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June 28
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Kellie
marked as to-read:
Prozac Nation (Paperback)
by
Elizabeth Wurtzel
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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Kellie
gave  to:
The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing (Paperback)
by
Melissa Bank
bookshelves:
fiction
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my rating:
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Kellie
marked as to-read:
The King (Hardcover)
by
Rebecca Wolff
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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Kellie
is currently reading:
Portland Noir (Akashic Noir)
by
Kevin Sampsell (Goodreads author)
bookshelves:
currently-reading,
fiction
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my rating:
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Kellie
gave  to:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (Audio Cassette)
by
Erik Larson
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my rating:
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June 13
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Kellie
gave  to:
Do Not Deny Me: Stories (Paperback)
by
Jean Thompson
bookshelves:
fiction
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my rating:
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read in May, 2009
Kellie said:
"Do Not Deny Me is a collection of twelve short stories that represent literary fiction at its very best. Each tale is beautifully crafted, with precise and striking phrases and detailed, relatable characters. The first story, "Soldiers of Spirit...more
Do Not Deny Me is a collection of twelve short stories that represent literary fiction at its very best. Each tale is beautifully crafted, with precise and striking phrases and detailed, relatable characters. The first story, "Soldiers of Spiritos," hints at the writer's opinions on literary criticism. An aging English professor and his discouraged student find that they share a love of dramatic literature and a distaste for modern criticism that replaces appreciation with overwrought analysis.
There's much here to appreciate and, if one is so inclined, to analyze. Thompson is renown in literary circles for her sharp wit, and it's easy to see why, whether you read purely for enjoyment, or dwell on the variety of literary techniques, which include second person narration ("The Woman at the Well"), peripheral character narration ("Little Brown Bird"), and an unreliable narrator ("Mr. Rat").
The title story is an eerie account of a young woman's reaction to her boyfriend's sudden death. She encounters a stranger with questionable psychic powers, and despite her skepticism, longs to find comfort in the idea of supernatural forces.
Another exceptional story is "Escape," a deeply affecting narrative about a man who suffers brain damage and has an increasingly antagonistic relationship with his wife and caretaker. Frustrated with his helplessness and his wife's ability to control him, he becomes more and more reckless in his attempts to get away. It's easy to imagine this story on an AP Literature exam ten years from now.
"Wilderness" juxtaposes a love letter from a Walden-Pond wannabe environmentalist with the recipient's Thanksgiving weekend in the suburbs. The protagonist is surprised to find her former best friend has become a matronly mother of two teenage boys—and even more surprised to find that her friend's husband is having an affair.
"Little Brown Bird" is the story of an overlooked young girl who reaches out to a neighbor. The neighbor suspects the girl is being abused but doesn't know how to help, and fears retribution if she shares her suspicions.
"Liberty Tax" is a meditation on how people in financial distress rationalize unethical or illegal behavior. "Treehouse" details a man's attempt to remove himself from the burdens of his humanity by building a new home for himself in his own backyard. "Mr. Rat" features an incredibly unlikable (and sexist) protagonist who gets one of his co-workers fired, and may or may not have driven another to suicide. Readers are left wondering why betrayal comes so easily to this character, and if it is, as he claims, because he is "a triumph of natural selection."
"Triumph" is an excellent way to describe this collection. The variety of themes, situations, and characters provide glimpses into different experiences of modern American life and leave readers with a wealth to reflect upon. Every story is so full of insight and poetry, readers will find themselves underlining entire passages and longing to discuss them with literary friends.
Review Originally Published by The Feminist Review
http://www.feministreview.org(less)
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Kellie
gave  to:
Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels (Trade Paperback)
by
Sarah Wendell
bookshelves:
humor,
non-fiction
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my rating:
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read in May, 2009
Kellie said:
"Romance is a huge market, the most popular kind of fiction—and one of the most maligned. In the introductory chapter of Beyond Heaving Bosoms, the authors remark, "Let's face it: romance novels, with their titty-licious covers, overwrought cov...more
Romance is a huge market, the most popular kind of fiction—and one of the most maligned. In the introductory chapter of Beyond Heaving Bosoms, the authors remark, "Let's face it: romance novels, with their titty-licious covers, overwrought cover copy, and genre constraints are an easier piñata to smack around than most." Despite the genre's flaws, the authors started their blog - http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com - because they love romance novels and didn't think it was receiving the in-depth scrutiny it deserved as fiction's greatest money-maker. They ask, "Are romance novels really candy-coated porn or vehicles by which we understand our sexual and gender politics?" The short answer is: quite possibly, both.
Whether you love romance, or love to mock it — or, like the authors, both — there's plenty to enjoy in Beyond Heaving Bosoms. Instead of numbered chapters, the book is divided into sections such as "Chapter Cleavage," "Chapter Codpiece," and "Chapter Secret Cowboy Baby." There's plenty of lovingly-written satire in the Smart Bitches Dictionary, the "Mad Libs" section, and a lengthy "interactive" romance parody in the style of the once-popular "Choose Your Own Adventure" novels. There are e-mails between members of the International Consortium of Heroes, a hypothetical hero and heroine pleading their case before Judge Judy, the Ten Commandments of Heroine Conduct, and an entire chapter devoted to the mockery of ridiculous cover art.
In addition to all the fun and games, there is insightful literary criticism. The book manages to be educational and subtly persuasive, as well as hilarious. The authors identify protagonist and villain archetypes, investigate the tying together of virginity and purity, re-imagine the romance novel as a coming-of-age narrative, and meditate on the cultural implications of "the heroine's irresistible Magic Hoo Hoo and the hero's untamable Wang of Mighty Lovin'."
It's hard to deny that by and large, romance novels are problematic for feminists. There are certainly feminists who love romance, but some common genre conventions are hopelessly misogynist. Rape is common in what the authors label "Old Skool Romance," and within the confines of a book's story, it is often seen as an acceptable means of "seduction." But, the genre has gone through a lot of changes in the last few decades, and as societal attitudes about rape have changed, its treatment in literature has also evolved. Perhaps paradoxically, there is no other genre that celebrates female sexuality and pleasure so enthusiastically. Romance is a genre written by women and read by women, and it is a wide umbrella with room for feminism underneath.
This Review Originally Published by The Feminist Review
http://www.feministreview.org(less)
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June 12
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Kellie
read and liked
Tara's
review of Their Eyes Were Watching God:
"I must be the only person who read this and hated it.
I read this book when I was a junior in college in an American Lit class. I was looking forward to reading it when I saw it on my book list and read the back cover. I enjoy the writin...more
I must be the only person who read this and hated it.
I read this book when I was a junior in college in an American Lit class. I was looking forward to reading it when I saw it on my book list and read the back cover. I enjoy the writings of Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, so I was looking forward to reading a book that took place in a past time period and was about black characters/community. I really feel like I got my hopes up for nothing. I was so disappointed in this novel.
I had difficulties liking the characters. I enjoyed reading the vernacular and I love when author's use it, but I just did not find the characters likeable or admirable, and none of them "tugged at my heartstrings" in any way. I think the only part I really enjoyed was the part with the rabid dog. Otherwise, I hated this novel.
My professor and I would spend many classes arguing this book. He was shocked that, as the only black woman in the class, I was the only student in this class who didn't like it. I've even discussed this book with my sister and mother, and they both completely disagree with me. I don't make apologies for not liking this novel, but this is my opinion. My honest opinion is that this novel is an okay piece of Black American literature. It does not rank up there with Morrison and Angelou. I do feel that it is unfortunate that Hurston never knew the fame that her book has given her posthumously, but I think i can understand why she didn't achieve the fame in life that she has achieved in death. This is not a very good novel, it's okay. There are better pieces of Black American literature out there that far outshine this one. I'm sorry, I just can't give this book more than 1 star and I just am not able to give it a good review.(less)
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June 08
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Kellie
gave  to:
Drinking in America (Paperback)
by
Eric Bogosian
bookshelves:
drama
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my rating:
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