Tipping the Velvet
Author: Sarah Waters
Publication Date: 5/1/00
Publisher: Riverhead Books

Blurb (GR): "Lavishly crammed with the songs, smells, and costumes of late Victorian England" (The Daily Telegraph), this delicious, steamy debut novel chronicles the adventures of Nan King, who begins life as an oyster girl in the provincial seaside town of Whitstable and whose fortunes are forever changed when she falls in love with a cross-dressing music-hall singer named Miss Kitty Butler.

When Kitty is called up to London for an engagement on "Grease Paint Avenue", Nan follows as her dresser and secret lover, and, soon after, dons trousers herself and joins the act. In time, Kitty breaks her heart, and Nan assumes the guise of butch roue to commence her own thrilling and varied sexual education - a sort of Moll Flanders in drag - finally finding friendship and true love in the most unexpected places.

Drawing comparison to the work of Jeanette Winterson, Sarah Waters's novel is a feast for the senses - an erotic, lushly detailed historical novel that bursts with life and dazzlingly casts the turn of the century in a different light.

Review:
Well, I definitely have never read anything like this before. I dare you to read this book's synopsis and not get curious at least a little bit. The moment I set my eyes on a short description of Tipping the Velvet on the 1001 Must Read Before You Die Books list, I knew I had to read it. Cross-dressing lesbians, kept women, music hall singers, renter "boys" - I mean, what's not to like?

First and foremost, this is a book about lesbians (my first!) and written by one at that, so as far as the relationships in this novel are concerned, they are authentic in my mind. (I don't know about you, but I just hate it when straight authors write "gay books," particularly erotica. What can they possibly know?) I found myself quite ignorant of how such relationships work. Lesbian relationships, contrary to my uneducated beliefs, can be as abusive and destructive as the heterosexual ones. And, of course, there is lesbian sex. A few fairly explicit scenes (with "equipment"!), but the book doesn't turn into an overly gratuitous trashfest.

Second, in spite of its scandalous premise, the book is historically accurate. It comes as a shock to find out that there was a whole strata of women exploring their (homo)sexuality so freely in 1890s. After reading Edith Wharton's novels where women are too afraid to even get a divorce, it is a revelation to know that there were society women who kept female lovers and organized orgies. This, however, doesn't mean that in this book women go around doing whatever they please. Waters accompanies Nan's erotic adventures with a solid social context - same-sex relationships have to be secret, women known as "toms" are stigmatized, there is a legal punishment even.

I personally found this book very interesting. An imperfect, but strong debut. It is erotic without being vulgar, well researched but entertaining, well written without being boring. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it takes a while for the story to pick up steam. The first 130 pages are a little dull, but after that the novel is impossible to put down. Needless to say, Tipping the Velvet won't be my last Sarah Waters novel.

P.S. Due to the naked women on the cover this edition is a little challenging to read in public.

4/5 stars

On Writing
Author: Stephen King
Publication Date: 10/3/00
Publisher: Pocket

Blurb (GR): "Long live the King" hailed "Entertainment Weekly" upon the publication of Stephen King's "On Writing." Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999 -- and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, "On Writing" will empower and entertain everyone who reads it -- fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told. 


Review:
I have tons of highlights on my Kindle after reading this book. I suppose this is an indication of how much I enjoyed it and how much I took away from King's advice. From the get-go, I loved reading the anecdotes and stories King shares about his life growing up in Maine. His humor gets me nearly every time and I really appreciate the way he can recollect and/or recreate memories without making them seem fake. (I'm talking to you, Chelsea Handler--though you are funny) 

"I remember an immense feeling of possibility at the idea, as if I had been ushered into a vast building filled with closed doors and had been given leave to open any I liked. There were more doors than one person could ever open in a lifetime, I thought. (and still think)" (Loc. 220 on Kindle version) This sums up one of the biggest reasons I love reading--originality. There is nothing quite like the thrill of reading something that feels fresh and like nothing I've ever read before. I wish it happened more than it does! 

King spends a significant amount of time in this work speaking about another of my loves--a great story. He describes writing a draft and giving it, after a little tuning, to his wife/reader. If she thinks a part is boring, he might take it out. Just the way he describes it is perfect--Cut out the long descriptive sections and get back to the story! (description issues are usually what cause a reader to say "it got boring") This is a major gripe I have with a lot of books and it becomes especially apparent in audiobook format. I find myself spacing out during bouts of boring description and I'm in a state of constant rewind to try to concentrate on what is going on in the story. My book clubbers know I will skim through these sections in regular books. (gasp!) I feel like Stephen King might not chastise me for doing so. I mean, I don't give a &*($ what someone is wearing in most instances, I want to know who the killer is! King writes, "Description begins in the writer's imagination, but should finish in the reader's." (Loc. 2077)Exactly. 

Obviously, I'm not going to retype all of my saved highlights. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys King's work (I loved how he wove the creation of many of his works in so we found out some of his inspirations and experiences) and/or anyone who has an interest in writing. 

4/5 stars