Book Style: Too Bad To Die

I've been a massive James Bond fan ever since a lazy Saturday afternoon during my college years when I had a sprained ankle and Spike TV had a Bond marathon running. I know, it's basically a crime that it took that long for me to be formally introduced to any Bond other than Pierce Brosnan. Alas, we cannot change the past. My Bond love is what originally intrigued me about Francine Mathews newest novel, Too Bad To Die. She has taken on such daunting historical figures as Alan Turning, FDR, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and, of course, Ian Fleming. And she juggles the massive character roster, countless red herrings, and page turning action with a skilled pen. If you love spy novels, historical thrillers, or James Bond you really can't not read this one. 

That being said, my stubborn insistence that I include thematic elements into my Book Styles and a simple tri-color scheme for the cover art did make this one of the more difficult outfits I've put together recently. This book is heavy on plot but there's not a ton of obvious symbolism going on. I knew we needed a trench coat though. I mean, what spy outfit doesn't include a trench coat? I don't even care that I can't remember a single one being mentioned in Too Bad To Die. Need TRENCH COAT! This eye-catching trench is the perfect top layer for a very simple outfit. We have a 'Double Agent' tank, "Guns Out" leggings and "Spy" ankle boots. I have no excuse for these Agent Provocateur panties except that they're gorgeous and exactly what any bond girl should wear (at least in my imagination). The scarf is the only direct element taken from the novel, and is a nod to Ian's very own femme fatale. Oh, and it features a stylized martini glass print, of course. The jewelry includes an "Enigma" ring for the Nazi's famous encryption device, a "CODE" ring for the exact same reason, and black pistol earrings because every spy and secret agent needs a trusty weapon. Finishing the outfit off is a "Heroine" bag, because ultimately it's a lady's intuition that saves the day. The makeup is "Femme Fatale" lipstick and "The Man with the Golden Gun" nail lacquer (OPI's limited edition 18 karat gold topcoat).

Confessions Of A Cover Snob

I admit it, I’m a cover snob. Which is especially funny considering that the majority of my reading resides firmly in the genre categories of fiction; not an area known for getting the best cover treatments.  But my ventures into the wilds of non-fiction and literary fiction are often purely the result of great design and pretty, eye-catching colors calling to me from a shelf. In fact, I've developed die-hard publisher loyalties purely because I like the way their books look on my bookshelves at home. I mean, is it really so wrong to own every edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland because the covers are all so gorgeous?

It’s easy to love the good covers. It’s the bad covers that cause me problems. Or design changes. MY favorite series of all time¹ went through a publisher change after the first four books, and while I will continue to purchase them, I’m always sad that the first four books are gorgeously designed trade paperbacks, the next four are meh looking mass markets and the rest are all reasonably well done hardcovers. In another instance, a favorite author has three series, each one progressively more poorly designed than the one before it. In fact, the newest one² looks like something a first-time Photoshop user could achieve in a couple of hours.

I once worked a panel of four very well-known and well-loved supernatural romance authors. A question was posed about cover design, I believe in regards to how much control the authors had in the design process, and it led to one of the authors recounting a time when a design was submitted for her newest series. When her publisher asked for her feedback she informed them that it was a nice design but her protagonist wasn’t a redhead like the woman pictured on the cover, she was a brunette. The publisher’s response? Oh, they knew, but the redhead looked better and was more likely to sell copies.

One of my favorite books of 2014³ recently came to paperback with a major cover design change. It’s gone from a graphic symbolic interpretation of a key element in the story to a very literal interpretation of the title. I know, as a bookseller and as an at least semi-intelligent human, that the choice was cooked up by a marketing department somewhere to boost sales. I also know, as a bookseller and as an avid reader, that they have actually narrowed their audience by doing so.
And don’t get me started on movie tie-in covers. Ugh.

You’re probably all eager to know that titles I’m talking about. Well I’m not going to tell you.^* Call it protecting the innocent if you will. I’m not going to encourage judging a book by its cover. I’m just going to silently, or at full volume if you were to ask my long-suffering coworkers, seethe about poor design choices and keep praying to the various deities of publishing that it stops because I’m a cover snob.

*I originally wrote this post with the intention of it being published elsewhere, so I left it intentionally vague for professional reasons which do not extend to this blog, so here are the titles:

1 - The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King
2 - Prudence (The Custard Protocol series) by Gail Carriger
3 - The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne

Book Style: How To Be A Woman

I don't know why it took me so long to actually read How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. I kept looking at it and going "Me. This book was written for me," but it never quite made it to the top of my reading pile. Honestly, this is the funniest, most honest, and personally resonating book I've read in ages. It's quite literally laugh-out-loud funny. I had to stop reading it in public because my poker face is nonexistent and when I'm amused my face apparently looks like an oasis of happiness to complete strangers who never let me get back to my reading once they inquire about it... sorry, personal rant. Not that I'm opposed to discussing the glory that is Ms. Moran's book. In fact, we can discuss it for ages. We can discuss all the books written by kickass women all the time. And if by some modern miracle Caitlin - it's cool if I call you "Caitlin" right? -  is reading this right now, please know I will gladly and proudly call myself a strident feminist anytime, anywhere, anywhen.

I really just wanted to recreate Caitlin's cover look: Red and white polka dot dress, black cardigan, black tights, brown boots, and a black belt. Of course, I did add some of my own touches, mostly inspired by the book and the subject material. I had to include some wicked eyeliner since that is a staple of Caitlin's makeup repertoire and mine as well. The hat is a whimsical touch, one I deemed necessary because I love hats, and, let's face it, we don't all have hair as fab as Caitlin's. A simple yet sweet "Feminist" pin that I really want to adorn all my bags (yes plural, I might have a tote bag addiction, so what? back off!) "Rock n' Roll" guitar pick earrings, "Rock n' Roll Nugget" bracelet, and a microphone necklace are a nod to Caitlin's career as a music journalist and television presenter.  I think the phone case should be pretty self-explanatory. "Bad Romance" nail lacquer (look at the sparkle!) is a bit of an homage to one of Caitlin's and my feminist idols - Lady Gaga. Finally, although they should go on first, is this bra and panty set. It's from Lonely Lingerie which advocates women wearing pretty knickers for themselves and they are high-waisted, architectural wonders that even Ms. Moran would approve of for their bum-coverage and practicality.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Book Style: Sexy Feminism

Sexy Feminism by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong and Heather Wood Rudúlph has been my go-to recommendation for women (and men) trying to dip their toes into women's studies and feminist reading since I first skimmed it a little over a year ago. This time I sat myself down and read it cover to cover, taking time to reflect on the end of chapter questions and action points, and digging my teeth into some of the referred web sites and literature. This time reading Sexy Feminism was a breath of fresh air for my psyche and a warm hug for my soul. I tend to be quiet about my values and beliefs because I grew up surrounded by voices that differed from mine. It's taken me most of my adult life so far to even really come to understand what my own beliefs are on several points. But I do know I believe in the radical idea that women are people who deserve the exact same rights as men. And if you believe women aren't property and shouldn't be denied basic rights because of their gender, then you too are a feminist. Saying it loud and proud is a freeing experience that I recommend to everyone. If even Taylor Swift can learn that feminism does not equal being a misandrist or being unfeminine (although it's totally cool if you want to dress, act, look more masculine) then everyone can get over the media-imposed implication of the word and start embracing it for what it actually is. Read this book. If you still have questions, send them my way. Talking openly about feminism is something I'm embracing.

This Book Style is a bit different, it's not really an outfit just a bunch of awesome lady-power oriented swag. From pro-feminism messages to clothing and jewelry from lady-run and women-friendly companies to products inspired by some of my own personal feminist icons - Lady Gaga, Wonder Woman, Frida Kahlo, the trio behind the Blogcademy (Shauna Haider, Kat Williams, and Gala Darling). Check out my own choices. Find your own. Research companies manufacturing and advertising practices to ensure they are kind to women. Throw your money at small businesses run by women. Read feminist literature. Read books by women. Buy the children in your life books by women and about women. Dress how you want because you want to. Pick a feminist hero; and yeah, they'll probably all have a flaw or two, we're all human after all. 

Reading Resolutions: Diversity Matters

[Image found here]

New Year's Resolutions.

They're kind of a self-dooming prophecy for most people. And while I'm hoping my 31st year on this planet will bring with it more resolve and positive growth, I know a few of my personal resolutions will likely fall by the wayside early. But one I'm planning to work hard on, and that means the most to you fellow readers, is my resolution to read more diversely.

Book Riot has coincidentally challenged all of its contributors to read more diversely as well, so I've got a built in support system! The challenge was to read a third of the yearly total diversely. My goal is to read books exclusively written by women and people of color. Ideally women of color.

And before a single one of you pipes up with "But a lot of really great books are written by white men!" I know. I've read a lot of them. I have a preference for British science fiction and fantasy. I read a lot of (very talented) white men. One of my favorite books last year was written by a white man. They don't need my help. And those books will still be there for me to read any time I'd like. But in 2015, they don't get my attention.

My growing vocalization of my long-held feminist belief system and my efforts to become more active in the community have helped spurn this project. I am thrilled about the soon-to-be-released series The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency which features fictionalized versions of Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley as kids. It's for beginner readers and I'm so stoked about it. But I was surprised at myself for being disappointed when I found out the author, Jordan Stratford, was a white dude. It's not that he's doing anything wrong, and I wish more people -  men, women, androids - were working as hard to get kick-ass female historical figures onto the next generations radar. I think it was mostly an "a ha" moment that made me finally become aware of who is writing the stories I devour.

I also want to be a more active ally to people of color. My white-privilege spawned blindness is strong. Even married to a black man, I'm blissfully unaware of many racial related slights that he notices on a daily basis. Taking my blinders off in 2015 is crucial. While I'll never personally understand what people of color go through, I can help purchase, read and promote their works. 

So I'm challenging you, too. Whether you want a fully immersive experience like I'm aiming for, or prefer the more realistic and practical and less soap-boxy approach of the Book Riot encouraged one-third, I challenge you to read more diversely this year too. Be conscious of your authors and your protagonists. #readdiversely #diversitymatters

2014: A Year In Books

[Chart showing my (self-assigned) genre breakdown for 2014 reading]

I know, I know. It's January 3rd and I should have had this post up a couple of days ago. But, as an extreme introvert, I should probably not work in a retail centric job, that way I'm not drained of all energy and joy by the end of December, either. Also, I'm still recovering from a flu. So take your meaningless complaints about this bloggers punctuality and shove 'em...somewhere. (What? My mom reads this, she'll tsk at me if I get too descriptively vulgar.)

I did not read nearly as many books in 2014 as I intended to. I read 68 total. Which is a low number for me, possibly not for the average person. It's terrifyingly low compared to some of my book buddies, though. The thing is, reading is not a competition. Reading the fastest or the most only benefits you, so if rapidly accumulating knowledge is what you want, do it. If you'd rather savor a read or prefer not to treat it as homework, slow down. There are some books I have to read quickly because I'm reviewing them for a publication and those often bump my personal reading aside for a bit. I've also had a busy year with a promotion, a(nother) move, starting and running a teen book group, and my mom visiting. I gave myself permission in the late spring to take the pressure off myself. And I'm glad I did, it's helped me evaluate some of my habits, ruts, and preferences and compile some new goals for 2015. But more on that in another post. This is about the past. The list below is of the 68 books I read in their entirety this year. I have not included ANY partial reads, even if they were, say, 90% finished.

Quick Facts:

• I read 19946 pages this past year. (As I read a ton of advanced copies, some of my numbers are based on the final published text counts).
• As you may have noticed from the chart above I read most heavily in Fantasy (primarily Young Adult) and Mystery.
• Nature was my least read category, and it was only nature essays, but I actually read something in it!
• I started 14 new series.
• I finished 3 series.
• I reread 2 books.
• Favorite read of 2014: It's a 3 way tie, all for their own reasons - The Weird Sisters, Jackaby and The Girl in the Road
• Worst read of 2014: The Iron Trial.

Books Read* in 2014 
*In their entirety

1. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
2. St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves by Karen Russell
3. The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
4. Fade to Black by Francis Knight
5. Fluff Dragon by Platte F. Clark
6. The Shape Stealer by Lee Carroll
7. Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh
8. Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done by Stephan Pastis
9. Phoebe and Her Unicorn: A Heavenly Nostrils Chronicle by Dana C. Simpson
10. Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Spelling Trouble by Frank Cammuso
11. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
12. The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills
13. Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
14. The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
15. The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
16. Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff
17. The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
18. The Thickety: A Path Begins by J. A. White
19. The Given by Vicki Pettersson
20. Unicorn Magic: Bella's Birthday Unicorn by Jessica Burkhart
21. Lily the Unicorn by Dallas Clayton
22. The Stone Wife by Peter Lovesey
23. The Empty Glass by J. I. Barker
24. The Last Policeman by Ben Winters
25. Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
26. The Intern's Handbook by Shane Kuhn
27. Wonderland by Stacey D'Erasmo
28. The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King
29. The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
30. Greek Street: Blood Calls for Blood by Peter Milligan
31. Morning Glories: Volume One by Nick Spencer
32. The One Safe Place by Tania Unsworth
33. American Innovations by Rivka Galchen
34. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
35. After the Funeral by Agatha Christie
36. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
37. A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz
38. Gris Grimly's Frankenstein by Gris Grimly
39. The Unofficial Middle-Earth Monster's Guide by The Mordor Collective
40. Starting From Happy by Patricia Marx
41. One Kick by Chelsea Cain
42. Zooburbia by Tai Moses
43. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
44. Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times by Emma Treyvane
45. Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
46. The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
47. Grim by Christine Johnson
48. Pretty Deadly Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick
49. Courage: Daring Poems for Gutsy Girls by Karen Finneyfrock, Mindy Nettifee, and Rachel McKibbens
50. Rooms by Lauren Oliver
51. The Rumplestiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
52. Maplecroft by Cherie Priest
53. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
54. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
55. Displaced Persons by Derek McCulloch
56. What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund
57. The Tombs by Clive Cussler
58. How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas
59. Jackaby by William Ritter
60. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins
61. Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke 
62. The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John
63. The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency: The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford
64. Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King
65. Rest in Pieces by Bess Lovejoy
66. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
67. The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst
68. The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne

So how was 2014 for you?