Post AclU6aFSECmF6sQj32 by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
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(DIR) Post #AclU6OAP99bjdjyWVk by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-11-30T08:43:04Z
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A shout-out to all book lovers: This post kicks off #24books, my 2023's-best-reads-by-female-authors-advent-calendar-thread. If that's not your thing, this is your chance to mute the hashtag. All others: Welcome and let's have some fun until Christmas! Hopefully you feel inspired to give one or more of the titles a go after this. Genres will include: #litfic, #horror, #histfic, #fantasy as well as a bit of #satire and #crime. 🥰@bookstodon #bookstodon #womenwriters #frauenlesen #books #reading
(DIR) Post #AclU6OxgBx1U6Z1sJc by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-11-30T09:35:26Z
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Most (= around 2/3) of the books in the list were published in the past two years, and almost all were originally written in English. There'll be the odd translation though, as well as one title that diverges from the overall theme - fiction written by women - because this work from a non-binary author was just too good not to mention. I hope you'll forgive me for not sticking 100% to the prompt there. Anyway, here it goes! #24books #bookstodon #womenwriters #frauenlesen
(DIR) Post #AclU6Pnn4ChsiBPUXY by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-11-30T10:44:51Z
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Also, another disclaimer+apology upfront: Generally, there'll be 1 post per book, with a short vignette of the content mixed with my personal opinion/critique of the work. In addition, I'll include the release year, genre(s), and CNs relating to graphic (!) descriptions of trigger topics in the book. BUT sometimes I might add an extra toot to highlight further work by the same author which otherwise didn't fit into the list. So technically, it will be a bit more than #24books in this thread.
(DIR) Post #AclU6QaM9dYT8o8HEu by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-01T07:05:27Z
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1. "Silver Nitrate" by Silvia Moreno Garcia (2023), HorrorAn old curse, a dead Nazi occultist, obscure horror flicks and two bisexual friends navigating 1990s Mexico City - this book has it all, and more. I loved the complexity of the characters Montserrat and Tristán as well as the pacing of the story, once it started to pick up. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!CN death, violence, trauma#24books #bookstodon #womenwriters #frauenlesen
(DIR) Post #AclU6RVmi7Ua0v08ki by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-01T07:53:01Z
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It was my first book from Moreno Garcia, but after reading it, I decided to give her breakout novel - Mexican Gothic, a gothic horror tale reminiscent of Poe's House of Usher, set in a old British mansion in a Mexican mining town - a go. I had previously avoided it because of the hype, but I ended up rather enjoying it! The eugenics-theme is even more prominent than in Silver Nitrate, but it's more of a creepy-atmosphere-book rather than lots of action happening (Silver Nitrate).
(DIR) Post #AclU6SDk4gecDFZFGi by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-02T08:42:30Z
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2. "Yellowface" by R. F. Kuang (2023), SatireA mediocre white author steals the new manuscript of her hugely successful, recently deceased Asian-American frenemy - and passes it off as her own. In the first person narration she justifies her actions as she crosses more and more ethical boundaries to uphold her castle of lies. Bold, witty and entertaining read, biting criticism of the publishing industry and twitter outrage dynamics included.CN racism, death #24books #womenwriters
(DIR) Post #AclU6SzxBRDccm7kPo by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-02T09:59:18Z
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R. F. Kuang is a brilliant writer. Her book "Babel" - a work of alternate-reality historical fiction set in 1830s England, where silver can hold magic - is a masterpiece. It tackles topics such as colonialism and resistance incredibly eloquently and beautifully. It also offers insights into the art of translation and what is lost in the process. Extremely well researched and despite the rather heavy topics and academic breadth a great read and an engaging and memorable story. #womenwriters
(DIR) Post #AclU6TnEEEdN5bB6Dg by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-03T10:47:30Z
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3. "Detransition, Baby" by Torrey Peters (2021), LitFicThis insightful, incisive novel centres on Reese, a trans woman, and Amy/Ames, a detransitioner. The former couple is reunited by an unexpected pregancy and a dream of shared parenthood. The story delves into their past and paints a nuanced picture of their relationship and struggles. Contains a fair share of explicit sexual content; CN transmisia, miscarriage, hate crime, violence. #24books1/4 of my faves of previous years in this list.
(DIR) Post #AclU6UVXZU4zJ1uUHw by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-04T04:35:09Z
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4. "The Girls I've Been" by Tess Sharpe (2021), YA thrillerA girl, her girlfriend and her ex are taken hostage in a heist. What the bank robbers don't know is that there's more to her than there seems to be: after having escaped a life as a con artist, she uses the skills that were drilled into her to get her friends out alive of this nightmare.I don't read a lot of YA, but this book stroke me as having a number of "mature" topics for the adult reader too. #24booksCN trauma, abuse, violence
(DIR) Post #AclU6VJAaxmJmx87e4 by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-05T07:31:05Z
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5. "If I Had Your Face" by Frances Cha (2020), LitFicFour young women do their best to navigate their life in Seoul. Their individual stories hint at a strongly stratified society placing impossible beauty standards and expectations on women. This book made me read up on room salons, plastic surgery in Korea and K-Pop-Fandom. It was an insightful read that weaves in lots of interesting facets of contemporary Korea.#24books CN sexism, miscarriage
(DIR) Post #AclU6W7rYUKOKAqbey by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-06T12:26:45Z
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6. "Station Eleven" by Emily St John Mandel (2014), dystopian fictionA respiratory virus causes a devastating pandemic that kills more than 99% of the global population. But this book isn't about how exactly that happens and how society collapses. It's much more about purpose beyond survival and about the necessity of art and beauty to give life a greater meaning. Devastating, yet hopeful, it shows what we might hold on to after the apocalypse. #24books CN disease, death, violence, murder
(DIR) Post #AclU6WxcS3jCuh3wKe by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-06T18:03:12Z
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I also read her newest novel "Sea of Tranquility", a work of speculative fiction set in different time periods spanning from the early 20th century to the 23rd century. It references some characters and locales from Mandel's earlier work while telling a completely new story. But to be honest, I enjoyed Station Eleven way more.
(DIR) Post #AclU6XhLi2J9CWSSbw by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-07T07:03:33Z
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7. "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers" by Jesse Q. Sutanto (2023), cozy crimeVera Wong is a determined lady with a bit too much time on her hands. When she discovers a dead man in her tea shop, she decides to "help" the police catch the murderer. What she doesn't expect is that soon she finds herself bonding with her murder suspects...This is more about battling loneliness and finding family than murder; a sweet, cute, comforting read. #24books CN death, emotional abuse
(DIR) Post #AclU6YXSaHzXo8q4ps by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-07T23:44:30Z
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8. "I'm A Fan" by Sheena Patel (2022), LitFicThe unnamed protagonist of this story tells us about her affair with "the man she wants to be with" and how she is stalking him and the other women in his life. The style of the narration is raw, blunt, distanced and at the same time intimate. A book about obsession and social media that also touches on issues surrounding gender, class, wealth and racism. #24booksCN stalking, abuse
(DIR) Post #AclU6ZRpCj4ucxD5gu by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-09T06:59:33Z
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9. "The Book of Form and Emptiness" by Ruth Ozeki (2021), magical realismDid a book ever speak to you? This one literally will. It's the story of a boy who can hear the voices of inanimate objects. But it's also about love, grief, acceptance and dealing with mental illness. An unusual, imaginative book, that may even give the most cynical person a beacon of hope for humans and humanity. #24books CN death, mental illness, grief
(DIR) Post #AclU6aFSECmF6sQj32 by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-10T08:05:43Z
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10. "Our Wives Under The Sea" by Julia Armfield (2022), horrorWhen Leah, a deep-sea researcher, returns months later than expected from a submarine mission, her partner Miri finds her ... changed. She is trying her best to take care of her while Leah goes through a slow transformation.Eerie, deeply unsettling, claustrophobic - yet beautifully written. This book hit me hard and about a year later, I still feel a sense of dread thinking about it. #24books CN body horror
(DIR) Post #AclU6b82xERhqByK8m by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-11T06:46:34Z
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11. "Penance" by Eliza Clark (2023), satireA faux-true-crime-story about a teenage girl that was killed by her classmates in a desolate British town - and the sleazy investigative reporter that sets out to uncover the "definitive story" behind the events. The book is written from his (unreliable) perspective. This clever, well-paced book packs a punch - and digs at our obsession with true crime and the exploitation of suffering for entertainment. #24booksCN murder, violence, abuse, mobbing
(DIR) Post #AclU6bvfyi92K7BxUu by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-12T11:52:33Z
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12. "Euphoria" by Lily King (2014), HistFicAn anthropologist couple studying tribes in 1930s New Guinea crosses paths with a lone colleague in the same area - an encounter that affects all of their further lives. A story of love and abuse, discovery and exploitation, and a quest for understanding riddled by imperialist mindsets and misinterpretation.Very loosely based on the lives of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson.#24booksCN (intimate partner) violence, abuse, death/suicide
(DIR) Post #AclU6ctwMeLnL1O5Qm by mimrma@mastodon.wurzelmann.at
2023-12-13T05:54:01Z
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13. "Rouge" by Mona Awad (2023), Suspense/HorrorBelle comes to California to bury her mother, who died unexpectedly after a fall from the cliff. But not all is what it seems. She discovers her mother was part of a cult-like beauty spa that promises real transformations - for a steep prize, as it turns out.A dark fairy tale about obsession with beauty and a complicated mother-daughter relationship that had a Suspiria-like feel to it: slow, mysterious, sinister. #24booksCN dysmorphia, death