That Which Shiri is Reading
image via johnjospehadams.com
I’m not a huge anthology reader. They’re a great way to find new authors when you’re in a rut, but I generally find myself disappointed by the ratio of stuff I really like (you’ll notice I didn’t say “good stuff” — there’s a lot of good stuff I don’t, for whatever reason, enjoy as much as other folks) to just okay, and occasionally downright *blech.* My attitude has changed slightly since moving to a city with a vast and ass kickin’ library system — the ratio doesn’t bother me nearly as much if I haven’t invested capital, though my time is pretty precious as well — and I’ve been dipping more frequently in to the compilations.
I’m on story #5 of Dead Man’s Hand and so far, it’s about par for my anthology course: three stories I could take or leave, one that was more than decent, and one that was really excellent. I’m a stick with it because I love the concept of “weird West” and I’m hoping to find a couple new (for me) authors to latch on to now that I’m reading more again and hitting the current volume of given series I follow far more quickly. Or, as is the case with Mary Robinette Kowal’s Glamourist Histories, binge reading.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
image via indiebound.com
There’s been a lot of talk about My Big Fat Greek Wedding on the interwebs this week because a sequel, written by and starring Nia Vardalos, to feature the entire cast of the original. Normally, I’d be hesitant about a follow up to one of my faves (I know, you wouldn’t expect it, would you?) but I’m super excited about this, mostly because I think Vardalos is crazy talented.
I bring this up because Embroideries is, in a way, Satrapi’s version of the big, fat wedding, though it is, instead, tea time with her various female relatives and Satrapi takes us behind the veil, as it were, to the hush hush topics of female sexuality, what women really think of men, and the fact that we, all of us ladies, are multifaceted organisms with needs, desires, vagaries, and, brace yourself, lads, the desire to be independent agents. Satrapi is a teller of truth, truths many of us, not just those of Iranian heritage, hide for one, or many, of a variety of reasons. Ladies, you’ll nod and laugh and have a lot of feels. Guys, you may learn something…
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