Review: I Am a Feminist: Claiming the F-Word in Turbulent Times

I Am a Feminist: Claiming the F-Word in Turbulent Times by Monique Polak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a great starting primer on early waves of feminism. Ideal for youth and adolescents seeking to get started on their knowledge base. There is much more depth to be gleaned from further reading on the subject than can fit in this book.

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Review: Where Kindness Lives: A Women's Fiction Anthology

Where Kindness Lives: A Women's Fiction Anthology by Janet Koops
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This anthology series may be fairly broad in terms of included genres, however the themes are eerily identical in many of the tales.

The standout piece for me is The Irish Library in Kilkenny by Christy Matheson. It follows an often overlooked character of Irish folklore. Fionn mac Cumhaill's (Finn McCool) first Queen Sadhbh (Saba). The rich history behind it gives this particular story a vibrancy, and urgency, that make it seem full of life. I can't wait to explore more of Matheson's fiction.

The subjects covered in this anthology are rather focused; on women's agency in their own lives. This is explored through themes of others' attempts at control and how the characters respond to it. My only gripe is that they didn't include more author's from outside the US.

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Review: There Will Come Soft Rains

There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Definite overtones of the veldt, or the other way round depending on which was published first. Highly disturbing that the house doesn't realize that it is either abandoned or the residents are dead. Further proof we should not outsource our lives to machines and algorithms.

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Review: The Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Tennyson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ehh. This one still doesn't do it for me. I read two versions. the original and the revised edition. I personally preferred the original as it kept the focus on the Lady and how isolating her court position as tapestry weaver is.

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Review: Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired: A Guide to Finding Inspiration and Well-Being in a Wonder-Filled World

Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired: A Guide to Finding Inspiration and Well-Being in a Wonder-Filled World by Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is full of factoids and tidbits on everything from soil to space. a very enjoyable read. The foreword alone is worth it.

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Review: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I first read this one in high school. under extreme duress. AKA as an assignment. having it read to me by the likes of Jeremy Irons made it far more enjoyable. Listening to it in small doses also helped me to pick up on subtleties I missed before. i highly recommend the Rime Big Read.

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Review: The Yellow Wallpaper

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I only read this to better understand a comment made by us administration regarding choosing wallpaper for some purpose or other. This gets a one star rating from me because I am not into either of horror or stories that just end abruptly. Especially when they are horror. I need resolution.

That being said this is very well written. So well written, if horror is your jam give it a read.

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Review: Nettle

Nettle by Bex Hogan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Nettle has always been different. How different, she will not learn until a chance encounter with a faery king goes hideously awry. In exchange for saving her grandmother she must complete three tasks for the king.

One part Hunter's Moon, One part Rumpelstiltskin, Throw in a dash of Iron Fey. 100% original thought. For a story where a lot happens, it simultaneously feels as though nothing is happening at all. The layers of the world building and the slow, methodical unfurling of the secrets aided this feeling. Information is such a valued commodity in faery lore. This oft unspoken rule was extremely well honored in this tale.

As the reader, information is received as it is discovered by, or provided to, Nettle. We learn about this new world and Nettle's place in it as she does. Why is it that she alone can handle the nettles? Why does she not need as much sleep as the other trapped humans? Why do enchantments not work quite right? Reading this book is the only way to find out.

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