Category Archives: Backlist Reviews

My Big Kinky Erotica Post, Part Three

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I’ve been having so much fun writing these erotica posts that I decided to go for another round!  I’ve got some great books for you to check out, some old and some new.  I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (1983)

The original naughty trilogy!  These infamous books were published back in the 80s, but the popularity of you-know-what has led the publisher to reprint them.  Now almost thirty years after their first run, they’re being enjoyed by a new generation of readers…and Anne Rice is getting lots more royalty checks.

Claiming is the first installment in Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy.  Written under the pseudonym A.N. Roquelaure, the books put an erotic spin on the classic story of Sleeping Beauty.  Read: forget Disney.  At the beginning of the first book, the Prince awakens Beauty from her hundred-year sleep by taking her virginity.  He then tells her that she belongs to him, that she is to address him as “my Prince,” and that he intends to bring her back to his castle as his sex slave.

Beauty is then brought in bondage to the Prince’s kingdom, where she is routinely beaten, displayed nude, and otherwise abused for the pleasure of the Prince and his mother the Queen.  Upon arrival, Beauty discovers that she is only one of dozens of princes and princesses who were sent as tributes to the kingdom to be trained as sex slaves for a period of five years.  Though as first Beauty is repulsed and shamed by the way she is treated, she grows to love her captors and becomes desperate to please them.

This book is very heavy in BDSM (think more hardcore than Fifty Shades) and features both male and female dominance.  Some acts might be too disturbing for certain readers, so be warned.  Still, I enjoyed this book for its beautiful language and lush setting.  Plus fairy tales traditionally contain some pretty heavy themes, especially the Sleeping Beauty story, which has been shown to contain several erotic elements.  So, it was interesting to read a purely adult take on a story that is nowadays considered to be for children.

Overall, the story is a little slow, but not boring.  Not all of the sex acts were to my taste, and the sex was over the top at times, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.  It’s hot, it’s well written, and it’ll definitely change the way you look at fairy tales.

***

The Angel (The Original Sinners) by Tiffany Reisz (September 2012)

Nora Sutherlin is back in this follow-up to The Siren, which was released this past July.  And while I liked the first book, I enjoyed this sequel so much more!  This book throws a lot more twists and turns into the story, and fleshes out the main characters.

About a year after the events of the first book, erotica author Nora is still with longtime lover Søren.  While their D/s relationship is stronger than ever, Søren is now facing a turning point in his career which has prompted an investigation into his past.  Not wanting to risk exposing his secret life as a sexual dominant, he sends Nora away to stay with a friend for the summer.  Enter Suzanne Kanter, the tough journalist who is investigating Søren.  If she uncovers the truth, will she be able to deal with it?

As I said, The Siren is good but I loved The Angel.  Søren has a bigger part in this book, and a lot of time is put into explaining his backstory.  The more I learn about him, the more intrigued I am by him.  There is also more about Nora’s past in this story, which made me like and understand her more than I did in the first book.  I wasn’t sure I quite got her when I read The Siren, but there’s more to her than I originally thought.  Michael, who was briefly introduced in the first book, is now a main character, and I hope to see more of him in the next book.  Zach and Wesley, who were protagonists in the first book, are not featured as much.  Being as I wasn’t too crazy about them to begin with, that was ok with me.  But who knows, maybe I will be surprised by them the way I was surprised by Nora and Michael.

I’m really enjoying Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series, and I enjoy them more than the Fifty Shades trilogy.  The sex is definitely harder, and the story is better.  Reisz has actual first-hand knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle, and these books definitely have more realism and much better writing than Fifty Shades.  It’s the most realistic and dynamic set of characters I’ve even encountered in a romance/erotica book. Plus Søren is just wicked hot, and after reading The Angel he just became hotter than Christian Grey in my opinion. Definitely going to read the next installment in the series, The Prince!

***

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones (August 2012)

It calls itself a mix of Fifty Shades and Basic Instinct, but for me it’s Fifty Shades-lite.  The first in a new trilogy (I’m starting to see a pattern here), this romantic thriller is about a woman trying to find out what happened to a girl who disappeared.

Sara is a teacher, living a simple life with her roommate in San Francisco.  When her roommate purchases some items at a storage auction, Sara discovers a series of journals belonging to a woman named Rebecca.  Sara reads the journals, and quickly becomes enthralled in Rebecca’s life, including her dangerous, highly sexual relationship with a mysterious man.  But what happened to Rebecca, and why would she just leave her journals in a storage locker and then abandon it?

Sara begins uncovering clues about Rebecca’s life, and even lands a summer job at the prestigious art gallery where Rebecca worked before her disappearance.  She works hard to prove herself to the fastidious but seductive gallery owner Mark, while at the same time she finds herself attracted to the quirky but wealthy artist Chris Merit.

The story is decent but familiar, and the characters are okay but nothing special.  At least not yet; there are still two other books in the trilogy.  The sex is fun, but there isn’t much of it until the second half of the book.  I’d recommend this one for people looking for more story than sex.  Of course Mark is the most interesting character because we know the least about him.  I might check out the sequel and see what happens with him!

***

Lip Service by M.J. Rose (2000)

Here’s one that’s also light on the sex but with a great story!  It’s thirteen years old but is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to the recent erotica explosion (pun intended).

Julia Sterling is fortunate enough to live a life of privilege; she lives in Manhattan with her psychiatrist husband and adoring stepson.  But for Julia, her enviable life comes with a price: her seemingly perfect marriage is devoid of passion.  Her husband treats her like a child instead of a wife, and denies her need for intimacy while trying to coax her into taking antidepressants she doesn’t think she needs.  She smiles at parties and makes nice with the right people, but inside she is lonely.

Then a friend asks her to write a book about his work; he runs a clinic specializing in sexual disorders.  Julia quickly becomes fascinated with the clinic’s most unorthodox method of treatment: phone sex.  To research the book, and to fulfill her own hidden desires, Julia becomes a phone sex operator at the clinic.

For Julia, working at the clinic is scary, thrilling, and therapeutic at the same time. It gives her the insight to see her marriage for what it really is, and the confidence to see herself as a capable and independent person. But as with many things, there’s more to Julia’s secret profession than she thought, and more secrets at the clinic than her friend lets on.

This is a great story with a touch of eroticism and well drawn-out characters. If you’re looking for a book that’s a little daring but not too sexually explicit (well, compared to these other books at least), I would recommend Lip Service.

My Big Kinky Erotica Post, Part Two

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I hope you enjoyed my previous post on erotic classics from decades past.  But if you enjoy modern erotica more than the older stuff, give these titles a look!

Bared to You by Sylvia Day (June 2012)

There’s a lot of buzz about this book, and it seems to be at the top of a lot of summer to-read lists.  Some dismiss it as just a Fifty Shades copycat, while others say it’s better and even hotter.  The first in a new erotica trilogy (of course), Bared to You is the story of a young woman’s relationship with a possessive but emotionally distant millionaire.

Okay, so it’s pretty much exactly like Fifty Shades.  Come on, even the cover art is similar!  The only major differences between the two are the settings (Bared is set in New York) and the personality of the female protagonist.  Unlike the virginal Ana in Fifty Shades, Eva is just as emotionally damaged as her lover Gideon.  She was sexually abused as a child, and this makes it difficult for her to trust men, especially men like Gideon, who is hiding secrets of his own.

The sex scenes are a lot of fun and main characters are passable, but the story doesn’t really go anywhere other than “I like him but I’m not sure he’s right for me.”  Plus it’s so hard not to keep comparing this book to Fifty Shades when it’s so similar.  However, I will give the writing credit for being a lot more adult (i.e. no “inner goddess” or “holy Moses”).  There are hints that Eva and Gideon will enter into a D/s relationship in the next book, but this book contains very few BDSM elements.

If you want hot sex scenes with gorgeous people in them, Bared to You delivers.  The writing is pretty good, I just wish there was more to the plot and the characters.  I’m optimistic that the next book will explore the main characters in more depth.  The sequel is due out this October, and I’ll probably read it and review it in a future post, because I am curious to find out what happens!

***

Please, Sir: Erotic Stories of Female Submission by Rachel Kramer Bussel (2010)

If short stories are your thing, then this collection will definitely get you all hot and bothered!  Please, Sir contains twenty-two BDSM stories involving female submissives.  This is a very diverse collection that spans across the BDSM spectrum, from spanking and light bondage to choking, punishment, heavy bondage, and multiple partners.  While there is some hard play in some of these stories, there is also an aspect of love and caring depicted as well, which makes this book rather intriguing.

This is a very well-edited collection, with a pretty wide range of topics to suit a variety of tastes.  There were only one or two stories that didn’t appeal to me (one involved “water sports”…but hey, to each her own), but I definitely enjoyed the vast majority of them.  A few of my favorites were “Anticipation,” “Long Time Gone,” and “The Negotiation.”

Aside from being engaging and arousing, what’s also appealing about these stories is how all the characters are regular people.  No gorgeous billionaires or geniuses with perfect bodies here.  The characters in Please, Sir could be your friends, coworkers, or neighbors.  Reading this book might make you look at the people around you and wonder who among them has a secret kinky side!

***

Best Erotic Romance by Kristina Wright (2011)

If you’re in the mood for steamy sex but BDSM isn’t quite your cup of tea, then pick up this collection of hot short stories.  Trust me, it’s anything but vanilla!  From Cleis Press, the same company that published Please, Sir, this book offers passionate sex in a variety of fun situations.  The writers include Bared to You author Sylvia Day.

The main theme of this collection is romantic relationships.  The men and women in this book find themselves at different points in their relationships, and for them, sex and emotion are always connected.  ”First Night” tells the story of a couple’s wedding night, while in “Memories for Sale,” a couple wonders whether to end their marriage.  The couple in “What Happened in Vegas” decide to turn their off-and-on tryst into a long-term relationship, and in “Drive Me Crazy,” a manager and her subordinate decide to become more than just coworkers.

The sex is passionate, and the stories all portray loving couples in different kinds of relationships.  This collection is a great combination of romance and erotica, and is perfect for those who prefer more upbeat stories with happier endings.

***

SM 101: A Realistic Introduction by Jay Wiseman (1998)

OK, so this one isn’t fiction, but I have a good reason for adding it in here!  I keep hearing about how the resurgence in the erotica genre has led to a huge boost in sales of ropes, cable ties, and other things that can be used to spice up one’s sex life.  And while that’s totally awesome, what some may not realize is that there are certain techniques involved in using this “equipment,” and everyone should know how to play safely.

SM 101 is written by an active member of the BDSM lifestyle, and is a great guide for newbies who are interested in experimenting with different types of play.  It covers everything, from spanking (yes, there are different ways to spank ;) ) to bondage, clamps, knots, and any kinky thing you can think of.  It also covers safe words and contracts, and I’m willing to bet that EL James used this book as a reference for the Fifty Shades trilogy.

This book is extremely useful not only because it emphasizes safety, but because it tells you how to use toys and equipment in the most pleasurable way.  It could definitely use an update so that it’s more up to date with today’s technology  (it mentions payphones as opposed to cellphones for example), but it’s still a great book to get if you’re looking for bold new things to try with your significant other.  And it’s available for Kindle so no one has to know what you’re reading :)

Book Review: Infernal Stock Books Two and Three

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Last year I reviewed the first book in Ronnie Schiller’s Infernal Stock trilogy.  Click here to read the review if you haven’t seen it already.  With the third book being released this past June, the trilogy is now complete! Book One, Dixon Breaks Loose, set the tone for this satirical story and introduced us to the character of Dixon.  In a world in which Hell has gone corporate, Dixon is a demon living on earth, working for the Corporation by tricking humans into selling their souls.  Dixon had some changing experiences in the first book, and there is plenty in store for him in Books Two and Three!  I’ll try not to give actual spoilers, but if you want to be surprised, read the books first.

Infernal Stock II: Dovetail (2011)

In Dovetail, Dixon seems to be playing both sides of the good/evil dichotomy.  He still works for the Corporation as a soul broker, and is assigned to a special task by his new boss.  His mission is to round up demons who have “gone rogue” and left the Corporation.  Meanwhile, Dixon is also serving the Council, an organization of angels, witches, and peaceful demons who work to maintain the balance between good and evil.  Dixon’s girlfriend Julia is a demon and fellow Council member, and Julia’s sister Jennifer, an angel, is also on the Council.

Dixon’s cynical facade starts to crack as he deals with new emotions and tries to save an old friend who is in danger.  Later he learns about The Apocalypse of Peter, a way through which he might find redemption.

Infernal Stock III: Deliverance (2012)

Deliverance shows a (slightly) more mature Dixon, still serving the Council but working for the Corporation as a casino floor manager.  It is, after all, the perfect place to collect lost souls.  Dixon’s world is turned upside down when he finds himself protecting a pregnant woman in his home.  Julia’s sister Jennifer is pregnant with a child that might be part demon, and this unheard of event has caught the attention of many interested parties.  Fearing that the child might be in danger, Dixon agrees to let Jennifer hide out at his apartment while the Council comes up with a plan.

Soon Dixon finds himself gathered with new allies and old friends he thought he’d never see again as he chooses to stand up for good and protect Jennifer’s unborn child.

***

Overall, I thought the Infernal Stock trilogy was interesting and original.  It brings the mythology of angels and demons into the real world and makes it tangible, but with a humorous twist.  I especially enjoyed Julia and Jennifer’s backstories that were detailed in the third book; it adds a lot of depth to their characters.  The concept of a part angel/human/demon child is especially intriguing, and I laughed out loud at the subtle reference to the graphic novel Preacher, which also has a storyline about a half angel/half demon child.

Deliverance was the strongest and best written book of the trilogy, in my opinion.  Unlike the first two books, it uses a third person narrative rather than Dixon’s first person perspective.  This lets readers get inside the other characters’ heads and see events that are going on with other characters.    I thought that the plot of Deliverance was the most compelling, although each book had an interesting storyline.

One thing I would like to have seen is some more continuity from Book Two to Book Three.  The Apocalypse of Peter is introduced toward the end of Dovetail but not mentioned in Deliverance.  The endings of both books felt rushed to me, especially in Deliverance, where an epic battle between forces is squished into one chapter.

If you like religious mythology and satire, and are looking for something different, definitely check out the Infernal Stock trilogy.  Its sense of humor is similar to Buffy, so if you enjoy that you’ll get a kick out of these books.  They seem to be rather popular in the Kindle store, and it’s nice to see indie books finding their place in the publishing world.

My Big Kinky Erotica Post, Part One

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There are many books considered to be “erotic classics,” far too many to list all in one post.  These are the books still whispered about and passed among friends, the ones that have titillated readers for decades.  Maybe you’re heard of these books but never got around to reading them.  Maybe you noticed them tucked in your mom’s sock drawer years ago.  But since the resurgence of erotica in mainstream publishing, these classics are once again becoming popular.  So here is my take on some of the most popular titles in erotic literature.  Enjoy!

Story of O by Pauline Réage (1954)

The ultimate kinky classic!  How could I start this list with anything other than this scandalous BDSM masterpiece?  Originally published in France and later translated into English in 1965, Story of O is every bit the shocking and sinfully enjoyable book its reputation states.  Not so much for the sexual acts described in the book (although the sex is quite graphic), but for the psychology of the protagonist O.

Story of O is about a young Parisian fashion photographer who willfully surrenders herself to slavery and debasement at the hands of her lover René.  O lets René take her to a château in the country where she is used for the sexual gratification of him and three other men.  For two weeks she is routinely bound, flogged, and made to perform various sex acts on demand.  After her stay at the château, O’s journey into total submission continues when René gives her to his best friend and tells her “you belong to him now.”

The sex got my attention, but what held my interest was how the story delved into O’s psyche.  Because even more unsettling that the acts committed against O was her willingness to submit to them.  So desperate to please René was she that she let him use her in any way that he saw fit.  Even when he gave her to other men to beat and abuse, she derived happiness in the knowledge that she was obeying his wishes.  All she desired was reassurance that he still loved her, and she would be happy to endure anything he asked.  And indeed René did insist many times that he truly loved O.  But his love came with a price: absolute obedience, which she freely chose.  It’s a perverted sort of romance, but fascinating nonetheless.

So does Story of O stand the test of time?  Absolutely.  The language is pretty clunky at times (keep in mind it is a translated work) and some of the terms are a little archaic, but the themes it discusses are timeless.  Is there happiness in slavery?  Is total submission the ultimate expression of love?  It’s a heavy story with a ton of kink and even more substance.  Read it slowly, savor it, let it seduce you.  You won’t soon forget it.

***
A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter (1967)

Another erotic tale set in France!  Written by American author James Salter, A Sport and a Pastime is the story of an affair between a young American man and a French girl.

Philip Dean is a Yale dropout.  He’s handsome, charming, and privileged.  While vacationing in France, he begins an ill-fated affair with a local girl named Anne-Marie.  Together they travel around the French countryside, and their relationship intensifies as they find new ways to explore their sexuality.  The details of their physical relationship are graphic but not shocking, thanks to Salter’s beautiful and tasteful prose.

We soon see that the relationship isn’t picture-perfect.  When they’re not in bed together, Dean seems disenchanted by Anne-Marie.  He disdains her lack of pedigree, even thinking to himself that her pierced ears make her seem cheap.  He also resents her for being needy and clingy (at least by his perception), and often treats her coldly when they are in public together.

What’s most interesting about A Sport and a Pastime is that it is narrated by a third party who claims to be Dean’s friend.  The book takes on an unsettling voyeuristic aspect when the narrator describes Dean and Anne-Marie’s sexual acts, events he could not have actually witnessed.  Indeed, even the narrator admits that this story is partially his own fantasy of what Dean and Anne-Marie’s relationship was like.  The unreliable narrator adds a unique dimension to this short and sad tale.

While the reader may be wondering which details of the couple’s affair are true, there is one truth that shines through in this book: relationships based solely on sex rarely end well.  When Dean and Anne-Marie were in bed together, they were free and open in their passion for each other.  But in public, social pressures and class prejudices took their toll on the affair.

Some think that A Sport and a Pastime is outdated.  But while some of the language may be a little passé, I think the story itself is timeless.  The book is being republished as an ebook by Open Road Media, and will hopefully attract new readers.

***

Nine and a Half Weeks by Elizabeth McNeill (1978)

Written under a pseudonym, Nine and a Half Weeks is a first-person account of a New York woman’s two-month affair with a man she meets casually.  During this time, he comes to dominate every aspect of her life.  He feeds her, bathes her, dresses her, tells her what to do, and yes, he even inserts and removes her tampons for her.  No, I didn’t throw that in there to make sure you were paying attention.  Though the woman’s lover also uses light bondage and corporal punishment on her, the main focus of the book is his emotional dominance over her as opposed to their sexual practices.

In terms of kink, Nine and a Half Weeks is pretty tame in comparison to Story of O.  This book’s controversy lies not in its sexual content, but in its protagonist’s willingness to surrender all her autonomy to her lover.  She writes how adulthood is a burden to her, and what a relief it is for her to let her lover make all her decisions for her, even when it comes to simple things like choosing clothes.  In the 1970s, when feminism was in full swing in the US, this is a bold statement to make.

It’s an interesting book, but for me, Nine and a Half Weeks didn’t have the substance that Story of O  or A Sport and a Pastime had.  It wasn’t quite as deep, I wasn’t drawn to the character in the same way I was drawn to O, and I found the writing style to be pretty flat.  Still, it’s an erotic classic, and worth reading as such.

***

Little Birds by Anaïs Nin (1979)

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For those of you looking for short erotic stories, look no further!  Anaïs Nin has long been considered one of the masters of erotic literature, and this volume showcases the sensuality and beauty of her writing.

The thirteen stories in Little Birds deal with a range of sex-related topics, including virginity, sexual passivity/dominance, lesbianism, and even pedophilia.  Many of the women in these stories find themselves experimenting with new sexual experiences and learning to open themselves up to their own desires.  One of my favorites was “The Maja,” in which a seemingly prudish woman discovers her sensual side after she discovers her artist husband has been secretly making nude paintings of her.

The writing style of Little Birds is beautiful in its simplicity, and the stories are a lot deeper than you would think at first glance.  It’s a short volume, but not one to be read through quickly.  Perfect for those who prefer softer erotica, and a great way to introduce yourself to the writing of Anaïs Nin!

***

I hope you get a chance to check out these old classics.  Maybe they will become your new favorites.  Or are you looking for something a little more modern?  Stay tuned for the follow-up to this post, where I talk about some newer erotic titles!

Book Review: Horns

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Horns by Joe Hill (2011)

“Ignatius Martin Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things.  He woke the next morning with a headache. put his hands to his temples, and felt something unfamiliar, a pair of knobby pointed protuberances.”

That’s how this story begins.  Ignatius Perrish (or ‘Ig’ to his family and friends), a seemingly ordinary person, wakes up after a drunken night to find he is growing horns at the top of his head.  As if this weren’t strange enough, he notices people acting differently around him.  When people see him they start confessing their worst thoughts to him, seemingly asking his permission to do bad things to other people.  It isn’t long before Ig notices a connection between the horns and people’s behavior around him.

Then slowly the book’s main plot is revealed, and we discover that Ig is a man with a painful past.  His girlfriend Merrin was raped and killed a year ago, and Ig was accused of the crime.  Despite being cleared of the charges, he is still a social pariah, the whole town believing that his wealthy family paid his way out of trouble.  Finally, Ig decides to use his newfound powers of persuasion for a real purpose: to find out who really killed Merrin.

Even though this book came out last year, I hadn’t heard about it until I got it as a birthday gift.  Joe Hill also writes the graphic novel Locke & Key, a really enjoyable series which also comtains elements of the supernatural.  He is also Stephen King’s son, and it really is creepy how much they look alike!

Horns is a great book.  It’s a story of supernatural revenge which grabs ahold of you from the first page on.  Ig is a truly tragic character.  Living in the shadow of his perfect older brother his whole life, and taken advantage of by people who claim to be his friends, the only true happiness in Ig’s life was his lover Merrin.  And when she is taken away from him, Ig becomes the ultimate irony: a good man who embraces evil to find justice for a life lost.

This is a perfect story for anyone who enjoys thrillers and crime stories.  It’s more a story about revenge and the faces of good and evil rather than a supernatural story.  It’s a sad book, but still quite moving in its own way.  It definitely makes me want to go back and read Hill’s other books.  But first I think I’ll dust off and re-read my issues of Locke & Key!

She’s Such a Geek!

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Hey ladies!  Have you ever been told that something you did was “pretty good for a girl”?  Have you ever been discouraged by others from taking a class or doing an activity because there were not a lot of women in it?  Or maybe you’re like me, and when you were a small child you were told by a relative not to let boys know that you were smart because they wouldn’t like it.  If any of what you just read pissed you off, then you need to read this book.

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For Christmas, my wonderful husband (who loves me for my brain and my body) surprised me with a copy of She’s Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff.  Published in 2006, it’s a collection of short essays written by nerdy women from all walks of life.  They share their experiences with working in fields such as math, physics, computer technology, scientific research, and gaming. 

One thing that is really interesting about this book is the wide range of experiences shared by the authors.  Most of them have the shared experience of being made fun of for their intellectual gifts, but their personalities and backgrounds are so varied that each essay stands out on its own.  Some of the women are married with children, others are single, some are lesbians, and one is transgender.  One of the authors is physically challenged, and writes about how computers helped her manage her disability.  Another author write about how her success in her field sometimes causes conflict with her traditional Indian upbringing.  This is an engaging set of essays written by a varied selection of really smart women.  It shows that nerdy girls come from all kinds of backgrounds, and that they can do great things when they push themselves to succeed.

For me, the best thing about this book was that despite its feminist message, this is not a man-bashing book.  The authors are not a bunch of angry feminists who hate men.  The connecting theme of the essays is that it’s OK for girls to be smart, and smart girls should be encouraged to succeed the same way that boys are.  The book encourages us to challenge gender stereotypes and to realize that nerdy girls have just as much to offer the world as nerdy guys. 

So to the smart chicks out there, if you’ve ever felt weird or embarrassed about your geekiness, check out this positive and uplifting book written by a group of women who know what it feels like to be labeled as “the smart girl.”  You may just be surprised at how much you can identify with the authors’ experiences.

Neverwhere: A Blast From the Past

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I got hooked on Neil Gaiman after reading Coraline.  It was one of the books I wrote about in my grad school application essay.  A few months later I read American Gods and my mind was officially blown.  So I was thrilled when someone gave me a copy of his much earlier work Neverwhere for my birthday.  It sat on my ”to-read” shelf for a few months, but so goes the life of a book blogger.

    Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

By now, the plot of Neverwhere is pretty well known.  It has been a novel, a TV series, a comic book, and a stage play.  Supposedly it is going to be adapted into a feature film, but if that’s true I’m willing to bet it languishes in Development Hell for a few years and never gets made (as did the fabled Preacher movie).  But to give a quick recap, Neverwhere is set in modern day London, only what very few people know is that there are two Londons.  There is London Above, the one we know, and London Below, a secret city populated by strange and often dangerous people and creatures.  Our guide through this journey is Richard Mayhew, an average joe who discovers London Below when he gets swept up in a young woman’s quest to avenge her family’s murder.

This isn’t your average “down the rabbit hole” story…more like Alice in Wonderland on crank.  Gaiman’s story is engaging, satirical, and at times pretty scary.  While I enjoyed American Gods more, it’s almost unfair to say that since they are such different kinds of stories.  American Gods was just epic.  But if you enjoy fantasy and science fiction in the same vein as Doctor Who, it’s pretty safe to say that you’ll enjoy Neverwhere.  If you’ve heard of it but never made the time to read it, now is as good a time as any to start.  And I’m looking forward to reading Anansi Boys sometime in the near future!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

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Happy Holidays to everyone out in blogland!  I have a great lineup of new release titles to review in January, and I’m counting the days until the 2012 BEA so I can bring you the latest on upcoming books.  But in the meantime, here is another backlist title that I read last week and really enjoyed:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Originally published in 2005, this book has been a favorite of book clubs for years and was recently made into a film.  Due to its success, the novel was reprinted in 2011.  It’s a story about the personal and often complicated relationships women have with each other, and what can happen when those relationships are tested.

While the story is set in 19th century China, specifically in the Hunan province, it’s a story that modern women can relate to quite easily.  Lisa See based her book on the concept of nu shu, an old form of secret writing created by women for the purposes of clandestine communication.  Chinese women in this time period would write coded messages on fans or embroider them on handkerchiefs, and send them to their closest friends.  Through these communications, women could vent their most personal feelings about the joys and hardships in their lives, without being found out by their husbands.

Lily and Snow Flower are two such women who use nu shu to write to each other in private.  They are laotong, (“old sames”), meaning they were matched by their families into an arranged friendship and swore an oath to remain friends for life.  Lily and Snow Flower experience all the major events in their lives at the same time: footbinding, arranged marriages, the birth of children, and also sickness and hardship.  Through their nu shu writing, they manage to keep in touch with each other over the years.  But as is still often the case with modern women, a misunderstanding between the two characters threatens to end their friendship forever.

The primary plot kept my attention, but what I really enjoyed about this book was the glimpse into 19th century Chinese family politics.  Reading about how poorly women were treated (even in wealthy families) was both disheartening and fascinating.  In Chinese society, a daughter was referred to as a “useless branch,” and a woman’s worth was measured by the number of sons she could produce.  A woman wasn’t even considered a member of her in-laws’ family until she had a baby (which had better be a boy); until then she was treated like an inconvenient guest in her husband’s home.  Lisa See included a lot of detail about family relationships and traditions, and she spared no detail in her description of the footbinding ritual (that chapter turned my stomach).

Though the story takes place nearly two hundred years in the past, this is a story that 20th century women can relate to.  We’ve all had longtime friendships that we try to preserve, we’ve all tried to find ways to communicate with female friends without our parents or husbands knowing, and we’ve all had petty misunderstandings with our friends.  The concepts of friendship and loyalty are timeless, and that’s why this book is so appealing.  I would encourage you to read the book before seeing the film, as films often do not do justice to their source material.

The Namesake: Outstanding Modern Literature

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My series on popular backlist titles continues with The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, published in 2004.

This was a treasure that I picked up at my grad school’s library sale.  I got this plus two other paperbacks for $1.00.  Their loss, my win.  There is no shortage of praise for this novel, and I don’t think I can say anything about it that hasn’t been said before.  All I can say is that I wish I had read it years ago.

The Namesake is the story of a man’s relationship with his name.  The American-born son of Indian immigrants, Gogol Ganguli receives his birth name by accident.  A mix-up with his extended family and a misunderstanding of Bangladeshi culture result in his pet name becoming his legal name.  The book describes what Gogol’s name means to him at different periods in his life.  As a child it is a comfort to him, and he resists whenever anyone tries to call him by a different name.  As an adolescent it is a burden, and in his mind singles him out for ridicule since it is neither American nor Bangladeshi.  it isn’t until he reaches adulthood that Gogol truly understands why his parents chose the name, and he comes to gain a deeper understanding of how his family have shaped the man he was to become.

This is a rich, beautiful, and rewarding story.  Even if you can’t personally relate to the immigrant experience, you may still find something in this book that resonates with you.  Gogol reminded me of my husband, who also dislikes his birth name and wants his friends to call him by a chosen nickname.  The book also explores the meaning and intimacy of a pet name, something that I had always taken for granted but now have a better appreciation for.  Rarely do I call my husband by his name, even his nickname; instead I usually call him by a private pet name reserved only for me.  His legal name, (his “good” name as it is called in the book) is only for work and for public functions.  Think about how you interract with your significant other and you will understand what I mean.  But with all of these various names, my husband is still the same person, no matter what he is called.  Through the events of his life, Gogol also makes this discovery.

I won’t go on and on about how amazing this book is, because the world already knows.  All I can say is that if you have heard of it but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, please read it.  You may find that you can relate to it the way I did.  It really is a modern classic, and you won’t soon forget it.

The Hunger Games: Worth the Hype!

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There are a lot of books published in recent years that I just had not had the opportunity to read until now.  I seem to be one of those people who doesn’t pay attention to trends and ends up discovering great books and TV shows after they were already popular.  Oh well, it’s who I am.  But having recently purchased some best-selling books from the mid 2000s at my grad school’s library sale and having asked for some books for Christmas, I thought it might be fun to write about my impressions of these books.  I’m calling it my “I’ve been meaning to read that” series.

First up is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, published in 2008.  I admit I was skeptical at first because of all the hype surrounding it.  A few years ago I tried reading the Twilight series just to see what all the fuss was about and ended up quitting after the third book.  Plus I hadn’t read a YA book since Shatter Me, and we all know how I felt about that…the horror.  But my wise cousin-in-law (is that a word?) convinced me to give The Hunger Games a try.

**SPOILERS**

I finished it in three days, and found it to be pretty darn awesome!  Though the book doesn’t contain profanity, sex, or gore, I was surprised at the intensity of some of the violence.  For anyone who doesn’t know, the basic premise is that a totalitarian government forces the citizens of each of its twelve districts to offer up a “tribute” of one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to complete in a deathmatch called the Hunger Games.  Kind of like The Running Man for teenagers, but in some ways a lot darker.  Suzanne Collins pulls no punches in describing how brutal The Capitol is.  Under their rule, starving farmers are beaten for eating their own crops, and those who commit treason have their tongues cut and are forced to work as unpaid servants.  It’s subtle details like these that really made the setting seem real to me.  And the description of the violence inside the arena is graphic enough to make an impression, but not so over-the-top that it reads like a Bret Easton Ellis book. 

The setting and story are great, and the characters are equally good.  The protagonist, Katniss, is a strong and intelligent girl, but Collins takes the time to also show the readers her vulnerability.  The book as all the themes that make for a great story: love, self-sacrifice, individuality, and defiance.  It’s a gripping story full of ups and downs and plenty of surprises.  And yes, I cried when Rue died.  I’m not made of stone!

So while the concept has been done before, The Hunger Games is worth the hype and a great read that I think even non YA fans can enjoy.  It contains everything that Shatter Me sorely lacks (a plot, conflict, intelligible writing).  And with the very talented Jennifer Lawrence (rent Winter’s Bone and you’ll see what I mean) cast as Katniss in the upcoming film adaptation, I’m looking forward to seeing the movie as well.