those genres but rarely find that in the modern. Kind of like Katherina and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew.  Katherina is a strong woman with a voice and spirit but she needed that stronger man to complete her.  I know that many would say that no woman needs a man to complete her and that is putting women in an archaic box.  They would probably next compare me to the likes of Debi Pearl  :eek:   But I feel that modern authors are putting women into another totally different box.  A progressive box that says you can't have fulfillment without a job, preferably one that elevates you above the man and puts the man in his "rightful" place, and then tells you not to forget to explore and get in touch with yourself, the heck with others.  This is the last thing that I want to read about.  I want the love, the romance, the happily ever after.  I don't need to explore myself or my femininity or any of that other drivel.  I am just me.  

 

I guess that is the same reason that I read for plot and not for character.  A good plot will produce memorable characters.  And the same reason that I don't read depressing/sad/angst-y books.  I read for pleasure, and every once in a while to learn something  :D   Unlike Eliana, I don't appreciate a book for writing style, theme, etc.  To me, if the book was good, then it was good, if was not...  well, then it wasn't.  That's nice if it had lovely language but for me a book is for pleasure, if I didn't take pleasure in it then it wasn't such a good book.  

 

Ok, I'm ducking and running now  :leaving:   

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Carrying over Stacia's question from the week 5

Looking through my current TBR piles - the mix is almost split equally 50% male and female.    

In looking at last year's reading list, I read 2/3 male and 1/3 female.  I don't read a lot of romance type books, which may be why the numbers are tilted in favor of male authors.

 

-- I don't think I like books that are too obviously aimed to a particular subgroup, whether that be women, men, teens, or whatever. I want a story that transcends the pigeonhole....

This is me as well.  Books aimed at subgroups tend to annoy me.  I want to read a good book that I can either learn from or get lost in.  I really don't care who the author is and half the time can only remember the title and plot not the author. 

[Onceuponatime]

My favorite fun books are cozy mysteries and gothic mystery/sort of romance. Most of those are written by women. I don't generally read books marketed as romance or most fluffy (books with stereotypical  scenarios and low expectations of the reader's intelligence marketed solely to women). *

 

 

I have read loads of male authors in what might be called "literary fiction" and classics. The older the book, the more likely it is written by a man. I try to read at least a few of those a year. I also like classic science fiction which is pretty male dominated. However, I'm not big into action/adventure or heavy detective/criminal stories, and most of them tend to be written by men.

 

The gender of the authors I read are not something I've ever consciously thought about. Over my lifetime I'm sure I've read just as many male authors as female, just different types of books for different reasons. I do like male authors who are wry and witty. :)

 

 

*edited

[Stacia]

See, The Red Tent is not a book I am drawn towards. I tried but it didn't work for me. I guess that's the book you were referring to with your menstruation reference, Stacia?

 

Partially, but it's not the only one. I have tried other books (that I ditched) that did similar things.

 

I'm less inclined to read an author who writes 'about' the female experience and more inclined to read someone who writes 'from' that place, quietly without fanfare or the need to make a point though there is a time and place for that too. I suspect that a lot of books that I might find interesting and deem specifically 'female' wouldn't be ranked too high on the various lists and may not even be categorized that way.

 

Totally makes sense. I guess I haven't found (not that I've been looking for them either) many who write from that place rather than about that place. The only recent example I can think of was one of my African reads from last year, So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ.

 

These are wonderful questions, Stacia. I love that we are on seemingly completely opposite ends of the spectrum wrt our literary inclinations because it makes for such interesting dialogue and wonderful personal questions to reflect on and expand into. Being asked to formulate one's ideas on something that lives so close to the surface of one's skin as to seem indistinct from it is a good opportunity to locate and then articulate aspects of one's own personal mythology.

 

True.

 

As far as articulating my own personal mythology (based on my general dislike of feminine topics), I beginning to wonder if I'm a man in disguise. :tongue_smilie: :lol:  (See: Catalina de Erauso. If anyone here knows that person/book, it will probably be Violet Crown as it's one from the 14th/15th century.)

 

Well y'all are reading the wrong Margaret Atwood  :lol:  HT and BA didn't interest me in the slightest, a fairly unpopular opinion I might add. But Alias Grace, Surfacing, The Edible Woman, Lady Oracle, Bluebeard's Egg those were fabulous.

 

I may have to take your word on it. Or maybe I'll get really crazy sometime later this year & try one of those.

 

:lol: When I joined this group last year it appeared you were all reading and loving Atwood. I tried Blind Assasin and Handmaid's Tale and just could not do it. I didn't want to post that I did not get the enthusiasm. It is fascinating that not everyone loves those books. No offence to those that do I wish I had enjoyed them.

 

Not going to attempt to add Robin's quote about not enjoying male author's romance type novels but it made me wonder if that was why I didn't care for "A Reliable Wife" which I still can't beleive I didn't like. It had great potential and story wise I should have loved it. I didn't like a single character and I think the reader was meant to care about the wife. Maybe my dislike was because it was a man writing what I would consider to be romance/romatic suspense? This was apparently a popular book......just pondering.

 

Ah, you should have spoken up!

 

I read A Reliable Wife a year or two ago. I think I found it sitting in my mom's stack when we were at the beach one time. Another one I hated. As you mentioned at one point, none of the characters are likeable. Yuck (and I say that regardless of whether a man or a woman wrote it).

[Angel]

As far as the men vs women authors.  That's an interesting question.  I would say it depends on the year.  My favorite genre is fantasy and most of those authors are men...Robert Jordan, David Eddings, J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis.  However, my other favorite genre is historical fiction, and most of those authors are women.  So when looking at my shelves, I would say that I'm 50/50.  So far this year 5 of my books were by men and 3 by women.  

 

ETA:  All of the books I read last year were by men 14 by Robert Jordan, 3 by C.S. Lewis, and 1 by Stefan Bachmann

[Stacia]

Stacia, thanks for letting me know about the Goodreads newsletter, I subscribed to a couple and I'll see which ones I like.

 

I am reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo.  When I picked it up, I realized that it is going to be a sort of a downer book, and I'm okay with that. My eyes need to be opened to some of the atrocity that is out there. I also just found out that it is non-fiction, which I didn't realize as I was reading it; it doesn't read like non-fiction. I've noticed that the author's thrown a few comments in there that have led me to believe that her and I probably wouldn't see eye-to-eye in real life, but so be it. Has anyone read this? Unless someone speaks up with a terrible review, I will probably continue through it. I'm also reading Winter Garden. :)

 

Hope you find some of the newsletters useful.

 

I heard an interview on NPR about this book when it first came out. I've often thought about reading it. Please post your comments/review of it when you finish!

 

And, as far as my real life reading (vs. debating about male & female authors), I'm working on the latest Flavia de Luce novel.

 

--------------------------

My Goodreads Page

My PaperbackSwap Page

 

My rating system:

5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Good; 2 = Meh; 1 = Don't bother (I shouldn't have any 1s on my list as I would ditch them before finishing)...

 

2014 Books Read:

 

01. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (5 stars). Around the World – North America (USA).

02. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (3 stars).

03. Aiding and Abetting by Muriel Spark (3 stars). Challenge: Around the World – Europe (England).

04. Sunjata by Bamba Suso & Banna Kanute (5 stars). Challenge: Around the World – Africa (Gambia & Mali).

05. The Lunatic by Anthony C. Winkler (4 stars). Challenge: Around the World – Caribbean (Jamaica).

06. The Joke by Milan Kundera (4 stars). Challenge: Around the World – Europe (Czech Republic).

[Stacia]

I also started reading If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, which I think will fit into the winter reading challenge, and the around-the-world challenge for Italy.  I find I'm having a hard time getting into the rhythm of If on a Winter's Night a Traveler.   Just when I start to get into the story, the narrator starts talking directly to me again.  It is going to be an interesting ride if that keeps up. 

 

I don't think I'm quite ready to totally leave Japan yet, as I still want to read The Devotion of Suspect X and The Sound of Waves.

 

I loved the Calvino book. I think you will enjoy the ride, Michele.

 

Will be curious to see what you think of The Devotion of Suspect X. Can't say it was a favorite, but I found the structure of the story pretty interesting, as well as some of the aspects of Japanese culture in it.

 

Will have to look up The Sound of Waves.

[Rosie_0801]

Carrying over Stacia's question from the week 5

Gave it some thought and realized I only read romances and paranormal's written by female authors.  For some reason I can't bring myself to read a contemporary romance or paranormal romance written by a male author.   Honestly, when it comes to romantic and/or sex scenes, I just can't stomach a male writer.  An aversion for some reason.  Romantic suspense - yep all female authors.  Though it is Interesting to find  that all the thrillers, supernatural thrillers and mysteries I read are by men:  James Rollins, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Lee Child, David Baldacci to name a few.   Science fiction / fantasy is split 50/50.   Looking through my current TBR piles - the mix is almost split equally 50% male and female.    

 

 

I don't mind romances written by male authors. In my experience, their female characters are strong and lack a certain amount of neuroses that only a female could write in. :p Could be my experiences are too limited and unfortunately no titles come to mind because I can hardly ever remember stuff like that.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I actually finished two books this week as hoped :hurray: :  Antigone by Sophocle (reviewed here) and A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis (reviewed here).  I wasn't really in the mood for the tragedy, but I still enjoyed it.  Thanks to all of you who recommended the Brother Cadfael books.  :D  I thoroughly enjoyed it the story and put the next two books in the series on hold, so I will probably wait a couple of weeks before progressing to the 13th century.  I think I'm going to pass on Dante since I'll probably read all three parts of The Divine Comedy when we get to it next school year.

 

TBR:

Sandstorm by Rollins (definitely next on the list, hope to start by Tuesday)

Quiet by Cain (I'm thinking I'll spread this out over a couple of weeks, 1 or 2 chapters a day)

still too many other books to name and I forgot that I wasn't suppose to get any more books last week and downloaded two more library books on my Kindle in addition to the Cadfael books now on hold :blushing:

 

In Progress:

Bible - finished Exodus and read 7 chapters of Leviticus, 6% done and still on track

History of the Ancient World by Bauer - finished chapters 5-10 this week, shooting for chapter 20 by the end of this week

The War of the Worlds by Wells - to discuss with DD, the heat ray reminds me of cheesy scifi movies, but I'm still completely enjoying the tale at about 1/3 the way through

 

Finished

6.  A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (BaW rec and 12th century challenge)

5.  Antigone by Sophocles (ancient lit)

4.  Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction)

3.  Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)

2.  The Secret at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec)

1.  The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit)

 

Looks like I'm still 2:1 in favor of male authors this year, but I'd rather just enjoy the books and not worry about the author's gender.

[Ali in OR]

First, the weekly update:

 

I picked up The Dead in their Vaulted Arches from the library this week and finished it in two days. That was a fun read, and as others here have mentioned, I am interested to see where Bradley will go next with this series. I finished Rabbit-Proof Fence and we also watched the DVD from the library. Though they did change a few details, I think this story works better as a movie. I'm glad I read the book too because I like to know the actual facts of a non-fiction story, but I appreciated being able to see the terrain they traversed, hearing the aboriginal language, seeing what they may have looked like, etc. Maybe that wouldn't be as important to an Australian, but it really helped me to "see" it in context. I am almost done with Alice Munro's Too Much Happiness--need to finish up the last story. I like her, which is good, because my book club just picked her Dear Life for our next read. I went ahead and bought it (I'm usually a library kind of girl).

 

Next, chiming in on the female vs. male author:

 

I don't think I choose by gender, but there are authors who appeal to me, and I want my reading time to be worthwhile. So a lot of the fluff marketed to women by female authors just doesn't appeal. I don't read chick lit or low-brow romance (but love more intelligent romance--bring on the P&P). I can get annoyed by male authors (or female authors for that matter) who I think just get it wrong. The end of Grapes of Wrath, the woman nursing a man, just really annoyed me. I think I read it after I had kids and I just thought, "Steinbeck doesn't get it." Hemingway doesn't get women either--I remember having problems with the nurse in A Farewell to Arms, but now I can't even remember what my issues with it were! I just strongly disagreed with him. I have problems with male authors with excess fascination with eroticism--I hated A Reliable Wife, as did most of my book club, as we felt like we were reading p*rn. There was a touch of this in some of the Murakami stories I read too. I did not like The Red Tent--I thought the author did not "get" Rachel and grossly misrepresented her. I don't feel like I'm choosing by gender; I appreciate authors of either gender who I think are capturing life's themes well and accurately. I'm happy to discover Munro--I think she does this. Loved Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose. Big fan of Christie, Austen, C.S. Lewis. Love James Herriott. I want to learn something from what I read, to grow and learn.

[Angel]

I finished book 8 last night, Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere by Richard Paul Evans.  It's the 3rd book in the Michael Vey series.  Dh told me that the series is planned for 7 books.  The 4th won't be released till later this year.  Bummer.  I'm really enjoying them.  This is the first book this year that didn't start off slow!  Not much to write about as that would give away details in case someone decides to read it.  The story moved along, it was not predictable, and there was a new twist at the end.  I was afraid the author would continue with a similar plot line from the first two books but was pleasantly surprised that he changed it up.  I found two quotes that I liked...

 

"It is self-evident that the supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite is preferable to the archaic and outdated design of democracy.  The belief that the average human, steeped in superstition and religious conditioning, has the ability to make rational decisions for society's governance is beyond ridiculous, it is unabashed stupidity."

 

Prickly post alert #2 for the day (I'm on a roll)...Dangerous to read on... Only my opinion and only explaining to explain why the quote jumped out at me  ;)

This quote really hit home for me as I feel that our government today, I'll even go so far as to say society, is heading down this path.  They maybe wouldn't say it outright but their actions are saying it loud and clear.  In a book we would see this man/regime for the psychopath that he is.  In real life it is for "the good of the people" and somehow it slides in under the radar.  It gives me the shivers.   :eek: 

 

The second quote I found touched me as poetic and true.  Surprising for a YA novel...

 

"Grief is a powerful force that settles in the heart like a dark, heavy fog." 

 

So another 4 star book for me.  I'm still looking for the first book of the year to totally blow me out of the water  :001_smile: Beginning Divergent next per dd19's request.

 

1 – The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs (Israel)

2 – Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans (USA)

3 – The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

4 – Michael Vey:  The Rise of the Elgin by Richard Paul Evans (USA/Peru)

5 – Soulless by Gail Carriger (England, BaW rec)

6 – Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (England)

7 – A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (12th Century, Wales/England, BaW rec)

8 - Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere by Richard Paul Evans (Peru)

[mumto2]

Now for the Inferno and 13th century challenges. I have downloaded a copy of Inferno and hope to manage to read it this month. It was my favorite part of a religion course I took in college so curious to see what I think of it now. I hated the class and the book saved my grade. ;)

 

I am hoping to use a book by Lynn Kurland http://www.lynnkurland.com/books-by-lynn-kurland/the-more-i-see-you/ for my 13th century challenge. I think I have that one in my stash in the States which I should be exploring at the end of this week. I know I have a few of them left. I gave my best friend quite a stack a couple of years ago. So we shall see. I think I may have the book Robin is reading too. Hopefully something will be waiting for me.

 

I also have a hold on an Elizabeth Chadwick 3 book trilogy. The first one starts at the very end of the 12th century and I am hoping that by number three it will be the 13th. I can't find a truly accurate description but they do sound good.

[Pam in CT]

I'm fascinated by the discussion about male and female writers, and male and female characters... for all I think about books, and for all I experience the world very much as a woman, it had never occurred to me to count up how many male v. female authors I read...

 

So when I went back and counted up this year's list I that started in early September, my distribution for non-fiction came out to be 25 male authors/12 female; and my distribution for fiction came out to be 14 male/17 female.... which, without digging further back into prior years or running true statistical analysis (!) I'd venture to say shows an essentially even mix of female/male for fiction; and a substantial tilt toward male authors within non-fiction.  A lot of my non-fiction tends to be various flavors of religion, and all of the flavors do tend to be male dominated, so that may explain a good bit of that tilt.  Within fiction... I'm happy to live for a while with any protagonist, male or female, as long as the voice is authentic.  Not all fiction authors can really pull cross-gender travel off, but the better ones can.

 

 

For last week -- cold and yucky and hermit-like, perfect for getting a lot of reading done -- my daughter and I finished the last bit of Code Name Verity (so good); I (re)listened to Faulkner's Light in August (still good); I read Deborah Feldman's UnOrthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots for an IRL book group (no My Name is Asher Lev, that one....), I romped through The Rosie Project (totally fun, and knocked off Australia from the continents challenge, too), knocked off Susanna Kearsley's The Winter Sea (er... a wee bit o'bodice ripper, there, aye?  I hadn't quite called that one!!   :o) )... AND...

 

FINISHED WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLES.  Yes, ladies, it's true, I made it all the way to the finish line.

 

It's still working on me, I think... it's not at all my usual genre.  It reminded me a bit of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is similarly not-my-genre, but which I came across last year, first in movie form on a plane ride, and with which I have become rather obsessed -- I got the book, read it and immediately re-read it which I absolutely never do; and bought the movie, which I absolutely positively never EVER do so I could watch it repeatedly and attempt to enlist my husband in conversation about it... Anyway, there's something in Cloud Atlas that I haven't quite found yet, that still calls to me, urging me to figure it out... I don't know that WUBC will have as strong an effect on me -- I don't know that any other book ever has -- but there is a similar pull, if not as strong.

 

I'm still working on Adin Steinsaltz' The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse On The Essence Of Jewish Existence And Belief , which is slow, dense going.  My daughter and I have started Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, a YA fiction whose protagonist is on the spectrum; goes nicely with Rosie Project.  On audio I'm listening to Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which is an entertaining time-travelling romp; I wish I'd thought to do it last year when I was reading King Arthur stories with the kids.  I'm very slowly doling out the exquisite poems of Mary Szysbist's Incarnadine (sigh...) and I'm nearly through Rebecca Goldstein's Properties of Light.  I'm a big fan of Goldstein -- everything of hers I've read is so smart and so funny and ultimately so generous, though she sometimes starts off threatening to be snarky.

[JennW in SoCal]

My January wrap up is 6 books read with 2 in progress:

 

Mystery/Thrillers

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst

Diamond Solitaire by Peter Lovesy

 

Literature

The Fortune of War by Patrick O’Brien (audio)

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (audio and kindle)  **chapter or two left

 

Non-fiction

The Hare with the Amber Eyes  ** in progress

Ballerina by Deidre Kelly

 

Sci-fi/fantasy

Darwin Elevator by Jason Hough

 

 

 

I didn't read many female authors last year, but like many of you I'm not choosing books based on the author's gender.  When I reviewed the list that was on yesterday's link (was it a Flavorwire list?) of suggested works by woman authors, I saw very little that appealed to me as many of them were "relationship" books -- the central conflict in the book was relational.  I'm a sucker for a good love story, but I want more meat to the book. I don't want to delve into the female protagonist's psyche to feel all her problems as I've got a messy enough inner life to deal with, thank you very much.  Besides, all too often I find those books ring so very false and are rather shallow or simplistic.  

 

I want good characters who develop throughout within a good story.  I love mysteries, clearly I'm now into nautical yarns with Captain Aubrey and Doctor Maturin!  In non-fiction I appreciate an enthusiastic and articulate writer.  I love Terry Pratchett and Jane Austen because they make me laugh.

 

Am I going to get kicked out of the BaW club by confessing to liking both Handmaid's Tale and Red Tent?  I read Handmaid's Tale when I was pregnant then Red Tent while I had little ones. My reading tastes were not at all what they are now, so don't know what I'd think of them if I were to pick them up now, but they each touched me at the time I read them.

[Stacia]

FINISHED WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLES.  Yes, ladies, it's true, I made it all the way to the finish line.

 

It's still working on me, I think... it's not at all my usual genre.  It reminded me a bit of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is similarly not-my-genre, but which I came across last year, first in movie form on a plane ride, and with which I have become rather obsessed -- I got the book, read it and immediately re-read it which I absolutely never do; and bought the movie, which I absolutely positively never EVER do so I could watch it repeatedly and attempt to enlist my husband in conversation about it... Anyway, there's something in Cloud Atlas that I haven't quite found yet, that still calls to me, urging me to figure it out... I don't know that WUBC will have as strong an effect on me -- I don't know that any other book ever has -- but there is a similar pull, if not as strong.

 

Yay for finishing Murakami's book!

 

Funny that you compare it to Cloud Atlas. I love, love, love Cloud Atlas (both the book & the movie). Just incredible. And, usually, I love Murakami too, but didn't feel the love for WUBC. I don't think of Mitchell & Murakami being similar writers at all, other than they both write things that are probably considered 'outside of the norm', lol.

 

I love that you're obsessed with Cloud Atlas. I have to say I think I feel that way about it too. Here's a little fun treat for your Sunday afternoon ;) : <insert my wistful sigh here>

 

[shukriyya]

I detest the word 'chick-lit'. I find it offensive and it represents neither literature or women. In fact it misses the point entirely.

 

Reading this week :

 

Conference of the Birds by Fariduddin Attar

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

[Pam in CT]

Yay for finishing Murakami's book!

 

Funny that you compare it to Cloud Atlas. I love, love, love Cloud Atlas (both the book & the movie). Just incredible. And, usually, I love Murakami too, but didn't feel the love for WUBC. I don't think of Mitchell & Murakami being similar writers at all, other than they both write things that are probably considered 'outside of the norm', lol.

 

I love that you're obsessed with Cloud Atlas. I have to say I think I feel that way about it too. Here's a little fun treat for your Sunday afternoon ;) : <insert my wistful sigh here>

 

 

Aww, man, now I'm going to have to go back and watch Cloud Atlas again!!!

 

I don't think Wind Up Bird will affect me nearly so much -- as I said, I don't know that any book ever has.  (There are a handful of paintings and pieces of music that I carry around, that work on my in a similarly overwhelming way... but I can't think of any other book).  But I felt a similarity in theme between the two... something almost related to the physics concept of non-locality... how we keep re-living variations on the same mostly tragic story, but there is a way out... I can't quite grasp why it pulls me so hard in Atlas.  It's not nearly as strong in WUBC, but it is there, too.

[Pam in CT]

I detest the word 'chick-lit'. I find it offensive and it represents neither literature or women. In fact it misses the point entirely.

 

 

 

Yabbut, how about "Chick Fil-A?"  Same argument could be made.

[MicheleinMN]

This year so far I have finished (well, some of these may have been finished in December, but I'm not positive): 

 

1. Sycamore Row by John Grisham

 

2. Defending Jacob by William Landay

 

3. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

 

4. Thor's Wedding Day by Bruce Coville

 

I am currently reading:

 

1. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

 

2. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

 

3. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

 

And I'm listening to Elizabeth Vandiver's lectures on Greek Tragedy from the Great Courses available from Audible.com.

 

4. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (I forgot about this one, but I am surprised by what a really good book it is.)

 

 

[Rosie_0801]

If anyone else reading The Rosie Project wants a postcard, pm me. 

[Kim in Appalachia]

I think I read 2 female authors last year, Ursala Le Guin and Amy Tan.  I started this year reading Donna Tartt.  I don't like "romance" novels.  Women do write a bit differently then men, sometimes it's more obvious than others.  Amy Tan's book was definitely a book written by a woman.  And when you read George R R Martin, you know no woman would write like that. :D  But most books that I read the gender of the writer doesn't seem at the forefront, KWIM?

 

I finished Fall of Giants last week.  I liked it, a lot.  I actually thought the writing wasn't that great.  It felt like it was written at a 5th grade level.  Even the s*x scenes seemed childish. And I felt like he way over simplified WW1,but still I was hooked on the story line.  I loved the characters. I couldn't put the book down and I found myself thinking about it all of the time.  I put the second book on hold at the library.  When it's in I'll run up there and pick it up, because I can't wait to read more.  

[mamaraby]

I finished 8 in January and dropped two (Wind-Up Bird and Binchy's Firefly Summer). I suspect I tend to read more female authors, but I haven't exactly kept track. I'd have to go back through our read aloud lists, but I think the opposite is true for our read alouds and that we read more male authors, though I can't say why that would be.

 

Aside from the Michael Perry, I think myother favorite book from late January is Kahled Hosseini's "And the Mountains Trembled." Right now I'm reading "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese which I am enjoying quite a bit. I've been swimming more lately so I'm reading a bit less the last couple of weeks.

[Robin M]

I I found two quotes that I liked...

 

"It is self-evident that the supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite is preferable to the archaic and outdated design of democracy.  The belief that the average human, steeped in superstition and religious conditioning, has the ability to make rational decisions for society's governance is beyond ridiculous, it is unabashed stupidity."

 

Prickly post alert #2 for the day (I'm on a roll)...Dangerous to read on... Only my opinion and only explaining to explain why the quote jumped out at me  ;)

This quote really hit home for me as I feel that our government today, I'll even go so far as to say society, is heading down this path.  They maybe wouldn't say it outright but their actions are saying it loud and clear.  In a book we would see this man/regime for the psychopath that he is.  In real life it is for "the good of the people" and somehow it slides in under the radar.  It gives me the shivers.   :eek:

 

The second quote I found touched me as poetic and true.  Surprising for a YA novel...

 

"Grief is a powerful force that settles in the heart like a dark, heavy fog." 

 

 

Without getting all political, all I can say is yep to the first quote - it is scary.  I think the more people open their eyes and see the reality of what's taking place, change will take place for the positive.  I hope. As for the 2nd quote, having just rolled out of the dark, heavy fog, can say I understand it now.  I equated it to being a ship without a rudder and just floating along with the currents.  Glad I'm past that phase.

[Robin M]

I'm fascinated by the discussion about male and female writers, and male and female characters... for all I think about books, and for all I experience the world very much as a woman, it had never occurred to me to count up how many male v. female authors I read...

 

So when I went back and counted up this year's list I that started in early September, my distribution for non-fiction came out to be 25 male authors/12 female; and my distribution for fiction came out to be 14 male/17 female.... which, without digging further back into prior years or running true statistical analysis (!) I'd venture to say shows an essentially even mix of female/male for fiction; and a substantial tilt toward male authors within non-fiction.  A lot of my non-fiction tends to be various flavors of religion, and all of the flavors do tend to be male dominated, so that may explain a good bit of that tilt.  Within fiction... I'm happy to live for a while with any protagonist, male or female, as long as the voice is authentic.  Not all fiction authors can really pull cross-gender travel off, but the better ones can.

 

 

FINISHED WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLES.  Yes, ladies, it's true, I made it all the way to the finish line.

 

It's still working on me, I think... it's not at all my usual genre.  It reminded me a bit of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is similarly not-my-genre, but which I came across last year, first in movie form on a plane ride, and with which I have become rather obsessed -- I got the book, read it and immediately re-read it which I absolutely never do; and bought the movie, which I absolutely positively never EVER do so I could watch it repeatedly and attempt to enlist my husband in conversation about it... Anyway, there's something in Cloud Atlas that I haven't quite found yet, that still calls to me, urging me to figure it out... I don't know that WUBC will have as strong an effect on me -- I don't know that any other book ever has -- but there is a similar pull, if not as strong.

 

The bolded - yes. 

 

Yeah on finishing WUBC.  Now you are making me want to read Cloud Atlas, sooner than later.   There are very few books that make me want to turn around and reread them immediately. 

[Angel]

Without getting all political, all I can say is yep to the first quote - it is scary.  I think the more people open their eyes and see the reality of what's taking place, change will take place for the positive.  I hope. As for the 2nd quote, having just rolled out of the dark, heavy fog, can say I understand it now.  I equated it to being a ship without a rudder and just floating along with the currents.  Glad I'm past that phase.

 

Scary, yes!

 

And  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Alice]

I had a reading retreat this weekend for my birthday and never posted last week so I’ve read a lot since last participating. Most are middle-grade/young adult though.

 

-Quiet Dell by Jayne Ann Phillips. It’s a fictional treatment of a real-life murder in 1930s West Virginia. The story is told through the perspective of a reporter who gets involved in the case. This should have been a book I liked a lot, based on the subject. But I didn’t like it. It did the mystical, ghost of victim thing which annoyed me and it had a major storyline that I thought was really ethically wrong. I don’t have a problem with reading about things I might disagree with if it makes me think. But this book wanted to argue that what was morally wrong was instead morally right. And not just “ok†but that somehow the goodness of it made up for the badness of murder. 

 

-The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- A re-read for a co-op class I had to lead. 

 

-Sidekicked by John David Anderson- A really fun middle-grade novel about superheroes and middle school. Recommended by my son.

 

-Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War by Helen Frost- A novel told in verse about two boys (one Native American and one white settler) who are friends during the war of 1812. 

 

-William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher- It sounds completely goofy from the title but it’s really well done. It’s the first Star Wars movie (Episode IV) told in Shakesearean language, in iambic pentameter. It’s not just a clever idea but is really well done. You can tell that the author is a huge fan of both Star Wars and Shakespeare and reading the movie dialogue in this way emphasizes the classic story that Star Wars really is. I could totally see using this one day when we are studying Shakespeare. 

 

[Just Robyn]

I finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm about half way through Cloud Atlas and I'm also reading King Lear.

 

I can't linger because I promised the dc we'd watch HP 3 tonight, but - one question on the male/female topic.

 

For those who didn't like The Handmaid's Tale, what did you think of The Left Hand of Darkness by LeGuin? (I liked them both.)

[MicheleinMN]

I am one of the few who hated The Handmaid's Tale, but I really liked The Penelopiad, so I haven't given up on Atwood completely.