Housewife who reads and writes on the side.
In another life I got a BA in English Literature, which means I've read all the white men authors. I'm now making up for lost time by reading all the women authors and queer authors and authors of colour.
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69% complete! Miriam Robern has read 25 of 36 books.
Kai-Enna is the Witch King, though he hasn’t always been, and he hasn’t even always been Kai-Enna!
After being murdered, …
Very strong first and second act, with well-developed characters and an intriguing view of transgender life in Regency England. Sadly the third act does not live up to the promise of the first two and gets a little muddled.
A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to …
Really enjoyed this fun, sapphic romp through Victorian England. Characters are engaging, plot is pleasantly twisty, historical call-outs are satisfying.
A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up …
John and Emily are a perfectly normal couple living in near-future suburban America, with plans to attend a perfectly normal …
Olivia Waite is one of my favourite authors, but this novella is like a reduced sauce that delivers exactly what I love about Waite in a delightfully small package. The characters are well-drawn, the setting is quaintly realized, the conflicts aren't superficial, and the affection, both between the characters and between me and the characters, is incredible.
My only complaint is that it's so short! :)
Only nine months after her debut as the superhero Dreadnought, Danny Tozer is already a scarred veteran. Protecting a city …
Only nine months after her debut as the superhero Dreadnought, Danny Tozer is already a …
A solid blossoming of the world and characters set down in Dreadnought. Danny develops into a more fully realized character in relatively simple and straightforward ways, but the secondary cast absolutely blooms into detail and colour. The worldbuilding deepens appreciably: the Marvel and DC homages are still there, but significantly muted in favour of this world's particularities.
SPOILERS: I do feel like the book could have used a content warning regarding its forced detransition plotline—I was surprised by it and a little shaken for the rest of the day—but these things are difficult to accomplish in print media.
What happens when a trans girl who is not out to her family accidentally inherits superpowers? Things change, a lot.
What happens when a trans girl who is not out to her family accidentally inherits …
Superheroes aren't even my thing but I really enjoyed Dreadnought. It's got some solid worldbuilding, itself undergirded by a sophisticated but still compassionate worldview. Characters are well drawn and even if they are derived from tropes, their development delves underneath those tropes to reveal complexities underneath.
Deftly told story of a new kid who comes to school, disappointed that there's no gymnastics team, and is convinced to join cheer, instead. Oh, and discovers she's trans along the way.
Super cute teen romance, solid foundation of 90s pop culture and reference landmarks, evocative perspectives from the two POV characters. Heartfelt struggles and satisfying wins.
Looking forward to Book Two!
The Awakening is a novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. Set in New …
Content warning Spoileriffic!
Look, I know. I understand. I am an English major. I get the historical background and the publishing realities and blah de blah de blah-blah. I understand why the story ends the way it does. That doesn't make it a good ending or even the right ending.
I loved this book from the start right up to the penultimate chapter. The titular awakening is complex, grounded, and masterfully articulated. Edna becomes a real person! It's amazing! And then she throws it all away in what can only be described as a fit of pique. The last chapter blows.
This book should be taught, and it should be taught as a tragedy. Not that the story itself is a tragedy, but the story's conception, context, and publication as a tragedy. We all deserve better than Chopin and The Awakening got, and this novel can serve as a very depressing signpost along the way to getting to that better world.
