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labyrinth_witch's reviews
549 reviews
Highland Hellion by Mary Wine
1.0
The third installment of Mary Wine’s Highland Wedding Series was a huge disappointment. The first one I enjoyed, the second one I had some serious objections, and this third one was a waste of my time.
This one features Katherine, the English girl rescued by Marcus in the second book. 6 years have lapsed and you discover that Marcus has allowed Katherine to be trained all this time as if she’s a lad so that she can protect herself from the inevitable sexual assault and kidnapping that is sure to be a part of her life. Makes sense. Makes sense because highland Scottish Women has a reputation for being trained and fierce. In fact, there is long legacy of female warriors. Makes sense because all women should be trained since we receive 100% of male initiated violence.
So why does this narrative begin with the men being in shock that she can handle a horse and dagger? Why does that shock immediately accompany accusations of witchcraft? IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN STRANGE!
But for all this set up on her training, Katherine didn’t escape from being kidnapped several times and hardly did anything to get out of her circumstances. When she hatches a plan to “save” her husband it was barely strategic, but really just a plot device to move the story along because obviously they couldn’t have the husband beheaded.
Then! After saving him, he tells her he will beat her to teach her not to put herself in danger to protect him. Because of course he must “teach” her. She decides she doesn’t want that kind of marriage and to return to her one clan, but of course is dissuaded by sex. Which I skipped reading because I was so disgusted with the dynamic at that point.
Not once did I feel like the male became more tender and complex throughout the narrative or that they got to know each other throughout the story. In fact 99% or the story is orders being barked at Katherine and not a single character asking her a question or considering that she had motives for what she did. Or even considering that she had her OWN honor to maintain and is entitled to make her OWN FULLY INFORMED choices. Why is he allowed to make reckless choices to protect her and she isn’t allowed to make reckless choices to save him? And why is he forgiven all when his plan only landed him chains with NO plan to escape, while her plan worked flawlessly and secured all their freedom. But no! He gets to “punish her” for not letting the men do the thinking.
The whole thing is nauseating.
For all of Mary Wine’s feminist discussion of marriage rights and person-property, she missed the mark on this one and clearly needs to figure out what a feminist protagonist should look like.
Bleh.
This one features Katherine, the English girl rescued by Marcus in the second book. 6 years have lapsed and you discover that Marcus has allowed Katherine to be trained all this time as if she’s a lad so that she can protect herself from the inevitable sexual assault and kidnapping that is sure to be a part of her life. Makes sense. Makes sense because highland Scottish Women has a reputation for being trained and fierce. In fact, there is long legacy of female warriors. Makes sense because all women should be trained since we receive 100% of male initiated violence.
So why does this narrative begin with the men being in shock that she can handle a horse and dagger? Why does that shock immediately accompany accusations of witchcraft? IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN STRANGE!
But for all this set up on her training, Katherine didn’t escape from being kidnapped several times and hardly did anything to get out of her circumstances. When she hatches a plan to “save” her husband it was barely strategic, but really just a plot device to move the story along because obviously they couldn’t have the husband beheaded.
Then! After saving him, he tells her he will beat her to teach her not to put herself in danger to protect him. Because of course he must “teach” her. She decides she doesn’t want that kind of marriage and to return to her one clan, but of course is dissuaded by sex. Which I skipped reading because I was so disgusted with the dynamic at that point.
Not once did I feel like the male became more tender and complex throughout the narrative or that they got to know each other throughout the story. In fact 99% or the story is orders being barked at Katherine and not a single character asking her a question or considering that she had motives for what she did. Or even considering that she had her OWN honor to maintain and is entitled to make her OWN FULLY INFORMED choices. Why is he allowed to make reckless choices to protect her and she isn’t allowed to make reckless choices to save him? And why is he forgiven all when his plan only landed him chains with NO plan to escape, while her plan worked flawlessly and secured all their freedom. But no! He gets to “punish her” for not letting the men do the thinking.
The whole thing is nauseating.
For all of Mary Wine’s feminist discussion of marriage rights and person-property, she missed the mark on this one and clearly needs to figure out what a feminist protagonist should look like.
Bleh.
Highland Vixen by Mary Wine
3.0
Mary Wine continues her interesting discussion of women as property and marriage rights in this second book of her highland series. I liked the main female protagonist in this series and her ability to be bold despite the risks. However, there was an element of gang rape in this book that I didn’t appreciate. As gang rape is the most traumatic way a person can be violated, I detest it when authors make that a character’s challenge in order to gain their “freedom.” Also, while this is an interesting discussion of the emotional experience of being traded like property, I don’t like her introducing gang rape and then having that character proceed as if that sort of trauma would not affect her in the least. It makes light of the brokenness and horror managed every day by a lot of women. So, at the end of this story, rather than being emboldened by the female protagonist and aroused by her relationship, I’m focused on the completely unneeded gang rape which makes me feel anything but sexy.
Highland Spitfire by Mary Wine
4.0
Always love highlander romances. I picked this one because I like the “hated you at first” plot theme. I liked that the author developed the female protagonist to give a sort of feminist critique of marriage rights throughout this time period as well as really take you into the experience of the horror a marriage alliance could be for the bride, especially coming into “enemy” territory. While the male protagonist is one of the better ones I’ve read- showing some awareness of his values in his decision making- I was a little frustrated that he was not extended to consider her point of view and demonstrate a tenderness toward her concerns. So once again, we have the rich interior life of the woman where we can feel her loneliness and her observation that her husband has done nothing to make her feel at home in her new clan (not even commissioning a new wardrobe or plaid for her) and her not being able to articulate her needs and fears to him. He seems to solve her “hesitation” with sex, but not once did she turn to him and say, “could we put some of my things in your chamber to make it also feel like my home and then maybe I wouldn’t feel this foreboding unease when you want to have sex.” Throughout the narrative, she is cast as a “spitfire” who stands up for herself and fights her corner. So the contrast of her never articulating her fears or sense of entrapment to her husband was palatable.
So when he says, “I cannot change the way of the world” when he takes her tartan from her I was annoyed; because again, he fails to consider her needs as an equal. It’s the same thing today when a woman is expected to relinquish her name upon marriage, but when asked if the man will relinquish him they don’t even consider it before proclaiming a resounding “no.” So you have this idea that the man is entitled to his identity while the woman’s identity is optional.
I was also mildly annoyed with the emphasis on an tug and pull power play between them, framing it as “that’s the way it always will be and I kinda like it” rhetoric. It annoys me because It romanticizes a potentially unhealthy relationship dynamic. Why can’t true partnership be romantic? Someone write that story.
Overall, the writing was absorbing and the sensuality very woman-centered, which I appreciate.
So when he says, “I cannot change the way of the world” when he takes her tartan from her I was annoyed; because again, he fails to consider her needs as an equal. It’s the same thing today when a woman is expected to relinquish her name upon marriage, but when asked if the man will relinquish him they don’t even consider it before proclaiming a resounding “no.” So you have this idea that the man is entitled to his identity while the woman’s identity is optional.
I was also mildly annoyed with the emphasis on an tug and pull power play between them, framing it as “that’s the way it always will be and I kinda like it” rhetoric. It annoys me because It romanticizes a potentially unhealthy relationship dynamic. Why can’t true partnership be romantic? Someone write that story.
Overall, the writing was absorbing and the sensuality very woman-centered, which I appreciate.
Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen
4.0
A steampunk romance retelling the fairytale of sleeping beauty. As my first steampunk novel, this was an entertaining historical novel mixed with science and invention. I love it and it made me want to dive deeper into the steampunk world. Excellent characters and a strong female heroine. A mild critique of the absolutely kind and absolutely responsible female archetype as the foundation for attraction. Also a mild critique of simply replacing the characters who would have been historically slaves with cyborgs, as it clouds the conversation. Overall, it was a very mild romance. But it was fun and I was completely absorbed in the story. I would recommend if you’re looking for some romance without the graphic sex scenes or I would recommend it for a 13-18 woman who’s starting to form her ideas of romance and romantic relationships.
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
5.0
Reni Eddo Lodge outlines the tensions and frustrations of discussing race with white people along 6 dimensions- history, the system, white privilege, fear of a black planet, feminism, and class. She ends not with a “we’re getting there” but a “we have to have this messy, complicated discussion” to get “there.”
Her critique of the way these discussions of race unfold, are framed, are appropriated for political agendas, and are distorted to protect whiteness as a political ideology resonated. Not in the way of, “oh yeah, I totally knew that” but in a “oh. Yes. That was how I’ve been taught to think and speak about race.”
Her work was incredibly insightful, thought-provoking, and helpful in understanding myself and the context of the current political environment. I recommend this book to everyone.
“Racism is a white problem. It reveals the anxieties, hypocrisies, and double standards of whiteness.”
Her critique of the way these discussions of race unfold, are framed, are appropriated for political agendas, and are distorted to protect whiteness as a political ideology resonated. Not in the way of, “oh yeah, I totally knew that” but in a “oh. Yes. That was how I’ve been taught to think and speak about race.”
Her work was incredibly insightful, thought-provoking, and helpful in understanding myself and the context of the current political environment. I recommend this book to everyone.
“Racism is a white problem. It reveals the anxieties, hypocrisies, and double standards of whiteness.”
Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning Into the Unknown by Pema Chödrön
5.0
Fail fail again fail better is a two part piece including a commencement speech Chodron gave for her nieces graduation and a rare interview recording.
At a time of several deeply personal and painful “failures” and vulnerability, I kept checking out books on failure but found myself too exhausted to read them. So I appreciated the structure of this book as small points of discussion on one page accompanied by artful Buddhist strokes on the opposite page that illustrate the points. In that sense I felt my intellectual and artistic spheres fully engaged. It helped me “feel” what she was communicating in my center.
Therefore this book was a manageable reconsideration of the sense of failure, a reframing that I so deeply needed at this time. She talks familiarly about sitting with the raw emotion and just saying “I’m hurting” rather than distancing and internalizing blame. She talks about believing in your basic goodness and cultivating the ability to experience the fullness of being human- which includes up and downs. She reiterates the essential practices while providing concrete mantras to facilitate the sitting with. And last but not least, she reminds us of “Maybe yes, maybe no.”
It reset me in a sense, allowing me to once again believe in both my complete goodness and my fluidity.
Unfold.
At a time of several deeply personal and painful “failures” and vulnerability, I kept checking out books on failure but found myself too exhausted to read them. So I appreciated the structure of this book as small points of discussion on one page accompanied by artful Buddhist strokes on the opposite page that illustrate the points. In that sense I felt my intellectual and artistic spheres fully engaged. It helped me “feel” what she was communicating in my center.
Therefore this book was a manageable reconsideration of the sense of failure, a reframing that I so deeply needed at this time. She talks familiarly about sitting with the raw emotion and just saying “I’m hurting” rather than distancing and internalizing blame. She talks about believing in your basic goodness and cultivating the ability to experience the fullness of being human- which includes up and downs. She reiterates the essential practices while providing concrete mantras to facilitate the sitting with. And last but not least, she reminds us of “Maybe yes, maybe no.”
It reset me in a sense, allowing me to once again believe in both my complete goodness and my fluidity.
Unfold.
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
3.0
The Penelopiad is a retelling if the Odyssey from the point of view of Odysseus’s wife, Penelope. I enjoy retellings of the Greek myths from the point of view of the women, who often are barely mentioned in passing or as props for the male quest.
However, I think I was expecting this tale to be more similar to Ursula Le Guin’s Lavinia, which is one of my favorite books. I had high hopes at the beginning of the book when Penelope is discussing her reputation as the perfectly devout wife and imploring readers to not follow this example. I was hoping, with this opening, that the story would reveal Penelope as a different female archetype and reveal how she had been sterilized through a thousand years of patriarchy. To some extent she is more cunning than the original myths give her credit for, but there was no master plot revealed that satisfied the initial question of “what was Penelope really up to?”
Atwood does provide interesting commentary on sexuality and I did love the idea presented at the end that Penelope is a symbol of matriarchal culture and the story really represents the overthrow of that order by patriarchy. I hadn’t really ever considered the story of Penelope to be symbolic in that way. That part of the book gave me something to think about and something more to investigate.
However, overall, I found that Atwood did not give Penelope much more depth than the original myths.
However, I think I was expecting this tale to be more similar to Ursula Le Guin’s Lavinia, which is one of my favorite books. I had high hopes at the beginning of the book when Penelope is discussing her reputation as the perfectly devout wife and imploring readers to not follow this example. I was hoping, with this opening, that the story would reveal Penelope as a different female archetype and reveal how she had been sterilized through a thousand years of patriarchy. To some extent she is more cunning than the original myths give her credit for, but there was no master plot revealed that satisfied the initial question of “what was Penelope really up to?”
Atwood does provide interesting commentary on sexuality and I did love the idea presented at the end that Penelope is a symbol of matriarchal culture and the story really represents the overthrow of that order by patriarchy. I hadn’t really ever considered the story of Penelope to be symbolic in that way. That part of the book gave me something to think about and something more to investigate.
However, overall, I found that Atwood did not give Penelope much more depth than the original myths.
Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing by David Naimon, Ursula K. Le Guin
5.0
Published posthumously, this is a final peak into Ursula K Le Guin’s thoughts on writing, her work, and her career. Structured as a set of three interviews with David Naimon, you truly get the feel for two writers exploring the world of their craft with great care and attention.
Reading this small tomb encouraged me to think more attentively to my own writing, recalling my mind back to early days in high school when I was first being taught to write. I remembered things about myself that I had forgotten- such as knowing how to diagram a sentence. I may be the last generation to have been taught such a vital skill, and I credit it to my ability (and love of) rearranging the elements of a sentence to achieve an effect. But she discussed other things- cadence, rhythm, structure, genre writing. David Naimon serves as a wonderful facilitator, you can tell how much he admires her and has read so much of her world. Interspersed are excerpts from her essays and lectures to really quicken their discussion.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to know their craft more.
Reading this small tomb encouraged me to think more attentively to my own writing, recalling my mind back to early days in high school when I was first being taught to write. I remembered things about myself that I had forgotten- such as knowing how to diagram a sentence. I may be the last generation to have been taught such a vital skill, and I credit it to my ability (and love of) rearranging the elements of a sentence to achieve an effect. But she discussed other things- cadence, rhythm, structure, genre writing. David Naimon serves as a wonderful facilitator, you can tell how much he admires her and has read so much of her world. Interspersed are excerpts from her essays and lectures to really quicken their discussion.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to know their craft more.
You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero
1.0
This book was marketed as a "practical guide" to get rich, tackle challenges, and help accumulate wealth. However, there was nothing "guiding" or "practical" about this book. In fact, I didn't learn a single thing about finances from this book. Nothing about how mutual funds work, trusts, compounded interest, insurance, stock exchange...nothing. What it turned out to be was a huge advertisement for her life or "success" coaching services. Every other chapter included in her many bullet-point lists "And HIRE A PERSONAL COACH." If her coaching services are anything like this book, you're basically hiring a personal cheerleader (which is something only rich white Americans are going to waste money on). In addition, I should go into debt to prove that I'm "not kidding around" about being successful. A sentiment she repeated countless times.
Furthermore, this book has absolutely no substance or depth. It's as if she googled "Top 10 Principles of Positive Psychology" and then connected them to trivial memories of hers and slopped it into a book. She obviously has no understanding of the last decade of research on emotional intelligence as she devotes an entire chapter to resentment with the motif of "Just Forgive and let it go." A sentiment that is so far behind the more evolved understanding of emotions as useful tools. Such as "If you're feeling resentful, it probably means you've assumed responsibility that isn't yours and you should check your boundaries." She also basically uses the tenements of "sympathetic magic" without any understanding of that universal principle and the repercussions.
Her language was underdeveloped. In several places she would cite various thought leaders, as if to appeal to the "intellectuals." Then she would turn around and use "Whatev" or "obv" as if to appeal to an imaginary youth audience (At least I'm hoping youth do not use this kind of language). Her advice was hallow- at one point, she actually said "I don't support writing a business plan because they can be too overwhelming BUT I do support writing out your expenses, revenue, market research, audience, promotional plan...." etc. I don't think she is aware that THAT IS A BUSINESS PLAN!
At the end of the book, her message basically boils down to "If you feel that you are already working yourself to death and daily facing challenges, then the reason you're not wealthy is because you didn't want it badly enough." This blatantly ignores systematic oppressions, how the accumulation of and access to wealth has a long history of sexism and racism, how education on the accumulation of wealth is restricted, and how opportunity is a privilege. For example, she completely glosses over the fact that she had the opportunity to travel to Europe several times (spending most of her time drinking, btw), how she apparently had the support and/or resources to move across the country several times, or how she had the access to "LA parties" where she just happened to meet the right people who offered to publish her drivel. She completely ignores the fact that she could be even more wealthy if she had decided to be serious and appreciative about the opportunities in her life much sooner than the age of 40.
Overall, this book was a colossal waste of my time and getting to the end excruciatingly painful. I do not recommend this book to anyone- not for self-help, and absolutely and under no circumstance for financial advice.
Furthermore, this book has absolutely no substance or depth. It's as if she googled "Top 10 Principles of Positive Psychology" and then connected them to trivial memories of hers and slopped it into a book. She obviously has no understanding of the last decade of research on emotional intelligence as she devotes an entire chapter to resentment with the motif of "Just Forgive and let it go." A sentiment that is so far behind the more evolved understanding of emotions as useful tools. Such as "If you're feeling resentful, it probably means you've assumed responsibility that isn't yours and you should check your boundaries." She also basically uses the tenements of "sympathetic magic" without any understanding of that universal principle and the repercussions.
Her language was underdeveloped. In several places she would cite various thought leaders, as if to appeal to the "intellectuals." Then she would turn around and use "Whatev" or "obv" as if to appeal to an imaginary youth audience (At least I'm hoping youth do not use this kind of language). Her advice was hallow- at one point, she actually said "I don't support writing a business plan because they can be too overwhelming BUT I do support writing out your expenses, revenue, market research, audience, promotional plan...." etc. I don't think she is aware that THAT IS A BUSINESS PLAN!
At the end of the book, her message basically boils down to "If you feel that you are already working yourself to death and daily facing challenges, then the reason you're not wealthy is because you didn't want it badly enough." This blatantly ignores systematic oppressions, how the accumulation of and access to wealth has a long history of sexism and racism, how education on the accumulation of wealth is restricted, and how opportunity is a privilege. For example, she completely glosses over the fact that she had the opportunity to travel to Europe several times (spending most of her time drinking, btw), how she apparently had the support and/or resources to move across the country several times, or how she had the access to "LA parties" where she just happened to meet the right people who offered to publish her drivel. She completely ignores the fact that she could be even more wealthy if she had decided to be serious and appreciative about the opportunities in her life much sooner than the age of 40.
Overall, this book was a colossal waste of my time and getting to the end excruciatingly painful. I do not recommend this book to anyone- not for self-help, and absolutely and under no circumstance for financial advice.