Author Archives: Goddess in the Stacks

Book Review: Headscarves and Hymens

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headscarves and hymensHeadscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs A Sexual Revolution
by Mona Eltahawy
Nonfiction – Women’s Rights/Feminism
240 pages
Published 2015

Headscarves and Hymens was the third book in Book Riot’s Persist: Feminist Book Club, which is what brought it to my attention. We’ve been reading roughly two chapters a week and talking about it via Instagram Live. It’s certainly not my favorite venue to use – for one, I can’t seem to find a setting to let me know when someone goes live on Instagram, so I have to set myself an alarm. (I missed one book club session because I just forgot.) I also can’t seem to watch the videos after they’re over, so I can’t catch up on what I missed. I much prefer the Twitter chat that YA_Pride does. I can go back through those, and still have conversations with other people that read the book (and follow them!) where I can’t do that easily with Persist.

But you’re here to hear about the book, not the club! HH is short, under 250 pages, with seven chapters and an epilogue. Each chapter is basically an essay on a topic, from driving (“Roads Through the Desert”) to veiling (“Black Veil, White Flag”) to purity and Female Genital Mutilation (“The God of Virginity”). Eltahawy is well-researched, mixing anecdotes and statistics to show us both the big picture of what is going on, as well as making it personal and hard-hitting.

I’m glad we read it in small chunks – some of the chapters are harder than others (the chapter on FGM and sexual “purity” was particularly rough). Spacing it out let the information really sink in before moving on to another topic. Additionally, we were reading it at the same time as the Kavanaugh hearings, and that was also….unsettling.

This is a really eye-opening book, but be sure you’re emotionally prepared to read it. It’s probably healthier to set it down and walk away for breaks, rather than to read it straight through.

From the cover of Headscarves and Hymens:

The journalist Mona Eltahawy is no stranger to controversy. Through her articles and actions she has fought for the autonomy, security, and dignity of Muslim women, drawing vocal supporters and detractors. Now, in her first book, Headscarves and Hymens, Eltahawy has prepared a definitive condemnation of the repressive forces – political, cultural, and religious – that reduce millions of women to second-class citizens.

Drawing on her years as a campaigner for and commentator on women’s issues in the Middle East, she explains that since the Arab Spring began in 2010, women in the Arab world have had two revolutions to undertake: one fought alongside men, against oppressive regimes, and another fought against an entire political and economic system that represses women in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, and other nations.

Eltahawy has traveled across the Middle East and North Africa, meeting with women and listening to their stories. Her book is a plea for outrage and action on their behalf, confronting a “toxic mix of culture and religion that few seem willing or able to disentangle lest they blaspheme or offend.” A manifesto motivated by hope and fury in equal measure, Headscarves and Hymens is as illuminating as it is incendiary.

Friday 56 – Like Water

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like waterThe Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice. The rules are simple – turn to page 56 in your current read (or 56% in your e-reader) and post a few non-spoilery sentences.

Today’s quote is from Like Water by Rebecca Podos.

In the ringing silence that follows, Leigh turns to me. It seems like she wants to say something more, but I’m already up and shuffling away across the beach. Because I did not switch shifts with Jake for this, I did not cram myself into a car with strangers just to have a staring match with Leigh Clemente. I had another goal in mind, and for a moment I have every intention of trailing after Lucas. Maybe this night can be salvaged.

Book Review: Catwoman – Soulstealer

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catwoman soulstealerCatwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons #3)
by Sarah J. Maas
Young Adult – Superheroes
358 pages
Published August 2018

So I needed a “book about a heist” for the PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge, and naturally, Catwoman fits the bill. It wouldn’t be a Catwoman novel/cartoon/graphic novel without a heist! Several, in fact, in this instance. And she teams up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to pull them off, even though she doesn’t seem to actually need the girls in this book. I love that Maas chose to include them, because Ivy/Harley/Catwoman is one of my all-time favorite team-ups. The book also delves into the relationship between Ivy and Harley, and Harley’s dysfunctional dependence on the Joker (who’s in Arkham for this book). I loved seeing that.

Interestingly, Batman doesn’t show, other than a few phone calls with Luke Fox, Lucius Fox’s son. Luke takes the traditional role of Batman-as-Catwoman’s-love-interest, but as Batwing, a sort-of Robin. (Maybe I read too many comics? Nah.) The switch was surprising; it’s always Catwoman and Batman, Selina and Bruce. Except when it’s Talia and Bruce, I suppose.

I do wonder if they’re going to do an ensemble cast novel after these first four books. (Wonder Woman: Warbringer, Batman: Nightwalker, and Superman: Dawnbreaker being the other three.) Superman doesn’t come out until January, but the first three have been very disconnected from one another. Wonder Woman wasn’t even mentioned in Batman or Catwoman. It seems odd to have them as a series, but never mention one another in each book? That, or the Superman book is going to tie the other three together, which seems like a disservice to Superman.

Anyway. I really liked Luke Fox as Batwing – the book touched, just a little bit, on racial issues, and how even as an obscenely rich black man he’s not entirely exempt from those. In one scene he worries about the color of his skin being seen through damage to his batsuit, and cops realizing he’s black. It’s a sober reminder that even in a city beset by evil clowns, it’s still set in the United States and we still have those racist systems in place.

The banter between Luke and Selina, and Selina and Harley and Ivy, is fantastic. I haven’t actually read any of Sarah J. Maas’ books – I know, I know – but if they’re like Catwoman, I should probably give in and do so. So far, Wonder Woman is still my favorite of the DC Icons series (which is no surprise, as I love Leigh Bardugo) but Catwoman is really good.

From the cover of Catwoman: Soulstealer:

SELINA KYLE IS A THIEF.
Two years after escaping Gotham city’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman away on a vital mission, Gotham City looks ripe for the taking.

LUKE FOX IS A HERO.
Luke wants to prove that as Batwing he has what it takes to help people. He targets a new thief on the prowl who has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Together, they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman is clever – she may be Batwing’s undoing.

IN GOTHAM CITY, NOT EVERYONE IS WHAT THEY SEEM.
Selina is playing a desperate game of cat and mouse, forming unexpected friendships and entangling herself with Batwing by night and her devilishly handsome neighbor Luke Fox by day. But with a dangerous threat from the past on her tail, will she be able to pull off the heist that’s closest to her heart?

Library Loot Wednesday

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So I’m not doing too good at whittling down the number of library books I have checked out… I turned in two this week and picked up six! America for Beginners finally showed up, and I checked that out on my first trip in, along with Feminasty: The Complicated Woman’s Guide to Surviving the Patriarchy Without Drinking Herself to Death.

On my second trip, I picked up Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, Wintersong, The Star-Touched Queen, and Mirage.

I got bogged down this week with some nonfiction, so I might spend this coming week speeding through some fantasy novels to knock out as many of these books as I can!

TTT – Bookstores or Libraries I’ve Always Wanted to Visit

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, and this week’s topic is Bookstores or Libraries I’ve Always Wanted to Visit. She has a link-up on her page where you can visit everyone participating this week! I’m going to try to focus on bookstores and libraries that I could realistically visit.

So first on my list is probably The Library of Congress. Despite living in Maryland for six years now, I still have not made it there. I’ve been to several other tourist attractions in DC, but just haven’t managed this one. I should probably plan an excursion to go do so! Maybe sometime this winter, when it’s not tourist season.

baldwin book barnMy husband and I are spending Thanksgiving Weekend in Philadelphia this year, as there’s a concert Friday night we have tickets to, and I’ve never been to Philly. I think I’ll try to convince him we should stop off at the Baldwin Book Barn on the way home, because it looks amazing.

Another local bookstore I haven’t made it to yet is Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffeehouse. They’re a local co-op specializing in radical literature, so they have a lot of books on civil rights, socialism, feminism, racism, class structure and the like. The cafe serves vegetarian and vegan responsibly sourced food. They’re one of the sponsors of the Baltimore Book Festival every year, and their stage is always full of important topics around racism and civil rights.

Speaking of sponsors of the Book Festival, The Ivy Bookshop is another store in Baltimore. They’re the main sponsor of the Book Festival, and had satellite tables at every stage selling the books of the authors presenting at each stage. They have an event calendar with lots of author events, so I’ll be keeping an eye on that to see if anything relevant to my interests pops up. I’ve never been to their actual shop. They actually have an event Halloween evening with two authors I met at the Book Festival, and one of them is Sam Miller. I wanted to buy Blackfish City and get it autographed at the Festival, but they were sold out by the time I went to get it. Sam said he’d sign a copy for me someday, so this might be my chance!

braddock libraryThe Braddock Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh was the first Carnegie library in the United States, and the building looks amazing. I actually visit Pittsburgh once a year, but Sunday would be the only day available to visit the library, and it’s closed on Sundays. Finding time during the rest of the weekend would be exceedingly difficult, sadly. It doesn’t surprise me that the building is beautiful, though, since the entire town of Pittsburgh is awesome.

My husband and I have talked a lot about visiting Toronto, and I’ve just discovered Bakka Phoenix Books, in Toronto, which specializes in science fiction and fantasy. That would definitely be one of our destinations!

Middle East Books and More is a bookstore in DC specializing in, obviously, Middle Eastern books. They also have pottery, food, oils, toys, DVDs, and other things related to the Middle East. They look fascinating!

I’m going to cheat on these last three and list places I’ve already BEEN but want to go to again.

First, a place I definitely WILL go to again, probably multiple times. The Book Thing of Baltimore is three large rooms full of free books. Donated books are put out on the shelves as fast as they can process them and make room on the shelves, which are always pretty full! There’s a pile of boxes in a corner for people to put their finds in, presumably from the stacks of boxes of donated books in their backroom. The place is only open on weekends, because it’s run by all volunteer labor. It’s amazing, and I always leave with a full box of books. The Book Thing was actually destroyed by a fire a few years ago, but it’s back up and running now, and one of my favorite places in Baltimore.

The last two are both back home in Oregon, one in Portland and one in my hometown of Eugene.

In Portland, of course, is Powell’s. Powell’s is the largest independent bookstore, taking up an entire city block, and has at least three floors of books. It really is an experience.

smith family booksLess well-known is Smith Family Books in Eugene. The location I usually went to was on the second floor of a building down by campus, across a hall from my friendly local game store, Emerald City Comics. Smith Family Books was two floors of mostly used books, with a few new ones mixed in. Shelves double-stacked with novels, stacks on the floor, corners over-running with books – Smith Family Books was one of my favorite places to idle away an afternoon. They have a second location that I’ve also been to, but the one down by campus was my favorite.

I can’t wait to see where everyone else wants to go! Have you been to any of these locations?

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Heart of Thorns

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heart of thornsHeart of Thorns
by Bree Barton
Fantasy
438 pages
Published July 2018

I almost bailed on this book. It’s not bad, exactly, it’s just – mediocre. Mia discovers that she is the thing she’s been taught to hate, discovers that maybe they’re not all bad, that what she’s been taught is probably wrong, but, y’know, maybe not entirely wrong – it’s just one trope after another. It was rather predictable.

And there’s this problem with the world. If every woman is suspected of being a witch, (sorry, Gwyrach) and they work their magic through touch – how is anyone having kids? Sure, women are required to wear gloves in public, but – the touch-magic doesn’t keep men from abusing women. Not like in The Power, where men start getting actually scared to touch women for fear of what could happen.

The only character in this book that I actually LIKED was Prince Quin. And maybe Dom, the flirtatious gay boy. Mia was rather thoroughly unlikable. First she blindly accepts that she should hate and kill Gwyrach, then is appalled to find out she (and her mother) are/were Gwyrach, and refuses to accept that because of course she can’t possibly be one of those reviled women. She refuses to take Quin into her confidence, despite him showing blind trust in her for most of the book. What does he have to do to prove himself to you, woman?

I’ve read much better feminist dystopias. This is oppressed-women-finding-their-hidden-powers-and-fighting-back clothed in a fantasy instead of a dystopia, and it’s not nearly as good as it could be. Despite ending on a cliffhanger, I don’t care enough about these characters to read the next book.

From the cover of Heart of Thorns:

Mia Rose wants only one thing: revenge against the Gwyrach who killed her mother.

In a world where only women can possess magic – and every woman is suspected of having it – the half-girl, half-god Gwyrach are feared, reviled, and hunted. After training under her father and his infamous Hunters, Mia is determined to scour the four kingdoms and enact the Hunters’ Creed: Heart for a heart, life for a life.

But then her father announces a quite different future: She will marry Prince Quin, heir to the throne. Just like that, smart, headstrong Mia is thrust into the last role she ever wanted: pretty, wifely bauble to the future king.

So on the eve of her wedding, Mia plots a daring escape, only to discover the unimaginable: She has magic. She may be a Huntress, but she’s also a Gwyrach.

As the truth comes to light, Mia must untangle the secrets of her own past. Friends darken into foes and logic begins to fray – as do the rules she has always played by. If Mia wants to survive, she must learn to trust her heart . . . even if it kills her.