Bitchin' Blog Posts
: Literature
March 20, 2011 | Sunday | 43 Comments
Ever had a book intersect with your real life in an unexpected way? Meg has: Random idea for reader interaction: How have the romance novels you’re reading intersected with your life? An example: I’m finishing up my senior (undergrad) thesis, which deals with British children’s literature and colonial India. One chapter discusses the Indian Mutiny and British response to it. Last night, I was trying to take a break from my thesis and turn off my brain some. I opened the new book I downloaded onto my computer’s Kindle app, Wild Desire by Lori Brighton. Started reading and enjoying it,…
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February 03, 2011 | Thursday | 67 Comments
Here’s some sad, sad Pac-Mans, to quote Stephanie Leary. VIDA posted their count of major publications, their reviewers by gender, and their reviews by gender of the author. Oh, that is one hurtin’ Pac Man collection right there. The New York Times book review pages feature books by men twice as much as books by women, while The New Yorker features books by men four times as much as books by women. I knew it was bad but oh, holy night, that just dropped my jaw. VIDA is ready to “invest our efforts and energy into the radical notion that…
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February 02, 2011 | Wednesday | 122 Comments
So here’s something I never expected from Bitch Magazine. Really. I’m sort of horrified and appalled and wondering if someone over there fell and hit their heads. Bitch posted their 100 YA books for the Feminist Reader list, and of course, like any thing that is (a) a list (b) adorned with the word “feminist” and (c) on the internet, there was lots of discussion. And disagreement. And expressions of disappointment. Some didn’t like that certain books were left off, and some didn’t like the books that were selected, particularly those that were sexually violent or challenging to the reader’s…
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August 10, 2010 | Tuesday | 82 Comments
Christine, a librarian, forwarded me a link to this article from the NY Times this past weekend: The Kids’ Books Are All Right, by Pamela Paul. Paul takes a look at adults craving the third installment of The Hunger Games, and who seek out YA books in general. The themes are serious and the discussions intense, but the books are fast-paced and fun. “A lot of contemporary adult literature is characterized by a real distrust of plot,” Grossman said. “I think young adult fiction is one of the few areas of literature right now where storytelling really thrives.” Y.A. may…
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July 24, 2010 | Saturday | 40 Comments
Jan asks for your help with a film she saw and is pretty sure was once a book, too: This one has been bugging me for ages, but I’m not sure it’s an actual book. It’s something I saw on tv - but since it’s an historical I’m pretty sure it was a book too. I surely hope it is. I saw this movie some 10 years ago, probably more. I was a very young teen. I’m not sure what period it was in, because I was so young all historicals were still the same period for me. If my…
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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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January 20, 2010 | Wednesday | 33 Comments
First: Robert Parker, mystery novelist and creator of the Spenser series, died yesterday at the age of 77. Parker wrote over 60 books according to the Guardian, and judging by my inbox was a favorite author of many Bitchery readers. I confess: I haven’t read any of Parker’s books. Which would you recommend? Second: Erich Segal passed away yesterday as well at the age of 72. Segal is best known for “Love Story” but I was a huge fan of his novel “Doctors,,” which was one of my gateways into romance reading. Segal took a lot of crap for being…
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December 30, 2009 | Wednesday | 43 Comments
After seeing Laura Clawson‘s article about romance novels on Daily Kos, “Romance Reader, Unashamed” (and seeing the most awesome comment thread ever in terms of knowledge and enthusiasm) I had to get all nosy and beg Ms. Clawson for an interview. Behold! Laura’s a contributing editor at Daily Kos, and a senior writer at Working America. Even better, she’s a romance fan - wait until you see her favorites list. So what made you write this article about romance, sexual politics, discrimination and misogynist myths about romance? Laura: I think that when the second Twilight movie came out I’d seen…
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December 12, 2009 | Saturday | 2 Comments
Like odd tshirts that subtly proclaim you a literature fan? KafkaCotton.com has two that are inspired by literary works, and would like to offer SBTB readers 10% discount off a purchase now through 25 December. Use “SBTBRocks” (heh - nice code!) at checkout - and you’ll get yourself a discount. Plus, free shipping is already in place. KafkaCotton mastermind Brian Crabtree says, “Before you confirm your orders, put the discount code in the “Message to Seller” box. You can either immediately pay the full price and be issued a refund for the discount amount or you can wait for a…
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July 11, 2009 | Saturday | 1 Comments
There’s a whole lot of something going on at IASPR, the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance. The website is up and running with a whole mess of new features, including a Members’ Forum, which is not exclusively for IASPR members though there is a Members-only section (one hopes that it comes with those cool vinyl jackets with the snap collars, right?). There’s also a Cafe Press store and a slew of upcoming events at RWA next week: Sarah Frantz, Pamela Regis, and NYT best-selling author Sabrina Jeffries will be presenting “If you like the Classics; Or, How…
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March 26, 2009 | Thursday | 56 Comments
Kate Davies is looking for YA novels that reflect or parallel Romeo and Juliet, with or without the tragic death at the end (and, I would hope, without the wishywashy bonerdeath that is ol’ Romeo): I’m a former English teacher who’s signing up for a class on Modern Literature in the Classroom to keep my certification up to date. One of the requirements of the class is to read 8 books published in the last thirty years, with an eye toward using them in the classroom. I’ve always paired Romeo and Juliet with a book study, using multiple books that…
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March 02, 2009 | Monday | 32 Comments
Since Bitchery members are big library fans, I wanted to ask you about library programming that you’ve found enormously successful. I’m currently pitching myself as a speaker at libraries, especially those that have a strong fiction and romance collection, but I’m also friends with a few people who serve on library boards. I think one of the outcomes of a sour economy is an increase in library card registration - I know I jumped on the chance to join the NYPL once I learned I was eligible, which means I have two libraries to choose from. But perhaps new programming…
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February 03, 2009 | Tuesday | 20 Comments
Petty larceny time! I’m stealing an hour of your life by giving you the heads up about Literature Map. Name an author, see the orbit of other authors similar to that one. Keep clicking. Look up - it’s an hour later. Heh. Orbit has a new book available for one crispy American dollar, or one folded up, soft and fuzzy American dollar, which ever you have. This month: Iain M. Banks’ Use of Weapons. (Is it me or is the use of additional vowels in names like “Iain” and “Niall” somehow intriguing?) Visit Onedollarorbit.com for details. (And coming up in…
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January 30, 2009 | Friday | 28 Comments
Another snarktastic chapter-by-chapter account by Li’l SBiT Patrick. I know many of you are reading along with Patrick - how are you liking the book so far? Being a bit of a blow-by-blow by SBiT Patrick, Part the Second: Chapters 3 through 5 Chapter 3: The Bluestocking Does Some Blue-Balling “Dain felt extremely reluctant to enter any room with a fille de joie, which created a serious problem, since he was just fastidious enough to dislike having a female in a reeking Parisian alleyway.” For over a week after his first encounter with Jessica, Dain has been unable to get…
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