Books read YTD: 204 (Goodread Reading Challenge completed. YAY!)
Fiction Titles:
- 21 (12 historical romance, 8 contemporary romance, 1 paranormal romance)
Non-Fiction Titles:
- 1 (Travel/History)
Noteworthy Novels
- Take the Lead by Alexis Daria
- Temporary by Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry
- Hamilton's Battalion by Courtney Milan, Rose Lerner and Alyssa Cole
- Bountiful by Sarina Bowen
- Midnight Feast by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner
- An Unsuitable Heir by K J Charles
Noteworthy Non-Fiction
Noteworthy Settings
- Starling by Virginia Taylor - enjoyed the historic South Australian setting, but you can read my thoughts about the rest of the book here.
- Midnight Feast by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner - I am continually surprised by how Barry and Turner can make me buy the HEAs in this series, while at the same time showing the sexist and hypermasculine environment of the 60s.
Kick-ass Characters
- Take the Lead by Alexis Daria - Professional dancer Gina Morales is a heroine who has set her professional boundaries, and doesn't take kindly to people who think that these are negotiable. Inspiring.
- Hamilton's Battalion by Courtney Milan, Rose Lerner and Alyssa Cole
- - literally every main character in this anthology deserves a mention. Just read it.
- Bountiful by Sarina Bowen - small business owner and single mother Zara has to decide if she should take a risk and open her heart to the father of her child.
- Midnight Feast by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner - I'm still in awe at the authors' nuanced portrayal of a marriage gone sour, particularly their ability to imbue both characters with completely relatable and reasonable struggles, and the way that silence can become so full and heavy with preconceptions, misunderstandings and everything left unsaid.
- An Unsuitable Heir by K J Charles - The love story and discussion about gender and sexual identity (sans 21st century terminology) between non-binary protagonist Pen and his partner, Mark were really something.
This Month on the Internet...
Please be aware that some of the links this month discuss abortion, sexual assault and rape. I have added content warnings to the articles that deal with these themes.
Romance
- Romance Novelist Beverly Jenkins Talks Normalizing Diversity in Her Genre by Gina Mei at Shondaland
- The Ripped Bodice 2016 State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Report by Bea and Lea Koch at The Ripped Bodice
- Here's How Not to Critique Romance Novels by Kelly Faircloth at Jezebel
- 11 Things the New York Times COULD Write About Romance by Robin Lovett
Other Literature, Craft and the Publishing Industry
- Why Can't We All Just Get Along: The Literature Edition at The Pantograph Punch - on racism and the legacy of colonialism in New Zealand literature
- Was Emily Bronte's Heathcliff Black? by Coleen Fowler at The Conversation
- Tudor, English and Black - and not a slave in sight by Bidisha at The Guardian
Other Media
- All the Ways that Taika Waititi Pushed for Indigenous Representation on the Thor: Ragnarok Set by Marykate Jasper at The Mary Sue
Women, Sexism and Feminism
- How a Harrowing Photo of One Woman's Death Became an Iconic Pro-Choice Symbol by Amanda Arnold at Broadly (CW: discussion of back-alley abortions)
- Why the Typewriter was a Feminist Liberation Machine at Radio National, with illustrations by Freda Chiu
- How Men Like Harvey Weinstein Implicate their Victims in their Acts by Jia Tolentino at The New Yorker (CW: sexual violence, rape)
- Bodies in Trouble: on sexual violence and the problem with hashtags by Melody Paloma at The Overland Journal (CW: sexual violence, rape)
- Stop Mentioning Your Daughters When You Denounce Harvey Weinstein by Hunter Harris at Vulture (CW: sexual violence)
- The Problem With Our "Good" Men by Sady Doyle at Elle - on progressive men, feminist "allies" and the appropriation of feminist language (CW: sexual violence)
Weird, Wacky and Wonderful
- Buzzkill: Vibrators and the Victorians by Kate Lister at Whores of Yore - debunking the myth that Victorian doctors used proto-vibrators to treat female hysteria.
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