femme question from bossym

You identify as femme, right? How do you define femme-ness? Does femme mean something different from feminine, womanly, or ladylike?

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Do you identify as femme, bossym? How would you respond to the questions you just asked me?

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald

I tried to post this review before but the wireless connection cut out and I wound up losing it. Sigh. Well, it's my experience that such things are often better the second time, so let's hope that will be true here.

I am a big fan of romantic space opera - a genre that boasts my favorite authors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - so I put this book on my list as soon as it was suggested by calicoreaction. (This was in bookish, one of the book review communities I've joined recently and am still enjoying.) McDonald combines a military context with spaceships, FTL transportation that no one entirely understands, Austrailian mythology, romantic tension, and humor. Lieutenant Jodenny Scott knows she's not quite ready for anything - she's haunted by the tragedy that killed most of the crew of her last ship. But she'll do whatever it takes to get out from behind a desk - even pull strings to sign on with a ship that has a bad reputation and mysterious problems. She can't anticipate the conspiracy that will threaten her life, the questions about her sanity, or her feelings for one special person on her team...

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This is one of the good ones, folks. Getting romantic and military themes together in sci fi is no easy task. McDonald's own history in the military gives the book a strong flavor of authenticity. Her use of aboriginal Austrailian mythology sets it apart from the rest. You can believe in her characters, their world, and the unswerving commitment to duty that forms the backbone of Jodenny Scott. Very well done. Four stars. Recommended for fans of sci fi, romance, and military fiction.

I was a bit disappointed to find out that this was McDonald's first novel, since I wanted to run right out and read everything else she's ever written. On the other hand, maybe this means her future books will get even better? The Stars Down Under, sequel to The Outback Stars, is due out this month.