Booktalk

[listersgirl]

Brian Busby Character Parts: Who's Really Who in Canlit

This was totally not what I thought - I had it in my head that it was about famous characters in Canlit, but it was even better - it was a listing of which real-life people inspired characters in Canlit. Irving Layton sure has shown up in a lot of books. Fascinating reading.

Naomi Klein No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies

Yes, I realize that I'm a little behind the times here. And I do wish I'd read this 10 years ago, when sweatshops and brand amalgamation were the top issue of the day. But, sadly, it's still incredibly relevant today, and a very interesting read.

Terry Pratchett Only You Can Save Mankind

I like to put books on hold from the library's new releases page, but occasionally that means I end up with books like this, because I didn't realize that it was kidlit and 10 years old. But I read it anyway, because it was there, and it was cute. Whatever.

Amanda Quick Second Sight

It's like Jayne Ann Krentz's futuristic Jayne Castle romances are bleeding over into her Amanda Quick historical romances! Despite the fact that these books are pretty formulaic, they entertain me.

David Rakoff Don't Get Too Comfortable

This? Awesome. Very droll and funny essays by a Canadian transplanted to New York. Totally excellent. Plus, he hangs out with other droll and funny writers. Bonus!

Sarah Waters The Night Watch

I love Sarah Waters. Oh yes. This book is set after and during the Second World War in England, and follows 4 people whose lives combine in ways that affect them deeply. I quite liked the storytelling device she used, too, despite having seen it used before to fairly disastrous results.

Naomi Wolf Promiscuities: A Secret History of Female Desire

Another moment of me being behind the times, and another book whose impact hasn't lessened. Naomi Wolf looks at the sexual coming of age experienced by her and her friends in San Francisco in the 70s, and then broadens that to look at what society thinks about women and sex, and what it lets women think about sex. The personal sections were the most powerful part. I was pretty deeply affected by sections of this book, I think in opposite ways that would necessarily be expected.

Comments

[pescana.livejournal.com]

I loved Night Watch in a totally different way from how I loved her other books. It's good, isn't it? I love how she makes the lives of these ordinary people so interesting.

The only other one of those I've read is Promiscuities, which I read when it came out. Very curious to know what affected you, and why and how. I found it very interesting, but as I read it when it first came out I can't exactly remember why anymore.