Jun. 10th, 2007

fiercebunny: (Keaton with book)
Despite liberal amounts of free time, I didn't get much reading done at all last month either. In large part because the internets is hugely distracting and eating up all my time, but also I realized that trying to be good about not spending money mostly involves my not buying a new book every couple of days.

So I reread Marge Piercy's City of Darkness, City of Light again. Quite a counterpoint to Abundance. I still enjoyed it the second time around.

Afterwards, I read a new Piercy novel, Sex Wars: A Novel of Gilded Age New York. It's about the suffrage movement in the post-Civil War era. Similar to the previous novel, the narrative is also split between quite a few characters: Victoria Woodhull, a spiritualist and first woman to run for president; Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the feminist leader; Anthony Comstock, self-appointed jackass regulator of morality; and Freydah, a fictional Jewish immigrant who manufactures condoms. I've always been interested in Woodhull and the book did not disappoint.

I read a few short stories, some of Susannah Clarke's from The Ladies of Grace Adieu. I especially liked the one involving Mary, Queen of Scots and Bess Hardwick's deadly embroidery. And for a change of pace, I also read a couple of science fiction shorts by James Tiptree Jr.

And I am very happy that I have/will soon have many new books. I bought Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner, To Dance With Kings by Rosalind Laker at Borders and Amazon should be delivering Indiscretion by Jude Morgan and a photobook of Gothic and Lolita fashion to me soon, yay ^_^

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Lastly, another odd book find. On a whim several years ago, I ordered a copy of Ninjutsu: History and Tradition by Masaki Hatsumi from Amazon. (It was research for a story, don't ask.) Among many grainy, xerox quality photos was this one...

Don't fuck with ninjas, they're armed with cats! I'm not sure I can take your stealthy band of assassins seriously if this is the best you can do. Although admittedly, there's a definite element of surprise if a pleasant-faced, middle-aged Japanese woman abruptly throws a huge cat in your face. And given my allergic reaction to cats, this probably would incapacitate me with swollen, itchy eyes for at least a day.

*sigh*
I need to get up at 5am tomorrow, so I can get ready to start training. I am more used to going to sleep at that time, so this is going to be difficult.

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