Rosie's Riveters: Paula & Penelope

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

I am no longer accepting people to participate in the Rosie's Riveters series.  The participants I currently have on the list will all have their chance to share their favorite or most hated woman, and then we shall start the new With Reverent Hands series on this blog.  More details on With Reverent Hands can be found in my Sunday Salon post here.


This week's post (the last one!) is by Paula Butturini, the author of Keeping the Feast, a book I reviewed yesterday.  I thoroughly enjoyed Butturini's memoir about living with a loved one who suffers from depression, and the struggles that go along with it.  She went up even higher in my estimation when she submitted the following Riveter, based on a book I really enjoyed reading!

The publishers are being so kind as to offer a FREE copy of Keeping the Feast to a lucky BookLust reader located in the US or Canada.  To enter, leave a comment WITH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS and say what your ideal Italian destination would be.  I'll draw a name on Sunday.

Who is your Riveter?

 Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and the not-quite-beautiful cousin of Helen of Troy.

What book does she feature in?

 The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood, in which Homer's The Odyssey is finally told -- just a few thousand years late -- from the female side, by Penelope, the faithful wife, instead of from the testosterone side (in which Odysseus managed to spend ten years away fighting the Trojan War and another ten wandering the Aegean Sea, supposedly trying his best to get home).  

Rosie's Riveters: Louise & Bone

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

I am no longer accepting people to participate in the Rosie's Riveters series.  The participants I currently have on the list will all have their chance to share their favorite or most hated woman, and then we shall start the new With Reverent Hands series on this blog.  More details on With Reverent Hands can be found in my Sunday Salon post here. 

This week's post is by Louise, who blogs at Lou's Pages.  She is a great book blogger, reviewing mysteries, horror, chick lit and everything in between.  I have only been following her blog for a few months now, but it's lovely and I'm so glad I found it.  I hope you all enjoy discovering her, too!  And if her chosen quote doesn't make you want to go out and grab this book, then you are very different than me :-)


Note:  Next week is the last Rosie's Riveters post.  I'll do a wrap-up on it during Sunday Salon on the 31st, and then start With Reverent Hands sign-ups.

Who is your Riveter? 
(Ruth Anne) Bone Boatwright

Rosie's Riveters: Simone & Zhuang Xiao Qiao

 Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

I am no longer accepting people to participate in the Rosie's Riveters series.  The participants I currently have on the list will all have their chance to share their favorite or most hated woman, and then we shall start the new With Reverent Hands series on this blog.  More details on With Reverent Hands can be found in my Sunday Salon post here.

This week's post is by Simone who blogs at The Romantic Query Letter.   Simone is like me in her love of the Georgian and Regency eras- not only does she read books set in late 18th century and early 19th century England, but she likes to delve into the personalities and politics and details of the period.  Her blog always features gorgeous paintings and a lot of great information about the people who made the Regency what it was.  She is very knowledgeable and very nice.  Here she is with her Riveter!

Rosie's Riveters: Velvet & Katie Rose

Note:  Rosie is posting early this week because of the holidays. 

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

I am no longer accepting people to participate in the Rosie's Riveters series.  The participants I currently have on the list will all have their chance to share their favorite or most hated woman, and then we shall start the new With Reverent Hands series on this blog.  More details on With Reverent Hands can be found in my Sunday Salon post here.

This week's post is by Velvet, who blogs at vvb32 reads.  Velvet's blog has a really fun "Steampunk Weekly" feature in which she has pictures of really cool Steampunk-ish inventions.  She also reviews a lot of steampunk on her blog and was the host of the Pemberley Ball this past October.  Velvet is a newer blogger to me, but I'm so glad I have gotten to know her these past months.  Here she is with her Riveter:

Rosie's Riveters: Claire & Fevvers

Note:  Rosie is posting early this week because of the holidays.


Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

I am no longer accepting people to participate in the Rosie's Riveters series.  The participants I currently have on the list will all have their chance to share their favorite or most hated woman, and then we shall start the new With Reverent Hands series on this blog.  More details on With Reverent Hands can be found in my Sunday Salon post here.

This week's post is by the amazing Claire who blogs at Paperback Reader.  Claire reads a very interesting variety of books- from classics to literary fiction to historical novels to short and fascinating-sounding novellas.  I really enjoy her blog because she writes very thoughtful and thorough reviews.  If I were an author, I'd want her to review my book.  Here she is, describing a character in a book that is now on my wish list.

Who is your Riveter? 

Fevvers, christened Sophie.
 

What book does she feature in? 

Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter
 

Do you love her or hate her? 

LOVE her!
 

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend?  

Feisty, sensational, outrageous, revolutionary, personable, unforgettable, unbelievable.
 

Can you compare her to a celebrity?  

No, Fevvers is a celebrity in her own right; she is a celebrated winged aerialiste at the turn of the nineteenth century and leading attraction at a circus.
 

What makes her riveting? 

Hatched from an egg, Fevvers sprouted wings when she was menstruating.  She is Cockney, larger-than-life literally at over six feet in her stocking-feet and peroxide blonde; she is a virgin raised in a brothel and is the strongest female protagonist in literary fiction.

What do you most admire/despise about her? 

She is one of the greatest feminist literary constructs of all time and also a construct of her own imagination.  A "Cockney Venus" in Victorian London, Fevvers is a wonderful heroine.
 

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features?  

Absolutely! Angela Carter is an amazing writer and Nights at the Circus is my favourite of her books; her writing is superb and Fevvers is a riveting realisation.
 

Do you have a quote by or about your Riveter that you'd like to share? 

At the dawn of a new century Fevvers looks to the day where "All the women will have wings, the same as I".

Rosie's Riveters: Mark W & Jaelle

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

I am no longer accepting people to participate in the Rosie's Riveters series.  The participants I currently have on the list will all have their chance to share their favorite or most hated woman, and then we shall start the new With Reverent Hands series on this blog.  More details on With Reverent Hands can be found in my Sunday Salon post here.

This week's poster is Mark W, who blogs at Cinders in Spain.  Mark always leaves very insightful and thoughtful comments on the blogs he reads, and he's one of those people that you know spends a great deal of time and effort on the blogs he follows.  That is greatly appreciated and his thoughtfulness comes through in his own blog, where he reviews books, yes, but also veers off into movies, chess games and all sorts of other information.

 

Who is your Riveter?

Jaelle.

Which books does she feature in?

The Fionavar Tapestry, by Guy Gavriel Kay, comprising The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road.

Do you love her or hate her?

I definitely love her – though at least partly, because it’s not obvious that I (we) should (see below), and it took me a while...

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend?

When it comes to Jaelle, this is one of the hardest of the standard questions, which is one of the reasons I love her.  To have a stab at it, she’s extremely intelligent, and also extremely clever: these two attributes don’t necessarily mean the same thing (and they don’t necessarily make someone lovable (see above), although they do contribute to making someone “riveting” (see above, and, below,– hopefully!)).  Part of that intelligence, though, is the realization her own pre-existing (however justified) views aren’t necessarily the be all and end all of the world, and that others can teach her things...

Can you compare her to a celebrity?

Arrgh.  I very rarely watch TV or films (except well behind the times when catching up on DVD boxsets), so I’m rather at a loss here.  Whenever I think of “red hair and intelligence” I tend to think of Julianne Moore, who I admire hugely as an actress, but who doesn’t really fit, in the tail-end of 2009, Jaelle on (arrgh – my god, it pains me massively to say this) age grounds (only because part of what makes Jaelle so riveting is the fact that she’s so very young...)  A slightly younger Julianne Moore, then...

What makes her riveting?

She’s human.  Her fury in Chapter 5 of The Summer Tree is justified, and yet she (possibly) acquiesces in the (possibly) patronizing way Diarmuid employs to diffuse the situation.   Later, after Paul’s sacrifice on The Summer Tree, Jaelle tells Paul that, “There is mercy in the Goddess sometimes, but not gentleness.”  And yet later, she will witness things that make her question and ultimately reject such certainties…

 

What do you most admire/despise about her?

What I’ve (hopefully) alluded to above.  Jaelle, as a very young, very intelligent, very clever young woman in a patriarchical world, is yet clever enough, in the face of impending apocalypse, to modify her stance, and her actions, while yet remaining true to herself.  The scene in The Wandering Fire when Paul has entered the water while Jaelle watches, is perhaps the best example: her final two words (I think – I’ve lent the book out), “Weaver forfend,” are perhaps two of the most blub-making words in the entire trilogy...

Would you recommend reading the books in which the Riveter features?

Good heavens, yes.  Apart from the very skilful way Paul and Jaelle’s relationship is covered in the first two books, only a maniac would surely not want to see how things turn out in Volume 3???

Do you have a quote by or about your Riveter that you'd like to share?

I’ve covered them above, more or less, without getting too spoilery, I think.  I’m reluctant to say any more – anyone who hasn’t read the books should see for themselves how what they may initially think is a clichéd “ice queen”, is, in fact, nothing of the sort, but, rather, one of the finest, most admirable, and most interesting, female characters in fiction...

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

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 :-)

PS:  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!

Rosie's Riveters: Rachel & Anne Elliot

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. I am always looking for more participants!

This week's poster is Rachel, from Book Snob.  Rachel is a newish blogger who writes fantastically detailed reviews; you can tell she puts a lot of thought into her reviews and always wonders what the book meant to her.  I really enjoy her blog, and she rose even more in my esteem when I saw who her chosen riveter is.  Persuasion is very, very high on my list of books to reread for the Flashback Challenge next year!

Who is your riveter?

 Anne Elliot

What book does she feature in?

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Rosie's Riveters: Blodeuedd & Stephanie Plum

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. I am always looking for more participants!

This week's poster is Blodeudd, from At the Court of Mur-y-Castell.  I think I only met Blodeuedd earlier this year, but we bonded quickly over a shared love of historical fiction and fantasy.  She is the one who urged me to read Poison Study and did a joint review of The Kingmaking with me.  She also lives in Finland, which makes her seem so magically northern and exotic.

Who is your Riveter? 
Stephanie Plum

What book does she feature in?
The Numbers series, and the between numbers books by Janet Evanovich.

Do you love her or hate her? 
Oh I love her.

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend? 
Well she is friendly, spunky, she is a klutz, she loves cake and donuts, spends a lot of time with her family. In a way so is pretty average, in another way not so much.
 
Can you compare her to a celebrity? 
Many want Sandra Bullock to play her, and yes I could see that, but she is too old now. I read that the author envisions Anne Hathaway now. I can see that too, as long as the put some meat on those bones cos she was rather skinny last I saw her.

What makes her riveting? 
I can connect to her; she is an everyday woman, in a not so everyday situation. Yes she might not be anywhere a great bounty hunter, but she tries. She goes to Sunday dinners, and she loves her pet. A hooker has become her best friend. She does give everyone a chance. She is cool, and hey she does not say no to donuts. Sometimes a gal just needs donuts.
 
What do you most admire/despise about her? 
That she can keep her sanity around grandma Mazur, haha, it have to be from her she got that cool attitude. Kidding aside, she is a kick-ass heroine, even if she is the one who mostly gets kicked. But she is a pit-bull and she never gives up.

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features? 
Yes do read them. They are so funny; you are in for laughs and giggles, and some smokin’ hot guys! But do start at number one, and you can skip the in between novels cos they are not as good.

Do you have a quote by or about your Riveter that you'd like to share?

“Oh good. I love being bait for a homicidal mutilator."

Not a fav or anything, I just had to google quotes so I could give you something Plum-like.

Rosie's Riveters: Susan & Lessa

Note:  Rosie is posting a day early this week as tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US and she wants to ensure that everyone has a chance to read all about Susan's Riveter.


Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. I am always looking for more participants!

This week's post is by Susan of West of Mars and Win a Book! fame.  I only met Susan very recently, when I asked her to post a giveaway on her blog.  She did so, very promptly, and I got so many more contest entries because of it!  Susan is also a writer and does a lot of work on her blog promoting author events around blogosphere and trying to ensure people have access to finding the Next Great Read.

Who is your Riveter?

Lessa

What book does she feature in? 
Anne McCaffrey's original Dragonriders of Pern series: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon. And then a bunch after that, too, but more as a secondary character.

Do you love her or hate her? 

Love her. I was young when I discovered these books (twelve, I think) and her strength of character helped shape my idea of who I want to be if I ever grow up.

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend? 
She's tough. No-nonsense. A survivor. Fierce. In-your-face. She hides her fears behind bravado.

Can you compare her to a celebrity? 
Uhh, nope. I don't know any celebrities. Sorry.

What makes her riveting? 

I don't know, exactly. Her toughness is definitely appealing. She's also a natural, easy leader. As someone who has a hard time NOT being a leader, that works for me.

What do you most admire/despise about her? 
Admire: her guts and, at times, foolhardy ways. And abiilty to land on her feet.
Despise: the fact that she's not real. I need more people like her in my life.

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features? 
Absolutely. I have for years, in fact. I think Anne McCafferey's dragon series (now either co-written or entirely written with/by her son Todd) are a great introduction to the world of fantasy.

Do you have a quote by or about your Riveter that you'd like to share?  
A quote, no. But there's a moment where she sits for the first time in the chair that was used by one of the great women in history and she's in awe, thinking that Moreta had sat there, too. That moment, and one early on when Lessa tried to hide her identity from the dragonriders, are the two scenes that stand out most in my memory. I won't tell you how many years it's been since I first read these books, but it's a lot. Yet those images remain.

Rosie's Riveters: Sassy Brit & Julia

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. I am always looking for more participants!


This week's post is by Sassy Brit, from Alternative Reads.  I don't remember when I first came across Sassy's blog, but she quickly won me over with her funny writing style (as you'll witness below!).  She reads a lot of fantasy and speculative fiction and always seems to know about the next hit book before it's released.  If you're into fantasy, paranormal or speculative fiction- I recommend checking her out!

Who is your Riveter?
Julia

What book does she feature in?
1984, by George Orwell, in which a pair of lovers, Winston and Julia fail to defeat the system of a utopian society. Poor Winston was doomed the day he met her.

Do you love her or hate her?
I hate her with a passion! More than spiders, and squeaky cotton wool, and that's pure satanical hatred for you!

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend?
She sits in the Chestnut Tree Cafe all day long, planning her class notes for the Junior Anti-Sex league, with a head full of secrets, and smokes like a trooper. Yet, she obviously didn't listen to her mother when told how a woman should conduct herself in the presence of men. Talk about sexually promiscuous! Couldn't she just admire Winston from afar? It would have saved them both a lot of trouble in the long run.

Hey, did you know she rents a room she uses as her love nest (for a bit of hanky-panky) above Mr, Charrington's antique shop? Oh, yes, she does! Tsk! Tsk!

Can you compare her to a celebrity?
Yes. Any one of the famous liars. Remember Janet Cooke a Washington Post journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize  for a book called Jimmy's World that she fabricated completely? And don't get me started on Bill Clinton and  Monika Lewinsky or Baron Münchhausen!

What makes her riveting?
I see her as a love-to-hate character. On one hand she's a rebel, with a cause, she knows what she wants and will  step over her dying grandma to get it. On the other hand, this does make her interesting and ultimately proves what a selfish bint she is. 

What do you most admire/despise about her?
Well, where shall I start?  Julia doesn't even know Winston, (okay she's been spying on him just to see he would  be gullible enough to fall for a dumb arse trick that she pulls off later), yet, she slips him a note which says  "I LOVE YOU" practically upon their first meeting!  Now, if that's not the sign of a floozy, I don't know what is!  You wouldn't have Cherie Blair behave that way, would you?  So, why should she get away with it?  Didn't the poor long-suffering soul, Winston, learn facecrime?  (An improper expression on one's face).  If he had, he would have spotted her underlying motives and lying expressions, before it was too late!  And maybe, just maybe, he would have had time to think it through and say "No!" to her advances.  I mean, if the party can  control history and everyone in it, surely Julia could control her animalistic urges for a couple of days?  Nuns manage okay.

Oh!  And another thing (as if that wasn't enough), if it wasn't for her bewitching him in the first place, Winston would be living a nice quiet life in his bachelor pad with lots of time to write his secret diary, and a huge wall-mounted plasma telly all to himself.

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features?
Absolutely!  It's my favourite most re-read book of all time.  I'm sure you and your readers have read it, too.  It's bleak, full of isolation, repression and loneliness.  It highlights horrific similarities to our world today, but more extreme, of course.  Sounds depressing, but it's because of this it really makes you think about what life could be like in the not so distant future if we are not careful, and it's hard to believe that this was written in 1949.

Yes, there are countries today committing atrocities against their own people, however, at the same time I believe a depressing story such as this brings forth the good things in our world today:  Kindness and humanity, for starters.  For those of of us that live in a country where we have got rights, and freedom of speech we should celebrate this and think ourselves lucky.  No matter what, there is always something to be grateful for.  But not for Winston once she gets her evil, unladylike clutches into him.  Poor devil!


Do you have a quote by your Riveter that you'd like to share?
In the book Julia tells Winston that, "...even though the Party can torture a person and make him say anything, they cannot make him believe it."

In my eyes, that makes her the world's worst hypocrite.  After all, she flaunts herself so he can't resist, tortures him with her body and makes him believe she loves him, and then after a teeny-weeny bit of torture, betrays him.  How easily the girl gives up!  How fickle!

There, that's better.  I got my Two Minutes of Hate off my chest.

Thank you very much for having me.  I rather enjoyed that. We must do it again sometime. :)  

Rosie's Riveters: Luanne & Mary Gooch

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. I am always looking for more participants!

 This week's poster is Luanne from A Bookworm's World.  Luanne and I met through BBAW.  We were matched as interview partners and she very kindly put up with all the delays and scatterbrained emails on my end as I was trying (and failing!) to participate in BBAW while in India.  It was really fun to meet Luanne as she reads very different books than I do, and thus interacts with really different book bloggers than I do.  It's really interesting to see how vast the internet is, and how people make their own little pockets within it.  I am really happy to have met Luanne through BBAW and to have been introduced to her blog.

Who is your Riveter?

Mary Gooch 

What book does she feature in?

My favourite author is Canadian Lori Lansens. Mary is the lead character in her latest book - The Wife's Tale.

Do you love her or hate her?

Oh I absolutely love her.

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend?

Mary's personality changes as she grows throughout the book. She is shy and reclusive when we meet her. But when circumstances force her into the world, she reluctantly steps out. She is unaware of the person she is becoming - kind and true ands steadfast. She finally becomes accepting of herself.

Can you compare her to a celebrity?

No -  it would be an injustice to the character of Mary.

What makes her riveting?

Her strength. This is the hallmark of Lansen's characters. I am moved to tears by both Mary and another Lansen character I'll save for my next Riveter post.

Mary is at the absolute bottom of the well. Her determination to do things she's never done, to go places, to keep putting one foot in front of the other and move forward even though it's sometimes two steps forward and one step back. Her humanity. She is an object of scorn and ridicule by some, but she never wavers from her own core beliefs.

What do you most admire/despise about her?

Again, the obstacles she faces and overcomes. Her journey towards self discovery and her unflagging journey to get there.

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features?

Absolutely - but it's not coming out in the US until Feb 2010 - put it on your wishlist!

Do you have a quote by or about your Riveter that you'd like to share?

Mary remembered, when she was nine years old, stepping off the scale in Dr. Ruttle's office and hearing him whisper the word to her slight mother, Irma. It was an unfamiliar word, but one she understood in the context of the fairy-tale world. Obeast. There were witches and warlocks. So must there be ogres and obeasts. Little big Mary wasn't confused by the diagnosis. It made sense to her child's mind that her body had become an outward manifestation of the starving animal in her gut.

Rosie's Riveters: Aarti & the Maharani of Jaipur

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. I am always looking for more participants!

This week, Rosie is reverting back to me!  There was a break in the line-up and I figured I should fill in.  Also, I noticed that there have been no non-Caucasian women represented in Rosie's Riveters so far (at least so far as I can tell- am I wrong?), and I wanted to remedy that.  So here I am representing the Brown contingent :-)

Who is your Riveter?
Gayatri Devi, the Maharani of Jaipur

What book does she feature in?

She wrote the book A Princess Remembers:  The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur.  I admit that I haven't read it yet, but it's on my shelf.

Do you love her or hate her?

I really like her.  Very beautiful, elegant and well-spoken.

 
Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend?

She's one of those people who always looks good in everything, never spills food on herself and always knows exactly what to say.  She exudes charisma and self-confidence.  And she's gorgeous.

Can you compare her to a celebrity?

She is a celebrity herself, but to compare her to someone possibly easier to recognize- I'd say she's like Jackie O.

What makes her riveting?
Well, she was beautiful, intelligent, politically savvy and forward-thinking.  Plus, she was royalty.  That's a pretty hard combination to beat.

What do you most admire/despise about her?

I think Gayatri Devi used her power and charisma for good.  She grew up very wealthy and very privileged, but when she ran for political office, she made a big effort to help the poor.  When she was younger, she spent a lot of time hunting and endangering the Indian tiger population, and then she just stopped and proceeded to spend her time working towards conservation.  She became the Maharaja of Jaipur's third wife and entered into the very secluded purdah life, even though she was so independent.  Her life was full of social engagements, and she worked very hard for reform, to give young Indian girls the chance to make something of themselves.  She was well-dressed and beautiful and cultured, but she could lose her temper and be very stubborn.  She spent five months in prison on possibly trumped-up charges for tax evasion during Indira Gandhi's stint as Prime Minister.  Really, she was fascinating.

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features?

Well, I haven't read it yet, so I don't know.  But I hear it's excellent and I think A Princess Remembers would be great for the Women Unbound challenge!  In fact, I might pick it up for that one myself...

Do you have a quote by your Riveter that you'd like to share?

The meeting had begun when the Maharani made her entry, giving everyone a whiff of expensive French perfume.  She was dressed in a turquoise-blue chiffon sari with silver sequins sparkling like stars on a moonless night. She looked around with her large almond eyes. Everyone stood up. As Hillaire Belloc once described someone, ‘her face was like the king’s command when all the swords are drawn.’ - NYT

Rosie's Riveters: Lesley & Helene Hanff

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. I am always looking for more participants!

This week's poster is Lesley, who blogs at A Life in Books.  She has been blogging for a few years now, and I enjoy her site because she has many reviews on historical fiction and fantasy novels.  She reads a pretty eclectic range of books, though, from chick lit to classics to graphic novels to horror stories.  Her blog title bar also has a gorgeous picture of a bookstore that I would one day like to visit.  Or own.  Stop by and check it out!

Who is your Riveter?
Helene Hanff

What book does she feature in?
Most famously in 84 Charing Cross Road (a collection of letters written between herself and Frank Doel, a London bookseller) but she also wrote several other travelogue memoirs. My favorite is Underfoot in Show Business, one of her lesser known books. It tells the story of her attempt, as a young woman, to break into the New York City theatre world. I ordered a used copy from a local bookstore and when I got it, to my delight there was a personal inscription from Helene to the original owner. Since finding writing in books from previous owners was one of Helene’s favorite things about used books, that and the fact that it was a personal note written by her makes it extra special. 

Do you love her or hate her?

I love her! I wish I could have met her at some point but she died in 1997.

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend?

Bold, intelligent, witty and just a bit temperamental. Also a true and voracious lover of books and reading.

Can you compare her to a celebrity?
Well, Anne Bancroft played her wonderfully in the 1987 film based on the book, but I can’t really think of any famous people who also happen to be bibliophiles.

What makes her riveting?
Well, she absolutely loves to read, and that shines through in her writing. But she’s also a great character in every sense of the word.

What do you most admire/despise about her?
Her collection of books, for one thing! I’d love to get my hands on a complete list of all the books she owned, but the only supposed thing resembling that is a book that’s out of print (The Library of Helene Hanff) and I can’t quite justify spending $100 on a used copy (but if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas …) 

But it’s not just that. She was an independent woman who got great joy out of living, whether she was touring the streets of her beloved London or eking out an existence in a New York City sublet. She had her own opinions about things and was not afraid to share them. She valued her friendships. And she had a clever, self-deprecating sense of humor which really appeals to me.

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features?
Absolutely! 84, Charing Cross Road is a must-read for any book lover, and in turn you then must read The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, which is taken from her diary when she finally traveled to England.

Do you have a quote by or about your Riveter that you'd like to share?

This is an excerpt from one of her letters to Frank Doel. It expresses my own anglophilic feelings: 

“Please write and tell me about London, I live for the day when I step off the boat-train and feel its dirty sidewalks under my feet. I want to walk up Berkeley Square and down Wimpole Street and stand in St. Paul's where John Donne preached and sit on the step Elizabeth sat on when she refused to enter the Tower, and like that. A newspaper man I know, who was stationed in London during the war, says tourists go to England with preconceived notions, so they always find exactly what they go looking for. I told him I'd go looking for the England of English literature, and he said: ‘Then it's there.’”

Rosie's Riveters: Ana & Granny Weatherwax

Rosie's Riveters is a weekly posting written by Booklust readers about riveting females in literature. Many readers have strong reactions to the women in the books they read- either very positive or very negative. These are the characters we find riveting, for good reasons or bad ones, and they form the population of Rosie's Riveters. Through this weekly post, we can discuss females we love to hate, or love to love. And maybe, just maybe- we can determine why we react so strongly to them.

If you are interested in participating, please comment on this post, e-mail me, or just fill out the template below and send it to me. Participants are always welcomed and encouraged!

This week's guest poster writes under Nymeth at her excellent blog things mean a lot. Ana has been blogging for a while and is one of those people that all book bloggers just seem to "know." She writes really beautiful, thoughtful reviews of all sorts of books, but I personally love her fantasy reviews. She is also co-hosting the 24 hour read-a-thon this weekend, for those of you taking part! For those of you who haven't been to her blog, I highly recommend a visit. Ana's really a very kind person and has become a good blogging friend and now she even does vlogs... I don't know if she'll continue doing them, but she's done one, at least :-)

Who is your Riveter?
Granny Weatherwax

What book does she feature in?
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. She has cameos in many books, but
she's mainly featured in the Witches of Lancre sub-series. She also
appears in the Tiffany Aching books, though she's mainly in the
background there.

Do you love her or hate her?

I LOVE her!

Describe her personality- how would you describe her to a friend?

This is actually quite difficult, but I shall do my best: Granny
Weatherwax is the oldest member of the small group of Lancre Witches.
The townspeople are a bit scared of her, probably due to the fact that
she's not really a friendly or pleasant person. But she is
kind. She has a very strong sense of ethics, and even though she doesn't let many people become close to her - the only one she's truly close to is probably Nanny Ogg - she never treats anyone like they're beneath her. She respects people in a quiet and genuine sort of way. She's a very no-nonsense person, not to mention incredibly
smart. She's also a very complex, multi-faceted character, so I'm leaving lots of things out!

Can you compare her to a celebrity?

Ha, I don't think so, no. I don't think there's anyone quite
like Granny Weatherwax.

What makes her riveting?
Her intelligence, her ethics, and the fact that she's truly kind in her own way. Nobody has any reason to fear her UNLESS they've been hurting other people. She's very just, and also very powerful - but she never lets herself forget that with power comes responsibility.

What do you most admire/despise about her?

I love the fact that even though she could very easily be arrogant and
even tyrannical, she really isn't. She knows that she's more powerful,
and in many ways stronger, smarter and more knowledgeable, than most
of the people who surround her. But she also knows that this doesn't
make her better than them in any way, nor does it give her the right
to interfere in their lives. She's always willing to help anyone who
comes to her (interestingly, while Nanny Ogg is there at the beginning
as a very competent midwife, Granny Weatherwax is the one they call at
the end), but she doesn't think she Knows Best. One of my favourite
Discworld books, Witches Abroad, is exactly about what happens
when a powerful witch becomes convinced that she knows what's best for
people, and can therefore run their lives. We get a glimpse of what
Granny Weatherwax could have become if not for her deep respect for
people's right to make their own decisions, be they stupid or wise.

Would you recommend reading the book in which the Riveter features?

Yes, definitely! The first book she's featured in is Equal
Rites, but Terry Pratchett himself has said that's more of a
character study than a first appearance of the Granny Weatherwax we
see later in the series. It's still a fantastic book, though, and I
would recommend it as a starting point. Just bear in mind that she
gets even more interesting!

Do you have a quote by or about your Riveter that you'd like to share?

"She hated everything that predestinated people, that fooled them,
that made them slightly less then human.
'You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people
can build a better world for people. Otherwise it is just a cage...'"

From Witches Abroad.

Rosie's Riveters: Bookends!

So I was browsing the New Yorker book blog just now and came across a link that said, "Rosie the Riveter Still Makes Time to Read." This obviously greatly intrigued me as I run the Rosie's Riveters series! I clicked through and what did I see...


Um, amazing! Sadly, it looks like the product is currently sold out, and New Yorker commenters point out that she's not actually using a rivet. But details, shmetails. To all of you who have done a riveter post in the past, and all those set to do one in future (Ana- you're up next!), I wish I could get you all a set, but sadly, it's a bit out of my price range.