Navigating Solutions and Darkness

"The only true form of freedom, the only ethical form of freedom, is through self-limitation. It's not the privilege of choosing everything you want in your life, but rather, choosing what you will give up." - Everything is Fucked by Mark Manson 

Crossposted from Feminist Quill , written on September 24, 2015 Title:  The Handmaid's Tale Author:  Margaret Atwood Year of Publication:  1985 Series:  N/A Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  3.99   Goodreads Rating (Mine): 5 Plot Description: In a dystopic world ravaged by pollution and sexually transmitted diseases, infertility is the second biggest problem faced by what once used to be the United States of America. The biggest problem is the Religious Right, although they probably don't see it that way. Offred, the eponymous protagonist, is a part of one of the Gileadean empire's greatest schemes to combat infertility - that is to say, the imprisonment of women of child bearing age and their subsequent induction into sex slavery as Handmaids. The Handmaids are surrogates to the infertile wives of rich and powerful (and ever fertile) men deemed worthy of this shot at reproduction. This review falls smack dab in the middle of my reviewing o...

Crossposted from Feminist Quill ; written August 16, 2015 Note: The movie adaptation, Love Simon, is in theatres. Don't miss out! Title:  Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda Author:  Becky Albertalli Series:  N/A #: N/A Year of Publication: 2015 Goodreads Rating (Avg.): 4.3 Goodreads Rating (Mine): 5 Plot Summary: A slice of life novel told in the first person narrative, centering around Simon Spier, a sixteen year old gay boy who's dealing with coming out, with crushing on a boy he's never met in real life, and the Defaults in our lives. "It's a weirdly subtle conversation. I almost don't realize I'm being blackmailed." This is a great way to start a book. It has all the classic hallmarks of a very good opener, and it sucked me in instantly. A successful first person narrative needs an engaging protagonist who's likable on at least a few levels. Simon is that protagonist, and he's likable on a whole bunch of levels. As a cl...

Crossposted from here : Written on October 21, 2015 Title:  Fahrenheit 451 Author:   Ray Bradbury Year of Publication:  1953 Series:  N/A Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  3.95 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  4 “When they give you lined paper, write the other way.”  –  Fahrenheit 451,  Ray Bradbury Some Spoilers are Inevitable Plot Description:  Guy Montag is a fireman, and as everyone knows, the role of firemen is to set fire to houses. And to burn books. The houses that have fire set to them are usually the ones harbouring books. In Bradbury’s dystopic vision of a future, books are banned, and it’s not like any normal, sane person would want to read them anyway. That’s what a futuristic version of television on steroids (and possible crack cocaine) is for – to keep you entertained and happy… and free of questions. Fahrenheit 451  is a much reviewed classic, so I doubt there’s much I can add to the collective discussio...

Crossposting from Feminist Quill , written on August 1, 2015 Title:  Blood Promise Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2009 Series:  Vampire   Academy #:   4 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.37 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 WARNING: SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 3 AND 4 VA  deals with the issue of faith through the perspective of several characters. Moroi society, having as it does its roots in Eastern Europe, is largely Orthodox Christian in their beliefs, and take their religious ceremonies very seriously. And they have good reason for doing so, seeing as they have proof of holiness and lack thereof in the Strigoi, who cannot enter holy ground. Personal faith, however, varies from individual to individual as it is wont to do in any society. There are the religiously devout, like Lissa (don't you just  know  she's going to be religiously devout, goody two-shoes that she is?). There are the agnostic, like Rose, who...

Crossposting from Feminist Quill , July 22, 2015 Title:  Shadow Kiss Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2008 Series:  Vampire   Academy #:   3 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.41 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 SPOILER WARNING For Books 1, 2 and 3 Shadow Kiss  is in a lot of senses, the coming of age novel of the  VA  series. Yes, Rose turns 18 in this book. She also gets her first glimpse of life as an adult (on her visit to the Moroi court), gets an idea of how things work in real life, where you're expected to bend your life around other peoples' priorities, and experiences death and loss on a vast scale. It's almost as though, after watching a close friend die in  Frostbite,  life is now telling her,  "You think you're strong? You don't know what real pain is yet."  At the end of the book, when she takes advantage of her birthday and her newly adult status by leaving the Academy on a suic...

Crossposting from Feminist Quill, written July 22, 2015 Book Title:  Frostbite Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2008 Series:  Vampire Academy #:  2 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.31 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 Plot Description:  The sequel to  Vampire Academy  picks up a few months after the first, showing a new stage in Rose's guardian training. Running away from the school for two years had meant that she spent the first book trying to catch up with her classmates, and  Frostbite  opens with her Qualifier exam - one which requires an external guardian to evaluate her progress. As her mentor, it seems Dimitri was able to get her an interview with one of the most legendary guardians around, and as a bonus, this means Rose gets to roadtrip alone with her crush. Her cute triumph at having scored ten hours of being alone with him soon dovetails neatly with tragedy - a Strigoi attack at their destinat...

Crossposted from Feminist Quill , written on July 21, 2015. Book Title:  Vampire Academy Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2007 Series:  Vampire Academy #:  1 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.15 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 Mead's world-building is excellent. Instead of going for either the monster vampire, or the sexy version, she created a world where versions of both co-exist. Vampire Academy #1 - Vampire Academy Vampires are all the rage. Wait, that's still true, right? I mean, I know the Twilight frenzy has pretty much died down. (I'd say thank goodness, but it's been supplanted by Fifty Shades, which makes me want to go crawling back and beg Bella Swan's forgiveness). But the loyal fanbase that vampires acquired almost a decade ago is still going strong. The Vampire Diaries is one of the most-watched shows on CW, after all. Okay, I might be a little biased about TVD. And really, my obsession with vampires far predates the Twiligh...