Wednesday Reading Meme

[osprey_archer]

What I’ve Just Finished Reading

I finished Miriam Bat-Ami’s Two Sun in the Sky, about which I felt pretty meh all the way through the end. I won the book as a prize, so a part of me doesn’t really want to part with it; but I also can’t really see myself reading it again, so there’s no reason to keep it.

I also read Theresa Tomlinson’s The Forestwife, which appeals to many parts of my id all at once and therefore filled me with great fondness. Rather than focusing on Maid Marian as the sole woman among the Merry Men, here Marian lives in a forest glade with an ever-growing band of outlaw women - although I think outlaw might give the wrong impression; they’re not robbing the rich to feed the poor, but feeding the poor with the fruits of the forest and healing them with their herb lore. Eventually they are joined by a band of renegade nuns.

As if this weren’t enough - loads of women working together! Herb lore! Renegade nuns! - there’s also a scene where Marian has to save Robert’s life by climbing into his bed to warm his fevered flesh with her own body heat. Yessss.



At the end of the book, Robert’s beloved king Richard the Lionheart comes back and, rather than hand out justice, harangues them all for not ransoming him faster, and then starts raising yet more money so he can go fight another war in France. Now normally I am all for the loyalty kink of Robin Hood - you stay starry-eyed about your king, Robin! - but given the book’s emphasis on the injustice of the nobles, which is what has forced so many of Marian’s women into the woods, the traditional ending would have felt out of place here.

And also, it ends with Robin swearing fealty to Marian instead. So we have not so much been deprived of the traditional Robin Hood loyalty kink as given a new and interesting flavor of it.



What I’m Reading Now

I’ve been reading Albertus T. Dudley’s At the Home Plate, which I inherited from my great-great-uncle. In fact I have a whole set of A. T. Dudley’s books, given to different great-great-uncles over the years, as one aged out of the Dudley bracket and another grew into it.

This one is from 1910, and moderately amusing, although let me be real I was hoping for excessive wholesomeness a la William Heyliger, whose characters think things like “The patrol leader, [Don] thought, should be a fellow who was heart and soul in scouting - a fellow who could encourage, and urge, and lend a willing hand; not a fellow who wanted to drive and show authority."

THE SHEER BEAUTIFUL EARNESTNESS OF IT ALL. I have the feeling that Mr. Heyliger must have a deeply slashy novel somewhere in his immense oeuvre, if only I can find it.

What I Plan to Read Next

I’m heading out on my road trip today, so it’s TIME FOR DOROTHY SAYERS’ STRONG POISON!!! I hope I haven’t overhyped myself about it at this point.

Comments

[sovay]

Eventually they are joined by a band of renegade nuns.

Excellent.

[osprey_archer]

Many books would be improved by the addition of renegade nuns.

[thisbluespirit]

THE SHEER BEAUTIFUL EARNESTNESS OF IT ALL. I have the feeling that Mr. Heyliger must have a deeply slashy novel somewhere in his immense oeuvre, if only I can find it.

Or, if you can read it all, you can write the fanfic/filed off slash novel.

I feel I should say something about Theresa Tomlinson, but I can't remember if I ever read anything apart from ordering all her earnest-looking (but clearly actually more entertaining) books that never went out because she was a local author.

Have fun on your road trip! Strong Poison is rubbish! Only Gaudy Night is any good. (I hope that helps with de-hyping. ;-p)

[osprey_archer]

I think it might be hard to write a novel set in the first half of the twentieth century which captures the same level of Immense Earnestness while also having actual slash in it. All the homophobia would muck it up, I feel. Perhaps an alternate universe novel where people are also Immensely Earnest but society is hung up on things other than homosexuality?

Awww, I'm sorry none of her books got checked out. I suppose The Forestwife is not really a title that cries out to the younger set: certainly I never read it as a kid, and we had it on the shelves all those years.

[thisbluespirit]

I expect some of them went out sometimes, but since she was an author who ought to be in stock because of her local-ness, it would have helped if Walker had given her better covers and then I wouldn't have had to ignore the lack of issues when weeding. It was all very inconsiderate of everyone. (To be honest, in some of our smaller branches, very little went out in the Junior sections other than Goosebumps and Harry Potter.)

And AUs are always possible, after all. :-)

[evelyn_b]

Strong Poison is rubbish and Gaudy Night is also rubbish. Have His Carcase is rubbish with extended code-breaking scenes. Busman's Honeymoon is a disorganized flotilla of garbage scows.

Now you've been thoroughly de-hyped! I hope you enjoy this trash parade as much as I did, though that's probably not possible.

[ladyherenya]

I glanced down the screen, saw "Gaudy Night is also rubbish" and felt outraged for a moment... until I properly read your comment.

[evelyn_b]

:D

[osprey_archer]

The trash parade has commenced! And it seems quite promising thus far.

[evelyn_b]

:D

[ladyherenya]

So The Forestwife sounds rather appealing. It's ages since I read a good Robin Hood story.

Yay, Strong Poison! Actually I don't love it the way I love some of Sayers' others, and the first time I read it couldn't imagine ever wanting to reread it. I'll be interested to hear what you think!

[osprey_archer]

I used to read so many Robin Hood retellings, but I think it's been years since I've read any. Perhaps they're only published for children? It was a nice blast from the past, in any case.