Three Minutes, Three Books

March 16th, 2008 · 1 Comment
by Kassia Krozser

A week or so ago (time flies when you’re in Austin and then down with the modern cold), I did a radio interview with Susan Benjamin for her show Greater Voices. We talked about a few favorite books, and since the show is airing — access through this link — I thought I’d offer a few resources for the books I suggested.

The three books were The Girl In The Glass by Jeffrey Ford, Always by Nicola Griffith, and The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne. I chose these titles because they are all terrific examples of authors with great voice. Only on retrospect did I realize that all had a suspense component. Even later, I figured out that they also shared a strong sense of family — or, perhaps, the idea that families can come together in many ways.

  • The Girl In The Glass: I love a story with a sense of magic. Jeffrey Ford sets his novel against the backdrop of the 1930s. Not the part you recall, the part where mystics found missing objects and evil ideas like eugenics were explored. Filled with characters straight out of a sideshow and a powerful belief in family, this is a book that I read in one sitting…and then read again! Here’s a whole bunch of talk about this book.
  • : I’m going to be honest: I’ve never really thought much about lesbian noir fiction. Okay, never. That’s okay — this book is all about loss, alienation, and, despite it all, finding a reason to get out of bed the next morning. Nicola Griffith’s lead character Aud has a strong, compelling voice, and, well, I’m a sucker for a great voice. Lots of people felt the same way — a compendium of discussion is here.
  • The Spymaster’s Lady: This is a book that the cover does serious injustice. It’s a complex, strong story that revolves around the war between England and France and the in-the-trenches spies who provide intelligence to one side, the other, or both. It’s really rare that a story throws in a twist that makes me want to stop and go back to reread the beginning to see if I’d missed clue…and I would have had I not wanted to keep moving forward? Here’s a link to my review of this one.

File Under: Square Pegs

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