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It's Wednesday in Australia. Again. And I have read more books, again.
Currently Reading: Glenarvon, still. Dinshaw's 'Getting Medieval'. Other bits and pieces for work.
Recently Finished:
Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Huh. Huh.
First up, I really ENJOYED reading this. It was comforting and engaging and low-demand reading and I expect I will read it again. I do have a great soft spot for rural / colonial narratives with a sense for class and gender wossnames. (Caveats, as usual: this book has next to no racial awareness.)
On the other hand, though, I was left disappointed by where the book STOPPED. It was very much a romance novel in that its narrative thrust was toward first, overcoming interpersonal conflict, and second, overcoming external barriers to Settle Down. I think I would have loved this book 5x more if it was about two women struggling to make something of a small farm, rather than two women trying to ACQUIRE a small farm. It could be a family drama (established relationship) type, or a Romance Novel type (flung together by Circumstance, heiress of small farm and peculiar female farmhand who doesn't want your pity take on the rural life and face Feelings!). I just. That's what I wanted, and did not quite get.
Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I bought this a while ago, in a batch buy of Kerry Greenwood e-books, and somehow skipped it (I've read 5, 7, 8 and 9). Overall, a good read - the murder plot was pretty simplistic, but the cast of characters was interesting, the juggling of gender-deviance and intersex issues against historicity was reasonably managed, and I was a fan of the sweetness in which Phryne's two lovers joined together to back her up instead of fighting. The Themes of the Week were pretty hard-hitting, though - the point was to put Phryne in positions of financial, social and sexual vulnerability that she doesn't normally inhabit, and it certainly did that.
The Good Body by Eve Ensler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I... I think I liked this *as a play*. I did not actually like the main 'character' or many of her opinions, but damn, as a play, it would be FANTASTIC to stage. So fantastic. I'd do it with italicised-Eve as a voiceover, have her walk out of the wings in the second-to-last dialogue scene where Priya takes her home. All the preceding dialogue scenes, including the one with the husband, would be done with the other character speaking to a space somewhere in the audience.
Roller Girl by Vanessa North
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cute! I got the rec from KJ Charles' recent review - it's good to see Riptide coming up with more f/f material.
Plus a couple more Riptide romance e-books, to be reviewed later.
Up Next: Unsure. This week's reading was evidently reading for the tired brain, aside from the Ensler. Perhaps I will give the tired brain some Pratchett, or some of the e-book classics I found when tidying up my hard drive.
Music notes: bought another Mountain Goats album at the beginning of the month (Transcendental Youth), and it's good, but hasn't really grabbed me yet like Talahassee did. Still into Gillian Welch.
Currently Reading: Glenarvon, still. Dinshaw's 'Getting Medieval'. Other bits and pieces for work.
Recently Finished:
Patience and Sarah by Isabel MillerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Huh. Huh.
First up, I really ENJOYED reading this. It was comforting and engaging and low-demand reading and I expect I will read it again. I do have a great soft spot for rural / colonial narratives with a sense for class and gender wossnames. (Caveats, as usual: this book has next to no racial awareness.)
On the other hand, though, I was left disappointed by where the book STOPPED. It was very much a romance novel in that its narrative thrust was toward first, overcoming interpersonal conflict, and second, overcoming external barriers to Settle Down. I think I would have loved this book 5x more if it was about two women struggling to make something of a small farm, rather than two women trying to ACQUIRE a small farm. It could be a family drama (established relationship) type, or a Romance Novel type (flung together by Circumstance, heiress of small farm and peculiar female farmhand who doesn't want your pity take on the rural life and face Feelings!). I just. That's what I wanted, and did not quite get.
Blood and Circuses by Kerry GreenwoodMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I bought this a while ago, in a batch buy of Kerry Greenwood e-books, and somehow skipped it (I've read 5, 7, 8 and 9). Overall, a good read - the murder plot was pretty simplistic, but the cast of characters was interesting, the juggling of gender-deviance and intersex issues against historicity was reasonably managed, and I was a fan of the sweetness in which Phryne's two lovers joined together to back her up instead of fighting. The Themes of the Week were pretty hard-hitting, though - the point was to put Phryne in positions of financial, social and sexual vulnerability that she doesn't normally inhabit, and it certainly did that.
The Good Body by Eve EnslerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I... I think I liked this *as a play*. I did not actually like the main 'character' or many of her opinions, but damn, as a play, it would be FANTASTIC to stage. So fantastic. I'd do it with italicised-Eve as a voiceover, have her walk out of the wings in the second-to-last dialogue scene where Priya takes her home. All the preceding dialogue scenes, including the one with the husband, would be done with the other character speaking to a space somewhere in the audience.
Roller Girl by Vanessa NorthMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cute! I got the rec from KJ Charles' recent review - it's good to see Riptide coming up with more f/f material.
Plus a couple more Riptide romance e-books, to be reviewed later.
Up Next: Unsure. This week's reading was evidently reading for the tired brain, aside from the Ensler. Perhaps I will give the tired brain some Pratchett, or some of the e-book classics I found when tidying up my hard drive.
Music notes: bought another Mountain Goats album at the beginning of the month (Transcendental Youth), and it's good, but hasn't really grabbed me yet like Talahassee did. Still into Gillian Welch.