Sunday, December 13, 2009

Sunday Salon: The End of Rosie's Riveters and the Start of Something New

Sunday Salon
I started the Rosie the Riveter series some months ago to highlight females who grab our attention- who create an emotional response within us.  By the time the Riveter series ends, we'll have learned about almost thirty women in history or in literature whom we find riveting.  It's been a wonderful series, and I know I always look forward to posting and discussing the women and the books in which they feature on Thursdays.

However, there hasn't been as much interest in participating in the Riveter series lately, and I think people are intimidated by the subject- how can they find a woman worthy of Rosie the Riveter status?  It's difficult to do!  Also, now that the Women Unbound Challenge is underway, there are reviews all over blogosphere that focus on important and amazing and horrible and insane women.  So I think Rosie has done her job!  And it's onto something new.  Therefore, I am no longer taking any more requests to participate in Rosie's Riveters than I already have- everyone who has already signed up for it and has not gone yet, you will get your turn :-)  After everyone has had their turn, Thursdays on BookLust will now feature a new regular series! 

With all the troubles the book industry faces, and disappearing book reviews in newspapers and magazines across the world, I just really want to use this blog to highlight important and fantastic books that slip under the radar.  Granted, I have no idea how many people actually read my blog, so the impact is completely minimal, but every little bit helps, right?  And if you find a book here that really hits you, that you never would have come across otherwise, and that you then become an evangelist for, well that would be pretty great.  And that is what the new Thursday segment is all about!

Is there a book you gush about to people, and they've never heard of it, and you are aghast that it isn't more well-known?  Is there a book you adore so much that you are heart-broken that it is now out-of-print?  Is there a book you always look for on the shelf of a used bookstore or a library, and then breathe a contented sigh of relief when you see it?  A book that you see and touch and handle with reverence? 
W.B. Yeats, in his poem "A Poet to His Beloved," wrote:
I bring you with reverent hands / the books of my numberless dreams.

And that quote inspired the name of this new guest post series, With Reverent Hands!  Let's give some attention to those wonderful books that sit unjustly gathering dust on the shelf because no one knows how fabulous they are.  The ones that keep you up at night, or make you shiver with delight.  The ones that you love so much you want everyone else in the world to read them, too, even though they may be hard to find or a little obscure.  The ones that are worth the effort. 

So, start thinking about your favorite book that no one's ever heard of, or the one that people are too intimidated to read because it's so long or too ancient or has an odd cover- any book, really, that you believe has been overlooked.  And get ready, in about two months, for With Reverent Hands.  Note- this segment is about books that should perhaps be considered classics, but aren't.  Thus, it won't be spotlighting Jane Austen, as all her books are very well-known.  But it could feature a lesser-known work by, say, Charles Dickens that everyone passes by, to their own detriment.  Or maybe you think everyone reads Neil Gaiman when they should really be reading Gillian Bradshaw.  Whatever book you find worthy, let the world (or, well, the five people who read this blog) know!

And once again- if anyone has button-making skills and can make one in the next couple of months for With Reverent Hands- I'd be extremely grateful!

Updated:  In a couple of weeks leading up to the start of With Reverent Hands, I'll ask people to sign up to participate.  Thanks for all the interest already- so great to see :-)

SeriespaloozaPS:  This week I'm participating in Seriespalooza, hosted by Galleysmith.  So this week's reviews (after Fun House, which I am finishing up) will all be of books in a series, and most probably, due to the trilogy or never-ending series bug that hits so many authors in the genre, all fantasy.  Sorry about that!

39 comments:

  1. Cool new feature Aarti :D I do have a book I loooooooooooove. Though dunno if people have heard about it or not

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  2. Your new feature sounds like it will be a good one, Aarti. With the number of books out there, I am sure there will be quite a list coming in!

    Enjoy Seriespalooza this week!

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  3. That sounds like a great feature! I'm putting my thinking cap on.

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  4. I love this idea and already have a book I want to highlight! :) Which is good, as I've been trying to think of something i could do for Rosie the last couple months and couldn't find anything at all...not that there weren't great or horrible women in books I read, I just never found one specific one to highlight.

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  5. This is a great idea! I can't wait to read the contributions!

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  6. Brilliant name! I love it. This is going to be so cool -- I just know I'm going to be getting a whole lot more books on my list. I also have a book I think fits the bill, too.

    ps. Never worry about apologising for reviewing a whack of fantasy! I'm looking forward to that, too. ;)

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  7. I will be missing Rosie's Riveters - it was such a fun series - but am definitely looking forward to With Reverent Hands! Sounds like it'll spotlight a lot of awesome books that more people should read!

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  8. I love this idea! I wish there was a way to bookmark it so that I can come back to it every week.

    I call these Small Favorites. Big Favorites are those that are big, bold, wonderful reads that everyone already knows about. Small Favorites are wonderful books that only a handful of people have read and loved.

    I have a lot of these!

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  9. I'm glad you all like the new series! It probably won't be starting until February, so there is still some time to think and to enjoy Rosie's Riveters.

    Amanda- I'm excited to hear about the book you already know to highlight! Yay!

    Kiirsten- Glad you approve. I saw the quote and just thought it would be a perfect (and actually meaningful) name :-)

    Court- I will also miss Rosie's Riveters, but I'm looking forward to this new series. And if I ever come across a woman in literature that I truly love, there's always a chance that Rosie could come back!

    Readerbuzz- What a great name for them! I like that- small favorites.

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  10. Anonymous12/13/2009

    That sounds like a great idea!

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  11. The new series idea is fantastic, and just what the book blogosphere needs. Sometimes, and I do this myself, we get so caught up in the read of the moment that we ignore some really fine mid-list and back-list novels. Good for you then! Can't wait to see how this plays out. Happy reading!

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  12. This is a great idea!I'm picking Chameleon by Charles Smith Jr. It's YA and I just finished reading it. It's a lovely book.

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  13. Sounds like a fun new feature! :) And good luck with Seriespalooza!

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  14. What a great idea for a feature! I'm looking forward to reading all the recommendations.

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  15. Belezza- Thank you!

    Frances- You are so right! It's so easy when blogging to hype up the books that are coming out in future and that you want to review, but there are so many books from before that shouldn't be ignored, either- I LOVE the feeling of finding one of those books!

    Vasilly- Wow, so thrilled you already know what you're picking :-)

    Eva- Thank you. I am reading the first series book right now. As expected, fantasy ;-)

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  16. Hope you enjoy Seriespalooza and it gives you some time to catch up on one that you've been wanting to read!

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  17. What a cool concept. I know just the book (or two). They are the books I buy whenever I find them at the used bookstore and push into unsuspecting people's hands. Will be fun to have a place to do that to reach more than just those folks who run slower than I do. ;-)

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  18. I enjoyed the Rosie series, the new feature sounds fab as well, we are always looking to gush about books we love, don't we? :)

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  19. What a great community building project! I'll be very interested to see what people come up with here and maybe one day will be brave enough to offer a book up, too.

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  20. Looking forward to your new feature! Sounds fantastic and something that interests me greatly as I love finding and loving books that have been rescued from obscurity.

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  21. Hi Aarti, I've given you an award.

    Here it is

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  22. I will definitely miss Rosie Riveters but I love the sound of ur new feature.. :)

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  23. I love the new feature and can already think of a few I'd like to highlight. i'm looking forward to seeing what others put.

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  24. As far as hidden treasures, I'm always surprised more people haven't read the wonderful MY FATHER'S PARADISE, by Ariel Sabar. A bunch of bloggers read it last year but I still talk to people in its target demographic who havne't heard of it. I guess that's my job! :-)

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  25. This new feature is going to rock, I just know it! I already have my book picked out and I am going to be signing up as soon as it becomes time for it. Great idea Aarti, this is going to be wonderful!!

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  26. I'll miss Rosie's Riveters, but I love the sound of the new feature as well!

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  27. I love the idea of this one! Can't wait to see which books are featured!

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  28. Sounds like a wonderful feature. Who knows what treasures people will unearth--I look forward to reading about them. Thank you!

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  29. I'll be sad to see the end of Rosie's Riveters.

    I will be very interested to see the new feature though, and I am sure there will be some books highlighted.

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  30. Anonymous12/16/2009

    It'll be interesting to see what people recommend...I'm sure this new feature of yours will be bad for my tbr pile!

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  31. Oooooh, this sounds like fun!! I wonder if I can think of something obscure but fabulous...

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  32. I love the idea for this new feature! I'm looking forward to the books I'll discover through it. And now to think of what obscure book i really love...

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  33. Thanks for doing Rosie's Riveters, Aart - I've really enjoyed reading what others think about some of my favorite women in literature, and learning about new ones, too. Thanks for letting me be a part of it as well.

    Your new series sounds fantastic - and I love the name! I would love to participate once you start it.

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  34. That sounds great I already have a book in mind.

    Christy

    Lil Bit Brit Lit

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  35. Well, I'm pretty new to your blog (I see you have quite a few followers - so you're definitely going to have an impact) so I've totally missed the Rosie Riveter feature.
    This new feature sounds good, and just made me think of a book I read as a 12 year old. If I have the patience to re-read it (it'll work for a Flashback Challenge that I'm participating in) I'd love to give some info on it. It was written a long time ago, and deals with Native Canadians as well as mounties and Mountain people, so I consider the time it was written in while reading. I think it was written originally in 1947.

    Looking forward to "With Reverant Hands"

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  36. What a great idea for a feature. I look forward to discovering some lesser known works!

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  37. This is a great idea and I hope to participate. :)

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  38. Anonymous1/28/2010

    I think this would be a great intiative to take. Iam in...

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  39. Sounds like a great idea to me, hope to take part.

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