Search

Search only in certain items:

Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus
Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus
Sandi Toksvig | 2019 | Biography, History & Politics
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A disjointed look into the life and mind of a modern-day icon.
Sandi does start this “memoir” off by stating it’s not going to be your run of the mill standard life story and that was undoubtedly true. Set along the route of the number 12 bus we get a mixture of Sandi’s life recollections, historical facts about London and observations about the people on the bus. An inventive idea to say the least and despite some truly interesting recollections, I didn’t find the format as a whole worked for me.

Each chapter roughly focuses on an area on the number 12 bus route but from there we jump almost in each paragraph between historical facts, recollections, and observations. It fails to develop any flow and where we do get some lovely passages of insight into Sandi’s fascinating life and experiences we are drawn all too quickly out of the experience to find out what used to be sold in this particular part of London in the dim and distant past, or what terrible bus habit another passenger may be exhibiting.

This book just was too all over the place as a sit down read, it would make a great addition to any toilet library though (and I truly mean that in the nicest way) as all the little titbits of facts and anecdotes are individually interesting they just don’t seem to flow together. I could easily read a more standard memoir from the ever amazing and inspiring Sandi based on the passages in this book that focused on her. Equally, I could read a book on the neglected women through history written by her or a general history of London but changing focus every paragraph or so was not for me.


Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
  
The Psychology of Time Travel
The Psychology of Time Travel
Kate Mascarenhas | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Engaging, fully formed world (1 more)
Complex female characters
This book had my interest on the premise alone, enough to give it a shot - but I didn't expect it to be such an enjoyable ride.

Usually when fiction tackles time travel concepts you get glaring paradoxes, intentional blurring of details or overdone tropes but this book actually pulled it off well. Rather than focusing on the usual quandaries faced by time travelling instead we had a plethora of content I'd never even considered before!

From the humble beginnings of the four 'pioneers' in the '60s (which most books would have kept focus on) we jump forwards to the modern era and have what happened between was filled in through very natural exposition and character discovery. The result is a rich and vast world I wanted to know more and more about. What a fantastic concept to show modern day Britain with a history knocked off course by the creation of the conclave and decades of shared knowledge.
I was repeatedly impressed by the level of detail that Mascarenhas took things to (the time travel terminology/slang definitely being one of them!) and the areas she covered.

Over the course of reading this book I found myself bringing up the book in conversation at work and home. I couldn't help but talk about it. It was also at this point, in describing the book, that I suddenly realised there were no male characters of note in the book at all. This absolutely took nothing away from the story. The women in this story were fully formed and real enough to be flawed. Such a refreshing experience in sci-fi! I was pleasantly surprised by the romantic sub-plot between two women as well. This was such a natural progression of the story, with no fan-fare or overdue focus - it was just right and wonderfully depicted.

The themes covered by the book are equal parts beautiful and painful - just like life itself. What an incredible debut novel from a voice I am keen to hear more from.

----
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC of this book in in exchange for an honest review
  
Killing Beauties
Killing Beauties
Pete Langman | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Killing Beauties is about the female spies (She-Intelligencers - isn’t it funny how they could make even that sound like an insult 🤔) who worked for the exiled Charles Stuart during Cromwells reign. Charles Stuart himself sends two female spies back to England to turn Cromwell’s Secretary of State, John Thurloe, into their accomplice using their feminine wiles and training. This is actually based on the true story of two female spies - not something that any of us are usually taught in history lessons at school (perhaps due to their methods!). This is a story with heaps of subterfuge and betrayal, and women who are determined to do the best job they can for their King and their secret society. It was quite amusing in places, which was a little light relief in an otherwise tense story. There’s loads of great historical detail too - think sights, smells and sounds.

It’s a really fun book - fast-paced and with a feeling of danger. I loved it!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising the book, and for Pete Langdon for commenting along with us readers!
  
40x40

LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated 47 Ronin (2013) in Movies

Jan 12, 2021 (Updated Jul 4, 2021)  
47 Ronin (2013)
47 Ronin (2013)
2013 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
As expected this is a lot of eye-popping visual work in service of a story void of even a single drop of weight. Too much gorgeous design fetish on display to truly dislike in spite of it being executed as plainly as can be otherwise - for every mechanical, generic expository beat there's a splashpad of stunning locales, vibrant costumes, luscious CGI, sweeping sets, excellent props, and fully realized art backing it up. It's super atmospheric and the money is *definitely* on the screen but everything underneath the hood is not only lackluster but genuinely problematic. The idea to take one of the most legendary events in Japanese history and not only turn it into another passive whitewashed popcorn flick is gross all on its own, but to frame the entire thing around a bunch of wronged Japanese men + women having to constantly praise and apologize to a white man for bullying him or whatever is - quite frankly - beyond insulting. As much as I won't soon be forgetting the pop aesthetic experience this delivered upon, I'm also glad it bombed. A screenplay this goofy has no right being so tame. And see the skull guy on the poster? He's only in the movie for like 30 seconds so fuck you.
  
I received an uncorrected proof of a true-crime book about female serial killers by Tori Telfer called Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History to peruse and review on Goodreads and Amazon. The book won’t released until October 10, 2017, by Harper Perennial, and I am so thrilled to be one of the few who get to read it first.

Some of the murderers/murderesses have been discussed on My Favorite Murder by Georgia and Karen but some are brand new to me.

From the back cover:
When you think of serial killers throughout history the names that come to mind are ones like Jack the Ripper, John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy but what about Tilly Klimek, Moulay Hassen and Kate Bender? The narrative we’re comfortable with is the one where women are the victims of violent crime, not the perpetrators, in fact, serial killers are thought to be so universally, overwhelmingly male that in 1998, FBI profiler Roy Hazelwood infamously declared in a homicide conference that, “There are no female serial killers.”

Lady Killers, based on the popular online series that appeared on Jezebel and The Hairpin, disputes that claim and offers 14 gruesome examples as evidence. Though largely forgotten by history, female serial killers such as Erzsebet Bathory, Nannie Doss, Mary Ann Cotton, and Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova rival their male counterparts and cunning, cruelty, and appetite for destruction.

Each chapter explores the crimes and history of a different subject and then proceeds to unpack her legacy and her portrayal in the media, as well as the stereotypes and sexist clichés that inevitably surround her. The first book to examine female serial killers through a feminist lens with a witty and dryly humorous tone lady killers dismisses explanations (she was hormonal, she did it for love, a man made her do it) and tired tropes (she was a femme fatale, a black widow, a witch) delving into the complex reality of a female aggression and predation. Featuring 14 illustrations from Dame Darcy, Lady Killers is a blood curdling, insightful, and irresistible journey into the heart of darkness.

Tori Telfer is a full-time freelance writer whose work has appeared in Salon, Vice, Jezebel, The Hairpin, Good Magazine, Bustle, barnesandnoble.com, Chicago Magazine, and elsewhere. She is a Pushcart nominee and the recipient of the Edwin L. Shuman Fiction Award. She has written, directed, and produced independent plays on both Chicago and Los Angeles.

The author’s official website is http://www.toridotgov.com.
The illustrator’s website is http://www.damedarcy.com

Table of Contents
The Blood Countess: Erzsebet Bathory
The Giggling Grandma: Nannie Doss
The Worst Woman on Earth: Lizzie Halliday
Devil in the Shape of a Saint: Elizabeth Ridgeway
Vipers: Raya and Sakina
The Wretched Woman: Mary Ann Cotton
The Tormentor: Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova
Iceberg Anna: Anna Marie Hahn
The Nightingale: Oum-El-Hassen
High Priestess of the Bluebeard Clique: Tillie Klimek
Sorceress of Kilkenny: Alice Kyteler
Beautiful Throat Cutter: Kate Bender
The Angel Makers of Nagyrev
Queen of Poisoners: Marie-Madeleine, the Marquis de Brinvilliers

It looked as if The Angel Makers of Nagyrev wasn’t included in the texts, though it is listed in the contents and notes. However, they are on the pages following the chapter and heading Beautiful Throat Cutter. I had mistakenly thought it wasn't included before. Hopefully, that oversight and will be corrected in the final copy. There were a few punctuation errors in the book and I had intended to leave them in the copy above but allowed Grammarly to correct them without thinking. But that's why they pay the editors the big bucks.

Needless to say, I can’t wait to delve deep in this book and read my little Murderino heart out. I am nearly through the book and will update with a review once I have completed it.

#SSDGM
#Stay Sexy Don't Get Murdered

#myfavoritemurder #murderino #toritelfer #harperperennial #harpercollins #damedarcy
#books #bookstagram #mfmpodcast #georgiahardstark #karenkilgariff #serialkiller #truecrime #murder #killers #ladykiller #ladykillers #serialkillers
  
40x40

ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Valkyrie in Books

May 30, 2023  
The Valkyrie
The Valkyrie
Kate Heartfield | 2023 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a fantastic book! Myth, strong women, magic - what’s not to like?!

I’ll own up now. This was a NetGalley book, and it kind of got left behind. So I listened to the audiobook on Xigxag audiobooks. And I’m SO glad that I did.it came to life for me, and where some reviews have said that they were sometimes a little confused as to whose chapter it was, either Brynhild the fallen Valkyrie or Gudrun, Princess of Burgundia, I had no such issue. The narrators, Eleanor Jackson and India Shaw-Smith WERE Brynhild and Gudrun. And they were both self-assured, strong leaders who would take no nonsense.

What did surprise me was how forgiving Brynhild was of Sigurd lies. If you already know the myth, then you’ll know! Otherwise, my lips are sealed, because you really have to read this for yourself!

Oh, and the Germanic history was the icing on the cake for me. And there’s loads of extra information about both the Norse mythology and the German history, both in relation to the book, on Kate Heartsfields website - chapter by chapter! I’ve had the BEST time on there!

So, yes, this is very much a recommended book!
  
Celia Davies spends her days helping the women of 1867 San Francisco via her free medical clinic. One of her patients, a former Chinese prostitute is found murdered, and Celia must know what happened to her. Meanwhile, Nicholas Greaves is the police officer assigned to the case, and he is determined to get justice for the young woman. But where will the investigation lead?

This is a good debut that will please any fan of historical mysteries. The characters are intriguing, and their history makes them seem even more real. The plot did bog down a few times, but never for very long, and we reach a logical conclusion before the end. The world of 1867 is brought to wonderful life as well, and it’s easy to get lost in another time.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-no-comfort-for-lost-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Epitaph for Three Women (Plantagenet Saga, #12)
Epitaph for Three Women (Plantagenet Saga, #12)
Jean Plaidy | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b>2.5 stars

Epitaph for Three Women</b> turned out to be far less about these three women than I was led to believe by the book's description. Broken into three parts titled Katherine of Valois, Joan of Arc, and Eleanor of Gloucester, only Joan, or Jeannette rather, has an actual story that follows her path in life. The other two are background players to the politics going on at the time, especially those concerning the Dukes of Bedford and Gloucester and England's fight for France. Whenever Katherine enters the picture, it's all light, airy, and extremely romanticized, especially in regards to Owen Tudor. For most of the book they live a totally idyllic life that doesn't feel realistic in the least. Eleanor Cobham is portrayed as a scheming, crown-hungry social climber who proves far too trusting of witches and soothsayers. Isabeau of Bavaria fares even worse and I got tired of the constant references to how whorish she was. Since this was written, historians have looked into the accuracy of her reputation and dismissed certain facets as untrue. Still, this isn't a completely bad book. Putting aside Katherine's storyline where she only made cameo appearances anyway, I enjoyed the first part the most. Not knowing much about this period, the history was fascinating. The second featuring Jeannette was my least favorite, but I lay full blame at my feet because I have just never cared for Joan of Arc's story, so found most of this part boring. While there was some interesting information in the book, I didn't love the book but it's an easy introduction to this particular time.

For more information on Eleanor Cobham, I recommend Susan Higginbotham's guest <a href="http://madameguillotine.org.uk/2012/09/03/the-duchess-downfall-eleanor-cobham/">post</a>; at Madame Guillotine.

Originally Reviewed: October 17, 2012
Received: Local Library
  
Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury, #1)
Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury, #1)
Tracy Banghart | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I didn't actually have high hopes for this book - the description hits a lot of standard YA tropes. Sisterhood, switched roles, Royal/pauper juxtaposition...but WOW. No, this book blew me away.

In Serina and Nomi's world, women are second-class citizens, forbidden to read, have romantic relationships with each other, or have careers of their own. Serina plans to be a Grace, effectively a concubine to the Prince, with her sister as her handmaiden. But it is Nomi who catches the Prince's eye when she stumbles into him in a hallway, and Nomi that he picks. In a moment of weakness, Nomi's secret is discovered and thought to be Serina's, and rather than jeopardize Nomi's new position, Serina capitulates and takes the fall. She's sent to a volcanic island prison while Nomi struggles to tame her own rebellious nature long enough to gain enough influence to free her sister.

The book is about oppression and sisterhood, whether it be with those that share your blood or not. Along the way, we discover a different history of the nation than what is normally taught, and find a few men who sympathize with the women's plight. (And eventually step up to take action alongside the women.)

It's a quick read - the action starts on page one and never stops. Chapters alternate between Nomi in the palace and Serina on her island prison fighting for food, and both girls learn that what they saw as weakness in each other can be strengths in different circumstances.

The only downside to this book is that it ends with things unfinished. Not a cliffhanger, exactly, but the story is most definitely not done, and the sequel doesn't come out until July of 2019! I will be snapping that up as soon as it releases because I NEED to know how these two sisters overcome their trials.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
40x40

Merissa (11800 KP) rated Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages in Books

Jul 19, 2022 (Updated Jul 26, 2023)  
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages
Janina Ramírez | 2022 | Reference
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
"An intriguing and interesting book..."
FEMINA: A NEW HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE AGES provides new insight into the world of the Loftus Princess, Hildegarde of Bingen, and the Birka Warrior Woman - to name just a few. It shows us a world where women were better respected and listened to than we have previously imagined, or thought from reading historical documents. The works of these women, their voices, have disappeared through the years, some accidentally, some on purpose. Some of them have survived, but have been changed by male historians from the time periods that came after. And some, like Hildegarde, have been saved by brave and courageous acts.

Each section focuses on a different woman and gives the reader a glimpse into their lives and achievements. It shows how well-travelled the world was at a time when you think everyone stayed 'at home'. I have learnt about Jadwiga of Poland which I had never heard of before, plus others.

I found this to be an intriguing and interesting book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 19, 2022