All in Good Storytime is an interactive, bookish, book club podcast hosted by Alanna, Katya, and Tia. To join the club, make sure you're following us on Twitter to get updates on what book we're reading and to what chapter we are reading through (or what anime we're watching and what episode we are watching through), and listen to the podcast here or on iTunes (see link below) to join in on the discussion. And don't forget to read along!
In the 55th episode of All in Good Storytime, we discuss chapters 1 through 7 of The Left Hand of Darkness
by Ursula K. Le Guin. In chapters 1-7 we are introduced to the kingdom of Karhide on the planet Gethen/Winter. It is here that we meet Genly Ai from the Ekumen, the space UN, an Envoy sent to convince Gethen to join their alliance. Much of these opening chapters is devoted to describing the particular nature of the Gethenians who are ambisexual and alternate between two sexes.
by Ursula K. Le Guin. In chapters 1-7 we are introduced to the kingdom of Karhide on the planet Gethen/Winter. It is here that we meet Genly Ai from the Ekumen, the space UN, an Envoy sent to convince Gethen to join their alliance. Much of these opening chapters is devoted to describing the particular nature of the Gethenians who are ambisexual and alternate between two sexes.
We begin by discussing the use of male pronouns for characters who do not conform to such strict gender norms. The Gethenians only show a preference for one gender during "kemmer," their fertile period. If this novel had been written today it likely would have used gender neutral pronouns but as this novel was written 50 years ago and is told from the perspective of the one character from another planet who does identify as male it is understandable that it doesn't meet our modern standards.
We draw parallels between the increasing rise of fear and patriotism in Karhide that led to Estrevan's eventual exile to our current situation in America. We also compare the specific storytelling structure of "The Left Hand of Darkness" to our previously discussed book, "Slaughterhouse-Five." We dunk on Genly Ai for being so selfish and for insulting the Gethenians when he is a mere visitor. We question how he was chosen as the messenger meant to convince Gethen to join the Ekumen. In our spaghetti corner, we guess that the fortune tellers are right that Gethen will join the Ekumen in five years but that this will signal the destruction of the interplanetary association.
We're taking a hiatus for a bit, but we'll talk about chapters 8 through 14 of The Left Hand of Darkness
by Ursula K. Le Guin when we return.
by Ursula K. Le Guin when we return.
by Gillian Flynn. In these chapters, we see Camille attend a party and take drugs with her 13-year-old sister, watch as Camille quickly develops a sexual relationship with the 18-year-old John Keane, and finally learn the identity of the killer(s) of all crimes implicated in the story.
by Gillian Flynn.
by Celeste Ng. In these final chapters we are stunned by the big reveal of who set fire to the Richardson house, get the full story behind how and why Mia ran off with her surrogate baby back in art school, learn why Mia and Pearl end up fleeing Shaker Heights, and learn the decision of the court case surrounding baby May Ling Mirabelle as well as what becomes of her.
by Celeste Ng. In these opening chapters, we are introduced to the upper-middle-class town of Shaker Heights and the characters that reside here. We learn about Mia, an artsy single mom, and Pearl, her teenage daughter, along with the Richardson family from whom they rent their house on the less fancy side of town. The four Richardson siblings are Lexie, the shallow eldest daughter, Trip, the boring jock, Moody, the "nice guy" with a crush on Pearl, and Izzy, the inexplicably ostracized youngest sibling.
. In these final episodes, Akio's schemes to bring revolution to the world reach a climax, we see a final confrontation and duel between Akio and Utena, Anthy betrays Utena, and Utena either joins chu-chu in death or she lives happily ever after with Anthy in Paris.
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by Kurt Vonnegut. In these chapters, we first hear from Vonnegut regarding his time in Dresden during WWII and his motivation for writing this book. We are then introduced to the time traveling American WWII vet Billy who claims he was once kidnapped by aliens and taken to the planet Tralfamadore. 
by Kurt Vonnegut.