books 2008: Dies the Fire, by S.M. Stirling

Another sci fi novel lent to me by Mike in thr art department. This was actually pretty fascinating: one ordinary day, the power cuts out--not just the electricity, but every kind of power, all over the world, and everything Changes. Cars won't start, guns won't fire, batteries won't work, and suddenly the US, and probably the whole world, is pre-industrial. The novel follows two plucky heroes in the midwest: Mike, a former military man who knows how to hunt and fish and survive in the wild, and Juniper, a Wiccan renaissance faire musician with a coven full of useful folks like organic farmers and midwives.

The characters were a little tiresome--Mike is a total male Mary Sue (Mikey Sue?), and Juniper is just a little too "blessed be" and keeps spouting random Celtic sayings. Also, after reading the book I looked at the author photo on the back cover and suddenly realized why the SCA pretty much saves everyone. I have never seen a nerdlier man. Clearly he's just waiting for the day when he can whip out his historically accurate broadsword and be very popular. But overall, the premise of the book is really interesting, interesting enough to carry it through its other faults. I had a couple of restless nights laying awake figuring out how I'd get out of Philly if the Change suddenly did hit the world. And Stirling's plot makes sense--it's honestly totally logical that SCA folks would be incredibly useful if such a catastrophe hit, and there are a lot of similar things that you wouldn't necessarily have seen coming. The characters, while being tiresome, are also smart enough to figure out what happened right away and take action, and that makes them worth reading. I'd say three stars, and I might read the second one.

books 2008: The Blue Cotton Gown, by Patricia Harman

Memoir, full title: The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife's Memoir. This book was really excellent. It's the stories of the women Harman treated over the years, the stories that really stuck out and made her job worthwhile, or more painful. It's the story of how the healthcare system in this country is ridiculous and is hurting good doctors. And it's the story of Harman and her husband and their struggling clinic, all the problems they experience with accountants and taxes and insurance payments and possible malpractice lawsuits, and with the patients they care for. Harman doesn't really come to any conclusion about whether all the pain and stress they go through is worth it, but it does seem that she finds some peace about the fact that this is the work she is called to do in the world, with all its accompanying miseries and joys. Highly recommended for people who enjoy women's stories and people who have an interest in women's health (Lady_A, you would really enjoy this book, I think).