Big Big Love by Hanne Blank

I was so taken by this book's introduction alone that I saw fit to review that section in and of itself, which was originally published on my sexuality blog back on October 29, 2011. Almost a year later and I've finally finished a book (it was one of those "read a little here and there between novels" books for me) but I'd still like to share the review on the intro, as it originally appeared in my old blog. If you read nothing else, at least read the intro to this book. It truly is eye-opening. --M.

Here is the first part in the long-awaited book review I promised. Since I am only about 1/3 through the book, today I am only going to cover a very small-- but very important-- part of the book. In fact, if you only read part of the book, this is the part I would want everyone to read. So everyone, pull my blog up on your smartphones, run to your local book store, pick up Hanne Blank's Big Big Love (Revised) and open up to the page entitled A Brief Introduction, With a Side of Debunking. Page 1, if you're lazy.

I don't care if you don't give a rat's ass about fat sexuality. Everyone should read the introduction to this book, especially if you have some fat-phobic tendencies. Right off the bat, in the third paragraph, Blank pulls out a statistic that people like to gloss over: 

Technically speaking, about one-third of adult Americans are obese by the BMI-happy standards of the Centers for Disease Control. At a rough estimate, that's about a hundred million people... this represents a wide range of people... with a couple handfuls of extra junk in the trunk to the fattest among us, and it represents a wide range of experience. (pp 1-2)

So what she's saying is... lots of us are fat. Get over it. Everyone has sex. I view the introduction to this book as a bit of a wakeup call to those who shudder and say "who would tap that mound?" or "she must be desperate!" As a society, thin is generally the accepted "pretty" and the only model of desirability. Blank's introduction is a fat-positive slap in the face to that. She can be pretty blunt, but her writing also has a bit of humor behind it, alleviating the sting.

While it might seem that she comes out in your face and aggressive with fat-positivity, it is all leading up to the next section in the book, which is about debunking common myths related to fat people and fat sexuality. Personally, I loved this section. My boyfriend is heavy and he has a lot of concerns related around these myths about his own body and this section was extremely helpful to me in opening a dialogue with him. I also told him I want him to read this book when I'm done with it. I think it will help his self esteem a lot.

Another thing that pops up in the introduction which is awesome are the personal anecdotes and survey answers provided by research done by Blank. Not only has she dedicated years of her life to writing fat-positive materials, she has also included the real-life voices of fat people and fat lovers in her book, both in interviews and side-bar quotes. They are a treat to read and really makes the book much more personal and intimate and relatable. I carry extra "junk in the trunk" myself and it really does help to hear positive words from others, even if in print, to build that positivity and confidence and love in myself. Part of why I selected this book in the first place is that you don't see much about fat sexuality or much that is fat positive on book store shelves. This screamed to me to buy it. So far, I love what I am reading. I hope this encourages you to read it too. Follow the link I provided to amazon and take a peek.

Rated 5 stars on Goodreads

Midnight Sun (Twilight 1.5) Stephenie Meyer

What Twilight fans clamored for, Midnight Sun is essentially Twilight from Edward's perspective, and it's a hell of a lot more honest. Apparently, though the Kindle edition I downloaded from Goodreads was only a partial draft, and not the full book, although I thought it was an appropriate length and what the parallel novel should have been. That being said, it did read like a draft, with awkward jumps in time, glaring errors, and awkward punctuation.

I can't decide if Meyer wrote this to show her young female audience that Edward Cullen really isn't the ideal man or if she really had no idea that she had such a detestable, arrogant snot of a character. This was really her chance to give him some depth but instead she reinforces everything that every woman with a sane mind and feminist bone in her body found when reading the books, and he even admits, as early as page 59, that he is "An obsessed, vampire stalker." Do you hear that, girls? This is not good boyfriend material! In fact, he constantly ruminates over his obsession as he blithely shuffles through the minds of other people to stalk and gather information on Bella.

I'm giving this 3 stars because of its honesty. Yes, at some point Edward starts to moo about his love for Bella and all that, yadda yadda, but at least we're not reading Bella's boring as shit inner monologue about being ordinary, bored, hating rain, etc for almost 550 pages!

Rated 3 stars on Goodreads

Highland Champion by Hannah Howell

I wasn't going to write a review for this book. I read it as a palate cleanser after reading something deeper and much more thought-provoking. After all, a romance novel doesn't require much thought, and I enjoy historical romances, but this was absolute crap.

I understand an author's desire, when writing anything historical, to want to be as accurate as possible, but to have all the dialogue in Highland Scots was distracting and unnecessary. If these people were as highborn as the author claims they are, then should they all be speaking with such a low accent anyway? Now an occasional "cannae" or "och" is fine, but all of the dialogue was in dialect. All of it.

I also expect a bit of misogyny in romance novels; after all, they are aimed at women who are trying to hide from their lives in a fantasy where they are swept off their feet by a knight in shining armor, but come on, this book was ridiculous. Everyone tells Keira what a wonderful laird she will be of Ardgleann and how well respected and loved she is by the people there, and in the next breath insist she marry Liam because having a male laird will just be better. Oh, and Liam. Liam Liam Liam, who can only think about getting her pregnant before battle "just in case" when she is thinking more pragmatically about the battle itself and the future of her land. Does she want babies? We don't even find out until later, but what if she didn't?

The one ray of hope I had for this book was that Keira was a widow. "Oh!" I thought, "none of this penetrating the maidenhood crap!" Oh but no, her marriage was never consummated so of course she's a virgin. For once, I'd like to read a romance novel with an experienced woman, not a wilting, submissive stereotype of a virgin. And FYI to all romance writers out there: not all women have vaginal orgasms, an no woman ever has an orgasm every single time she has sex, especially the first time. Find me the woman who claims to and I show you a liar.

Originally reviewed on Goodreads and rated 1 star

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

It is often hard to keep track of the dearth of characters in an epic fantasy series such as this one, but Martin handles this exceptionally well by dedicating individual chapters to the characters themselves, to their points of view, their voice, and story. This makes them memorable and therefore makes it so much easier to follow as the story progresses. I found there was less "who was that again?" and more "ah, hello again!" The characters are well-rounded and carry depth, which is hard to find in a lot of fantasy. It's not wonder this series was chosen to be adapted to film, as the characters practically leap from the page.

This is an immense novel, however, full of intrigue, politics, and varying cultures. Martin has pulled no punches in developing a harsh and unforgiving landscape, even for the youngest of his characters. Sansa, who for me throughout the novel was a contemptible spoiled brat finally has her romantic illusions shattered (I won't spoil it). The eight year-old Bran speaks earnestly to a prisoner about the harshness of life in the North (yeah, kids aren't exactly kids in this book, and rightly so) and barely-pubescent Daenerys learns that to be a female leader, there must be some ruthlessness involved. I can appreciate this in his writing, as far too often authors try to give their characters happy endings, coddling them and making everything happy and shiny.

There is nothing happy and shiny in Game of Thrones. Far from it. And I love it for that. Every dirty, nasty, incestuous, grasping, violent, back-stabbing, beheading moment of it. A fairy tale this is not.

While this book originally came out when I was a teenager (why oh why did I never notice it then?) and I could have read it, one book at a time as they were published, I have the entire series at hand now, however, I must say, having finished the book, Martin wrapped it up neatly enough that I am not clamoring desperately for the next in the series, which is unique also in fantasy. As a fan of the genre, often I would wait a year between books with a massive cliffhanger, leaving me empty and unresolved, but not so with Game of Thrones. Martin was so much more courteous and wrote a complete novel as part of a series, rather than something that felt like part one of a massive book to be assembled, like green stamp dictionaries from the super market. I tip my hat, sir. You do your craft a service.

Rated 5 stars on Goodreads

The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

Where do I even begin? This was an Anne Rice book that did not read like an Anne Rice book. It was, to use a word she loves, interminable. Interminably dull. There was nothing sensual or romantic like I'm used to with her writing, although it looks like she tried really, really hard. Is this her writing now that she's found Jesus? I honestly hadn't read anything since the Vampire Chronicles and this was a letdown.

Reuben, the protagonist, is hardly a relatable or sympathetic character; he's a trust-fund baby who slums as a reporter that drives a Porsche and blithely throws money around on a house and the various accoutrements to fill it (said house is furnished...). And he (and everyone else in the book, including a 16 year old) is an expert in anthropology and theology. And music. And classical literature. The book wanders, meanders, tries too hard to be philosophical. The characters are all pretentious, especially Reuben's affair-turned girlfriend, the milksop Laura in her constant old-lady garb. People like this don't exist. And so much emphasis was placed on some ancient cuneiform tablets that were found within the house that the reader is lead to think, when they turn up missing "well, they must have something to do with this werewolf thing!" Nope. Not a damn thing.

With the topic of werewolves, she had so much potential, and this fell so painfully flat. I have never thrown a book down and yelled out loud my frustrations at an author before this. I hope never to have to again

Given 1 star on Goodreads (This review originally posted to Goodreads)

An Introduction, of Sorts...

I've decided to take book reviewing to blog form. I already do it on Goodreads, when a book either angers me or inspires me to the point of writing, but I've been investigating avenues of obtaining free books, and that includes reviewing. One of the more legitimate looking sites I found requires a blog. Not so hard. I'm not afraid to be honest about what I read, it's something that I learned in college in my writing courses. You can't just tell someone "this is so good" because that doesn't help. Why was it good? Why did you hate it? So with that critical thinking, I'm going to put up reviews both here and still on Goodreads because, let's face it, I am addicted to social media (and publishers like to see reviews in as many places as possible). I'm going to do this because I love to read, not because there is any money in it (there isn't) and perhaps through my reviews, I can inspire others to read more. It's a hope, at least.