book meme, and well, BOOKS! <3
I spontaneously decided to rearrange my bookshelf and am in the middle of it, and then saw a book meme, very appropriately. I may be late for World Book Day, but oh, well:
The book I am reading:
"A Conspiracy of Kings" by Megan Whalen Turner, mostly, but I also got distracted by "The Cult of the Divine Birth in Ancient Greece" by Marguerite Rigoglioso, which Amazon sent me today. YOU GUYS, THE RESEARCH IN THIS BOOK! *dies*
The book I am writing:
While not quite writing, I'm kind of outlining/playing with the idea of retelling Classical myths with goddesses from their POVs, giving them more positive/empowering motivations (and f/f interaction!) than canon does, but in a format where it's kind of one long epic story containing many interconnected stories. Something like I did with the Hera and Athena story for Yuletide, but more extensive, and involving the whole pantheon.
The book(s) I love most:
I know people have been passing on this one, but I shall use this opportunity to squee over some of my favorites...the ones I can remember off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are more:
"A Lost Lady" by Willa Cather - This book does something that I have never seen done half as well anywhere else: it lovingly deconstructs the Courtly Love genre in such a way that I both WANT MORE OF IT and totally HATE IT FOR THE FAIL. It's epic. And the heroine! <3 Possibly my favorite classic literary heroine ever.
"The Descent of Inanna" - So, I have a thing for ancient stories, and this is one of the oldest extant texts we have, so that alone makes me love it. But! It is the ORIGINAL descent narrative! With the woman going on the epic journey, even though it sort of became the domain of male heroes in myth later on. I love how powerful she is, and how much the text focuses on her sexuality and desire for power, and it's all done so positively. And the poetry is some of the most powerful I have read, and it makes me want to believe in these stories.
"Medea" by Euripides - Ancient Greek play about one woman sticking it to the Patriarchy exactly where it hurts the most. And getting away with it. Okay, fine, Medea may be my favorite literary heroine ever.
"Beloved" by Toni Morrison - The Medea myth transformed to the Old South, where the same act of defiance is seen as a form of rebelling against slavery, and this book is just so...gah. Perfect. I love Medea as a hardcore creepy heroine? But this is the book that makes me understand her as a human being because Sethe is so vividly drawn, so scary, but so incredibly human. And the complex, nuanced relationships between the women are unlike any in canon literature. It's entirely possible she's my favorite literary heroine? ;)
"The Season of Passage" by Christopher Pike - One of my earliest favorites and despite all of Christopher Pike's fail since then and my issues with parts of it, this remains one of my favorite stories. Of course...I haven't read it in a while, and TBH, I'm kind of afraid to? But it's a perfect mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror with epic characters.
Jane Austen! Because I can't pick between "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice." I think I like "Emma" better on a critical level in terms of REALLY appreciating what Austen is doing with her heroine? But I think P&P is closer to my heart for various reasons, not least of which is the household dynamic with the SISTERS (<3) and the non-faily romance elements, though they're not quite deconstructive.
It occurs to me that a few years ago, this list would have definitely included things like "The Iliad" and "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and even "The Great Gatsby?" But I'm so much less impressed with stories about men these days. "A Lost Lady" is pretty much a more female centric version of "The Great Gatsby," and so closer to my heart, and Inanna and Medea are funner than Gilgamesh and Achilles, as much as I love Achilles.
The last book I received as a gift:
Nancy Drew and Christopher Pike books WRAPPED IN PLASTIC to facilitate my ways. <3
The last book I gave as a gift:
A Lost Lady and Women Who Run with Wolves.
The nearest book on my desk:
I have about 15ish books on my bed right now, all various retellings of Greek myths from women's POVs...since that's the section I'm rearranging right now.
The last book I bought for myself:
My last order from amazon included the following: "The Cult of the Divine Birth in Ancient Greece" by Marguerite Rigoglioso, "A Long Fatal Love Chase" by Louisa May Alcott, "Lady Audley's Secret" by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, "Turn of the Screw" by Henry James, and "House of Seven Gables" by Nathaniel Hawthrone.