Month: November 2012

Review: Are Women Human?

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Are Women Human? by Dorothy L. SayersDorothy L. Sayers, Are Women Human?

Dorothy Sayers is best known for her mystery series featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, but she wrote on a lot of other topics too. This short volume contains two of her essays in which she explicitly talks about the role of women in society and the feminist movement as she perceived it in the early 20th century. Sayers’ central point in these essays is that people should spend less time thinking about “women” as a class and more about each particular woman as an individual. She notes that opinions, beliefs, intellect, and abilities vary among women just as they do among men. She also champions a woman’s right to work outside the home if she wants to; both women and men should be able to do work that they enjoy and at which they excel.

I really enjoyed both of these thoughtful, witty essays. Even though they were written many decades ago and the world has changed a lot since then, I think Sayers’ observations remain relevant and interesting. I especially liked what she says about the idea that a woman’s place is in the home. She points out that in the Middle Ages, a lot of the most interesting and important jobs were done in the home — weaving, dyeing, food production, brewing, estate management, etc. These all used to be women’s jobs, and they didn’t become men’s jobs until after the Industrial Revolution, when they moved into factories. I don’t tend to read a lot of feminist theory, but I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the feminist movement — or anyone looking for a quick, humorous, and thought-provoking read!

Tune in Tuesday with Katelyn: Some shrill sad cannonade

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So I know I’m a bit late to jump on this bandwagon, but Pandora has really been rocking my world lately! I highly recommend the Mumford and Sons station, where I’ve discovered a lot of really good songs — and this week’s Tune in Tuesday pick is one of them. Here’s “Serpentine” by Chris Bathgate:


I like its melancholy, dreamlike quality.

Also, I’m realizing that all my Tune in Tuesday picks thus far have featured male artists. I’ll have to post about some ladies who rock one of these days!

Top Ten Tuesday: I want it all, and I want it now

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I’m channeling Queen this week because the Top Ten Tuesday topic is your most anticipated books that will come out in 2013. I don’t know if I actually have 10, but there are definitely several books coming out next year that I can’t wait to read! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Stephanie Perkins, Isla and the Happily Ever After — I absolutely fell in love with Perkins’ two previous novels, Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. So obviously I have to get this book ASAP! According to Amazon, the release date is May 7.

2. Julie James, Love Irresistibly — Julie James is my autobuy author for contemporary romance. This latest book is part of her FBI/U.S. Attorney series, and the hero is Cade Morgan, Rylann’s colleague from About That Night. Release date is April 2.

3. Lauren Willig, The Ashford Affair — I’m a big fan of Willig’s Pink Carnation series, but her next book is either a standalone or the start of a new series. It will have parallel contemporary and historical storylines, and the historical parts will be set in WWI-era Kenya. Amazon describes it as a cross between Out of Africa and “Downton Abbey,” so I’m intrigued! Release date is April 9.

4. Seanan McGuire, Chimes at Midnight — The next Toby Daye book! I always snatch these up right away. Minimal googling has not revealed the release date, but I’m guessing it will be sometime in the fall.

5. Jennifer Echols, Dirty Little Secret — I love me some Jennifer Echols romantic dramas. This one is about “friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.” I’m not particularly a country music fan, but I am a music fan, so bring on the concerts and rock-star drama! Release date is July 16. Echols is also coming out with a romance novel for adults in February, which could be interesting…

6. Jasper Fforde, The Song of the Quarkbeast — I have two caveats with this one:  (1) it’s already come out in the U.K., and (2) I haven’t read the first book in the series, The Last Dragonslayer, yet! But Fforde is one of my autobuy authors, so I’m sure I’ll pick this up as soon as the U.S. edition comes out.

7. Sarah Addison Allen, Lost Lake — Yes, SAA is finally coming out with another book! I love her warm, magical settings and romantic plots. Release date is TBA but should be sometime in 2013.

And that’s all I can think of for now. But I’m sure there will be other new releases in 2013 that will have me racing to the nearest bookstore!

Review: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

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I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan BradleyAlan Bradley, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

It’s Christmas at Buckshaw, and Flavia de Luce is determined to use her chemical knowledge to capture Father Christmas, proving that he really exists once and for all. But her holiday plans must take a backseat when a film crew arrives at Buckshaw with movie star Phyllis Wyvern in tow. Flavia is fascinated by the spectacle and quickly insinuates herself into the proceedings. She is especially interested in Phyllis Wyvern, who turns out to be hiding several secrets under her glamorous façade. When Phyllis is found strangled by a length of film, Flavia once again investigates in hopes of discovering the killer. But with the entire film crew and half of Bishop’s Lacey snowed in at Buckshaw, everyone is a suspect — which makes this case Flavia’s most difficult and dangerous one yet.

This is yet another enjoyable outing for Flavia de Luce, and the festive Christmas atmosphere is an added bonus. The mystery plot is a bit underdeveloped, in my opinion, with a solution that basically comes out of nowhere. But for me, it was more interesting to read about the film crew and all its internal drama, as well as the townspeople’s response to having celebrities in their midst. I also enjoyed reading more about Flavia’s strained familial relationships, which finally seem to be loosening up a bit. Fans of the series should enjoy this installment despite the weak mystery plot.

Review: The Girl Who Played Go

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Shan Sa, The Girl Who Played Go (trans. Adriana Hunter)

This novel is set in a place and time that I have very little knowledge of, Manchuria in the 1930s. The two narrators are a Chinese schoolgirl whose passion for the game of go makes her unique and a Japanese soldier who has come to China with Japan’s invading army. The soldier muses on the nature of war and his victorious country’s relationship with the conquered Chinese. The girl, on the other hand, is more concerned with her widening romantic experience and the problems of daily life. But when the two characters meet over a game of go, the consequences will be far-reaching and devastating for them both.

What I liked most about this book is that it opened a window for me into another culture and way of life. I mistakenly thought the book would be more about Japan’s military movements in World War II, but instead it deals with an earlier conflict that I knew nothing about. But while the setting was unique, the problems the soldier faces in this book are universal: What is courage? What are the possible justifications, if any, for waging war? What are the circumstances under which a soldier can or should disobey orders? I found the soldier a more compelling character overall than the Chinese girl. She’s very shallow and frivolous for much of the novel, and while she does eventually change, it happened too late for me to care much about her. I also didn’t feel the emotional impact of the ending the way I think I was supposed to. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but I wouldn’t race to pick up another book by this author.

Tune in Tuesday with Katelyn: I forgot I needed God like a big brother

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So this is a bit awkward, but I may have discovered this song through someone else’s Tune in Tuesday pick once upon a time! If so, I’ve forgotten who you are, and I’m sorry for stealing your song — but you obviously have good taste! 🙂 If I didn’t get it from a Tune in Tuesday participant, I probably heard it on a movie soundtrack. It’s a fairly simple song, but the guitar riff is catchy. And so for this week’s Tune in Tuesday, I bring you “Returning to the Fold” by The Thermals:

Review: Prom and Prejudice

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Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth EulbergElizabeth Eulberg, Prom and Prejudice

At the prestigious Longbourn Academy for girls, money and status matter more than anything else, so scholarship students are constantly taunted and made to feel like outsiders. Lizzie Bennet is one of only two scholarship students in her class, and while she knows she’s lucky to be getting such a good education, she can’t help feeling miserable due to her low social status. Her only friends are the other scholarship girl, Charlotte Lucas, and her roommate, Jane. Jane has a thing for Charles Bingley, a popular student from nearby Pemberley Academy who’s been studying abroad for the past semester. When he returns, he acts really interested in Jane — but his snobby sister Caroline and moody friend Darcy don’t seem to approve of the relationship. Lizzie is happy about Jane’s romance but takes an immediate dislike to Darcy. However, as she gets to know him and his group better, she realizes that she may be letting her prejudice against rich people blind her to the truth.

As should be obvious, this is a modern-day version of Pride and Prejudice set in a young adult context. Though I’m an ardent fan of Jane Austen, I’ve found that the various Austen-inspired sequels and spinoffs are usually nowhere near as wonderful as the original novels. There are exceptions, of course, but unfortunately this book isn’t one of them. The plot sticks to the original P&P fairly closely but doesn’t add anything new or interesting to the story. None of the characters have any depth — even the protagonists — which made it hard for me to care about them. Even more importantly, I found the world of the novel unbelievable. While I accept that there are high school bullies and snobs and cliques, it seems wildly unlikely that everyone at Longbourn would be actively mean to Lizzie (stealing her stuff, throwing milkshakes on her, etc.) just because she has a scholarship. I understand that the author was trying to re-create the social hierarchy that existed in Austen’s day, but the end result just wasn’t credible. I have read YA Austen spinoffs that work very well — Polly Shulman’s Enthusiasm is a wonderful example! — but this book didn’t do anything for me.

Review: A Handful of Dust

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Evelyn Waugh, A Handful of Dust

This novel, set mainly among the leisured class of 1930s England, follows a small group of social acquaintances and sheds light on their shallow approach to life. Brenda Last is married to Tony, a traditional English gentleman who is devoted to preserving his estate. Bored and lonely in the country, Brenda decides to spend more time in London. She soon enters into an affair with John Beaver, an idle young man with no job and not much money, whose greatest talent is lunching at other people’s expense. Tony is oblivious to what’s going on until a shocking tragedy forces his failing marriage into the limelight. As the Lasts try to cope with the fallout from Brenda’s infidelity, they both hope that striking out on their own will bring them happiness, but their efforts are ultimately doomed to failure.

I’m the kind of person who tends to enjoy books with happy endings and likable protagonists. I figure, why read a book that’s just going to depress you? But this book is the antithesis of the qualities I just mentioned, and I still thought it was excellent. Most of the main characters are horrible, odious people, but they’re like a train wreck that I couldn’t look away from. I did sympathize with Tony quite a bit, especially because of one truly heinous thing that Brenda said (don’t want to spoil, so unfortunately I can’t be specific). The whole time, I was hoping that things would somehow work out in the end, even though I knew it was extremely unlikely. I’m also a fan of Waugh’s writing style: he mocks his characters mercilessly, but you can’t really fault him for it because they truly deserve it! So I would definitely recommend this book to fans of classic literature, even those who prefer more lighthearted literature.