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Work is being awful (news at 11...), I'm about to have a three day weekend of suck (a ton of family obligations, 
roga is abroad, and I basically have nothing fun scheduled UGH /o\ this three day weekend is more like a punishment), so let's talk about something cheerful and fun.
Recently I was recced a book that I would consider to be a restorative experience if you found the 50 Shades books to depict an abusive dynamic (I've reviewed 50 Shades but I find it's almost impossible to discuss its flaws at this point without contributing to gross statements about women's taste in literature that I disagree with, so.) I know there are probably loads of books that fit that definition, but this is definitely the best one I've tried, and I don't generally have a huge interest in female-submissive-male-dom type stories.
(As a side note, because I have a lifelong interest in porn as a cultural product and porn literature specifically as a historic narrative, I have this weird thing where I don't want to hear editorializing about the revolutionary or subversive nature of modern "erotic fiction" unless the writer has read, at the very least, "The Story of O" and something of de Sade's besides "Justine". I just, like, recently realized that and was like, wow self, high bar much?)
Anyway, the book I'm talking about is Kit Rocha's Beyond Shame, first in their Beyond series.
The premise is a post-apocalyptic world where sheltered, privileged city dweller Noelle is tossed out into the badlands for sneaking off to a sex party, only to get picked up by one of the fiercest gangs in the region and become one of them.
Which, I mean, that plot is technically there, but at least 80% of that book is sex scenes, so you know. It's mostly an excuse for some generic worldbuilding. I started book 2 and it's disappointingly much, much heavier on the plot (which I intensely don't care about), but book 1 could have easily taken place in space.
It's not that anything this book does is new, it's that it takes cliches that normally make me want to vomit and does them WELL. Does them with consent, with emotional nuance, with sufficient characterization. It's hard to get me to read an entire book full of female submissives and their loving male doms. But this book managed it.
Mostly though, as well done as Beyond Shame was, it made me crave (CRAVE!) a gender-switched version of its premise. Like, not even different literature, just literally fanfic of this book except genderswitched. I hope I still remember it when yuletide rolls around. If any of you would like to read Beyond Shame and talk about the genderswitched version with me, I'm always here for that, by the way.
comments on Dreamwidth
roga is abroad, and I basically have nothing fun scheduled UGH /o\ this three day weekend is more like a punishment), so let's talk about something cheerful and fun.
Recently I was recced a book that I would consider to be a restorative experience if you found the 50 Shades books to depict an abusive dynamic (I've reviewed 50 Shades but I find it's almost impossible to discuss its flaws at this point without contributing to gross statements about women's taste in literature that I disagree with, so.) I know there are probably loads of books that fit that definition, but this is definitely the best one I've tried, and I don't generally have a huge interest in female-submissive-male-dom type stories.
(As a side note, because I have a lifelong interest in porn as a cultural product and porn literature specifically as a historic narrative, I have this weird thing where I don't want to hear editorializing about the revolutionary or subversive nature of modern "erotic fiction" unless the writer has read, at the very least, "The Story of O" and something of de Sade's besides "Justine". I just, like, recently realized that and was like, wow self, high bar much?)
Anyway, the book I'm talking about is Kit Rocha's Beyond Shame, first in their Beyond series.
The premise is a post-apocalyptic world where sheltered, privileged city dweller Noelle is tossed out into the badlands for sneaking off to a sex party, only to get picked up by one of the fiercest gangs in the region and become one of them.
Which, I mean, that plot is technically there, but at least 80% of that book is sex scenes, so you know. It's mostly an excuse for some generic worldbuilding. I started book 2 and it's disappointingly much, much heavier on the plot (which I intensely don't care about), but book 1 could have easily taken place in space.
It's not that anything this book does is new, it's that it takes cliches that normally make me want to vomit and does them WELL. Does them with consent, with emotional nuance, with sufficient characterization. It's hard to get me to read an entire book full of female submissives and their loving male doms. But this book managed it.
Mostly though, as well done as Beyond Shame was, it made me crave (CRAVE!) a gender-switched version of its premise. Like, not even different literature, just literally fanfic of this book except genderswitched. I hope I still remember it when yuletide rolls around. If any of you would like to read Beyond Shame and talk about the genderswitched version with me, I'm always here for that, by the way.
comments on Dreamwidth