Mailbox Monday

Thank you to Marcia at The Printed Page for putting on the weekly Mailbox Monday, a place where I discover so many wonderful new books.

Check out her blog and post all the new books you acquired this week.


This is my first Mailbox Monday. I only received 1 book last week but it was an exciting one because it was from the first giveaway that I won. Thank you to Amy at Passages to the Past for the giveaway that allowed me to win:


From Amazon: "When the young and beautiful Catherine Howard becomes the fifth wife of the fifty-year-old King Henry VIII, she seems to be on top of the world. Yet her reign is destined to be brief and heartbreaking, as she is forced to do battle with enemies far more powerful and calculating than she could have ever anticipated in a court where one wrong move could mean her undoing. Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart's desire in favor of her family's ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who sought to bring her down a most effective weapon-her own romantic past."

A Greener Reader

This morning I came across a great campaign on Alyce's blog At Home with Books. She, along with 99 other bloggers, will be taking part in Green Books Campaign.

Green Books Campaign brings together 100 bloggers who each pick a "green" book to read. Then, on November 10th they will all post their reviews. This is all being put on by Eco-Libris, a company working towards making reading more planet friendly. You can donate $1 and they will plant a tree to replace a book you read. They also work with publishers and authors to produce eco-friendly books.

This is a great way to give a little back for all the books we go through (yes, I am aware my book hoarding habits are not eco-friendly...I'm working on it). I can't wait to read all the reviews on Nov. 10th. A list of the participating blogs can be found on the Eco-Libris campaign website.

I also came across and interesting article about e-readers on the Eco-Libris Blog. It takes a deeper look at a report that found the Kindle to be greener than books and discusses when that is most likely, and more importantly, often not the case.

Friday Finds - Nov. 6

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. This is my first Friday Finds so I'm keeping it small for now.

I'm not really into comics (I've never really given them a chance) but I came across these and HAD to add them to my Amazon wish list. There is a whole series on extraordinary women but I pulled out these two because 1. I am a political nut and 2. ...J.K. Rowling doesn't really need an explanation!

From her beginnings at Wellesley to the battle for the democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton has from the outset raised critical issues of feminism, politics and philosophy. Telling the story of her life, Hillary Clinton, will explore the former first lady from her humble beginnings to her current status as Secretary of State.









Millions of readers worldwide have been captivated by the best selling Harry Potter series, but what is even more incredible is the woman who created him and his fantastic world. From telling stories as a child, to being forced to go on welfare, and finally becoming one of the world's most famous writers, the story of Joanne Rowling is almost as magical as the world she created.






Both descriptions were taken from Amazon.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe

In The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, Katherine Howe creates an interesting story about an always intriguing subject—the Salem witch trials. Flowing between “present” day (1991) and the 17th century, Howe develops an incredible story about Deliverance Dane, a woman accused of witchcraft, and Connie, a grad student who becomes swept into her story after finding a piece of paper with Deliverance Dane written on it. Connie comes across the paper at her Grandmother’s house—which she is spending the summer cleaning—and it sparks an interest to know more.

Although the book was a bit predictable at parts, I was completely enthralled from cover to cover. Howe’s writing is beautiful. I love the way Connie views her mind as a library, picking a file to look under when she needs to remember something. She also visualizes things in such a fascinating way, which really helped the story coming to life.

It was strange for me to get used to the fact that Connie didn’t have a cell phone—which would have been an easy fix to her having to use a payphone because the house was not wired for a phone…or electricity. I couldn’t help but laugh when, on page 169, I read:

“One of them had his gigantic cellular phone that he kept on his desk! What kind of high schooler has a cellular phone anyway? Aren’t those just for bankers?”

I just had to remind myself it was 1991 and even though it seemed like she was living in my time right now, a lot has changed since then.

The entire story was so interesting. I love Howe’s writing style and I look forward to reading more from her.

Women Unbound - Start of Challenge Meme

1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act?

2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today? Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same?

It is difficult to describe what feminism means to me. It is a feeling, an understanding that women can do anything. We have a right to feel safe and comfortable with who we are and what we choose to do with our lives. To me, feminism is about...well, everything. It is about women having the right to choose to work inside or outside the home and to have the means to do that equally. It means that women can dress in a way that makes them feel comfortable - whether that means flip flops or heels. It is about girls knowing that smart is sexy so they don't feel like they have to dumb themselves down in order to seem cute or funny or attainable.

I consider myself a feminist but I don't think I fall under only that label. I think that labels are a huge obstacle that women...that all people face. It is too easy to label someone, to look at them and put them in a little stereotypical box. It is awful that women do this to other women so often. Everyone has the right to make their own name, to define who they are without others doing it for them.

Women Unbound Challenge

I am so excited to participate in the Women Unbound Challenge. This is a challenge that starts this month and runs until November 2010. When I started blogging, I hoped that there would be a challenge like this. I minored in Women's Studies in college and I'm ashamed to say the number of "feminist" books I have read since graduating has significantly dropped. I am so excited to see what everyone else is reading and to hear their thoughts.

I will be participating at the Suffragette level, which means I will be reading at least 8 books of which at least 3 must be nonfiction. The hardest part for me is definitely going to be narrowing down the 8 books that I will read. I am going to take some time sifting through the books on my wishlist and checking out some other lists before I finalize my reading list but I do have a list of some books I have read and really enjoyed.

I do love all of these but I am going to start with some of my favorite. Since I just started my blog and don't have reviews for any of these books, each will have a link to Amazon and some of the reviews there.

Fiction:

The Moths and Other Stories by Helena Maria Viramontes
This is an collection of stories about the struggles women are often faced with in various aspects of their lives. This quickly became one of my favorite books.

Mother Tongue by Demetria Martinez
A story about a young woman's fight to help a political refugee from El Salvador.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
A wonderful collection of stories about the obstacles in life.

Vintage Cisneros by Sandra Cisneros
A collection of excerpts from various works by Cisneros, including The House on Mango Street (also a great book), Carmelo and various poems.

Emplumada by Lorna Dee Cervantes
This is a collection of poems based on Cervantes' Chicana heritage.

Nonfiction:

Bananas, Beaches, and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics by Cynthia Enloe
A look at how globalization and international politics effect the lives of women around the world.

Feminist Theory: From Margin To Center by bell hooks
A comprehensive look at the core issues of feminism.

Tangled Memories: The Vietnam War, the AIDS Epidemic, and the Politics of Remembering by Marita Sturken
Sturken's thoughts about how we deal with tragic events and how we remember them (movies, memorials, focus on men vs. women).

Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy
I came across this book in a bookstore and really enjoyed it. I don't have kids so I don't have any personal experience but it is interesting to know how it was done back in the day.

Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis
Discusses the ties between the between the anti-slavery campaign and the struggle for women's suffrage as well as the differences that divided them.

Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog
The Autobiography of Mary Brave Bird. A look at growing up Native American in 1960s/70s America.

Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards
A look at the different types and generations of feminists as well as what that means for the fight for women's empowerment.

Feminism on the Border by Sonia Saldivar-Hull
A look at feminism by analyzing three Chicana writers: Gloria Anzaldúa, Sandra Cisneros, and Helena María Viramontes.

The Struggle of Women's Rights: Theoretical and Historical Sources by George Klosko and Margaret G. Klosko
A fantastic breakdown of the key people who fought for women's suffrage: what they did and why it matters.

Insecure at Last: A Political Memoir by Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler is the author of The Vagina Monologues. Insecure at Last touches on her personal experiences as well as the experiences of women oppressed by various political systems.

Promises Not Kept: Poverty and the Betrayal of Third World Development by John Isbister
A look at various factors affecting the increase of world poverty.

Final book of ideas:

A Bookshelf of Our Own: Must-Reads for Women by Deborah G. Felder
This is a great book that I came across one day, which highlights books that changed women's lives. This is a great book if you need ideas for books to read, explaining why they are so important and why we love them.

Books to Read Before I Die - 2010

Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea is hosting this great challenge for 2010.

Your list of 10-20 books has to be finished and posted in Mr Linky by December 31, 2009. Plus, anyone who completes the challenge will be entered to win an Amazon gift card. So check it out and sign up.

My List:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Beloved by Toni Morrison
3. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. Utopia by Thomas More
6. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
8. Atonement by Ian McEwan
9. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
10. The Giver by Lois Lowry