Welcome to Litsy!

I am posting one book per day from my extensive, and ever growing, TBR shelves. Some are old and some are new, some were gifts and some I don't remember why I bought them.
Day 49
#ABookADay2024

Framing device: Canterbury tales.

Some women meet in Hell‘s Kitchen (the actual Hell‘s actual Kitchen). There‘s a refrigerator looming in the corner, and in the women‘s lives, there were once #superheroes.

One more thing our “heroines” have in common: their inferior #shortstories have turned them bitter.

Audiobook recommended, and (this time) +5 for Valente.

#anthology #feminism #sf #sfwrittenbyawoman

This is on sale for $1.99! This graphic novel is about the wives/girlfriends/etc whose only purpose is to further the plot for the superhero and it‘s usually through some violent means. These are their stories that they haven‘t got to tell.

I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description or reason for wanting to read the book. Some are old and some will be new. Don't judge me - I have a lot of books.
Day 264

#tbrmountain #bookbuyingdiet

And another round of #unpopuaropinion

It seems like Valente and I are not meant for each other. Already the first book I read by her couldn't really satisfy me. This here was even worse. In my opinion, this title doesn't add anything to the superhero genre, nor does it address the social problems deeply enough. To me, it feels more like Valente just got on the hype train.

What I've learned from reading this: No Valente books for me anymore.

Yesterday I went for another Bahn Mi sandwich recipe. This time it was one with meat in it. I actually prefer thisvone, but only because it comes with an awesome sauce 😁

#FoodandLit #Vietnam @Texreader @Butterfinger

Joining in the fun of #top6reads of 2020 so far. Bonus book included because I abhor even numbers. I‘m certain a couple of these will top my faves of the year come December, but I‘m curious to see what I read between now and then might displace one (or more) of the above!

Tagging anyone who wants to join in. What have you read this year that‘s really resonated or delighted?

Day 2 of #7Books7Days books that impacted me. Raw feminism in a nerdy package 🤓

The writing is visceral. The characterizations sharp. I think this book is pretty close to perfection. I‘m not super familiar with all of the comic book heroines that inspired these monologues - but I was still able to guess 5 out of 6. I think anyone who‘d like to read a biting commentary on the treatment of women in comics would do well to pick this one up. No previous comics knowledge necessary, tho it‘ll help.

Bwahaha - last week I cast a wide net hoping I‘d read a lot from the stack I chose... with limited results. 🤣 I‘ll do the same this week and hope for the best. Two of these definitely need to be finished by the end of the week - and 3 of the graphic novels are due back at the library soonish... so maybe that‘ll prompt me to read sooner than later.
I‘m about to give up on Capote - I think the time isn‘t right for me.
#weeklyforecast

Within a few minutes of finishing this amazing audiobook on Libby, I ordered the last hardcover on Amazon 😂 I tried to buy 2 to gift one to a friend, but only one was left. I might keep it... 🤫

Wow. This was brilliant! Confronting the comic book trope of fridging women, the book gives voices to 6 women who have been depowered and killed as a result of their relationships with superheroes. My favourite thing about it was how raw the stories were, and the variety of female experiences, all told in 1st person narrative from beyond the grave. I did it on audio and it was powerfully delivered. PICK PICK PICK

An amazing book! It features 6 women each with distinct voices and stories! It recentres ignored women in comics, but you don‘t need to know about comics to like it!

What's the difference btw being dead & having a boyfriend? ....Death sticks around.

I cannot describe how much I loved this and wished it would continue, telling all these women's stories!! I'm a sucker for retellings, especially those from the overlooked POV. I loved Polly's story b/c it was chilling; is getting someone to like her for 5 min a superpower or is it a sad reality that it is that easy to manipulate the tropes that surround a woman?

It didn't feel so bad. Human contact is a terrible drug.

Love love love this author, and this is one of my favorites of her works I‘ve read so far. I‘m not a huge comics reader, so I didn‘t recognize all of the women in the stories, but even the ones I wasn‘t familiar with were still fantastic!

“When you don‘t need anything anymore, the only thing you need is stories, and songs, and beauty, and spectacle. That‘s the good stuff. The stuff that reminds us who we are.”

#QuotsyApr19 | 23: #Spectacular

📷: Made with Typorama

This book was amazing! You could tell who some of the characters were meant to be even if you didn't kniw the comics that well (these seem to be mostly based on DC) and the women were actually fleshed out characters. I loved that the themes changed for each story but still connected to each other, and how emotions are shown to be important instead of being treated as a weakness.

Contemporary lady authors edition (because this task is impossible):

Kate Atkinson
Ali Smith
Catherynne M. Valente
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Lauren Groff

Well it took its sweet ass time...but my boxing day sale #Bookoutlethaul finally got here!

🤸‍♂️🤸‍♂️

A few are missing from the pic cuz they were for my roommates kid and she took off with them already. 🤷‍♂️😂

I'm halfway through and having a lot of not so good feelings bubbling up.

Unfortunately, 'Refrigerator Monologues' was my first Cat Valente work. Fortunately, it was a very good choice, full of comic trope exploration from the POV of familiar yet (sometimes) dead female characters.

So fun and sly and sweet and sharp-tongued. I ❤️ Catherynne Velente‘s brain.

Read my 5-star review of The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2430033405

Some fun listening this week while catching up at work. Making the most of post-vacation blues!

When Valente writes her infinitely creative characters, it‘s as if she embodies them. In the case of The Refrigerator Monologues, the characters are only her own creation in part, because they already existed in another form. But the way she built this universe expressly for the purpose of telling untold stories without hacking away at what had already been built is the height of critical work & feminism. I‘m at a loss as to how to review this.

“What is this after-school-special horseshit? It‘s the kind of thing some asshole in Ohio gets the National Book Award for writing while he screws his grad students and cries his way to tenure.”

Well, damn. This book is so much more real than I expected from the premise.

Some stats:
# of books I was already reading: 5
# of books I already had on loan: 3
# of books unread in my personal library: a bajillion
# of books I checked out at the library today: 7

I suppose math may not be my strong suit.

The title made me pick it up. I didn‘t even open the book and I learned something. It‘s a fantastic book of linked short stories from the POV of women whose stories have been ‘refrigerated‘ (killed, injured...) so that a male superhero‘s story arc could move forward. #riotgrams day 3: favourite title.

Sad and poignant. Couldn‘t put it down, looking forward to the next character intro and how it happened to them.

Just finished this book and this plate of pretzel bites (with some help) for the #readathon. Interesting perspective on superhero stories.

I've never read a book by Catherynne Valente so I decided to pick one up and found a used copy of this book. I was able to identify who some of the characters were based on but not all of them. I liked it though. It was fun but also quite sad :( RIP, partners of comic book super heroes who have died to further someone else's story line.

Bailed. Couldn‘t do it. I got half way through and the third “superhero” was too much for me. I really wish this had come together better for me, the idea was really exciting but I think it went over my head. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Has anyone tried this? Thoughts?

THIS BOOK IS KILLING ME SOFTLY AND I NEED IT ADAPTED INTO ANOTHER FORM OF MEDIA IMMEDIATELY PLEASE!

If you‘re a superhero fan who‘s ever been angry at the way the narrative has treated female characters THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. It‘s pretty easy to tell which famous characters Valente is invoking with her stories here but damn does she make each woman feel fresh and fully realized on their own. Super impressed with her worldbuilding as well as the overall message 🙌

Just finished this and it's a dang gem, taking shots at the mysoginistic superhero genre.

I just read this in December, but is it too early for a reread? Because I am still so obsessed with this book.

This one hit me on a personal level. Valente is tackling violence against women in comics, but I work for a domestic violence organization and let me tell you folks, art imitates life. The humor mixed with simmering anger throughout this book was so validating and so heartbreaking. I think I‘ve got a new favorite author

This book. 😍 Not quite what I expected but I just loved it. Technically a set of linked short stories, but it works as a cohesive narrative. Short, impactful, broke my heart often. This tells some stories of women from the comics universe who are overlooked, killed, tossed aside... In this case, Valente creates her own world with new superheroes, villains, mothers and girlfriends, but the ones we know could easily have shared their stories here.

Finishing up 2017 with this beauty.
I‘m only a few stories in, but already captivated Valente‘s storytelling capabilities.

LOVE! I've been meaning to read this author for yeeeeears but somehow never have until now -- I'm definitely pleased with what I've found and will be reading more!

Just started this tonight! A really biting take on women in superhero comics, so damn good.

I always forget how much I love this author, and then I read something new and fall in Love all over again.

I would have liked this better if I had a connection to characters and the comics from which they were derived. An incredible writer, Valente created six vibrantly different voices for each of her characters. The novel is filled with rage at an industry that time and again dismisses it‘s women, both fictional and realistic.

It just was not for me.

Catherynne Valente is a force. I don't know how someone can be so incredibly GOOD, but I am absolutely astonished by her writing with every new book she publishes.
If you are even remotely interested in what the superhero stories would look like told from the female perspective, namely the women in the "background", read this book. Karis Campbell's audiobook performance was breathtaking. This book is definitely in my Top 10 favorite reads in 2017.

This is why I haven't been on listy for the last day and a half. I had to drive two hours away to get the fridge I wanted at the price I wanted. This is so awesome. My old fridge was older than I am. I promise I will get all posts looked at soon.

November reading wrap-up! I finished 6 books in November, which is pretty great considering I also participated in #NaNoWriMo for the first time.
The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Crosstalk by Connie Willis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Girls Will Be Girls by Emer O'Toole ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️and The Awakened Kingdom by N.K. Jemisin ⭐️⭐️⭐️) @RealLifeReading #emojinov #nov📚📷

This book could not be more incisive or more timely. I don't understand why it's not more popular.

Essentially, this book takes on sexism in the world of superheroes, by highlighting women whose lives (and deaths) have been used solely as plot devices to motivate the male main characters. If, like me, you really enjoy superhero movies and are also a feminist, this book will resonate with you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was actually doing really well at not buying too many books in November, but then I caved and bought a bunch on BookOutlet 😂 So far out of these, I've started The Refrigerator Monologues and I LOVE it. Definitely a good book buying decision. #bookhaul