We Want it! March 2012
Mar. 10th, 2012 01:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ladybusinessBecause we haven't quite managed to work out a way for us to consume ALL the entertainment yet: to keep us from emerging haggard and zombie like after regular all night box set marathons, book splurges and music overload we've set up this monthly space where we can express our pure fannish glee at the fact that so many projects of awesome potential are continually being made. All of our past wants and desires can be found in the We Want It! tag.
Books
The New Moon With the Old, The Town in Bloom and It Ends With Revelations by Dodie Smith: these are all being reissued by Corsair with lovely new covers, and I'm dying to get my hands on them. I so love this trend for bringing back neglected women writers. I think there is room for asking interesting questions about the particular kind of women writers who are brought back (predominantly white and middle class) and why, but we can do that while still celebrating all these exciting books which are being made available again.
Not Before Sundown by Johanna Sinisalo: Nic from Eve's Alexandria completely sold me on this novel by describing it as "a strange and beautiful and funny exploration of folklore and sexuality in the darkly frozen north. In short, it's like nothing I've read before. Probably also like nothing I'll ever read again, although not for want of hoping."
Returning to the review to get the link just now, I realised that this is actually the same book as Troll: A Love Story, which has been on my TBR for years. I really need to read it soon.
As If: Modern Enchantment and the Literary Prehistory of Virtual Reality by Michael Saler: Clare's fault for including it in one of her Literary Horizon posts. Here's the description from GoodReads:
Many people throughout the world "inhabit" imaginary worlds communally and persistently, parsing Harry Potter and exploring online universes. These activities might seem irresponsibly escapist, but history tells another story. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, when Sherlock Holmes became the world's first "virtual reality" character, readers began to colonize imaginary worlds, debating serious issues and viewing reality in provisional, "as if" terms rather than through essentialist, "just so" perspectives. From Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and Tolkien's Middle-earth to the World of Warcraft and Second Life, As If provides a cultural history that reveals how we can remain enchanted but not deluded in an age where fantasy and reality increasingly intertwine.
How freaking awesome does that sound?
Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches edited by Donald P. Haase - Could there be a book more perfectly suited to my different interests? Also, can you tell just how badly I miss having access to an academic library?
Beyond Human Nature: How Culture and Experience Shape Our Lives by Jesse J. Prin — I love a good takedown of biological determinism. The description of this book reminded meof a point Cordelia Fine makes in Delusions of Gender. As I said in my review of her book:
And yet, where else but in the brain will socialisation manifest itself? Our brains constantly interact with our environment, and from a very early age our culture is part of what helps map our neural circuits. This isn't really a nurture versus nature debate, because that's too simplistic a way to put it. The two are not at all easy to separate. What we should be thinking of instead are malleable versus fixed, immutable categories.
I would love to read a whole book centred around these ideas.
DVDs
Call the Midwife: It goes without saying that this is totally Jodie's fault. I actually watched a few episodes before getting sidetracked by Gilmore Girls, but there hasn't been much room for anything else in my TV viewing life in the past few weeks (nearly done with season 3, everyone!). I would love to return to this series, though, and it's exciting that the DVD is coming out soon.
Tomboy: A French film about a trans boy which was recommended to me when I reviewed the manga series Wandering Son. It sounds like it could be amazing.
I feel kind of guilty wanting things right now, because my attempts to keep from buying as many books, DVDs and CDs is schooling me in just how much stuff I actually have unused. I probably have enough unwatched DVDs to last the year. Still, I guess it doesn't really hurt to keep adding to the wish list as long as I don't actually buy any of these things just yet.
Books
'Why we Broke Up' — Daniel Handler: When I first read about this book I thought it might be a bit simplistic. The description hints at hipsterish judgement: Art house type girl starts dating a jock, the relationship ends and the book is the girl's attempt to explain to her ex why it didn't work out. I was expecting lots of poseur language and laboured attempts at cutely mystical explanations of the meaning of life and so I quietly pushed the thought of it away. Then Colleen at Chasing Ray posted a review that made it sound like this book had punched right through her chest. That's exactly the kind of emotional writing I'm looking for, so back on the list it goes.
'Ash Mistry and the Savage Palace' — Sarwat Chadda: I loved Sarwat Chadda's first two novels about Billi SanGreal, a teenage initiate into the brutal Knights Templar, who (in Chadda's novels at least) defend the modern world against the supernatural. They're based on a classic paranormal death/angst model: only the heroine is ever totally safe from being axed, yet you still can't help but care about all the characters. I kind of get off on media that twists my emotions like that ('Buffy', 'Charmed' and 'The Vampire Diaries' are all examples of programs that both hurt me and make me clamour for more), so I'm hanging all my hopes on the recent news that Billi may have her own TV series soon. TV, I have been faithful. I have defended you to your detractors. I deserve this, right?
Anyway, while the happy day of Billi's TV appearance is a bit of a way off, Chadda's new book (marketed for younger readers, rather than young adults) 'Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress' comes out this month. It's an Indian fantasy, featuring the demon king Ravanna, which I think is very, very cool. When I was growing up everyone at my school had to take religious studies for three years and the lessons mostly consisted of us hearing the more exciting stories from each religion that we studied. The Hindu stories always seemed so exciting to me and I'm looking forward to revisiting the world of ancient Indian legend.
'Shadow and Bone' — Leigh Bardugo: I don't know much about this title, except that it's a young adult fantasy set in Russia. The last time I went to fantasy Russia was when I read Sarwat Chadda's 'Dark Goddess' and I've been desperate for more fantasy about that country ever since., because there's so much interesting, dark folk lore in Russia that we just don't often hear about in the UK. And when Rachel Hawkins tweeted the cover I was one smitten kitten. There are minarets!
'Goliath' — Tom Gauld: I saw some panels from this graphic novel in the Times Saturday Review section a couple of weeks ago. It's a revisionist version of the tale of David and Goliath, told in muted colours and there's something in the style that pings a distant memory of...something...I just can't work out what. Anyway, its art is so appealing and I have a passion for revisionist stories and it's nice to see something new being given the revisionist treatment examined in this way.
'Green Girl' — Kate Zambreno: I'm not quite sure how to summarise why I want to read this book. Perhaps because it sounds so messy and sinister, full of fuck ups who burn bright and imperfect women who aren't being judged by their narrative for being just as messed up as the rest of humanity.
Some of the books I wanted to eat so they would become a part of me when I was growing up, were about these kinds of women. 'Foxfire' and 'The Bitch Goddess Notebook', 'The Robber Bride' and 'Man Crazy', all featured that kind of reckless, destructive, clever, firework women. I've never quite got over that kind of character.
'Codename Verity' — Elizabeth Wein: I imagine that Ana is lusting after this one as well. Secrets and female spies in WWII, which I might never have heard about if The Booksmugglers hadn't mentioned it.
'Spellbound' — Rachel Hawkins: MY WAIT IS SO NEARLY OVER!
'War Horse' — Michael Morpurgo: I've seen the play, the film and I watched 'War Horse — The True Story' over the weekend, so that just leaves the book. I'm looking forward to a version of this story that gives the horse a voice. I might pair it with a re-read of 'Black Beauty', because every time I think about 'War Horse' the connections to Anna Sewell's book seem so prominent.
Music
Making Mirrors — Gotye: Someone in our office is obsessed with this and the Lana Del Ray album, so they're on near constant rotation at our place. Usually that's enough to make me start planning violent ends for people, but I find that I can't hear these two CDs enough. 'Somebody that I Used to Know' is a kooky, but hard edged break up song and my favourite track off this third Gotye album.
Film
The Dark Knight Rises: I saw the trailer for this when I went to see 'The Woman in Black' and was kind of astounded. I fully acknowledge that any viewing of this film means engaging with the white washing problems of Tom Hardy's role and reading up on arguments about Bane, written by people who know the comics. Aesthetically though it just hits all my fear and pain buttons with a hammer. I'd forgotten how back to basics dark and bitter this franchise was. And what does that tag mean? How can the legend end?!
I Have It!
I have coveted many things over the past few months, and I am happy to say I have acquired some of them!
1. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater — Read this at Susan's behest, it was awesome. Trying to seduce her into a co-review with the reminder of how awesome our last co-review was.
2. When she Woke by Hillary Jordan — Ana sent me this! ANA YOU ARE GREAT, THANK YOU. ♥
3. The Shattering by Karen Healey — Amy let me have her copy for free! It was so nice of her. Thank you for sending it all that way. ♥
4. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson — Another book Ana got me after I complained about the horrific cover the book was released with here. Ana was even great enough to get me a signed copy. Lucky! :D
5. Born to Die by Lana Del Rey — I got my paws on this album and have only regretted it a few times. Some of the lyrics are not so great to the ladies, but overall it's been my favorite album of 2012 so far.
Books
I've been reading a lot about Prohibition after listening to a podcast about it. What with The Wettest County In the World coming up, it's going to rise to the top of discussion. I live in a "dry" county where restuarants have started to become private clubs where "members" can get drinks with their meals. But it's always been pretty lax. The earliest restaurants to do it had a $5 membership fee, but that's pretty much gone away, too, alcohol slowly encroaching. There are two books that look great that I want to check out: Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent and Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal. I am really missing my academic library right now.
Ivey and the Airship by Cheryl Ammeter sounds rad! Girl who gets to save the world, sign me up. Although I wish publishers would stop being like "strong-willed girl!" and "strong! she's female and strong, everyone!" Ugh, publishers.
Really what drew me to Fated by Benedict Jacka is that the main character runs a magic shop. Although I've seen references to similiarities between this and The Dresden Files and I've got to say, what I've heard about that series isn't so great. So let's hope it's only similar in the AWESOME ways.
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Date: 2012-03-10 10:37 am (UTC)And Jodie, really interested to see how you feel about When We Broke Up. I tried to read it and couldn't get past the first 50 pages because "lots of poseur language and laboured attempts at cutely mystical explanations of the meaning of life" is exactly what the book turned out to be for me. *shrugs* I donated my copy just yesterday, had I known, I would have sent it to you :(
Ana Book Smugglers
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Date: 2012-03-11 12:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 08:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-10 02:05 pm (UTC)*joins Renay in missing academic libraries*
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Date: 2012-03-11 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-10 06:23 pm (UTC)I wish Call the Midwife was coming out on DVD here.
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Date: 2012-03-11 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 12:27 am (UTC)And I am horribly ignorant, I didn't know there were dry states in the US. This makes me want to read up on the history even more.
Ana, you are magical! I had no idea there was more Didie Smith to be had after the hundred and one dalmations book, I Capture the Castle and some book about kittens I haven't read yet. And I just saw Beyond Human Nature given a short review in the paper. Sounds so interesting (adds to never ending non-fic list).
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Date: 2012-03-11 09:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 10:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 06:16 pm (UTC)It's dumb. So dumb.
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Date: 2012-03-11 10:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 05:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 03:39 pm (UTC)