Fifty Shades of Grey and Twilight. Which one is more damaging to female societal mindsets?

Let me first apologise for the need for this post. I feel sorry for people who cannot simply enjoy a romance novel for the easy fun stress relief that it is. I read a twitter post from @Bookslive about a woman who thinks that Fifty Shades of Grey is an example of women in bondage and that it keeps all women who read it in societal bondage. Two things before I really begin. Dominance driven sex is not a made-up concept. It happens all over the world with men and women alike as dominants. Next, is it not a form of breaking convention for anyone, not just women, to be reading a book about such explicit content? I would have thought that that would be an opinion before th feminist question arose. The book is also a romance. It indulges that side of us that longs for a romantic adventure or just something more exciting than saying you met through friends or online. Denying this side of the internal female or saying that it is not worthy of exploring or excercising is a form of bondage. Just like in a Nora Roberts novel, Ana Steel is a strong woman. At the beginning of the novel Ana is unsure of herself and yes, Christian is the one to boost her confidance. Christian attempts to take control of her life but she stands up to him. The book demonstrates the same give-and-take/push-and-pull relationship that all couples should have. What makes Ana strong is that she is not submissive but she chooses to be so on occassion for her husband. The book is more like a manual on how to do deal with a difficult husband than a signal to all women to bend over. If this person wishes to bash any book with feminist scrunity it should be Twilight. Bella Swan is pathetic. She cannot go anywhere or do anything without her boyfriend. She constantly diminishes her own external beauty and goes on for pages about his. She sees herself unworhy of this boy. Only by radically changing her appearance, first with extensive make-up then by a physiological process does she see herself as worthy of him. This would all be fine, because let us face it who has not felt this way at some point?, if the Bella changed her thinking as well. Instead she immediately slides into the role of a mother. I admire mothers and I feel that motherhood should be considered a career and stay-at-home mothers paid salaries for their hardwork. But in combination with Bella's attitude of "my boyfriend and my child define my life" it comes over as bondage. The worst part? Little girls and teenagers that are starting to shape their opinions and ideas about life read Twilight.
In conclusion I just want to say that I am sorry that someone can't read a romance novel without getting up on a soapbox and whining about something. I also want to apologise for any spelling and grammer mistakes in this post. I was checking my morning twitter feed and became so passionate that I typed the whole thing on my phone. Enjoy!

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Dear readers
Steampunk romance is on the rise. For those of who do not know, Steampunk is the combination of Regency or Victorian England with clockwork mechanics. Airships, steamships, clockwork mechanisms, Napoleon usually, aliens occasionally, mixed with bonnets, pirates, chaperons and rakes. Think "Wild Wild West". Meljean Brook follows a slightly different path with Genghis Khan and his army of mongols having conquered Europe and corrupted most of the world's population. In "The Iron Duke" we follow Mina as she is pursued by a man who is both a gentleman and a pirate. Filled with passion and adventure this is a great read for romance fantasy lovers. If you enjoyed Nalini Singh's Archangel series then you should deffinitely try The Iron seas.

Charmed Vigilance by Su-Mari Diedericks

Dear readers

Say hello to South African author, Su-Mari Diedericks. 'Charmed Vigilance' is the first in the V'leChronos Trilogy. Su-Mari introduces us to new world where one girls' gift with music becomes a tool in the fight for a stable future. This is a new kind of paranornal romance. No vampires, were-wolves, faeries or ghosts. Instead, we see a whole civilisation seperated from humans long-ago. Jocelyn's relationship with Aidan is intense but the reader cannot help but feel that there is something wrong with it. The book encapsulates two opposing forces, occasionally showing a dark, temptation to which Jocelyn is being drawn, offset by the light-filled moments that become ever less as Jocelyn sinks deeper into Aidan's charms. This story is fresh and thrilling and will leave you shooting nervous glances at your mirrors. Available from Amazon.com on your kindle.

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness

Dear readers

If you are one of those readers whose guilty pleasure is vampire fiction you will enjoy this book whole-heartedly and without guilt. It is a well written adventure with sincere characters who manage not to cross over into the pathetic realm. You will meet strong women with men who compliment them and a story that carries itself well. It is good and evil again while each character sits well and is a joy to read. Anne Rice fans will appreciate it, even it is more mellow, and Twilight fans will hopefully be elevated. If you are a Rosalind Miles fan I will be truly shocked if you do not like it. It is a book not to be missed by any woman who enjoys fantasy. I know that I am boasting by comparing but I really do not want to give any plot details away. A story of love and family that is also a series. Yes, unfortunately the second installment will only be out next year, so if you are a reader who prefers to wait till a whole series is out before reading, don't. After all, the suspense is a part of the fun.

One of our Thursdays is missing – Jasper Fforde

Dear Readers

The real Thursday Next has gone missing and now the book Thursday has to prove her worth. Inside the book world we learn about what happens to unread books and why sometimes a good book suddenly makes us fall asleep and of course who regulates the metaphor consumption. The inter-play between genres and famous characters is thoroughly amusing. If you are an enthusiast for the classics, particularly Crime and Punishment, you will certainly enjoy all of the quips. A good mystery with all the traditional fixings slightly mixed up and a few existentialist questions thrown in. While it is always fun to read a series out of sequence, it is not for everyone. Though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there were a number of inside anecdotes and previously explained concepts that took me a while to understand. If you prefer being the know all the time, read the series from the beginning, The Eyre Affair.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Dear readers
I began reading this book with grave misgivings. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies had been a disappoint after all. But what a great read! The author managed to stay true to Austen's language and to neatly incorporate the new theme. The new character portrayals are perfectly suited and make complete sense. Never once do you forget about the threat of the Sea Monsters (which also have a wonderfully mysterious source) and all the characters are grounded firmly in the new world. I loved the fact that London is portrayed as an underwater city - akin to Atlantis - which is destroyed by a fish-army. There are pirates and treasure hunters, sea witches and fish men. This author managed what the author from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies could not. He wrote a complete novel. The book does not rely on the fact that it is 'co-authored' by Jane Austen. Ben H. Winters did not need to rewrite a famous classic. He could have very written a book which is solely his own and I for one hope that he will. I look forward to great things (especially something fantasy-like) from this author. If you like Jane Austen and some classic fantasy or modern science fiction then I can definitely recommend this book. The next book in this theme is Jane Slayre. However I am currently reading the Millennium trilogy and so will review that next.
Here's to books that do not insult my intelligence.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Dear readers

Now this book has been out for quite some time but I picked it up for the first time a week ago. I was intrigued at how a modern author would be able to keep the style of writing for which Jane Austen is famous. No worries there. The language is impeccable but in terms of plot I was severely dissapointed. I expected a horror with intense action sequences and heightened emotions. Instead the zombie scenes were comical and clichéd. The fact that England is overrun with the undead sometimes seemed forgotten before being mentioned again in a quick and silly phrase. The references to martial arts and eastern training were rudimentary in their knowledge. The character of Mr Darcy seemed to be somewhat appropriately altered to that of a daredevil warrior but this was lost as the book progressed. There was one plotline that I greatly enjoyed which had something to so with poor Charlotte and her husband. But again it was too funny as opposed to worrisome or shocking. I rather got the feeling that the subsidiary author had set out to mock both the classic original and the horror genre. I do not doubt that many of you disagree with me. I do admit that I did not hate the book. I merely expected more. The next book in this field is Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I sincerely hope that it makes a beter read.