Wednesday, June 29, 2011

It Has Begun

That's right, my journey through The Most Epic Booklist Which Is Perpetually Added To (TMEBWIPAT*) has begun.

I decided to begin with probably the most light-hearted book on my list, Bossypants by Tina Fey.

I'm about halfway through and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. I don't usually laugh out loud** while reading books, even funny ones. I don't know, I just usually smile, or inwardly laugh hysterically while retaining my normal internet-reading expression.*** But I have spent most of the time spent reading this book laughing like a person who is really very amused. You may be able to tell that some of Tina's writing style has rubbed off on me. Or at least I like to think so.

She somehow manages to make everything funny, even what I imagine would be a truly hideous experience (fainting after being hit hard in the cervix by a speculum at your first pap smear for example)**** into a charming and funny anecdote, the type of story that you would tell at an afternoon cocktail party.

So I would highly recommend Bossypants to everyone, but especially 30 Rock/Fey fans, because this book is like reading the memoir of a slightly more well-adjusted Liz Lemon, without the crippling insecurity.

Also her dad sounds like a BAMF.

----------------------------------------------------

*Don't worry I won't refer to it as this. Much
**I said laugh out loud, lol.
***Which is this by the way.
**** OUCH, basically. 

Sunday, June 5, 2011

My list of books to read is getting out of control.

My books are getting out of control. I need to do some trademe selling to free up some space.

Added to the list below:

Half of a Yellow Sun/Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Alias Grace/Margaret Atwood
Briefing for the Descent into Hell/Doris Lessig
Remains of the Day/Kazuo Ishiguro
The Bean Trees/Barbara Kingsolver
The Namesake/Jhumpa Lahiri
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings/Maya Angelou
Small Island/Andrea Levy
White Teeth/Zadie Smith
Brick Lane/Monica Ali
Plugged/Eoin Colfer
Stories/Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantino
O/Anonymous
The Final Testament of the Holy Bible/James Frey

Saturday, June 4, 2011

A list of some female writers I love

In response to this misogynistic nonsense, and in no particular order (plus these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head).


  • P.D. James
  • Agatha Christie
  • Alice Hoffman
  • Diana Wynne-Jones
  • Margaret Atwood
  • A.S. Byatt
  • Jane Austen
  • J.K. Rowling
  • Paulina Simons 
  • Virginia Woolf
  • Harper Lee
  • Did I mention Margaret Atwood?
  • Hilary Mantel
  • Joyce Carol Oates
  • Patti Smith
  • Oh and, I'm sorry, I think I may have forgotten Margaret Atwood. 

And you know what worries me, after having re-read my list? I'm pretty sure they're all white.

Caitlin fails.

Note to self: read some female authors who aren't white. Or who aren't Margaret Atwood.