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11/19/09 09:48 pm - Tipping the Velvet

Tipping the Velvet is a historical romance novel by Sarah Waters. The story is about a young woman named Nancy who falls in love with Kitty after she sees her perform on stage as a male impersenator aka "a masher."

The story is written in first person and is easy to read. London is depicted very well throughout the entire novel. I almost felt as if I was walking through the streets of London myself because of the vivid descriptions in the novel. Part 1,2 & 3 all flow together really well. There's not a single part in the story which drags the rest of the story which is unusual in first-time writers such as the then Sarah Waters. The story has a rich selection of characters all of which are very realistic. In particular Sarah Waters succeeded in creating sympathetic dislikable characters which is a rare element in most litriture.

The story explores various themes such as sexuality, gender, and politics. Sexuality is explored through a number of characters; there's Nan who starts the novel as a closetted lesbian but eventually becomes an open lesbian towards the end of the novel and of course there's Kitty who remains ashamed of her sexuality throughout the entire novel. There is also Nancy's sister Alice who is homophobic and of course there are some characters who are indifferent about homosexuality. Gender is explored primarilly through Nancy's character. Throughout Part 2 Nancy realizes that it is easier to walk through the streets as a male rather than as a woman. Nancy notes that she feels more comfortable in males clothing and that it is more practical for work. Politics is explored primarilly through the characters Ralph and Florence Banner who are devoted Socialists.

So in short if you like romance novels and novels which explore sexuality, gender and politics then I would deffinately reccomend this book to you.

11/2/09 12:44 pm - Tithe: A Modern Fairy Tale

Tithe A Modern Faerie Tale.jpg

Tithe is about a young girl named Kaye who discovers that she  is a changeling, a fairy offspring secrectly switched by members of the Seelie court with a human offspring. 

I picked up Tithe because I've read a lot of positive reviews about it and because I love fantasy. However despite this I was deeply dissapointed. This was mainly because I found Black's writing style very confusing. There were many times throughout the novel where I had to re-read certain sections because the scenes were too rushed, such as the scene where the carisole poney came to life, or because they just didn't make sense.

I also disliked many of the characters such as Kaye and Janet because they were nothing but ignorant layabouts, Ellen because she is irresponsible, and the fairies Lutie Loo and Spike because I thought they were stupid and annoying and also because they lacked personality. I'm not sure about Roiben's character. I think his character could have been a lot more interesting than he was. In fact my favorite character happened to be Corny because gay characters rarely appear in fantasy but even he annoyed me as a character. However I liked the realism in the way teenagers are presented in the novel. The main character Kaye is 15 and like many teenagers she likes to drink, smoke, and shop-lift. 

There were times when I just didn't understand the characters at all. For instance there was a scene where one minute Kaye was stressing about her lost friend and the next minute she was stressing about what people might think about her costume. This would never happen in real life. 

I also think that the cover art is terrible. In particular I think that the fairy is way out of proportion. The head and wings are too small compared to the rest of Kaye's body which looks like it should belong to a giant not a fairy, or more technically a pixie. I also think it's a bit odd that the fairy creatures at the front are all reddish and yellowish in color whilst the fairy creatures in the back are all bluish and greenish in color. Although I do to like the later cover art with the black background and the glowing wings because it is simple and pleasing to the eye.    

Anyway the strange thing is that although I did not like the book much I still would like to read the sequeals Valliant and Ironside. However this is mainly because I hate starting something and not finishing it.   
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10/12/09 09:00 am - Amazons

Title: On the Trail of Women Warriors: The Amazons in Myth and History 
Author: Lyn Webster Wilde
Pages: 240 pages (hardcover)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: This book explores the possible facts and fiction behind the facinating Amazons. 
What I liked: I thought that the information was very well researched. Wilde included maps of possible Amazon locations as well as photos of Amazons in ancient artworks. I also liked the way that Wild provided an overview of various cultures associated with the Amazon legend in an open-minded, thoughtfull manner. In particular I found it facinating that there really were women warriors during the Bronze Age period which may have inspired the creations of the Amazons.
What I disliked: I think that although Wilde did a good job at researching various stories which may have inspired the creation of the Amazons, some of these stories seemed far too long-winded or very unlikely to actually be considered as a possible "evidence." There were also some chapters which I think were unneccessary -such as the chapters which explored some of the famous Greek Gods. Therefore I think that this book could have been a lot shorter than it was.
Would I reccomend it?: I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in Amazon's or warrrior women because unlike most authors who write about this subject Wilde does not pretend that the Amazons ever existed -- she simply explores the possible inpirations behind their creations.
Other books that I have read by this author: None.    
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9/28/09 02:28 pm - Over Sea, Under Stone



Title:
Over Sea, Under Stone
Author: Susan Cooper
Pages: ?
My Rating: 2.5/ 5
Summary: Over Sea, Under Stone is the first novel in the Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper. The story follows the adventures of Simon, Jane and Barney, who discover an ancient map whilst on a holiday at Cornwell. The children realize that there is Latin writing on the map. Simon is able to translate bit's of the map and together the children realize that the map is somehow related to King Arthur. However, it's not until the children reveal the map to Merry that they discover that the map actually leads to the grail. The rest of the story revolves around the three children and Merry trying to find the grail whilst at the same time trying to protect it from the mysterious enemy who will do anything to get it.
What I liked: I liked the fact that the children had to discover the grail by themselves using only the clues on the map. The reason why I point this out in particular is becuase too many fantasy novels/ series involve children using magic or magical items to be able to achieve their goals.
What I disliked: I found that the novel was a little too childish however it can be argued that this was because the main characters were young children so this can easilly be dismissed. I also didn't like the character's Simon and Jane. I disliked Simon because he was too smug and was always insulting the others and I disliked Jane because she was stupid and annoying.
Would I recommend it? Yes. This novel is suitable for anyone to read.
Other novels that I've read by this author: none.

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