Monthly Archives: October 2011

October 31, 2011 · 8:35 PM

BAND #4: Anthologies

carton images representing various types of nonfiction with the text "BAND: Bloggers' Alliance of Nonfiction Devotees"Bloggers’ Alliance of Non-Fiction Devotees (BAND) is a project to “advocate non-fiction as a non-chore,” and is a joint effort with  Amy,  Anastasia,  Ash,  Joy, Kim, Kit, and myself. Any and everyone is welcome (and encouraged) to participate! 

This month Ash asked What are your favorite nonfiction anthologies?

I have a confession: essay anthologies are a bit of a weakness of mine. I may be troubled by the lack of quality fiction featuring complex queer characters (particularly ones that aren’t coming out stories or about hate crimes), but there are many essay collections that give voice to the complexity and variety of queer folks and their experiences. I’ve decided to list a few of my favorites, all pulled from my shelves.

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Baby, Remember My Name: An Anthology of New Queer Girl Writing edited by Michelle Tea (2007)

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation edited by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman (2010)

Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie (2000) I bought this book entirely because there is a quote from

The Femme Mystique edited by Leslea Newman (1995)

Brazen Femme: Queering Femininity edited by Chloe Brushwood Rose and Anna Camilleri (2002): It sounds like hyperbole when I say that this book changed my life, but I promise it’s completely true. My favorite is the essay “Quantum Femme” by Elizabeth Ruth.

Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme edited by Ivan Coyote and Zena Sharman (2011)

Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity edited by Matilda Bernstein Sycamore (2006)

 

What are your favorite essay anthologies?

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Filed under Gender Studies, Lists, Non-Fiction

October 30, 2011 · 6:34 PM

It’s My Birthday (Week) and I’ll Watch Lots of TV If I Want To

The third annual Boston Book Festival was on October 15th, and it was a great day. I attended a panel about Graphic Novels, featuring panelists Allison Bechdel, Daniel Clowes, and Seth, which was great, and I also got to meet the Cat in the Hat (whom I always thought was kind of creepy, even before the Mike Myers movies). I was planning on going to a panel featuring Chuck Klosterman, but it was right after the Graphic Novels one and the line was already wicked long.

When I got home I filled out a survey about my experience, i.e. blah blah it was great, and a few days later I found out I WON AN IPAD 2. My mind was blown. I would never have actually purchased an iPad–I already have an iPod touch and a NOOK, spending that much money on a giant iPod touch seemed a little redundant–but to win one?! YES PLEASE. It arrived on Friday and I’ve been reading the news on it ever since.

On Wednesday of this week I turned 25. Hello, 25. I don’t feel much different than I did when I was 24, but now I have to select 25-32 instead of 18-24 as an age range when I sign up for things. Also I keep thinking of the motto from Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother: Don’t trust anyone over 25! Yikes.

I watched all 102 episodes of 30 Rock over the past two weeks or so. This is because a) I am addicted to television and b) I have an unhealthy love of Jack Donaghy. Watching 30 Rock is about as far as I’ve gotten toward my goal of broadening my pop culture knowledge.

In other news, I noticed Law & Order is now available to stream on Netflix. Not all 20 years (yet), thankfully, or I’d never be able to leave the house.

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October 22, 2011 · 10:08 PM

And I’m Back: Hours 8 – 14

I disappeared for a few hours there in order to post over at the official Read-a-thon blog. Woah boy is hosting intense! Also I now have “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” stuck in my head, which is, of course, entirely my fault.

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? Listening to my audio of Double Dexter. I haven’t decided which print book to pick up next. Always a hard decision about this time. Maybe I’ll go to my library’s website and download an ebook.

2. How many books have you read so far?

  • Something Rotten (Thursday Next #4) by Jasper Fforde (ebook)
  • Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? (Rod Serling’s ”The Twilight Zone”)
  • The Big Tall Wish (Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone”)

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I have no idea. I thought I was prepared for this ‘thon but it appears I did not have the right mix of books. FOILED AGAIN.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Kind of; I had to make a special request to my roommates to not have guests over, mostly so these unknown, hypothetical folks wouldn’t be there to witness my bookish geekiness.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I did indeed have some interruptions; roommates came home, landlord came over around 7PM to fix a weird light I didn’t know existed, cats decided to be naughty all of a sudden, despite my frequent rewards of delicious tuna fish when they were behaving. I am now having a small glass of wine. This might not be the best idea, but it is delightfully yummy.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? Hosting the read-a-thon is HARD WORK. Also, readathon participants seem to really enjoy Scissor Sisters videos, and that makes me very happy.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I’m going to get a personal chef. And I’m going to spend half the day AT the library so I can pick up whatever I feel like.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? More bread. Less coffee in the afternoon.

9. Are you getting tired yet? I’m a bit worn out after my marathon hosting duties, but now I am slowly settling back into civilian life.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Laughing is a great way to get energy. As is singing along with Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers.

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· 3:01 PM

Food Is Really the Best Part of the Readathon: Hours 6 & 7

What I’m Reading Now:

  1. Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (audio)
  2. The Big Tall Wish (Rod Sterling’s “The Twilight Zone”

Title of book(s) read since last update: –
Number of books read since you started: 

  1. Something Rotten (Thursday Next #4) by Jasper Fforde (ebook)
  2. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? (Rod Sterling’s ”The Twilight Zone”)

Pages read since last update: –
Running total of pages read since you started: 245

Hours listened since last update: 1.75 hours
Running total of hours listened since you started: 3.75 hours

Amount of time spent reading since last update: –
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 5.75 hours

Beverages consumed: 

  • Water
  • A bit of Pepsi
Food consumed: 
  • Left-overs from last night: angel hair with olive oil, fresh parsley, fresh tuna, and garlic. NOM NOM NOM.

Etc.

  • No bread, still. Decided to save the walk for later, or maybe when I one day figure out how to transfer my audio books to my newly-updated ipod.
  • I began working on my cheering duties by commenting on all of the participants with first names starting with K. Good times. Also, please turn off your word verification. Every time I have to type one of those words in, a unicorn cries tears of kitten paws. Or something.
  • I almost feel like I need a nap? Mostly because I am STILL COLD. I should probably put an extra pair of socks on or something.

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· 1:08 PM

Too Cold. Must Snuggle: Hours 4 & 5

What I’m Reading Now:

  1. Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (audio)

Title of book(s) read since last update:

  1. Something Rotten (Thursday Next #4) by Jasper Fforde (ebook)
  2. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? (Rod Sterling’s ”The Twilight Zone”)

Number of books read since you started: 2

Pages read since last update: 140
Running total of pages read since you started: 245

Hours listened since last update: 15 minutes
Running total of hours listened since you started: 2 hours

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 4 hours

Beverages Consumed:

  • Water
Food Consumed:
  • One Cheerios cereal bar
  • One apple, sliced

Etc.

  • Currently it is FREEZING IN MY HOUSE. My fingers are almost numb. I think it’s almost time to break out my gloves.
  • It’s currently cat-nap time. Gino and Idgie are curled up on my bed, busy being adorable. They look a lot warmer than me.
  • I want to go get bread to go with my pasta lunch, but I can’t transfer my audio book to my ipod for some unfortunate reason, so I’d be giving up quite a bit of reading time to do this. Anyone want to deliver me some delicious bread? Maybe the kind with rosemary and olive oil? WHY DIDN’T I BUY THIS YESTERDAY? Also, why am I so obsessed with food this readathon?

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· 11:02 AM

Oh Glorious Dreams of Breakfast: Hours 2 & 3

What I’m Reading Now:

  1. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde (ebook)
  2. Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (audio)

Title of book(s) read since last update: None!
Number of books read since you started: None yet, but SOON.

Pages read since last update:  105 nookpages
Running total of pages read since you started: 105

Hours listened since last update: 1.75 hours
Running total of hours listened since you started: 1.75 hours

Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2.75 hours

Beverages consumed: 

  • 2 cups coffee
  • 1 bottle of water
Food consumed:
  • Only dreams of food as of now, sadly.

Etc.

  • I still haven’t eaten breakfast because I forgot to buy eggs during my pre-readathon grocery shopping spree yesterday. I’ll have to settle for a Cheerios cereal bar, I suppose.
  • The cats are extra snuggly today, which is always pleasant during the readathon.
  • Apparently #readathon was trending on twitter, which led to a bunch of strange people talking about porn and how much they dislike books. It was a special thing to follow, let me tell you.

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· 9:02 AM

Good Morning, Readathon! Hour 1

 

So I may have been a little MIA the past few weeks, but I couldn’t possibly resist the allure of my FIFTH readathon. I’ve got snacks ready, I am waiting semi-patiently for my cup of coffee to cool, and I have lots of books that need reading. I’ll also be COHOSTING the readathon for a few hours today, so you can look for me over there if you need extra Cass time.

First things first, here is the first hour meme:

1) Where are you reading from today? Boston, MA, USA, where it is a bit over cast and cold–not great beginning of the ‘thon weather, so I’ll have to turn on a bunch of lights.

2) Three random facts about me… My birthday’s next week! I like my coffee with milk and two sugars, although the sugar has to be Sugar In the Raw or it doesn’t taste right. I am really hungry right now and would trade books for a delicious egg sandwich with cheese and sausage and hot sauce. Nom.

3) How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?  Mostly graphic novels, but I’d also like to read Brent Hartinger’s Shadow Walkers, finish Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde, and get through the rest of my Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay audio book. IT CAN BE DONE.

my pile of readathon books
4) Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? My major goal is to not mess up re: cohosting. I also want to eat delicious readathon inspired food. One readathon I ordered pizza at like 1:30AM and it was the best pizza that ever pizza-ed.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? Have a few short books on hand! If you try to tackle War and Peace today, more power to you, but short books are my readathon friends.

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October 2, 2011 · 1:45 PM

This Cold Has Got to Go: Pop Culture Is the Best Medicine

I usually only get sick about once a year, usually around Christmas, and it is never a pleasant occasion. I hate being sick, I’m a terrible patient, and I’m not one to stay in bed all day so I get a little grumpy. 2011 being what it is–a terrible year–I am now sick for the second time this year and it’s HORRIBLE. Booo. I’ve been incapable of having an attention span for reading, which says something in itself, I think.

So what have I been doing instead?

  • Over the past–wow–almost three weeks, I’ve been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the very beginning. I just started season five. THAT MEANS I STILL HAVE THREE SEASONS TO WATCH. Longest project ever. After I finish with this I’m going to start watching The West Wing, which will um probably take even longer to get through. Yay massive television-watching projects!
  • I watched The Age of Innocence, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Phifer, and Winona Ryder, based on the Edith Warton novel. I haven’t read The Age of Innocence, but I have read Ethan Frome, so I knew enough not to expect a happy ending. *SPOILER I GUESS* I was just surprised no one died an untimely death. *SPOILERish* Great film.
  • I started making  a list of movies I need to see to increase my Pop Culture knowledge. They include:
  1. Pulp Fiction
  2. 12 Angry Men
  3. Apocalypse Now
  4. LA Confidential
  5. Once Upon a Time in America
  6. Rosemary’s Baby
  7. Mean Streets
  8. My Dinner With Andre
  • I’m working on making a reading list for the month, something that’s difficult for me since I’ve been having so much trouble reading anything in print. I want to read Lauren Myracle’s new book SHINE, as well as The Drowning of Stephan Jones by Better Greene, and compare them. Shine was published this year and The Drowning in 1991, but the plots are very similar and I’d like to take my critical lens out and explore what 20 years has done for the “straight girl standing up against the homophobes for her gay friends” plot line.
Any movie suggestions or book ideas to get me out of this reading slump?

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October 1, 2011 · 9:26 PM

September Round-Up

TOTAL books read: 16
Audio: 13
Print: 2
Ebooks: 2

Fiction — 11

  1. The Running Man by Stephen King as Richard Bachman (audio): It feels like I read this book approximately fifty years ago. Between this one
  2. Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1) by Harlan Coben (audio): I decided to reread a favorite series, as you can see. It’s good entertainment.
  3. The Bad Always Die Twice by Cheryl Crane (audio): The first book in a new mystery series. A little convoluted at times, but overall quite entertaining, and the narration is very good.
  4. Drop Shot (Myron Bolitar #2) by Harlan Coben (audio)
  5. Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) by Harlan Coben (audio)
  6. Back Spin (Myron Bolitar #4) by Harlan Coben (audio)
  7. Peter and Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham (audio): I had tried to read this book in print before, but I couldn’t get into it. This audio book, with a narration from the awesome Wil Wheaton, was top notch and I sped through it.
  8. Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol: I didn’t love this graphic novel as much as others seem to, but it was still pretty good.
  9. One False Move (Myron Bolitar #5) by Harlan Coben (audio)
  10. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (audio): I’m really sick of annoying main characters. Quentin is so unlikeable it makes me want to rip my hair out.
  11. I Was a Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block: I read this for banned books week, and I wasn’t entranced by it but it was still a decent read.

Non-Fiction – 5

  1. Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America by Rick Perlstein (audio): Was it only last month that I read this awesome book about Nixon? Oh how I loved it, let me count the ways.
  2. All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward (ebook): Not only did I read this, I also watched the movie. Go me, the over achiever.
  3. Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain by John McCain (ebook)
  4. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard (audio): Poor President Garfield. This book is getting a lot of attention and it should because it’s pretty awesome. It’s a little more narrative than I like my non-fiction but it’s engrossing and accessible and fascinating.
  5. Life Itself: A Memoir by Roger Ebert (audio): Most melancholy book I read all month, bar none.

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