Outspoken Why Women's Voices Get Silenced and How to Set Them Free

Outspoken: Why Women's Voices Get Silenced and How to Set Them Free by Veronica Reuckert 256 pages

Studies show that women's voices aren't being heard - at home, in public, or at work. Or, in the movies, either. When women speak up, they are seen as loud and pushy. Too much. If they're quiet, they're dismissed as too meek. And, no matter what, they are interrupted far often more than their male counterparts. In this book, the author, an award-winning former host at Wisconsin Public Radio, a trained opera singer and communications coach, takes women through the steps of recognizing the value of their own voice. She shows how women can communicate in meetings and around the dinner table and how to use their voices and be heard.

This book is entertaining and informative. The author clearly knows her material, and what I found interesting was her focus on the physical aspect of speaking, almost more than the psychological aspects. As a trained singer, she knows what is physically involved in speaking clearly and how suppressing the natural voice can actually cause physical pain.  So, if you are a woman understanding how to make your voice heard and get some steps on feeling more comfortable with your own voice, you might find this book very helpful.  What the author doesn't address as much is why women are viewed this way in our society, where they are seen as being better if they speak softly, or speak less.  But there's a lot to unpack there.

Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward

Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward by Gemma Hartley 272 pages

"Day in, day out, women anticipate and manage the needs of others. In relationships, we initiate the hard conversations. At home, we shoulder the mental load required to keep our households running. At work, we moderate our tone, explaining patiently and speaking softly. In the world, we step gingerly to keep ourselves safe. We do this largely invisible, draining work whether we want to or not—and we never clock out. No wonder women everywhere are overtaxed, exhausted, and simply fed up."

This is taken from the book's summary on Goodreads and is a good setup for what the book is about. The author wrote an article several years ago that went viral, in part because of the overwhelming amount of responses to it from other women who were feeling the same way about the emotional labor they shoulder. Gemma Hartley begins the book with a story from her own life to illustrate an example of what she called emotional labor. From there, she examines the cultural messages women receive and how women tend to fall into a pattern of performing emotional labor both at work and at home, and how this limits their opportunities and adversely affects their quality of life.

I had placed a hold on this book, although when I picked it up, I couldn't remember why. Then, I remembered the original article.  I had been curious about this book and it did make for an interesting read, although I don't strongly identify with the author and some of the situations she writes about. However, there were a number of things that I read that I found made me nod my head, especially about how women spend a lot of time analyzing how to communicate, how to find the right tone, the right way to say things, anticipating the reactions of others (especially men) and how to modulate themselves.  And, above all else, to make all of this appear smooth and effortless, much like a duck swimming on a pond (smooth on top, paddling furiously beneath the water).  I also found I was frequently reading the book and appreciating my own husband (and making sure I tell him this).

I feel like this is a book a lot of women would benefit from by reading, if nothing else than to see that they might not be alone in their frustration and also to give a name to their frustration.  I have a cousin who has complained about her husband for years, especially since their daughter was born; I might send her a note and suggest she check this book out from her library. 

Raspberry Danish Murder

Raspberry DanishMurder by Joanne Fluke, 362 pages

“Thanksgiving has a way of thawing the frostiest hearts in Lake Eden. But that won't be happening for newlywed Hannah Swensen Barton--not after her husband suddenly disappears . . .  Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she throws herself into a baking frenzy for the sake of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving-themed treats while endless holiday orders pour into The Cookie Jar. Hannah even introduces a raspberry Danish pastry to the menu, and P.K., her husband's assistant at KCOW-TV, will be one of the first to sample it. But instead of taking a bite, P.K., who is driving Ross's car and using his desk at work, is murdered. Was someone plotting against P.K. all along or did Ross dodge a deadly dose of sweet revenge? Hannah will have to quickly sift through a cornucopia of clues and suspects to stop a killer from bringing another murder to the table . . .”  This book has an interesting collection of recipes, several of which I want to try.  The story is very good as well, typical of Fluke’s writing.  Mystery lovers will enjoy it, especially ones who like food.

Eleventh Grave In Moonlight

Eleventh Grave InMoonlight by Darynda Jones, 310 pages

“A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, errant wives, missing people, philandering business owners, and, oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. Now, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, will Charley be able to defeat the ultimate evil and find a way to have her happily ever after after all?” This series is always fun and this book is no exception.  There is sex and violence. Sometimes the sex is great and the violence can get gory. The best part of these books, in my opinion, however, is the humor.  Charley is hilarious, even when, sometimes especially when, everything is going wrong.  Anyone who likes humorous adventure books that include some sex and gore will want to read the whole series.

Here We Are

Here We Are: 44 Voices Write, Draw, And Speak About Feminism In The Real World edited by Kelly Jensen, 218 pages

“LET'S GET THE FEMINIST PARTY STARTED!  Have you ever wanted to be a superheroine? Join a fandom? Create the perfect empowering playlist? Understand exactly what it means to be a feminist in the twenty-first century? You've come to the right place.  Forty-four writers, dancers, actors, and artists contribute essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations about everything from body positivity to romance to gender identity to intersectionality to the greatest girl friendships in fiction. Together, they share diverse perspectives on and insights into what feminism means and what it looks like. Come on in, turn the pages, and be inspired to find your own path to feminism by the awesome individuals in Here We Are.  Welcome to one of the most life-changing parties around!” This is a great book for teens, especially young women, who may be struggling with their identity.  There are a lot of strong women writing in this book and I’m certain that at least one will speak to every woman out there.

Back Talk: Stories

Back Talk: Stories by Danielle Lazarin                                Audiobook: 6 hours, 30 mins                      Paperback Book:  256 pages                       Genre: Adult Fiction-Stories about females coping with their situations

Really well written stories about females of all ages accepting and dealing with the circumstances they find themselves in, some not so happy, some uplifting, some growing experiences some funny (I love the psychic sisters for example).    These stories take the reader through many circumstances with many alternating routes arriving at the destination as they do.   I enjoyed the stories in this book, the reader will get swept away with each one, I know I did.   The characters here go from young children, teens, young adults, adults, midlifers and elderly.    Each one unique and poignant.   I liked each story found in this book for its triumph for the shero (female hero) and there are some truly warrior gals to be found here, so much so, I can almost here that Xena, Warrior Princess yell going in the background.   Not everyone is nice but neither are they truly evil, just doing the best they can with what they have to deal with and in the end that is all any of us can do with life, it doesn’t always come in a pretty packages sometimes it is pretty rough and you still have to carry it and continue on and these stories offer some wonderful insights into their characters.   Good, bad, happy, sad and even indifferent – these are all good stories and worth your time.   I would recommend this read.

Red clocks

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas   368 pages

"Five women. One question. What is a woman for?"

This book gives us viewpoints from five different characters, although at some point, they intersect, In this story, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned (because the fertilized eggs have no say in where they are moved) and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty and property to every embryo. In a small town, five very different women navigate these new barriers, along with the challenges they face in their own lives.

One of the characters, Ro, is a biographer and interspersed throughout the book are bits from the book she is writing about Eivor, a little-known 19th century polar explorer. So, you have four women in the present time and then you have one woman from the past. I really liked this book and though parts of it were a little strange, I had a hard time putting it down. I thought it was a creative and daring idea to push the envelope with the Personhood Amendment, although it's a great way to take the idea of abortion bans to the very end of limits that can be imagined. I also appreciated that all of the characters are flawed, but they are honestly flawed (i.e. completely believable, even the character who is a herbal healer).  Definitely a thought-provoking book that I think would make for some interesting book group discussions.

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir  by Jennifer Ryan   384 pages

Before she decided to write a novel, debut author Jennifer Ryan was a nonfiction book editor. Her novel, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, shows remarkable talent for a beginner. I believe she is going to be a writer with many national bestsellers if her first outing is any indication. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect, but I believe that this work shows incredible talent.

The story takes place in England beginning in March 24 and ends on September 6, 1940, as England is inching closer and closer to joining the world at war. The local vicar of Chilbury has decided that since no men are available to add their voices, that the choir should be suspended. The village women completely disagree with the vicar.  

It’s not easy, what with the shortages and all. But they form their own little Band of Sisters and vow to keep going. This is their story: the struggles, the heartaches, deceptions, romances, sacrifices.

The story is narrated in an epistolary manner, through journal/diary entries and letters. An ensemble, five different women, narrate the events of the five-and-a-half month time period. And boy is there a lot going on!  At first it was difficult to tell the speakers apart, but after about 50 pages, it was very easy to discern each individual voice.

According to her bio, Ryan based her novel “on the stories of my grandmother who was twenty when the Second World War began, mostly hilarious tales about bumping into people in the blackout, singing in the air raid shelters, and the freedoms women had during the war years--the excitement and romance. She also belonged to a choir, and her choir stories dramatized the camaraderie and support they all took away; the knowledge that they weren't in this alone. The The Chilbury Ladies' Choir uses my dear grandmother's stories as its backdrop.”

I enjoyed the highs and lows the ladies endured. Their last performance at the book’s ending satisfying, but the story seemed to wrap up a bit too quickly after that. For this reason and the earlier difficulty, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. I would lie to add that I would like to see these characters again, perhaps in future novel. I want to know how, and if, Mrs. Tillings; Venetia Winthrop and her younger sister, Kitty; Sylvie, the Jewish refugee, and the local midwife, Edwina Paltry, they make it through WWII.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. 

No Comfort for the Lost: A Mystery of Old San Francisco

No Comfort for the Lost: A Mystery of Old San Francisco by Nancy Herrimann  384 pages

This is the first novel in the “A Mystery of Old San Francisco.” Author Herrimann introduces readers to his two main protagonists. First is Crimea veteran Celia Davies. She came to the States with her husband, Patrick, who promptly signed onto to a sailing vessel and has disappeared.

Celia, a recent immigrant from Great Britain, feels for the Chinese immigrants who often live in squalor. She opens a free clinic for the prostitutes, funded by her late uncle. She lives in the uncle’s house with her half-Chinese niece and an opinionated housekeeper. I believe the housekeeper was designed as comedic relief, but it missed the point.

When one of her patients, and a women Celia considered a friend, is found dumped in the Bay, Celia vows to find justice for Li Sha. She works, often to his dismay and in opposition of, with Detective Nicholas Greaves. Celia is more often than not, getting in way and continues to find herself in dangerous situations that could prove fatal to both herself and Nick.

No Comfort the Lost takes place in 1867. Herrimann does an excellent job in providing atmospheric details without cluttering the book with unimportant information. For me, the book lacked tension. I never felt that Celia and her entourage were in any real danger. I also felt that many of the situations were the same, just located in a different part of the city.

I did like how Herriman tackled immigration---most of San Francisco hated the Chinese and were ready to revolt, burning Chinatown and sending the foreigners packing. Give readers a look at how foreigners were viewed a hundred and fifty plus years ago.

I give No Comfort the Lost 3 out of 5 stars.

Daring to Date Again

Daring to Date Again by Ann Anderson Evans   290 pages

Having just turned 60 myself and only married (this time) for almost five years, I was intrigued by the idea of Ann’s memoir. After 12 celibate years, she is ready for anything that will appease the hunger. To put it bluntly, she’s as horny as an 18-year-old boy

How does a woman of our age go about dating in the early years of the 21^st century? It’s a whole different world out there (I knew my newish husband from work). And what about sex? Is it as available as television, movies, etc. make it out to be? Where do women of certain ages go to meet men? Is Internet dating as scary as it seems? Ann’s memoir seems to answer all these questions, but the answers are not rules or guides for single women; the book is Ann telling the reader her experiences. I would never classify this book as self-help (unless it’s to gain confidence that there is sex available.)

Get ready to laugh, cry and enjoy all the emotions in between. Ann’s first adventure to conquer the sexual gnawing is with a guy Larry, who turns out to be a transvestite. Ann doesn’t care about that, but she is looking for a male with male longings.

Ann dates many, many men. So many, by the end of the book, I couldn’t keep them all straight. I’ve been so worried about stalkers I would never allow a virtual stranger into my home, much less my bed. Maybe it’s because Ann is a confident woman. I loved Chapter 13, Strategy. She makes a chart that will help guide her through the e-mails and flirts from the Internet. There are three columns: Indispensable, pro, and con. That list serves her well, until she meets Guy.

I was starting to get a little bored with the whole dating/sleeping around when Ann and Guy connect. I was astounded that Ann went to Zimbabwe to spend some time Guy. But that put the zip back into the story.

I enjoyed Ann’s voice; it was like a best friend/sister talking to me, telling me her adventures. I felt as if I was dating again vicariously through Ann, and all I can say, is please God, never let me single and horny again.

I give Daring to Date Again 5 out of 5 stars.

Tricky Twenty-Two

Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich, 292 pages

This is another typical Stephanie Plum novel.  Stephanie is chasing the criminals who have skipped out on their bonds with her sidekick, Lulu.  One of her skips is a college student nicknamed Gobbler.  Through Gobbler, Stephanie finds out that there might be some shady dealings with the faculty and staff on campus.  In addition, Stephanie has been helping Ranger with a bodyguard assignment, which ends up relating to three different murders.  Just to top off Stephanie's week, Joe broke up with her.  Of course, Stephanie's cars end up being totaled, or blown up, or filled with geese, which only adds to the hilarity.  I thought this book was pretty funny.  I laughed out loud a couple of times and I enjoyed this addition to the series.  I wouldn't say it's the best one, but it was fun and anyone who likes the series or humorous fiction will enjoy it.

In the Body of the World

In the Body of the World, by Eve Ensler, 240 pages

This was a very emotionally raw memoir of surviving cancer.  But since it was written by Eve Ensler, it means even more.  Ensler (of Vagina Monologues fame) has pretty much dedicated her life and everything she's written to the topic of women and their bodies.  Strength, ownership and survival have always been topics in her work.  But when she finds out that it is her own uterus that is basically "betraying" her (uterine cancer), she has to temporarily focus on her own body and survival.  Like I said- very raw and very graphic, but there's not a whole lot that's pretty about cancer.  Given an option, I would recommend listening to the audio- it's narrated by Ensler, and she reads everything like a performance piece.

Saint Mazie

Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg     336 pages

Mazie Phillips’ story opens in 1907 when she receives a diary for her 10^th birthday. 

Rescued from her abusive parents and poverty in Boston by her sister, Rosie, she is now a New Yorker. Mazie LOVES New York. She loves it streets, the men and women who live there, the air, everything. The diary entries are typical of a developing young lady. As the Jazz Age blossoms, Maize blossoms. The entries are spasmodic until about 1916.

Rosie had married a wealthy man who owns the Venice movie theater. Now Rosie is sick, and Mazie needs to help at the theater. Her brother-in-law, Louis, needs someone who is honest and good with money. Therefore she is put in the ticket cage. She feels like a caged animal.

Mazie knows everyone in the neighborhood---from the bums to the upper lower class. That’s who lives in the Bowery. Then the Great Depression hits. Poverty and homelessness become more widespread. By this time, Mazie owns the Venice and throws it open to those most in need. Oh, she’s still showing the movies, but those who need a warm/cool place to stay for awhile are welcome.

The diary entries continue to be spasmodic and include a chorus of voices that help fill in Mazie’s story. While Attenberg’s story ends in 1939, the “Queen of the Bowery,” as she was known, died in 1961.

I was attracted to this story for two reasons: 1) Supposedly more than 90 years after Mazie began writing in her diary, it’s discovered by a documentarian in search of a good story. However, readers never hear from the movie-maker until the last third of the book.  It didn’t work for me. 2) Maize was a real person living; she was profiled in Joseph Mitchell’s Up in The Old Hotel, a collection of short stories based on real people.

I was never able to get into the plot or the characters. In my opinion, Attenberg wasn’t able to pull off the story. That’s why I’m giving Saint Mazie two out of five stars.

Copperhead

Copperhead by Tina Connolly
318 Pages



The sequel to the novel IronSkin (which I have not read).  Copperhead returns to the world where the humans are at war with the fey.  The hundred leading ladies of society find their freedoms curtailed by the threat of being taken over by the fey through the magic of their perfected faces (apparently something that happened in the first book). As a result they must wear iron masks when outside.  Helen Huntingdon and her sister Jane are attempting to convinced these handicapped beauties to take back their original faces but when one such operation goes wrong, Jane disappears and Helen must track down her sister and determine who is at the root of a conspiracy to control all the women. 

Clearly a feminist novel in the guise of a supernatural fiction book, this work is okay but a little heavy handed towards the end in its feminist message.

Fairest: In All The Land

Fairest: In All The Land written by Bill Willingham, illustrated by "a wonderland of artists," 157 pages

Ah, now this is Fairest at its best! This standalone graphic novel takes place in the Fables universe and focuses on international super-spy Cinderella (you shouldn't be surprised by this) as she seeks to track down a murderer intent on taking out all the loveliest fables, from Snow White and Rose Red to Morgan Le Fay and the Blue Fairy. What's even more fantastic about this book is the fact that the narrator is the Magic Mirror of Snow White fame, using his magical properties to see into various places in the universe and tell us the whole story. Really, I don't know why the Magic Mirror isn't the narrator for all of the Fables/Fairest stories...

Anyway, you would think that a single story illustrated by thirty-odd artists would be jarring to read. It's not. Each artist presents a "chapter" of the story as written by Willingham. True, the look of specific characters (especially Cinderella and her plethora of fabulous shoes) changes from artist to artist, but it isn't hard to tell who's who. And everyone did a fantastic job. You can't say that about most multi-artist graphic novels.

As I mentioned earlier, this is probably the best thing to come out of the Fairest brand. That said, it's not something you want to read if you're not caught up with Fables (at least through the 17th or 18th book). So read those, then read this. You won't regret it.

I Shall be Near to You

I Shall be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe   304 pages

I’m always amazed at the new things about our American Civil War. Way back in my mind I knew that many women (more than 250 documented cases) cut their hair, bound their breasts, and joined the conflict, but I had never read any of their stories. Until now. Although McCabe’s I Shall be Near to You is fiction, she tells the basic story of those women who lived and died and fought alongside the men for four long years.

I Shall be Near to You is the story of Rosetta Edwards and Jeremiah Wakefield. The novel is divided into four sections: “Home,” “Camp,” “Battle,” and “Wound.” In “Home,” Jeremiah has decided to enlist in the Union Army. It’s not the politics nor the morality behind the conflict that spurs him to join. It’s the money he can earn to buy that little farm in Nebraska he and Rosetta have been dreamt about. Also, it’s the urging of him friends, Henry, Jimmy, and Sully. Rosetta insists that Jeremiah marry her before he goes off and leaves her a spinster. After their marriage and Jeremiah’s subsequent departure, Rosetta doesn’t feel at home on his family’s farm. Coming from a Bible-reading family, Rosetta decides that her place is by her husband’s side. She sends a letter to her family, cuts her hair, and takes off on foot in search of her husband’s unit, the 97^th New York State Volunteers.

 “Home” moves along at a good clip. But the story slows down when it gets to the “Camp” section. I’m not sure that McCabe consciously did this, but the story moves at the snail’s pace that camp life moved. Drudgery day in and day out. Drill. Drill. Drill. Rosetta easily finds the 97^th. She takes the name Ross Stone and begins her life as a soldier.  The story is more conflicted once Rosetta/Ross enters the picture.

The horrors of the actual battles and the horrific tales of carnage in and out of the hospitals move the “Battle” section into a faster read. The stakes are higher, which makes the reading more compelling. Ross/Rosetta is a good soldier, carrying her weight and firing her rifle when the need arises.

All in all, I Shall be Near to You is a good story. However, there is just something missing that I can’t put my finger on. The characters are well drawn, the setting details spot on, the imagery perfectly illustrated. I feel like I was with Rosetta/Ross on her journey.  However I didn’t feel as if she was ever truly afraid. It could be argued that it didn’t matter if she was afraid or not; she was where the Lord intended her to be; near her husband.

 I give this book four out of five stars.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Dangerous Women

Dangerous Women by George R. R. Martin, 784 pages

Despite being listed as by George R. R. Martin, this is actually a collection of stories by a list of authors focused around the theme of dangerous women. I had initially picked up this book for the one short story by Martin, as it relates to his Songs of Ice and Fire series. As this story was the last one in the book I decided that I would read my way to it and completing the rest of the book would yield that prize.

While some of the stories start off a little slow for my liking there wasn’t a single bad one in the bunch. I do think that some stretched the meaning of dangerous though. This book covers a wide range of territory from middle ages to semi futuristic and from robbers to queens. It has murders, violence, action, and romance. Overall the book read quickly despite its size and I was able to add some more authors to my future reading list.  

My Real Children

My Real Children by Jo Walton
320 Pages

A woman suffering from dementia remembers two separate lives with very different outcomes all stemming from one decision made over 60 years ago. In one life she married Mark, in another she married Bee.   Kennedy was assassinated in one world and not in the other.

Walton is a science fiction writer and in this case the book has the SF premise but it is more an examination of a woman's life in Britain during the 20th century and how a simple decision could have a radical impact on a person's life. 

I highly recommend this book which is coming out in May 2014. 

Property

Property by Valerie Martin

196 pages

This book was difficult to read in some ways.  It was well written and a really good story, but the main character is a difficult character.  Manon is the wife of a sugar plantation owner who is bored and angry that her husband has children with the slave she brought with her to the marriage.  Because her husband is awful, you want to be able to identify with Manon, but her views on slavery and the way she treats their property aren’t really any better than her husband.  It’s an interesting look into what the mindset of the average white southerner probably was at the time but it’s disconcerting to read an account from this perspective and to want to identify with someone who is on the owning side of slavery.  Anyone who has an interest in this time period in history will probably like this book.

Vatican Waltz

Vatican Waltz by Roland Merullo
293 Pages

 Cynthia Piantedosi is quiet, deeply religious catholic living an unassuming life near Boston.  Throughout her life she has had spells of religious ecstasy.  Eventually she begins to believe that she is getting the message to become a priest, even though this is not accepted by the Catholic Church.  She travels from authority to authority to try and make sense of this calling.

A very quiet and introspective novel, you will become attached to Cynthia and enjoy the book to the end.