Goldsboro Books Subscriptions – September 2021

September’s Prem1er is another 30th December delivery. Tenderness being delayed was very disappointing. Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a book that is particularly special to me and let me tell you for why. 😀

When I was 13 I found a copy of it in the attic and read it. It’s officially my first ‘dirty’ book. (note: I hate the term ‘dirty’ to describe books with sex in them but I’m using it here as that’s what I called them when I was 13 and how I thought of them for years, one day I will post about just how ironic it is that sex is looked at as dirty by many religious institutions and their followers.) Lady Chatterley’s Lover was Incredibly tame when compared to what I would come to later read but the 13 year old was shocked and also LOVED it! Reading beautiful prose and learning about sexual awakenings and class divides, it’s hard not to love this book.

With Lady Chatterley’s Lover being a much loved book it will come as absolutely no surprise that I’m very much against book censoring. I found this book in an attic. Material that contains sex will be found by teenagers. ALWAYS. Giving them choices in safe environments means they can at least find out about safe and consensual relationships.

Books with sexual themes are becoming ever more important in my opinion, it’s a safe and non-judgmental place for people to learn about themselves and with censoring starting to uptick again I think it’s important to look back at why banning books was a stupid idea back in the 1920’s and keep it in mind when uneducated hicks start trying to do the same 100 years later.

September Prem1er – Tenderness by Alison MacLeod

Prem1er subscription details can be found here.

For readers of A Gentleman in Moscow and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, an ambitious, spellbinding historical novel about sensuality, censorship, and the novel that set off the sexual revolution.

On the glittering shores of the Mediterranean in 1928, a dying author in exile races to complete his final novel. Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a sexually bold love story, a searing indictment of class distinctions, and a study in sensuality. But the author, D. H. Lawrence, knows it will be censored. He publishes it privately, loses his copies to customs, and dies bereft.

Thirty years later, in her last days before becoming first lady, Jackie Kennedy learns that publishers are trying to bring D. H. Lawrence’s long-censored novel to American and British readers in its full form. The government has responded by taking the book to court. Determined to enjoy the anonymity she has left and to honor a novel she loves, Jackie attends the trial. But there she is quickly recognized, and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover takes note of her interest and her outrage.

Through the story of Lawrence’s writing of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, the obscenity trial that sought to suppress it, and the men and women who fought for its publication, Booker Prize–longlisted author Alison MacLeod captures the epic sweep of the twentieth century from war and censorship to sensuality and freedom. Exquisite, evocative, and grounded in history, Tenderness is a testament to the transformative power of fiction.

Tenderness by Alison MacLeod

September GSFF – Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

Waitlist for the GSFF subscription and buying options for previous picks can be found here.

A high-stakes heist novel set in a gritty world of magic and malice

In just over a year’s time, Ryia Cautella has already earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the dockside city of Carrowwick—not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name.

For the past six years, a deadly secret has kept her in hiding, running from town to town, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster—the sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she travels, his servants never fail to track her down…but even the most powerful men can be defeated.

Ryia’s path now leads directly into the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold, and against every instinct she has, it’s not a path she can walk alone. Forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers, and thieves, Ryia must plan her next moves very carefully. If she succeeds, her freedom is won once and for all…but unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own.

Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

To be honest, all I needed to know about this book was that it was ‘heist’ trope and I was in. It also sounds like we will have a kickass heroine so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that will stay true. It’s an unfortunate truth that a lot of YA that sells the awesome heroine ends up with someone (usually a boy) being needed to save her. This is LGBTQIA+ though so I have higher hopes. Also, it sounds like all the characters are morally grey and I’m here for that! 😀