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clarissemetsongraindesel · 9 years

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Outlander : le final du malaise

(Première publication en octobre 2015)

J’ai regardé la première saison de Outlander un peu sur le tard. Ayant entendu que c’était pas mal, je me suis lancée.

C’était effectivement pas mal : j’ai maintenant envie de visiter l’Ecosse, et malgré les longueurs et quelques niaiseries, j’avais envie de connaitre la suite de l’histoire. Et puis surtout, il y a Sam Heughan, alias Jamie, que l’on voit torse nu voire nu la moitié du temps.

Je suis donc tranquillement arrivée à la fin de la saison, suivant les péripéties des deux héros. Et là, ce fût le drame.

Attention, je vais à partir d’ici spoiler à fond, puisque je ne peux pas en parler sans décrire exactement ce qu’il se passe dans les derniers épisodes. Si vous voulez la regarder, ne lisez pas, et revenez plus tard. Si vous ne voulez pas, sait-on jamais, ça pourrait vous intéresser. Si vous l’avez vu, je veux bien votre avis, n’hésitez pas à commenter.

Avec les deux derniers épisodes, j’ai eu l’impression de basculer dans un délire complètement en décalage avec le reste de l’histoire. Vraiment, la seule phrase qui me venait était : « Mais qu’est-ce que c’est que ce délire ? »

Il faut d’abord que je vous situe l’histoire et les trois personnages principaux. Nous avons ainsi :

Claire, jeune anglaise vivant dans les années 1945, qui se retrouve projeter à cause de pierres druidiques dans l’Ecosse du XVIIIème siècle, à l’époque d’affrontements entre les Anglais et les Ecossais ;

Jamie, jeune noble écossais avec qui elle doit se marier pour être protégée et dont elle est finalement follement amoureuse (le destin fait bien les choses n’est-ce pas ?) ;

et Jake Randall, capitaine de l’armée anglaise (et, soit dit en passant, ancêtre du mari de Claire dans son époque), un véritable psychopathe qui dès le premier épisode manque de violer Claire (une première fois, car il récidive), et qui avait précédemment massacré Jamie à coups de fouet, lui laissant des cicatrices impressionnantes sur son (incroyable) dos. L’ennemi, donc.

On apprend, au détour d’un épisode, qu’avant de le punir sur la place publique, Randall avait proposé à Jamie un arrangement peu conventionnel, et qu’en échange, il le laisserait partir (il voulait le sauter, quoi). J’étais déjà un peu étonnée de cette révélation, j’aurais dû me méfier.

Dans les derniers épisodes, Jamie se fait capturer par les Anglais, et est finalement sauvé de la potence par … Jake Randall. Qui l’enferme dans un cachot humide dans les tréfonds de la prison.

Et c’est là que le « délire » commence. Le téléspectateur a le droit à quasiment une heure et demi, sur deux épisodes, de tortures psychologiques et physiques, puisque Jamie subit plusieurs viols durant toute une nuit. Il est sauvé et sort de la prison par ses compagnons, mais est détruit au point de vouloir se donner la mort.

Sympa non ? On part d’une histoire fantastique à l’eau de rose (avec quelques duretés de la vie de l’époque mais bon ça va quand même), et on tombe dans un scénario hyper glauque dans lequel le héros est soumis à un psychopathe sadique qui lui fait subir les pires horreurs.

Et je me suis retrouvée envahie d’un immense malaise.

Le dernier épisode est donc consacré au désespoir de Jamie, entrecoupé par les scènes du viol qu’il a subi (je vous avoue, j’ai avancé un peu, suffisamment pour comprendre un minimum, mais je n’avais pas envie d’assister à ça). On voit la violence physique, la violence psychologique qui brise peu à peu la victime. Il parle de son dégoût, de sa honte, de sa culpabilité. Il parle même, car c’est le « secret » qu’il révèle à Claire et qui fait qu’il veut mourir, qu’un instant il a « aimé ça » (ce qui influe d’autant plus sur la culpabilité).

Lorsque l’on s’intéresse un peu à la question du viol et tout ce qu’il entraine (merci le féminisme), ce discours raisonne un minium. Les témoignages des victimes que l’on peut lire, les ressors psychologiques, les réactions physiques, raisonnent, et c’est, je pense, ce qui m’a le plus choqué. C’est un sujet délicat, sensible, qui est déjà peu compris par la société aujourd’hui, et qui est balancé dans le dernier épisode d’une série, qui est exposé, filmé sans fards, et qui ne trouve comme réponse que Claire qui dit à Jamie (en gros) : « Tu ne pensais qu’à survivre, et puis ne meurs pas sinon je meurs avec toi ».

Le malaise était peut-être le but recherché. On ne peut qu’être écoeuré par un tel acte, et on se le prend en pleine face. Il est décortiqué lentement mais sûrement, et nous met face à l’horreur que représente le viol. Mais je ne comprends tout simplement pas : pourquoi inclure un tel drame dans une telle histoire ?

Outlander est issu d’une saga littéraire (Le Chardon et le Tartan en France) de Diana Gabaldon. Je n’ai pas lu les livres (j’en avais l’intention, mais finalement, je n’ai pas très envie), mais je suppose que les scénaristes ne seraient pas permis une telle digression. Je suppose donc que c’est dans le livre. Et je ne comprends toujours pas. Pour moi, c'est l’auteure a fait le plus preuve de sadisme, car ce « rebondissement » n’a rien à faire dans l'histoire : c’est gratuit. Qu’est-ce que cela apporte au personnage ? Etait-ce pour renforcer l’idée du « couple maudit » ? Pour briser un personnage et montrer sa reconstruction ?

J’ai trouvé ça violent, j’ai trouvé ça déplacé, et j'ai trouvé ça inadapté. Trop sensible et trop cruel pour être abordé de cette façon, trop bâclé pour être un minimum compris. Et je trouve ça profondément triste. Et tout cela me plonge dans l’incompréhension.

Tout ceci n’est bien sûr que mon avis et mon ressenti. Mais j’ai véritablement été dérangée par cette tournure de l’histoire. Je m’interroge : vais-je regarder la suite ? Pour l’instant, je n’en ai pas envie.

N’hésitez pas à me dire ce que vous en avez pensé. Je suis peut-être à côté de la plaque. Je perçois peut-être mal le sujet. Je cherche peut-être le mal où il n’est pas. Mais comme mon malaise ne s’est pas dissipé, je me suis dit que c’était au moins trop violent pour moi.

#outlander #claire fraser #jamie fraser #jake randall #season 1 #le charbon et le tartan #diane gabaldon #critique #tv show

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beensobleu · 6 years

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last book of 2019 complete.

#Lord John Grey #Outlander series #novel #Diane Gabaldon #Private Matter #read #reader #reading

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cend17 · 8 years

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today I painted our 80s Brianna reading ;) For those who read books ... well, you know ^^

#outlander #red hair #brianna fraser #sophie skelton #clan fraser #watercolor #diane gabaldon #illustration #outlanderfanart #80sfashion #80s

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betterbooktitles · 3 years

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Diane Gabaldon: Outlander

Submitted by Brian Boone.

See more on Better Book Titles

#lol #funny #better book titles #humor #lit #literature #book #books #reading #novel #outlander

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just-sayin-outloud · 3 years

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MAYBE I AM AN OUTLANDER FAN -LOL!

A friend introduced me to Diane Gabaldon’s adult fantasy fiction in 1994 - and I found that it combined some of my favourite genres - history, adventure, romance - with a badass woman. In no time I had devoured -

and was - caught up - snared - skewered - by the love affair of Claire and Jamie - across countries and centuries - fighting warriors and witch haters - questioning the morality of leaving Frank, while despising the very existence of Black Jack Randall - surviving prisons of the flesh and mind - and grieving the death of one child while celebrating the births of two other children. I travelled the Highlands of Scotland - met Bonny Prince Charlie and Louis XV - learnt of the 1745 uprising and the tragedy of Culloden - sailed to Jamaica - and was shipwrecked on the shores of the 🌎 - in the company of Jamie and Claire.

And there I was left stranded - and the time till the publication of the Drums of Autumn proved too much for me. I moved on to other authors and their books as the wait - meant having to read the complete series each time a new book came out. Interesting to discover that I had a serial OCD complex.

DG continued to write and I have faithfully collected her books - saving them for when I would be able to enjoy a gooood loonnng read - when the time was right. I HAD NO IDEA WHEN THAT MIGHT BE UNTIL…..

… Sony/Starz announced that Outlander was coming to our homes (Showcase in 🇨🇦) in August 2014. I heard the siren’s call and was prepared to jump into this new TV series - head first - off a cliff - or out of a plane. Whatever it took to travel in technicolor with my heroine, Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp Randall Fraser - and her hero (and mine too) James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. Although it had been a gooood loonng while since I had read those first 3 books, I had a clear vision of Claire and Jamie in my mind - as DG is an excellent painter with words.

However, during these intervening years, my mental picture of Jamie was enhanced by the vision of Andre Marek - a Scottish swashbuckling archaeologist - portrayed by Gerard Butler - in Timeline, a 2003 Paramount Pictures movie adapted from Michael Crichton’s novel, Timeline. Andre, born in the wrong century - travels back in time with an archaeological team - via a time machine and wormhole - to 1357 Castlegard, France. Andre and his band of merry diggers get caught up in the 100 Years War. Some of the time-travelling team die in the past and some return to the present - but Andre chooses to stay in 1357 Castlegard with his Lady Claire - to help her brother, the lord of LaRoque Castle - defeat the dastardly English and regain his castle. Gerard’s blue-green eyes, curly brown locks, rugged handsomeness, sculpted physique and Scottish accent - combined with a sword and longbow - would make anyone think of JAMMF. CAN YOU SEE GERARD’S CREDENTIALS?

So with Andre superimposed in my mind’s eye as JAMMF - I tuned into Outlander, Season 1, Episode 1, Sassenach - and met Claire and Jamie for the first time. I would best categorize myself as an IDV - INSTANTLY DISMAYED VIEWER. Not by Claire (although she was not a petite woman with golden eyes) - not by Frank (although he was much nicer and more likeable) - not by Black Jack (he was living up to his reputation) - not by Murtagh (although he was definitely taller and more talkative) - and not by any of the other characters, dialogue/accents, scenery or costumes. It was all fine except for one wee detail. OKAY, I’M LYING! It was a huge detail.

Who was this young, unknown actor - and why was he playing Jamie - when Scotland’s own Gerard Butler was so clearly JAMMF. Now I can appreciate that this opinion may not be everyone’s - or even anyone’s - except mine. But it was immediate- and non-negotiable. SO I CHANGED THE CHANNEL AND NEVER LOOKED BACK …

… UNTIL THE COVID SHUTDOWN in the spring of 2020. Staying put at home - when my husband and I should have been in Portugal - my depletion of interesting shows/movies on Crave - and my daughter’s subscription to Netflix - led me to stream Outlander to see what I had missed in 2014. And part way through the first show - I was humming to the Skye Boat song - liked Frank - was immediately transported with Claire to 18th century Scotland - despised Black Jack - laughed with/at Angus and Rupert - was intrigued by Murtagh and Dougal - and had fallen for JAMIE. I confess - I have no idea why I ever thought Sam Heughan was the wrong choice for JAMMF - since he embodies our hero’s physique, ginger hair, blue eyes, accent - and kilt-ready knees. As I’m sure all of the OL fandom would agree. My only defence for my 2014 lapse of judgment, was my heavy investment in George R. Martin/HBO’s Game of Thrones - and I was not prepared to take on another weekly show that meant reading a book series from the beginning. I have only ever read one series at a time - wanting to give the author and their characters, my undivided attention.

However 2020 found me more than willing to dive back into the Outlander books while I watched Seasons 1-4 - then Season 5 in February 2021. I can honestly state that I have little recollection of my own life as a result of the lockdown (longer for some of us than others) - but I am very clear about Claire and Jamie’s travels, lives - and love affair. At least someone was going places in 2020 - and I was going with them.

When I watch any show or movie, read an author or listen to a musician - I Google their background and what other work they have done. There were several actors that seemed familiar to me but I couldn’t quite place when/what show I had seen them. Realizing that Tobias Menzies was Edmure Tully-GOT, and Graham McTavish was Dwalin and John Bell (what a young pup he was then) was the bargeman’s son in the The Hobbit - confirmed my first impression that OL had undertaken great attention to casting each character.

By watching OL, I also checked out some of the work by other actors such as Gary Lewis in Billy Elliott, Merlin and Frontier - Duncan Lacroix in Vikings and the Outlaw King - and Willie in Shetland. And I recognize that all of these actors have many other credits, past and present, to their names. More to enjoy.

In Season 5, I was delighted to see Tom Jackson and Tantoo Cardinal, well known and well admired indigenous Canadian actors. I’ve even seen Tom perform live at the Calgary Stampede. My tv-movie knowledge has gone up a hundredfold.

Caitriona and Sam where new actors to me, as were Stephen and Grant, Lottie, Laura, Steven, John Berry and oh so many others including Rollo, Clarence and Adso. Since watching OL I’ve expanded my knowledge and appreciation for many other UK shows - and I’m thankful for the authenticity of the majority of the OL actors (English, Scottish and Irish backgrounds and accents).

I must also commend OL for having given birth to a vocal, global, social media savvy fandom - and garnering a new generation/s of fans for DG and it’s many actors - but especially Catriona and Sam - just seeing how many IG and Tumblr accounts include their names. OL has also helped to I ignite international tourism in Scotland - a fascination with Scottish Gaelic - and fostered a world-wide interest for all things tartan, including men in kilts, and whiskey.

I would note that I have read many a post-blog-rant-response across the wide and diverse fandom - and I have learnt a great deal from people’s interpretations of the books - the show’s adaptations - and the fandom’s differences of opinion. I have loved the gifs, memes, fan art and many photo montages that so many have placed on social media. What an amazingly gifted fandom this is - and the loyalty to the show’s cast is equally amazing.

I think you can tell by the name that I’ve chosen - The Good Ship Lallybroch - that I am an interested observer in whether - the Sam-Cait 🛳 is happily sailing into new ports with an expanding crew - or if it has sunk and is now a rusty old wreck lying on the bottom of a Scottish loch. I definitely have an opinion on the status of their relationship - and was certainly impressed with the for-and-against arguments, timelines, receipts and even photo evidence that has been accumulated by the shippers and non-shippers. There are many amongst the fandom that would make excellent police detectives, private eyes, forensic investigators and even, coroners.

While it seems that many in the OL fandom are a bit weary - largely because of Droughtlanders and Covid - but also fan slagging - I do think that there are still many a conversation, discussion, or even disagreement to be had. Some topics that I am particularly interested include - books vs the tv adaptations - the secondary characters and their storylines and how this advances or detracts from Claire and Jamie - the personal and relationship changes of Claire and Jamie over 230 years - Cait and Sam, as humanitarians, social motivators and OL-minted stars - gratuitous sex and violence vs appropriate-necessary physical and emotional transitions - and quotes that will live on past OL.

I welcome all comments of a civil nature - and I love sarcastic humour - and well considered arguments. However, I’m not much for ageism or derogatory names - whether directed at me, another fan, DG or anyone involved in the show. I may be naive, but if you call yourself a fan, according to Wikipedia - that means you are an aficionado or enthusiast that exhibits a keen interest or admiration for something or someone. I recognize that a fan’s interest can be strained by circumstances surrounding the something/someone we admire - however once you get into extremely negative comments you may want to consider whether you are still a fan.

So I am hoping to connect with those who have a mutual admiration and enjoyment of DG, OL and the cast and crew. So as much as #winteriscoming so is #OLSeason6.

@it’s-moonpoint @Eldridge lane @Lollybrochisburning @loveisloveislove76 @Marian4456 @Just-a-wretched-wumman @Fanofjamesandclairefraser @Tithora @Mama-tumblz @Tpquill @Cb4tb @Odessa-2 @Esrm-blog @Shoutlandish @Reilly310 @Eternity1121 @Sileas84 @Samheughanswife @Mariaae @Acdoptis @sisbrazil @It’s-moopoint @Mommydog67 @Thebeautyis @Saint-hildegard-of-bingen @Bat-cat-reader @aye-sassenach @Caldineens @Scatterations @arawen898 @Dagmar686 @Ciamarathu @Misterodamore @Pissedoffsoka13 @Purple-lady’s-stuff @Obsessivesassenach @Balfeheughlywed @Iwillloveyouforeverandaday @Grammysgirls @Theaemilia @Rainmanjdog @lovemymama @Schwicks @Lisalein-sails @Jacksg13 @Jamesansclairefraser @Crazystupidoutlanderlove @Dvphn1 @Nautralangel @Superfluffycool @Dellfedelune @Crownqueenkate @Lensgrl

While I am completely captivated by Jamie and Claire Fraser, I would encourage lovers of gallant Scottish, sword wielding heroes to check out Andre Marek and Lady Claire in Timeline. I own a DVD (oops did I just date myself) but I’m sure it’s streaming out there somewhere.

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weirdesplinder · 4 years

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ANGELICA

Oggi voglio parlarvi di una saga storico romantica indimenticabile, quella di Angelica, scritta dai coniugi Anne e Serge Golon.

Questa serie di libri, ambientata nella Francia del XVII secolo, racconta le vicende della bella Angelica (Anne Golon si ispirò alla sua stessa avventurosa vita per scriverle) figlia di un barone decaduto.

Sintesi della trama (che sarebbe lunghissima): In gioventù Angelica scopre una boccetta di veleno destinata al re e sventa l' attentato. Scopre anche l'identità dei congiurati: ciò la metterà in pericolo per tutta la vita. Sposa controvoglia il ricco Joffrey de Peyrac, conte di Tolosa, ricchissimo e dotato di una voce incredibile, ma sfigurato e zoppo. Quando Angelica viene conquistata dalle virtù del marito, il destino li divide: accusato di stregoneria, Joffrey de Peyrac è condannato a morte. Lei si ritrova reietta a Parigi senza un soldo, ma non si da per vinta e prima grazie alle sue doti di ostessa, poi grazie a un matrimonio d’interesse, e a molte altre peripezie (e uomini) risale la scala sociale per infine cogliere l’interesse dello stesso Re Sole, che quando capisce di non potere ottenere mai il cuore, le confessa che Peyrac non è morto sul rogo. Quetsa scoperta stravolge Angelica che fugge da Versailles e parte in cerca del primo marito, finendo in altre mille avventure.

Secondo me questa serie ha influenzato pesantemente la serie su Jamie Fraser di Diane Gabaldon, voi non credete?

Io vedo diversi punti in comune alla due serie:

1- I protagonisti sono molto attraenti e durante tuutta la saga quasi tutti gli altri personaggi vogliono portarseli a letto

2- Angelica, così come Claire viene tacciata di stregoneria

3- Le vicende di Angelica si intrecciano con quelle di personaggi storici reali, vedi Re di Francia. E lo stesso accade a Jamie e Claire

4- Angelica si ritrova coinvolta in una rivolta contro il re, come Jamie

5- Angelica si accompagna ad altre persone ma rimane sempre innamorata del suo vero amore, proprio come Jamie e Claire

6- I figli hanno un ruolo marginale all'interno della storia, almeno fino agli ultimi libri

7- Angelica fugge dalla Francia e va verso le Americhe col marito per iniziare una nuova vita, ma ben presto i guai la seguono, come accade a Jamie e Claire

8- Angelica e Goffredo sono molto moderni, come Jamie e Claire. E le similitudini pottebbero continuare.........

Comunque sia, la serie di Angelica nella sua edizione italiana più recente, edita da Tea, conta ben 21 libri (e anche in una precedente edizione Garzanti), così tanti perchè alcuni romanzi originali (non tutti) sono stati divisi in due. Io invece posseggo l’edizione Villardi che mantiene credo la divisione originale dei romanzi e che vede ogni volume molto voluminoso. Ne esistono comunque anche altre edizioni in commercio nell’usato perciò prendete il mio elenco sottostante con le pinze e controllate le trame per capire quali e quanti romanzi eventualmente vi mancano e dovete acquistare:

Ecco i libri che compongono la serie:

1. Angelica Marchesa degli angeli

Trama: Figlia di un nobile decaduto del Poitou, Angelica, ancora adolescente, è costretta a sposare Goffredo di Peyrac, un misterioso gentiluomo di Tolosa. Sfigurato e zoppo, Goffredo è in realtà un uomo di scienza, dall'animo generoso e nobile, che saprà conquistare il cuore di Angelica

2. Angelica e il giustiziato di Notre-dame

Trama: Angelica e il marito Goffredo partono alla conquista di Parigi ma, alla corte di Luigi XIV, la felicità e il successo degli sposi suscitano invidie e ostilità e Goffredo è ben presto accusato di stregoneria. Sola e abbandonata da tutti, la Marchesa degli Angeli trova rifugio nei bassifondi di Parigi, in mezzo a ladri e assassini. Anche nelle avversità, Angelica rifiuta di abbattersi...

3. Angelica alla corte dei miracoli

Trama: Costretta a vivere nei bassifondi di Parigi, Angelica riesce a ricostruire la sua fortuna, dividendo i suoi sentimenti tra un feroce bandito e un giovane poeta prima di intraprendere la conquista dell'elegante quartiere del Marais, tappa importante sulla via che la riporterà alla corte di Versailles.

4. Angelica alla corte del Re

Prostrata dalle avversità, ma fedele al suo sogno di fama e ricchezza, Angelica è risalita con coraggio dall'abisso di miseria e disperazione in cui era precipitata. Ha riconquistato Parigi diffondendo una sconosciuta bevanda esotica, la cioccolata, e ora i salotti della nobiltà si parono di nuovo alla sua ammaliante bellezza: il momento del trionfale ritorno a Versailles è giunto.

5. Angelica e le notti di Versailles

Sposa in seconde nozze del marchese Filippo du Plessis-Bellière, Angelica viene riaccolta a corte, tra la gelosia delle favorite di Luigi XIV e l'ostilità dei gentiluomini del seguito reale. L'ambiente fastoso di Versailles nasconde, però, altre insidie per la fiera Marchesa degli Angeli, altri pericoli e nuove sofferenze, ma anche la gioia più inattesa e sconvolgente: l'amore del re.

6. Angelica e l'amore del Re

Trama: La Marchesa degli Angeli è di nuovo al culmine. Tra le molte favorite, lei sola ha conquistato il cuore di Luigi XIV, che la vorrebbe con sé per sempre. Ma la speranza che Angelica ha sempre custodito rinasce: forse Goffredo di Peyrac, l'unico vero amore della sua vita, l'uomo che il Re Sole aveva mandato al rogo, è ancora vivo...

7. Angelica l'indomabile

Trama: Certa, in cuor suo, che Goffredo è ancora vivo, Angelica decide di partire, di lasciare Parigi e la Francia rinunciando a tutto quello che ha faticosamente conquistato. Le tracce del marito la spingono verso l'Africa, ma il viaggio nel Mediterraneo è pieno di insidie che la Marchesa degli Angeli non sospetta nemmeno.

8. Angelica schiava d'oriente

Trama: Caduta in mano ai pirati nel suo viaggio verso Tunisi, Angelica viene ceduta al feroce sovrano arabo Mulay Ismail, che la vuole per il suo harem. Ma il Grande Eunuco, che vuol farne la più potente favorita del suo signore, la tiene nascosta, fino a quando un aiuto inaspettato non le aprirà la strada verso una fuga rocambolesca...

9. Angelica si ribella

Trama: Sfuggita alla schiavitù grazie a una memorabile fuga organizzata da un coraggioso normanno, Angelica trova riparo al Plessis. Ma quando il re le impone una pubblica ammenda per essere riammessa a corte, il suo spirito indomabile si ribella, trascinandola in una nuova avventura al fianco dei protestanti perseguitati... Bella e orgogliosa, audace e sensuale, Angelica de Sancé de Monteloup, contessa di Peyrac e marchesa du Plessis-Bellière è la donna più affascinante, amata e desiderata della Francia del Re Sole. L'accurata ricostruzione storica, l'intreccio ricco di azione e di colpi di scena, le centinaia di personaggi, gli intrighi, le passioni travolgenti, il fasto e la corruzione della corte sono gli ingredienti di questa serie di romanzi che hanno entusiasmato milioni di lettori in tutto il mondo e che sono stati oggetto di fortunate trasposizioni cinematografiche.

10. Angelica alla guerra

Trama: Accanto ai protestanti perseguitati, l'indomabile Angelica affronta le truppe del Re Sole, incurante della sua stessa vita pur di difendere i più nobile dei principi: la libertà di pensiero. Vinta, Angelica si rifugia a La Rochelle, dove riesce a salvare i protestanti dalla morte sul rogo, organizzandone la fuga e facendoli imbarcare su una nave comandata dal pirata Rescator. E' l'inizio di una nuova avventura...

11. Angelica e il pirata

Trama: La vita a bordo della nave su cui la bella Angelica si è imbarcata per sfuggire alle truppe del re Sole, non è per nulla facile anche per una donna coraggiosa come lei. Nonostante le numerose difficoltà la nostra eroina riesce tuttavia a far breccia nel cuore dell'affascinante capitano il "Rescator". Ma quando un marinaio si accorge che la nave si sta dirigendo verso nord, anziché verso l'America, dà l'allarme. Gli uomini della ciurma organizzano una sanguinosa ribellione e prendono prigioniero il "Rescator", dopo che questi ha trascorso una notte d'amore con Angelica. Ma il capitano riesce a fuggire e si rinchiude nella stiva con i suoi uomini.

12. Angelica e il nuovo mondo

Trama: Il Rescator prigioniero nella stiva, la nave in balia delle correnti, gli uomini furiosi e senza una guida capace: la vita sul veliero che porta Angelica oltre oceano è sempre più dura. Ma finalmente le coste della Florida appaiono all?orizzonte. Per la bella Marchesa degli Angeli è il segno di una nuova speranza, dopo le avventure e le sofferenze e i pericoli trascorsi. Una nuova vita l’attende, al fianco dell?uomo che ha sempre amato.

Qui si concludevano i film dedicati ad Angelica negli anni ‘60, ma i libri proseguono:

13. Angelica alla frontiera

Trama: Negli sconfinati territori dei Grandi Laghi nordamericani, Angelica cavalca sicura tra enormi aceri secolari, illuminata dalla luce scarlatta dell'autunno. Ha con sé i figli e il marito, il fiero Goffredo di Peyrac, al quale, dopo innumerevoli vicissitudini, si è riunita, per affrontare assieme le difficoltà e i pericoli di una nuova vita in una terra sconosciuta. Tra montagne selvagge e fiumi impetuosi, tra efferate tribù irochesi e fanatici gesuiti, nuove sfide e avventure stanno attendendo la Marchesa degli Angeli

14. La tentazione di Angelica

Trama: Angelica si è finalmente riunita al marito, il fiero Goffredo de Peyrac, e ai figli, quando un incontro inatteso sopraggiunge a turbare la serenità faticosamente ritrovata. L'uomo che crede essere il terribile pirata Barbadoro è in realtà Colin, il compagno, l'amico, l'amante di un tempo. Saprà Goffredo capire il dramma che tormenta la sua amata? E riuscirà Angelica a non cedere alla passione che il ricordo di Colin riaccende in lei? Ancora una volta sarà il cuore a guidarla verso una scelta senz'altro degna della donna splendida, audace e imprevedibile quale è la nostra eroina.

15. Angelica e la diavolessa

Trama: La serenità faticosamente conquistata da Angelica è turbata dall'arrivo a Gouldsbouro, la libera colonia creata da Goffredo di Peyrac, di una donna dal fascino magnetico e dirompente. Lo stesso Goffredo sembra essere ammaliato da quella strepitosa bellezza. Come se non bastasse un succedersi di avvenimenti inattesi e sinistri minaccia la pace e la fresca vitalità della colonia: gli abitanti di Gouldsbouro diffondono la voce che in città si aggiri una "diavolessa", una donna perversa e affascinante come il male stesso.

16. Angelica e il complotto delle ombre

Trama: Scampata alle malvagità della duchessa di Maudribourg, la terribile "diavolessa", Angelica e il suo sposo, Goffredo di Peyrac, lasciano la colonia di Gouldsboro per recarsi nel territorio francese del Québec. Ma mentre si fa più vicina la meta, alla mente della Marchesa degli Angeli riaffiorano le ombre di un passato quanto mai lontano e doloroso, e con esse volti ed episodi da tempo dimenticati. E non solo... Entrati nelle terre di un Paese che li aveva banditi, Angelica e Goffredo dovranno superare ostacoli e avversità, pregiudizi e diffidenze, prima di godere della serenità tanto cercata.

17. Angelica a Quèbec

Trama: Angelica e il suo sposo Goffredo stanno per approdare a Québec, un piccolo gioiello architettonico affacciato sulle rive del San Lorenzo, in Canada. Ma mentre si fa più prossima la meta, un sentimento di angoscia e di timore li assale: che cosa li attenderà in quello sterminato e gelido Paese, suddito della corona di Francia, di quello stesso Luigi XIV che li ha banditi per sempre dalla madrepatria? E come verranno accolti dalla gente del posto? Ad attenderli saranno nuove ed emozionanti avventure

18. La sfida di Angelica

Trama: Angelica e il suo sposo, finalmente sereni, hanno trovato una seconda patria nello sconfinato Canada, un mondo giovane e avventuroso. Ma la felicità appena conquistata viene messa subito in pericolo dall'invasione, da parte dei feroci irochesi, della città di Québec. Soltanto il coraggio di Angelica, che affronta il capo degli irochesi, riuscirà a salvare la vita dei suoi concittadini. Intanto dalla Francia giunge un messaggero: porterà notizie sull'esilio?

19. Angelica, la strada della speranza

La felicità della bella Angelica, incinta del Conte di Peyrac, è in pericolo. Il parto è drammatico, due gemelli prematuri nascono a Salem, la città delle streghe... E poi l'orribile notizia della morte di Padre d'Orgeval, il nemico di Angelica, e le accuse da cui deve difendersi, con tutte le sue forze...

20. Angelica, la fortezza del cuore

Angelica e suo maroto sono riusciti ad uscire indenni dalla caccia alle streghe ma nuovi pericoki sono in afgguato.

21. La vittoria d'Angelica

La figlia di Angelica è stata rapita, Goffredo è dovuto tornare in Francia, ma Angelica non intende certo arrendersi. E con l'aiuto inaspettato di suo figlio....

Non vi svelo il finale di questa serie, ma l'ultima frase è molto Rossella di Via col Vento

L'accurata ricostruzione storica, l'intreccio ricco di azione e di colpi di scena, le centinaia di personaggi, gli intrighi, le passioni travolgenti, il fasto e la corruzione della corte sono gli ingredienti di questa serie di romanzi che hanno entusiasmato milioni di lettori in tutto il mondo e che hanno spinto anche diversi registi a terna delle trasposizioni cinematografiche.

La più famosa e riuscita è certamente la serie di film degli anni ‘60 con protagonisti gli indimenticabili e supersexy Michèle Mercier e Robert Hossein, che furono ben 5 e le cui trame coprono le trame dei romanzi solo fino al dodicesimo, come vi accennavo sopra :

1. Angelica (1964)

2. Angelica alla corte del re (1965)

3. La meravigliosa Angelica (1965)

4. L'indomabile Angelica (1967)

5. Angelica e il gran sultano (1968)

Se vi interessa comprarli ho visto che sono in vendita su LA FELTRINELLI a questo Link.

#anne golon #anne e serge golon

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themusicsweetly · 5 years

Photo

Caitriona Balfe | Reserved Magazine

Lead actress in the steamy time-traveling Starz series, Outlander, Caitriona is as beautiful and elegant as her character, Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, a recently dispatched WWII British army nurse hurled back in time to war-torn 18th century Scotland. Now moving into its 5th season, the series is based the bestselling books by Diana Gabaldon and touted for its brave portrayal of female sexuality, setting the tone with a spontaneous and fully clothed cunnilingus scene kicking us off in Episode 1. Boasting a winning BAFTA and numerous Emmy and Golden Globe Nominations largely garnered in the Best Lead Actress category, there is no question that Caitriona has done her fair share in contributing to the show’s success. And now joining the Outlander producing team, her influence will extend from acting to include shaping the stories from behind the camera.

So, who is the mistress behind the magic?

A native of Ireland, Caitriona grew up in the classic Irish style: in a working-class family surrounded by siblings. After only one year through theater school in Dublin, she was scouted by Ford Modeling Agency and spent the next 10 years walking the runways for fashion icons such as Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Oscar de la Renta, among others, and was soon voted one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World.”

While modeling wasn’t the ultimate goal, it provided a solid launchpad for what would become a booming acting career. “I had a great experience in the fashion industry. I met some of my lifelong friends there. You get to travel the world, all of those things. But everything in fashion is about creating the perfect image. You have to be so conscious of how you look, how you’re carrying yourself, all those things; which is kind of the antithesis of acting.” Now Caitriona enjoys the gritty reality of exploring her emotional mind without worrying about the flatness of her stomach. “With acting you can’t be self-conscious at all. You have to lose any kind of awareness of yourself. It’s all about what’s going on internally.”

Before landing her bigger roles, Caitriona lived he life of many actors and actresses in LA: blindly believing that her dreams would someday come true. “I kept telling myself inside, ‘You are just going to have to live in this little bubble of delusion and believe that it’s going to work out.’ Because I didn’t really have another Plan B. I sort of felt that if it’s something that I love this much, then maybe it’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Her first paying role was on J.J. Abrams’ film, Super 8. “I remember thinking, ‘Well, okay. If he’s going to vouch for me, then maybe I’m on the right path.’ And you keep getting little carrots like that, that dangle in front of you and make it all worthwhile.”

She went on to book more roles on projects such as Escape Plan with Sylvester Stallone, eventually landing the role of Diane Lester in Jodie Foster’s Money Monster. And even still, her artistic future was fairly unpredictable. Until one day, she walked into the casting office for Outlander. “It was all very quick because they were starting to shoot in two weeks. So, when I found out -- they were like, ‘Can you get on a plane tomorrow?’ And I was like, ‘No... Can I at least have until Friday?’ And they were like, “Yeah, well give you until Friday.’ So, I was in Scotland on the Friday. And I had to scramble to find somebody to look after my cat and my car and my apartment and all those things.”

When it comes to the “day job” of being on set, Caitriona often works 14-hour days, shooting 10 to 11 months of the year in Scotland. And still, Caitriona continues to grow as an artist; which is, as many “successful” artists proclaim, problem the clearest mark that one is following the right path.

“In Season 2, we had an episode called Faith, which was where Claire lost her baby. I think it was problem the first opportunity I’d been given to really go to a very dark place that was outside my own experience. So it was really beautiful in a weird way... those are the little breakthroughs that you can trust are within you, even if you don’t really understand it from your own life.”

I asked Caitriona if she has any advice for all those actors and actresses out there wondering when they will get their big break.

“I think nowadays, you have to make your own stuff. If you’re sitting and waiting for a job... everybody has the opportunity. People make movies on their iPhones. I think just being creative and staying productive is the best way to get through those lean times and keep yourself growing. You just have to keep thinking and doing.”

The 5th season of Outlander is halfway done shooting and will be premiering on Starz in 2020, with Season 6 already renewed. “I get to play some stuff that I think people won’t be expecting for Claire... but I don’t know how much I can reveal. It’s always cloaked in secret, “ Caitriona say mysteriously.

We will just have to wait for the magic and see.

Photoshoot Part I | Part II | Part III

(Thanks so much to the ever generous DianeB31 on Twitter for the magazine photos!)

#Caitriona Balfe #Outlander #Outlander Season 5 #Reserved Magazine #Claire Fraser #DianeB31

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reluctanthurricane · 4 years

Text

Due to unforeseen circumstances I was unable to do my usual annual recap of books read, but here it is for 2019.

[[MORE]]

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

We Were Eight Years in Power, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon

The Destructives, by Matthew de Abaitua

Boy, Snow, Bird, by Helen Oyeyemi

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

Scavenge the Stars, by Tara Sim

Discount Armageddon, by Seanan McGuire

In an Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire

The Dark Days Deceit, by Alison Goodman

Once a Princess, by Sherwood Smith

Twice a Princess, by Sherwood Smith

Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie

Middlegame, by Seanan McGuire

The Unkindest Tide, by Seanan McGuire

Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee

Trail of Lightning, by Rebecca Roanhorse

The Wizard's Dilemma (New Millenium Edition), by Diane Duane

Heartless, by Marissa Meyer

Raven Strategem, by Yoon Ha Lee

Revenant Gun, by Yoon Ha Lee

Bonus Audiobooks:

Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, by Gretchen Rubin

How to Change Your Mind: What the Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transendence, by Michael Pollan

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, by Caroline Criado Perez

Always happy to discuss any books on the list. Books in italics are rereads. All books on this list (including rereads) are not necessarily recommendations.

#about me #ofc you can't do read mores on the mobile app now #I'll fix it later #🙄#keeping up with the relatively new trend of reading ~20 books following a year of ~40 books #2020 might be another ~40 book year #except for the part where I read nothing in March #I could still catch up it is technically only April

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suchagiantnerd · 5 years

Text

48 Books, 1 Year

I was just two books shy of my annual goal of 50! You can blame the combination of my adorable newborn, who refused to nap anywhere except on me, and Hallmark Christmas movie season, during which I abandon books for chaste kisses between 30-somethings who behave like tweens at places called the Mistletoe Inn (which are really in Almonte, Ontario).

Without further ado, as Zuma from Paw Patrol says, “Let’s dive in!”

1. Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes / Nathan H. Lents

We have too many bones! We have to rely too much on our diet for survival! We suffer from too many cognitive biases! Reading about our design flaws was kind of interesting, but the best part of this book were the few pages toward the end about the possibility of alien life. Specifically this quote: "...some current estimates predict that the universe harbours around seventy-five million civilizations." WHAT?! This possibility more than anything else I've ever heard or read gives me a better idea of how infinite the universe really is.

2. The Fiery Cross / Diana Gabaldon

Compared to the first four books in the Outlander series, this fifth book is a real snooze. The characters are becoming more and more unlikeable. They're so self-centered and unaware of their privilege in the time and place they're living. Gabaldon's depictions of the Mohawk tribe and other First Nations characters (which I'm reading through her character's opinions of things) are pretty racist. The enslaved people at one character's plantation are also described as being well taken care of and I just.... can't. I think this is the end of my affair with Outlander.

3. Educated / Tara Westover

This memoir was a wild ride. Tara Westover grew up in a survivalist, ultra-religious family in rural Idaho. She didn’t go to school and was often mislead about the outside world by her father. She and her siblings were also routinely put in physical danger working in their father’s junkyard as their lives were “in god’s hands”, and when they were inevitably injured, they weren’t taken to the hospital or a doctor, but left to be treated by their healer mother. Thanks to her sheer intelligence and determination (and some support from her older brother), Tara goes to university and shares with us the culture shock of straddling two very different worlds. My non-fiction book club LOVED this read, we talked about it for a long, long time.

4. Imbolc: Rituals, Recipes and Lore for St. Brigid’s Day / Carl F. Neal

Continuing with my witchy education, I learned all about the first sabbat of the new year, Imbolc.

5. Super Sad True Love Story / Gary Shteyngart

This in-the-very-near-future dystopian novel got my heart racing during a few exciting moments, but overall, I couldn’t immerse myself fully because of the MISOGYNY. I think the author might not like women and the things women like (or the things he thinks they like?) In this near future, all the dudes are into finance or are media celeb wannabes, while all the women work in high-end retail. And onion-skin jeans are the new trend for women - they are essentially see-through. Gary….we don’t…want that? We don’t even want low-rise jeans to come back.

6. The Wanderers / Meg Howrey

Helen, Yoshi and Sergei are the three astronauts selected by a for-profit space exploration company to man the world’s first mission to Mars. But before they get the green light, they have to endure a 17-month simulation. In addition to getting insight into the simulation from all three astronauts via rotating narrators, we also hear from the astronauts’ family members and other employees monitoring the sim. At times tense, at times thoughtful, this book is an incisive read about what makes explorers willing to leave behind everything they love the most in the world.

7. Zone One / Colson Whitehead

The zombie apocalypse has already happened, and Mark is one of the survivors working to secure and clean up Zone One, an area of Manhattan. During his hours and hours of boring shifts populated by a few harrowing minutes here and there, the reader is privy to Mark’s memories of the apocalypse itself and how he eventually wound up on this work crew. Mark is a pretty likeable, yet average guy rather than the standard zombie genre heroes, and as a result, his experiences also feel like a more plausible reality than those of the genre.

8. Homegoing / Yaa Gyasi

One of my favourite reads of the year, this novel is the definition of “sweeping epic”. The story starts off with two half-sisters (who don’t even know about each other’s existence) living in 18th-century Ghana. One sister marries a white man and stays in Ghana, living a life of privilege, while the other is sold into slavery and taken to America on a slave ship. This gigantic split in the family tree kicks off two parallel and vastly different narratives spanning EIGHT generations, ending with two 20-somethings in the present day. I remain in awe of Gyasi’s talent, and was enthralled throughout the entire book.

9. Sweetbitter / Stephanie Danler

Tess moves to New York City right out of school (and seemingly has no ties to her previous life - this bothered me, I wanted to know more about her past) and immediately lands a job at a beloved (though a little tired) fancy restaurant. Seemingly loosely based on Danler’s own experiences as a server, I got a real feel for the insular, incestuous, chaotic life in “the industry”. Tess navigates tensions between the kitchen and the front of house, falls for the resident bad-boy bartender, and positions herself as the mentee of the older and more glamorous head server, who may not be everything she seems. This is a juicy coming-of-age novel.

10. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane / Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin

Gucci Mane is one of Atlanta’s hottest musicians, having helped bring trap music to the mainstream. I’d never heard of him until I read this book because I’m white and old! But not knowing him didn’t make this read any less interesting. In between wild facts (if you don’t get your music into the Atlanta strip clubs, your music isn’t making it out of Atlanta) and wilder escapades (Gucci holing himself up in his studio, armed to the teeth, in a fit of paranoia one night) Gucci Mane paints on honest picture of a determined, talented artist fighting to break free of a cycle of systemic racism and poverty.

11. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer / Michelle McNamara

McNamara was a journalist and true crime enthusiast who took it upon herself to try and solve the mystery of the Golden State Killer’s identity. Amazingly, her interest in this case also sparked other people’s interest in looking back at it, eventually leading to the arrest of the killer (though tragically, McNamara died a few months before the arrest and would never know how her obsession helped to capture him). This is a modern true crime classic and a riveting read.

12. A Great Reckoning / Louise Penny

The 12th novel in Penny’s Inspector Gamache mystery series sees our hero starting a new job teaching cadets at Quebec’s police academy. Of course, someone is murdered, and Gamache and his team work to dig the rot out of the institution, uncovering a killer in the process.

13. Any Man / Amber Tamblyn

Yes, this novel is by THAT Amber Tamblyn, star of “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants”! Anyway, this book is a tad bit darker, and follows five men who’ve been victimized by the female serial rapist, who calls herself Maude. Going into this read I though that it might be some sort of revenge fantasy, but dudes, not to worry - we really feel awful for the male victims and see them in all their complexity. Perhaps, if more men read this book, they might better understand the trauma female and non-binary victims go through? That would require men to read books by women though. Guys? GUYS???

14. Ostara: Rituals, Recipes and Lore for the Spring Equinox / Kerri Connor

Yet another witchy read providing more information about this Spring sabbat.

15. Scarborough / Catherine Hernandez

This novel takes place in OUR Scarborough! Following the lives of a number of residents (adults and children alike), the plot centres around the families attending an Ontario Early Years program as well as the program facilitator. Hernandez looks at the ways poverty, mental illness, addiction, race, and homophobia intersect within this very multicultural neighbourhood. It’s very sad, but there are also many sweet and caring moments between the children and within each of the families.

16. The Glitch / Elisabeth Cohen

Shelley Stone (kind of a fictional Sheryl Sandberg type) is the CEO of Conch, a successful Silicon Valley company. Like many of these over-the-top real-life tech execs, Shelley has a wild schedule full of business meetings, exercise, networking and parenting, leaving her almost no time to rest. While on an overseas business trip, she meets a younger woman also named Shelley Stone, who may or may not be her younger self. Is Shelley losing it? This is a dark comedy poking fun at tech start-up culture and the lie that we can have it all.

17. The Thirteenth Tale / Diane Setterfield

This is my kind of book! A young and inexperienced bookworm is handpicked to write the biography of an aging famous author, Vida Wynter. Summoned to her sprawling country home around Christmastime, the biographer is absolutely enthralled by Vida’s tales of a crumbling gothic estate and an eccentric family left too long to their own whims. Looking for a dark, twisty fairytale? This read’s for you.

18. Love & Misadventure / Lang Leav

Leav’s book of poems looked appealing, but for me, her collection fell short. I felt like I was reading a teenager’s poetry notebook (which I’m not criticizing, I love that teen girls write poetry, and surprise, surprise - so did I - but I’m too old for this kind of writing now).

19. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows / Balli Kaur Jaswal

Hooo boy, my book club loved this one! Hoping to get a job more aligned with her literary interests, Nikki, the 20-something daughter of Indian immigrants to Britain, takes a job teaching writing at the community centre in London’s biggest Punjabi neighbourhood. The students are all older Punjabi women who don’t have much to do and because of their “widow” status have been somewhat sidelined within their community. Without anyone around to censor or judge them, the widows start sharing their own erotic fantasies with each other, each tale wilder than the last. As Nikki gets to know them better, she gains some direction in life and starts a romance of her own. (It should be noted that in addition to this lovely plot, there is a sub plot revolving around a possible honour killing in the community. For me, the juxtaposition of these two plots was odd, but not odd enough that it ruined the book.)

20. Beltane: Rituals, Recipes and Lore for May Day / Melanie Marquis

Beltane marks the start of the summer season in the witches’ year, and I learned all about how to ring it in, WITCH STYLE.

21. Summer of Salt / Katrina Leno

This book is essentially Practical Magic for teens, with a queer protagonist. All that to say, it’s enjoyable and sweet and a win for #RepresentationMatters, but it wasn’t a surprising or fresh story.

22. Too Like the Lightning / Ada Palmer

This is the first in the Terra Ignota quartet of novels, which is (I think) speculative fiction with maybe a touch of fantasy and a touch of sci-fi and a touch of theology and certainly a lot of philosophical ruminating too. I both really enjoyed it and felt so stupid while reading it. As a lifelong bookworm who doesn’t shy away from difficult reads, I almost never feel stupid while reading, but this book got me. The world building is next level and as soon as you think you’ve found your footing, Palmer pulls the rug out from under you and you’re left both stunned and excited about her latest plot twist. Interested in finding out what a future society grouped into ‘nations’ by interests and passions (instead of geographical borders and ethnicity) might be like? Palmer takes a hearty stab at it here.

23. The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay and Disaster / Sarah Krasnostein

When Sarah Krasnostein met Sandra Pankhurst, she knew she had to write her biography (or something like it - this book is part biography, part love letter, part reckoning). And rightly so, as Sandra has led quite a life. She grew up ostracized within her own home by her immediate family, married and had children very young, came out as a trans woman and begin living as her authentic self (but abandoning her own young family in the process), took to sex work and lived through a vicious assault, married again, and started up her own successful company cleaning uncleanable spaces - the apartments of hoarders, the houses of recluses, the condos in which people ended their own lives. Sandra is the definition of resilience, but all her traumas (both the things people have done to her and the things she’s done to others) have left their mark, as Krasnostein discovers as she delicately probes the recesses of Sandra’s brain.

24. Becoming / Michelle Obama

My favourite things about any memoir from an ultra-famous person are the random facts that surprise you along the way. In this book, it was learning that all American presidents travel with a supply of their blood type in the event of an assassination attempt. I mean OF COURSE they would, but that had never occurred to me. I also appreciated Michelle opening up about her fertility struggles, the difficult decision to put her career on hold to support Barack’s dreams, and the challenge of living in the spotlight with two young children that you hope to keep down to earth. Overall, I think Michelle was as candid as someone in her position can be at this point in her life.

25 and 26. Seven Surrenders, The Will to Battle / Ada Palmer

I decided to challenge myself and stick with Palmer’s challenging Terra Ignota series, also reading the second and third instalments (I think the fourth is due to be released this year). I don’t know what to say, other than the world-building continues to be incredible and this futuristic society is on the bring of something entirely new.

27. Even Vampires Get the Blues / Kate MacAlister

This novel wins for “cheesiest read of the year”. When a gorgeous half-elf detective (you read that right) meets a centuries-old sexy Scottish vampire, sparks fly! Oh yeah, and they’re looking for some ancient thing in between having sex.

28. A Case of Exploding Mangoes / Mohammed Hanif

A piece of historical fiction based on the real-life suspicious plane crash in 1988 that killed many of Pakistan’s top military brass, this novel lays out many possible culprits (including a crow that ate too many mangoes). It’s a dark comedy taking aim at the paranoia of dictators and the boredom and bureaucracy of the military (and Bin Laden makes a cameo at a party).

29. Salvage the Bones / Jesmyn Ward

This novel takes place in the steaming hot days before Hurricane Katrina hits the Mississippi coast. The air is still and stifling and Esch’s life in the small town of Bois Sauvage feels even more stifled. Esch is 14 and pregnant and hasn’t told anyone yet. Her father is a heavy drinker and her three brothers are busy with their own problems. But as the storm approaches, the family circles around each other in preparation for the storm. This is a jarring and moving read made more visceral by the fact that the author herself survived Katrina. It’s also an occasionally violent book, and there are particularly long passages about dog-fighting (a hobby of one of the brothers). The dog lovers in my book club found it hard to get through, consider this your warning!

30. Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay / Phoebe Robinson

A collection of essays in the new style aka writing multiple pages on a topic as though you were texting your best friend about it (#ImFineWithThisNewStyleByTheWay #Accessible), Robinson discusses love, friendship, being a Black woman in Hollywood, being plus-ish-size in Hollywood, and Julia Roberts teaching her how to swim (and guys, Julia IS as nice in real life as we’d all hoped she was!) Who is Robinson? Comedy fans will likely know her already, but I only knew her as one of the stars of the Netflix film Ibiza (which I enjoyed). This is a fun, easy read!

31. Midsummer: Rituals, Recipes and Lore for Litha / Deborah Blake

After reading this book, I charged my crystals under the midsummer sun!

32. Fingersmith / Sarah Waters

So many twists! So many turns! So many hidden motives and long-held secrets! Think Oliver Twist meets Parasite meets Lost! (Full disclosure, I haven’t seen Parasite yet, I’m just going off all the chatter about it). Sue is a con artist orphan in old-timey London. When the mysterious “Gentleman” arrives at her makeshift family’s flat with a proposal for the con of all cons, Sue is quickly thrust into a role as the servant for another young woman, Maud, living alone with her eccentric uncle in a country estate. As Sue settles into her act, the lines between what she’s pretending at and what she’s really feeling start to blur, and nothing is quite what it seems. This book is JUICY!

33. Rest Play Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (Or Anyone Who Acts Like One) / Deborah MacNamara, PhD

I read approximately one parenting book a year, and this was this year’s winner. As my eldest approached her third birthday, we started seeing bigger and bigger emotions and I wasn’t sure how to handle them respectfully and gently. This book gave me a general roadmap for acknowledging her feelings, sitting through them with her, and the concept of “collecting” your child to prevent tantrums from happening or to help calm them down afterward. I’ll be using this approach for the next few years!

34. Lughnasadh: Rituals, Recipes and Lore for Lammas / Melanie Marquis

And with this read, I’ve now read about the entire witch’s year. SO MOTE IT BE.

35. In Cold Blood / Truman Capote

How had I not read this until now? This true-crime account that kicked off the modern genre was rich in detail, compassionate to the victims, and dug deep into the psyche of the killers. The descriptions of the midwest countryside and the changing seasons also reminded me of Keith Morrison’s voiceovers on Dateline. Is Capote his inspiration?

36. I’m Afraid of Men / Vivek Shraya

A quick, short set of musings from trans musician and writer Shraya still packs an emotional punch. She writes about love and loss, toxic masculinity, breaking free of gender norms, and what it’s like to exist as a trans woman.

37. The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You / Elaine N. Aron, PhD

Having long thought I might be a highly sensitive person (lots of us are!), I decided to learn more about how to better cope with stressful situations when I don’t have enough alone time or when things are too loud or when I get rattled by having too much to do any of the other myriad things that shift me into panic mode. Though some of the advice is a bit too new-agey for me (talking to your inner child, etc), some of it was practical and useful.

38. Swamplandia! / Karen Russell

The family-run alligator wrestling theme park, Swamplandia, is swimming in debt and about to close. The widowed father leaves the everglades for the mainland in a last-ditch attempt to drum up some money, leaving the three children to fend for themselves. A dark coming-of-age tale that blends magic realism, a ghost story, the absurd and a dangerous boat trip to the centre of the swamplands, this novel examines a fractured family mourning its matriarch in different ways.

39. A Mind Spread Out on the Ground / Alicia Elliott

This is a beautiful collection of personal essays brimming with vulnerability, passion, and fury. Elliott, the daughter of a Haudenosaunee father and a white mother, shares her experiences growing up poor in a family struggling with mental illness, addiction and racism. Topics touch on food scarcity, a never-ending battle with lice, parenthood and the importance of hearing from traditionally marginalized voices in literature.

40. Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay / Elena Ferrante

The third novel in Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet sees Elena and Lila move from their early twenties into their thirties and deal with a riot of issues - growing careers, changing political beliefs, the challenges of motherhood and romantic relationships, and existing as strong-willed, intelligent women in 1960s and 70s Italy. I’ll definitely finish the series soon.

41. Half-Blood Blues / Esi Edugyan

A small group of American and German jazz musicians working on a record find themselves holed up in Paris as the Germans begin their occupation in WW2. Hiero, the youngest and most talented member of the group, goes out one morning for milk and is arrested by the Germans, never to be heard from again. Fifty years later, the surviving members of the band go to Berlin for the opening night of a documentary about the jazz scene from that era, and soon find themselves on a road trip through the European countryside to find out what really became of Hiero all those years ago. Edugyan’s novel is a piercing examination of jealousy, ambition, friendship, race and guilt. And features a cameo by Louis Armstrong!

42. A Serial Killer’s Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love and Overcoming / Kerri Rawson

So Brad and I had just finished watching season 2 of Mindhunter, and as I browse through a neighbourhood little library, I spot this book and the serial killer in question is the BTK Killer! Naturally, I had to read it. What I didn’t realize is that this is actually a Christian book, so Rawson does write a lot about struggling with her belief in God and finding her way back to Him, etc. But there are also chapters more fitting with the true crime and memoir genres that I equally enjoyed and was creeped out by.

43. The Night Ocean / Paul La Farge

This is another book that made me feel somewhat stupid as a reader. I just know there are details or tidbits that completely went over my head that would likely enrich a better reader’s experience. In broad strokes, the novel is about a failed marriage between a psychiatrist and a writer who became dangerously obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and the rumours that swirled around him and his social circle. The writer’s obsession takes him away from his marriage and everything else, and eventually it looks like he ends his own life. The psychiatrist is doubtful (no body was found) and she starts to follow him down the same rabbit hole. At times tense, at times funny, at times sad, I enjoyed the supposed world of Lovecraft and his fans and peers, but again, I’m sure there are deeper musings here that I couldn’t reach.

44. Glass Houses / Louise Penny

The 13th novel in Penny’s Inspector Gamache mystery series sees our hero taking big risks to fight the opioid crisis in Quebec. He and his team focus on catching the big crime boss smuggling drugs across the border from Vermont, endangering his beloved town of Three Pines in the process.

45. The Bone Houses / Emily Lloyd-Jones

My Halloween read for the year, this dark fairytale of a YA novel was perfect for the season. Since her parents died, Ryn has taken over the family business - grave digging - to support herself and her siblings. As the gravedigger, she knows better than most that due to an old curse, the dead in the forest surrounding her village don’t always stay dead. But as more of the forest dead start appearing (and acting more violently than usual), Ryn and an unexpected companion (yes, a charming young man cause there’s got to be a romance!) travel to the heart of the forest to put a stop to the curse once and for all.

46. The Witches Are Coming / Lindy West

Another blazing hot set of essays from my favourite funny feminist take on Trump, abortion rights, #MeToo, and more importantly Adam Sandler and Dateline. As always, Lindy, please be my best friend?

47. Know My Name / Chanel Miller

This memoir is HEAVY but so, so needed. Recently, Chanel Miller decided to come forward publicly and share that she was the victim of Brock Turner’s sexual assault. She got the courage to do so after she posted her blistering and beautiful victim impact statement on social media and it went viral. Miller’s memoir is a must-read, highlighting the incredible and awful lengths victims have to go to to see any modicum of justice brought against their attackers. Miller dealt with professional ineptitude from police and legal professionals, victim-blaming, victim-shaming, depression and anxiety, the inability to hold down a job, and still managed to come out the other side of this trial intact. And in the midst of all the horror, she writes beautifully about her support system - her family, boyfriend and friends - and about the millions of strangers around the world who saw themselves in her experience.

48. Christmas Ghost Stories: A Collection of Winter Tales / Mark Onspaugh

Ghosts AND Christmas? Yes please! This quirky collection features a wide array of festively spooky tales. You want the ghost of Anne Boleyn trapped in a Christmas ornament? You got it! What about the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future drinking together in a bar? Yup, that’s here too!

So, what were my top picks of the year, the books that stuck with me the most? In no particular order:

Educated

Homegoing

The Wanderers

Know My Name

Scarborough

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