This month’s Kickass Women was found in the pages of Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspiration, and Influence Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers by Lauren Burke and Hannah K. Chapman, illustrated by Kaley Bales. The book traces the connections between different authors and their common motivations for writing, and depicts some of the turning points in their lives. I had never heard of the author Edith Maude Eaton, who … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Edith Maude Eaton and Winnifred Easton →
I’ve written, taught classes, and led panels about Mary Shelley and Frankenstein so often that, at a recent science fiction convention, one of my fellow panelists pointed out, “No matter what the topic is, Carrie, you always end up mentioning how much you hate Lord Byron” and I SO VERY MUCH DO! ASK ME WHY! The point is, I seized upon Our Hideous Progeny with gimmie-gimmie hands and although I will not tell you what … Continue reading Our Hideous Progeny by C. E. McGill →
TW: rape, racism, mob violence, murder, anti-semitism This month’s Kickass Woman is a woman of complex morals who, despite making a lavish living through crime, was adored in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance. Stephanie St. Clair, known as Queenie, ran a numbers racket throughout the 1920s and 30s and kept control of it despite efforts of the Mafia and the Law to take her down. She was also a civil rights activist, who invested in … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Stephanie St. Clair →
Camp Damascus is a full-length novel by Chuck Tingle. Chuck Tingle is famous for writing many, many erotic and humorous short stories and novellas, and he is beloved for including rather pointed social commentary in these stories and for a social media presence in which he celebrates all kinds of love. For an idea of his short work, check out my review of Oppressed in the Butt by my Inclusive Holiday Coffee Cups or listen … Continue reading Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle →
Zabel Yesayan, a kickass Armenian woman, survived the Armenian Genocide, exile, and WWI, all while reporting on and speaking out about injustice. She was a feminist and a pacifist, as well as a reporter who told the world about the Armenian Genocide and its impact with passion and empathy. She was an unconventional wife and mother who spent long periods away from her family, assisting Armenian refugees and reporting on the many atrocities that she … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Zabel Yesayan →
Come As You Are: The New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life is interesting and informative. It’s a solid Sex 101 book. I learned some new things from reading it and I got a better understanding of some things that I kinda sorta knew but didn’t fully understand. I also found it entertaining and accessible, and very body and sex positive. The book consists of the main text, which explains different concepts and elements … Continue reading Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski →
Red alert people, this is not a drill. The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi is a book about: A woman in her 40s with a bad knee Who is also a pirate queen Who is also Muslim and plying the seas of the Indian Ocean Who lives during the Medieval Period Who is also a mother who struggles with parenting and pirating And who has built a found family without fully realizing it And who becomes … Continue reading The Adventures Of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty →
I think it’s safe to say that I am not the target demographic for Best Men, a romantic comedy between two Gay men in New York City. I say this not because I am a woman, nor because I live in the suburbs of Sacramento instead of in an apartment in Manhattan. No readers, I say this because I am OLD and the lives of these characters, all of whom are in their early thirties, … Continue reading Best Men by Sidney Karger →
The Happy Vagina is a fun book, primed for gift giving, punctuated with inspiring quotes and featuring bold, fun illustrations. I took one look at it and thought, “I should give this to my daughter.” My daughter took one look at it and said, “It reminds me of those very ‘You Go, Girl!’ pamphlets about periods.” This book, with its teeny tiny nibble sized portions of important health facts, is either too darn peppy, or … Continue reading The Happy Vagina by Mika Simmons →
The Kingdom of Kush existed along the Nile Valley in what is now parts of Sudan and Egypt. It included the city-states of Kerma, Napata, and Meroë. The inhabitants of this kingdom spoke and wrote in the Meroitic language, a language that is currently almost completely untranslated. Kush existed for over 3,000 years, and during much of that time it was ruled by women. Queen Amanirenas is famous for having successfully resisted the Roman army’s … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Queen Amanirenas →
Dear Bitches: It is my sad duty to inform you that I cannot review Alexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents (I Made Up), a collection of humorous pieces that make brutal and glorious fun of all the stuff that we learned in high school. I want to review it, but I can’t. I can’t because I can’t breathe, and I can’t breathe because the chapter “How to Pose For Your Civil War Photograph” has … Continue reading Alexandra Petri’s US History by Alexandra Petri →
