Read Women discussion

This thread (suggested by Elizabeth) is a companion to the 'What are you reading now?' thread - for talking about books by women that you have just finished.

Because it's always a bit hard to judge the quality of a book before you finish it (unless it's truly awful!), this thread is for telling us your thoughts once you're done. Feel free use this thread for making recommendations (or warnings!), leaving mini-reviews/links to your main reviews, and generally just discussing what you've been reading and how you enjoyed it.

And if you want to get a bit more in detail about a specific book/author/series, feel free to create a specially dedicated thread for it in this 'book discussion' subforum too.

Thanks, Louise. While I finished it late January, a book I'd like to mention here is Elizabeth Strout's new release, My Name Is Lucy Barton. I mentioned in the What Are You Reading thread that it struck an emotional chord. My Review

Soon after reading my first Strout, a review described her style as "lambent" - a word I had to look up. I think the definition "having a light, appealing quality" does her an injustice because the connotation is that there is not much substance. But certainly Strout is an easy read stylistically, while she says much.

I just finished book 7 in Pamela Clare's romantic suspense I-Team series: Seduction Game. The series is excellent and this one didn't disappoint.

I just finished Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty and I loved it. Given the subject, it is amazingly funny and illuminating. It has made me thirsty for more reading on "the good death".

In the last month or so I've finished three books by female authors... just finished No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin - excellent as usual. Fascinating look at history and the Roosevelts. Plus The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt I had also recently finished A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell I have loved everything I've read by her thus far.

I just finished The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and enjoyed it but was a little underwhelmed. I don't often write reviews anymore (I find it harder and harder to find the energy now that I'm out of education and working full time) but it did prompt me to write a short review (here if anyone's interested). Basically it stayed too close to the original myth without offering enough of a new perspective for me - and the new perspective it did offer was less smart and more weepy than I had ever imagined Penelope myself.

Other books by women I've finished recently... (I had a bit of a string of male authored books) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I really liked it actually. Not going on my lists of favourites, but a very very good book. A post-apocalyptic novel set after (and before) a plague wipes out 99% of all humanity and explores the lives of several characters, all linked together by an actor who died on stage on the day of the outbreak. More character study than hard sci-fi.

I agree about The Penelopiad. The back of the book led me to expect something very different from the Odyssey story, but it wasn't. Just the same story from a slightly different point of view.

I thought the Greek chorus of the murdered maids was a really interesting addition. But apart from that...yeah, Penelope's narrative didn't really offer anything new. Still, it's a pretty quick and easy read, and I did enjoy it.

Ooops! Forgot to mention in the what I am reading thread that I was listening to The Nine Tailors. So not what I expected after looking at the picture on Wiki of Dorothy L. Sayers! The fens? The ringing of church bells?

Nothing like Christie (my only other real contact with British women mystery writers), but enjoyable. I wonder if I would have enjoyed it so much without Carmichael's reading.

One thing I found interesting / frustrating was that often you were presented with only one side of a conversation, with responses to queries or statements, which would seem quite obvious from the replies, but I do wonder if it was like this in the written text, and if so, why it would be presented this way.

Amanda wrote: "One thing I found interesting / frustrating was that often you were presented with only one side of a conversation, with responses to queries or statements, which would seem quite obvious from the replies, but I do wonder if it was like this in the written text, and if so, why it would be presented this way. "

I have that book - it's one of my favourites of hers. Flicking through it, I can see a couple of places where there's one person speaking with a lot of gaps in the conversation marked by 3 dots. I would guess she does it to make it immediate (dialogue instead of descriptive summary) without dragging the reader through pages and pages of a minor scene.

If you liked it, Murder Must Advertise is fun, or you could try Strong Poison where Wimsey meets Harriet Vane.

I recently finished The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Let's just say I was underwhelmed.

Rosemary wrote: "If you liked it, Murder Must Advertise is fun, or you could try Strong Poison where Wimsey meets Harriet Vane."

Murder is on my list for the season as an additional book, so I may get to it depending on how I go with my core reads, and how i can fit it in with all my other additional books and library borrowing. If I could get an audiobook I would definitely be getting it, but I am struggling to find audiobooks through my library system this season, and am just glad my husband had previously acquired 3 Raymond Chandler's which I am going to borrow from him.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I recently finished The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Let's just say I was underwhelmed."

oh dear :(

I am trying to remember what I liked about it, but I read it early in my GR career, and can't remember.

A few days ago, I finished Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You: 13 Stories by Alice Munro. I like Munro very much, but I thought this collection fell somewhat flat. Interestingly it is on Bloom's Western Canon, so maybe there was something I missed.

Last evening I finished Out of Africa. This was a five-star read for me. My review.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Last evening I finished Out of Africa. This was a five-star read for me. My review."

I enjoyed your review, Elizabeth. I've had this book for years and will definitely be reading it sometime soon!

Kathleen wrote: "I enjoyed your review, Elizabeth. I've had this book for years and will definitely be reading it sometime soon! "

Thank you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I just read Eliza's Daughter which is Joan Aiken's sequel to Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

Eliza's daughter is a fantastic book. It looks at the sorts of characters that are invisibilised by class in Austen's world-view but also shows us a different (and sad) side to the Dashwood sisters. It's a strongly feminist novel. Really horrifying things happen but mostly offstage. It extremely carefully written and seems meticulously researched to me.

I highly recommend it. People who have a true appreciation of Austen as well as people who don't like her should like this. People who read Austen as fluffy romance will probably not like this!

Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just finished The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate. She writes beautifully, and I think I'll spend a moment or two to see what else of hers might interest me. In the meantime, here is my review of this book.

I'm running behind on my goal of 30 women authors this year - only 13. But my goal was to read 25 different authors, and there are not repeats in those 13, so on pace for that goal.

Am I on a roll? I just finished Anne Tyler's Searching for Caleb and I quite enjoyed it.

My Review

The Ice Princess

I have noticed that Swedish crime capers are immensely detailed and they weave a beautiful story that can span centuries. I'm not sure why Nordic storytellers are so adept at this but I am most impressed. I've been told by several people that they do not read crime fiction by women because it "lacks the gritty adult themes" that male authors must, by default, include in their writing. For awhile in my youth I continued to believe this narrative but that fell away when I read Lackberg. Her beautiful writing style and attention to detail made her novels seem to be on par with any other best selling crime author but she also knew how to weave in the under-current of female emotion and how women relate to crime as the largest group targeted by crime. She is quietly and assuredly feminist and gives her male characters a depth and beauty that many authors never reserve for female characters in crime novels.

In this book I highly recommend the scene where Erica discovers Anna's body. I have always been turned off by how much detail crime authors go into when describing the lovely, but violated and fallen angel, the victim. The further intensity of the autopsy takes on a tone of further indignity to the angelic victim and the lack of reality combined with nearly phallic tropes and the violation of even the most intimate privacy always leaves me soured to the author and to crime drama in general. Camilla did something completely different and related the condition of Anna's body and the relevance of the crime scene to Erica's inner musings and her relationship with the victim. I won't give any spoilers but the conclusion will also surprise you in its cold horror and warm human relationships.

Camilla Lackberg gives you a reality that is harsh and cold that can only be survived by becoming multi-dimensional and faulty human characters in the story of life. She is an amazing authoress as she embraces both her own femininity and the flaws and joys of all humans regardless of gender, race or creed. I highly recommend this book on a wintry night piled in heavy covers!

I just finished Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay.

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro

The GR members who have shelved this as "coming of age" knew more about this novel than did I and it is a perfect description. I don't usually like such stories - are they usually about boys? This is the story of a girl, about 10 or so when the story opens. In high school, she is nerdy and awkward. She longs to know about boys, to know what it is to be admired, to know about sex.

Del's mother, for the times especially (by now post-war), is an enlightened woman.

"There is a change coming I think in the lives of girls and women. Yes. But it is up to us to make it come. All women have had up till now has been their connection with men. All we have had. No more lives of our own, really, than domestic animals. He shall hold thee, when his passion shall have spent its novel force, a little closer than his dog, a little dearer than his horse. Tennyson wrote that. It's true. Was true. You will want to have children, though."

Alice Munro has such powers of observation. In this, she gives Del those powers, and we see the world around her. She tells us of her maiden great aunts, of her mother, of a teacher, of her best friend. Stories in the first person can certainly have unreliable narrators, and I had occasional misgivings. The novel is primarily a characterization of Del, and sometimes we don't know - and can't tell - the truth about ourselves. Perhaps not all of Del's observations are accurate, but for the most part they felt true.

This is said to be "autobiographical in form but not in fact." This, her only novel, helps us see the well from which she finds her stories. It's hard not to like Alice Munro - another 5-stars.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro

The GR members who have shelved this as "coming of age" knew more about this novel than did I and it is a perfect description. I ..."

Sigh, thanks. My lunch break library book stack is going to be larger now that I want to pick this one up as well.. ;)

Hi everyone!!
I've just finished reading Tara Road by Maeve Binchy. It's the second book I've read by this writer as I had read Circle of Friends before and I have to say that I really loved the book! For some reason I kept thinking it was set in Dublin in the 1960s but that's maybe just because Circle of Friends was set in the 50s....... I loved the way she portrays her protagonist and the way she describes life in Dublin, though I'm aware that Irish friendliness may be a little idealized. Has anyone read it? Have you seen the film? I was wondering whether it would be worth watching or if it would spoil my idea of the characters and settings......
By for now!!!!!

I read Tara Road several years ago. Maeve Binchy is a good, cozy read.

I just finished Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists. I'm tackling the A-Z challenge. What a good start! So much good packed into such a little book.

I just finished White is for Witching and A Tale for the Time Being this past week. I didn't really care for either of them, but I'd like to re-read White is for Witching at a later point and see how I feel about it after I give it another shot.

I finished The Bed Moved last night and I was quite disappointed. It absolutely did not live up to the hype, and while I plan on writing a full review of it later today, it's a bit difficult to articulate why I didn't really enjoy it. So I'll be stewing on that for a while!

Lisa wrote: "I just finished Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists. I'm tackling the A-Z challenge. What a good start! So much good packed into such a little book."

I couldn't believe how much she managed to articulate in such a tiny piece! I've gone back to this book many, many times and continually search out Adichie's work.

Marthaeire wrote: "Hi everyone!!
I've just finished reading Tara Road by Maeve Binchy. It's the second book I've read by this writer as I had read Circle of Friends before and I have to say that I really loved the bo..."

I also enjoy Maeve Binchy. She may never win literary prizes but she has insights into human nature and often a sense of humor, which I always appreciate.

Bailey wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I just finished Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists. I'm tackling the A-Z challenge. What a good start! So much good packed into such a little book."

I couldn't belie..."

I'm new to her. I first heard her TED talk on the danger of the single narrative earlier this year. I loved it. I am looking forward to reading more. I've also been passing that book around, its just so good.

Robin wrote: "I also enjoy Maeve Binchy. She may never win literary prizes but she has insights into human nature and often a sense of humor, which I always appreciate."

Maeve Binchy died a few years ago.

I finished reading this week A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston and The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbit. With the former, the writing is good but I wished that there is more development in the relationship between the female narrator and the good king rather than her and the demon. For the E. Nesbit book, the children are adorably clever, although I have mixed feelings toward their behavior and expressions at certain parts of the book. I'll be reading next Celine Dion: My Story, My Dream and a Victoria Holt book that I have yet to decide what from among my collections.

Hello! I just finished reading Homegoing by Yaa Guasi.
I liked it although I wished the end was "more". It's a historical fiction book.I think it's a book about women, their choices or lack thereof. Slavery, family, tradition, sacrifice, love, forgiveness, and hope. It makes one think about how our choices and behaviour bring consequences that would affect more than just oneself.

Claudia wrote: "Hello! I just finished reading Homegoing by Yaa Guasi.
I liked it although I wished the end was "more". It's a historical fiction book.I think it's a book about women, their choices or lack thereof..."

I read it a couple of months ago. I gave it three stars because I wasn't entirely happy with it. I posted my review on goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Bailey wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I just finished Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists. I'm tackling the A-Z challenge. What a good start! So much good packed into such a little book."

I couldn't belie..."

I love love LOVE Adichie. After picking up her novel, Americanah, and finishing it in 2 weeks (pretty good achievement considering a full-time job with overtime) I've been planning on going through the rest of her published works.

I finally finished my Net Galley ARC of The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. The ending destroyed any interest I might have in a sequel. I could see why the central character would be going down the road that her italicized future self was walking in this book. That was not a story that I wanted to read. The Bone Witch has a couple of side characters that I really liked. It's too bad that they didn't get more space in the narrative.

Nancy wrote: "I finished reading this week A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston and The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbit. With the former, the writing is good but I wished that there is more development in the ..."

E. Nesbit was the forerunner of J.K. Rowling. I grew up with her books which may be a little dated now (in the roles of boys vs girls, for instance) but generally hold up well 100 years after publication.

I finished reading Men in Black Dresses: A Quest for the Future Among Wisdom-Makers of the Middle East by Yvonne Seng. She is a cultural historian who returns to the Middle East to conduct interviews with religious and spiritual leaders (the men in black dresses). I enjoyed her style of writing and found the insights revealed through her interviews refreshing and comforting. I posted my review on goodreads at
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and on my website at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com

"Faces in the Pool", Jonathan Gash. Caught his name reading about a television series (that I don't remember and have never seen). Mystery. Very disjointed - kept me asking, " . . . and who is that?" . . . interesting and challenging to read. Lots of definitions of slang words that weren't used actually as defined . . . different.

I just finished La sombra del viento (The shadow of the wind) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It was really good, I really enjoyed it. I gave it 4 stars.

Just finished The Gardens of Consolation, which I really enjoyed. Well written and liked all the main characters, which is always a plus. Recommended if you want a book on Iran's recent history, but NOT focusing on the Islamic revolution.

I recently finished I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I picked up the book randomly thinking it was fiction but was pleasantly surprised to find it's the first of seven autobiographies written by Maya Angelou, focusing on her life between the ages of 6-19ish.

I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a Black female author to read about.

I've just finished The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and I must say that I was a little disappointed because it was not as good as the first book of the Cormoran Strike series. Of course, J.K. Rowling's style is still as good but there are too many secondary plots which tend to slow down the action. I don't know if anyone has read it yet and feels the same, but I'm ready to give the series a new chance and will read the third opus.

I just finished Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. I did not previously know much about her history. I just like her movies. Throughout the book I laughed out loud and found myself nodding along as she recounts some of her experiences. We share a few of the same quirks, apparently, ha. Overall, I found it an enjoyable read and I'm now a bigger fan of hers.

Isabelle wrote: "I've just finished The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and I must say that I was a little disappointed because it was not as good as the first book of the Cormoran Stri..."

I liked all of them on audio. The narrator Robert Glennister is excellent. I don't usually read modern mysteries like this with violence and gore (I prefer when someone keels over prettily in an English vicarage) but Strike & Robin are such great characters. You get to know more about each of them as the series goes on. The whodunnit part of mysteries is always the least interesting part to me, and I often can't remember who turns out to be the villain or why. But I'll remember the characters and relationships. I like complex characters who develop during the series and an interesting setting. In The Silkworm Rowling gets to portray the world of literary celebrities, editors, etc, which she obviously knows herself.

I will definitely read the next one because I love this author's style, her visual descriptions, the richness of her vocabulary and as you say it yourself, the development of her characters. However, the world of celebrities and editors that she depicts, even if well-known to her, is not a very appealing one as it was also criticized in the first book. But here it has become totally gruesome.

I commute 100 miles round trip so I've become a huge fan of audio renderings. The local library is my resource and I peruse the choices of authors I may not have found on the shelves.

Recently, I came across an author I didn't know, Lisa Tucker. I just finished listening (reading) Promised World. The main characters are a set of fraternal twins, one male and one female. The bond is intact as the two faced a troubled childhood that is left behind after an event that will alter their lifetimes.

Lila and Billy continue to have an bond over the years that somewhat alienate their spouses and offspring. The secrets they share are not privy to their loved ones. It's even more complicated as Lila has a hazy memory of their childhood and Billy is her champion and historian as the years go by.

But, the odd balance the twins share is tragically altered when Billy perishes by an event orchestrated by him to be killed. "Suicide by cops" is more accurate.

Lila begins to unravel and their hazy past must be clarified so Lila and her niece, Pearl and William, her nephew can lived in a promised world.

Claudia wrote: "I commute 100 miles round trip so I've become a huge fan of audio renderings. The local library is my resource and I peruse the choices of authors I may not have found on the shelves.

Recently, I ..."

Are these spoilers?