I realized that I’ve spent the past few weeks just letting the universe decide what I should read. Either it’s something somebody mentioned that sounded interesting, or an author went on The Daily Show and pimped her book, or a book that publisher sent me. I haven’t gone actively looking for a book in a while, and since the variety that the universe has sent my way has been REALLY interesting, I’m just going to keep … Continue reading Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal →
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books – so much so that I collect copies as though I’m afraid that they will expire and vanish from the shelves. I have beautiful hardback copies that I keep for reading at home, battered thrift store copies that I give away with wild abandon, and a copy in my stash of emergency supplies in case of earthquake or zombie attack. So I greet a book like Mr. … Continue reading Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker →
The category is Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, which I interpret as a meaty fictional story with a side of romance. This is the first book of a duology (Empress of the Bright Moon is the second volume) about Empress Wu, the first and only Empress of China who ruled in her own name. She is an exciting historical character and while the basics of her life are known, there is much room for … Continue reading The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel →
NB: Trigger warnings for the below description racism and threat of rape. Well, I picked this book to review because I was late to the sign-up sheet and it was the only book left. Which wasn’t maybe the best sign, but you never know with these things, and part of my idea with this challenge was to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. The Depth of Beauty is not the book … Continue reading The Depth of Beauty by A.B. Michaels →
From the late 18th century to 1996, the Magdalen Laundries were (In theory) a place for fallen women to be employed with godly, honest work and get off the streets and all that. The reality was that women and girls could be committed to these asylums for years with no appeal or release until such a time as the nuns running the place let them go. Records of women who disappeared into the asylums are scant … Continue reading The Magdalen Girls by V.S. Alexander →
Outcasts: A Novel of Mary Shelley is about three days in the life of Mary Shelley. I have a burning interest in the life of Mary Shelley, so I was both excited and poised to nitpick. I also should confess having a bias in favor of the author, Sarah Stegall, because we like to sit on panels together and scream about how much we hate Byron. As it turns out, I couldn’t find a damn … Continue reading Outcasts: A Novel of Mary Shelley by Sarah Stegall →
I bought The Lost Girls on impulse because it was sitting on a Barnes and Noble table looking all psychological thriller-y and because I have zero self control. I found the book to be well-written and immersive, but a psychological thriller it is not, and I felt like the jacket copy lied to me. Also anyone considering reading it should be warned that there is a scene involving sexual abuse of a child. It’s not … Continue reading The Lost Girls by Heather Young →
Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre consists of twenty-one short stories. As per the title, they were inspired by Jane Eyre, but in many cases, the link is so tenuous that you would never know that the story was inspired by Jane Eyre if it weren’t placed in this anthology. There are several about interrupted weddings and unsatisfying marriages. Some stories are re-tellings of Jane Eyre from other points of view. Edward Rochester muses on … Continue reading Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier →
As an ardent fan of Jane Eyre, I have read many literary adaptations of her story. I’ve read about a vampire slayer Janes (Jane Slayre) and Jane in space (Jenna Starborn) and Jane in the 1950s (The Flight of Gemma Hardy) and many more, and I’m usually disappointed. Jane Steele, however, was just about the most viciously satisfying thing in the history of ever. NB: book titles in this review are italicized while names are not. … Continue reading Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye →
Plum Bun is a classic novel from the Harlem Renaissance. This book is a pretty optimistic story that features the lives of mostly middle-class African Americans. Its subtitle is “A Novel Without a Moral,” and the book is realistic without being preachy or tragic – in fact, the ending is quite a “happy sigh” moment. Plum Bun is about an African American woman, Angela, who is able to “pass” for white. As a child, she … Continue reading Plum Bun by Jessie Redmond Fauset →
The Mysterious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a fast read, and the characters in the story move through grief and the process of beginning life again. The titular hero – and “titular” is one of my favorite words btw – also learns to become who he wants to be now, instead of existing in a sort of holding pattern following the sum of his habits and obeying the expectations of those around him. Arthur Pepper’s … Continue reading The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick →
