Bitchin' Blog Posts
: Comics
August 09, 2010 | Monday | 35 Comments
Girl From Mars is a story in a story, about a female comic book character who is brave and isolated, honest and ferocious, and about 50+ years old. Philomena Brown, or “Fil” for short, is the artist who has for a few years been drawing her comic idol, the Girl from Mars, as her job. Many people think that “Fil Brown” is a man, and are surprised and often dismissive of a female comic artist when they meet her. Fil has blue hair, is very standoffish and socially awkward, is incredibly and impossibly talented, is a woman in a very…
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July 27, 2010 | Tuesday | 63 Comments
Today, I have an interview with two authors, Marjorie Liu and Kelley Armstrong, and as a twist, they asked me some questions, too. Kelley and Marjorie both have books out today, so happy book release day to them both! Armstrong’s new book, Waking the Witch, is the 11th book in her Women of the Otherworld series, about a witch, Savannah, who pairs up with a private investigator to figure out a pattern of murders that seem more than merely humans-gone-killing-each-other. Liu’s new book is part of her Maxine Kiss series, and is very chilling: in A Wild Light, Maxine wakes…
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May 03, 2010 | Monday | 97 Comments
First, the brainy and still making my head spin around with the ideas: Why there is no Jewish Narnia from the brand new Jewish Review of Books. The author, Michael Weingrad, examines why there is no Jewish fantasy author on par with Tolkein and Lewis, particularly given the depth and history of Jewish mysticism. His answers and ideas are so thoughtful and interesting I am still pondering, and I had to share. If you’re a fantasy or science fiction fan, this article looks at the genres from allegorical perspectives, and draws some conclusions as to why Jewish writers number very…
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April 10, 2010 | Saturday | 90 Comments
From the department of “Again already?” there’s hyperventilation about whether or not kids are reading and growing more stupider by the minute because they don’t read. Truly, take a breath people. Remember that annoying song in 1997 about how everyone has to wear sunscreen but not credit the correct source of all that wisdom? (It wasn’t Vonnegut, fyi). In the middle is this bit of perspective: Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old. And when you do you’ll fantasise that when you were younger prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children…
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March 31, 2010 | Wednesday | 23 Comments
Do you giggle at the fact that Wednesday is called “Hump Day?” Like it’s an invitation to get down, get funky, get it on till a few hours prior to sunrise? Get humpin! And, if your house is alongside one of those “Speed Hump” signs in my neighborhood, you know how fast (or slow) you have to go, too. Win for all! Alas, if you’re not humpin’, you can have some links to tide you over until humperating returns. From Gemma & Lisa, 15th Century Peasant Romance Comics from Hark! A Vagrant. I’m particularly partial to the first one. Pass…
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February 17, 2010 | Wednesday | 11 Comments
First: someone buy Claire Folkman more romance novels because OMG does she have it RIGHT. Books that “never give you a moment to yourself?” SO true. So wonderful and yet so awful - especially the “you don’t even know why you’re still reading.” Is it me, or is it when you’re at your most OMGCRAZEE busy that you find the most sticky, invasive, brain-kudzu books that won’t let you think about doing anything other than reading? In the Guardian’s recent article, An Insiders Guide to writing for Mills & Boon , Allison Flood gets schooled by Penny Jordan and Sharon…
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November 21, 2009 | Saturday | 19 Comments
Yay! From Kristan Higgins: Happy Ever After cliches from movies. My hair is curly and wild when I’m in love! You have a secret cabin (Yes, what is UP with the secret cabin hidden in the woods as a shorthand for secret sensitivity [he likes trees!] and need for isolation [poor lonly man]?)! This cracked me up. More Yay! From Rhea, a link to Sarah Rees Brennan, YA Author, who does a summary of the kickass heroines she’s found in romance of late: Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare LUCY: Hello Jeremy here I am at your door! JEREMY:…
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October 13, 2009 | Tuesday | 10 Comments
This is a bit outside the boundaries of the genre, but in some ways, it’s not. I first mentioned The Virginity Project here, and when the publisher of the book offered a review copy for me to review, I was so curious to see the collection, I couldn’t say no. Since so much of romance focuses on virginity in one form or another, both literal and figurative, examining sexuality through illustration of the (dare I say) seminal moment for some men and women’s sexual history seemed relative to romance’s interests. This collection is so moving, I couldn’t stop reading it.…
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July 31, 2009 | Friday | 8 Comments
Chew‘s premise is morbid, hilarious and delicious: in the near future, chicken has been outlawed in the United States because of an uncontrolled outbreak of avian flu. Or is it? Is it instead a gigantic governmental conspiracy? Regardless, chicken parts are now the hottest thing on the street, because as one characters observe: “You outlaw chicken, and only outlaws have chicken.” The FDA (minor quibble: why the FDA, and not the USDA?) is now in the vice business, cracking down on illicit chicken deals—and this isn’t even a metaphor for prostitution. It’s literally chickens, dude. Enter Tony Chu. Tony Chu…
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