Friday, 4 July 2014

Women Authors Only Reading Challenge

I have set myself a three part reading challenge! You are welcome to use my criteria and do the challenge yourself if you like.
These are the rules: a) I will record all the books that I'm reading
                              b) I will only read books written by women
                              c) I will only read books that I can find for free or under $5
Sound interesting? Here are my first five books.

We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
This book was good, plus it passed the Bechdel test. The book is written in first person by Eva, and deals mostly with Eva's relationship with her son Kevin.

Room - Emma Donaghue
This was my favourite of the first lot of books. It is written in first person by Jack, who is five years old, and follows him and his mother ('Ma') during their imprisonment in Room, held captive by 'Old Nick' (who kidnapped Jack's mother when she was 19) and their life after their escape.

The Girl in the Attic - Valerie Mendes
This novel follows Nathan as his parents divorce and he and his mother go to spend Christmas at Cornwall. Nathan meets Rosalie, the mysterious girl in the attic, and together they deal with Nathan's family's break up, Rosalie's abusive alchoholic father, and her mother's death. It's a sweet book, and it's set in Cornwall, which is always a plus.

Between The Acts - Virginia Woolf
I haven't finished this one yet, but I'm liking it so far. Virginia Woolf can be a little dense and difficult to get through, but her writing is beautiful. The book sympathetically portrays the female characters - the spinster, the unhappy wife. It also manages to poke some fun at the upper class.

The Resistance - Gemma Malley
I have not finished this book, and doubt I will. It is the sequel to The Declaration, which I read a few years ago. Despite The Resistance being set in 2140 (a time in which they have created a pill that makes it possible for humans to live forever) the main Authorities, the creator of the Longevity pill and the man who carries on his legacy, and the charismatic leader of the resistance movement are still all men. A quarter of the way through the book there have been 8 named male characters, who all play vital roles in the story, and 1 named female character. Despite the fact that this character, Anna, was the main character in the prequel, her role in this book seems to consist mainly of caring for her brother, Ben, and reading books at home. Anna has appeared in one scene so far. I do not have high hopes.

If you have suggestions for books, please leave them in the comments! :)
Thanks for reading.

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