May. 23rd, 2012

notthemarimba: Mark Gatiss in LoG looking fab (suspiciousladygatiss)

Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society- Jill Derr, Janath Cannon, Maureen Beecher
This book is mostly great. Up until about page 350, it's a nice, evenhanded, concise history of the Relief Society. After page 350 it suddenly turns into a book with a definite agenda. (seriously. page 366: "At a time when abortion was attractively labeled 'reproductive freedom' and so-called 'gay rights' were championed by civil liberties advocates, the threat to traditional moral values was real." I MEAN REALLY.) I would recommend it highly up until about that stage in the book, because it's otherwise pretty good.

A Match Made in Heaven: American Jews, Christian Zionists, and One Man's Exploration of the Weird and Wonderful Judeo-Evangelical Alliance- Zev Chafets
Oh book, I wanted to love you. I thought I did when you were just about a dude talking about evangelical Christians and hanging out with rabbis. But then you got weird and threw in too many unconnected asides about your childhood and your feelings and I lost interest. I'm sorry. You're going in my bookmooch inventory.

Same Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example- D. Michael Quinn
This is the best book, you guys. You don't even know. Besides the general awesomeness of the subject matter and the way it's handled, I found this book very... comforting? In the same way that Women and Authority: Re-Emerging Mormon Feminism told me that women in the church who went before me weren't comfortable with their position either and were frequently quite vocal about it, this book told me that queer Mormons have always been there in some capacity. Sometimes it's nice, even if you kind of already know that, to have it reaffirmed.

The End of Mr. Y- Scarlett Thomas
Stay with me when I tell you this book is about a woman who gains the ability to teleport into other people's minds. If you are currently rolling your eyes and/or making a dismissive face, I implore you to reconsider. This is a really weird and smart and well-crafted book and you should read it. Really.

Catholic Does Not Equal the Vatican: a Vision for Progressive Catholicism- Rosemary Radford Ruether
I would highly recommend this as a primer for people who don't already know how awesome Rosemary Radford Ruether is. Because really? She's awesome, and everything she says about Catholicism can apply to any other religious institution. Also she is not afraid to get the Righteous Feminist Anger out, which I enjoy. 

Guilty Pleasures- Laurell K. Hamilton
This is completely [personal profile] wrabbit 's fault. I really liked it. I was kind of expecting to enjoy it in a "oh wow this is so cheesy" way, but I really, genuinely liked it. Damn you, [personal profile] wrabbit .

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notthemarimba: Auntie Val from League of Gentlemen (Default)
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January 2013

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