Tag Archives: gender studies

All That’s Left To You, by Ghassan Kanafani

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Thistle

My sister recommended three novellas by Ghassan Kanafani, and so I read all three. This was my sister’s favorite of the three, so I read it first. It follows several different stories, offset by type (bold, italics, normal) to differentiate … Continue reading →

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Sweet Dates in Basra, by Jessica Jiji

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Thistle

There’s a lot going on in this book, so it’s going to be a bit difficult to try to sum up in a paragraph. Sweet Dates in Basra takes place in 1940s Iraq in a time of political and religious … Continue reading →

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Rites of Compassion, by Willa Cather and Gustave Flaubert

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Thistle

Rites of Compassion is part of the 2×2 series of books published by The Feminist Press at the City University of New York. According to the back of the book: The 2×2 series pairs literature, usually by men and women, … Continue reading →

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Readathon: A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Thistle

Nora’s very happy. Her husband has just gotten a better job with a higher salary, and soon she’ll be free of a debt she incurred many years ago (without her husband’s knowledge) to finance a trip south that saved her … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Drama | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy (audio)

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Thistle

Oh Thomas Hardy! I offer you my sincere apologies for not having read this book sooner. It’s just, after reading Tess of the D’Urbervilles, I was a little scared to read another of your books. I loved Tess, don’t get me … Continue reading →

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The Black City, by George Sand

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Thistle

Étienne, nicknamed Sept-Epées for his expertise with metalwork, is a young man in mid-1800s France. He belongs to the lower class, but dreams of one day escaping poverty and the doldrums of daily work to live in the Upper Town … Continue reading →

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Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Thistle

Twice now, Sarah Dessen has surprised me. I don’t know why, but I keep thinking her books will be shallow and age-dated. Perhaps it’s the way her books are marketed, the covers on them and such. One way or another, … Continue reading →

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Sold, by Patricia McCormick

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Thistle

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in poverty in a small village in Nepal. Her family sends her away to work as a maid in a rich family’s house, but in actuality Lakshmi is sold into prostitution in India. … Continue reading →

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Notes on a Scandal, by Zoë Heller

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Thistle

When Sheba, a pottery teacher in London, is discovered having an affair with one of her high school students, her life is understandably torn apart. She loses her job, she splits with her husband, and she’s denied all but limited … Continue reading →

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Little Children, by Tom Perrotta

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Thistle

Sarah doesn’t fit in. She takes her daughter to the playground near her home in an upper-middle class suburb, but she knows she’s different from the other moms there. While they talk about fatigue, sex, and their daily schedules, conversation … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments