The Supergirls by Mike Madrid

Title: The Supergirls (Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines)

Author: Mike Madrid (American, 1950s(?)- )
Originally published: 2009
Page count: 315


Dates read: 5/22/2020-6/5/2020
2020 book goal progress: 16 out of 20
Reading category: TBR Shelf


Read my other book reviews for my 2020 goal HERE.


Description on back of book:
Comic book superheroines bend steel, travel through time and space, and wield the mighty forces of nature. These powerful females do everything that male heroes do. BUT they have to work their wonders in skirts and high heels. The Supergirls, a cultural history of comic book heroines, asks whether their world of fantasy is that different from our own. Are the stories of Wonder Woman's search for identity, Batwomen and Power Girl's battle for equality, and Manhunter's juggling of crime-fighting and motherhood also an alternative saga of modern American women?

First sentence:
"When America was in the throes of the Great Depression, people looking for an escape from tough times found refuge in the newspaper comic section, which became a passport to other worlds."

Favorite quote:
"Sex appeal was the 'spoonful of sugar' that helped the 'medicine' of feminism go down. A liberated heroine who still looked sexy would be less threatening to the male readers of comic books."

"When asked by her teammate Sub-Mariner whether her reputation as a man-hater is deserved, Valkyrie responds, 'I do not hate men, Sub-Mariner. I merely know I'm as good as they are.'"

Review:

This was an interesting and thorough history of women in comics up to about 2010. I was disappointed because I have always viewed comics as pretty sexist and I was hoping this book would prove me wrong BUT it didn't. Wonder Woman is one of the only heroines (at least of the 20th century) that was truly initially created to be a symbol of feminism BUT when her original creator passed away, even she went downhill a bit. In comics it seems women can have special powers BUT... there always seems to be a stipulation.

"Wonder Woman may have espoused messages of liberation and freedom in her own comic books, BUT, among her peers, she fell victim to oppression. With her great strength, intelligence, bulletproof bracelets, and magic lasso, Wonder Woman outclassed most of the men of the Justice Society. Yet she was only allowed to serve as the group's secretary."

Heroines have powers BUT they're still less powerful than the male heroes. Heroines want to save the day and make the world a better place BUT finding a husband is more important. Heroines get into skirmishes with villains BUT it's more important that they look attractive to male readers than protect their bodies with practical uniforms. Heroines get to represent the sexual revolution BUT they aren't allowed to act on any of their desires. A Heroine can be strong and independent BUT then she's viewed as a bitch. A heroine can be just as powerful as a hero BUT she eventually loses control of her power and becomes a villain.

And it keeps going and going. That was the whole book. It was filled with BUTs and when it wasn't, it was filled with butts... because the industry must continue to draw in (and for) its straight white male audience. At the turn of the century, things did seem to turn around for heroines and I would be interested in the author's commentary on all the superhero movies that have come out in the past decade since the book has been published.

Despite my disappointment with the lack of feminism represented in comics, there still were some heroines that stood out to me (besides Wonder Woman) that I would be interested in reading: Power Girl and Ma Hunkel/Red Tornado of Justice Society; Storm of X-Men; Oracle/Batgirl, Black Canary, and the other heroines of Birds of Prey; Manhunter; She-Hulk and the Lady Liberators; and Ms. Marvel's transition to Captain Marvel. (I also am interested in Spider Gwen, but she wasn't created until after the book was published and, obviously, was never mentioned.)

Now I'm off to read another book... BUT since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Mike Madrid have the last words:

"One of the problems facing the liberated superheroine was that she often wound up being written as the Superbitch. While some superheroines toyed with feminism in the '70s, Power Girl was the real deal. She was strong, confident, outspoken, and unapologetic. When she began her career as a member of the Justice Society of America, she demanded that the male heroes treat her as an equal, and defied any man to try and put her down. Romance was never the motivation for any of Power Girl's actions since she didn't expect a man, including Superman, to complete her life. Power Girl was a young, independent woman of her time who stood up for herself. As a result, her character often came off as a bitch, as was often the case with strident feminists."

"Power Girl acts as a mentor for a new generation of heroines, teaching them not to take any crap. She states her philosophy about sexism and staying true to one's self in this way, 'I've got a rep for being stubborn, headstrong, and brash. I'm called a lot of things behind my back by other heroes. The main one rhymes with witch. I'll be honest. It's not an act. Not completely. I do have confidence. I am smarter than a lot of the other costumed cops out there. Maybe I could learn a thing or two about mutual respect. BUT you have to understand something, girls. If I was Power-Man. If I was stubborn and headstrong and brash. If I didn't take to authority well. No one would think anything of it.'"

Take a Thief by Mercedes Lackey

Title: Take a Thief

Author: Mercedes Lackey (American, 1950- )
Originally published: 2001
Page count: 435


Dates read: 4/27/2020-5/10/2020
2020 book goal progress: 15 out of 20
Reading category: TBR Shelf - Valdemar Universe



Read my other book reviews for my 2020 goal HERE.



Description on back of book:
For as long as Skif could remember he had worked as a drudge in his Uncle Londer's dreary inn in the slums of Haven. It was an easy decision for him to abandon his former life and throw his lot in with Bazie's crew. Bazie was more than just the head of a band of young thieves - Bazie cared about the boys. Uncle Londer barely cared whether Skif was alive or dead. By the time Skif was twelve, he was an accomplished cat burglar and one of the leaders of Bazie's gang. But it wasn't until he decided to steal a white horse, that this young thief discovered that the tables could be turned on him.

First sentence:
"Skif's dreams shattered, leaving him with vague fragments of being somewhere warm and cozy, and sweet-scented."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 8.7 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters      - 9
Atmosphere   - 10
Writing Style - 9
Plot                - 9
Intrigue          - 8
Logic             - 7
Enjoyment     - 9
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

This gives the background of Herald Trainee Skif, who is - you guessed it - a thief. It isn't until over halfway through the book that Skif is actually chosen by a Companion. I liked having more of a background of the 'slums' in Haven since most of the books are all by the palace - where the Heralds are trained. I enjoyed the world-building in this story, but everyone spoke English poorly. That made it hard to read and sometimes hard to understand.

This was an emotion-charged story and I felt for Skif the whole way through. Despite being written before Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor (Alberich's background) BUT being chronologically after those books, Take a Theif fits in well and all three made sense together. This one did seem a little simplistic sometimes, but, unlike when Alberich was chosen (as an adult), Skif was chosen as a child - and so, I think the book leaned more towards a children's story then Alberich's books did. Overall, I really liked it and I hope others read books from the Valdemar universe.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Mercedes Lackey have the last words:

"They's old thieves, an' they's bold thieves, but they ain't no old, bold thieves."

"He had a chance that wasn't given to most people - to help make things better. Not right; the job of making everything right was too big for one person, for a group of people like the Heralds, even - but better."

Tamora Pierce: Circle + Tortall Universes

I have read a handful of Tamora Pierce's quartets from both the Circle universe and the Tortall universe as a child. I've never (I don't think) read all the books in either series and have wanted to for a while.

I'm reading through the Circle series first simply because it has fewer books - 11 books to be exact. It consists of 3 quartets and, for the most part, the publication order is the same as chronological order. The last quartet (so far) only has 3 published books but she's supposedly working on the fourth book. The most recent book published is the third book (Battle Magic) of the third quartet (Circle Reforged). It is the only book not in chronological order - it is actually the first book in The Circle Reforged Quartet (instead of the third). I plan on reading this series in publication order instead of chronological order.

After I finish reading through the Circle universe, I will then read the Tortall universe. This series has 20 books in it and at least 1 book that is, again supposedly, being worked on. The publication order and chronological order of this series are also close to the same. I am planning on reading this series (mostly) in publication order starting with the Song of the Lioness Quartet through Tricksters. Then I'll read Bekah Cooper, the 2 short story collections, and finally The Numair Chronicles - all of which actually happen before the Song of the Lioness Quartet.

Note: Tamora Pierce (American, 1954- ) has published several other works, but these two series are her main works. For now, I'm planning on just reading through the Circle and Tortall universes, but I might read her other publications when I finish with these.

CIRCLE UNIVERSE (publication order)
The Circle of Magic Quartet:
     -The Magic in the Weaving (1997) - Sandry
     -The Power in the Storm (1998) - Tris
     -The Fire in the Forging (1998) - Daja
     -The Healing in the Vine (1999) - Briar

The Circle Opens Quartet:
     -Magic Steps (2000) - Sandry
     -Street Magic (2001) - Briar
     -Cold Fire (2002) - Daja
     -Shatterglass (2003) - Tris

The Circle Reforged Series:
     -The Will of the Empress (2005) - Sandry
     -Melting Stones (2008) - Evvy - Simultaneous to The Will of the Empress
     -Battle Magic (2013) - Briar - Prequel to The Will of the Empress
     -Unfinished series? TBD

Mini-Review of The Circle Reforged Series:

This series felt very disjointed. It's a trilogy instead of a quartet. Empress has all 4 of the original characters, Battle Magic only has Briar, and Melting Stones doesn't have any of them. It felt like Tamora Pierce couldn't decide if she just wanted to wrap up the Circle Universe, or if she wanted to try to continue on with a new set of students. This series was also published in reverse chronological order, which is also different from the first 2 quartets. The individual stories were good, but they just didn't flow with the rest of the Circle Universe. Unfortunately, it was a disappointing ending.

Mini-Review of the Circle Universe:

Overall, this is a great universe! I loved the in-depth worldbuilding and the different cultures. I loved how there were 2 different types of magic (academic and ambient) and that there were many specialties within those. I liked that 3 out of the 4 main characters were female and each character was unique. The characters are relatively one-dimensional and the stories are predictable, but you need to keep in mind that these are children's stories. It wasn't until the third series that I remember there being any sort of romantic relationships and, even then, they weren't the main plot point. The last series should be read: Battle Magic, Melting Stones, then, finally, Empress (see mini-review above). I highly suggest reading at least the first 2 quartets!

TORTALL UNIVERSE (chronological order)
The Bekah Cooper Trilogy:
     -Terrier (2006)
     -Bloodhound (2009)
     -Mastiff (2011)

Extra Stand-Alones:
     -Tortall and Other Lands (2010) - Short Story collection
     -A Spy's Guide to Tortall: From the Desk of George Cooper (2017)

The Numair Chronicles:
     -Tempests and Slaughter (2018)
     -The Exile's Gift (TBD) - not yet published

Note: I currently don't plan to read the Numair Chronicles since it only has 1 book that hasn't been added to since 2018 and I'm not a fan of Numair as a character.

***

Song of the Lioness Quartet:
     -Alanna: The First Adventure (1983)
     -In the Hand of the Goddess (1984)
     -The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (1986)
     -Lioness Rampant (1988)

The Immortals Quartet:
     -Wild Magic (1992)
     -Wolf-Speaker (1994)
     -Emperor Mage (1995)
     -The Realms of the Gods (1996)

Protector of the Small Quartet:
     -First Test (1999)
     -Page (2000)
     -Squire (2001)
     -Lady Knight (2002)
(Bone's Day Out (2014) - Short Story in Protector of the Small omnibus)

Trickster's:
     -Trickster's Choice (2003)
     -Trickster's Queen (2004)

Have you read any books from the Circle and/or Tortall universes?
What do you think of them?
Do you have a favorite?

Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey

(Unfortunately, I can't find the editable file to edit the above graphic. I may one day remake it, but I don't have the time right now.)

I remember sitting in class in 7th or 8th grade reading through the Arrows trilogy. I have read it many times since then and have wanted to read more of the Valdemar universe for quite a while. I don't know if I was overwhelmed by the number of books in the series or what, but I've finally decided to work my way through the 41 (and counting) book series.

The image above is a reproduction of a timeline I found in my copy of Exile's Valor. There have been 11 new books since the timeline was created and I will edit it as I read through the series. The list below is the chronological order of the books in the series - which is different than the publication order. I broke the series into two sections: History of Valdemar (24 books) and Selenay's Tale (17 books).

If I read the books in actual chronological order, I would read and review over half the books before I got to the original, first published, Heralds of Valdemar trilogy - the Arrows Trilogy. That's a long time before I would get to review the trilogy that made me fall in love with the Valdemar universe to begin with... which is why I split the series in two. Instead of starting with the first section (History of Valdemar), I have started with the second section (Selenay's Tale). When I've read through all of that section, I will then read through the History of Valdemar. I will link my reviews to the books listed below as I complete them.

Note: Mercedes Lackey (American, 1950- ) has written a multitude of novels outside of the Valdemar universe but for now that's where I'm focusing. One day, when I finish this long saga, I'll probably look more into some of the other series she has.

HISTORY OF VALDEMAR
The Mage Wars Trilogy:
     -The Black Gryphon (1994)
     -The White Gryphon (1995)
     -The Silver Gryphon (1996)

The Founding of Valdemar Series:

     -Beyond (2021)

     -Into the West (2022)

     -Valdemar (2023)

The Last Herald Mage Trilogy:
     -Magic's Pawn (1989)
     -Magic's Promise (1990)
     -Magic's Price (1991)

Collegium Chronicles:
     -Foundation (2008)
     -Intrigues (2010)
     -Changes (2011)
     -Redoubt (2012)
     -Bastion (2013)

Herald Spy Trilogy:
     -Closer to Home (2014)
     -Closer to the Heart (2015)
     -Closer to the Chest (2016)

Family Spies:
     -The Hills Have Spies (2018)
     -Eye Spy (2019)

     -Spy, Spy Again (2020)

Lavan's Tale:
     -Brightly Burning (2000) - Stand Alone

Vows and Honor Trilogy:
     -The Oathbound (1988)
     -Oathbreakers (1989)
     -Oathblood (1998) - short stories

SELENAY'S TALE
Alberich's Tale (Exiles of Valdemar Series):
     -Exile's Honor (2002)
     -Exile's Valor (2003)

Skif's Tale (Exiles of Valdemar Series):

     -Take a Thief (2001) - Stand Alone

Arrows Trilogy - The Original Novels of the Heralds of Valdemar:
     -Arrows of the Queen (1987)
     -Arrow's Flight (1987)
     -Arrow's Fall (1988)

Kerowyn's Tale:
     -By the Sword (1991) - Stand Alone

The Mage Winds Trilogy:
     -Winds of Fate (1991)
     -Winds of Change (1992)
     -Winds of Fury (1993)

The Mage Storms Trilogy:
     -Storm Warning (1994)
     -Storm Rising (1995)
     -Storm Breaking (1996)

Darian's Tale - A Trilogy:
     -Owlflight (1997)
     -Owlsight (1998)
     -Owlknight (1999)

Kelvren's Saga:

    *3 short stories

     -Gryphon in Light (2023)

     -Gryphon's Valor (2025?)

     -TBD

Still can't get enough? There's also a comprehensive reader's guide titled The Valdemar Companion (2001) and other miscellaneous short stories. There are ALSO (currently) 17 anthologies published between 1997-2023. The anthologies are collections of short stories set in Valdemar written by Mercedes Lackey and various other authors.

In 2022 there was also a Kickstarter that included maps, an official timeline, miniatures, pins, bookmarks, t-shirts, and more!

Have you read any books from Valdemar?
What did you think of them?
Do you have a favorite?

Mio, My Son by Astrid Lindgren

Title: Mio, My Son

(Originally written in Swedish)

Author: Astrid Lindgren (Swedish, 1907-2002)
Originally published: 1956
Page count: 170

Dates read: 5/11/2020-5/12/2020
2020 book goal progress: 14 out of 20

Month category: 
May - Spring (New Beginnings / Children)
Back to the Classics category: 
Classic in Translation

Read my other book reviews for my 2020 goal HERE.


Description on back of book:
Nine-year-old Karl Anders Nilsson is the unwelcome foster child of an uncaring couple. Lonely and neglected, he yearns for simple things, and, most important, his real father. Then on October 15th, Karl Anderson Nilsson simply disappears. Karl is instead in Farawayland, where he has found his father, who is none other than the king of that land. Now Karl faces a truly dangerous mission - to do battle with Sir Kato, the cruel abductor of the children of Farwayland. Only a child of royal blood can stop him.

First sentence:
"Did you listen to the radio on October 15th last year?"

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 6.3 - ⭐⭐⭐
Characters      - 5
Atmosphere   - 6
Writing Style - 7
Plot                - 7
Intrigue          - 7
Logic             - 6
Enjoyment     - 6
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

This was a cute fairy tale written by the same author as Pippi Longstocking. It is definitely a children's story and is very simple and straight forward. It tells the story of a prophecy that has been around for thousands and thousands of years. There are golden apples, flute playing shepherds, magic horses, invisible cloaks, wonderful food, and more. It actually is quite dark with people of literal hearts of stone, children witched into blackbirds, and the like - but it has a happy ending. It was OK to read as an adult, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much more if I had read it when I was a child.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Astrid Lindgren have the last words:

"I haven't been in many forests in my day, but there can't be another one like this. The Forest of Moonbeams had a secret. I felt there was a great and important secret there, but the moon had thrown a mist over the forest, so that I wouldn't know where it was. Not yet. The mist swirled through the trees, whispering the secret, but I couldn't understand it. The trees stood still and shimmered in the moonlight and they knew the secret, but I didn't."

Exile's Valor by Mercedes Lackey

Title: Exile's Valor

Author: Mercedes Lackey (American, 1950- )
Originally published: 2003
Page count: 438


Dates read: 4/27/2020-5/10/2020
2020 book goal progress: 13 out of 20
Reading category: TBR Shelf - Valdemar Universe


Read my other Valdemar book reviews.
Read my other book reviews for my 2020 goal HERE.



Description on back of book:
Valdemar had suffered terrible casualties during the Tedrel War. Worst of all, they had lost their king, a tragedy that forced his daughter Selenay, weakened by sorrow and still in mourning, to ascend the throne prematurely. But the Valdemaran Council saw Selanay's ascension as an opportunity to wrest power from the crown by marrying the young queen to a man of their choosing. Herald Alberich, now the Collegium's Weaponmaster, was well aware of the devious plans of the Council, but could he protect the queen from the conspiracies to steal her throne?

First sentence:
"Muted light, richly colored, poured gold and sapphire into the sparsely furnished sitting room in Herald Alberich's private quarters behind the training salle."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 7.9 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters      - 8
Atmosphere   - 7
Writing Style - 8
Plot                - 9
Intrigue          - 8
Logic             - 7
Enjoyment     - 8
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

This was a pretty good book. I still love the universe she created, but we didn't get to see as much culture in this one as in Exile's Honor - which was disappointing. A lot happens in this story, but some parts seemed a bit slow and drawn out. It's strange reading these books because there are certain things I know happen due to reading the original Arrows Trilogy, which is set after this book takes place. That means I know some of the end results, but I don't know the details of how those end results are achieved. It's just a strange way to read to me since most books I read I don't know much about before I read them and it's pretty much all a surprise - which isn't the case with these books. I look forward to reading the next book!

(There's so much more I want to say, but I don't want to give anything away if some of you decide to read these books for yourselves.)

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Mercedes Lackey  have the last words:

"The only difference between a cliche and a truism was the skill and intricacy with which the latter was presented."

Bronte Sisters

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte has been one of my favorite books for as long as I can remember. I have been doing the Back to the Classics Challenge for a couple of years now and have read many reviews on novels by the Bronte sisters from others participating in the challenge. It has made me want to read all 7 of their completed novels. I started the goal unstated last year and decided it was time to have a blog post to chronicle all of them together. As I read the books and post the reviews, I will link them to this post.

Here is a brief family history: Patrick Bronte (1777-1861) was an ordained minister who married Maria Branwell (1776-1842) in 1812. Maria (the mother) died from uterine cancer at age 38, when their youngest, Anne, was 1 year old. Maria’s sister, Elizabeth Branwell, moved in soon after and it was she who raised and educated the Bronte children. Patrick (the father) survived his entire family, and 6 years after Charlotte passed, he died at age 84. Patrick and Maria had 6 children: Maria (1812-1825) and Elizabeth (1815-1825), the two eldest, both died of tuberculosis 2 months apart at ages 11 and 10 respectively. Charlotte (1816-1855) published 3 novels in her lifetime and had another 1 published posthumously. Charlotte married Arthur Bell Nicholls in 1854 and became pregnant soon after. She died in 1855, with her unborn child, just before she turned 39 – probably of tuberculosis. Patrick Branwell (1817-1848) was a painter, writer, and casual writer who never married. He became addicted to alcohol and opium and died from tuberculosis at age 31. Emily Jane (1818-1848) published 1 novel and never married. She died of tuberculosis at age 30. Anne (1820-1849) published 2 novels and never married. She died of tuberculosis at age 29. (source)

CHARLOTTE BRONTE (English, 1816-1855)

-Jane Eyre (1847)

Mini-review: This is a great novel of romance, wanting to do the "right" thing, and even supernatural elements (that are explained later on).

CAWPILE rating: 9.6/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

-Shirley (1849)

Mini-review: This was an unexpected powerhouse feminist novel - until the ending ruined it all. It is an OK read, but much longer than it needed to be.

CAWPILE Rating: 6.9/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5

-Villette (1853)

Mini-review: This a slow-moving, bland, and, quite, depressing book with a frustratingly ambiguous ending.

CAWPILE rating: 4.6/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5

-The Professor (1857 - posthumous; written 1846, before Jane Eyre)

Mini-review: This was an OK read. Some parts I liked, but other parts I didn't like so much. It has a cute and happy ending.

CAWPILE rating: 6.6/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5

UNFINISHED NOVELS -Emma (started writing 1853, unfinished;1860 - posthumous) -Emma, by "Charlotte Brontë and Another Lady" (completed; 1980)

-The "Another Lady" is author Constance Savery.

-Emma Brown, by Clare Boylan (completed; 2003)

-Ashworth (written before 1855)

-The Moores (written before 1855)

-The Story of Willie Ellin (written before 1855)

*Charlotte Bronte Unfinished Novels (1993)

-collects 4 unfinished books listed above

*Charlotte also wrote and published several juvenilia stories.

EXTRA

-Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) - classic accepted as a prequel to Jane Eyre

by Jean Rhys (Welsh-Dominican, 1890-1979)

ANNE BRONTE (English, 1820-1849)

-Agnes Grey (1847)

Mini-review: This is a cute story that's not particularly memorable.

I hadn't started doing the CAWPILE ratings until after I reviewed this book.

My estimate rating: 5/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5

-The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848)

Mini-review: This is a wonderful novel about how a mother escapes with her child from an abusive and cheating husband. Despite its having some of the same themes as Wuthering Heights, it is BY FAR a superior story due to its plot and redemptive ending.

CAWPILE rating: 9/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

EMILY BRONTE (English, 1818-1848)

-Wuthering Heights (1847)

Mini-review: This is a HORRIBLE story solely about petty jealousy, hate, and revenge.

CAWPILE rating: 3.9/10 - ⭐⭐/5

OVERALL NOTE

If you know French, that will assist you in enjoying these books to the fullest, If you do not know French, as I do not, then you will have to be consistently flipping to the back of the book to look up the translations - which is annoying, but worth it for most of the books.

What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Let me know which Bronte book is your favorite and why!