That's me being all erotic and what not. Sorry, I'm reading a lot about "cunt art" for my project and I've got vagina on the brain. You know how it is.
Thanks to all who have offered to give The Dude a swift kick in his shrinky dinks or have suggested that this is just the nature of Man. Based on what others have said, I'm inclined to agree. Thankfully he and I have resolved our differences for now, though he maintains that he was not being a Type A'er and that he viewed what he said as being supportive. He then spouted something about "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus", which really should have lead to him getting a ticket to kicked-in-the-groin town.
In an effort to utilise the proverbial bootstraps for something other than self-strangulation, I am attempting to visualise a time in the near future where the paper will be written and I have at least one less thing to concern myself with. This is where I need your help. After 21 September I plan on reading a book. It will not be about vaginas. It will not be about conflicting feminist theories on the history of art. It will not debate the innumerable intellectual ruminations on the concepts of identity and difference. It will be fiction, and it will have to be good. So, fair blogging folk, what do you recommend? I love to read, but unfortunately I have been a student for the better part of 6 or 7 years, so I'm a bit behind. When I worked at the large chain bookstore that rhymes with Borders I was surrounded by all these fantastic books that I could only gaze at longingly but never read. I look forward to hearing your suggestions.
On a final note, I have added even more links to that there blogroll. Who would have thought there were so many bloggers? Oy vey. If there are some unfamiliar names, please visit them and make their cups runneth over with comments. Hell, visit some of the stalwarts of Pru's blogroll and do the same. There are some fucking fabulous blogs out there that get few comments, which leaves me scratching my vagina-consumed brain. I'm speaking figuratively of course. My brain has not been consumed by a vagina. But what an interesting post that would be...
15 comments:
I wish I could say that my brain was consumned by a giant vagina. Then I'd have an excuse for being such a space cadet lately.
Books...
I love to read but I'm not particularly literary, just to give some backround on my taste... Here are a few things I've enjoyed:
Bel Canto, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Fat Girl, The Known World, Portnoy's Complaint. Happy reading!
One of my absolutly favorite authors is Ellen Gilchrist (http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/gilchrist_ellen/ )
She writes, usually, about these strong southern women, and you're always left with a wierd sense of irony. My favorite is "The Anna Papers," but I also love all her short story collection.
Have such fun deciding what to read!!
Fiction I recommend, having read all these books many, many times and consider them old friends:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (if you like the first book, there are about five more, all of which caused me to miss many 8 AM classes while in college)
In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner Oh, how I love this book when all I want to do is sit in a tub with a glass of wine and forget about life. It's such an easy read and also caused some missed classes. I wonder how I ever graduated?
I've also got a great list of fantasy fiction, if that's your thing.
These are going to be highly annoying suggestions... because I can only offer sketchy details about them as they are as yet unpacked down in the crawlspace under our house.
But.. the first two books, actually... THREE... that came to mind are all period pieces, now that I think about it...
The first one you've probably already read, "The Girl with the Pearl Earring"... author??? Not a clue... but it became that movie with Scarlett Johansen so it should be easy to find. I never watched the movie because I couldn't even FATHOM how this book... which takes place primarily in the head of the heroine... could possibly be translated into film without seeming entirely schizophrenic. Lovely read.
The second one that came to mind... 'The Dress Lodger'... again... no clue who wrote it... I thought this book was incredibly beautiful... I can't even explain it really... see if you can find a review of it somewhere... it's about a poverty stricken girl who rents an expensive dress (18th century? 19th century? can't even recall...) so that she can turn tricks... sounds lame... but... it's full of gorgeous imagery.
The last one I have even LESS information about... I think it's called Feu? As in, French for crazy... and it's about a women in Bell Epoque Paris and her career as a nude artists's model... also very fun.
"cunt art" interesting!.... art created by cunts, of for them?
labialady
Currently reading Margaret Atwood "The Blind Assassin" and just finished her sci fi book "Oryx and Crake" which I loved. (sci fi nut over here).
"The Time Traveller's Wife" was also a good read awhile back by Audrey Niffenegger.
Happy reading!
I really liked "The Time Treveler's Wife". I originally picked it up because the main character was a librarian, and there aren;t too many of us around. I was apprehensive , because the title leant itself to a sci-fi story, and I'm not really into that kind of reading, but it was definitely more novely. My husband even read it when I was done!
Hmm. My well-worn favorites:
- The Incredible Lightness of Being
- Sexing the Cherry & Oranges are not the Only Fruit (Jeanetter Winterspoon (sp? is a hate her or love her author)
- 100 Years of Solitude
- Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
It's an odd collection, but they're comfortable to me...
"Brain consumed by a vagina" - gives a new meaning to head job...
Recent fave reads include:
100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass, Lewis Carrol
All the Jane Austen novels, but especially Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility.
After I finished uni it was a good 12 months before I could bring myself to read anything for fun. Now I cant stop reading.
Your search log is gonna be AWESOME.
I'm a fan of "The Crimson Petal and the White" by Michel Faber, and think you would be too.
I third (or whatever) "The Time Traveler's Wife" as well.
And both of Manuela's picks (yayy, another historical fiction fan!)
Molly, please do not assume that I would like a book just because you do devil woman.
Delurking to recommend The Namesake by Jumpha Lahari (sp? the author of Interpreter of Maladies) one of the best novels I've read in a while. Also loved The Blind Asassin, Oryx and Crake, and The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood. And the Time Travellers Wife is really good. And Bel Canto.
Trying to think about books published in the last 6-8 years, I may not get this right but:
- Atonement. Ian McEwan. Amazing
- Anything by Patrick Gale, but probably best is 'Rough Music'
- I second Jennifer Weiner for light reading - it's intelligent, well written and well characterised chick lit
- If you didn't read it already, you must read 'the curious incident of the dog in the night time'
- Anything by Jane Gardam, although her most recent, Old Filth, is one of her best, my favourite of hers is probably 'A Long Way from Verona'
- Ghostwritten by David Mitchell
- Carter beats the Devil by Glen David Gould
that's enough for now. Have fun!
I love reading all the comments. I'm back to second on Atonement, and Saturday was great too. And in a similar vein, The Information by Martin Amis is one of my favorite books. Two years later and I'm still high on the fact that I can read for pleasure now that I'm out of school.
I recommend Affinity, by Sarah Waters, and The Devil In the White City:Murder and Mayhem at the Chicago World's Fair, by Erik Larson.
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