In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Reading is Awesome

Hello, all!

Last summer, I spent two weeks guest posting here as The Girl Detective, and had a wonderful time.  (I also blog at Modern Mitzvot and cross-post many of my entries to Alas, A Blog).  Now I’m thrilled to be back on board as one of Feministe’s new book reviewers.  I’ll be writing up one or two books (along with the occasional movie or album) each month; if you’re a member of a small press or are self-publishing, drop us a line at feministe@gmail.com and we’ll let you know where to send review copies.

Also, Jill suggested that we try out a book club, which I think is a fabulous idea.  (Note: if you’re not an Oprah fan, feel free to call it a discussion group.  If a discussion group sounds boring, you may call it a text-centered opinion exchange collective.  I’ll be privately calling it The Read ‘n’ Think.)  For our first book, how about Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore’s So Many Ways to Sleep Badly?  Here’s the description from City Lights:

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore’s exhilarating new novel is about struggling to find hope in the ruins of everyday San Francisco—battling roaches, Bikram Yoga, chronically bad sex, NPR, internet cruising, tweakers, the cops, $100 bills, chronic pain, the gay vote, vegan restaurants, and incest, with the help of air-raid sirens, herbal medicine, late-night epiphanies, sea lions, and sleeping pills. So Many Ways to Sleep Badly unveils a gender-bending queer world where nothing flows smoothly, except for those sudden moments when everything becomes lighter or brighter or easier to imagine.

Sounds good to me!  Shall we discuss it on, say, January 4th?  Nice Sunday book chat?  We won’t be too hung over from New Years, right?

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7 thoughts on Reading is Awesome

  1. Sounds great! I love book clubs that read books by new and emerging authors, especially those that deal with queer related or feminist issues! It’s so important to show the publishing industry that there is a market for these kinds of books and to support the authors.

    Although I’m currently finishing my MA thesis (in English Lit!) and won’t be doing any non-school related reading until well into 2009, I am excited that you are starting a book club and I look forward to someday taking part in it! You rock! Keep up the great work!

    Amanda R.
    http://www.antigonemagazine.wordpress.com

  2. The timing of this may make this the first feminist blog book club I might be able to participate in. I’m a full-time college student (and an English major), so I always have too much reading on my plate to add another book on top of it all, but this would be during Winter Break. I am thrumming with possibilities!

  3. I just bought a copy of this when Mattilda held a reading up here in Montreal. I can’t wait to discuss it with all you Feministes.

  4. Now. When do we get to discuss your book, Miss Julie?

    WHEN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY RECOGNIZES MY GENIUS! *sob*

    To everyone interested in the book club – awesome! I think City Lights (the publisher) does mail order, so you can get the book that way. And, of course, Amazon…

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