Next up for the Bitch YA Book Club is Ash by Malinda Lo, a queer and feminist retelling of the story of Cinderella. We'll be discussing the book on Friday, July 1st, so you've still got some time to get your hands on a copy!
Ellen Papazian will be asking Erin Blakemore, Jennie Law, Jessica Stites, Nona Willis Aronowitz, and YOU to share thoughts on the book. Interested in joining the book club? There's no need to sign up! Just read the book and look for the blog post on Friday, July 1st. We can't wait to discuss the book with you!
New York library advocates have been working hard these past few weeks after news broke of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed budget cuts, which would cut library funding from $308.5 million in 2011's fiscal year to $223.5 million for 2012 (these depressing numbers are further broken down on the city's Office of Management and Budget website).
If Bloomberg's budget is approved, New York would end up with some very unhappy bookshelves (according to Paul LeClerc, President and CEO of The New York Public Library, almost six million fewer items would be circulated), lots of layoffs (more than one in four library jobs would be eliminated), and drastically cut library hours (NYPLs would be open on average just four days a week). No wonder people have been calling the mayor Bloomzilla.
Put on those literary thinking caps, 'cause it's time for a game of "First Lines of Feminist Fiction"!
Here's how it works: we provide a list of opening lines from feminist fiction and you guess which books the sentences are from. The books are listed at the bottom of the post, so don't scroll too far unless you're ready to check over your answers.
Once you've given the game a go, let us know which opening lines are your favorite!
For this month's YA book club, Jennie Law asks Erin Blakemore, Ellen Papazian, and Nona Willis Aronowitz what they thought about Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. Add your own answers to Jennie's questions (or come up with your own discussion points) in the comments section!
Have you been following our online YA book clubs? If not, there's no need to worry. We've still got three YA books left to discuss on our blog, and our next discussion is happening just one week from today! On June 3rd we'll be discussing Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. Then, on July 1st we'll share our thoughts on Ash by Malinda Lo, and on August 5th we'll discuss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. We'd love to have you involved in these conversations!
Here at the library, we're spending the summer reading feminist sci-fi. We'll be meeting in Portland to discuss Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy on June 21st. Then we'll be discussing Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler on August 16th. If you're in Portland, come to our book clubs! If you can't be here in person, perhaps you'll consider joining us from afar as we read some of the staples in feminist science fiction.
What are your feminist sci-fi picks? Let us know in the comments!
Did you know that it's Children's Book Week? In honor of the occasion, I asked around the office to find out what everyone's favorite children's books are. I've compiled a few of our favorites. Whether we read them as kids or read them to our kids now, these books definitely get our stamp of approval!
What children's books are you a fan of? Let us know in the comments!
For this month's YA book club, Jessica Stites asks Erin Blakemore, Jennie Law, Ellen Papazian, and Nona Willis Aronowitz what they thought about Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan. Add your own answers to Jessica's questions (or come up with your own discussion points) in the comments section!
When Susie Bright decides to write a memoir, you know it's going to be big. Bright, often referred to as "Susie Sexpert" and even "The Godmother of Erotica," has made quite a name for herself. In addition to co-founding On Our Backs, the first magazine that featured lesbian erotica made by and for women, Bright founded and edited the Best of American Erotica series from 1993 until the last edition was published in 2008. Bright currently advocates for sexual freedom and equality through her audible.com podcast called In Bed With Susie Bright and has continued to edit eroticanthologies over the last few years. With her latest project, Big Sex Little Death, Susie Bright has provided us with a memoir that is as smart, colorful and unapologetic as her career continues to be.
Hey, feminist YA readers! Did you participate in our online YA book club earlier this month? If you missed it, you can check out the discussion here.
Today's post is just to remind you that the next online YA book club is coming up on May 6th. That's two weeks from today, which gives you plenty of time to pick up our next book, Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan.
More details about the upcoming book clubs after the jump!
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