What I've been reading

"The Snow Queen" by Joan Vinge, read out loud with my husband, J. On a world called Tiamat, two cousins who are also lovers, Moon and Sparks, get caught up in the machinations of their world's Snow Queen Arienrhod. Arienrhod comes from the "Winter" clan and rules for 100 years before the season changes, the off-worlders leave, taking their technology with them, and the Summer clan elects its Summer queen for the next 100 years. The queen and some of her nobility and the off-worlders have access to life-prolonging technology, but during the Summer reign, technology is traditionally shunned. Arienrhod plots to keep Winter in power and to help her world advance technologically, partly out of self-interest but also because she wants to get out from under the thumb of the multi-world government called the Hegemony, The book is loosely based on the plot of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the same name, I recommend this book highly, especially for folks who are looking for complicated and strong female characters in their sci-fi.

and

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. I've read a short story collection and a novel by Alexie before, but this is his first foray into YA. The book is not a graphic novel but it does have illustrations by Ellen Forney which are fabulous and contribute a lot to the story, since the main character, Arnold Spirit, is an aspiring cartoonist/artist. The book is told from the viewpoint of a young Spokane Indian who wants to get off the reservation and make something of himself, despite the poverty, alcohol abuse and other challenges that surround him.  Arnold talks frankly about getting erections, masturbating, alcoholism, bulimia, racism and a lot of other controversial topics. I laughed out loud in places and cried in others. It's a very funny and very moving book and I highly recommend it.

My full comments on both books here.