BB Book Club | February's Book Is...

BB Book Club | February's Book Is...

• Monday, 22 January 2018

Welcome to the second Blogger's Bookshelf Book Club announcement!

For the month of February, we're going to be reading A Tyranny of Petticoats, edited by Jessica Spotswood. This is a great collection of 15 stories about 'belles, bank robbers and other bad-ass girls'. It's full of female characters kicking butt, whether that be on a pirate ship, in the midst of the gold rush, or in a country on the verge of war. There's a little of everything and every time in this short story anthology.

Criss-cross America — on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains — from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago. Join fifteen of today’s most talented writers of young adult literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They're making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell. - Goodreads

This anthology looks long, and it is. Compared with January's Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs, A Tyranny of Petticoats has 350 pages of goodness to it's name. We realise that for a short-story collection, that's quite long, so I've selected some of my favourite stories to give you the option of picking and choosing which stories to read. Another option is to have a flick through and read the page at the end of each story about the background and why the author wanted to write it to give you a taste of what the story is about.

Mother Carey's Table, by  J. Anderson Coates
Perhaps it's because it's the first story in the book, or perhaps it's because it's about pirates, but Mother Carey's Table was a favourite for me. If the word 'pirates' didn't grab you, perhaps 'hidden identity' and 'the New World' might entice you in.

The Legendary Garrett Girls, by Y. S. Lee
A saloon in the 1890s is run by two sisters, Clara and Lily Garrett. When raucous men try and take the saloon from them, the girls take matters into their own hands. Definitely enjoyed this story of girls standing up and doing something in the face of heartless and tough opposition.

Gold in the Roots of the Grass, by Marissa Meyer
Chinese American spirit medium Fei-Yen helps a young prospector find justice for his murder. Marissa Meyer's style really comes out in this story, and she writes the spirit world wonderfully.

If you'd like to read along with us, pick up a copy from your local library or head over to Book Depository to buy one for yourself (and get free shipping worldwide). Once you've read the book, share your thoughts through this Google form, by the 23rd of February.

You can also use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub to share your book photos and thoughts with us too!

If this doesn't sounds like your type of book, never fear! March's book will be picked by Erin, so stayed tuned for the announcement later in February!