Book Report
Nov. 13th, 2011 11:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormkeeper_lovedorisSince I've been writing less fanfic (though I will post a new one next weekend!) it means I've had more time to read. So here is my report on the latest crop.
Oh, and I'm nearly done with the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy; that will be on the next report.
Unbearable Lightness by Portia DeRossi – In this memoir, actress Portia DeRossi (who is also Ellen DeGeneres’s wife) shares her struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a memoir centered around eating disorders, and this book definitely brought a lot of thoughts and emotions to the surface for me. The random thoughts going through my head while listening to this audio book were:
- Wow, no one likes anorexics. They are suffering but they sure are hated. The anger is misplaced though; don’t hate Portia because she’s beautiful and thin and chooses to starve when millions on this planet have no choice but to starve, instead hate this crazy culture we live in.
- Then again, what a pain this was to listen to! Hearing gorgeous Portia go on and on about how fat and ugly she is, hearing her agonize over every calorie consumed, every leg lift not done. Not to mention her crazy thoughts on how every other women is also fat – not pleasant to hear. The book was 8 CDs long and she doesn’t start to get better until the last CD. So that made for a long 7 CDs.
- What a sad comment on our society that a bright young woman – who was accepted into the top law school in Australia –used up over a decade of her life obsessing over calories and weight-gain.
- It’s a sad story and nothing about it is fun to listen to.
- I did like that the narrator is also a lesbian, and her eating-disorder was partly in response to homophobia. She does share her coming out story, which I enjoyed hearing about. She shares a little about meeting and getting together with Ellen.
So, these were the main things going through my head as I listened. Grade: B- (I guess. It was well-written.)
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn – This author writes novels that are mystery combined with historical fiction, and this one is second in a series that involves Lady Julia Grey as detective. I have to say that Raybourn’s books are a treat to read. They pull you in well, and I do love the way she writes. A beta tester once told me that I needed to do a better job describing body language, facial expressions, etc – and Raybourn does that really well. There were a few things I wasn’t crazy about with this novel though. The denouement wasn’t as grand as in her first; I think a great mystery should lay down enough clues that you could solve it but in this one, I’m not sure that any but the most obsessive reader could have solved. On the other hand, I don’t read a lot of mysteries so maybe a more seasoned reader could have solved it. Also, the main character has a love/hate thing with another detective, Brisbane. At times I’m intrigued by their relationship, but at other times it gets tedious. I will definitely read the third book in the series but if things between her and Brisbane don’t show some progress one way or another, I might not go on with the series. Grade: B
More behind the cut.
Dr Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation by Olivia Judson – I’m having trouble describing this book so I’ll defer to what I found on Amazon. “Finally, a how-to guide, in the guise of a Q&A advice column, for marching, flying, or slithering into the battle of the sexes, whatever your species. In this entertaining and informative book, evolutionary biologist Olivia Judson presents "letters" from sexually frustrated animals, birds, and insects who ask "Dr. Tatiana" to explain some sexual oddity. For example, "Don't Wanna Be Butch in Botswana" writes, "I'm a spotted hyena, a girl. The only trouble is, I've got a large phallus. I can't help feeling that this is unladylike. What's wrong with me?" Each question leads Dr. T. into a fascinating explanation about the sex life of this species, sprinkled with sprightly stories about other species with similar attributes or behavior. You'll learn why one stick-insect copulation lasts for 10 weeks (to prevent other males from gaining access to the fertile female) and why the black-winged damselfly's penis has bristles (to scrape out his rival's sperm). You'll learn that male and female orangutans masturbate with sex toys fashioned from leaves and twigs, that slugs are hermaphrodites with penises on their heads, and that females in more than 80 species eat their lovers before, during, or after sex. You'll also ponder human sexuality when you learn that "monogamy is one of the most deviant behaviors in biology" (although jackdaws, chinstrap penguins, California mice, and some termites swear by it) and "natural selection, it seems, often smiles on strumpets." Well-written and very interesting, and you don’t have to be into science to enjoy it. Grade: B
Girldrive: Criss-crossing America, Redefining Feminism by Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein -- This is one of the best books I’ve read on feminism in a long time. The two authors go on a road trip and interview women about feminism. Some women embrace the term, others avoid it. Peppered with lots of pictures from their road trip, this book gives a very clear snapshot of the status of women in the US and the status of the women’s movement. It was enlightening and enjoyable. Grade B+
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier – This author wrote an amazing trilogy (known as the Sevenwaters Trilogy, starting with “Daughter of the Forrest”), which I adored. Then I heard that this book came out, as the 4th book in the series. The series is historical fantasy, about a family of chieftains in ancient Ireland who are custodians of the mysterious forest which surrounds its lands. I was grateful for the family tree that Marillier begins the novel with, since after three books it is a bit hard to keep track of everyone. Early on in the novel, I started to get disgruntled despite Marillier’s typically engaging prose and fast-moving plot. I felt that she needed to branch out her heroines and their worlds a bit. In her first three novels, each one ended with our main character happily wed, and not once has there been a hint that any character in any of her books is attracted to members of the same sex. But then I said to myself that her stories were so good that I can forgive that. And then, halfway in to this one, she thrilled me again by revealing that one of the minor characters does have a lover who is of the same sex! And eventually I realized that I was as much under the spell of this novel as the first three. Strong female characters, an intriguing set up, and plots that just pull you in with plenty of surprises. Also, remember what I wrote in my review of “Silent in the Sanctuary” above, about the mystery being too hard to figure out unless you were obsessed with the book? There is also some mystery in here for you to untangle and I felt that Marillier set hers up much better than Raybourn did hers. I think I can only marvel at this writer and rejoice that apparently there is another book in the series. Grade: A
Books I started reading but didn’t finish:
None this time
Oh, and I'm nearly done with the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy; that will be on the next report.
Unbearable Lightness by Portia DeRossi – In this memoir, actress Portia DeRossi (who is also Ellen DeGeneres’s wife) shares her struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a memoir centered around eating disorders, and this book definitely brought a lot of thoughts and emotions to the surface for me. The random thoughts going through my head while listening to this audio book were:
- Wow, no one likes anorexics. They are suffering but they sure are hated. The anger is misplaced though; don’t hate Portia because she’s beautiful and thin and chooses to starve when millions on this planet have no choice but to starve, instead hate this crazy culture we live in.
- Then again, what a pain this was to listen to! Hearing gorgeous Portia go on and on about how fat and ugly she is, hearing her agonize over every calorie consumed, every leg lift not done. Not to mention her crazy thoughts on how every other women is also fat – not pleasant to hear. The book was 8 CDs long and she doesn’t start to get better until the last CD. So that made for a long 7 CDs.
- What a sad comment on our society that a bright young woman – who was accepted into the top law school in Australia –used up over a decade of her life obsessing over calories and weight-gain.
- It’s a sad story and nothing about it is fun to listen to.
- I did like that the narrator is also a lesbian, and her eating-disorder was partly in response to homophobia. She does share her coming out story, which I enjoyed hearing about. She shares a little about meeting and getting together with Ellen.
So, these were the main things going through my head as I listened. Grade: B- (I guess. It was well-written.)
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn – This author writes novels that are mystery combined with historical fiction, and this one is second in a series that involves Lady Julia Grey as detective. I have to say that Raybourn’s books are a treat to read. They pull you in well, and I do love the way she writes. A beta tester once told me that I needed to do a better job describing body language, facial expressions, etc – and Raybourn does that really well. There were a few things I wasn’t crazy about with this novel though. The denouement wasn’t as grand as in her first; I think a great mystery should lay down enough clues that you could solve it but in this one, I’m not sure that any but the most obsessive reader could have solved. On the other hand, I don’t read a lot of mysteries so maybe a more seasoned reader could have solved it. Also, the main character has a love/hate thing with another detective, Brisbane. At times I’m intrigued by their relationship, but at other times it gets tedious. I will definitely read the third book in the series but if things between her and Brisbane don’t show some progress one way or another, I might not go on with the series. Grade: B
More behind the cut.
Dr Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation by Olivia Judson – I’m having trouble describing this book so I’ll defer to what I found on Amazon. “Finally, a how-to guide, in the guise of a Q&A advice column, for marching, flying, or slithering into the battle of the sexes, whatever your species. In this entertaining and informative book, evolutionary biologist Olivia Judson presents "letters" from sexually frustrated animals, birds, and insects who ask "Dr. Tatiana" to explain some sexual oddity. For example, "Don't Wanna Be Butch in Botswana" writes, "I'm a spotted hyena, a girl. The only trouble is, I've got a large phallus. I can't help feeling that this is unladylike. What's wrong with me?" Each question leads Dr. T. into a fascinating explanation about the sex life of this species, sprinkled with sprightly stories about other species with similar attributes or behavior. You'll learn why one stick-insect copulation lasts for 10 weeks (to prevent other males from gaining access to the fertile female) and why the black-winged damselfly's penis has bristles (to scrape out his rival's sperm). You'll learn that male and female orangutans masturbate with sex toys fashioned from leaves and twigs, that slugs are hermaphrodites with penises on their heads, and that females in more than 80 species eat their lovers before, during, or after sex. You'll also ponder human sexuality when you learn that "monogamy is one of the most deviant behaviors in biology" (although jackdaws, chinstrap penguins, California mice, and some termites swear by it) and "natural selection, it seems, often smiles on strumpets." Well-written and very interesting, and you don’t have to be into science to enjoy it. Grade: B
Girldrive: Criss-crossing America, Redefining Feminism by Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein -- This is one of the best books I’ve read on feminism in a long time. The two authors go on a road trip and interview women about feminism. Some women embrace the term, others avoid it. Peppered with lots of pictures from their road trip, this book gives a very clear snapshot of the status of women in the US and the status of the women’s movement. It was enlightening and enjoyable. Grade B+
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier – This author wrote an amazing trilogy (known as the Sevenwaters Trilogy, starting with “Daughter of the Forrest”), which I adored. Then I heard that this book came out, as the 4th book in the series. The series is historical fantasy, about a family of chieftains in ancient Ireland who are custodians of the mysterious forest which surrounds its lands. I was grateful for the family tree that Marillier begins the novel with, since after three books it is a bit hard to keep track of everyone. Early on in the novel, I started to get disgruntled despite Marillier’s typically engaging prose and fast-moving plot. I felt that she needed to branch out her heroines and their worlds a bit. In her first three novels, each one ended with our main character happily wed, and not once has there been a hint that any character in any of her books is attracted to members of the same sex. But then I said to myself that her stories were so good that I can forgive that. And then, halfway in to this one, she thrilled me again by revealing that one of the minor characters does have a lover who is of the same sex! And eventually I realized that I was as much under the spell of this novel as the first three. Strong female characters, an intriguing set up, and plots that just pull you in with plenty of surprises. Also, remember what I wrote in my review of “Silent in the Sanctuary” above, about the mystery being too hard to figure out unless you were obsessed with the book? There is also some mystery in here for you to untangle and I felt that Marillier set hers up much better than Raybourn did hers. I think I can only marvel at this writer and rejoice that apparently there is another book in the series. Grade: A
Books I started reading but didn’t finish:
None this time
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Date: 2011-11-14 05:11 pm (UTC)I love seeing what you've been reading.
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