The Shadowlands series(made up of Silver’s Lure,Silver’s Bane, and Silver’s Edge) is… okay. I’d give this a solid C — interesting use of some tropes, neat inclusion of non-typical Maiden figures (a representation of Brigid as a young female blacksmith was quite nice), some all right sexin’ scenes, but points off for the demonization of queerness, essentialized gender roles, and somewhat predictable characterization. Basically, there’s a Silver Caul that protects Faerie and Mortal-topia from the evilness of the goblin hordes (who don’t… ...Read More

View from a Grain of Sand begins with the refugee camps on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. It does not end there — at least, not for all the women documented in this moving, incisive documentary. Nanji films the everyday lives of three women — a teacher, a doctor, and a RAWA activist — and uses their stories to situate this present political and historical moment in a larger context. This situating reveals the shared history lying between the US, these camps, ...Read More

You CANNOT fight the good fight while broke on your beautiful progressive bottom.  Fortunately, the world is filled with accessible advice books designed to keep you fiscally healthy as you rock on with your bad self. On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl’s Guide to Personal Finance is full of really practical advice, told in an honest, approachable manner, using very concrete examples. I didn’t feel panicked while reading it, which is totally unusual for me when in situations ...Read More

Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman is a workout manual was designed for plus size women interested in feeling more comfortable in their skins. Because of this, it’s focused on movement, not diet, and features workout routines specifically designed for the needs and concerns of plus-sized women. By this, I mean that some of the moves are modified to allow for bigger boobs, tummies, and thighs, and that the models used to demonstrate ...Read More

America, where a young man can raise himself up from poverty with only the sweat on his back and the smarts in his noggin!

No, I haven’t read Adam Shepard’s Scratch Beginnings, but blogger Frugal Dad has, and his article is an interesting review and view of hauling yourself up by your bootstraps by spending only on survival.

What got my attention were the comments that followed Frugal Dad’s review, which is angled more toward the spending aspects (his blog is about ...Read More

Vliet’s introduction to the various issues women face when their hormones are out of whack is actually pretty interesting and very accessible. Also, bonus points for not focusing on fertility, which is something books of this type often do.

I found it INCREDIBLY accessible. Vliet’s indictment of a medical industry that often ignores the needs of female patients is both passionate and terse. She offers her patient anecdotes and data analysis in a way that suggests she respects her audience’s intelligence ...Read More