Lori Alexander needs better examples

[dairyfreelife]

In a post about angry wives Lori decides to use Ryan O'Neill and Farrah Fawcett's marriage and Ryan cheating as an example on angry wives. IT couldn't possibly be that Ryan's an asshole making excuses for cheating. I mean, come on, the guy hit on his own daughter at Farrah's funeral and asked her to give him sex. Epic fail.

lorialexander.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-you-mad-wife.html

[Angharad Crewe]

I hate when she says that unhappy marriages are all the woman's fault for being a bitter, unrestrained harpy. Her basic assumption about all relationships are that all men are perfect, and things only go wrong when women express their opinions (ie. they are "mad" all the time) or aren't willing to put out.

[Guest Anonymous]

I hate when she says that unhappy marriages are all the woman's fault for being a bitter, unrestrained harpy. Her basic assumption about all relationships are that all men are perfect, and things only go wrong when women express their opinions (ie. they are "mad" all the time) or aren't willing to put out.

Total OT: I love your handle. Welcome, fellow Robin McKinley lover (I presume.)

[Angharad Crewe]

Total OT: I love your handle. Welcome, fellow Robin McKinley lover (I presume.)

Thank you! I've never actually met anyone in real life who has read The Blue Sword, but it's been my favorite book since I read it as an 11 year old (almost 12 years ago). It was always really hard to find fantasy books where the main female character was capable and smart - and not an annoying damsel in distress to serve as a foil to the boy hero. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who loves Robin McKinley!

[Guest Anonymous]

Thank you! I've never actually met anyone in real life who has read The Blue Sword, but it's been my favorite book since I read it as an 11 year old (almost 12 years ago). It was always really hard to find fantasy books where the main female character was capable and smart - and not an annoying damsel in distress to serve as a foil to the boy hero. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who loves Robin McKinley!

I read The Hero and the Crown first and it literally changed my life. Robin McKinley books are the foundation that my feminism has been built upon, and I think they contributed to my "something's not right here" feelings about my fundie-medium upbringing. I reread The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword at least once a year. Deerskin less often, as it does a number on me, but at the same time is the one I most identify with. I *think* I have all of her books. I squeeed! with joy when I found a copy of The Door in the Hedge at a used book store a few years ago.

[browngrl]

I read The Hero and the Crown first and it literally changed my life. Robin McKinley books are the foundation that my feminism has been built upon, and I think they contributed to my "something's not right here" feelings about my fundie-medium upbringing. I reread The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword at least once a year. Deerskin less often, as it does a number on me, but at the same time is the one I most identify with. I *think* I have all of her books. I squeeed! with joy when I found a copy of The Door in the Hedge at a used book store a few years ago.

I know I am straying off topic but I love this author. I have most of her books. My favourite is "Sunshine" but I would be willing to ready pretty much what ever this author writes.

edited for typo

[AllisonWndrland]

I'm taking it even further off-topic by saying that I am thrilled to find other Robin McKinley fans! I read "Sunshine" once every couple of months!

Lori irritates the hell out of me. She is like the people I encounter in my work who blame women for the abuse they suffer at the hands of their partners. Blame the women for horrible husbands...grrrrr. She just pisses me off! I have an angry, angry reaction to her.

[B5SnowDog]

It was always really hard to find fantasy books where the main female character was capable and smart - and not an annoying damsel in distress to serve as a foil to the boy hero.

Have you ever read the Deverry Series by Katharine Kerr?

[lilwriter85]

Lori's blog has been pretty dull lately. She keeps bringing the same topics in regards to marriage. It is always either about women should obey their husbands and how they need to look to God. I wonder if Lori knows that Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett were never married.

[RandomTrivia]

Have you ever read the Deverry Series by Katharine Kerr?

I haven't read those, but I'd alas add Tamora Pierce's books., plus some Mercedes Lackey & Anne McCaffrey. I still love The Hero & The Crown.

[Guest Anonymous]

I haven't read those, but I'd alas add Tamora Pierce's books., plus some Mercedes Lackey & Anne McCaffrey. I still love The Hero & The Crown.

I love Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey. Some of Anne McCaffrey's stuff is effed up/rapey, but I still read her. The story/plot tends to be good, there's just some WTF moments for me.

Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles is lovely. The first one is called Dealing with Dragons.

[anniebgood]

Ryan and Farah were never married. Towards the end they were partners with separate residences. The only child they have has been in/out of jail and rehab.

[emmiedahl]

Is Robin Mckinley something a 10 year old girl could read? We are talking about a pretty tough little girl, I worry more about real depravity (Game of Thrones, etc). She is a good reader and had no problem with The Hunger Games.

It's hard to find strong female heroes.

[Guest Anonymous]

Is Robin Mckinley something a 10 year old girl could read? We are talking about a pretty tough little girl, I worry more about real depravity (Game of Thrones, etc). She is a good reader and had no problem with The Hunger Games.

It's hard to find strong female heroes.

The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, yes! Also The Door in the Hedge, Beauty, Rose Daughter, and Spindle's End. I think all of those would be fine for a bright ten year old that loves to read.

Deerskin and Sunshine - probably not. They're great books but not for someone that young, IMO. Deerskin in particular deals with some really dark subjects including incest and rape. Sunshine involves vampires and could be a little scary, and there's some sexual content and use of the word fuck.

**ETA: I think Dealing with Dragons and the other books in that series would be about perfect for a ten year old also. And Tamora Pierce if she hasn't hit those up already. There is a bit of sex (not at all graphic, close the door type IIRC) in the Alanna books by Pierce and it's some of the healthiest, non-slut shaming, matter of fact stuff that you could imagine. I read them as an adult and the portrayal was such a pleasant surprise. I know you are very busy but all of the above would be super quick reads for you, I bet you would enjoy the hell out of them and be able to make the best decision for your girl. I would give them to my kid if I had one.

[emmiedahl]

The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, yes! Also The Door in the Hedge, Beauty, Rose Daughter, and Spindle's End. I think all of those would be fine for a bright ten year old that loves to read.

Deerskin and Sunshine - probably not. They're great books but not for someone that young, IMO. Deerskin in particular deals with some really dark subjects including incest and rape. Sunshine involves vampires and could be a little scary, and there's some sexual content and use of the word fuck.

Awesome! It's hard to find stuff she will like that is within her reading level but not too adult.

[Guest Anonymous]

Ha, you are too quick for me! I went back and added to my post. :)

[Angharad Crewe]

I don't think I've read any Katherine Kerr or Anne McCaffrey, but I really loved Mercedes Lackey and Tamora Pierce - especially Alanna - when I was growing up. I introduced my 11 yr old cousin to Tamora Pierce last year and she burned through them. I'd also suggest Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass.

[lovefromgirl]

Thank you! I've never actually met anyone in real life who has read The Blue Sword, but it's been my favorite book since I read it as an 11 year old (almost 12 years ago). It was always really hard to find fantasy books where the main female character was capable and smart - and not an annoying damsel in distress to serve as a foil to the boy hero. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who loves Robin McKinley!

*raises hand*

Harry is love. <3

[RandomTrivia]

I love Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey. Some of Anne McCaffrey's stuff is effed up/rapey, but I still read her. The story/plot tends to be good, there's just some WTF moments for me.

Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles is lovely. The first one is called Dealing with Dragons.

Just remembered - Diane Duane's Wizard series (So You Want to be a Wizard, and 8 or so more after that). The two main characters are a girl & a boy, both pretty smart. For younger kids, there's the Vesper Holly series by Lloyd Alexander - she's sort of a teenaged female Indiana Jones. I'd swear there's another series, but I can't remember what it is, and 99% of my books are still packed from the move. There is, or was, a website called Sheroes, co-run by Tamora Pierce, focusing on female heroes.

Re: Anne McCaffrey - I mostly read the Pern books and the Ship series; the Acorna books never caught me, so after a couple tries I gave up on them. Yeah, some of it is a bit rapey in spots; the parts I remember are mostly in the original Pern trilogy. I think the later stuff got away from that (although I don't think I've read them in written-chrono order in a while, so my memory could be off). The Harper Hall trilogy is still one of my comfort-food books. :) However, have you read the most recent Pern books, that were written mostly or totally by her son? Because those seem to be going off on a bizarre tangent or something.

[Guest Anonymous]

Just remembered - Diane Duane's Wizard series (So You Want to be a Wizard, and 8 or so more after that). The two main characters are a girl & a boy, both pretty smart. For younger kids, there's the Vesper Holly series by Lloyd Alexander - she's sort of a teenaged female Indiana Jones. I'd swear there's another series, but I can't remember what it is, and 99% of my books are still packed from the move. There is, or was, a website called Sheroes, co-run by Tamora Pierce, focusing on female heroes.

Re: Anne McCaffrey - I mostly read the Pern books and the Ship series; the Acorna books never caught me, so after a couple tries I gave up on them. Yeah, some of it is a bit rapey in spots; the parts I remember are mostly in the original Pern trilogy. I think the later stuff got away from that (although I don't think I've read them in written-chrono order in a while, so my memory could be off). The Harper Hall trilogy is still one of my comfort-food books. :) However, have you read the most recent Pern books, that were written mostly or totally by her son? Because those seem to be going off on a bizarre tangent or something.

Oh, yes, Lloyd Alexander! I really liked The Chronicles of Prydain series. If emmiedahl is still reading, that's another good one for your daughter's age group.

Yep, the Pern trilogy F'lar/Lessa situation was what immediately came to mind IRT rapey. Rape in a book bothers me way less when it's straight up viewed as bad. What gets me is the, "he raped me but it was sort of for my own good and then I fell in love with him" thing. Gross. I do love Dragonsong and Dragonsinger. Dragondrums was okay, but I really wanted it to be about Menolly so I was disappointed. Renegades of Pern and Masterharper of Pern were okay. I haven't read any of the recent ones so unfortunately I can't weigh in there.

[Lady_M]

I love Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey. Some of Anne McCaffrey's stuff is effed up/rapey, but I still read her. The story/plot tends to be good, there's just some WTF moments for me.

Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles is lovely. The first one is called Dealing with Dragons.

I loved "Dealing with Dragons"!

Another series I thought of would be "The Dark is Rising" series by Susan Cooper.

[RandomTrivia]

Yep, the Pern trilogy F'lar/Lessa situation was what immediately came to mind IRT rapey. Rape in a book bothers me way less when it's straight up viewed as bad. What gets me is the, "he raped me but it was sort of for my own good and then I fell in love with him" thing. Gross. I do love Dragonsong and Dragonsinger. Dragondrums was okay, but I really wanted it to be about Menolly so I was disappointed. Renegades of Pern and Masterharper of Pern were okay. I haven't read any of the recent ones so unfortunately I can't weigh in there.

There was also the Brekke/F'nor scene at Southern, I forget which book, which is sort of iffy, although it's fantasy and the whole telepathic-link-to-dragons skews things a little. Dragondrums definitely needed more Menolly, and Masterharper broke my heart at the end.

The recent Pern books have been co-written or written by Todd McCaffrey (since Anne's retirement/death), and honestly, they're putting me off my habit of buying the Pern books in hardback (which I do for very very few series). It's all plague, plague, time travel, more plague, more time travel, even more plague and death. It's to the point where the books need to come with a color-coded timeline to tell who's when and who has or hasn't met yet - and it's confusing enough that I'm not sure it would help. Also, it seems that the whole planet is being saved by a handful of teens/tweens, and I still haven't really figured out why (not that I've put a lot of effort into it, not sure if it's that the books are that boring now, or if I just need to pay more attention). And then there's this whole love triangle/rectangle/octagon thing going on, which needs its own flowchart or something. And, the kicker, the fact that one of the queen riders says she'd rather have her dragon die than her best friend ( :shock: !).

Anyway. Books with good female characters. If you like mysteries, the Mrs. Pollifax series, by Dorothy Gilman - although Mrs. P is a grandmother, but she's awesome and I wanna be her when I grow up. There's also the Daisy Dalrymple books, can't remember the author; also not a teenager, but the main character is pretty solid IMO.