I can’t exactly call this a book review. The only review-like thing I can really honestly say is that Jennifer Palmieri’s book, Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World, is exactly what I needed after the year and a half we have been through since the results of the 2016 election. I was drawn to the book after hearing an article or podcast (potentially NPR?) mention it – specifically her chapter on “Nod Less, Cry More”. I was intrigued. But there was so much more in here than just sage, […]
BOTM: Enchanted Islands Parts One and Two
Okay, so I admit, I’m starting this without actually finishing the book, but I needed to take a moment to stop and reflect. The first two parts of this book are really what lead Frances Frankowski to her job and mission in Navel Intelligence. I was beginning to wonder, honestly, when we were going to meet Ainslie Conway, the man we know from the beginning that Fanny is going to marry. That being said, having some clue of where this book was going did make the journey through parts one and two more bearable. We […]
Shadows of Sherwood: Eerie Hints of Democracy’s Downfall
For the first book of the summer to read off of the Dorothy Canfield Fischer 2016-2017 Nominee List, I read Shadows of Sherwood: A Robyn Hoodlum Adventure by Kekla Magoon. Below are my reactions. We have backup plans. And backups of backup plans – specifically for the situation that Shadows of Sherwood suggests. That doesn’t stop the story from being frightening – particularly in the age of Trump running for president. When I have a student come up to me asking if Trump is going to win because she’s afraid of what’s going to happen to her […]
Dorothy Canfield Fischer: New Reads, New Opinions
I’m going to start reading Shadows of Sherwood on my drive back to Vermont today. The idea will be that if I can finish that book amongst all the packing, and finish Ocean at the End of the Lane, I will have two new book reviews for this blog relatively soon. I love fantasy, but I also love historical fiction. The Dorothy Canfield Fischer Award is Vermont’s YA book award, and it gave me a good starting place for this summer’s list of books to read. My name gave me a good place to start on this […]
Down the Rabbit Hole
This blog post contains some spoilers for After Alice by Gregory Maguire. As the book was only very recently released, this warning has been put her as a courtesy. After Alice by Gregory Maguire, if you have not yet read it, is a reintroduction to a world that doesn’t make sense. It is the dark side of Wonderland. I will admit, it’s tame in comparison to some versions. (I refer here to Splintered by A. G. Howard as well as a few other versions I can just barely think of off the top of my head.) But […]
Books That Have Influenced Me
Here’s another list of ten books – yet again inspired by a Facebook pass-it-along type game. However, this one asked for a reason that the book influenced you, and it wasn’t restricted to childhood books, so I figured it was time to put up another list. So here goes:
Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle, or Falling in Love with Fictional Characters
I know all about your standards. And if you don’t mind my saying so There’s not a man alive That could hope to measure up to that Blend of Paul Bunyon, St. Pat, and Noah Webster You’ve concocted for yourself Out of your Irish imagination, Iowa stubbornness, And your library full of books. ~Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man Here’s the problem with fictional men: someone made them up. And as a result, we have to seriously look for their faults. And while characters like Dom surely have faults, because we see so little of those faults […]
The Secret Sisterhood of Tortall & Tamora Pierce
There is one book series that most women in my generation – the older end of the millennial generation – have read. It’s the secret book language that we can all speak, and know inside out. And they’re books that we keep pushing the younger millennials to read, too. These are the books by Tamora Pierce. All of them a extremely empowering, particularly to women. However, my love has always come back to her Tortall stories. “At the end of the road – we’ll see. We’re bound for the capital of Tortall-“ The girl’s face […]
The Full “Among Others” Book List – By Page Number
Shortly after I began this post – a job I undertook when I decided I’d “run out” of books to read while housesitting and realized I’d brought the needed book with me – I was inspired to buy two books I had yet to read. Farthing by Jo Walton and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin. You know you’ve picked up a good book when the bookseller talks your ear off when he sees you holding it. I’ve been wanting to make this list for awhile, and if you’ve ever read Among Others, you […]
Books That Stay With Me
You ever see someone post one of those random “10 Things” lists on Facebook and think, “Wow, that would make a good blog post?” Well that’s pretty much this post right here. The post goes thusly: Rules: In your status line, list 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take more than a few minutes and don’t think too hard – they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works. Just the ones that have touched you. Tag 10 friends, including me, so I’ll see your list. I’m not tagging […]