2013 women challenge

[Scheherazade]

I am beginning to feel like I am the only person here who reads books written by women.

I have been reading female authors' works too but I tend to edit my earlier post to add the recent books:

1. Marina Lewycka ~ A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian 7/10

2. Joanne Harris ~ Gentlemen and Players 7/10

3. Amy Tan ~ The Joy Luck Club 6/10 Started this book with great expectations but lost my interest half-way through. Her style seemed somewhat clunky and her stories seemed like all extreme cases.

4. Muriel Spark ~ The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie ~ 8/10 Quite an enjoyable book, exploring education, influence and fate from different angles.

5. Margaret Atwood ~ Oryx and Crake ~ 7/10 I was expecting this to be a rather tragic love story but Atwood has no time for romance, tragic or otherwise. And in a post-apocalyptic world, there is no time for romance either, anyhow... Only for memories.

6. Ann Patchett ~ State of Wonder (W6/S6) ~ 8/10 As good as Patchett's other book Bel Canto. A search for a missing colleague turns into a discovery of self in the middle of Amazon.

7. Carson McCullers ~ The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories (W7/S7) ~ 10/10 Breathtaking.

8. Zadie Smith ~ White Teeth ~ 7/10

9. Willa Cather ~ One of Ours ~ 4/10

I am also trying to do 13 New Authors and 13-Seconds challenges.

[TheFifthElement]

kasie & Scher, it is very good to have company, though I am sad to see, Scher, that you read State of Wonder without me

kasie - thanks for the recommendation of Aminatta Forna. I have added a couple of her books to my wish list. In case it wasn't obvious I highly recommend Helen DeWitt. She is funny, clever and brilliant. The two books The Last Samurai and Lightning Rods couldn't be more different but they were both cracking reads. Avoid Lightning Rods if you're prudish...but only if you're really really prudish as it isn't that pornographic. It is very funny though. Oyeyemi is one to watch too. Mr Fox is a disjointed but magical read. Very clever too.

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5

[TheFifthElement]

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5
17. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller 4.5/5

[wordeater]

I read lots of female authors.

Classic British:
Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice
Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights
Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre

Classic American:
Edith Wharton - The House of Mirth
Harriet Beecher Stowe - Uncle Tom's Cabin
Zora Neal Hurston - Their Eyes Were Watching God


Modern:
Helen Cross - My Summer of Love
Doris Lessing - The Golden Notebook
Donna Tart - The Secret History

Crime:
Agatha Christie - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Dorothy Sayers - Clouds of Witness
Ruth Rendell - A Judgment in Stone

Non-English:
Isabel Allende - The House of the Spirits
Francoise Sagan - Bonjour Tristesse

[TheFifthElement]

Hi wordeater - nice to see you on the thread. Also nice to see another reader of female authors around. There are some great ones out there

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5
17. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller 4.5/5
18. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett 4/5
19. Beautiful Mutants - Deborah Levy - 3.5/5

[TheFifthElement]

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5
17. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller 4.5/5
18. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett 4/5
19. Beautiful Mutants - Deborah Levy - 3.5/5
20. A Novel Bookstore - Laurence Cossé 3.75.5

[Scheherazade]

kasie & Scher, it is very good to have company, though I am sad to see, Scher, that you read State of Wonder without me

We can still discuss it! I ended up downloading it when I was away from home and had nothing better to read.

[Dark Muse]

*Update*

1. Mrs. Dalloway by Vrigina Woolf 3.75/5
2. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell 4/5
3. The Bone People by Keri Hulme 4/5
4. The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis 4/5

[TheFifthElement]

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5
17. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller 4.5/5
18. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett 4/5
19. Beautiful Mutants - Deborah Levy - 3.5/5
20. A Novel Bookstore - Laurence Cossé 3.75.5
21. Beasts - Joyce Carol Oates - 4/5
22. Bojour Tristesse - Françoise Sagan 3.75/5
23. A Short History of Myth - Karen Armstrong 4.5/5
24. Ragnarok the End of the Gods - A. S. Byatt 4/5
25. Weight - Jeanette Winterson 4.5/5
26. The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood 4.25/5
27. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson 4/5 for enjoyment 10/5 for bravery and influence

[TheFifthElement]

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5
17. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller 4.5/5
18. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett 4/5
19. Beautiful Mutants - Deborah Levy - 3.5/5
20. A Novel Bookstore - Laurence Cossé 3.75.5
21. Beasts - Joyce Carol Oates - 4/5
22. Bojour Tristesse - Françoise Sagan 3.75/5
23. A Short History of Myth - Karen Armstrong 4.5/5
24. Ragnarok the End of the Gods - A. S. Byatt 4/5
25. Weight - Jeanette Winterson 4.5/5
26. The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood 4.25/5
27. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson 4/5 for enjoyment 10/5 for bravery and influence
28. The Goddess Chronicle - Natsuo Kirino 4.5/5
29. Where Three Roads Meet - Salley Vickers 3.75/5

[TheFifthElement]

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5
17. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller 4.5/5
18. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett 4/5
19. Beautiful Mutants - Deborah Levy - 3.5/5
20. A Novel Bookstore - Laurence Cossé 3.75.5
21. Beasts - Joyce Carol Oates - 4/5
22. Bojour Tristesse - Françoise Sagan 3.75/5
23. A Short History of Myth - Karen Armstrong 4.5/5
24. Ragnarok the End of the Gods - A. S. Byatt 4/5
25. Weight - Jeanette Winterson 4.5/5
26. The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood 4.25/5
27. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson 4/5 for enjoyment 10/5 for bravery and influence
28. The Goddess Chronicle - Natsuo Kirino 4.5/5
29. Where Three Roads Meet - Salley Vickers 3.75/5
30. The Wall - Marlen Haushofer 5/5

[Dark Muse]

*Update*

1. Mrs. Dalloway by Vrigina Woolf 3.75/5
2. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell 4/5
3. The Bone People by Keri Hulme 4/5
4. The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis 4/5
5. Prophecy: Clash of Kings by M.K. Hume 3.50/5

[Dark Muse]

*Update*


1. Mrs. Dalloway by Vrigina Woolf 3.75/5
2. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell 4/5
3. The Bone People by Keri Hulme 4/5
4. The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis 4/5
5. Prophecy: Clash of Kings by M.K. Hume 3.50/5
6. Spirit of Lost Angels by Liza Perrat 3/5

[TheFifthElement]

*Update*

1. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy 3.75/5
2. The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt 10/5
3. Chérie by Colette 3.75/5
4. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 4.5/5
5. Almost Innocent by Sheila Bosworth 4.5/5
6. Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey - 4.75/5
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - 4.5/5
8. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright - 4/5
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.5/5
10. Swimming Home - Deborah Levy 4.5/5
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark 4.5/5
12. Darkmans - Nicola Barker 4/5
13. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston 4.5/5
14. Mr Fox - Helen Oyeyemi 4.5/5
15. Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg - 4.5/5
16. Lightning Rods - Helen DeWitt - 8/5
17. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller 4.5/5
18. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett 4/5
19. Beautiful Mutants - Deborah Levy - 3.5/5
20. A Novel Bookstore - Laurence Cossé 3.75.5
21. Beasts - Joyce Carol Oates - 4/5
22. Bojour Tristesse - Françoise Sagan 3.75/5
23. A Short History of Myth - Karen Armstrong 4.5/5
24. Ragnarok the End of the Gods - A. S. Byatt 4/5
25. Weight - Jeanette Winterson 4.5/5
26. The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood 4.25/5
27. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson 4/5 for enjoyment 10/5 for bravery and influence
28. The Goddess Chronicle - Natsuo Kirino 4.5/5
29. Where Three Roads Meet - Salley Vickers 3.75/5
30. The Wall - Marlen Haushofer 5/5
31. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Dubravka Ugrešić 4/5
32. The Woman Upstairs - Claire Messud 4.5/5

[ennison]

Writers like Pym, Robinson, Gardam,Munro, Most of the 19th century dames, recently Brown I have found terrific.
Manning is effete.
I'd have to be paid a lot of money to waste my life reading French, Carter or Atwood (They join a much larger group of male prats).